LESSONS FROM EPHRAIM AND MENSAHE FOR TODAY’S TNUOT.
Romi Morales
Parashat Vayechi not only narrates the last moments of Yaacov, but also gives us a timeless lesson on the importance of creating healthy bonds of brotherhood. In a world full of divisions and conflicts, the relationship between Efraim and Menashe shines as a beacon of unity, respect and cooperation. As madrichim and madrichot of the Hanoar Hatzioni Family, how can we translate this example into an education that inspires building authentic and transformative bonds?
Brotherhood in general and in Bereshit in particular.
When we speak of brotherhood, the first association that comes to mind is that of biological siblings, that is, those with whom one shares a blood bond. However, this is not the only connotation. Brotherhood is also the deep bond between people, which is based on values such as respect, responsibility, friendship and solidarity, among others. So significant is this bond in people’s lives that those who have the opportunity to “choose their siblings” turn out to be extremely fortunate. Now, when analyzing the cases of brothers in “Bereshit”, we see that they do not reflect any of these values. In the relationship between Cain and Abel, Yitzchak and Ishmael, Yaakov and Esav, the sons of Yaakov and Yosef, etc. we find only the antithesis: hatred, envy, jealousy, etc. This pattern is maintained throughout the entire first book of the Tanach, until we reach the last parashah. There, unlike all the others, Ephraim and Menashe appear, two blood brothers who, besides being biological family, chose to build a bond of honest fraternity that will be taken as an example for the rest of the generations, from then until today. Menashe was the eldest of the brothers and, by tradition, the one who would deserve to receive the blessing first. However, this is not what would happen in practice. Yaakov placed his right hand on the head of the younger (Ephraim), exalting him above his brother. According to the accounts of our sages, at that moment neither Efraim felt pride and-or haughtiness, nor Menashe envy or jealousy. In the hearts of both of them, there was genuine happiness, respect and admiration for their neighbor. Hence what was special about these two characters.
Educating for brotherhood.
If brotherhood is not only biological, it means that we can educate our chaverim and chaverot to choose to create bonds of brotherhood with those around them. Education for brotherhood necessarily implies working on certain values if we want the relationship to be healthy, fruitful and positive for both parties.
In the first place, it is fundamental to educate in the process of identification, in order to find the ethical and/or ideological common denominator that gives support to the existence of a brotherhood that transcends time and space. Having the ability to see the Other and to recognize in him elements with which there is an affective bond are some of the essential skills that must be fostered in order to find the seed from which such a relationship will flourish. Sharing a worldview, a basket of essential values, a perspective on how we should act in this world and what are the changes we wish to see and therefore make, are some of the examples of core elements that could sustain the bonds of brotherhood. Secondly, respect is essential. This allows the person to appreciate, accept and recognize the Other, his qualities, his rights and his value as a unique and particular being. Educating towards and with respect implies valuing others as they are, including their differences. Respect generates feelings of trust, security and well-being, indispensable elements in bonds as exceptional as brotherhood.
Third, our educational process must be oriented to generate dynamics of cooperation and collaborative work. In a world that fosters an individualistic outlook and violent competition, building bonds of shared responsibility and active commitment to work together to achieve common goals is profoundly revolutionary and powerful. Cooperation requires embracing the idea of “unity in diversity”. Only when differences are understood as a strength do they enrich the community as a whole.
Cooperation fosters feelings of belonging, connection, support and companionship. This, in turn, diminishes feelings of threat and suspicion, helplessness and abandonment, rivalry and resistance.
Hanoar Hatzioni and her sister Tnuot.
The value of sisterhood in Hanoar Hatzioni is central. Not only within our kvutzot, kenim, Tnuot and communities, but also with other educational entities that are (pre)occupied with ensuring the continuity of the Jewish people, inside and outside Israel. Among all the organizations we work with, there is a special bond with the Tnuot that are part of the Hanoar Hatzioni Family. Ideologically it was established in our last Veida Olamit that: Because of the responsibility we have as an educational youth movement for the Jewish and Zionist education of young people in the Diaspora, we assumed the commitment to activate together with other Tnuot that share our essential foundations of Judaism and Zionism as ideological dimensions, along with the fact of being non-partisan. This led to the creation of the Hanoar Hatzioni family. This family is composed of our kenim around the world and what we have termed “Tnuot Sisters”. Darkenu, p. 20
It is based on the values of identification, respect and cooperation that the brotherhood between Tnuot not only grows as time goes by, but also deepens and enriches the bonds between the parties. The greatness of this brotherhood is reflected in the fact that, by sharing the same essential core and a common destiny, the process of walking the path to hagshama, with all that this implies, is much more enjoyable. The joys and successes are celebrated together and the challenges and problems are overcome together as well. This, added to the deep respect that each one of the movements that are part of this brotherhood has for the identity, culture, history and particular idiosyncrasy of the others, is what has taught us over time that together we are more, together we are better. Identification and respect are the values that have been the basis of our cooperative work for decades, which has become a wonderful synergy. The desire to see the other Tnuot grow is a fervent and authentic desire. It is based on the understanding that their success is our success and vice versa: at the end of the day we all want to educate to strengthen, enrich and guarantee the existence of those educational processes that foster in our chaverim and chaverot the construction of a Jewish, Zionist, humanist, liberal, pluralist and chaluztian identity. But this desire was not merely discursive. The brotherhood of the Tnuot that form the Hanoar Hatzioni Family is translated into concrete and constant actions. It is reflected in the multiple attempts to (re)know each other, listen to each other, support each other and dialogue with words, but mainly with personal example in each event.
At a time when the destiny of Am Israel is not necessarily evident, the external challenges do not seem to be as great as those we have within, among ourselves. And, in this context, this week’s parashah invites us to reflect on what kind of brotherhood we want to foster with the education we offer in our Tnuot. Do we have the ability to see the common denominator that unites the different groups that make up our people? Do we do enough to educate in and with respect for others, even when they are different from us? Do we participate in projects that help and motivate us to work together, cooperating with each other, wishing the best for each of the parties honestly?
In conclusion
Sisterhood is more than a biological or affective bond; it is the choice to build relationships based on respect, cooperation and shared vision. At Hanoar Hatzioni, this idea extends to the connection between our kenim around the world and with our Sister Tnuot. On an ideological, ethical and educational level, we want our madrichim and madrichot to acquire the tools that will enable them to create bonds of authentic brotherhood not only as a gift for their lives on a personal level, but also as an instrument of community leadership in the present and into the future. On the one hand, the example of Efraim and Menashe in the Parashah Vaishgi offers us valuable lessons on how to build an education oriented towards the healthy brotherhood that is so much needed in Am and Medinat Israel. On the other hand, it reminds us of the responsibility we have when it comes to choosing the model of brotherhood we want to promote with our personal example when it comes to educating. I wish us to continue choosing, as we have been doing for 100 years now, to be a living example of a Tnua that fosters a brotherhood like that of Efraim and Menashe within our kenim and outside as well.
