Another matter, “I will remember My covenant with Jacob” – that is what is written: “Now, so said the Lord, your Creator, Jacob, and your Fashioner, Israel” (Isaiah 43:1). Rabbi Pinḥas said in the name of Rabbi Reuven: The Holy One blessed be He said to His world: ‘My world, My world, I will tell you who created you and who fashioned you. Jacob created you and Jacob fashioned you,’ as it is written: “Your Creator, Jacob, and your Fashioner, Israel.”
Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: Behemoth18A huge animal that will be served at the feast of the righteous in the World to Come. See Vayikra Rabba 13:3. was created only due to the merit of Jacob. That is what is written: “Behold now the behemoth that I made with you” (Job 40:15). Rabbi Yehoshua ben Rabbi Neḥemya said in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina ben Rabbi Yitzḥak: Heavens and earth were created only due to the merit of Jacob, as it is written: “He set a testimony in Jacob” (Psalms 78:5), and the testimony that is stated here is nothing other than heavens and earth, just as it says: “I call today to the heavens and the earth to bear witness to you” (Deuteronomy 30:19).
Rabbi Berekhya said: Heavens and earth were created only due to the merit of Israel, as it is written: “In the beginning [bereshit], the Lord created [the heavens and the earth]” (Genesis 1:1), and reshit is nothing other than Israel, as it is stated: “Israel is sacred to the Lord, the first [reshit] of His crop” (Jeremiah 2:3). Rabbi Aḥa said: Heavens and earth were created only due to the merit of Moses, as it is stated: “He saw the first [reshit] for himself [as there the lawgiver’s portion is hidden]” (Deuteronomy 33:21).
Rabbi Abbahu said: Everything was created only due to the merit of Jacob. That is what is written: “Not like these is the Portion of Jacob; for He is the fashioner of everything” (Jeremiah 10:16); for the sake of Jacob, He fashioned everything. Rabbi Berekhya and Rabbi Levi said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman: Abraham was rescued from the fiery furnace only due to the merit of Jacob. This is analogous to one who was standing in judgment before the ruler and he was sentenced by the ruler to be burned.
The ruler gazed by means of astrology, and saw that he was destined to beget a daughter who would marry the king. He said: ‘He is worthy to be spared due to the merit of the daughter that he is destined to beget.’ So, Abraham was sentenced by Nimrod to be burned. The Holy One blessed be He foresaw that Jacob was destined to emerge from him.
He said: ‘He is worthy to be spared due to the merit of Jacob.’ That is what is written: “Therefore, so says the Lord to the house of Jacob, who redeemed Abraham” (Isaiah 29:22). The Rabbis say: Abraham himself was created only due to the merit of Jacob. That is what is written: “For I know him, so that he shall command his children and his household after him, and they will observe the way of the Lord, to perform righteousness and justice” (Genesis 18:19), and there is no “righteousness and justice” other than from Jacob, as it is stated: “You wrought justice and righteousness in Jacob” (Psalms 99:4).19Among the descendants of Abraham, only those from Jacob perform justice and righteousness, through the fulfillment of the Torah.