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The term "days of Yaakov's life" in this verse is superfluous. The verse
from Tehillim sheds light on the meaning of this verse -- "The fear of Hashem
adds days, and the years of the wicked are shortened." A righteous person's
day is equivalent to the years of an ordinary person. Since he is involved in
studying Torah and in observing its commands, he may accomplish more in one
day than an ordinary person may accomplish in one year. This behavior
qualitatively increases his life. This is why our verse states that "the days
of Yaakov's life [are like] the years of his life."
Alternatively, everyone is given days and nights to live. The nights however
are
normally earmarked for sleeping; Yitzhak once said that 25 years of a
person's life are spent in sleep. The righteous one's nights, however, are
considered days for he establishes scheduled learning during the night and
sleeps little. And even while sleeping, his soul ascends to learn Torah with
other heavenly souls; therefore "the fear of Hashem increase days." Even the
nights are like days; therefore the number of their days are increased. In
contrast, the wicked person loses the merit even of his days for they are
spent in wickedness. Thus all of Yaakov's years were constructively
nightless. |
