The first aliyah begins with the words: "And Yakov lived 17 years in Egypt." Yosef, his son, left his father Yakov after Yakov fed him 17 years. Now, mida-kneged-mida (measure for measure), Yosef feeds his father Yakov 17 years because his father is now living under Yosef's care in Egypt. Yakov asks Yosef, and Yosef promises, to bury Yakov in the Cave of Machpella. Later, Yosef hears that his father is sick. He goes to visit him (the Midrash says that visiting the sick provides
[1]/60 of a cure) and to have his two sons blessed.
