BLESSING THE BOYS

Then he blessed Yosef: ‘The God in whose presence my fathers Avraham and Yitz’chak lived, the God who has been my own shepherd all my life long to this day, the angel who has rescued me from all harm, bless these boys.’”
Genesis 48:15

With failing eyesight, much like his father Yitz’chak, Ya’akov had called for Yosef to come to him. He had never expected to see his son again, especially after his other sons had announced his death and produced a blood stained and torn coat. But here was Yosef, standing before him, and with his sons. Having adopted them as his own sons (Gen 48:5), Ya’akov had every intention of blessing them. So then, Yosef placed his sons in front of his half blind father, with Efrayim reachable to Ya’akov’s left and M’nasheh to Ya’akov’s right.
As Ya’akov extended his hands toward the sons, however, he intentionally crossed his hands, placing his left on M’nasheh and right on Efrayim. Yet before blessing the boys, he first spoke another blessing. Ya’akov declared, “The God in whose presence my fathers Avraham and Yitz’chak lived, the God who has been my own shepherd all my life long to this day, the angel who has rescued me from all harm, bless these boys. May they remember who I am and what I stand for, and likewise my fathers Avraham and Yitz’chak, who they were and what they stood for. And may they grow into teeming multitudes on the earth.”
It was at this time last year that I found myself having to deal with the death of my own father. I wasn’t able to be there when he passed, and therefore wasn’t able to receive a final blessing from him. But if I would have been there and heard his final words to me, it probably would have sounded much like what Ya’akov delivered. When I think on the lessons that my dad left for us children, they all revolved around God. Dad wanted us to walk in His ways, speak His words, and grow closer to Him than anyone else. I would like to think that I have done this, but I would also like to extend this challenge to my own children. I want them to grow in a relationship with God that far surpasses mine. I want them to know Him not as the ‘guy up stairs’ but as the God of my father, of me, and of themselves. It is a challenge we can all work on, and should work on. The question is will we?

Genesis 48:10-16