Pearls of Wisdom from the Parshah
Yisrael’s eyes dimmed from old age; he was unable to see. He brought them to him, and he kissed to them and embraced to them. (Bereishis 48:10)
The dimming of Yaakov’s eyes seems linked to his blessing of Yosef’s children. Ohr HaChayim asks how these two matters are connected, and he also asks why the verse says he kissed “to them” (להם) and not just “them” (אותם)?
Ohr HaChayim answers the second question by saying that Yaakov couldn’t see, so he embraced them not in the usual place, and kissed them not in the usual place. And he adds that this needs to be understood.
Now, if Ohr HaChayim writes that this apparently simple point needs to be understood, there must be something deeper to it. However, we will explain it according to peshat.
In the beginning of Shir HaShirim it says ישקני מנשיקות פיהו – “May He kiss me with the kisses of His mouth,” and Rashi explains that in some locations, people kiss on the back of the hand, and in other locations, on the shoulder, whereas in Shir Hashirim we are asking Hashem to kiss us on the mouth.
When one person’s mouth kisses another person’s mouth, this actually constitutes two kisses. Each gives a kiss to the other and receives a corresponding kiss from him. (Perhaps this is why it says “‘kisses’ of His mouth,” in the plural.) This reciprocal “kiss” took place at Matan Torah, where the Jewish people said Na’aseh v’nishma, and Hashem correspondingly gave them the Torah. Two kisses.
Getting back to our parshah, in the beginning it says, “Yisrael saw the sons of Yosef, and said, ‘Who are they?’” Rashi explains that he wished to bless Efraim and Menasheh, but the Shechinah left him because Yerovam and Achav were destined to descend from Efraim, and Yehu and his sons from Menasheh. Thus Yaakov asked, “Who are they?” Where did those people come from, the ones who are not worthy of blessing? In other words, Yaakov saw that unworthy descendants were going to come from Yosef’s sons, so why should he kiss them and embrace them? They will not reciprocate with a kiss, but with just the opposite! This is why he did not wish to bless them, until Yosef prayed for it.
But afterwards it says, “Yisrael’s eyes dimmed from old age; he was unable to see.” And as a result, “He brought them to him, and he kissed to them and embraced to them.” Due to old age, a stage in life that is characterized by kindness and forbearance, Yaakov no longer “saw” those descendants who were unworthy of blessing. He thus agreed to bless Yosef’s sons, although he knew they are not going to reciprocate in kind.
Kissing and embracing in the usual place means that the giver will also receive a kiss and embrace in return. Here, Yaakov Avinu demonstrated a new level of affection: kissing not in the usual place. Even if the recipient will not show love in return, we still kiss them and embrace them. We still give them love and blessing.
This is what Ohr HaChayim meant when he said that Yaakov embraced them not in the usual place. Even though they were not worthy of a blessing, of receiving an embrace and a kiss, because they will not return the love, he blessed them anyway.
