May the angel who redeemed me from all harm bless the youths, and may they be called by my name and the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, and may they multiply abundantly like fish, in the midst of the land. GENESIS (48:16) הַמַּלְאָךְ הַגֹּאֵל אֹתִי מִכָּל רָע יְבָרֵךְ אֶת הַנְּעָרִים וְיִקָּרֵא בָהֶם שְׁמִי וְשֵׁם אֲבֹתַי אַבְרָהָם וְיִצְחָק וְיִדְגּוּ לָרֹב בְּקֶרֶב הָאָרֶץ בראשית מח:טז ha-mal'-akh ha-go-ayl o-tee mi-kol ra y'-va-rekh et ha-n'-a-reem v'-yee-ka-ray ba-hem sh'-mee v'-shaym a-vo-tai av-ra-ham v'-yeetz-khak v'-yeed'-gu la-rov b'-ke-rev ha-a-retz Jerusalem Inspiration In today's verse our forefather Jacob, blesses Joseph's sons, Efraim and Menashe, fortelling their eventual increase in numbers. Yet, from the census taken at the start of the book of Numbers we see that these tribes were far from the largest; when, then, is this blessing bestowed? In the book of Joshua, after the portions of land are distributed to the tribes, it is only the tribe of Menashe that claims that it needs more space, and the numbers there reflect a huge population increase! Indeed, Jacob's blessing was fulfilled, but only once the tribes were settled in the holy land of Israel, as the verse specifically says, 'in the midst of the land'

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