Previously on the Chosen people.
Actually, that will no longer be Esau's decision. He sold me his birthright.
Esau sold you his birthright. What do you mean for what price?
It's Esau who isn't serious. I, on the other hand, know exactly what I want and the value this birthright holds in the future. If he despises his birthright so much, isn't it better that it's in my hand. I'm the one who wants it.
May people and nations bowed down to you and serve you. You will be lord over your brother's and your mother's son will bend a knee to you.
Jacob opened his eyes to a vision. He found himself standing at the base of a monumental staircase, wretched upwards into the infinite expanse of the heavens.
The land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east, and to the north and to the south. Through you and your descendants, all families of the earth who will be blessed.
So you have blessed me, there would be no more running tricks or lies. If Jacob wanted a blessing from God, he would have to face him. The man's pace quickened from a walk to a run. Jacob rolled his neck back, drew a deep breath, and charged. The damp earth slid under each stride. Jacob knew what he had to do. He felt sure that he had to wrestle with God himself and prevail.
Please bless me.
I won't know you go until you bless me.
What is your name, Jacob?
Your name shall no longer be Jacob, shall be called Israel, for you have struggled with God and have prevailed.
Jacob, the patriarch who wrestled with both God and man, now faced the greatest challenge, blessing his sons with a vision of a future that he would never see the shallow, My friends, from here in the Holy Land of Israel, Amya l Exstein with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, and welcome to the Chosen People. In today's episode, we returned to Jacob, our ancestor, who faced both divine and human trials. Jacob's life wasn't a straight path, but a
winding journey of struggle and redemption. As Jacob nerrors the end of his days. He gathers his sons to impart blessings that would echo through the generations. So let's learn how a father's blessing can change the entire course of history, and how our words today hold the power to shape tomorrow.
Joseph held up his father as they walked beside the stream. Israel leaned on his son's arm, steadily moving and talking. They spoke about Joseph's dreams, the ones that foretold the future and shaped the past. Joseph asked questions about Jacob's heritage and untold stories that remained untouched, like buried treasure. Joseph relished every moment with his father. Each stroll made up for lost time. Seventeen years had passed since Jacob
arrived in Egypt. The famine finally released its grip on the land, but its effects still lingered in the minds and bodies of those who survived. Even More, the nation of Egypt wasn't the same. Pharaoh had total power and ownership over each Egyptian. The citizens had turned to serfs, but at least they were alive thanks to Joseph.
Who done well. My son so so well. I always knew you rise to greatness. I give myself some credit as your father, but we both know Judah gets the lion's share of that.
Judah and I have repaired what was broken between us. All has been forgiven.
Ah.
Yes, you inherited a pure heart from your grandfather. He wasn't innocent soul. He was more innocent than I.
You're a pure soul as well, father.
Ah. No no, no, here, boy, I am many things, but pure is far from one of them. No, no, no, I cheated and stole my weight blessing. Ask my own brother, Esau. You may not remember this, but there was a time when I thought he was going to kill me. I even thought of using you and your brothers as human shields to ward off his attacks. Ha ha ah.
But he didn't.
He showed me mercy, just as you did to your brothers.
Do you regret the choices you've made.
When you live long as I have? Regret is inevitable. I regret some choices I've made, people I've hurt, and opportunities I not purspy. But but look that where I am strolling beside a quiet stream, talking to my son, the governor of Egypt.
Ha ha.
Ha I have wrestled in what with God and man looked at the end of it all I feel.
Victorious.
Israel rested on a large stone beside the brook. He dipped the tip of his staff in the water, watching it split and bend around. A sly grin curled on the side of his face. Then he flicked his staff up and splashed his son.
Ah ha ha, A king of Egypt or not, I'm still your father.
Age hasn't aimed you at all, has it?
No? No, but it has made me more content. My youth was marked by ambition. Now all I desire is to rest.
When the time comes, I will have a monument built over your grave. It will be brilliant and beautiful.
My son, that come close to me, put your hand under my thigh and make a promise to me.
Joseph placed a hand on his father's thigh, signifying a promise both binding and intimate.
If I have found any favor in your sight, you will deal kindly and honestly with me. Do not bury me in Egypt. I don't want monuments. Ah, I don't want a palace. My dead body's brought in. No. No, let me lie with my father's placed me in the hills beside Abraham and Isaac.
I will see it done, Joseph, swear to me.
Joseph looked at his father for a long while, intensity creasing his brow on the sides of his eyes. In his expression betrayed something sad. It had now dawned on Joseph that Jacob had settled his people outside the land promised to him and his forefathers. Although Egypt was an oasis, it wasn't the land God promised. It wasn't Canaan. Jacob must have felt like a failure. He clasped his father's thigh and nodded, I swear. Joseph fled his father back
home and rested him on the bed. Then Jacob bowed to Joseph. In that instant, Joseph was taken back to his dream, where the sun and moon bowed to him. His brothers had bowed, but now the patriarch of God's chosen people was prostrate before him. Joseph's eyes moistened at the edges and his throat clenched. He kissed his father and laid him down. Jacob slept. He slept with long, deep and peaceful breaths.
Enter Zavi it not, Pania.
Your brother Benjamin is here to see you.
Send him in.
Benjamin inched his way into the door. Joseph smiled and stood from his desk. He held his little brother's shoulders.
What can I help you with, Benji?
I've come to tell you father's time as approaching.
He's grown very ill these past weeks.
I'll come to him immediately.
He's asked that your children come as well. He's going to bestow a blessing.
I see they haven't really met their grandfather yet. It's complicated, you see them being half Egyptian. There are customs I must uphold, but I suppose Ah, No, this is right. I will bring my sons to him at once.
Joseph took Manassa and Ephraim to Dothan. They walked the grassy hills, scaling upward to Israel's estate. Joseph was proud of what he could build for his father, although he knew Israel longed to dwell in a tent. Again content in Canaan, Joseph entered with his sons, holding their hands as they entered the dark room, warmed by torches. Israel lay in his bed with Benjamin at his side He stared out his window with foggy aged eyes.
Father, your son Joseph is here to see you.
Israel strained to sit up. Benjamin helped him, padded his pillow under his back, and left. Joseph brought Manassa and Ephraim close. Joseph took a place by Israel's bedside, with his sons on his lap.
God Almighty appeared to me at laws in the land of Canaan. There he blessed me and said, behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you. I will make your people great and give this land to your offspring. It will be there ever lasht in possession.
I know the story well, Father, you've inherited the land promised to Isaac Abraham.
No, my son, we have inherited it my son's army, and I he my sons. We are Israel. Now who are these I have before me?
These are the sons God has given me, Manassah and Ephraim.
Yes, my eyes are dim. Come closer to me, Efraim, manassa Ah, Sweet children, Joseph, these two sons born to you in the land of Egypt are mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine. They will bear the promise of our people. Ephraim and Manassa will be brothers to my sons and receive an inheritance.
Will they be given what I was owed before? Well before all this?
Yes.
Jacob held out a trembling hand to his son's face. His eyes had turned bluish gray, like mineral pools in deep canyons. Reflected in those pools, Joseph saw a lifetime of love, loss, triumph, and terror. Jacob had lived a rich, full life of adventure. What a cruel thing death was to rob the world of such a spirit. Jacob stroked Joseph's cheek.
You always favored the looks of your mother, my love, Rachel. When I came from Hardan, to my sorrow, she had died in Canaan along the way. We were too far away, so I had to bury her in Ephrath. Some call it the more beautiful name Betha Maham.
I wish I could have said good bye to her, Ah, though so much time lost, she loved.
You, dear Joseph.
As do I.
Bring your sons close to me so that I may bless them.
Joseph brought the boy's near while they still sat on his lap. Israel wrapped them both in his arms and kissed them. A gentle, innocent tinge of jealousy pricked Joseph for a brief moment. He longed to be that small again, so he too could be wrapped in his father's arms.
I never thought i'd see your face again, Joseph. And behold, God has let me see your children's faces also.
Joseph removed his boys from his knees and bowed. He pressed his face against the floor, moistening it with his tears.
God promised you that you'd be great, and here you are, with a small nation forming before your very eyes.
Ah, and now my time has come. Bring your sons closer.
Joseph brought Ephraim for Israel to bless him with his left hand. He brought in Manassah so that Israel would bless him with his right hand. But Israel crossed his arms and placed his left hand on Manassa and his right on Ephraim. Joseph's head cocked to the side in confusion. The eldest son was supposed to be blessed with the right hand. Jacob spoke with as much energy as he could muster in his old age.
May the God before whom my fathers, Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd for all the days of my life, and the Angel who has redeemed me from evil, bless these boys. May my name carry out through him as did the names of Abraham and Isaac. Let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. Father, this isn't the way. Manassa is my first born. Put your right hand on his head. I know, my son, I know Vanassa shall become a great tribe. Nevertheless,
his younger brother shall be greater than he. His offspring shall become a multitude of nations, stretching further than the reaches of the plains.
It was just like Jacob to give one last blessing to a younger brother. Some things never changed. Yet interwoven in Jacob's blessing was a thread of God's character, the younger rising up to rule over and save the older. A slight smile twitched on the sides of Joseph's face.
Ay, I am about to die, Joseph, but I know God will go before you. You will dwell in Canaan. Once again. I have given you the mountain slope that I took from the Amorites with my sword and bow. It is mine to give, and you, my sweet Joseph, it is given.
In this life or the next, I shall go to that mountain.
Father, Ah, it's time. Go fetch your brothers. Gather yourselves together, so I may tell you what is to happen in the days to come.
The twelve sons of Israel gathered at their father's bedside. The sun's radiant gaze turned downward, diving into the verdant plains of Goshen. Dusk's glow painted the men faces as they looked down at their dying father. Joseph looked at each of them in this light. He could see the cracks in their brows, the leathering of their cheeks, and the dark rings beneath their eyes. They were no longer young men, but patriarchs in their own rights, bearing the
weight and wisdom of years. Israel turned his chin upward and raised his voice. It was quieter, but no longer quivering like a steady stream.
Resemble. Listen, o, sons of Jacob, Listen to your father Reuben. You are my first born, my might, and the first fruits of my strength, pre eminent in dignity and power. Yet you are unstable as water. You shall not have pre eminence. Because you went up to your father's bed, then you defiled it. Simeon and Levi brothers and warriors. Weapons of violence are their swords. Let my soul come not into their counsel. Oh, my glory, be not joined to their company. They're angry men and have shed blood
in rage. In their stubbornness, they've hamstrung even oxen. Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and cursed be their wrath, for it is cruel. I will divide them in my name and scatter them in Israel.
It wasn't a great start. Reuben, Simeon, and Levi dipped their heads in shame. Israel's harsh tone softened for a moment. Judah was next. Judah tensed, anticipating a similar blow from his father.
Judah, your brothers shall praise you. Your hands shall be on the neck of your enemies, and all my sons shall bow down before you.
Judah's tight shoulders relaxed momentarily, and the creases on his brow gave way to glistening eyes. He and Israel locked eyes for a long drawn out moment. Finally, at the end of his life, Jacob saw his son Judah, for who he was meant to be great.
Judah is a lion cub from the prey. My son, you have gone up, who would dare rouse you? The scepter shall not depart from the house of Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until a tribute comes to him. To Judah has given the gift of obedience, all the people shall heed his words. Your planes shall be filled with verdant wine, so much so that donkeys will be bound to the vines.
Judah bowed his head in reverence for his father. For the first time in his life, he felt a sense of greatness upon him. His lineage would hold the line of kings.
Zebulon shall dwell at the shore of the sea. He shall become a haven for ships, and his borders shall be at saidon. His Sakhar is a strong donkey, but lazy and passive. For this reason, his shoulders will bear the weight of others, and forced labor will be his burden. Dan, you shall be a judge of the people, But from Dan shall come a serpent, a viper by the path that bites the horses heels ah Er. I will wait for the Lord's salvation. Gad ha ha, oh, my Gad.
Raiders shall come for Gad, but he shall have the final word. Yes, he will be stricken down, but rise again to fight back ashes. Food shall be rich and abundant. Blessing will flow from Asher. From his land will spring forth not only necessities, but luxuries enough. Tolly is a deer on the loose who bears beautiful fawns. Beautiful words will grace your land one day, words of truth and healing.
Israel placed his palms on the bed and rose himself up slightly. His body was weak, but his resolve was strong. Israel looked at Joseph. Behind the Egyptian head dress and markings. Was the young boy he splashed by the streams in Canaan. What a strong man he had become, trustworthy and righteous. Israel's smile created small canyons on his cheeks.
Joseph is a fruitful branch. He is the sea that was planted by a stream to grow and run over the wall. Though archers bitterly attacked him, shot him, and harassed him to the point of death, he remained unmoved. His bow was steady, and his aim was true. His arms were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, the shepherd stone of Israel was with you. By the God of your father, who will help you.
By God Almighty, who will bless you with blessings from heaven above, blessings of the deep, the crouches beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb. My blessings have been greater than that of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac. A ha a scoundrel, I am yet blessed. My blessings stretch across the everlasting hills. May those blessings be on the head of you, Joseph, and may they rest on you like a crown, for you have been set apart from your brothers, to rule, to save, to redeem. Now, Oh,
where is Benjamin Ah, Yes, Benji, my ravenous wolf. In the morning you devour your prey, and in the evening divine a spoil. Fierce you will be, but also generous.
Thus the twelve tribes of Israel were established, given blessings and curses. Israel's words foretold of their extraordinary rise, and for some their devastating foe.
I have already commissioned Joseph to see to it that I am buried with my forefathers. I would be buried in the cave that belonged to Ephron the Hittite. It is east of Mayre, in the field at mark Pala. It is where Abraham was buried with Sarah. Isaac was buried with Rebecca.
And Jacob paused. His eyes glistened with something he had not expected. His throat clenched, his voice rocked like a ship at sea.
Ah, I will be buried beside my wife Lee.
Here Israel nodded, sighed, and stretched his legs under the blankets. His son stood above him, the amber glow of sunset warming their somber smiles. Tears rolled down a few of their faces, while others held back anger.
He chuckled.
It was fitting that his final moments on earth would be spent stirring the pot. No matter how much time passed, he was still a trouble maker at heart. He had once been Jacob the Deceiver, a fitting title for a man who held lies and truth in close company together. Yet at the end of his days, there was no need for tricks, no use for lies. Now he was Israel, he who wrestles with God. He looked at his sons. It was their title. Now they would wrestle with God.
They would struggle to follow, obey, and yield, Yet in the end they would be victorious. They were keepers of the promise, God's chosen people. Israel's eyes dipped with the sun as its final light receded from the valley, so did Israel's soul. He breathed his last, his final words, a whisper of promise.
Every Friday night, as Shabbab begins, as Jewish families around the world gather around the table, the flicker of candlelight illuminates our children's faces. The aroma of halabread fills the air, and we prepare my husband and I to bless them. To our daughters, we say this blessing. May God make you like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah you sime lam Kesara, rifka, Rachel velea, that's how you say it in Hebrew. And to our sons we say something a little bit different.
We say ivarre Hashem, frime kamenasha, may God make you like a frime and nnasse. It's always struck me. Why don't we say, may God make you like Abraham, Isaac or Jacob for our boys? Why do we invoke Joseph's sons In today's Bible story, Joseph bring Ephrime and Manassa to their grandfather Jacob for a blessing. Manassa, the first born, is placed under Jacob's right hand, the hand of strength and prominence, and Efriam, the younger, is placed under the left.
But Jacob does something unexpected. Suddenly he crosses his hands. The right hand, the hand of power, rests on Ephriam, the younger son, and the left hand on Manassa. Joseph is confused, maybe even frustrated, but Jacob and his wisdom sees what no one else can. If i Am is destined for something greater. And here's the most extraordinary part. Manassa doesn't even protest. There's absolutely no jealousy, no rivalry.
He accepts the blessing that was destined for him. You see, Ephriam and Manassa are the first brothers in the story of our people who love each other without competition, without conflict. And that's why we bless our sons to be like them. Because as important as it is to be righteous. It's just as important to live in peace. As David proclaimed in Psalms one thirty three, he named matovo manaim scheve t rihiem gamjagad, how good and how pleasant it is
when brothers lived together in unity. I was once at the mall with my son. We saw a boy, maybe ten or eleven, misbehaving in the food court. His mother, clearly at her wits end, dragged him over to a mall employee who had cleaning supplies. The mother handed her son some paper towels and made him clean up his mess. My son looked up at me and said, wow, that mom looks really angry. Look what she's making him do. And I looked at my son and said, she did
that because she loves him. She saw him make a mess, And yes, she's angry, but she's teaching him something important. She's teaching him he has to take accountability for his actions, and he needs to clean up after himself. The Hebrew word for parent is horeh, and it means to teach. Love isn't always soft. Sometimes it's a lesson, sometimes it's a rebuke. And today we see Jacob blessing his sons but it's not all of Jacob's words that are easy
to hear to reoven. Jacob said leadership won't be his because he defiled his father's bed, and Jacob rebukes Simeon and Levy for their violence. But even rebuke, when it comes from love, is a blessing. It's our responsibility to be the horeh, to be the teacher, which means to teach, and to be the parent. It's our responsibility to be the horeh, to be the parent, which literally translates in Hebrew as to teach like the mother and the mall that me and my son saw. Jacob's harsh words weren't
meant to punish. They were meant to teach, to guide his sons towards who God wants them to be. A year after my abba, my father, Abriil Ekstein, passed away, I attended a memorial service in his honor. I remember watching a film about his life, and as I sat there, moments of my father's life passed before my eyes, and I realized something really deep and powerful that continues to give me strength to this day. My father lives on
long after he passed. I see him everywhere I see him in the smiles of the elderly that the Fellowship helps. I see him in the gratitude of the hungry families that the Fellowship feeds. I see him in the joy of the new immigrants that the Fellowship brings to Israel. And I see my Abba and my own children as they carry on our family values and the values of our people. Very strangely, the portion of the tour that begins with Jacob's death is called Vayechrie. That literally translates
in Hebrew as and he lived. Isn't that interesting? When we learn about Jacob's death, the Tora portion is called and he lived. The Talmud teaches us that our father Jacob never really died, because the righteous live on through their good deeds and the legacy that they leave behind. You see, our lives aren't measured by how many years we live, but how deeply we impacted those around us.
Some lives, though very short, ripple across generations. So as we live the days that God grants us, let's just make them count. Let's leave a legacy that lives on long after we're gone, just as my Appa did and just as Jacob did. Right in the middle of all of Jacob's blessings to his children, there's one moment I want to take a look at with you. Right there among all the blessings, we find very short verse. It's in Genesis, chapter forty nine, verse eighteen, and it says, quote,
I look for your deliverance Lord, end quote. I wonder why did Jacob utter this prayer right in the middle of blessing his children. Well, Jewish traditions suggests one powerful answer that even with all of the blessings that the Great and Holy Jacob could pronounce upon his children for success and achievement, the fulfillment of those blessings actually depends on just one thing, trust in God, on whom all these achievements would ultimately and exclusively depend. And it's the
same for all of us. Our family and our friends can wish us well and bless us and even want to help us, but in the end, it's our faith in God that will bring all of these wonderful wishes and blessings on our lives to fruition. So let's embrace the journey with all of its twists and turns, knowing that we are deeply blessed. We are blessed to be
part of God's story as the Chosen People. And I want to leave you now with this special biblical blessing that my father would give us ever, that my father would give me and my sisters every Friday night, and now me and my husband give to our children. Yvare Hashem vishmerechra ya her hashempanave ele y sa hashempanavelera Salon. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face shine upon you. May he be gracious to you. Made the Lord turn his face towards you and give you peace.
Amen.
You can listen to the Chosen People with You al Exstein ad free by downloading and subscribing to the Prey dot Com app today. This Prey dot Com production is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Katina, Max Bard, Zach Shellabager and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of the Chosen People with Yile Eckstein,
edited by Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold, Sylvia Zaradoc and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Bree Rosalie and Aaron Salvato. Special thanks to Bishop Paul Lanier, Robin van Ettin, KAYLEB Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, and the team
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