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Who knows fourteen?

Please cite/link your sources, if possible. After about one business day, I will:

  • Upvote all interesting answers.

  • Accept the best answer.

  • Go on to the next number.

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8 Answers

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Fourteen are the books of the -- Rambam.
(Well, in the work considered his latest and greatest, anyway. Or "fourteen are the books of the MishnahTorah." Which version is worse on the rhythm?)

Fourteen are the number of solid ingredients in the Biblical incense (according to Rabbi Nathan the Babylonian).

Fourteen are the minutes after sunset at which point I don't think anyone non-Hassidic will allow you to recite Mincha. (The absolute latest I'd heard was 13.5 minutes.)

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I would sing it as "Fourteen are the books of the Mishnah. Torah." repeating the tune on "Mishnah" for "Torah." – Isaac Moses Apr 12 '10 at 17:15
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Isn't the proper pronunciation "Mishne Torah"? – Yahu Apr 12 '10 at 17:24
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Yes, but that wouldn't be as funny. – Isaac Moses Apr 12 '10 at 17:41
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Fourteen is the number of children fathered by R' Chaim Halberstam of Sanz (from several marriages), leading to such Chassidic dynasties as Bobov and Klausenburg. For a comprehensive family tree, see:

http://www.loebtree.com/halberstam.html

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Fourteen is the day of the month of Iyar when the "Second Pesach" can be offered, if one missed the first one. (May Hashem grant us to be able to do so this year!)

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Amen! Why should we be held back? – Isaac Moses Apr 13 '10 at 18:04
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Fourteen is the number of days that a mother is tamei after the birth of a baby girl (Lev. 12:5 - in this week's parsha).

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Fourteen are the days of tonight's omer count.

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Which day is tonight? – Double AA♦ Mar 26 '12 at 0:50
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Fourteen is "enough" (dai=14 in Gematria) of these questions!

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If you don't like them you don't have to answer. – Bas613 Apr 12 '10 at 23:45
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If you'd all just given great answers for One, it would have been enough. If you'd all just given great answers for Two, it would have been enough. ... But you gave great answers for One, Two ..., and Fourteen. As Bas613 observes, that's hardly incentive for me to stop. – Isaac Moses Apr 13 '10 at 18:01
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Bas613, I was just kidding! We can go on to 1000, I'll still be having fun. – Yahu Apr 13 '10 at 18:39
up vote 1 down vote

14 is the number of days (nights) in a fortnight (from old english feorwertyne niht, meaning "fourteen nights"). which raises the question: did they count days from sunset to sunset?

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up vote 1 down vote

Purim is on the 14th day of Adar

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