The narratives of Genesis mustn’t be read and understood as important stories or historical context; The Torah in it’s entirety is instructive. The manner in which the Forefathers are presented in the Torah and the content of those narratives and dialogues are reflective of the lessons that they exemplified and perfected that the Torah wants us – the readers – to incorporate into our behavior and spiritual makeup. Indeed, each of the forefathers mastered one of the three qualities that uphold the world: Torah – Jacob; Avodah – Isaac; Chessed (Kindness) – Abraham.
This Jewish Life - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe