The Generations of Jacob Came Only Through Joseph

"And Jacob dwelt in the land of his father's sojournings" (Genesis 37:1). Abraham made converts, as it is said, "and the souls they had made in Haran" (Genesis 12:5). If all who come into the world were to gather to create a single gnat and cast a soul into it, they could not; yet you say, "the souls they had made in Haran"? Rather, these are the converts whom they converted. And why "made"? To teach you that whoever brings a convert near is as though he created him. Jacob too made converts: "And Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, Put away the foreign gods" (Genesis 35:2). Of Isaac we have not heard, but "And Jacob dwelt in the land of his father's sojournings (megurei)" can be read as megayyerei, the converts of his father. What is written above the matter? "And these are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom" (Genesis 36:31), and it is written, "And Jacob dwelt." A parable of one who was walking on the road and saw a pack of dogs and was afraid of them, and sat down among them. So when our father Jacob saw Esau and his chiefs, he was afraid of them and sat down among them. Rav Levi said: a parable of a blacksmith whose opening faced the public way, and his son the goldsmith had his opening facing him, and he saw bundles upon bundles of thorns entering the city. He said, "Woe to the city, what is entering into it!" There was a clever man there who said to him, "Of these you are afraid? One spark from yours and one spark from your son's will burn them." This is what is written, "And the house of Jacob shall be a fire" (Obadiah 1:18). "These are the generations of Jacob: Joseph" (Genesis 37:2). These generations came only through the merit of Joseph and for his sake. Jacob went to Laban only for Rachel's sake; the generations waited until Joseph came, as it is written, "And it came to pass when Rachel had borne Joseph" (Genesis 30:25). Who brought them down to Egypt? Joseph. Who sustained them in Egypt? Joseph. The sea split only for Joseph's sake, as it is written, "The waters saw You and trembled; You redeemed with Your arm Your people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph" (Psalms 77:16-17). The Jordan too split only for Joseph's sake. "These are the generations of Jacob." The verse need only have said, "These are the generations of Jacob: Reuben." Rather: as Jacob was born circumcised, so Joseph was born circumcised; as this one's mother was barren, so this one's mother was barren; as this one's mother had a hard labor, so this one's mother had a hard labor; as this one's mother bore two, so this one's mother bore two; as this one was hated by his brother, so this one was hated by his brothers; as this one's brother sought to kill him, so this one's brothers sought to kill him; this one was a shepherd and that one was a shepherd; this one was hated and that one was hated; this one was stolen away and that one was stolen away; this one was stolen twice and that one was stolen twice; this one was blessed with riches and that one was blessed with riches; this one went outside the land and that one went outside the land; this one married a wife outside the land and that one married a wife outside the land; this one fathered children outside the land and that one fathered children outside the land; this one was escorted by angels and that one was escorted by angels; this one was made great through a dream and that one was made great through a dream; this one's father-in-law's house was blessed for his sake and that one's father-in-law's house was blessed for his sake; this one went down to Egypt and that one went down to Egypt; this one ended the famine and that one ended the famine; this one made others swear and that one made others swear; this one gave commands and that one gave commands; this one died in Egypt and that one died in Egypt; this one was embalmed and that one was embalmed; this one's bones went up and that one's bones went up. "These are the generations of Jacob: Joseph." They said: Joseph was fit to bring forth twelve tribes as Jacob his father did, as it is said, "These are the generations of Jacob: Joseph," but seed went out from him by way of his fingernails; even so, they came forth from Benjamin his brother, and all of them were called by his name. The birthright was fit to come from Rachel, as it is written, "These are the generations of Jacob: Joseph."