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Vayigash: Seeing the Hidden

The Parsha tells us that seventy members of Yaakov’s family went down to Mitzrayim. But as Rashi famously points out, only 69 names are mentioned. Quoting the Medrash, Rashi writes that the missing name is Yocheved, who was born “between the walls” en route to Mitzrayim.

R’ Aaron Lopainsky explains that this hints to an important role that Yocheved played in bridging two worlds. Yocheved grew up seeing Yaakov and the Shevatim, seeing the Jewish nation at its best. She then lived through Galus Mitzrayim, seeing the nation at its darkest and most difficult moments.

But as bad as things got, Yocheved never let go of that vision of what the Jewish people could be. That is why Yocheved is the one to compete the count, even though her name is hidden; she was the one who could see the complete picture of her people, even when nobody else could.

Since Yocheved retained that vision of what was possible, she was able to raise a son that made that vision a reality.

לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום