Leaders, Don’t Miss Your Opportunity!

When Yaakov Avinu began to give berachot to his children, Yosef came first, bringing his sons, Efraim and Menashe. (The Medrash Rabbah says that we always list them in this order, even though Menashe was older.)

Let’s bring what the Medrash Tanchuma says (Rashi quotes part of it). Efraim, who was learning Torah by Yaakov, went to inform Yosef that Yaakov’s end was near. Yosef came, bringing along his two sons to receive berachot. They informed Yaakov that Yosef had arrived, as Yaakov couldn’t see anymore. He sat up in his bed, giving honor to Yosef the king.

Then Yaakov wanted to bless Menashe and Efraim, to elevate them to the level of shevatim, like Reuven and Shimon. He looked at them (with ruach hakodesh—he couldn’t see physically!) and asked Yosef, “Who are these?” Rebbi Yehuda bar Shalom asked that they had been sitting by Yaakov learning Torah, and he already knew them for seventeen years. How could he not recognize them?

With his ruach hakodesh, Yaakov saw the kings Yeravam ben Nevat and Achav ben Omri coming from Efraim. (Rashi and Rabbeinu Bechaya also include King Yeihu from Menashe.) Idol worshippers! How could they be deserving of the berachot? Then the ruach hakodesh left him.

Yosef answered, “They’re my sons.” He fell down and cried to Hashem for mercy. He prayed that if they were befitting to receive the berachot, Hashem should not turn him away in disgrace. Then the ruach hakodesh returned to Yaakov, and he blessed them—hamalach hago’el…

Rashi brings (as does Targum Yonatan ben Uziel) that Yosef showed Yaakov his ketubah, demonstrating that his sons were of kosher lineage.

There are many questions here. Why were Menashe and Efraim singled out more than the other shevatim? Why did Yaakov’s ruach hakodesh only “turn on” and see reshaim by them, and then become blocked?

Some mefarshim explain simply that Yaakov couldn’t see, so he asked. But that doesn’t answer what Rashi says.

Other mefarshim discuss this further. They explain that to be elevated to shevatim status, Menashe and Efraim needed to be beyond tzaddikim. They required perfection, including their descendants—and that is what Yaakov thought. However, we know the rule regarding judgment, ba’asher hu sham—one is judged according to his current status, not based upon his descendants’ actions. When Yosef showed Yaakov his ketubah, he was showing that Menashe and Efraim were of pure yichut, true tzaddikim, and befitting of the berachot. Still, t’fillah was necessary.

Another major question: the other shevatim also had great reshaim come from them. Why did Yaakov specifically see Yeravam, Achav, and Yeihu? What about Datan and Aviram from Reuven, Zimri from Shimon, Korach from Levi, or Kings Achaz and Menashe from Yehudah?

I’d like to suggest the following answer.

These three kings shared one major similarity. Each had the ability to press “restart” on klal Yisrael and return them to serving Hashem.

King Yeravam is the clearest example. He was meant to lead the Ten Tribes as a parallel nation of loyal Torah Jews alongside the kingdom of Yehudah. But because of his honor and arrogance, he couldn’t bear being second to the kings of Yehudah. Would he stand at hakhel while the king of Yehudah sat? No way! The Ten Tribes might even return to Yehudah. Instead of leading them toward Hashem, he led them away—building golden calves and blocking the Ten Tribes from being oleh l’regel to Yerushalayim.

King Achav also had a golden opportunity. The Ten Tribes were serving Hashem alongside many forms of avodah zarah, chiefly the ba’al. Eliyahu HaNavi challenged the prophets of the ba’al on Har HaCarmel. When Hashem accepted Eliyahu’s korban, the people declared, Hashem Hu HaElokim! They were ready to follow Eliyahu and kill the prophets of the ba’al, and Achav was willing to comply.

At that moment, Achav could have changed the course of history. The Ten Tribes could have returned fully to Hashem. But because of Queen Izevel, he did not. Eliyahu had to flee for his life, and the opportunity to press restart on the Ten Tribes was lost.

Yeihu was appointed king by Elisha HaNavi’s student, with instructions to destroy Achav’s household and return the Ten Tribes to Hashem. He destroyed Achav’s family and wiped out the ba’al and its followers. He told the people that they were returning to serve Hashem.

But he stopped there. Like Yeravam, he refused to destroy the golden calves, continuing along the path of avodah zarah. He too had the opportunity to press restart—and failed.

When Yaakov Avinu saw this through ruach hakodesh, he was unable to continue. Those who would have the opportunity to lead klal Yisrael to serve Hashem, and instead lead them away, would prevent Efraim and Menashe from attaining shevet status—losing the chance to build entire shevatim devoted to Hashem.

What can we learn from here?

We aren’t kings who can reshape an entire nation. But we are leaders—of ourselves, our families, and those we influence. Do we seize opportunities to redirect our own avodat Hashem when they arise? Those choices matter.

Every ba’al teshuvah faced this moment and made that decision. Often, it takes one person to inspire an entire family. In a yeshivah or beit knesset, it often takes one person to initiate positive change.

May we be zocheh to make not just the correct choices—but the best choices—bringing us closer to Hashem.

R’ Dovi Chaitovsky and his family have the zechut to live in Eretz Yisrael, where he dedicates himself to Torah learning and teaching in Yerushalayim Ir HaKodesh. His divrei Torah often draw from the shiurim of Rav Yisrael Altusky, shlit”a, Yeshivas Torah Ore, Yerushalayim which can be heard at www.kolhalashon.com.