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Yaakov told/commanded Yosef (not prophecized) that Yosef's two sons, Efrayim and Menashe, would become tribes on par with those of Yaakov's own sons (B'reshis 48:5):

וְעַתָּה שְׁנֵי־בָנֶיךָ הַנּוֹלָדִים לְךָ בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם עַד־בֹּאִי אֵלֶיךָ מִצְרַיְמָה לִי־הֵם אֶפְרַיִם וּמְנַשֶּׁה כִּרְאוּבֵן וְשִׁמְעוֹן יִהְיוּ־לִי׃

Now, your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, shall be mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine no less than Reuben and Simeon.

However, he didn't bless them among the tribes.

Why?

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    Didn't Yosef bring them to Yaakov before he blessed the other shevatim,and once tbey got their blessing as part of the Shevatim why would they need to be included?
    – sam
    Dec 23, 2018 at 22:17

1 Answer 1

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Yosef and and Yaakov just met after not seeing each other for many years, so Yosef brought over his kids for a visit to their grandfather, and to get a blessing. And as Sam commented, since they were already blessed he didn't have to bless them again.

Yaakov counted them as a shevat, yes, but they were not his sons. When Yaakov blessed the shvatim perhaps you can say he wanted to bless his sons who were shvatim. Not grand-sons. (Or maybe since Ephraim and Menashe already received a blessing, and they were not his sons...)

[If you down-vote this answer please explain why.]

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  • They did not get personal blessings, as other tribes, they did not gather to hear Yakov's death wish with others. I don't think you really address that points.
    – Al Berko
    Dec 23, 2018 at 22:31
  • @AlBerko Yaakov shared his end-of-life wishes with his sons. Not grand-sons.
    – larry909
    Dec 23, 2018 at 22:34
  • @AlBerko With regards to being counted as a shevat yes, but they were not his son's.
    – larry909
    Dec 23, 2018 at 22:36
  • If you down vote, explain why
    – larry909
    Jan 17, 2019 at 22:33
  • First, I didn't -1ed. second, In my understanding of Rashi, Yaakov's blessings were for the tribes, AFTER he wanted to share his end-of-time prophecy and Ruach Hakodesh left him. If you look closely at Rashi's commentary, you will see that all the blessings address the Shvatim and their future, not his sons in person. My logic says the Efraim and Menashe tribes deserve blessings too.
    – Al Berko
    Jan 18, 2019 at 9:46

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