The Midrash comments that Hashem reprimanded Yaakov for complaining about the evil that had befallen him during his lifetime. Indeed, he had suffered harshly, but Hashem’s “intervention” always catalyzed a favorable outcome. Hashem therefore, punished Yaakov by shortening his life span thirty-three years, coinciding with the thirty-three words of complaint which he had uttered. Instead of living to the age of one hundred and eighty years like his father Yitzchak, he died at the age of one hundred and forty-seven. If one looks at the text, it is obvious that the thirty-three words also include Pharaoh’s inquiry regarding Yaakov’s age….
