We have now reached Vayechi, the final portion of the Book of B’reishit . Under Joseph’s care, Jacob and sons are thriving in Egypt. As Jacob nears the end of his life, he blesses Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Jacob also blesses each of his own sons with blessings that are at once poetic and enigmatic. While their meanings may be somewhat obscure, Jacob’s blessings are filled with intriguing imagery and startling characterisations of the sons.
Judaic scholar, Everett Fox, in his book, The Five Books of Moses, translates Jacob’s blessing for Joseph in this way:
“Young wild-ass,
Yosef,
young wild- ass along a spring,
donkeys along a wall.
Bitterly they shot at him,
the archers assailed him,
yet firm remained his bow,
and agile stayed his arms and hands-
by means of the hands of Yaakov’s Champion,
up there,
the Shepherd, the Stone of Yisrael.
By your father’s God-
may he help you,
and Shaddai,
may he give-you-blessing:
Blessings of the heavens, from above,
blessings of Ocean crouching below,
blessings of breasts and womb!
May the blessings of your father transcend
the blessings of mountains eternal,
the bounds of hills without age.
May they fall upon the head of Yosef,
on the crown of the consecrated-one among his brothers.”
(Genesis 49: 22-26)
Puzzling references and a very different picture of Joseph – neither the dream driven youth nor Pharaoh’s protege. The Torah is full of surprises!
Everett Fox’s approach to translation is fascinating and merits further examination in future posts. For this Shabbat, though, read aloud Jacob’s blessing for Joseph with the intensity of expression which it deserves. What imagery! What power! What an amazing final portion in the wondrous book of B’reishit!
Chazak! Chazak! V’Nitchazeik
Shabbat Shalom – Rest and Renew
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