Vayehi 5784: An Inherited Meritocracy?

The Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies Podcast Network

When thinking of traditional inheritance, we often think of the firstborn as being the main heir, and in many ways the Torah confirms this, yet throughout the book of Bereishit we see the script being flipped, with the younger sibling receiving the greater blessing. The final example of this appears at Ya'akov's deathbed, where he blesses his descendants and uses his dominant hand to bless Ephraim, the younger of his two grandchildren. In this week's episode, Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield is joined by Aviva Lauer for an examination of this strange reversal. Together, they examine the Torah's perspective on meritocracy, and discuss the difficult balance between needing structural hierarchies and creating conditions that allow each of us to shine in our own manner. Credits: Aviva Lauer and Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield - Pardes Faculty