Jacob's favoritism toward Rachel and Joseph is traced back to his own childhood experiences. His parents Isaac and Rebecca each favored different sons, with Isaac loving Esau and Rebecca loving Jacob, creating a pattern of parental preference that the children could clearly perceive.

Jacob grew up in an environment where his father openly favored his older brother Esau, an experience that left deep emotional scars. This formative trauma from his own childhood directly influenced Jacob's later decision to show favoritism to his own children, demonstrating how parental preferences can perpetuate across generations.