Embracing Diverse Leadership
A Note on Parashat Mikketz
November 27, 2013
(This commentary was originally published here)
In this week’s Torah portion (Parashat “Mikketz”) we read of the birth of Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Menasseh. These are the two sons of which Jacob, their grandfather, said, “With you, Israel will bless, saying, ‘May G-d make you like Ephraim and like Manasseh’” (Genesis, 48:20).
To this day, Jacob’s blessing is still said in Jewish households around the world. We bless our children that they grow to embody the values of these sons. This begs the question, what is so special about these two sons? What are we trying to emulate?
Here’s one take on this question: Ephraim and Menasseh were born in Egypt, in a foreign land, in a culture with values not based in their tradition. It was not clear that they would live up to Jacob’s hopes of being leaders in their community.
But in fact, they did become leaders, and their tribes became part and parcel of the people of Israel, on par with Jacob’s own sons. For us, Ephraim and Menasseh can emulate the ideal of young people becoming leaders in our diverse Jewish community even though (and maybe BECAUSE) they did not grow up in a traditional Jewish environment. These sons made a non-trivial commitment to their community. They found their own path to a meaningful communal engagement.
And it was Jacob’s wisdom not to shun them due to their birthplace and background, but rather to embrace them all the more. There are no Ephraims and Menassehs without Jacobs, and there is no thriving community without embracing the diverse places from which our leadership may emerge.
In this week’s Torah portion (Parashat “Mikketz”) we read of the birth of Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Menasseh. These are the two sons of which Jacob, their grandfather, said, “With you, Israel will bless, saying, ‘May G-d make you like Ephraim and like Manasseh’” (Genesis, 48:20).
To this day, Jacob’s blessing is still said in Jewish households around the world. We bless our children that they grow to embody the values of these sons. This begs the question, what is so special about these two sons? What are we trying to emulate?
Here’s one take on this question: Ephraim and Menasseh were born in Egypt, in a foreign land, in a culture with values not based in their tradition. It was not clear that they would live up to Jacob’s hopes of being leaders in their community.
But in fact, they did become leaders, and their tribes became part and parcel of the people of Israel, on par with Jacob’s own sons. For us, Ephraim and Menasseh can emulate the ideal of young people becoming leaders in our diverse Jewish community even though (and maybe BECAUSE) they did not grow up in a traditional Jewish environment. These sons made a non-trivial commitment to their community. They found their own path to a meaningful communal engagement.
And it was Jacob’s wisdom not to shun them due to their birthplace and background, but rather to embrace them all the more. There are no Ephraims and Menassehs without Jacobs, and there is no thriving community without embracing the diverse places from which our leadership may emerge.