The first aliyah begins by naming the brothers who formed the tribes of the nation of Israel. The people who came down to Egypt are numbered as "shivim nefesh" (seventy soul -- the word for "soul" is singular, while the adjective "seventy" is plural, teaching that they were all united with one heart serving the one G-d -- Rashi).

The Jews are fruitful and multiplied (Rashi says that they gave birth to six children at each birth).

Then a new king arises in Egypt, who does not know Yosef and all that Yosef had done for the Egyptian people. He says to his people "let us deal wisely with them." Thus, they afflict the Jewish people, and since they continue to increase, Pharaoh tells the Hebrew midwives: "Kill all sons, but let the daughters live". However, the midwives fear G-d, and do not do as they were told.