Vaeira 6:16 · EXTRA 1 — the years of the life of Levi EXTRA

Parashas Vaeira · Side page (no TT primary unit)

The Complete Passuk

וְאֵ֨לֶּה שְׁמ֤וֹת בְּנֵֽי־לֵוִי֙ לְתֹ֣לְדֹתָ֔ם גֵּרְשׁ֕וֹן וּקְהָ֖ת וּמְרָרִ֑י וּשְׁנֵי֙ חַיֵּ֣י לֵוִ֔י שֶׁ֧בַע וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֛ים וּמְאַ֖ת שָׁנָֽה׃

These are the names of Levi’s sons by their lineage: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari; and the span of Levi’s life was 137 years.

Shemos Rabbah 6:3 / Seder Olam parallels — EXTRA.

Core Text

שני חיי לוי —\ldots למנות את שנות השעבוד.

English: “The years of the life of Levi” — \ldots to count the years of the oppression.

On the midrash / in context: Levi’s lifespan is a fixed point used by the midrashim that calculate the duration of the Egyptian sojourn.

Custom

Chazal use Levi’s years as a chronological anchor for the length of the bondage.