D'var Torah: When Yaacov blessed his grandsons, Ephraim and Menashe, he gave the primary blessing to Ephraim even though Menashe was the firstborn. Yet, Yaacov's favoritism for Yoseph ignited jealousy that nearly destroyed the family. If so, why wasn't Yaacov afraid that his disproportionate love would set off more trouble? In light of experiencing the terrible effects of his brother's envy, Yoseph was highly aware of the importance of character rectification. Therefore, Yoseph prioritized the development of character refinement in his children's education. As a result of Yoseph's efforts, Menashe and Ephraim attained character perfection as well as the awe of Heaven. Yaacov Avinu, who lived in Egypt for seventeen years, was well aware of the purity of his grandsons. Yaacov switched the blessings as he saw fit because he knew that Menashe's golden character traits would overcome any potential negative feelings.
Moral: Virtue of character, mastery of emotions, humility, and the awe of Heaven is the indispensable priority and essential bedrock of Jewish education.
Application: Commit to a daily time for Mussar study. At the end of each day, review your deeds, thoughts, and feelings. Design strategies to cleanse yourself from improper conduct and strengthen your established ways of goodness. Make character refinement your most important priority.
