There is a Gemara in Nedarim that, to me, is very scary—if that’s the right word. The Gemara asks this question: Mipnei mah? Why is it? Ein metzuyin Talmidei Chachamim latzet Talmidei Chachamim mibneihem? Why is it that very often Talmidei Chachamim, rabbis, great people, do not have great people as their children? You would think that if the father is great, the son is going to be great. It’s kind of automatic. How come it doesn’t work that way? The Gemara has many answers, and we’ve used some of them in the past to make a different point. Today I’m just going to give you the first answer of the Gemara.
The Gemara says, “You know why? Shelo yomru Torah yerushah hi lahem.” So that people shouldn’t think that Torah is an automatic inheritance. If my father was learning, then I am learned. People shouldn’t have the thought that this kid just deserves to be a talmid chacham. You don’t deserve anything. I don’t care how learned your father was. I don’t care how smart your father was. It doesn’t mean anything. In fact, in our community, people who are kind of semi-religious will often tell me, “Rabbi, you know, my great-grandfather was a rabbi back in Halab.” I’m very happy for him. It doesn’t mean anything about you. You don’t trust. You deserve.
Ephraim sat and spent the last 17 years learning with Yaakov Avinu. He learned Torah. Menashe spent the last many years serving his father. Both are wonderful things. Serving his father and helping lead the country is phenomenal. Learning Torah with Yaakov Avinu is also phenomenal. So Ephraim spent it, beautiful things. Ephraim is learning Torah with his grandfather, which is phenomenal. Menashe is helping his father, also phenomenal. But it happens to be that Torah learning is greater than the other. Torah learning is always considered greater.
And therefore, Yaakov Avinu feels, “I know Ephraim is older. Excuse me, I know Menashe is older. But Ephraim belongs in first place. I know the other one is older. And the other one is a good person too, doing phenomenal things. But my decision is: Ephraim goes first.” Yosef wants the hands to be in order because he wants it to be in order: “This is the older one. He deserves the right hand. This is the younger one. He deserves the left hand.” But Yaakov Avinu says it doesn’t go by deserves. Yaakov Avinu’s message is: it doesn’t go by deserves. And Menashe is a wonderful person. Menashe is a wonderful person, doing great things, and he’s the oldest son. Being the oldest son still doesn’t mean he deserves it.