“God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said: Jacob, Jacob, and he said: Here I am” (Genesis 46:2). “He said: I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, as I will make you a great nation there” (Genesis 46:3). “I will go down with you to Egypt and I will also take you up again and Joseph will place his hand over your eyes” (Genesis 46:4). “God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night…He said: I am the God Beit El14These words do not appear in the verse and should be deleted (Rashash). … and I will also take you up again” – you and all the righteous like you.
“And Joseph will place his hand over your eyes…” – Rabbi Ḥagai said in the name of Rabbi Yitzḥak: Provided that “Joseph will place his hand over your eyes.”15This means that Joseph would take care of Jacob, and provide for all his needs, and Jacob would not have to attend to his own livelihood. Alternatively, it means that Joseph would close Jacob’s eyes after his death, in which case God is stating that He will bring Jacob back to the Land of Israel eventually, but not in his lifetime (Yefeh To’ar).
“Jacob arose from Beersheba and the sons of Israel conveyed Jacob their father, and their children, and their wives, in the wagons that Pharaoh sent to convey him” (Genesis 46:5). “They took their livestock, and their property that they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and they came to Egypt: Jacob, and all his descendants with him” (Genesis 46:6). “His sons, and his sons’ sons with him, his daughters, and his sons’ daughters, and all his descendants, he brought with him to Egypt” (Genesis 46:7).
“Jacob arose…. They took their livestock…His sons, and his sons’ sons…” – Rabbi Yehuda bar Ilai said: Daughters of sons are considered like sons. Sons of daughters are not considered like sons.