Bereshit 48:8-20
Yaakov Blesses His Grandsons
Yaakov blesses Ephraim and Menashe, Yosef’s sons, and lays his right hand on the younger one.
וַיְבָרְכֵם בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לֵאמוֹר בְּךָ יְבָרֵךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר יְשִׂמְךָ אֱלֹהִים כְּאֶפְרַיִם וְכִמְנַשֶּׁה וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת־אֶפְרַיִם לִפְנֵי מְנַשֶּׁה׃
Bereshit 48:20
He blessed them that day, saying: Israel will bless by you, saying: May God make you like Ephraim and like Menashe. And he put Ephraim before Menashe.
- What it teaches
Passing on the tradition. Receiving the tradition from parents and elders and passing it on to the next generation.
Yaakov hugs his grandsons and blesses them, asking that his name and his fathers’ names be recalled in them. This is how a tradition is passed down: what one generation received reaches the next, through a hand laid on the head and words of blessing. Many parents still bless their sons on Friday night with words from this verse.
- The lesson
- A grandfather’s blessing to his grandsons can become a tradition for generations.