The verses state, "All the people who were coming with Jacob to Egypt, the products of his loins, aside from the wives of Jacob's sons; all the people were sixty-six" (Genesis 46:26). Then, just a verse later, "And the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two people; all the people of the house of Jacob, who came to Egypt, were seventy" (Genesis 46:27).

Sixty-six... plus two... equals seventy? Something seems amiss, doesn't it? Where do those extra two people come from? Well, the sages of the Midrash, specifically Bereshit Rabbah, love to dig into these little inconsistencies. They see them as invitations to uncover deeper truths.

Rabbi Levi, in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman, poses a pretty direct question: "Have you ever in your days seen a person give another sixty-six cups, and then give him another three, and he counts them as seventy?" (Bereshit Rabbah 94). It's a rhetorical question, of course. The numbers just don't line up.

So, what's the explanation? According to this Midrash, the answer lies with Yokheved, who would later become the mother of Moses. The Midrash suggests that Yokheved completed the tally of Israel in Egypt. Even though the verses only list sixty-nine people explicitly, Yokheved, born as they arrived in Egypt, is counted in the final tally of seventy. She's the missing piece of the puzzle.

And it gets even more specific! Rabbi Levi, again citing Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman, tells us that Yokheved was conceived in the land of Canaan but born in Egypt. This idea is supported by the verse, "The name of Amram's wife was Yokheved, [daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt]" (Numbers 26:59) - the Midrash interprets this to mean she was born right at the gates of Egypt.

This leads to another fascinating idea: that God is sometimes aware of and even counts individuals before they are even fully born. Rabbi Levi in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman tells us that The Holy One blessed be He is accustomed to count this tribe while it is still in its mother’s womb. That is what is written: “For Yedutun, the sons of Yedutun: Gedalyahu, and Tzeri, and Yeshayahu, Ḥashavyahu, and Matityahu, [six]” (I Chronicles 25:3) – they are five [who are mentioned] specifically, but a total of six. However, there is “Shimi” (I Chronicles 25:17). The Holy One blessed be He counted him while he was still in his mother’s womb.

The Midrash continues exploring different ways to explain the number seventy. Some say that Jacob himself completes the tally. Others suggest that God Himself is included in the count, accompanying Jacob and his family into exile. There's even a suggestion that Ḥushim, the son of Dan, counted as two people because he had so many offspring!

And then we get to the story of Seraḥ, daughter of Asher. According to one tradition, she also completed the tally. The Midrash connects her to a story in II Samuel where a wise woman saves a city. This wise woman declares, "I am the one who completed [shehishlamti] the tally [minyanan] of Israel in Egypt." She's portrayed as a figure of peace and loyalty, even delivering Joseph's bones to Moses so they could be reburied in the Land of Israel (Sota 13a).

What does it all mean? Well, on one level, it's about resolving a numerical discrepancy in the Torah. But on a deeper level, it's about recognizing the importance of every single individual, even those who aren't explicitly named or counted. It's about the idea that God's presence and blessing can be found in the most unexpected places, even in the womb, even at the border between one land and another. It reminds us that even when we feel like something's missing, there's often a hidden piece of the puzzle waiting to be discovered, a hidden blessing waiting to be revealed.