Success! Parashas Vayechi

B"H

What's up everyone! Hope all is well, staying joyful and positive as you
bask in your good weather while I freeze here in New York :)
Here's A short idea on this week's Torah portion "Vayechi":

Our great ancestor Yosef, was sent in chains into slavery in Egypt. Later he was
imprisoned on false charges and spent 14 yrs. in prison. Suddenly
Yosef is called to
interpret Pharaoh's dreams, and is appointed as 2nd in command,
essentially ruler over
all of Egypt; and as master over the entire food supply during a
global famine-ruler over the fate of the entire world. After Yosef is
finally reunited with his father Ya'akov, his father oddly blesses
Yosef's 2nd born son-1st, and then his 1st born son-2nd! But let's not
get too ahead of ourselves...

After leaving prison and becoming ruler, Yosef married Asnat and had 2
children: Menashe and Ephrayim. His 1st-born he named Menashe, b/c
"G-d has caused me to forget ('Nashani') all my hardships and all that
was in my father's house" (41:51). This expressed Yosef's pain at the
fact that he found himself in a place which caused him to forget his
father's house. His 2nd son Ephrayim, was named this b/c, "G-d has
Made me fruitful ('Hiphrani') in the land of my subjugation" (ibid.
52), expressing Yosef's success in Egypt.
Since the Torah and its stories are lessons for every Jew in every
generation, what can we learn from these names of Yosef's sons?
Menashe and Ephrayim represent the 2 different reactions a Jew has to
being in exile: on one hand, he longs to leave this exile and return
to "his father's house." But on the other hand, since he finds
himself-by Divine Providence- in exile, he realizes that there is a
mission to be carried out here, a mission given by our G-d, and he
toils to succeed.
Menashe was the 1st-born b/c 1st of all, a Jew needs to feel "out of
place" in exile, to ensure that he doesn't assimilate, and to realize
that this situation is not my true "home." But the primary purpose of
being in exile is to succeed in Divine service there- which is why
Ya'akov wished to bless Ephrayim first.
-(Based on the 'Gutnick Chumash's' interpretation of a talk by the
Lubavitcher Rebbe)

By growing every day in Judaism, living the life of a Jew in San
diego, LA, on college campus, wherever-we are fulfilling the entire
purpose for G-d's Creation of us and the world, reminding G-d of the
greatness of His people, and hastening the final Redemption through
Moshiach, which will bring everlasting harmony to us and the entire
world, may it come now!
Shabbat Shalom

-daniel