הרב אלון שליט"א
שיעורי הרב מרדכי אלון שליט"א
The taste of Shabbat – Vayechi 5777
The taste of Shabbat – Vayechi 5777
Rav Mordechai Elon
Yosef comes to his ill father Yaacov with his children, Ephraim and Menashe. Yaacov asks of Yosef
קָֽחֶם נָ֥א אֵלַ֖י וַֽאֲבָֽרֲכֵֽם.
Bring them to me and I shall bless them
We all know the story of how Yaacov crossed his hands over and blessed his grandchildren with the blessing we still bless our children
הַמַּלְאָךְ֩ הַגֹּאֵ֨ל אֹתִ֜י מִכָּל רָ֗ע יְבָרֵךְ֘ אֶת הַנְּעָרִים֒ וְיִקָּרֵ֤א בָהֶם֙ שְׁמִ֔י וְשֵׁ֥ם אֲבֹתַ֖י אַבְרָהָ֣ם וְיִצְחָ֑ק וְיִדְגּ֥וּ לָרֹ֖ב בְּקֶ֥רֶב הָאָֽרֶץ.
May the angel who redeemed me from all harm bless the youths, and may they be called by my name and the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, and may they multiply abundantly like fish, in the midst of the land.
We do not usually notice a certain point in the story, a very significant one that at first sight looks unconnected to the blessings. Yaacov calls for Yosef, Yosef arrives with his children, and then:
וַיַּ֥רְא יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֶת בְּנֵ֣י יוֹסֵ֑ף וַיֹּ֖אמֶר מִי אֵֽלֶּה. וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יוֹסֵף֙ אֶל אָבִ֔יו בָּנַ֣י הֵ֔ם אֲשֶׁר נָֽתַן לִ֥י אֱלֹהִ֖ים בָּזֶ֑ה וַיֹּאמַ֕ר קָֽחֶם נָ֥א אֵלַ֖י וַֽאֲבָֽרֲכֵֽם.