Midras Yeremia 49:14: Aggadat Bereshit

Chapter (58) 59: Prophets [1] The vision of Obadiah. "Thus says the Lord God concerning Edom (Jeremiah 49:7): We have heard a report from the Lord, and a messenger has been sent among the nations: 'Rise up! Let us rise against her for battle!'" (Jeremiah 49:14). When Jacob, our father, saw the leaders of Esau, he became afraid and began to say, "Who can stand up against all of them, so many kings and leaders, and I am but one person? How can I stand up against all of them?" Then the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "Do not be afraid. Look at what is behind you." "These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph" (Genesis 37:2). "Who can stand up against all of them?" "The smallest one among your children." "And the House of Jacob shall be fire and the House of Joseph a flame" (Obadiah 1:18). It is compared to a goldsmith who was sitting and doing his work, and his disciple was with him. The disciple raised his eyes and saw many camels loaded with straw. He began to wonder and said to his teacher, "Who can stand up against all of them?" His teacher replied, "One spark from the furnace can burn them all." So the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Jacob, "Are you afraid of them? One spark from you can burn them all," as it is stated, "Behold, they shall be as stubble, the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame" (Isaiah 47:14). This refers to Joseph, as it is stated, "And the House of Joseph shall be a flame" (Obadiah 1:18). Therefore, "and he (Jacob) descended" (Genesis 36:1), the descent (interpreted as) the worst (possible scenario) that Jacob loses them all, and the descent of your children is combined against Esau. Even Obadiah, the lowest of all the prophets, takes revenge against Edom, as it is stated, "The vision of Obadiah. "Why has Yaakov descended?" (Obadiah 1:18)