Questions tagged [number]

questions about numbers

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5 votes
3 answers
184 views

Commentaries not noting clear issues in the Torah

Stemming from this question about the seeming discrepancy between the number of people and the number of first-borns as counted in the beginning of Numbers: I noticed this problem in my first reading ...
11 votes
2 answers
513 views

Why are we so concerned about 1/2 of 1% (Golden Calf episode)

We just read (in Parshat Ki Tisa) that the Levites punished the 3,000 men who took part in the golden calf episode. But 3,000 is only 1/2 of 1% of the 600,000 Israelite men who left Egypt. Why is the ...
0 votes
1 answer
99 views

What were the approximate ages of the heads of house(niseim) in parshat bamidbar. Above or below 60 years old

Having just read last weeks parsha bamidbar. I wanted to know approximately how old the heads of house (niseim) of Israel were when the jews were counted. Were they older than 60 and they were not ...
2 votes
6 answers
133 views

Chamisha Ve'arba'im - mi yodeya?

Who knows forty-five? Please cite/link your sources, if possible. At some point in the next few days, I will: Upvote all interesting answers. Accept the best answer. Go on to the next number.
2 votes
0 answers
30 views

Four countings of Klal Yisrael - HaShem doesn't want us to decrease

The Ohr HaChaim at the beginning of Bamidbar asks why HaShem waited a month before counting Klal Yisrael, and how Klal Yisrael could have gained 3,550 from Mitzraim (600,000) to the Eigel (603,550) in ...
2 votes
1 answer
54 views

Why does 14 connect positive and negative commandments?

Seeing that there are 248 mitzvos aseh positive and 365 mitzvos lo taaseh negative, I heard someone note both add together to give 14: 3-6-5:14 and 2-4-8: 14. Is there a connection between that number ...
3 votes
8 answers
106 views

Shiv'a Ushloshim - mi yodeya?

Who knows thirty-seven? 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.
2 votes
15 answers
208 views

Shnayim Ushloshim - mi yodeya?

Who knows thirty-two? 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.
6 votes
8 answers
163 views

Shelosha Ushloshim - mi yodeya?

Who knows thirty-three? 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.
15 votes
19 answers
744 views

Shelosh Meyot - mi yodeya?

Who knows three hundred? ?שלוש מאות - מי יודע In the spirit of the song "Echad - mi yodeya", please post interesting and significant Jewish facts about the number 300. Check out mi-yodeya-...
7 votes
3 answers
198 views

Why do all of them say that there were 5 times more plagues at the sea, instead of 1.5 times?

In the Haggadah it says: (text from WikiSource) רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַגְּלִילִי אוֹמֵר: מִנַּיִן אַתָּה אוֹמֵר שֶׁלָּקוּ הַמִּצְרִים בְּמִצְרַיִם עֶשֶׂר מַכּוֹת וְעַל הַיָּם לָקוּ חֲמִשִּׁים מַכּוֹת? ...
2 votes
0 answers
192 views

How many righteous men are in each generation?

I have been reading questions about the lamed-vav, the 36 righteous people who exist in each generation. But Rashi, in Zecharia 11:12 cites the gemara in Chullin 92a which has an opinion that there ...
4 votes
11 answers
169 views

Shiv'a Asar - mi yodeya?

Who knows seventeen? 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.
6 votes
3 answers
1k views

Why is Shmoneh Esreh referred to as 18 blessings when there are actually 19?

Originally Shmoneh Esreh only had 18 blessings, thus the name "Shemoneh Esreh." However, subsequently a 19th blessing was added of Velamalshinim regarding the heretics. If there are 19 blessings now, ...
7 votes
0 answers
122 views

Division of Al Cheit

Al Cheit has a chorus line ועל כולם, אלוה סליחות, סלח לנו, מחל לנו, כפר לנו after the first 20 Al Cheits, then after the next 12, then after the next 12. Who made this division? Why was it not divided ...
2 votes
9 answers
116 views

Tish'a Ushloshim - mi yodeya?

Who knows thirty-nine? 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.
10 votes
2 answers
567 views

Why does the tribe of Gad have an unusual population count in Bamidbar 1?

When listing the census of the tribes in Bamidbar 1, only the tribe of Gad has the count 45,650 - I.e. - the count is not exactly on the hundreds as it is with all the other tribes. As the count was ...
5 votes
4 answers
154 views

Shelosha Va-arba'im Ushlosh Meyot - mi yodeya?

Who knows three hundred forty three? שלושה וארבעים ושלוש מאות - מי יודע?‏ The traditional Passover song "Echad - mi yodeya" implies a possible presupposition that there is a Jewish ...
4 votes
4 answers
231 views

Shiv'a Ushloshim Ushlosh Meyot - mi yodeya?

Who knows three hundred thirty seven? שבעה ושלושים ושלוש מאות - מי יודע?‏ The traditional Passover song "Echad - mi yodeya" implies a possible presupposition that there is a Jewish ...
15 votes
3 answers
2k views

Why is every 3rd plague (of the 10 brought on Pharoah) unannounced?

It seems like Moshe warned Pharoah of every plague except the 3rd (lice), 6th (boils) and 9th (darkness). Why is that? Is there something special about these plagues?
4 votes
3 answers
2k views

How many times should I make sure to dip when I toivel in the mikveh?

I've seen men who are toivel daily or on Erev Shabbos for "tosefes kedusha" have different minhagim for how often they toivel. Some people make sure to fully dip 3 times and some have some other ...
3 votes
1 answer
165 views

Did Moshe know beforehand that there would be 10 plagues?

I was wondering whether, before the first time Moshe went to Pharaoh, he knew that there would be 10 plagues, and what they would be.
8 votes
2 answers
2k views

The blessing for 600,000 Jews

The Gemara (Berakhot 58b) mentions that upon seeing 600,000 Jews one says the blessing "Baruch...Chacham HaRazim" (Who knows all secrets), and this is halacha (Sh.A. O.C. 224:5). Does any know of any ...
3 votes
8 answers
149 views

Tish'a Asar - mi yodeya?

Who knows nineteen? 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.
3 votes
5 answers
91 views

Tish'im Umatayim - mi yodeya?

Who knows two hundred ninety? ?תשעים ומאתים - מי יודע In the spirit of the song "Echad - mi yodeya", please post interesting and significant Jewish facts about the number 290. Don't spend ...
3 votes
5 answers
100 views

Echad Veshiv'im Umatayim - mi yodeya?

Who knows two hundred seventy-one? Please cite/link your sources, if possible. At some undetermined point in the future, at least a day from now, I will: Vote up all interesting, relevant answers. ...
4 votes
2 answers
103 views

Shnayim Va-arba'im Ushlosh Meyot - mi yodeya?

Who knows three hundred forty two? שנים וארבעים ושלוש מאות - מי יודע?‏ The traditional Passover song "Echad - mi yodeya" implies a possible presupposition that there is a Jewish significance ...
2 votes
3 answers
121 views

Echad Va-arba'im Ushlosh Meyot - mi yodeya?

Who knows three hundred forty one? אחד וארבעים ושלוש מאות - מי יודע?‏ The traditional Passover song "Echad - mi yodeya" implies a possible presupposition that there is a Jewish significance ...
2 votes
4 answers
97 views

Arba'a Ushloshim Umatayim - mi yodeya?

Who knows two hundred thirty-four? 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 ...
3 votes
2 answers
77 views

Shnayim Ushlosh Meyot - mi yodeya?

Who knows three hundred and two? ?שנים ושלוש מאות - מי יודע In the spirit of the song "Echad - mi yodeya", please post interesting and significant Jewish facts about the number 302. Don't ...
8 votes
4 answers
526 views

Why were there 8 kings of Edom?

Is there any symbolism or other explanation as to why there were specifically eight kings of Edom who ruled before any king in Yisrael did, like it says in Bereshis 36 (31-39)?
11 votes
3 answers
2k views

What are the 30 Mitzvot for Bnei Noach?

What are the 30 Mitzvot (Commandments) that Bnei Noach have accepted (based on Hullin 92a)? שלשים מצות שקבלו עליהם בני נח.‏ Thirty commandments which Bnei Noach accepted upon themselves.
3 votes
3 answers
79 views

Echad Ushloshim Umatayim - mi yodeya?

Who knows two hundred thirty-one? 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 ...
4 votes
7 answers
133 views

Arba'im Ushlosh Meyot - mi yodeya?

Who knows three hundred forty? ארבעים ושלוש מאות - מי יודע?‏ The traditional Passover song "Echad - mi yodeya" implies a possible presupposition that there is a Jewish significance to be ...
3 votes
4 answers
203 views

Shemona Ushloshim Ushlosh Meyot - mi yodeya?

Who knows three hundred thirty eight? שמונה ושלושים ושלוש מאות - מי יודע?‏ The traditional Passover song "Echad - mi yodeya" implies a possible presupposition that there is a Jewish ...
4 votes
3 answers
182 views

Arba'a Ushloshim Ushlosh Meyot - mi yodeya?

Who knows three hundred thirty four? ארבעה ושלושים ושלוש מאות - מי יודע?‏ The traditional Passover song "Echad - mi yodeya" implies a possible presupposition that there is a Jewish significance to ...
2 votes
1 answer
69 views

Tish'a Ushloshim Ushlosh Meyot - mi yodeya?

Who knows three hundred thirty nine? תשעה ושלושים ושלוש מאות - מי יודע?‏ The traditional Passover song "Echad - mi yodeya" implies a possible presupposition that there is a Jewish ...
2 votes
3 answers
4k views

Why did Esther fast for 3 days?

Why 3 days? I can't understand it by reading the story, but maybe someone else can? Why that number of days.
2 votes
6 answers
134 views

Shiv'im Umatayim - mi yodeya?

Who knows two hundred seventy? Please cite/link your sources, if possible. At some point between twenty-four hours and a few days from now, I will: Vote up all interesting, relevant answers. Accept ...
7 votes
3 answers
292 views

When does counting 100 Brochos per day start and end?

There's a Halacha/Mitzvah to say at-least 100 Brochos a day. My question is: what does the term "day" mean in this regard. Does a day start at night, and end the following night (as is the case in ...
5 votes
1 answer
525 views

Relations twice as segulah for boy -- What about zugos?

I had asked what is the source for the segulah of having relations twice in order to have a boy. I first asked this in order to obtain a source to better ask this question. The Gemorah says in Niddah ...
1 vote
1 answer
3k views

Is there a listing of all 248 members of the human body?

There are 248 positive commandments and this is reflected in the commonly stated idea that there are 248 (let's say "members") in the human body (commonly stated as bones). Though how it's translated (...
8 votes
5 answers
2k views

Bedikas Chometz - 10 pieces of bread

In Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 432:2 the Rama says that the Minhag is to place bread in such a place that the searcher can find it. Both the Be'er Hataiv and the Mishna Berura say that according to the ...
6 votes
1 answer
771 views

Can one rely on rounded irrational numbers?

Chazal often talk about irrational numbers in their math discussions. For instance, Sukkah 7b-8a uses both √2=1.4 and π=3 in its discussion, and Eiruvin 76a-b uses the same numbers in an almost ...
1 vote
1 answer
119 views

Where can one find a complete guide to Hebrew numerals?

I am looking for an instruction resource on Hebrew numerals that is comprehensive, insofar as it: lists all (or nearly all) of the euphemistic exceptions in frequent use (such as "chai" for 18, רחץ ...
1 vote
5 answers
52 views

Echad Vachamishim Umeya - mi yodeya?

Who knows one hundred fifty-one? 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 ...
1 vote
0 answers
58 views

How many Pesukim in the Tora warn against Idolatry?

A fellow teacher wishes to present to their class the severity of Idol Worship. They thought it may be impactful if they presented to the class how many Pesukim warn against Idol Worship. Perhaps ...
6 votes
1 answer
274 views

Can you explain this weird pattern in Eicha?

I'm not into "bible codes" but I noticed that in the the 3rd and 5th perakim of Eicha every pasuk is no less than 4 words and no more than 7. This is if you count hyphenated words as 1 word (I'm using ...
5 votes
7 answers
5k views

A natural explanation for the significance of the numbers 7 and 40

In the Jewish religious texts the numbers 7 and 40 seem to appear quite often and carry special significance. Some examples among many: God's creation lasts 7 days The Great Flood was from rain ...
18 votes
3 answers
944 views

the aggadic concept of a finite number of words to speak

Is there any truth to the common claim that each person has a predetermined number of words that he can speak in his life? Source, please. If so, then how does it work? In particular (with sources or ...

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