Whose Knees?

In another two days, I am scheduled to see my surgeon, who, if all is well with my knee, will allow me to remove the brace which has kept it straight as a ruler for six weeks and begin relearning how to bend.

It is therefore more than a bit auspicious that the parashah which we read today, Vayechi, contains two mentions of “knees” (of the four in all the Torah). The latter mention, “Also the sons of Machir, son of Menashe, were born on Yosef’s knees”, is clearly not be taken literally. Rather, as Rashi writes, it means Yosef raised them, or, perhaps, as this grandpa has experienced, they grew up knocking around his knees, and thus got to know their great-grandpa.

Not so the former mention. There, in the midst of the complex and confusing dance which is Yaakov’s blessing to his two grandsons, Menashe and Ephraim, it states, “And he (Yosef) removed them (the grandsons) from between his (Yaakov’s) knees and he prostrated himself, face to ground”

Ibn Ezra writes that this verse belongs later, in reference to the end of the blessing process, as a parting withdrawal and gesture of obeisance. Radak differs, asserting that the verse is referring to a rearrangement of the initial approach of the grandsons to enable the proper formalities of the blessing. Either way, the verse highlight the problematic logistics of the approach, right, left, forward, backward, in anticipation of the blessing.

And how was it that the boys were between their dying grandfather’s knees? Shadal tells us – when earlier in the parashah, Yaakov hears that Yosef is coming, he rallies his strength and “sits on the bed”. Shadal envisions Yaakov swinging his legs over the bed as he rises into sitting position. Thus, his knees, those child-raising knees, are ready to receive the two boys. And, in fact, when, much later, Yaakov has concluded all his blessing to his twelve sons, Shadal reminds us, Yaakov “gathers his legs to his bed and expires”.

And yet, perhaps a figurative interpretation is alluded to as well. Knee and blessing share the same consonantal root in Hebrew. Yaakov tells Yosef he is effectively adopting his grandsons as sons, in order that they will have the same status, vis a vis inheritance and tribal affiliation, as his own sons. In order for this to be effective, Yosef must withdraw his claim to his own sons. Yaakov tells Yosef as much, when he says, “Take them to me, please, and I will bless them”. Note: not “bring”, but rather “take”. The work “take” is the standard word for formal, legal acquisition. Thus, when it says, “and he brought them forth from with (lit.) his knees”, perhaps it’s referring to Yosef, removing them from his natural parental claim (compare Chanah and Shmuel) represented by the knees, removing them from his blessings (“birkav” understood creatively as “his blessings”), and then, prostrating himself in submission to his own father.

The proud, erect ruler of Egypt, at the height of his powers, on his knees before his wizened, nearly blind and close to death father, relinquishing his own sons and the power to bless them… only to get it all back in a double portion of bounty and blessing. Has there ever been a more profound bend of the knee from son (Yosef) to father? Has there ever been a more enveloping, though seemingly indirect, blessing from father (Yosef) to son(s)?

The angels cannot bend their knees and they do not bless. They are forever upstanding, forever enlightened – not so us humans. I’ve had a partial taste of ramrod straight-leggedness these past six weeks, and I yearn once more to bend the knee, perhaps to fall, but then, with effort, belief and perseverance, to raise myself toward my Maker on that universal joint that blesses us with, and teaches us through, its flexibility.