<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">We see in this week's parsha that Yaakov <i>crossed </i>his arms by putting <div>Ephraim before Manasseh, even though Manasseh was the first born.</div><div>Interestingly, Yaakov <i>crossed</i> his father Yitzchok by taking the blessing</div><div>that was supposed to have been given to Eisav. So here we see Yaakov</div><div><i>crossing</i> his father, Yitzchok, and then, years later, his son, Yosef, and </div><div>though it provokes occasional censure by later commentators, the Torah </div><div>actually sanctions it because of the ultimate value. </div><div>What is also ironic is that Yitzchok is blind and at the end of his life when </div><div>Yaakov deceives him. And Yaakov is blind and at the end of HIS life</div><div>when he double-<i>crosses</i> (pun intended) his son, Yosef. </div><div>Who said that the ends don't justify the means?</div></body></html>