Two Minute Torah Podcast

Vayehi 5773 by Richard S. Moline

Shalom, this is Rich Moline. For a few more days, I am the Chief Outreach Officer for USCJ - more on that in a moment. Welcome to this edition of Two Minute Torah, a wonderful project of KOACH.

The old saying "you can't go home again" means that once you leave, nothing is quite the same. This week, we read moving words that recount the end of Jacob's life. Some of his final words are spoken to his son, Joseph. Al na tikbereini b'Mitzrayim, he says. Please do not bury me in Egypt.

Jacob's request is simple. By now, he is living in Egypt and knows he is about to die. He wants assurances that when they are able to return to Canaan, his children will not leave his body behind in a foreign land. He wants to go home again.

Later, when Jacob is in his final moments, he gathers his twelve sons to give them a blessing. Much to their surprise, however, he first confers blessings upon his grandchildren, Ephraim and Menashe. The blessing is powerful and like Jacob, on Friday nights, parents bless their sons with the following words:Y'simkha Elohim K'Ephraim V'kheMenashe - May God make you as Ephraim and Menashe. Similarly, they bless their daughters with the following words: Yisimekh Elohim K'Sarah, Rivka, Rahel V'Leah - May God make you as Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah. Why did Jacob bless his grandsons first? Shouldn't the blessing of sons contain the names of the previous generation, just as they do for daughters?

The 19^th century German commentator, Rabbi Shimshon Rafael Hirsch, suggests the following. The patriarchs, he says, were raised in Eretz Yisrael - in the Land of Israel. Because the Israelites moved to Egypt, the next generation, the generation of Ephraim and Menashe, grew up in the Diaspora. Jacob is acknowledging that with all of the surrounding temptations, the boys did not assimilate; they retained their familial identities.

It seems that these two events - Jacob's desire to be buried in Canaan and his choice of blessing his grandchildren first - are somehow related.

Jacob seems keenly aware of life in the Diaspora. He wants to be buried in Eretz Yisrael, but realizes that the realities of life have put him elsewhere. He clings to his homeland, but accepts the fact that the Diaspora is where his grandchildren are being raised. He understands the tension between tradition and change.

This is the same tension we feel as modern Jews - as Conservative Jews. We can't go home, but we can incorporate home into whatever we do.

After almost 35 years, I am leaving United Synagogue to become the Director of Reshet Ramah, a new initiative of the National Ramah Commission. I leave United Synagogue with a deep sense of gratitude for all of the wonderful students, colleagues and laypeople I have had the honor of working with over the years. I know I won't be able to come home completely, but your inspiration will follow me forever.

Shabbat Shalom U'mvorakh.