Shelosha Ve'arba'im Umeya - mi yodeya?

Question

Who knows one hundred forty-three?

Please cite/link your sources, if possible. At some point at least twenty-four hours from now, I will:

• Upvote all interesting answers.

• Accept the best answer.

• Go on to the next number.

Answer 1

There is a word appearing exactly once in Tanach.
There is a word appearing exactly twice in Tanach.
...
...
There is a word appearing exactly 141 times in Tanach.
There is a word appearing exactly 142 times in Tanach.

There is no word appearing 143 times in Tanach. This is the lowest number with this property.

Based on mechon-mamre's unvowelized text.

Answer 2

According to Ohr Hachayim (on Gen. 11:32), Terach was 143 years old when Avraham left him to go to Eretz Yisrael.

(In v. 26 the Torah says that "Terach was seventy years old when he fathered Avraham, Nachor, and Haran." Evidently Ohr Hachayim understands that (a) they're listed in order of their birth, and (b) the age given for Terach is when the youngest, Haran, was born. This would make Terach 68 years old when Avraham was born. Adding 75 to that - Avraham's age when he left Charan (12:4) - brings us to 143.)

Answer 3

Vehilchiso K'Abaye Byal Kegam

Kegam = 143