{"id":55833,"date":"2019-05-20T23:19:44","date_gmt":"2019-05-20T20:19:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=55833"},"modified":"2022-12-13T13:33:40","modified_gmt":"2022-12-13T11:33:40","slug":"fragile-egos-and-ancient-sibling-rivalry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/fragile-egos-and-ancient-sibling-rivalry\/","title":{"rendered":"Fragile Egos And Ancient Sibling Rivalry"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This chapter opens with the men of Ephraim complaining that Jephthah did not invite them to join in the battle against the Ammonites, \u00a0threatening to burn down Jephthah’s house in retribution (12:1). Later on, the men of Ephraim insult the tribe of Manasseh, calling them, “nothing but fugitives from Ephraim,” stating that “being in Manasseh is like being in Ephraim” (12:4).<\/span><\/p>\n

The Malbim (Rabbi Meir Leibush Wisser of 19th century Poland) explains that Ephraim thought it improper for Manasseh to have chosen a leader and act as the spokespeople of the tribe of Joseph. Manasseh, already divided into smaller tribal halves, should have appropriately deferred to Ephraim on leadership decisions. In other words, they should have known their proper place!<\/span><\/p>\n

This incident is not the first time the tribe of Ephraim has a problem with leaders from Manasseh asserting themselves, as they also express anger to Gideon in Chapter 8 about being excluded from the fight with the Midianites. The text clarifies Gideon’s lineage as coming from the humblest clan in Manasseh, and him being the youngest in his father’s household (6:15).<\/span><\/p>\n

This entire power struggle is fascinating in light of the fact that originally, Manasseh was the firstborn and rightful leader, and was only replaced by Ephraim through Jacob’s blessing and reversed hands, which gave Ephraim precedence over his older brother (Genesis 48). Joseph unsuccessfully tried to stop the blessing, well aware of the dangers that can come from favoring a younger son over an older one.<\/span><\/p>\n

Perhaps Ephraim’s knowledge that they were initially not meant for leadership led them to feel threatened and assert their authority over their now supplanted older brother. Ironically, Ephraim’s challenge triggers Jephthah’s sense of inferiority and status as an outsider, sparking a brutal massacre of the people of Ephraim. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This entire episode highlights the challenges of tribal-specific leadership, and the need for a future monarch who can consolidate all tribes, including the sons of Joseph, into one unified kingdom.<\/span><\/p>\n

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