Parshas Vayechi
Your Grandchildren
One of the most memorable human scenes portrayed in the Torah is that of
Yaakov blessing his grandchildren, Menashe and Ephrayim. Yaakov takes
the occasion and transforms it from being a purely personal one to
becoming a national and eternal paradigm. In you, my grandchildren,
shall Israel always bless [future generations,] saying: May the Lord
bless you as Ephrayim and Menashe. Thus, from that moment onward, Jews
bless their sons and grandsons with the words of our father Yaakov: May
the Lord bless you as Ephrayim and Menashe. I find it noteworthy that
the blessing of generations in the Torah is one of a grandfather
blessing grandchildren. The blessings of parents to children do not
figure in the overall perspective of Jewish continuity and eternity in
quite the same fashion and importance, as does the blessing of
grandparents to grandchildren. We are all aware of the fact that there
exists a special relationship and bond between grandchildren and
grandparents. Only half-jokingly I have attributed this relationship to
the fact that they have a common enemy. But the fact is that it is much
less tension ridden and less difficult to be a grandparent than a
parent. And the grandparent always sees ones self beyond the grave
through ones grandchildren. Therefore, the accomplishments of
grandchildren bring greater satisfaction to grandparents than to
parents. Parents have a tendency to be less tolerant of their childrens
independence and adventurism, while grandparents take a longer view of
the situation. In the words of the Talmud: Even if great wisdom may not
be present in me, age and experience [also have their say.]
The Talmud teaches us that if there be three consecutive generations of
Torah scholars in a family then the Torah always finds an ability to
make a home for itself in that family. I have found this statement to be
true even when there is a later gap of generations regarding Torah
scholarship or even observance within that family. I think that this is
one of the reasons that Yaakov emphasized his blessing to his
grandchildren. Yaakov has done his spiritual best as has his son Yosef.
Now it is up to the next generation, to Menashe and Ephrayim. If they
will continue in the ways and path of Yaakov, then the Jewish future is
assured in the family and tribe of Yosef. The Torah will always come
knocking at that familys door and eventually someone will open that door
to it. One of my great teachers in the yeshiva that I attended long ago
defined success in life to us as follows: If your grandparents and your
grandchildren are both proud of you and your accomplishments, then you
can claim success in life. Yaakov strives for this success and therefore
concentrates his blessings on his grandchildren, Menashe and Ephrayim.
By so doing, he also instructs all later Jewish generations to
concentrate their blessings on their grandchildren as well. Building the
three-generation cord is the certain key to Jewish survival and success.
It is the ultimate blessing of past generations to the future leaders
and builders of Israel.
Shabat shalom.
Rabbi Berel Wein
Text Copyright © 2006 by Rabbi Berel Wein and Torah.org
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