NOTES for Gen 48:1-22
Today's reading tells us about the dying Jacob blessing Joseph's children, who had been born to him in Egypt. In the context of traditional clan and tribal relations this moment was very important: it meant that Joseph's children were being accepted as members of the clan. Ordinarily such a blessing was given soon after birth, but in the case of Joseph's children this was, naturally, impossible, and they received Jacob's blessing as founder of the clan only now. But during this quite traditional ritual something happened that went beyond tradition. Ordinarily the first blessing was received by the eldest son, who was considered the heir within his family (and if, for example, the children of a tribal chief were involved, then by custom the eldest inherited authority after the chief's death). If two children came forward for the blessing at once, the one giving the blessing usually placed his right hand on the head of the elder and his left hand on the head of the younger. Yet in the biblical story everything happened in exactly the opposite way: with his right hand Jacob blessed not Joseph's elder son but the younger (vv. 13-14). Joseph tried to point out his father's mistake (vv. 17-18), but it turned out that this was no mistake at all and that Jacob deliberately blessed the younger with the special blessing traditionally given to the eldest child (vv. 19-20). This kind of violation of the tradition of seniority occurs more than once in the Bible, and in every situation of this kind it proves to be a charismatic act, done by a special indication from God. This is not surprising: in a society where rite and ritual permeate all of life, both private and public, following ritual and tradition is not simply expected; it becomes so much a part of everyone that an accidental violation of ritual is almost impossible in such a society. And if it nevertheless happens, the reason may be precisely God's direct intervention, by which He wishes to point to His chosen one. Thus at times the breaking of a humanly established order and custom becomes an instrument in God's hands and a sign of His intervention.