vayehsev תרל”ד 4

אילו הי’ ראובן יודע כו’.
Now if Reuven had known that the Holy One, blessed be He would write about him “And Reuven heard it, and delivered him out of their hand (Genesis 37:21)” on his shoulder he would have brought him to his father. (Ruth Rabba 5:6)
פי’ שהאבות כל מעשיהם הי’ תורה. לאשר בכל פעולתם השתתפו כח תולדותיהם ושיזכו זרעם אחריהם.
The explanation of this is because all of the actions of our forefathers was Torah. This is because all of their actions were combined with the energy of their descendants to come, that they should merit from these actions later.
וז”ש יצוה בניו כו’.
This is what is meant in the pasuk: “For I have singled him out, that he may instruct his children and his posterity to keep the way of HaShem by doing what is just and right, in order that HaShem may bring about for Avraham what He has promised him.” (Bereishit 18:19)
פי’ שיחבר מעשיו לתולדותיו כנ”ל.
This means that Avraham will connect all his actions to his descendants. As above.
לכן נקראו אבות כדאיתא אין אבות אלא שלשה.
This is why (only) they are called “Avos” forefathers as it says There are only three avos. (Berachot 16b).
ולכן זכו שמעשיהם כתובים בתורה. ובני ישראל הוגים ומבינים ומיישרין דרכם ע”י לימוד מעשיהם בתורה כנ”ל.
Therefore through connecting their actions to their descendants they merited that their actions are recorded in the Torah. And it is Bnei Yisrael who therefore study the Torah and understand the Torah and correct their own ways through studying their forefathers ways.
ואם הי’ ראובן יודע שמעשיו יהיו לימוד לדורות. הי’ זה סיוע לחזק עצמו. ועל כתפיו הי’ מוליכו כו’.
And what the above Medrash is teaching us, is that had Reuven realised that his actions were going to be teaching generations to come, it would have been a help for him to strengthen his determination and he would have carried Yosef on his shoulders back to his father
לכן צריך כל אדם ליישב עצמו איך כל מעשיו נוגעי’ לזרעו אחריו לדורות:
Therefore each person should contemplate that his actions also affect his children and descendants forever, and this will help him strengthen himself against wrong conduct.