Parshas Vayechi 5785 - Ephraim and Menashe

00:00 This was in 5710, shortly after the passing of the Frierdiker Rebbe on Yud Shvat 5710. At one of the farbrengens that year, when the Rebbe was farbrenging—this was before he accepted the leadership—the Rebbe continually strengthened the chassidim and urged us to strengthen our connection to the Frierdiker Rebbe, and to carry out the things the Frierdiker Rebbe had asked for and held dear. Among other things, the Rebbe once related that he had received a letter from one of the longtime chassidim. The chossid wrote that he was utterly broken by the passing, could not recover, and wept over it from time to time. The Rebbe spoke about this at the farbrengen and said: “What do you gain from this crying? What do you gain from these sighs? Instead of using your strength and energy to cry, you could use that same strength and energy to act and do the things that the Rebbe—my father-in-law, the Frierdiker Rebbe—worked on with such passion and asked you to work on: your shlichus in the world, your purpose, the things he asked for, his influence and his instructions.” Along these lines, I heard about a chossid named Reb Chaim Gutnick, a rabbi in Australia, who lived in Australia all those years and did a great deal for Yiddishkeit, Torah and mitzvos, educating Jews and spreading

01:31 the wellsprings of Chassidus in faraway Australia. Once he came to the Rebbe and spoke with him. He would come to the Rebbe from time to time for yechidus, and his yechidus meetings were long. In other words, he would speak with the Rebbe about many matters; the Rebbe would discuss with him a number of issues and the situation—not only in Australia, but in Jewish life generally, in many different areas. He had a special connection and closeness with the Rebbe. On one occasion, he came to the Rebbe and spoke about a chossid he knew, a mashpia. Reb Chaim Gutnick told the Rebbe about this chossid, who had been among those closest to the Frierdiker Rebbe and remained so attached to him that he found it very difficult to move past his passing. He was always broken, and from time to time he wept because the Frierdiker Rebbe was no longer here, because he had passed away. The Rebbe said—this is how Reb Chaim related it, and I am repeating it as I heard it: “He cries because the Rebbe is not here, but he does not cry because the Rebbe is here.” What does it mean that the Rebbe is here, and what are we doing with that? What are we doing with his wishes, requests, instructions, guidance, and

03:06 words? In any event, we find this point in Parshas Vayechi, which tells of the blessings given to Ephraim and Menashe. The Torah relates that before Yaakov Avinu’s passing, Yosef was told, “Behold, your father is ill.” Yosef came with his two children to receive a blessing from Yaakov Avinu. He brought Ephraim and Menashe, and the Torah tells us that Yaakov asked, “Who are these?” Yosef answered that they were his children, born to him here in Egypt. Yaakov asked him to bring them over, because he wanted to bless them. Yosef positioned Ephraim and Menashe: Menashe was the older one, the firstborn, and Ephraim was the younger. He placed Menashe to Yaakov’s right, which was Yosef’s left, and the younger Ephraim to Yaakov’s left. He placed the firstborn on the right and the younger one, little Ephraim, on Yaakov’s left. But Yaakov “crossed his hands”—he crossed his hands, placing his right hand on the left side, on the younger Ephraim, and his left hand on the older Menashe. Yosef tried to straighten his hands; he thought Yaakov could not see, that he was blind,

04:46 and that this was why his hands were not in the proper places. He wanted to set them right, but Yaakov told him, “I know, my son, I know.” Menashe was older, and nevertheless, “his younger brother will become greater than he.” And so he gave the blessing, saying all the blessings up to “With you shall Israel bless, saying, ‘May G-d make you like Ephraim and Menashe’”—that Jews should always bless their children, “May G-d make you like Ephraim and Menashe.” “And he placed Ephraim before Menashe”—Ephraim was placed before Menashe. Here all the commentators ask, Rashi and many others: What was going on here? What was the back-and-forth between them? Why was Ephraim actually greater than Menashe? Why did Yosef favor the older one [unclear]? Why did Yosef think Menashe should come before Ephraim? After all, Yosef too was a great tzaddik. What was Yosef’s reasoning? Menashe was indeed older in age, the firstborn, yet Ephraim would “become greater than he.” What was Yosef’s reasoning, and what was Yaakov’s reasoning when he said that Ephraim would nevertheless “become greater than he”? This question is asked by [unclear]. After all, Yaakov is the one giving the blessing; Yaakov gave the blessing [unclear]. Several other questions are raised here by the commentators. But in any case, what do Ephraim and Menashe represent? What was the back-and-forth about Ephraim and Menashe, between Yosef and Yaakov, over who was greater,

06:14 who was more important—Menashe, who comes before Ephraim, or Ephraim, who comes before Menashe? There are explanations for this. There is an explanation by [unclear], who offers a wonderful insight. He says the following: In general, Ephraim and Menashe represent the tzaddikim who exert influence during the time of exile. We know that Ephraim and Menashe are “your two sons who were born to you in the land of Egypt.” That is, they are among the tribes born when the Jewish people were in Egypt. They were born before Yaakov arrived: “before I came to you in Egypt.” In other words, all the other tribes were born in Yaakov’s home. Ephraim and Menashe were born far from Yaakov, in Egypt, before Yaakov arrived there. They were with Yosef, but Yaakov was not there. That is the meaning of “before I came to you in Egypt”—they were born in the land of Egypt. And this alludes, as he writes in [unclear], to the tzaddikim in the time of exile. Among the tzaddikim in exile there are two kinds: tzaddikim of Menashe and tzaddikim of Ephraim. He explains that there are great tzaddikim living in the time of exile whose every thought and intention is directed far above, toward lofty spiritual intentions, the higher sefiros, the higher worlds, [unclear], and they bring about lofty unifications. They sustain the world. When a tzaddik is in this world and brings about lofty unifications, has lofty intentions, and

07:48 performs great, lofty forms of avodah [unclear], he accomplishes great things through this, sustains the world, and draws down every good thing. But there are tzaddikim whose entire focus and purpose is to devote themselves to the Jewish people. They are constantly occupied with making sure Jews have what they need materially, and they care for Jews’ material needs. They devote themselves to this, they go [unclear], give blessings and help, and [unclear] come and involve themselves in Jews’ material concerns so that Jews will receive help and success in the most practical sense. These are two kinds of tzaddikim, and this is the difference between Menashe and Ephraim. Menashe was one of the holy tzaddikim [unclear] higher worlds, and he was indeed Menashe, the older one, the greater one. But from another perspective, Ephraim concerns himself with material matters and cares for Jews’ material well-being; he is the younger one. Then Yaakov “crossed his hands”: he switched his hands and placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head. Yaakov answered Yosef and said that although Ephraim is the younger one, the tzaddik who is [unclear], who thinks constantly about Jews, gives them blessings for their material needs and gives them [unclear], and concerns himself with what Jews lack and what they need materially, he is the [unclear].

09:29 his right hand. And that is what he did: he took his right hand, “and placed it on Ephraim’s head, and his left hand on Menashe’s head.” He wanted to emphasize the greatness of the tzaddikim who come down to concern themselves with Jews’ material needs. As we see in [unclear], the true tzaddik is someone who devotes himself to his brothers. As it says in other works by the disciples of the Baal Shem Tov, this is the meaning of the verse, “Moshe grew up and went out to his brothers.” What was Moshe Rabbeinu’s true greatness? “He went out to his brothers”—he went to his brothers to see how they were doing, to care about their suffering, to be with them in their material difficulties and try to ease those difficulties. These are the true tzaddikim. Ephraim devotes himself to Jews and sees to it that they always have what they need materially. The Kedushas Levi of Berditchev says—and he cites this—that the verses “May G-d make you like Ephraim and Menashe” and “He placed Ephraim before Menashe” can be understood in his way. The difference between Ephraim and Menashe is that Menashe represents distress: “For G-d has made me forget all my hardship and my father’s entire house.” This is the darkness and distress of exile, which causes one to forget all these things. Ephraim is “For G-d has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction”—that out of this distress come all the deliverance, healing, and success. The Kedushas Levi says that, in general, Hakadosh Boruch Hu wants to give Jews blessings; He wants to grant them success; He wants

11:23 To bring them salvation. But what happens? Sometimes, to reach the blessings, one first has to go through hardships. First there is darkness, and one has to go through all these things. But the intended goal is the blessing. That is the difference between the two. And regarding the verse, “All the illnesses that I placed upon Egypt, I will not place upon you,” the Berditchever says [unclear]: first comes the illness, and afterward comes salvation. With Hakadosh Boruch Hu, in His relationship with Jews, it is exactly the opposite: from the outset, He wants to bring salvation. Salvation is already there in Hakadosh Boruch Hu’s intention, in His thought. That is what He wants. But sometimes, to reach salvation, one has to go through hardships. Those are not the main thing. The main thing is what is in Hakadosh Boruch Hu’s thought. From the outset, His thought is entirely of salvation. And this is the meaning of Menashe and Ephraim. In exile, the Jewish people experience pain and bitterness. But the purpose of “He has made me forget,” of the bitterness, is to reach Ephraim. That is why, for Yosef, Menashe comes first and Ephraim follows—that is the order of events. First came the pain Yosef endured in Egypt; afterward he rose to greatness, becoming second to the king and enjoying all his successes. That is how he also saw the exile of the Jewish people: first would come Menashe, and afterward Ephraim. For Yosef, Menashe comes before Ephraim; that is the way things are set right, that is the order. To this Yaakov our father said,

12:59 No: “May G-d make you like Ephraim and Menashe.” By placing Ephraim before Menashe, Yaakov made it understood that Ephraim is there from the very beginning. What comes first for Hakadosh Boruch Hu is Ephraim—the salvation, success, greatness, and ascent of the Jewish people. That comes before Menashe. When we see this, we realize that, from the outset, all the pain of exile is not an end in itself. This gives us hope to turn darkness into light as quickly as possible and bring the Geulah. Chassidus explains, and the Rebbe interprets, what Ephraim and Menashe mean in the service of Hashem. It is a very rich explanation, but it touches the service of every Jew. Ephraim and Menashe are an illustration of the situation of Jews during exile. These are children born far from the Land of Israel, far from Yaakov our father; they are in the land of Egypt. When Yosef had his children far from his father’s home, he gave them the two names, Menashe and Ephraim, to express through them what a Jew’s service is during exile. How can a Jew go through this exile? What is a Jew’s outlook, how does he live, and how should he view the whole matter of exile? So we are told that the first thing is the name Yosef gave his first son, Menashe: “For G-d has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house.” To remember

14:39 that exile is not my place; exile is a bitter place. Sometimes a person finds himself somewhere and can grow accustomed to it. That is human nature: people get used to things. A Jew finds himself in exile and wants to get used to it. He can live peacefully, with peace of mind. He settles in and gets himself established, earns a living, and builds a life for himself. Gradually, he may grow used to thinking that it is a pleasant place, a good place. Everything is fine; one can live here—especially when conditions are comfortable and allow you to live at ease. This is the first thing Yosef conveyed: Menashe. You must remember that exile is a bitter place. It is a place of “For G-d has made me forget all my toil,” a place that causes a person to forget his true self. Through this name, you will always remember that this is not your place. You will always have that yearning, that longing and anticipation: When will you finally be able to leave this place and return—“And I will return in peace to my father’s house”—to return to your true place, to be in the Land of Israel, to sit with my father? Only then comes the second point, Ephraim: a Jew must know that he is in a place where this has to be expressed in action. We do not sit here and cry; we have to act. “For G-d has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction”—precisely in the land of his affliction, amid the darkness, he does not hold back, but acts and—

16:03 brings another Jew and another Jew closer, and works with the holiness found in that place. Precisely by acting amid the darkness, the Jewish people [unclear] turn darkness into light, bringing about the greatest ascent through this very ascent: “For G-d has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction,” precisely in the land of my affliction. [unclear] This was Yosef’s approach, and he passed it on to his children through their names: the firstborn is Menashe, and the second is Ephraim. The order of service is this first, and then that. And concerning this, Yosef the righteous [unclear] the two children, [unclear]: first Menashe was born, and then Ephraim. For in the order of service, that is the order: first there must be “turn away from evil”—the understanding that exile is not a place for enjoying this world, not a pleasant place, not a comfortable place where everything is fine and settled. We cannot remain stuck in the darkness of exile. After that comes Ephraim. So the order of service is that Menashe must come first: always remembering that this is not our place, and that the children who have been exiled from their father’s table want to go to the Land of Israel and be together with their Father, Hakadosh Boruch Hu. This is the first thing, quite simply, and only afterward comes the service of Ephraim in its proper form: “For G-d has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction”—bringing light into this exile and taking action. And it is interesting that when Yosef came to Yaakov our father, and Yaakov positioned Menashe and gave the blessings, Yaakov our father wanted to express the inner intention and the ultimate purpose. The ultimate purpose is Ephraim [unclear] Menashe.

17:58 But the order must be [unclear] in this exile, and not grow accustomed to it, G-d forbid, as happens with Amalek, the kelipah of Amalek. [unclear] Amalek remains stuck and will not leave a Jew alone. [unclear] Menashe. Yaakov comes and places his right hand on Ephraim, and says to him: [unclear] Menashe is still part of the order of service; first one must be Menashe, and afterward Ephraim. But, as Yosef [unclear], Yaakov places his right hand specifically on Ephraim, to emphasize that the ultimate purpose of being in exile is for a Jew to remember that his task is to turn darkness into light and fulfill “For G-d has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.” When he is in the thick darkness of exile, he must illuminate it, [unclear], bring more Jews closer to Judaism, turn darkness into light, and bring more and more sparks into holiness; reveal the side of holiness through “G-d has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.” That is why we find that the verses speaking of the Geulah use specifically the name Ephraim. [unclear] Yosef is the name of the Jews in exile, but within Yosef himself is the name Ephraim. As it says in the well-known verse, “Is Ephraim a precious son to Me?” “Is Ephraim a precious son to Me?” refers specifically to being in exile. Ephraim is the “precious son to Me.” Why? These are

19:46 children who are in the darkness of exile, who were born outside the Land of Israel, born at a time when they were far from Yaakov our father, and yet the purpose is clear to them: “For G-d has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction”—to illuminate and turn darkness into light. And they, with Hashem’s help, are the children who will stand at the forefront and greet our righteous Moshiach, who will say of each of them [unclear]. The Rebbe emphasizes [unclear]: “May G-d make you like Ephraim and Menashe.” And Ephraim comes before Menashe; with all the interpretations, both are great. But the final point also concerns what we do in practice: here we say both things. Be Menashe and be Ephraim. Remember that exile is a bitter place, that the world is still in exile, and cry out “Ad mosai?”—“How much longer?”—and yearn for the Geulah. At the same time, live the message of “G-d has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction”: bring light, life, and joy; keep adding and bringing more and more into expression, turning darkness into light and preparing the world for the light of the Geulah. May it be soon in our days; may these days of 10 Teves be transformed into days of joy, gladness, and festivals; and may the complete Geulah come through our righteous Moshiach speedily in our days, amen.