Parents, Grandparents, Grandchildren: "The Rabbi's Blessing"

Rabbi Soloveichik explores the Jewish tradition of blessing children through the lens of Rembrandt's "Jacob Blessing the Sons of Joseph" together with Oppenheim's "The Rabbi's Blessing." He explains why Ephraim and Manasseh became the models for Jewish children, and how Oppenheim's painting, inspired by Rembrandt, celebrated Jewish loyalty in the face of assimilation. Rabbi Soloveichik also reflects on why Jacob became the archetypal Jewish elder.