[Avodah] Vayigash

[M Cohen]

...There is a midrash which says that each of the shevatim was born with a
twin daughter. So now you just need to figure out why those daughters were
not counted among the 70.

See below.
Mc


>From Rabbi Reisman – Parshas Vayigash (Zos Chanukah) 5771

..46:26 (כָּל-הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַבָּאָה לְיַעֲקֹב מִצְרַיְמָה, יֹצְאֵי יְרֵכוֹ,
מִלְּבַד, נְשֵׁי בְנֵי-יַעֲקֹב--כָּל-נֶפֶשׁ, שִׁשִּׁים וָשֵׁשׁ) 
There is a Kasha that I had for many years regarding all the Seforim of
Tanach, wherever people are counted, women are not typically counted. We
understand that in the Midbar they counted the Yotzei Tzavah so the women
were not counted. Still here in Parshas Vayigash we have a particular
difficulty. This is because Yocheved is counted as she is the 70th person
who was born Bain Hachomos. Even if we ignore that she was counted, what
about Serach Bas Asher and Dina who were counted? What about the rest of the
women, could it be that Yaakov Avinu at the age of 130 had only 3 female
descendents and 66 male descendents? This is very difficult to understand. 

Rashi learns (כל הנפש הבאה ליעקב: שיצאו מארץ כנען לבוא למצרים. ואין הבאה זו
לשון עבר, אלא לשון הווה, כמו (אסתר ב יד) בערב היא באה, וכמו (לעיל כט ו) הנה
רחל בתו באה עם הצאן, לפיכך טעמו למטה באל"ף, לפי שכשיצאו לבוא מארץ כנען לא
היו אלא ששים ושש. והשני (להלן פסוק כז) כל הנפש לבית יעקב הבאה מצרימה שבעים,
הוא לשון עבר, לפיכך טעמו למעלה בבי"ת, לפי שמשבאו שם היו שבעים שמצאו שם יוסף
ושני בניו ונתוספה להם יוכבד בין החומות. ולדברי האומר תאומות נולדו עם השבטים
צריכים אנו לומר שמתו לפני ירידתן למצרים, שהרי לא נמנו כאן. מצאתי בויקרא רבה
(ד ו) עשו שש נפשות היו לו והכתוב קורא אותן (לעיל לו ו) נפשות ביתו, לשון
רבים, לפי שהיו עובדין לאלהות הרבה, יעקב שבעים היו לו והכתוב קורא אותן נפש,
לפי שהיו עובדים לאל אחד) that according to the one who learns that each
Sheivet was born with a twin girl you have to say they all died. 

Many are Matmia on this saying that how can it be that Yaakov suffered such
a tragedy and it is not mentioned anywhere. Rav Moshe in the Darash Moshe
has a fresh approach to the whole topic of women being counted in Tanach.
Rav Moshe writes that a man and his wife are counted as 1 because they are
one Neshamah. Therefore, men and women are not counted as two people. 

Ai, some women are counted? There are exceptions. There are situations where
a woman has become greater than just the role of being a support for her
husband. Not to belittle the role of a women being a support for their
husband. A wife and husband working out one Tafkid, nevertheless there are
women who reach beyond that and who fulfill more than just the Tafkid of
just helping out their husbands. Those women are counted separately. Serach
Bas Asher and Dinah are counted separately. The other daughters of Yaakov
who presumably married the Shevatim who were only half brothers and were
Muttar at that time, they are not counted because Ish V’ishto are Chad Kufa
and therefore, they are counted as one. 

That explains Derech Klal why in Tanach that is the way that it works. It is
a beautiful thought and what is even more beautiful is that the Otzar
Rishonim Chumash, the Chumash of Rav Yehuda Hachasid says on the Posuk that
says (מִלְּבַד, נְשֵׁי בְנֵי-יַעֲקֹב) the wives of the Bnei Yaakov were not
counted because husband and wife count as one.

It is a beautiful thought into the idea that husband and wife are counted as
one and Mimeila they were counted this way. The exception being those
extraordinary people.  

The only difficulty with this is with Yocheved if she was just born how did
she already fulfill her great Tafkid and why was she counted if she couldn’t
have reached her Tafkid? 

The answer is that Yocheved was single and was not married. The others were
all married, however, Chazal Darshuns that Ish U’baiso Ba’u that every
person who came was married and therefore, Yaakov wanted that even the young
ones should come to Mitzrayim with the anchor of marriage. Therefore,
Yocheved was the only woman who was not married and Mimeila of course she is
counted. This is a fresh idea, a new approach, and is very Geshmak...