Independent of Each other
Said the Premislaner: "Concerning the verse (Exodus 6:3): 'And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob,' Rashi comments: 'And I appeared unto the Patriarchs.' It may be asked: What did Rashi intend to explain by his comment? The answer is: It is customary for one whose father was a man of holiness, to be lax in his efforts to improve his own service to the Lord, inasmuch as he depends upon the greatness of his father. This is all the more true when his grandfather was also a saintly man. He contents himself wiht being the son and grandson of illustrious peronages. This was not the case with Isaac and Jacob. They labored hard at self-imporvement, and paid no heed to their parents' fame. They desired to be great Patriarchs in their own right. This is the meaning of Rashi: they were all Patriarchs, and none of them received his fame by reason of his parents."
Source: Hemda Genuzah
