Parashat Vayigash 5786 -27 December 2025 / 7 Tevet 5786

Mr. Murthy Gaddi
5 days ago
7 min read

“Gaddi's Notes on the Eternal Wisdom of the Prominent Sages”:

The Hidden Light of Mashiach ben Yosef and the Revelation of the Torah of Mashiach

“Hidden With Them: The Shekhinah’s Descent and the Secret of the Seventieth Soul”

THE MISSING 70th SOUL — WHEN HASHEM ENTERS EXILE WITH ISRAEL

Parashat Vayigash (Genesis 44:18–47:27) describes the historic descent of Jacob and his family into Egypt— an event that shapes all of Jewish destiny.

The Torah lists 69 individuals, yet concludes:

“All the souls of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt were 70.” (Gen. 46:27)

Who is the missing 70th?

The sages reveal a breathtaking truth:

The 70th soul is… HaShem Himself.

The Divine Presence (Shekhinah) descended with Israel into exile.

This concept is one of the deepest foundations of Jewish theology and redemption.

Let us explore it according to the layers of Torah and the insights of Beit Yisrael International.

There are only 69 individuals named. Genesis 46 enumerates the individuals, not counting Jacob, Leah, Bilhah, and Zilpah.

“These are the names of the children of Israel, who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons:

(1) Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn.

The sons of Reuben: (2) Hanoch, (3) Pallu, (4) Hezron, and (5) Carmi.
The sons of (6) Simeon: (7) Jemuel, (8) Jamin, (9) Ohad, (10) Jachin, (11) Zohar, and (12) Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman.
The sons of (13) Levi: (14) Gershon, (15) Kohath, and (16) Merari.
The sons of (17) Judah: Er, Onan, (18) Shelah, (19) Perez, and (20) Zerah; Er and Onan died in Canaan.

The sons of Perez: (21) Hezron and (22) Hamul.
The sons of (23) Issachar: (24) Tola, (25) Puvah, (26) Iob, and (27) Shimron.
The sons of (28) Zebulun: (29) Sered, (30) Elon, and (31) Jahleel.

The daughter of Leah: (32) Dinah. Total Leah’s children and daughter: 33.
The sons of (33) Gad : (34) Ziphion , (35) Haggi , (36) Shuni , (37) Ezbon , (38) Eri , (39) Arodi , (40) Areli .
The sons of (41) Asher: (42) Imnah, (43) Ishvah, (44) Ishvi, (45) Beriah, and (46) Serah. Sons of Beriah: (47) Heber and (48) Malchiel.
The sons of Zilpah: 16 souls.
The sons of Rachel: (49) Joseph and (50) Benjamin. Joseph’s sons: (51) Manasseh, (52) Ephraim.
The sons of Benjamin: (53) Bela , (54) Becher , (55) Ashbel , (56) Gera , (57) Naaman , (58) Ehi , (59) Rosh , (60) Muppim , (61) Huppim , (62) Ard .
The son of (63) Dan: (64) Hushim.
The sons of (65) Naphtali: (66) Jahzeel, (67) Guni, (68) Jezer, and (69) Shillem.

All the souls who came with Jacob into Egypt, besides the sons’ wives, were 66. The sons of Joseph were 2.

The 70th exile is missing! Who is this mysterious person? The missing name is apparently hidden among the sons of Leah, as the text says that her children numbered 33, and only 32 are listed.Pirkei d’Rebbi Eliezer identifies the Hidden Exile: It is HaShem Himself!

“When the children of Yisrael entered Egypt they numbered sixty-six men, and Yosef and his two sons bring the total to sixty-nine… What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He entered into the count with them, making it seventy, to fulfill His promise, ‘I will go down to Egypt with you’ (Bereishis 26:4).” — Pirkei d’Rebbi Eliezer, Chapter 39

The Talmud states: “I will go down with you into Egypt; and I will also surely bring you up again” (46:4).“Come and see how beloved are Israel in the sight of G-d! To every place to which they were exiled, the Divine Presence went with them. They were exiled to Egypt and the Divine Presence was with them; they were exiled to Babylon, and the Divine Presence was with them; and when they will be redeemed in the future, the Divine Presence will be with them.” — Megillah 29a

Deuteronomy says: “…HaShem your G-d will turn your captivity, and have compassion on you, and will return and gather you from all the peoples, where Hashem your G-d has scattered you. If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of the heavens, from there will HaShem your G-d gather you, and from there he will bring you back.” — Deuteronomy 30:3-4

Rashi comments on this passage, revealing that when the Jewish people return, He will return: “The Hebrew word used here for ‘he will return’ is not veheishiv — which means ‘he will bring back’ – but veshav, which literally means ‘he will come back.’ Our sages learned from this that the Divine Presence resides among Israel, as it were, in all the misery of their exile, and when the Jews are redeemed, G-d speaks of it as His own redemption — He Himself returns along with Israel’s exiles.” — Rashi on Deuteronomy 30:3

🔹 1. THE MIDRASH — PIRKEI D’REBBI ELIEZER: HASHEM ENTERS THE COUNT

The Midrash states directly:

“When the children of Israel entered Egypt… HaShem entered into the count with them, making it seventy.” (Pirkei d’Rebbi Eliezer 39)

Why? Because God had already promised Jacob:

“I will go down with you into Egypt.” (Gen. 46:4)

Thus the “missing exile-person” is God hidden within the souls of Israel.

This is why the Torah counts Leah’s children as 33, though only 32 are named — the Shekhinah is the 33rd.

🔹 2. TALMUD — THE DIVINE PRESENCE GOES INTO EVERY EXILE

The Talmud declares:

“To every place they were exiled, the Shekhinah went with them. To Egypt, to Babylon—and when they will be redeemed, Shekhinah will be redeemed with them.” (Megillah 29a)

This means:

Exile is not abandonment.
Exile is a joint descent of Israel and the Shekhinah.
Redemption is a joint ascent — God “returns” with His people.

🔹 3. RASHI — GOD RETURNS WITH ISRAEL

On Deut. 30:3:“Veshav Hashem Elokecha” – “HaShem your God will return.”

Not “He will bring you back,” but He returns Himself.

Rashi writes:

“The Divine Presence resides with Israel in exile, and when Israel returns, God speaks of it as His own return.”

Meaning:When Israel suffers, Shekhinah suffers.When Israel rises, Shekhinah rises.When Israel is redeemed — God calls it His redemption.

🔹 4. ZOHAR — THE EXILE OF THE SHEKHINAH IS THE DEEPEST PAIN OF CREATION

The Zohar teaches that the Shekhinah—the Divine feminine, the Immanent Presence—is:

“Exiled with Israel among the nations.” (Zohar II:141b)

The exile of Israel is not merely political—it is cosmic.

Israel = the body
Shekhinah = the soul
When Israel goes down, the soul descends with them to sustain them

🔹 5. ARIZAL — THE 70 NATIONS AND THE 70TH SOUL

According to the Arizal:

There are 70 root souls corresponding to the 70 nations of the world
Israel’s descent to Egypt activates a rectification of all these spiritual forces
The root of all 70 souls is the Shekhinah—the Divine Soul of Israel
The Shekhinah is the uncounted, hidden 70th, becoming the soul of Israel-in-exile

🔹 6. RAMCHAL — GOD CONCEALS HIMSELF IN EXILE FOR THE SAKE OF REDEMPTION

Ramchal (in Da’at Tevunot) writes:

“The exile is the concealment of God’s face, but the concealment itself is the seed of redemption.”

This aligns perfectly with the hidden 70th soul:God hides Himself inside the exile, planting the root of salvation.

Egypt is the “Kur HaBarzel” (iron furnace), the womb from which Israel is reborn.

And the Shekhinah is inside the furnace with them.

🔹 7. CHASSIDUT — GOD’S COMPASSION DESCENDS BEFORE ISRAEL DESCENDS

Chassidic masters teach:

“Wherever Israel descends, God descends first.”

The Baal Shem Tov explains:

Descent is never accidental.
It is purposeful, guided, and accompanied by God.
The Shekhinah softens the blow of exile by entering it first.
Thus, the hidden 70th soul prepares the way for redemption.

🔹 8. THE MYSTICAL PATTERN — 70 IS THE NUMBER OF COMPLETION

In Kabbalah:

70 = completeness of the nations
70 = completeness of speech (70 faces of Torah)
70 = completeness of soul-structure

Israel entering Egypt with “70 souls” means: The entire cosmic structure enters exile to begin its rectification.And the Shekhinah, as the 70th, is the divine root stabilizing all spiritual worlds.

🔹 9. BEIT YISRAEL & GADDI EFRAYIM NOTES — THE HIDDEN 70th IS THE KEY TO REDEMPTION

Beit Yisrael International emphasizes:

“Wherever Israel goes, the Light goes before them.”

Gaddi Efrayim explains:

The missing 70th soul is the concealed divine spark that sustains Israel through every exile.This hidden Presence forms the inner covenant guiding Israel to survive, grow, and prepare for Mashiach.

Just as Yosef (Mashiach ben Yosef) enters Egypt before Jacob’s family, so the Shekhinah enters every exile before Israel arrives.

This mirrors the mission of Mashiach ben Yosef:

Enter exile
Rectify its roots
Prepare the vessels
Awaken hidden sparks
Lead Israel into redemption

This is why Gaddi Efrayim often teaches:“The Shekhinah’s exile is the first stage of geulah (redemption), and Mashiach ben Yosef is its revelation in the world.”