מדרש אויף שמות 1:5

“All the people who emerged from the loins of Jacob were seventy souls, and Joseph was in Egypt” (Exodus 1:5).
“All the people who emerged from the loins of Jacob,” including Joseph who was in Egypt, were seventy.
Alternatively, “and Joseph was in Egypt” [teaches that] even though Joseph ascended to royalty, he did not relate to his brothers and his father’s household with haughtiness. Just as he was insignificant in his [own] eyes initially when he was a slave in Egypt, so too, he was insignificant in his [own] eyes after he was king.

Another interpretation: “Moses was [haya].” Everyone in whose regard haya is written, was fated for this [for what follows]: “Behold, the man has become [haya] [like one of us, knowing good and bad, what if he should extend his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever?]” (Genesis 3:22); death was fated to come to the world, as it is stated: “With darkness upon the surface of the deep” (Genesis 1:2) – that is death, which darkens the faces of the people. “The serpent was [haya] … cunning” (Genesis 3:1); he was fated for punishment. Regarding Noah it is written: “…was [haya] faultless” (Genesis 6:9); he was fated for salvation. Regarding Joseph it is written: “Joseph was [haya]” (Exodus 1:5); he was fated to [provide] sustenance. Regarding Mordekhai it is written: “There was [haya] a Jewish man” (Esther 2:5); he was fated to [bring] deliverance; and Moses, to [bring] salvation. From their original creation they were fated for this.
“And he led the flock into the wilderness [midbar].” Rabbi Yehoshua said: Why did he seek the wilderness? It is because he saw that Israel would come up from the wilderness, as it is stated: “Who is this coming up from the wilderness” (Song of Songs 3:6). For it was from the wilderness that they had the manna, the quail, the well, the Tabernacle, the Divine Presence, priesthood, kingship, and the clouds of glory.
Alternatively, the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘You are destined to take Israel up from Egypt due to the merit of he with whom I spoke [dibbarti] between the pieces, that is Abraham.’ And midbar means nothing but speech [dibbur], as it is stated: “Your mouth [umidbarekh] is lovely” (Song of Songs 4:3). Rabbi Levi said: The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘This is a sign for you, you will leave them in the wilderness, and from the wilderness you are destined to restore them in the future, as it is stated: “Therefore, I will allure her and I will lead her into the wilderness” (Hosea 2:16).
Alternatively, why did he seek the wilderness? It is because he saw that he was destined to destroy the cities of the nations of the world, as it is written; “The end of the nations will be a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert” (Jeremiah 50:12).
Another interpretation: “And he led the flock into the wilderness” – He informed him that Israel, which is called a flock, will die in the wilderness. Likewise, when Moses entreated [God for] Israel’s needs, ⁶The exchange between Moses and God that follows is based on Song of Songs 1:7–8: “Tell me, You whom my soul loves, where do You shepherd, where do You rest them at noon? For why should I be like one who veils herself by the flocks of Your companions? If you do not know, the fairest among women, go you out after the sheep and shepherd your kids, by the tents of the shepherds.” he said to him: ‘O Holy One blessed be He, “tell me, He whom my soul loves…” (Song of Songs 1:7) – how many birth mothers are among them, how many pregnant women, how many wet nurses have you provided for the babies, how many delicacies have you prepared for the pregnant women?’ The Holy One blessed be He responded to him: “If you do not know” (Song of Songs 1:8); if you do not know, ultimately you will know. “Go out in the footsteps of the flock”; in other words, you will herd the sheep and the lambs, but you will only herd the offspring, “by the tents of the shepherds;” in the land of Siḥon,.⁷Moses will only lead the second generation in the conquest of the lands on the eastern side of the Jordan, he but will not lead them into the Land.
“…he arrived at the mountain of God, to Ḥorev.” It has five names: “The mountain of God, Mount Bashan, Mount Gavnunim” (Psalms 68:16), Mount Ḥorev, Mount Sinai.
The mountain of God – because it was there that Israel accepted the Holy One blessed be He as their God.
Mount Bashan – as everything that a person eats with his teeth [beshinav] is thanks to the Torah that was given on the mountain. Likewise it says: “If you follow My statutes…I will provide your rains in their seasons” (Leviticus 26:3–4).⁸Agricultural prosperity will depend upon keeping the Torah.
Mount Gavnunim – it is as pure as cheese [gevina],⁹Cheese is pure in that it can be made only from the milk of kosher animals. Mount Sinai was pure, as there was never idol worship there. and they were pure without blemish.¹⁰The midrash is alluding to a tradition that all of the physical blemishes of Israel were healed when they received the Torah at Mount Sinai.
Mount Ḥorev – from it, the Sanhedrin received license to execute with the sword [ḥerev]. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: It was from there that idolaters received their death sentence, as it is stated: “The nations will be destroyed [ḥarov yeḥeravu]” (Isaiah 60:12) – from Ḥorev they will be destroyed.
Mount Sinai – from which hatred [sina] for idolaters descended.¹¹This is because they refused to accept the Torah.

Ḥizkiya taught: “Israel are scattered sheep” (Jeremiah 50:17). Israel is likened to sheep. Just as, if a sheep is struck on its head or one of its limbs all its limbs feel it, so it is with Israel; one of them sins and all of them feel it. “Shall one man sin, [and You will rage against the entire congregation?]” (Numbers 16:22). Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai taught: This is analogous to people who were sitting in a ship. One of them took a drill and began drilling a hole. His counterparts said to him: ‘What are you sitting and doing?’ He said to them: ‘Why do you care? Am I not drilling under myself?’ They said to him: ‘Because the water will rise and flood the ship we are on!’ So too, Job said: “If indeed I erred, with me my error rests” (Job 19:4). His counterparts said to him: “For he adds transgression to his sin, he extends [yispok] among us” (Job 34:37); you extend your iniquities among us.
Rabbi Elasa said: A certain gentile asked Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korḥa: ‘It is written in your Torah: “Incline after the majority” (Exodus 23:2). We are more numerous than you are. Why do you not become like us regarding idol worship?’ He said to him: ‘Do you have children?’ He said to him: ‘You have reminded me of my troubles.’ He said to him: ‘Why?’ He said to him: ‘I have many children. When they sit at my table, this one prays to the god of so and so and that one prays to the god of so and so, and they do not leave until each of them has cracked the skull of the other.’ He said to him: ‘Do you bring them to uniformity?’ He said to him: ‘No.’ He said to him: Before you get us to become [like you], go and bring your children to uniformity.’ He hurriedly went on his way.
When he left, his disciples said to him: ‘Rabbi, you rebuffed this one with a broken reed.²³It was not a particularly strong response to his question. What do you respond to us?’ He said to them: ‘Regarding Esau, six people are mentioned in the verse, and [the term] written about them is “souls” in plural, as it is written: “Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the souls [nafshot] of his household” (Genesis 36:6). Regarding Jacob, seventy people [are mentioned in the verses], and [the term] written about them is “soul” in the singular, as it is written: “All the souls [hanefesh] who emerged from Jacob's loins were seventy souls [nefesh] and Joseph was in Egypt” (Exodus 1:5). It is, rather, that Esau worshipped multiple gods, and therefore multiple souls are written in his regard. But Jacob worshipped one god, so one nefesh is written in his regard: “All the souls [hanefesh]…were.”