Within the discussion about whether the bechor takes a double portion in the entire estate (i.e 2/3 of the property, regardless of how many brothers he has) or only a portion which is twice the size of any single heir, the gemara brings a proof from Parshas Vayechi (48:22). The gemara cites to Ya'akov's conversation with Yosef where Ya'akov tells Yosef that he is giving Yosef an extra portion that he took from the Emori with his Cherev (sword) and Keshet (bow). The gemara then asks - but did Ya'akov fight with weapons - there is a pasuk in Tehillim (44:7) that teaches that he did not use them? The gemara answers that the Cherev was his prayer and the Keshet was his request.
The Rashbam offers insight as to the prayer referred to by the gemara, explaining that Ya'akov had prayed for his children and that he would be zocheh to inherit the bechorah from Esav with his prayers.
The above point plays into another interesting note from the daf. On Bava Basra 123b, R' Chelbo asks R' Shmuel Bar Nachmeni about the meaning of the pasuk in Vayeitzei (30:25) where the Torah states that when Rachel gave birth to Yosef, Ya'akov told Lavan that he wanted to leave Lavan's house. R' Shmuel answered that Ya'akov saw that in the future, the descendants of Esav would only be conquered by the descendants of Yosef, citing to the famous nevuah in Zecharyah that the house of Ya'akov will be a fire, the house of Yosef the flame and the house of Esav will be straw. Although I had read this pasuk dozens of times, I never saw the connection between the birth of Yosef and the request to leave Lavan until I learned this daf.
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