Jacob Mourns the Broken Covenant of the Twelve Tribes

Another interpretation of (Genesis 37:35): "But he refused to be comforted." Rather, our father Jacob said: Behold, the covenant of the tribes has been breached! How greatly have I labored to establish twelve tribes, and I see that, now that Joseph has gone, behold that covenant has ceased. For all the works of the Holy One, blessed be He, correspond to the twelve tribes: twelve constellations, twelve months, twelve hours in the day, twelve hours in the night, twelve stones that Aaron would wear. And now Joseph has gone from him — behold, the covenant of the tribes has been breached. But did Jacob not know how to take a wife and beget a son so that there would be twelve tribes? Rather, it was because he stood by an oath to Laban, who had said (Genesis 31:50): "If you afflict my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters" — even after their death. What did Laban do? He brought him out to press him. He said to him (ibid.): "No man is with us; see, God is witness between me and you." Because of that oath, he was unable to take a wife. When his sons saw that he was so aggrieved and would not accept consolation, they went to Judah. They said to him: You have done to us all this great evil! He said to them: I said to you (Genesis 37:26): "What profit is it if we slay our brother and conceal his blood?" — and you say, "You have done it"? They said to him: But did we not listen to you? You said (Genesis 37:27): "Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites," and we listened to you. Had you said, "Come, and let us return him to his father," would we not have listened to you? Therefore, at that hour they arose and placed him under a ban. From where is this known? From what they read on the matter (Genesis 38:1): "And Judah went down."