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Rashi comments at the beginning of this week's parsha, that Yaakov requested to sit in tranquility:

וישב, בִּקֵּשׁ יַעֲקֹב לֵישֵׁב בְּשַׁלְוָה, קָפַץ עָלָיו רָגְזוֹ שֶׁל יוֹסֵף – צַדִּיקִים מְבַקְּשִׁים לֵישֵׁב בְּשַׁלְוָה, אָמַר הַקָּבָּ"ה לֹא דַיָּן לַצַּדִּיקִים מַה שֶּׁמְּתֻקָּן לָהֶם לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, אֶלָּא שֶׁמְּבַקְּשִׁים לֵישֵׁב בְּשַׁלְוָה בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה:

Why is it only Yaakov who makes this request? All the avos underwent traumatic experiences. Avraham with kivshan ha'eish, Yitzchak with the akeida, Yosef with the hatred from his brothers and the nisyonos of Egypt etc etc. But they seemingly don't make this request. Why is it only Yaakov?

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  • Maybe they all did but Rashi didn't mention it there? – Double AA♦ Dec 17 '19 at 21:47
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    וישב אברהם בבאר שבע and Sarah died. וישב יצחק בגרר and Avimelech messed with Rivkah. – Heshy Dec 18 '19 at 0:41
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" בִּקֵּשׁ " in this context doesn't mean asked. It means was looking for.And the Medrash that Rashi brings goes on to include all Tzadikim. Not just Yaakov.

Yaakov seems to have been singled out because he seems to have had the most difficult life of all of the Avos.

The Meforshim who ask how do you see in the words וישב יַעֲקֹב anything about wanting to live בְּשַׁלְוָה (inter alia) explain that the next Posuk starts אֵ֣לֶּה תֹּֽלְד֣וֹת יַֽעֲקֹ֗ב יוֹסֵ֞ף. What is the connection and what about Reuven? The answer is that problems like the story of Yosef typify the life of Yaakov. He wants to sit בְּשַׁלְוָה and instead of that happening the next thing that happens and is mentioned in the story of Yosef. This is the way his life went. Mention him wanting to לֵישֵׁב בְּשַׁלְוָה and then a new problem will be mentioned.

I don't know if that would be true about the other Avos.

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  • Nice answer. Could you add a link to the medrash? That would make it even better. – Mordechai Dec 18 '19 at 18:21
  • See a Mekroes Gedolas Chumash. Rashi brings down when the Medrash and the Sifsei Chachomim on Rashi says this pshat – Schmerel Dec 18 '19 at 18:26

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