“And the days of Yaakov, the years of his life, were seven years and one hundred and forty years” (B’reishis 47:28). Yaakov Avinu had the shortest life of the three Patriarchs, living 147 years, whereas his father, Yitzchok, lived for 180 years (35:28), and his grandfather, Avraham, lived for 175 years (25:7). Our sages, of blessed memory, teach us that all three were supposed to live for 180 years, but Avraham died five years early so that he wouldn’t see the wickedness of Eisav (see Rashi on 25:30 and B’reishis Rabbah 63:12) and Yaakov died 33 years early, one year for each word said to explain to Pharaoh why he looked so old, when he described his years as being “few and unpleasant” (see Tosfos on 47:9 and Torah Sh’laima 47:23).

When the years of Avraham’s life are given, the Torah uses two words that aren’t used for anyone else besides Adam (5:5), that these are the years “that [he] lived.” Rabbi Yitzchok Sorotzkin, sh’lita (Rinas Yitzchok II, on 47:28) quotes Rav Chaim Volozhin, z”l (see also Or Hachayim on 25:7), who says that these words appear only by Adam and Avraham because they didn’t live out their full years; Adam was supposed to live 1,000 years, but gave 70 of them to King David (Bamidbar Rabbah 14:12), who would have otherwise died at birth (Zohar I 91b, quoted in Otzar Ishay HaTanach), and Avraham was supposed to live for 180 years but, as previously mentioned, died five years earlier. Rav Sorotzkin then asks why, if the words “that [he] lived]” are used to describe how long someone who didn’t live out their full years actually lived, aren’t they also used regarding how many years Yaakov lived, since he died 33 years earlier than he was supposed to. He applies to Yosef as well, since he lived for 110 years (50:26), even though he was supposed to live till 120, with Yosef living 10 years less either because he didn’t protest when his father was referred to as his slave (see Pirkay d’Rebbe Eliezer 39), because being a leader took its toll (see B’rachos 55a/Soteh 13b), or because he embalmed his father rather than trusting that he wouldn‘t decompose without it (see B’reishis Rabbah 100:3). [The question is left unanswered.]

As Or HaChaim points out (25:7), the words “that [he] lived” are added when a person didn’t live his full amount of years, because he only lived this many years, not the amount of years that he should have lived. However, there are many factors involved in the number of years a person is supposed to live, including maintaining one’s health (as doing things that harm the body will negatively impact how long a person will live, just as medical intervention when there is a health issue can extend life expectancy) and not sinning (as sin can bring about a decree that shortens life, just as being constantly connected to G-d can protect a person who would have otherwise been adversely affected by natural phenomenon or by the actions of others). When one of these things impacts how long a person lives, although it does shorten (or lengthen) the amount of years the person will live when compared with how long he or she would have otherwise lived, it cannot be said that they should have lived longer, as their actions changed the circumstances so that this is now precisely how long that person should have lived.

After Yaakov’s and Yosef’s actions caused the number of years they lived to become fewer than they otherwise would have been, since it was now, taking all factors into account, precisely how long they should have lived, adding the words “that [he] lived” would not have been appropriate. Avraham, on the other hand, as well as Adam, based on these types of factors, should have still lived their full lives, 180 years for Avraham and 1,000 years for Adam; there was nothing inherent in their actions that changed the amount of years they should have lived. True, it was for Avraham’s benefit that he didn’t see Eisav’s wickedness, but as far as his own health and righteousness, he should have lived his full 180 years. Similarly, even though Adam willingly gave up 70 years of his life so that Dovid could live (and the “daled” in Adam is said to stand for “Dovid” because he was a reincarnation of Adam, with “Moshiach” being the “mem” for the same reason), Adam still deserved to live a full 1,000 years (and was healthy enough to do so). Therefore, for Avraham and Dovid, and only for them, when the number of years they lived is given, the words “that [he] lived” are included.