In 1939, a Viennese Jew enters a travel agent’s office and says, “I want to buy a steamship ticket.” “Where to?” the clerk asks. “Let me look at your globe, please.” The Jew starts examining the globe. Every time he suggests a country, the clerk raises an objection. “This one requires a visa. . . . This one is not admitting any more Jews. . . . The waiting list to get in to that one is ten years.” Finally the Jew looks up. “Pardon me, do you have another globe?”[1]

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Vayechi: The Power to Bless

Before the passing of Yaakov, Yosef and his two sons, Efrayim and Menasheh, go to him to obtain blessings. Yosef places Menasheh, the first-born, at Yaakov’s right hand, and Efrayim at Yaakov’s left hand. When Yaakov begins blessing them, however, he places his right hand on Efrayim’s head, and his left hand on Menasheh’s head. Yosef sees this and exclaims, “Not so, father, for this is the first-born. Place your right hand on his head.” Yaakov says, “I know, my son, I know. However the younger son will become greater.”[2]

SWITCHING HANDS

1. Why did Yosef seem to disrespect his father, who is a great tzaddik, and a ‘chariot of G-d’? Surely, Yaakov switched his hands because of a Divine prophecy. Furthermore, Yosef too was a great tzaddik, whose only intention was to serve G-d. What was Yosef’s intention in protesting his father’s actions?
2. Why should we bless our children to be like Efrayim and Menasheh, rather than blessing them to be like our great ancestors, Avraham, Isaac and Yaakov?
3. The parsha continues: “And (Yaakov) blessed them (Efrayim and Menasheh) on that day, saying (lemor), ‘With you all the Jews will be blessed. They will say (when blessing their children,) May G-d make you like Efrayim and Menasheh.‘” The word lemor is spelled here with a letter Vav. According to the Minchas Shai, this is the only place in the Torah that this word is spelled with a Vav (). What does this mean?

“FIRST” VS. “GREATER”
Menasheh and Efrayim lived their entire lives in Egypt, the first exile of the Jewish People. Menasheh’s name means, ‘G-d has made me (not) forget my father’s home.’[3] Efrayim’s name means, ‘G-d has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.’[4] Menasheh and Efrayim therefore represent two paths of Divine service appropriate to exile.

Yosef believed that when a Jew goes into exile from his father’s land, he must first create a symbol as a reminder, never to forget his origin and identity. For Yosef, his first-born, Menasheh, was that symbol. In other words, Yosef was telling his father, ‘Not so; ‘Menasheh’ is the first service a Jew should do in exile.’ Yaakov admits, ‘I know; the service of ‘Menasheh’ is first, but ‘Efrayim is greater.’

The service of ‘Efrayim’ is to be ‘fruitful’ in the land of exile. The objective of exile is not only to be connected with our roots, but rather to reveal G-dliness wherever we are. This way, we transform exile into redemption. Practically, this means to inspire fellow Jews to study Torah and perform mitzvos, and to teach non-Jews the Noachide laws.[5]

BLESSING OTHERS
Each Friday night, and on the Eve of Yom Kippur, many have a custom to bless their children to be like Efrayim and Menasheh. This combination of energies gives our children the courage and stamina to overcome the trials and tribulations of exile. This sends them a message: wherever a Jew finds himself, from Venice to Vienna or Zurich to Zimbabwe, he can maintain his Jewishness. The proof is that Efrayim and Menasheh grew up in exile, and overcame its influences. You can do it too.’

Our ancestors, Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, lived primarily in the holy Land of Israel, and didn’t have to face the same challenges. This is why we bless our children in the name of Efraim and Menasheh, rather than the patriarchs.

One could ask, what power do we have to bestow such a great blessing? The answer is, Yaakov transmits this power to every Jew. That’s why here the word lemor, ‘to say’ or ‘to give over’, has a Vav. Vav represents hamshacha, drawing down blessings.[6] With this letter, Yaakov transmits to every Jew the ability to draw down blessings.

RECIPE FOR FRUITFULNESS
In order that we and our children should always be fruitful in this exile, no matter where we are in the globe, we must first remember our origin and identity. We must never forget Mount Sinai. We must never forget Jerusalem. We must never forget our bubbies and zeidies. Then, the greater task is to illuminate this dark state of exile. We do this through the services of inviting others to our Shabbos table, setting fixed times to study Torah, teaching those who are less learned than ourselves, and doing acts of loving kindness such as visiting the frail and home-bound.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe has told us “to prepare ourselves and the whole world to receive the countenance of our Righteous Mashiach.” We need to live with ‘Ephraim’–to live redemption.

THE TENTH OF TEVES
The fast of the Tenth of Teves falls out during the week of the portion of Vayechi. It marks the day that Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylonia, and his army, surrounded the walls of Jerusalem. It marks the beginning of the exile of the People of Israel. It’s the only public fast-day that, like Yom Kippur, if it were to fall on Shabbos, it would not be pushed off to another day.[7] Because of the intensity of this day, we read the portion of Vayechi; the Torah, the Source of all life, gives us strength to overcome exile and become spiritually fruitful. Every descent into exile is only for the sake of a greater ascent into redemption. Therefore, may we ascend to receive the countenance of Mashiach bimheira biyameinu–now!

A STORY
Once, when the Alter Rebbe was leaving a period of study with his mentor, the Maggid of Mezritch, the Maggid’s son Reb Avraham accompanied the Alter Rebbe to the waiting carriage. Reb Avraham was known as “the Angel” because of his great spiritual standing. He told the wagon driver, “You should whip the horses until they stop being horses.” (According to another version, he said, “Whip the horses until they realize they are mere horses.”) These words made a deep impression on the Alter Rebbe. Realizing that Reb Avraham was alluding to a new path in the service of G-d, the Rebbe left the carriage, returned to Mezritch, and stayed there until he had internalized the intent of the Angel’s instruction.[8]

Our spiritual mission as Jews is to elevate the physical plane until it has become completely transformed. Thus, the horses should “stop being horses.” This is the path of Efrayim.

At the very least, we must remember that our surroundings are merely coarse physicality. Thus, the horses should “realize they are mere horses.” This is the path of Menasheh, remembering our Father’s home, and remembering that we are not at home in exile.

ACTION: 1.) In your home, hang pictures of your religious predecessors and of great Jewish leaders. 2.) Bless a male friend to be like Efrayim and Menasheh, and a female friend to be like Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel, and Leah.[9]

FOOTNOTES
[1] From Jewish Humor, by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin
[2] Genesis, 48:20
[3] Genesis, 41:51
[4] Genesis, 41:52
[5] Lekutei Sichos 15, Vayechi, 2
[6] See Letters of Light, the chapter on letter Vav, and the Appendix, number 2.
[7] In the times of the Temple, when the new month was determined through a sighting of the moon, it was possible for the Tenth of Teves to fall out on Shabbos. Now, however, with the established calendar, this no longer occurs.
[8] Sichas Rosh Chodesh Kislev, 5712.
[9] Daughters are blessed with the words, “May G-d make you as Sara, Rivka, Rachel and Leah.” The Matriarchs were very down-to-earth (more so than the Patriarchs), and therefore they embody the same principle as Menasheh and Efrayim.