וְאֶת יְהוּדָה שָׁלַח לְפָנָיו, לְהַתְקִין לוֹ בֵּית תַּלְמוּד, שֶׁיְּהֵא מוֹרֶה שָׁם הוֹרָאָה, שֶׁיְּהֵא מְלַמֵּד אֶת הַשְּׁבָטִים. תֵּדַע לְךָ שֶׁהוּא כֵן. כֵּיוָן שֶׁהָלַךְ יוֹסֵף מֵאֶצְלוֹ, הָיָה יוֹדֵעַ בְּאֵיזֶה פֶרֶק פֵּרַשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ, שֶׁהָיָה מַשְׁנֶה אוֹתוֹ. כֵּיוָן שֶׁבָּאוּ אֲחֵי יוֹסֵף וְאָמְרוּ לוֹ עוֹד יוֹסֵף חַי, וַיָּפָג לִבּוֹ כִּי לֹא הֶאֱמִין לָהֶם. נִזְכַּר יַעֲקֹב בְּאֵיזֶה פֶרֶק פֵּרַשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ, וְאָמַר בְּלִבּוֹ, יוֹדֵעַ אֲנִי שֶׁבְּפֶרֶק עֶגְלָה עֲרוּפָה פֵּרַשׁ יוֹסֵף מִמֶּנִּי. וְאָמַר לָהֶן, יִתֵּן לָכֶם סִימָן בְּאֵיזֶה פֶרֶק פֵּרַשׁ מִמֶּנִּי וַאֲנִי מַאֲמִין לָכֶם. וְאַף יוֹסֵף נִזְכַּר בְּאֵיזֶה פֶרֶק פֵּרַשׁ מֵאָבִיו. מֶה עָשָׂה יוֹסֵף, נָתַן לָהֶם עֲגָלוֹת. כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאָה יַעֲקֹב אֶת הָעֲגָלוֹת, מִיָּד וַתְּחִי רוּחַ יַעֲקֹב אֲבִיהֶם. לְלַמֶּדְךָ, שֶׁבְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁהָיָה הוֹלֵךְ, הָיָה עוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה כְּשֵׁם שֶׁעָשׂוּ אֲבוֹתָיו. וְעַד עַכְשָׁו לֹא נִתְּנָה הַתּוֹרָה, וַהֲרֵי כְּתִיב בְּאַבְרָהָם, עֵקֶב אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַע אַבְרָהָם בְּקֹלִי וַיִּשְׁמֹר מִשְׁמַרְתִּי מִצְוֹתַי חֻקּוֹתַי וְתוֹרֹתָי (בראשית כו, ה). And he sent Judah before him (Gen. 46:28). Jacob sent Judah before him to establish an academy wherein he might teach the Torah as he had previously done for the tribes. You know that he taught his sons earlier from the fact that Jacob remembered the chapter of the Torah that Joseph was studying with him at the time of his disappearance. When Joseph’s brothers returned and told him: “Joseph is yet alive” … his heart fainted, for he believed them not (Gen. 45:26). Jacob recalled the chapter of the Torah that Joseph was studying at the time of his departure, and he said to himself: “I know that he was studying the portion devoted to the beheaded heifer.”13See Deut. 21:1–9. Whereupon he turned to them and said: “If he gave you something to indicate the chapter he was studying when he departed from here, I will believe you.” Joseph had also remembered the chapter he was studying when he was separated from his father. What did Joseph do? He gave them wagons (ibid., v. 21). When Jacob saw the wagons (‘agalot), the spirit of their father revived forthwith.14Word-play relating ‘agalot (“wagons”) to kelayot (“kidneys”), stated in the next paragraph to be the organ through which Abraham learned and retained the law. This teaches us that wherever Joseph went, he devoted himself to the law, as his ancestors had done before him, even though the Torah itself had not yet been given. And thus it is written: Because that Abraham hearkened to My voice and kept My laws (Gen. 26:5).
וּמֵהֵיכָן לָמַד אַבְרָהָם אֶת הַתּוֹרָה. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַאי אוֹמֵר, נַעֲשׂוּ שְׁתֵּי כִלְיוֹתָיו כִּשְׁנֵי כַדִּים שֶׁל מַיִם וְהָיוּ נוֹבְעִין תּוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אַף לֵילוֹת יִסְּרוּנִי כִלְיוֹתָי (תהלים טז, ז). רַבִּי לֵוִי אָמַר, מֵעַצְמוֹ לָמַד אֶת הַתּוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: מִדְּרָכָיו יִשְׂבַּע סוּג לֵב וּמֵעָלָיו אִישׁ טוֹב (משלי יד, יד). וְהָיָה מְלַמֵּד לְבָנָיו תּוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי יְדַעְתִּיו לְמַעַן אֲשֶׁר יְצַוֶּה (בראשית יח, יט). From what source did Abraham learn the law? R. Simeon the son of Yohai declared: His two kidneys (kelayot) became like two pitchers filled with water, from which the law flowed forth, as it is said: In the night season my kidneys instruct me (Ps. 16:7). R. Levi maintained: He studied the law by himself, as it is said: The dissembler from his heart shall have his fill from his own ways; and a good man shall be satisfied from himself (Prov. 14:14). He taught the law to his sons, as it is said: For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children (Gen. 18:19).
אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אַתָּה לִמַּדְתָּ בָּנֶיךָ תּוֹרָה בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, אֲבָל לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא אֲנִי מְלַמְּדָם תּוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְכָל בָּנַיִךְ לִמּוּדֵי ה' וְרַב שְׁלוֹם בָּנָיִךְ (ישעיה נד, יג). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Him: You have taught your sons the law in this world, but in the world-to-come I shall teach them the law, as Scripture states: And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of thy children (Isa. 54:13).