Latest / KMTT - the Torah Podcast
Vayigash | "Seventy Souls" - Reconsidering the Count
Vayigash | "Seventy Souls" - Reconsidering the Count, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom
Q. Who is #70 in the count? Q: Where are all the girls? Q: How did the LXX get to LXXV?
Parashat Vayigash includes the detailed list of Bnei Yisrael who descended to Egypt, detailed by son, clan and then a total. This list raises three questions - one internal, one intrinsic and one external. The number "70" does not fit the itemized count, which reaches 69 (or, arguably, 68). The lopsided amount of males (67/69) in the list is a statistical improbability which is also challenged by the text. In addition, the LXX…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.