Welcome to the short, practical Lelamed Weekly Dvar and Daily Aliyah. As always, you can Order The Daily Aliyah <https://mosaicapress.com/product/the-daily-aliyah/> and receive your hard copy of these daily practical and relevant Torah thoughts (all proceeds go to Daily Giving), or join this Whatsapp group <https://chat.whatsapp.com/GFRNDpSWoFHGhHYziqAGYv> to receive one per day. I hope you find this meaningful... _______________________________________________ Parashas Vayechi contains many blessings that Yaakov bestowed on his family, a few of which are widely used today. One of the popular ones is, “May G-d make you like Ephraim and Menasheh” (48:20), ironically given to Ephraim and Menashe. What makes Ephraim and Menasheh special? Furthermore, Yaakov crossed his arms when blessing them, such that the younger one (Ephraim) got Yaakov’s right hand while his left hand rested on the older one (Menasheh). After having experienced sibling jealousy with his brother Eisav and the brothers’ jealousy of Yosef, one would think Yaakov would be sensitive about showing favoritism toward a younger sibling. Why would he risk creating more sibling resentment? The answer lies in the timing of this blessing. Yaakov places his crossed hands on Ephraim and Menashe (48:14), blesses them (48:15–16), Yosef tries to correct Yaakov (48:18), Yaakov refuses (48:19), and then Yaakov blesses his grandchildren. As the B’nei Yissaschar explains, the fact that the two brothers accepted their fate without complaint or harboring any ill feelings in the future is what made them great—and is why it is the very blessing that we bestow on our children today. Accepting our roles without letting jealousy or ego get in the way is a true blessing, not just for our own well-being but for our family and community as well. Shlomo Ressler _____________________________________________ Quotation of the week: "Comparison is the thief of joy." - Theodore Roosevelt