Body Language of Love

There are various ways to show a child or grandchild that you love them. One way is to give them a gift, as Yaakov gave Yosef the ketonet pasim because he loved him. Another way is through a facial expression that radiates affection and warmth. However, the most powerful way to express love is through hugging and kissing. When Yaakov Avinu gets ready to bless his grandchildren, he asks Yosef to bring them close for the blessing. When Menashe and Ephraim are brought, Yaakov embraces them, hugging and kissing them for an extended period, as he

wouldn't let go. The testimony to this is that the verse mentions Yosef physically having to remove them from Yaakov's lap.

It's possible that at this point in Yaakov's life, he only had one way to express his love to them. Being nearly blind, he couldn't look at them with the expression of love needed. Additionally, he wasn't able to give them anything monetary, as they were the children of the king and likely had everything. One thing that they most certainly were missing was the love of a grandfather, which is something that no one else can replace. Yaakov wanted to ensure they received a full portion of that love before he passed away.