Bava Batra 123

From a conversation about how the patriarch Jacob’s estate was passed on to his children, the Talmud turns its attention to Jacob’s family itself. At the end of Genesis, in the midst of a devastating famine, Joseph resettles his entire family in Egypt. The text is confusing because Genesis 46:7–26 lists 69 names while Genesis 46:27 states that the total comes to 70 persons. It’s worth noting that neither 69 nor 70 represents the actual number of Jacob’s family members. The Torah states explicitly that this count excludes the spouses of Jacob’s sons, some of whom have multiple wives. In addition, Joseph and his two sons are included in the tally, despite the fact that Joseph had been living in Egypt for years and his sons were born and raised there. But which number is correct?

Abba Halifa Karoya asks Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba to help him figure out exactly how many Israelites came down to Egypt. The simplest way to resolve the tension is to say that 70 is the correct number and Jacob himself was the 70th person as he was, definitionally, a member of his household but was not enumerated amongst the 69 names. But Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba goes in a different direction:

A twin sister was born with Dinah, as it is written: “And (ve’et) his daughter Dinah.” (Genesis 46:15) 

The proposition et grammatically introduces a definite direct object, but interpretively opens the door for a midrashic reading, in this case that Dinah, Jacob’s daughter, has a previously unmentioned twin sister who is the 70th member of the extended family. Abba Halifa Karoya objects to this resolution:

If that is so, one would have to say that a twin was born with Benjamin, as it is written: “And he lifted up his eyes, and saw (et) Benjamin his brother, his mother’s son.” (Genesis 43:29)

In an earlier scene, when Joseph looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, the Torah also used the same preposition et. If et implies that Dinah had a twin, says Abba Halifa Karoya, then perhaps it also implies that Benjamin had a twin, which would put the count of family members at 71, for which there is no textual support. Rabbi Hiya bar Abba accepts this critique and offers another resolution that he learned from Rabbi Hama bar Hanina: 

This missing 70th person is Yocheved, who was conceived on the journey and was born within the walls (i.e., in Egypt) as it is stated: “And the name of Amram’s wife was Yocheved, the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt.” (Numbers 26:59) Her birth was in Egypt, but her conception was not in Egypt. 

Yocheved was the mother of Moses. According to this account, she was not yet born when the family departed, so it makes sense that she was left off of the biblical manifest. However, because she was conceived en route and was born soon after their arrival in Egypt, she is included in the count of household members. This neatly solves the interpretive problem and also creates a stunning image: The seed of redemption is sown on the way down to Egypt.

In sharing this explanation with Abba Halifa Karoya, Rabbi Hiya bar Abba reflects on it:

There was a good pearl in my hand and you are trying to have me lose it.

Generally speaking, the rabbis see Torah as something to be shared. They want people to know more Torah. But in this case, Rabbi Hiya would have preferred to hoard Rabbi Hama bar Hanina’s teaching to himself, like a precious pearl locked away for safekeeping, only to be taken out from time to time for his own edification. The Talmud does not hint at why he feels this way, although there is something endearing about the image of Rabbi Hiya sitting alone in a room reviewing his own, personal piece of Torah. Lucky for us, Abba Halifa Karoya set aside the midrash about Dinah’s twin and forced Rabbi Hiya to pry open the proverbial oyster, sharing his pearl of wisdom with us as well.

Read all of Bava Batra 123 on Sefaria.

This piece originally appeared in a My Jewish Learning Daf Yomi email newsletter sent on October 26, 2024. If you are interested in receiving the newsletter, sign up here.