The story begins as Jacob is about to die. Joseph comes to him and brings his two sons, who were born in Egypt, Ephraim and Manasseh. Jacob proceeds to bless them: “God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.”
This story is interesting because of what it says about the circumstances in which we are born versus the choices we make. Ephraim and Manasseh were born and raised in Egypt, a highly decadent and immoral society. They could have chosen to assimilate into the larger Egyptian culture and lived like princes among the Egyptian aristocracy. Instead they chose to identify with their Jewish immigrant roots. Indeed Jews throughout their history have had to make a similar choice. Is it not surprising, then, that throughout the centuries, Jewish parents hoped that their children would be like Ephraim and Manasseh: able to rise above the negative influences of their surroundings and stay true to themselves despite all the disadvantages and risks involved? Hence, the Friday night blessing: “God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.”
The circumstances of our births do not have to determine how we live our lives. We still have free will and the ability to make choices. I have a cousin who grew up in Sioux City, Iowa. That’s on the North Dakota border, in the middle of nowhere. Unlike children here, he didn’t have the advantage of being close to a major metropolitan center with a large Jewish population. Yet he somehow found a way to educate himself. Today he lives in Israel, and is a well-respected scholar in the Chasidic community. I, myself, grew up in a small, Midwestern farming community–more rural than Southern Maryland, by the way. Yet here I am, leading services! Transformation is always possible. “If you will it, it is no dream.”
With that in mind, let us look at what Jacob has to say about some of his other sons:
Of Reuben he says:
“Reuben, you are my first-born,
My might and first fruit of my vigor;
Exceeding in rank
And exceeding in honor.
Unstable as water, you shall excel no longer:”
Even though Reuben is the oldest son, the one who would normally be expected to lead, the tribe of Reuben accomplishes little and eventually disappears. Clearly, in the long run, things like birth order and rank don’t really matter.
Of Simeon and Levi, Jacob says:
“Simeon and Levi are a pair;
Their weapons are tools of lawlessness.
For when angry they slay men,
And when pleased they maim oxen.
Cursed be their anger so fierce,
And their wrath so relentless.
I will divide them in Jacob,
Scatter them in Israel.”
Simeon and Levi had once massacred the people of Shechem. Because of this the tribe of Simeon eventually disappears. Interestingly, the Levites eventually become the priests. Now, one might wonder how the descendants of such a violent man became involved in a spiritual vocation such as the priesthood? This is because during the incident of the Golden Calf, the Levites remained loyal to God, and they put their violence towards a noble cause.
As I said earlier, transformation is always possible. Just because we may have been born into a bad environment or had family members who were violent, we can still rise above our circumstances, if we so choose.
Now, let’s look at Judah. Jacob says:
“Judah is a lion’s whelp;
Like “the king of beasts”—who dare rouse him?
The scepter shall not depart from Judah;
Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet;
So that tribute shall come to him
And the homage of peoples be his.”
We all know who is descended from the tribe of Judah: two of the greatest kings who ever lived, David and Solomon. Interestingly, they are also descended from Ruth, a convert. So two of the greatest leaders in Jewish history were descended from someone who wasn’t even born Jewish. Clearly, genetics and environment do not determine the type of people we choose to become. Ruth, like Ephraim and Manasseh, chose to be Jewish. Despite being a convert, she is a better Jew than many people who were born Jewish.
Now, let’s talk about the haftorah. Here we find a similar story: King David is about to die, and he calls his son Solomon to him. He tells Solomon: “…be strong and show yourself a man. Keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in His ways…in order that you may succeed in whatever you undertake and wherever you turn.” He tells Solomon that if their descendants are “scrupulous in their conduct” that the line of Judah will last forever.
Unfortunately, their descendants are not “scrupulous in their conduct”, and the line of Judah does not go on forever. The kings become increasingly corrupt, and the country eventually splits into two kingdoms, Judah and Israel. Eventually, God becomes so disgusted that He allows the Temple to be destroyed, and the Jewish people are sent into exile. Sometimes people make the wrong decisions, with tragic consequences.
In summary, we all have free will and the ability to make appropriate moral choices about how to live our lives. We don’t have to allow ourselves to succumb to the negative influences of our society. Instead we can choose to identify with our heritage and learn from the positive examples of our ancestors. We can choose to be like Ephraim and Manasseh. Shabbat Shalom.