Shemot 1:1-5
(א) וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הַבָּאִים מִצְרָיְמָה אֵת יַעֲקֹב אִישׁ וּבֵיתוֹ בָּאוּ. (ב) רְאוּבֵן שִׁמְעוֹן לֵוִי וִיהוּדָה. (ג) יִשָּׂשכָר זְבוּלֻן וּבְנְיָמִן. (ד) דָּן וְנַפְתָּלִי גָּד וְאָשֵׁר. (ה) וַיְהִי כָּל נֶפֶשׁ יֹצְאֵי יֶרֶךְ יַעֲקֹב שִׁבְעִים נָפֶשׁ וְיוֹסֵף הָיָה בְמִצְרָיִם.
(1) NOW THESE are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt with Jacob; every man came with his household: (2) Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; (3) Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; (4) Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. (5) And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls; and Joseph was in Egypt already.
(ה) וַיּוֹצֵא אֹתוֹ הַחוּצָה וַיֹּאמֶר הַבֶּט נָא הַשָּׁמַיְמָה וּסְפֹר הַכּוֹכָבִים אִם תּוּכַל לִסְפֹּר אֹתָם וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ כֹּה יִהְיֶה זַרְעֶךָ.
(5) And He brought him forth abroad, and said: ‘Look now toward heaven, and count the stars, if thou be able to count them’; and He said unto him: ‘So shall thy seed be.’
ואלה שמות בני ישראל: Why does the text repeat their names again? The names of the sons of Jacob are counted again to emphasize the fact that they had become founders of a great nation; even though they only numbered 71 when they arrived in Egypt.… Rashi
את יעקב. Yaakov is specifically mentioned so that he is included in the total.
Ibn Ezra
A NOTE FROM MORAH
What is the difference between saying, "I would like to thank the whole 9th grade for their work on this project" or "Thank you Sarina, Nikki and Emily for your work on this project."
ויוסף היה במצרים . Why does the text mention this again? Don't we already know this from Bereshit?
Rashi says that this is done to emphasize that although Yosef lived in Egypt a very long time, he remained loyal to his upbringing. His rise to power did cause him to stray from his family or religious traditions. He wanted to identify himself with the Hebrews, and accordingly the text includes his name with theirs.
Why do you think the text uses the word נפש instead of another word?
(ו) וַיָּמָת יוֹסֵף וְכָל אֶחָיו וְכֹל הַדּוֹר הַהוּא. (ז) וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל פָּרוּ וַיִּשְׁרְצוּ וַיִּרְבּוּ וַיַּעַצְמוּ בִּמְאֹד מְאֹד וַתִּמָּלֵא הָאָרֶץ אֹתָם.
(6) And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation. (7) And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.
All of the descendants of Yakov lived in Goshen. As long as all of the Shvatim were alive, B'nai Yisrael avoided assimilating with the Egyptians. However, once the Shvatim passed away, the Jews slowly began to enter Egyptian society. They didn't want to be limited to a life in Goshen, they wanted more. They were attracted to the foreign culture, theater and imitated some of their societal practices. THE TRIBE OF LEVI AND THE TZADDIKIM OF THE OTHER TRIBES never strayed and did not assimilate with the Egyptians.
The Jews distinguished themselves from the Egyptians in 4 ways:
1. They only gave their children Jewish names.
2 They continued to speak Hebrew.
3. They did not dress in Egyptian clothing.
4. They continued to treat each other with respect and would never betray their neighbors to the Egyptians.
פָּרוּ וַיִּשְׁרְצוּ וַיִּרְבּוּ וַיַּעַצְמוּ בִּמְאֹד מְאֹד וַתִּמָּלֵא הָאָרֶץ אֹתָם.
The women of Israel were unusually fertile. Each birth was multiples.
Rashi
The Israelite children grew to adulthood without infant mortality.
Rashbam
Their mortality was unusually low.
Ibn Ezra