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December 24, 2004/Tevet 12 5765, Vol. 57, No. 17
Jacob adopts Ephraim and Manasseh
Torah study
MARCUS L. BURSTEIN
Parsha Vayechi/ Genesis 47:28-50:26
In Vayechi, we read about the blessings that Jacob gives to his sons and grandsons before his death. The parsha begins with Jacob making Joseph swear that he will bury Jacob's body in the Cave of the Machpelah in Canaan. Soon afterwards, Joseph knows that his father's days are numbered, so he visits Jacob with his sons Manasseh and Ephraim, and Jacob blesses his grandsons. After this visit, Jacob then speaks words of blessing and rebuke to each of his sons. Jacob dies, and Genesis concludes with Joseph's death in Egypt.
In this Torah portion, we also read about the adoption of Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, by their grandfather, Jacob. At first, Jacob states that Ephraim and Manasseh will be to him like his own sons (Genesis 48:5). Then further on, we read of the biblical practice of placing the adoptee on the new parent's knees (Genesis 48:12).
Jacob's adoption of his grandsons is not a new concept in the Torah; in fact, adoption is mentioned numerous times in Genesis. Eliezer is named heir to Abraham's fortune in Genesis 15:2-3, Sarah obtains a son through her maidservant Hagar (Genesis 16:2), and Rachel raises Dan and Naphtali as her own through Bilhah (Genesis 30:3-8). Jacob himself is adopted by his father-in-law, Laban, in Genesis 29-31.
Rashi's comments on Jacob's adopting of Ephraim and Manasseh in Genesis 48:5 refer to the share in the Land of Israel that each one will receive: They are similar to the shares that Jacob's own sons will inherit. In fact, this adoption is the reason that Ephraim and Manasseh are counted among the 12 tribes of Israel, but Joseph is not (nor is Levi). Although Joseph wants his father to bless his children, it's unlikely he has any idea that his father would also give them equal status with his own sons. Joseph may be so moved by this that he, in turn, chooses to adopt his own grandsons later on in the parsha. In Genesis 50:23 we read, "Joseph lived to see children of the third generation of Ephraim; the children of Machir son of Manasseh were likewise born upon Joseph's knees."
Although adoption has a long history in the Jewish religion, it was not until recently that adoption has been officially and legally recognized. According to Michael Gold, "Jewish law does not recognize adoption per se. It is true that the Talmud does say, 'Whoever raises an orphan in his home, scripture considers him as if he gave birth to the child' (Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 19b). Yet the child's biological identity can never be replaced" ("And Hannah Wept: Infertility, Adoption, and the Jewish Couple," Jewish Publication Society of America, page 152). Gold goes on to state, "Throughout the Bible we find cases of a child being born to one set of parents and raised by another, a de facto adoption. Yet adoption de jure, adoption as a legal institution, is unknown to Jewish law. Only in modern Israel have rabbinic authorities been forced to establish procedures for the adoption of children" (ibid., page 154). It was not until 1960 that adoption became legal in Israel, when rabbinic authorities had to establish procedures for the adoption of children.
Our own congregations are filled with adopted children, many originally from other lands, cultures and races. Cross-cultural and cross-racial adoptions have been a part of our history from biblical times. As our Jewish community continues to welcome many Jews of different backgrounds into our congregations, we should remember that our ancestors provided positive role models for informal and formal adoption into Judaism. Jews of all races, upbringings and backgrounds continue to enrich our community, just as they have done for thousands of years.
Marcus L. Burstein is the associate rabbi of Temple Rodef Shalom, Falls Church, Va. Torat Chayim of the Union for Reform Judaism is at www.urj.org/torah.
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