Alfe Menashe, Menashe Ben Yosef, what is the origin and meaning of the name?
The town of Alfe Menashe is an official Local Council.
When Joseph's brothers went to purchase food in the bountiful warehouses that were in ancient Egypt, his son Menashe served as an interpreter between him and his brothers.
Before the death of Yaakov our Forefather, who was the grandfather of the brothers Menashe and Ephraim brothers, he welcomed them and said:
גַּם הוּא(מנשה) יִהְיֶה לְּעָם וְגַם הוּא יִגְדָּל, וְאוּלָם אָחִיו הַקָּטֹן יִגְדַּל מִמֶּנּוּ וְזַרְעוֹ יִהְיֶה מְלֹא הַגּוֹיִם:(בראשית פרק מח פסוק יט)
"He (Menashe) too shall be a people and he shall grow, but his little brother shall grow more than him and his seed shall be full of nations." (Genesis 48:19)
Moshe Rabeinu, who is fifth generation from Yaakov our Forefather, in his blessing of the tribes of Israel before his death, welcomed the brothers Ephraim and Menashe, and said to them:
וְהֵם רִבְבוֹת אֶפְרַיִם וְהֵם אַלְפֵי מְנַשֶּׁה(דברים פרק לג פסוק יז)
"And they're tens of thousands of Ephraim and they are thousands of Menashe." (Deuteronomy 33:17)
About 3334 years ago, Yehoshua Ben-Nun gives the Menashe tribesmen entering Israel, a large area in the Land of Israel divided into two as the fulfillment of the blessings of Yaakov and Moshe.
At that time the tribe of Menashe numbered 52,700 men over the age of 20.
In modern times, the first people to hold Menashe's territory came to the area 38 years ago, and because of the large population of the city, the town was designated a Local Council about four years later.
Today, Alfe Menashe is vibrant, full of life and activity.
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