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 (rabbinic interpretive commentary), 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 25:1)7). 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.
“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). “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). “All the people who were coming…. And the sons of Joseph, who were born to him…” – Rabbi Levi in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman: 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? Rather, this is Yokheved, who completed the tally of Israel in Egypt.22The verses list a total of sixty-nine people but it then states that the total was seventy. This is an allusion to Yokheved, who was born as they arrived in Egypt, and is counted in the final tally even though she is not listed by name. Rabbi Levi said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman: Yokheved was conceived in the land of Canaan, and born in the land of Egypt. That is what is written: “The name of Amram's wife was Yokheved, [daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt]” (Numbers 26:59) – she was born at the gates of Egypt. And Rabbi Levi in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman: 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. And were a person to say to you: “The tenth was Shimi” (I Chronicles 25:17), say to him: Tenth for the platform.23This is regarding the order in which they would perform their role as singers on the platform in the Temple. And Rabbi Levi in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman: [From the time] our patriarch Jacob would engage in conjugal relations, the Holy One blessed be He would call [his future children] souls. That is what is written: “Or tallied one-quarter [rova]24Rova is understood as a reference to the sexual act (see, similarly, Leviticus 18:23). The Holy One blessed be He counts them even before conception. of Israel” (Numbers 23:10). Rabbi Berekhya said: It is like sap, which is absorbed even before it has emerged. Some say: Jacob completed the tally with them.25The final tally of seventy includes Jacob himself. Rabbi Yitzḥak said: This is analogous to two of the emperor’s legions, the Decumani and the Augustiani. When the emperor is counted with these they are deemed complete, and when the emperor is counted with those, as well, they are deemed complete.26Since the emperor is sometimes found with each legion, he is included in their official number. Some say: The Holy One blessed be He completed the tally with them.27The final tally of seventy includes God Himself, who accompanied Jacob and his family into exile in Egypt. Some say: Ḥushim son of Dan completed the tally with them.28The verse states: “The sons of Dan: Ḥushim” (Genesis 46:23) – it says “the sons” in plural, because Ḥushim was counted as two. This is because he had many offspring. In Rabbi Meir’s Torah they found it written: “The son of Dan: Ḥushim.”29The word “son” appeared in the singular rather than in the plural. Some explain that this means that Rabbi Meir wrote the word “son” on the side of his scroll next to the word “sons” as an explanatory note, so that it would not be understood that Dan actually had more than just one son. This supports the idea that the word “sons” is written in plural to indicate that Ḥushim counted as two in the count of the seventy members of Jacob’s family (Yefeh To’ar). That is what is written: “They came to the Gilad, and to the land of Taḥtim Ḥodshi, [and they came to Dan Yaan]” (II Samuel 24:6) – Beit Yeraḥ, Yeraḥ Sinim.30These were the names of these places in the talmudic period. A measure for a measure:31This is the way the midrash expounds the word Yaan that is appended to the name Dan, as this word means “because” and indicates a “measure for measure” cause and effect. See, similarly, Leviticus 26:43. Dan entered in his darkened state32With just one son, who was deaf. before his father, and was blessed with seventy thousand.33In the two censuses in the Book of Numbers, the tribe of Dan numbered between sixty and seventy thousand (see Numbers 1:39, 26:43). Benjamin entered with ten, and was blessed with forty thousand.34Although Benjamin had ten sons, his tribe numbered only around thirty-five thousand and forty-five thousand respectively during the two censuses in the Book of Numbers (see Numbers 1:37, 26:41). Some say: Seraḥ daughter of Asher completed the tally with them. That is what is written: “A wise woman called from the city…. He approached her, and the woman said: Are you Yoav?” (II Samuel 20:16–17). She said to him: ‘Your name is Yoav, to say that you are a father [av] to Israel, but you are nothing but a reaper,35A killer. and you do not correspond to your name. Are you and David not versed in Torah, or has Torah now ceased [to be in effect]? Is it not written: “When you approach a city to wage war against it, you shall call to it for peace”?’ (Deuteronomy 20:10). He said to her: ‘Who are you?’ She said to him: “I am the peaceful [shelumei] and loyal [emunei] of Israel” (II Samuel 20:19)36The plural terms shelumei and emunei are difficult in context, and the midrash therefore expounds these terms. – I am the one who completed [shehishlamti] the tally [minyanan] of Israel in Egypt. I am the one who delivered the loyal to the loyal – Joseph to Moses.37Seraḥ showed Moses where Joseph was buried so that he could take Joseph’s bones from Egypt to the Land of Israel (Sota 13a). Why “do you seek to destroy a city” (II Samuel 20:19), and I, who am “a mother in Israel”? (II Samuel 20:19). Immediately, “Yoav answered and said: Far be it, far be it from me [that I would ruin or destroy]” (II Samuel 20:20). “Far be it, far be it,” twice – far be it from David, far be it from Yoav, far be it from the kingdom of the house of David. “[The matter] is not so. Rather, a man from Mount Ephraim, Sheva son of Bikhri is his name, has raised his hand against the king, against David (II Samuel 20:21) – if [he already said] “against the king,” why [did he also say] “against David”; if “against David,” why “against the king”? Rabbi Azarya said in the name of Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon: Anyone who is impudent to a king, it is as though he was impudent to a Torah scholar; all the more so, [if he is impudent] to a king and a Torah scholar. Rabbi Yudan said: Anyone who is impudent to a king, it is as though he is impudent to the Divine Presence. “[The woman] said…Behold, his head will be cast to you” (II Samuel 20:21). How did she know?38How did she know she would be able to apprehend Sheva ben Bikhri. It is because she said: ‘Anyone who is impudent to the kingdom of the house of David, will be beheaded from above.’39God will ensure that he is apprehended. Immediately, “the woman came to all the people, in her wisdom” (II Samuel 20:22). She said to them: ‘Do you not know the exploits of David? What nation stood against him? What kingdom stood against him?’ They said to her: ‘What does he want?’ She said to them: ‘One thousand men; are one thousand men not preferable to destroying your entire city?’ They said to her: ‘Let each and every one give in accordance with what he has.’40Each household will turn over a proportion of its members. She said to them: ‘Perhaps, as the result of appeasement, he will forgo a bit.’ She made herself out as though she was going to appease and returned; from one thousand to five hundred,41She made them believe she had negotiated Yoav down from the one thousand men that he demanded to only five hundred. to one hundred, to ten, to one, and he is a guest. ‘Who is it?’ ‘It is Sheva son of Bikhri.’ Immediately, they severed his head. It is taught: A group of people to whom the gentiles said: ‘Give us one of you and we will kill him, and if not, we will kill all of you,’ they shall all be killed, and they shall not deliver one soul of Israel. But if they designated him for them, like Sheva son of Bikhri, they shall give, and all of them shall not be killed. Rabbi Yehuda said: In what case are these matters stated? It is when he is inside and they are outside.42When he is trapped by the besieging army but they are not totally trapped, it is possible they will escape the army even if they do not deliver him to the army. Consequently, they may not turn him over. But if he is inside and they are inside, since he will be killed and they will be killed, they shall deliver him to them and all of them will not be killed. Like it says: “The woman came to all the people” (II Samuel 20:22) – since he will be killed and you will be killed, give him to them and let you all not be killed. Rabbi Shimon says: Anyone who revolts against the kingdom of the house of David is liable to death. Ulla ben Kishar was sought by the empire. He rose and fled to Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi to Lod. They sent a messenger after him. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi approached [Ulla ben Kishar] and appeased him. He said to him: ‘It is preferable that this man [i.e. you] be killed, and let the entire community not be punished on his account.’ He appeased him and he delivered him to [the messenger]. Elijah was accustomed to speak with [Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi]. Once he did this, [Elijah] did not come to him any longer. He fasted over him for thirty days, and he appeared to him. [Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi] said to him: ‘What is the reason that my master absented himself?’ He said to him: ‘Do I associate with informers?’ He said to him: ‘Is it not a baraita: A group of people…’ He said to him: ‘Is that a mishna of the pious? That act should have been performed by others and not by you.’ It is taught: When Nebuchadnezzar ascended to conquer Yehoyakim, he ascended and encamped at Daphne at Antioch. The Great Sanhedrin descended to greet him. They said to him: ‘Has the time arrived for this house to be destroyed?’ He said to them: ‘No, but Yehoyakim king of Judah has revolted against me. Give him to me and I will go.’ They went and said to Yehoyakim: ‘Nebuchadnezzar wants you.’ He said to them: ‘Is this how one acts? Does one disregard one life in favor of another life? Is it not so written: “You shall not hand over a slave to his master”?’ (Deuteronomy 23:16). They said to him: ‘Is this not what your ancestor did to Sheva son of Bikhri? That is what is written: “Behold, his head is cast to you over the wall”’ (II Samuel 20:21). When [Yehoyakim] did not heed them, they rose, took him, and lowered him [to Nebuchadnezzar], who dismembered him.
