Machshavot HaLev - Yeshivat Lev HaTorah

78
בלה תובשחמ
it made sense that Ephraim, who was great in Torah and spiritual matters, should
come first. The census in Parshat Pinchas was right before the Jews would enter
the Land of Israel where they would have to live a day-to-day existence without
miracles, so it made sense that Menashe should be listed first since he specialized
in day-to-day existence by being the “do-ers” and actively involving themselves
with the needs of the community and the world.
The Netziv also brings this understanding of Ephraim and Menashe back to the
crisscrossed b’racha of Yaakov. The head represents knowledge and spirituality,
so by Yaakov putting his right hand on Ephraim’s head, it symbolized Ephraim’s
superiority in Torah knowledge and spirituality. On the other hand, Yaakov
specifically wanted Menashe on his right side by his right leg, because the
leg symbolizes the halichot olam, the day-to-day involvement in the world by
involving oneself with the needs of the community and thereby making the world
a better place.
It is interesting that the Netziv (48:20) actually derives which of these praiseworthy
traits is more important according to the Torah; this would be Ephraim’s trait
of Torah and spirituality, because as the pasuk says, “השנמ ינפל םירפא תא םשיו, ”
Yaakov put Ephraim before Menashe. This indicates that Torah and spirituality
come before being a “do-er”. Nonetheless, Ephraim and Menashe teach us that
both qualities are very important to possess, and thus both merited the b’racha
that Yaakov gave them. May it be Hashem’s will that we and our children possess
these noble qualities of Ephraim and Menashe, and will thus truly fulfill the
b’racha of השנמכו םירפאכ םיהלא ךמשי.