Why Joseph's Face Resembled Jacob in Vayeshev

Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Vayeshev 5:1

Curated by Arthur·Translated by Maggid (Beta)·

Another interpretation of THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF JACOB: JOSEPH (Genesis 37:2): that Joseph's face resembled Jacob's. Whence do we know this? For thus it says: NOW ISRAEL LOVED JOSEPH [MORE THAN ALL HIS SONS, FOR HE WAS THE CHILD OF HIS OLD AGE (Genesis 37:3). But behold, Benjamin was younger than he, yet it says "the child of his old age"; rather, it is that his features (eikonin) resembled his. Hence: THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF JACOB: JOSEPH]. Just as Jacob raised up tribes, so too did Joseph raise up tribes, as it is said: EPHRAIM AND MANASSEH SHALL BE MINE, LIKE REUBEN AND SIMEON (Genesis 48:5). Hence: THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF JACOB.

Themes

JosephJacobPatriarchsTribesGenealogy

Biblical References

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