Комментарий к Берешит 48:19

ידעתי בני ידעתי I KNOW IT, MY SON, I KNOW that he is the first-born.

ואולם, “but, however.”

וימאן אביו ויאמר, His father refused, saying, etc. The reason the Torah uses the word "he refused," is to indicate that Joseph had taken hold of his father's hand to try and place it on Menashe's head.

יהיה לעם, will become so numerous until people will refer to his descendants as “a nation.”

וגם הוא יגדל ואולם אחיו הקטן יגדל ממנו, “he too will become great; however, his younger brother will become even greater than he.” Yaakov used both the adjectives “great” and “small” in connection with Joseph’s sons. We have encountered this description of relative “smallness” already in connection with the sun and the moon on the fourth day of creation (Genesis 1,16) where both luminaries have first been described as “great;” subsequently the Torah distinguishes the relative greatness of one of he luminaries, the sun, by describing it as “great” when compared to the lesser luminary the moon. The “greatness” of Ephrayim which Yaakov referred to was that Joshua would be descended from that tribe. Joshua was so great that he could arrest the orbit of both sun and moon as we know from Joshua 10,12. In response to Joshua’s instruction for the sun and the moon to “stand still,” the Book of Joshua informs us in Joshua 10,13 that they did indeed interrupted their respective orbits until Joshua had taken his revenge of the Canaanites. In that verse the prophet reports that this miracle was recorded in a book called ספר הישר, and our sages in Avodah Zarah 25 have revealed to us that the ספר הישר is none other than the Book of Genesis, a Book describing the outstanding feats of the patriarchs Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov. They are the ones who are called ישרים, “the upright ones.” Joshua was a product of these people and the prophet testifies that G’d was with Joshua and that his fame spread throughout the globe (Joshua 6,27).

That he is the firstborn. Rashi needed to explain this so we will not think it means, “I know that he too will become a people.” I.e., that Yoseif knew Menasheh will become a people but he thought Yaakov did not know — and Yaakov said he also knows Menasheh will be great and will become a people. And [Rashi knows it does not mean this because] the verse does not say so. Yoseif said only, “For this one is the firstborn.” Thus Rashi explains: “I know,” as you do, “that he is the firstborn.” And I also know something you do not: “He too will become a people; he too will become great.”

גוים לעם, vergl. oben גוי וקהל גוים und . — וזרעו יהי׳ מלא הגוים buchstäblich hieße es: sein Same soll die Fülle der Völker werden, die Völker sollen von seinen Nachkommen voll werden, wie מלא כל הארץ כבודו. Das hieße denn: Efrajims Nachkommen sollen unter alle Völker zerstreut werden; es wäre dies aber dann eine קללה und kein Segen. Deshalb Raschi: von dem Ruhme seiner Kinder werden die Völker voll werden. Das steht aber nicht im Text. Wir finden מלא in der Bedeutung von Rüsten, z. 8.: ויהוא מלא ידו בקשת (Kön. II. 9, 24) ואיש יגע בו ימלא ברזל וחנית (Sam. 11. 23,7). Rüsten ist ja: den Mangel an Kraft und Geschicklichkeit künstlich "ersetzen", "ergänzen", מַלֵא. Damit wäre denn Efrajim charakteristisch gezeichnet. Efrajims Nachkommen werden die Rüstung der Stämme Israels nach außen werden. Darum auch גוים, nicht עמים. Wie Josef selbst zuerst von der Jakobsfamilie getrennt, und so bedeutsam in den Kreis eines nichtjüdischen Staates eintrat, freilich aber auch als solcher den jüdischen Gotteshauch — ,ה" — treu bewahrte — עדות ביהוסף שמו בצאתו על ארץ מצרים — so hatte ja auch Efrajim später zuerst den Charakter eines nichtjüdischen Staates, freilich dann in trauriger Entfremdung, angenommen. Eine Entfremdung, die aber, so wenig wie bei seinem Ahn, mit dieser Trennung notwendig gegeben war. Es ist daher wohl möglich, dass es also heiße: "Seine Nachkommen sollen als eine von außen respektierte Macht eine Lücke in der äußeren Erscheinung der übrigen Stämme ausfüllen, sollen eine kräftigende Rüstung der übrigen Stämme nach außen werden; nächst Juda war Efrajim jedenfalls der tapferste Stamm. Vielleicht auch blickt זרעו zunächst auf Josua hin, der ja ganz eigentlich das Rüstzeug der Stämme genannt werden kann. —

גם הוא יהיה לעם וגם הוא יגדל HE ALSO SHALL BECOME A PEOPLE, AND HE ALSO SHALL BE GREAT, for of him will be born Gideon through whom the Holy One, blessed be He, will perform a miracle (See Midrash Tanchuma, Vayechi 6).

וגם הוא יגדל, he will also develop into becoming very numerous. However his younger brother will become even more numerous. At the Exodus from Egyptian the arms-bearing males of the tribe of Ephrayim were 45.500 (Numbers 1,33-35 as opposed to only 32.200 members of the tribe of Menashe. Interestingly, when numbering the males over 20 who entered the Holy Land, the members of the tribe of Menashe outnumbered those of Ephrayim by 52.700 to 32.500. (Numbers 26,34-36.) If we keep this in mind we may have to redefine the meaning of the word יגדל when used by Yaakov not as referring to numerical strength, but as referring to the great men produced by each of these tribes and the relative importance of these men. We know that Moses’ successor, Joshua, was from the tribe of Ephrayim. He was a great saviour, and conquered the land of Canaan enabling the promise of G’d to the patriarchs to finally become realised. The tribe of Ephrayim also provided the first king of the 10 tribes who had split away from Solomon’s son Rechavam after the death of Solomon. Furthermore, throughout the history of the Jewish people until the destruction of the first Temple the political rivalry between Ephrayim and Yehudah is well documented, whereas hardly ever is Menashe mentioned as playing a major part in this. When the prophet Isaiah prophesied an idyllic future, he described this as being characterised by the end of the rivalry between Ephrayim and Yehudah. (Isaiah 11,13). Still, it is possible to also understand the word יגדל ממנו as referring to numerical strength, as except in the single instance we mentioned before Ephrayim always outnumbered Menashe. We must also take into consideration the words וזרעו יהיה מלא הגויים, “and his seed will become plentiful enough to form nations.” The unique phenomenon of the members of Ephrayim being inferior in numbers at the time the Israelites entered the Holy Land may possibly be accounted for by the tradition that 30 years prior to the Exodus the tribe of Ephrayim rebelled, left Egypt and marched to the land of the Philistines on the way to the land of Canaan. According to that report they lost 200.000 of their number in a battle at Gat. [the reason why I do not think this relevant is that if so, there should have been fewer member of the tribe of Ephrayim at the time of the Exodus, instead of 40 years later when near entering the Holy Land. Ed.]

The whole world will be filled when his reputation and name will spread... Rashi is answering the question: “His descendants will fill the nations” — does this not imply his descendants will be scattered throughout the world? And this is not [greatness] but a curse! Thus Rashi explains, “His reputation.” The verse is as if saying, “The name of his descendants will be throughout the world,” by means of [making] the moon and sun [stand still] which is seen throughout the world.

The reason Jacob repeated: "I know my son, I know, etc." is that Jacob wanted to answer both of Joseph's doubts as we have already explained. To Joseph's remark "not so my father," Jacob replied that he was well aware that Joseph had already placed the children in such a position that he, Jacob, did not have to cross his hands in order to put his right hand on the head of Menashe. By adding the word בני, my son, Jacob hinted that he had given Joseph credit for placing the boys in the position which he considered as appropriate. Concerning Joseph's specific concern that the firstborn be accorded the privileges due him, Jacob also said: "I know;" he assured Joseph that Menashe too would attain greatness. Joseph should not think that Jacob considered his firstborn as unworthy or inferior. If he had nonetheless decided to place his right hand on the head of Ephrayim this was in view of Ephrayim's descendants outranking Menashe's descendants at some time in the future. Ephrayim was destined to become מלא הגוים, meaning that at that time he would occupy a higher position though at the moment Menashe fulfilled his role of the firstborn perfectly. Tanchuma elaborates that Joshua would be descended from Ephrayim whereas Gideon would be descended from Menashe, both leaders of the Jewish people during their respective lifetimes. Both had already been destined for their respective roles in life; Jacob only gave recognition to this by the manner in which he placed his hands when blessing both these children.

Charakteristisch sehen wir hier wiederum den Erstgeborenen gegen den Jüngeren zurückgesetzt. Von Kain und Hebel an bis weit hinab erscheint diese Zurücksetzung der בכורים. Hebel war der Gottgefälligere, Kain verworfen. So war auch unter Noas Söhnen Schem vielleicht nicht der älteste. Unter Abrahams Söhnen weicht Ismael dem Jizchak, unter Jizchaks Esaw dem Jakob, unter Jakobs Söhnen Reuben dem Josef, unter Josefs Menasche dem Efrajim, und die eigentlich leitende Herrschaft kommt an Juda. Auch Moses war der Jüngere, David der jüngste der Geschwister. Ja, die בכורות im ganzen Volke verloren ihre Würde. In diesem ganzen erkennt man eines: während einerseits der Erstgeborene der Bevorzugte, der anerkannte Vertreter der Familie bleibt und als solcher פי שנים erhält und damit angedeutet ist, dass eigentlich Geist und Macht Hand in Hand gehen sollten, so ist doch die Weltgeschichte nichts als Kampf der materiellen Macht gegen den göttlichen Geist. Das Ziel ist, wie es Ribka verkündet worden: רב יעכר צעיר, der Starke wird des Schwachen Diener. Vor diesem Ziele aber steht die geistige Potenz der nationalen Macht geschieden gegenüber: הקול כאשר תריך .קול יעקב והידים ידי עשו, ward dem Esau gesagt, erst dann wirst du ihm ebenbürtig zur Seite stehen, wenn du dich freiwillig selbst unterordnest. Bis dahin meint das materiell Gewaltige zu herrschen, wird aber stets beherrscht. Es sind dies die zwei Kronen, die, nach Secharja 6, einst im משיה vereinigt sein werden, der כהן על כסאו, , "Priester auf seinem Throne" sein und die friedliche Vereinigung beider verwi- lichen wird: ועצת שלום תהיה בין שניהם; bis dahin bleiben die Kronen nur לזכרון בהיכל ד׳, ist ihre Vereinigung nur ein im Heiligtum bewahrtes Ideal, wird fort und fort in der jüdischen Geschichte gelehrt, dass eigentlich die materielle Macht Hand in Hand mit dem Geiste gehen solle, die Wirklichkeit aber dem noch nicht entspricht. Die einerseits materiell bevorzugte Erstgeburt tritt anderseits zurück, und dieser zeitliche Widerspruch zwischen ihrer Bestimmung und der Wirklichkeit scheint selbst im Gesetze durch פדיון בכור vergegenwärtigt.

ואולם אחיו הקטן יגדל ממנו BUT TRULY HIS YOUNGER BROTHER SHALL BE GREATER THAN HE — for of him will be born Joshua who will make Israel inherit the land of Canaan and will instruct them in the Torah (Midrash Tanchuma, Vayechi 6).

יהיה מלא הגויים, until his descendants are numerous enough when they go into exile to fill countries belonging to, or having belonged to other nations with their numbers alone. [possibly a reference to the population transfer mentioned in Kings II after the Assyrians conquered the Northern Kingdom. and replaced the exiled Jews there with other nationals. (Kings II chapter 17) Ed.]

Alternatively, Jacob meant that he was thoroughly familiar with Joseph's arguments; when Joseph had hinted that the birthright should determine on whose hand Jacob was to place his right hand, Joseph was wrong, it was not the order of birth which determined matters like this. By adding the word בני, Jacob hinted that Joseph himself had foreseen future developments in his dreams. Similarly, Jacob could not now act in defiance of G'd who had shown him in a vision that the younger son would outshine his older brother.

וזרעו יהיה מלא הגוים AND HIS SEED SHALL BECOME A MULTITUDE OF NATIONS (more lit, shall fill the nations) — the fame and renown of his seed, Joshua, will spread abroad and fill the whole world when he will make the sun stand still upon Gibeon and the moon in the valley of Aijalon (Avodah Zarah 25a).