Jacob knows he is about to die. He has a last private meeting with Joseph and he blesses Joseph’s sons.
He begins by explaining to Joseph the reasons for some of his past actions.
Jacob’s Blessing
Then Jacob promotes Joseph’s sons Manasseh and Ephraim to be considered (for many purposes) as the same level as his other sons (Genesis 48:4-6).
After this Jacob is ready to pronounce his blessing for them:
15. And he [Jacob] blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God Who shepherds me from my beginning until this day,
16. May the angel who redeems me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be called on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; may they proliferate like fish in the midst of the earth.
Jacob mentions “the God Who shepherds me” and “the angel who redeems me.” Why didn’t he make the entire blessing in the name of God?
Genesis 48:15 – God Who Shepherds
And he [Jacob] blessed Joseph – These verses do not reveal what blessing Jacob gave to Joseph. For this reason, most commentators state that Jacob only blessed Joseph’s sons.
Rabbi Steinsaltz explains it this way: The blessing is for Joseph’s children. A blessing for the children is also a blessing bestowed on the father.
Sforno adopts the view that Jacob did bless Joseph. He claims that there was a separate, but not revealed, blessing specifically for Joseph and only after this blessing did Jacob bless the sons.
Rabbi Sorotzkin builds on the Sforno’s comment: Why did Jacob bless Joseph now when he plans to bless him later when he blesses all of his sons (Genesis 49:22-26)? Here he singled out Joseph for a special blessing because he had the status of a king.
before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk – Rabbi Hirsch in his commentary explains that “walk” (Hebrew hithalech) “denotes conducting oneself – i.e., going of one’s own free and moral will.” Our forefathers were not forced to follow God, they consciously chose that path.
Radak notes that they served God with both their heart and their actions. Jacob also served God wholeheartedly, but he did not praise himself nor did he include himself as one who walked with God.
the God Who shepherds me – Rav Saadia Gaon writes that this is God in the role of protector and guardian over Jacob.
Sforno understands this phrase more broadly. He writes that Jacob is praising God for showing him kindness like a shepherd would to those defenseless animals under his care.
Genesis 48:16 – Angel Who Redeems
the angel – Rashi explains why the verse says “the angel” which implies a particular, known angel. This is the angel who was regularly sent to Jacob when he was in trouble.
Jacob had many encounters with angels during his life starting with his dream of the ladder and angels (Genesis 28:12).
A specific example of the angel aiding Jacob is recorded here:
11. And the angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, “Jacob!” And I said, “Here am I.”
12. And he said, “Lift up now your eyes, and see …”
This happened when Jacob was being cheated by Laban.
Abarbanel clarifies that the oversight is from God, but He may assign an angel to perform the task.
We see this idea expressed when Abraham instructed his servant:
7. The Lord God of heaven, Who took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my family, and Who spoke to me, and Who swore to me, saying, “To your seed will I give this land;” He shall send His angel before you…
Abarbanel further explains that the angel guarded Jacob, but it was God Who shepherded him. He understands that “shepherding” is more all inclusive than “guarding.”
May the angel who redeems me from all evil, bless the lads – Jacob is asking God to command the angel to bless the lads if they are not fit to receive a blessing directly from God without an intermediary [Sforno].
proliferate like fish – Jacob used this phrase because fish have many offspring and the evil eye does not rule over them [Rashi].
Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary 11th Edition defines “evil eye” as “an eye or glance held capable of inflicting harm.”
The Jewish concept of the evil eye clarifies that the harm is caused by the “looker” looking with envy or ill will.
Here is one of the examples of the operation of the evil eye in the Gemara (Baba Batra 2b):
R. Abba said in the name of R. Huna, who said it in the name of Rav: It is forbidden to a man to stand about in his neighbor’s field when the grain in it is in the ear.
Rashi explains that the person may look with an evil eye and damage the grain.
The evil eye is real and potentially powerful, but the descendants of Joseph are protected from it:
R. Judah son of R. Hanina derived it from this text: “may they proliferate like fish in the midst of the earth” (Genesis 48:16). Just as the fish in the sea are covered by water and the evil eye has no power over them, so the evil eye has no power over the seed of Joseph.
Since the fish cannot be seen due to the water the evil eye cannot harm them.
may they proliferate like fish in the midst of the earth – R. Sorotzkin writes that fish must proliferate greatly because they have many enemies that catch them and eat them: people, wild animals, birds, and other fish.
When Jacob blesses Joseph’s sons to “proliferate like fish” that seems to be a blessing that they should people of quarrels and disputes similar to fish and have to replace those members of the tribe who are killed in battle. Therefore he adds, “in the midst of the earth” that they may dwell in peace and with an orderly government, but not in the anarchy that prevails in the sea.
The Vilna Gaon (GRA) writes that many raise the problem that when the Jewish people were counted the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh aren’t larger than the other tribes. He suggests that Jacob’s blessing came to pass after the Jewish people entered the Land of Israel. The phrase “in the midst of the earth” means in the Land of Israel. Joshua 17:14 offers partial support for the GRA’s idea.
Daat Mikra disagrees and points out that combined they were the one of the biggest tribes in each census. Here are the numbers:
- First census (Numbers 1): Ephraim 40,500 + Manasseh 32,200 = 72,700. They were the second largest tribe after Judah at 74,600.
- Second census (Numbers 26): Ephraim 32,500 + Manasseh 52,700 = 85,200. They became the largest tribe followed by Judah at 76,500.
The combined tribes Ephraim and Manasseh increased by 17%, but the tribe of Judah only increased by 2.5%.
R. Steinsaltz points that there are 2 blessings here:
1. and let my name be called on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac
2. may they proliferate like fish in the midst of the earth.
Genesis 48:15-16 – Malbim Explains
Malbim in his commentary has a unique approach to our two verses.
He writes that there are 2 ways that God conducts His world.
1. The way of nature. God does not examine the actions of people. The world operates independently of the good or bad deeds of people.
2. The way of miracle. God considers the actions of the generation and the righteous ones. He may pour out goodness and kindness based on the deeds of the righteous.
Jacob thought his fathers, Abraham and Isaac, merited way #2, the way of miracle. But he minimized himself and thought he only merited way #1, the way of nature.
Jacob who thought his relationship with God was based on the natural order, needed the angel to redeem him from all evil. He could not rely on having help from God directly.
He thought that God treated him the same way that a shepherd treats his flock. The shepherd acts for the good of his flock without consideration of how the sheep are behaving.
Jacob blesses Joseph’s sons that they should experience both approaches.