1) Ch. 47, v. 28: "Sheva shonim v'arbo'im u'm'as shonoh" – Seven years and forty and one-hundred years – Rashi comments on the years of Soroh's life (Breishis 23:1) that her one-hundred years are compared to her twenty years, and her twenty years are compared to her seven years. This is because the word "years" is mentioned three times. Here we have the word "years" only twice. Taamo Dikro offers that it is left out once because there is no comparison of years to years for beauty for a man, as per the gemara Kesubos 59. However, this seems problematic, as we find "years" by Avrohom three times, and a comparison of his being sinless by all three. If so, we are left with the question, "Why is the term ‘years' only mentioned two times by Yaakov?"
2) Ch. 47, v. 28: "Va'yichi Yaakov" – And Yaakov lived –Rabbeinu Bachyei notes that "va'yichi" has the numeric value of 34. Yaakov had a pleasant life for 34 years, the 17 years from the birth of Yoseif until Yoseif was sold, and the final 17 years of his life. Why weren't the years before Yoseif's birth just as pleasant?
3) Ch. 48, v. 5: "Efrayim Um'nasheh KiReuvein v'Shimon" – Efrayim and Menasheh like Reuvein and Shimon – If Yaakov's only intention was to give these two grandsons the status of sons, i.e. as tribes, why did he single out Reuvein and Shimon as examples?
4) Ch. 48, v. 14: "Si'keil es yodov" – He placed his hands with intention – When Yaakov crisscrossed his hands, which was the upper, the right or the left?
5) Ch. 48, v. 15: "HoElokim asher his'halchu avosai l'fonov" – Elokim Whom my forefathers have brought themselves to walk in front of Him – Why is this prelude used to express the blessing he was bestowing upon Efrayim and Menasheh?
Important Numbers
