Genesis 48:14

And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it upon the head of Ephraim, though he was the younger; and his left hand upon the head of Menasheh, altering his hands, for Menasheh was the firstborn.

שכל את ידיו, as if the Torah had written שכל, both the letters ש and כ with the vowels kametz, resulting in sachal, meaning something distorted, bent out of shape.

כי מנשה הבכור, and Yaakov was well aware even without being able to recognise the sons’ features, that Joseph would position his firstborn son on his father’s right side. Seeing that he wanted to place his right hand on the younger son, Ephrayim, he had to cross his hands to accomplish this.

שיכל את ידיא, he was quite clear, relying on his sense of touch, without being able to see exactly where his hands came to rest.

שכל את ידיו, he conferred intelligence to his hands, so that they appeared to act intelligently on their own, seeing that Menashe was the firstborn and Yaakov saw with prophetic vision that he would be the “smaller one,” in the sense that his future would reflect less blessing than the future of his younger brother. Had he placed his right hand on Menashe, what intelligence would this have demonstrated? [the author surely means that the Torah does not have to speak about an act of special intelligence being required to put one’s right hand on the older of the two sons. Ed.]

שכל את ידיו, seeing that Joseph had lined them up with Menashe on Yaakov’s right side, he was forced to cross his hand in order to give Ephrayim his blessing with his right hand. Although Menashe was Joseph’s firstborn son, Yaakov wished to place his right hand on the head of Ephrayim. We encounter a similar situation in the Book of Daniel,9,9 [where the author recalls G–d’s merciful attitude of forgiving before even having mentioned why that forgiveness was required. Ed.]