Biblical Personalities: Joseph – Rabbeinu Bachya

“The blessings of your father have surpassed the blessings of my parents.” (Genesis 49:26) Jacob meant that the emanation from which his own blessing would originate is more powerful than the emanation in which Abraham and Isaac and also their blessings were at home. Abraham and Isaac has primarily represented the emanation of Chesed and Gevurah respectively. Jacob’s emanation, the aegis under which he modeled his life was Tiferet – Harmony – a blending of the two emanations which each formed Abraham’s and Isaac’s guiding light.

The reason that the patriarchs are called “horiy” is that they were the principal carriers of the benevolent Presence of God on earth, “horiy,” meaning both parents and my mountains, the people to whom I look up.