Jewish families celebrate Shabbat dinner every Friday night with rituals such as candle lighting and blessings over wine and bread. A significant moment occurs when parents bless their children, feeling a divine presence. Daughters are blessed to emulate the matriarchs of Genesis, while sons receive a peculiar blessing referencing Ephraim and Menasseh, characters who are notably silent in the Torah. This choice underlines a profound understanding of human flourishing, emphasizing the importance of grandparental influence, as these two boys are the only ones in the Genesis narrative with such relationships.
Ephraim and Menasseh are the only characters in Genesis who have a relationship with a grandparent, highlighting the significance of generational blessings.
The blessing that we give our sons is very different; we bless them to be like Ephraim and Menasseh, who symbolize a vital intergenerational bond.
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