And Jacob lived

וַיְחִי יַעֲקֹב

Beraishit 47.28

28. 'And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt for seventeen years; and the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were seven years and forty and one hundred years-וַיְחִי יַעֲקֹב בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה וַיְהִי יְמֵי יַעֲקֹב שְׁנֵי חַיָּיו שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים וְאַרְבָּעִים וּמְאַת שָׁנָה (4761=18).

The verse can be divided so:

·         And Jacob lived- וַיְחִי יַעֲקֹב(216=1+8);

·         In the land of Egypt for seventeen years- בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה (1975+5 words=1980=17=8);

·         And the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were one hundred forty and seven years- וַיְהִי יְמֵי יַעֲקֹב שְׁנֵי חַיָּיו שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים וְאַרְבָּעִים וּמְאַת שָׁנָה(3690=18 counting final Mems as 600).

And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt

וַיְחִי יַעֲקֹב בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם

2259=18 (final letters)

Seventeen (17) is eight (8).

The 17 years Jacob lived after he was reunited with Joseph are equal to the first 17 years of Joseph’s life before he was sent by his father to Shechem. Joseph was Jacob’s eldest son from his favorite wife, Rachel. He was with Joseph for 34 years. The first 17 years of Joseph’s life are equal to the last 17 years of Jacob’s life. The beginning of one life corresponds to the end of another’s life. The beginning and the end are one.

Thus there are two periods of 17 which make 34.

The number 34 is the gematria of the name of the Parsha “Vayechi”- וַיְחִי.

As they were one period in two halves we add 1 to the gematria:

34+1=35=8

Vayechi/And he lived

וַיְחִי

34 +1 word=8

This is the inner reason of the name of the Parsha "Vayechi"- וַיְחִי, it corresponds to the combination of the two periods of life that Jacob lived with Joseph-only then was he truly alive.

The days of Jacob

יְמֵי יַעֲקֹב

242=8+2 words=10=1

The years of his life/Two lives

שְׁנֵי חַיָּיו

394+2 words=18

The words “the years of his life”- שְׁנֵי חַיָּיו can also mean “two of his lives”.The two lives of Jacob correspond to his life with Joseph and his lifewithout Joseph. Thus we can conclude again that Jacob only really "lived" when he was living with Joseph.

This is why Jacob says when he comes before Pharaoh in the previous Parsha (Beraishit 47.8-9):

8.’And Pharaoh said to Jacob, 'How many are the days of the years of your life? -וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה אֶל יַעֲקֹב כַּמָּה יְמֵי שְׁנֵי חַיֶּיךָ (1358=17=8).

9.’ And Jacob said to Pharaoh, 'The days of the years of my sojourns are thirty and a hundred years few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained the days of the years of the lives of my fathers, in the days of their sojourns-וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב אֶל פַּרְעֹה יְמֵי שְׁנֵי מְגוּרַי שְׁלֹשִׁים וּמְאַת שָׁנָה מְעַט וְרָעִים הָיוּ יְמֵי שְׁנֵי חַיַּי וְלֹא הִשִּׂיגוּ אֶת יְמֵי שְׁנֵי חַיֵּי אֲבֹתַי בִּימֵי מְגוּרֵיהֶם (5889+25 words=5914=19=10=1).

Jacob had spent less time with his son Joseph (17 years at that stage) than Abraham had been parted from Isaac and that he had been parted from Isaac.

Seven years and forty and one hundred years

שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים וְאַרְבָּעִים וּמְאַת שָׁנָה

1903+5 words=18

Seven years

שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים

772+2 words=18

And forty and one hundred years

וְאַרְבָּעִים וּמְאַת שָׁנָה

1691=17=8 (Mem 600)

Forty

אַרְבָּעִים

323=8

And one hundred years

וּמְאַת שָׁנָה

802=10=1