Literary Devices – Bereshit 46/0

Literary Devices – Bereshit 46

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Allusions Yaakov’s journey to Egypt contains allusions to the divine revelations and promises granted to Avraham and Yitzchak.  This journey represents the close of narrative arc of the Avot and the beginning of a new stage of Jewish history in exile.  The Torah emphasizes that Yaakov and his descendants inherit the covenantal promises to the Avot even as they leave Eretz Yisrael.   

• Hashem’s double summons to Yaakov (“Yaakov, Yaakov”) in verse 2 calls to mind His angel’s double call to Avraham at the Akeidah (22:11), as Bereshit Rabbah and Midrash Aggadah (Buber) point out on Bereshit 22:11.  
• Hashem’s promise to Yaakov of “I will make you into a great nation there” calls to mind His opening promise to Avraham of “I will make you into a great nation” (Bereshit 12:2).  

Character Titles

Yaakov

Yaakov’s name alternates between Yisrael (appearing six times)¹ and Yaakov (appearing fifteen times)² in this chapter. 

• Commentators – See RambanBereshit 46:2About R. Moshe b. Nachman, Netziv Bereshit 46:5About R. Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlinand R. HirschBereshit 46:5About R. Samson Raphael Hirsch who associate the name Yaakov with the beginning of exile. 
• Secondary Literature – For analysis of the significance of the usage of the two different names in this narrative, see R. Ezra Bick’s article The Twilight Years. 

¹ See verses 1,2,5, 8, 29, and 30.

² See verses 2, 5, 6, 8, 15, 18, 19, 22, 25, 26, and 27.