The verse in Isaiah (11:13) says, "The jealousy of Ephraim will cease." Now, Bereshit Rabbah, that incredible collection of rabbinic interpretations of Genesis, sees a connection here to Jacob, our patriarch. You see, Jacob always believed that Judah was responsible for Joseph’s supposed death. Remember the bloody tunic? "An evil beast devoured him," Jacob lamented (Genesis 37:33), convinced that beast was a lion. That mistrust, that "jealousy," had to be cleared before true reconciliation could occur among the tribes.

And it gets even more fascinating. "He sent Judah before him" (Genesis 46:28) when approaching Joseph in Egypt. Why? Rabbi Ḥanina, son of Rabbi Aḥa, suggests two possibilities. One is practical: to arrange a residence for Jacob and his family. But the other… the other is profound: to establish a yeshiva, an academy, a place of Torah learning, so all the tribes could study together.

Think about that for a second. Even before the Torah was formally given at Sinai, the drive to learn and teach Torah was already there, woven into the very fabric of the family.

How can we know this yearning for Torah is true? Well, when Joseph left Jacob, Jacob knew exactly which chapter he was teaching him. When Joseph's brothers later told Jacob, "Joseph is still alive!" (Genesis 45:26), Jacob was, understandably, skeptical. But then he remembered the chapter where they left off – the chapter of the egla arufa, the beheaded calf, a ritual dealing with unsolved murders. If the brothers knew that chapter, Jacob reasoned, he'd believe them.

And Joseph? He knew it too! What did Joseph do to confirm his identity? He gave them wagons – agalot – as it is stated: “Joseph gave them wagons by Pharaoh’s order” (Genesis 45:21). The Rabbis see a hint here. The wagons allude to the idea that everywhere Jacob settled, he would study Torah, just like his ancestors.

But wait a minute! The Torah hadn’t even been given yet! How could they study it? Well, we read in Genesis (26:5) that Abraham "kept My charge, My commands, My decrees, and My Torahs." So, where did Abraham learn the Torah? Rabban Shimon has a wild image: Abraham’s two kidneys became like two jugs of water, constantly overflowing with Torah! Where does this come from? As it is stated in Psalms (16:7): “Even on nights [my kidneys] instruct me.” Or, as Rabbi Levi says, perhaps Abraham studied Torah on his own, internalizing its wisdom. Proverbs (14:14) says, "The dissembler in his heart shall have his fill from his own ways, and a good man shall be satisfied from himself."

Rabbi Yonatan Sar HaBira goes even further: Abraham knew even the intricacies of rabbinic law, like the eruv tavshilin, the joining of cooked foods that permits cooking on a festival for the Sabbath. The end of the verse in Genesis mentions "My Torahs" – plural – hinting at both the Written and Oral Torah. The oral Torah includes even rabbinic laws, like the joining of cooked foods. (See Beitza 15b)

And when did Abraham first recognize his Creator? Reish Lakish says it was at the tender age of three! He derives this from the verse "because [ekev] Abraham heeded My voice…" The numerical value of the Hebrew word ekev is one hundred and seventy-two. Abraham lived 175 years. Therefore, at age three, he recognized his Creator!

Abraham not only observed the details of the Torah, but he also taught his children, as it is stated: “For I have loved him, [so that he will command his children and his household after him and they will observe the way of the Lord]” (Genesis 18:19). And the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: "You taught your children in this world, but in the World to Come, I, in My glory, will teach all of you the Torah," as it is stated: "All your children will be students of the Lord" (Isaiah 54:13).

So, what does all this mean? It means that the yearning for connection, for learning, for understanding God’s will, is deeply embedded in our tradition. It started with Abraham, trickled down through the generations, even through family misunderstandings and perceived betrayals. It’s a reminder that even before the formal giving of the Torah, the desire to learn and live by its principles was alive and well. And it's a challenge to us: to embrace that same yearning, to become students of the Lord, and to pass that legacy on to our own children. Because isn't that what it’s all about?