The Or HaChiam on the first pasuk in our parsha (47:28) says that we know that Yaakov went through many challenges in his lifetime (for example in no particular order: Esav, Lavan, Dinah, Yosef, Rachel dying...) but when it came to Mitzriam the pasuk says "And Yaakov lived in Mitzriam 17 years." The Or HaChaim says "these were his years and not the ones before now, and right after the pasuk says "and the days of Yaakov's life..." to hint that these were the years that Yaakov had chiut and when it says "and the days of Yaakov" are talking about the 17 years, in those years is when he had life... We can also explain by what is said 'whoever's life is good at the end is as if his entire life was good... since Yaakov had these 17 years that were good, the rest of his life became years 'of life'."
Throughout our lives we will be tested. Some tests will be harder to pass than others, but if we remember that every single thing that happens to us is from Hashem we can be sure that it will all end well. Even though Yaakov's life was filled with tests and hardships at the end the whole thing was worth it. If not for all of the pain that he went through he would not have been truly able to appreciate the good he had. It would not have been the same experience had Yaakov just had a good life if he had not lost many things in the process.
In fact, after 22 years of mourning for his son Yosef he now finds out that Shimon is in prison and that some ruler in Mitzriam is trying to take away Binyamin too. Everything is falling around him and just as everything seems like it is about to get worse, everything gets better and he lives a happy life for the rest of his days.
It is just when things start to look the worse that is when we get the most out of the good. If life was easy we would not appreciate it as much, it is only through the hard times that we can truly be thankful for what we have.
Have an easy fast and a good Shabbat!
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