Why did Yaakov suddenly ask "Who are these boys?" about Ephraim and Menashe—grandchildren he had just called his own sons? What happened in those three pesukim that made him stop recognizing them?
Rashi reveals that the Shechina left Yaakov when he saw, through ruach hakodesh, that wicked kings would descend from these boys—Yeravam and Achav from Ephraim, Yehu from Menashe. If evil was coming, maybe the foundation itself was cracked. And you can't bless a cracked foundation—bracha only makes what exists bigger. Rabbi Klapper shows us Yosef's response: he didn't argue or explain. He showed his father the ketubah—the marriage contract with Osnas. The shorish, the root, was kedusha. The marriage was solid. That was enough. The Shechina returned.
Discover why the foundation of a Jewish home isn't measured by what children do, but by how the marriage began. Learn why we never give up on any child—because a bad outcome doesn't prove a bad root.
Hosted by Rabbi Ari Klapper and produced by Eli Podcast Productions, this episode is part of the Why Did Rashi Say That series, available on RealJudaism.org. Don't forget to subscribe and share to stay connected with our weekly Torah insights!
