Wasn't Yaakov afraid to create envy between Ephraim and Menashe?

Question

When Yosef took his sons to receive a bracha from his father, Yaakov switched his hands to put his right hand over Ephraim, the youngest brother. When Yosef questioned him about that, Yaakov said that he had switched his hands because the younger brother would become greater than the older one.

The question is: Yaakov had already seen that giving preference to one brother over the other generates conflicts and envy between them. And he also saw how destructive that can be to their relationship. He realized that with his own sons in the story of the Ketonet Pasim and in other situations.

Knowing that, why Yaakov said that Ephraim was going to be greater than Menashe in front of him? Couldn't he tell that to Yosef later on, when the boys would not be around to listen, or just tell them some other reason and keep the truth to himself? Wasn't Yaakov afraid that it would generate some level of envy in Menashe's heart and a fight between them?

Answer 1

To me the question is backward. Of course this was a crazy dangerous thing to do, and that was what drew Yosef's panicked reaction, literally grabbing his father's hand: No, Tattie! Don't you remember what happened to me?!
His father responded, ידעתי בני ידעתי: I know very well, my son. This time is different. These brothers are finally able to understand. Each of them is special and precious, each has his unique role. No one has any reason to be jealous.
This incident needed to happen to show that the family could put this issue behind them. This is the completion of Sefer Bereishis, where jealousy between brothers was a central theme.
The next time we'll see this issue, in Sefer Shemos, Hashem will tell Moshe, Don't worry, Moshe! Your brother Aharon will see your elevation and be joyous in his heart. That joy is exactly what will qualify Aharon to be the Cohen Gadol, who carries the names of all the tribes on his heart.

Answer 2

I'll answer your question in the typical rabbinic style of asking another question: why did Hashem write in the Torah many times that the Jews are His chosen people? Didn't He realise that it would arouse 3000+ years of jealousy among the nations, causing untold levels of antisemitism?

The truth is the truth. What needs to be done needs to be done. Will it cause jealousy? Probably, but that's not my problem. That's your problem. Try not to be jealous of your brother, be proud of him!

(Based on lectures by Rabbi Manis Friedman, from sichot of the Lubavitcher Rebbe)

Answer 3

Yes, Yaakov avinu was very concerned with the envy between his descendands. Due to the verse Yishayahu 11:13, we know that Ephraim had a jealous nature:

וְסָ֙רָה֙ קִנְאַ֣ת אֶפְרַ֔יִם וְצֹרְרֵ֥י יְהוּדָ֖ה יִכָּרֵ֑תוּ אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ לֹא־יְקַנֵּ֣א אֶת־יְהוּדָ֔ה וִיהוּדָ֖ה לֹא־יָצֹ֥ר אֶת־אֶפְרָֽיִם׃

Then Ephraim’s envy shall cease And Judah’s harassment shall end; Ephraim shall not envy Judah, And Judah shall not harass Ephraim.

Therefore, Yaakov avinu tried to provide means to mollify possible negative consequences of Ephraim's envy, which might occur in the future, by asking the tribes that Ephraim be called before his older (twin) brother Menashe, who anyways got his double portion from Yosef as a bechor.

As a result of Yaakov's rulling, the Tribe of Ephraim was leading the camps of the tribes Ephraim, Menashe, and Binyamin in the desert (Bamidbar 10:22); the prince of the Ephraim, Elishama ben Ammihud broght offerings Bamidbar 7:48 before the prince of Menashe Bamidbar 7:54; they got first to choose their land Yehoshua 16:5; Ephraim received the city of Sh'khem, Rashi on Bereshis 48:22, Yehoshua 20:7. In other words, Ephraim represented Yosef in the count of the tribes of Israel. The only exception to this rule is selection of the spies Bamidbar 13:11, because Yehoshua for the tribe of Ephraim and Kalev for the tribe of Yehuda were selected by Moshe himself, not by the people, as both Yosef and Yehuda made bad reports. The fact that Menashe remained a bechor and received the double portion is explicitly stated in Yehoshua 17:1 (and commented by Malbim there).

Answer 4

This question is valid when yaakov gave yosef the multi colored jacket, it caused jealousy amongst the brothers and the debacle of yosef being sold. (gemara shabbat daf 10b)

But when it comes to giving brachos over to the next generation, whoever is supposed to get the bracha and be the leader, is supposed to get it. Unfortunately for Menasha, his feelings were not relevant. And even Yaakov did it not in front of Menashe, he'd anyway find out sooner or later.

We see that Yitzchak didn't hesitate to try to give Eisav a bracha despite Yaakov would probably have felt bad as well.

Answer 5

Yaakov was able to say this in front of Ephraim and Menashe precisely because they had already mastered their evil inclinations (Yetzar Hara) of jealousy. They were able to hear this prophecy of one's descendants being greater than the other's and not feel any ill will. This is why in the very next verse, Bereshis 48:20, Yaakov says, "With you, Israel will bless, saying, 'May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.'" Without context, it seems to be completely unrelated. Why should the people of Israel say this? What exactly are we invoking, that one brother will be better than the other? What happened was that, Yaakov already knew that these two brothers would not be jealous by what he said, but when he saw it himself, it inspired him to declare that all his descendants should aim for this level of brotherly love.

It should also be noted that a major theme within Sefer Bereishis is sibling rivalry. The fight of Kayin and Hevel ended in murder, the dispute of Avraham and his brother-in-law Lot ended with Lot going astray, the influence of Yishmael needed to be removed from his half-brother Yitzchak, Eisav sought to kill his twin-brother Yaakov, and we know what happened with Yosef and his brothers. It is Ephraim and Menashe that go against the historical norm and love each other regardless of differences. After solving such a fundamental issue that repeats itself since the dawn of human history, it is no wonder that Yaakov wishes Ephraim and Menashe be the example all of Israel should emulate.

Answer 6

The Patriarch's were not always the greatest fathers. Abraham didn't seem equipped to deal with Sarah's jealousy over Hagar and Ishmael. Isaac therefore didn't know how to handle Jacob and Esau, which led to Jacob not knowing how to act to prevent jealousy in his children. Joseph lives a long time as a slave, and he never sends word back to his family, even as he becomes head of Potiphar's house, and regent of Egypt. He doesn't send word back home because he doesn't trust anyone at home. It was Jacob who gave him the multicolored coat, it was Jacob who sent him out to his brothers, and then it was his brothers who threw him in a pit to sell him.

It seems like Joseph was moving forward with starting over his new life in Egypt until his brother's showed up. He tested them to see if these brothers were still the family who wronged him so much all those years ago. And while the brothers had grown in moral stature, Joseph got to see that his father in these switched blessings hadn't changed so much