It is widely known that Yaakov Avinu switched his hands when giving a bracha to Efraim and Menashe. In Judaism, the right hand generally comes first, but in this case, Yaakov placed his right hand on Efraim and left on Menashe even though Menashe was older. This is not the only switch from younger to older in this week's Parsha. Yaakov also switches the order of the brachot that he gives his sons. In Bereishit 49:13-15 he gives Zevulun a bracha before Yissachar even though Yissachar is older. Why does he make this switch? The Chizkuni provides an explanation. According to him, Yaakov blesses Zevulun, who was involved in business matters, first because he supported Yissachar, who learned Torah all day. Zevulun’s hard work allowed his brother, Yissachar, to study Torah. Chazal teaches us that “Greater is the enabler than the doer” (Bava Basra 9a), meaning that one who enables another to do a mitzvah is greater than the one who actually performs the mitzvah. By facilitating the learning of Torah, one not only displays great honor for Torah, but also merits tremendous Zechut. Zevulun deserved to go before Yissachar in the brachot because he made it possible for Yissachar to live his life the way that he wanted, engrossed in Torah study. Yaakov Avinu, in changing the order of the Brachot, is teaching us the importance of facilitating Torah study in Jewish life. The enabling of performing mitzvot is an essential Jewish value that gets rewarded just as much, if not more, than the actual completion of the mitzvah.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Steven Penn
PS - This week we completed a Siyum HaTanach in Memory of Ezra Schwartz. As a school we said
חזק חזק ונתחזק for the siyum and for the ending of Sefer Berehsit
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