Midreshet Amit

• LIVE TORAH:
• Academic Program
• Yimei Iyun
• FAQ
• Recent Shiurim
• View by Parsha
• View By Chag
• Search Database
• Ask the Rav

It is told in the story of Chizkiyau that he is lying on his death bed, and he asks Yishayahu "What is all this (why do I deserve such harsh punishment)?" Yishayahu told him, Hashem was punishing him for not fulfilling the mitzvah of Peru u' Revu. Chizkiyahu then says that he didn't have kids because he saw his descendants would be bad, and Yishayahu responds, "You do yours. Take care of your responsibilities and leave the big picture up to Hashem. All we can do is our best in the moment. We don't control how things will turn out in the end"

In Parasha Vayechi we hear the story of Yaakov blessing all the shvatim. As time goes on, Yaakov falls sick. Yosef makes a trip to Goshen, this time with his two sons, Ephraim and Menashe. Yosef finds his father very weak. Not recognizing Yosef's two sons, Yaakov then asks, "Who are they?"

It is said in the mefarshim that Yaakov saw into the future of both Ephraim and Menashe, he saw that the descendants of these two boys would not be good, and wonders why the deserve any blessing at all. Yosef then says, "I did everything I could, I got married, I had kids." Yaakov then asks the two boys to come closer so he can bless them. Yosef sets up his sons, the older Menashe on the right (for the right hand), and younger one Ephraim on the left (for the left hand.) The two boys approach their grandfather, suddenly Yaakov crosses his arms so his right hand is over Ephraim, and his left hand is over Menashe. Yosef figures, old age must be affecting Yaakov's arms, so he moves to switch Yaakov's arms back. But before he can do it, the Bracha is given. Yosef then asks his father why he put his right hand on Ephraim's head instead of Menashe's.

Yaakov was the younger brother once upon a time, who took the bracha that was intended for the older brother. After this scenario things didn't go so well for him. He was chased down by his brother Esav, forced to leave his home and family, and tortured by his uncle. Why would he repeat the same "mistake" his mother made him make so many years earlier? Rivkah must have seen how Esav reacted and how things turned out and felt quilt for having made the wrong decision. By repeating her action Yaakov is in effect saying to his mother, just because things didn't turn out exactly as you would have dreamed doesn't mean you were wrong.

The lesson we learn from this is that all we can do in life is make the best decisions possible with all the knowledge and information available at that given moment. We are not prophets and don't know how things will turn out. So gather all the information you can, weigh the pros and cons, and do your best to make choices wisely, live life in the moment, do your best and allow Hashem to worry about the big picture.