Kuzari on Yakov’s Family

As the Jewish people prepared for their going down to Egypt, the Torah gives us an accounting of the seventy souls that comprised the entire Jewish nation. The Kuzari gives an interesting explanation as to why Yakov and his family were chosen to become עם ישראל. Rav Yehuda Halevi, author of the Kuzari, claims that twenty-two generations preceded Yakov Avinu from creation until his birth. Every generation had offspring that were tainted until Yakov Avinu. When the Torah records the generations, it gives us the best of each family. But each generation had children who were far from righteous. Even Avraham fathered Yishmael, and Yitzchak fathered Eisav. Yakov Avinu was the first person in history who had all of his children unflawed. It was this family that was deemed to be worthy of becoming the “chosen” people. This is how the Jewish people began.