Who is Zerach, who was not listed in Vayigash Bereishis, 46:10 - among the sons of Shimon?
Rashi: He is synonymous with "Tzochar," 1 who is listed there.
Rashi: Which is like 'Tzohar' ? light, which in turn, is similar to 'Zerach'.
Why does the Torah omit the family of Ohad that was mentioned in Vayigash Bereishis, 46:10?
Rashi: The Torah omits it because it was Bateil (died out), as were five families of Binyamin, which are listed there but not here, and that of Etzbon of Gad 1 and four families of Levi. 2
Hadar Zekenim (in Pasuk 1): Some of Ya'akov's grandsons had few descendants 3 , and those families were called on the names of their brothers who had large families and were assimilated into them.
Rashi (citing The Yerushalmi Yoma, 1:2): When Aharon died, the Clouds of Glory disappeared and the Cana'anim attacked them, they decided to return to Egypt and journeyed back eight Masa'os (six, according to Targum Yonasan in Devarim 10:6) ? from Hor ha'Har to Moseirah, as the Torah indicates in Devarim, 10:6. The B'nei Levi then chased after them to bring them back, and, in the ensuing battle, the above-mentioned families were wiped out. According to the Tanchuma, these families died in the plague following the episode of Bil'am. However, from the drop in numbers of the tribe of Shimon from the first census, it appears that the twenty-four thousand that fell there were all from the tribe of Shimon.
Rashi: ?That of Shim'i, Ozi'eli and part of Yitzhar ? Korchi (but not Nefeg and Zichri). And I do not know the fourth family?. See Sifsei Chachamim.
Also Da'as Zekenim says so, just a word is missing; it should say 'she'Lo Hayah lahen Banim Rabim' (PF).
Why are only sixty-five families listed here, and not seventy, the number that went down to Egypt?
Peninim mi'Shulchan ha'Gra (Bereishis 46:8): The seventy who descended to Egypt included Ya'akov's twelve sons, Efrayim and Menasheh, and three women. None of them are called families here. Here, it lists twelve families from Efrayim and Menasheh, and an additional five from Levi. This would complete seventy, but five families are missing - Ohad from Shimon, Gera, Becher and Rosh from Binyamin, 1 and Yishvah from Asher.
The Vilna Gaon does not count Binyamin's sons Na'aman and Ard among the lost families, since these two were replaced by new families with the same names (sons of Bela ben Binyamin). (PF)
QUESTIONS ON RASHI
Rashi writes 'I do not know the fourth missing family of Levi.' Nefeg and Zichri, But the B'nei Yitzhar are missing?
Moshav Zekenim: Only Levi's sons and grandsons are called families. Nefeg and Zichri were his great grandsons; they are part of the family of Yitzhar.
