2

Who knows two hundred sixteen?

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.

8 Answers 8

4

The volume of the two Luchot is 216 t'fachim^3 together.

(each luach is 6x6x3 = 108 t'fachim^3)

(Nedarim 38a)

3

Exodus 14:19-21 are three consecutive verses of 72 letters each (totaling 216), from which Kabbalistic works extract 72 Divine names, each of three letters.

It is also the gematria of the words גבורה (strictness, severity) and אריה (lion), and of three times חסד (kindness, expansiveness). The connection: Divine חסד has to be channeled through גבורה for it to not overwhelm us. (R' Schneur Zalman of Liadi, Likkutei Torah, Devarim 13b ff)

1

In mid-1947, 216 Jews crossed from Austria to Merano trying to get to Palestine, according to a source quoted by Rabbi Bernard Maza.

1

According to official figures for the year 1870, there were in the nine northwestern provinces [of Russia] a total of 216 Jewish farming settlements, covering over 90,000 acres and comprising a population of 34,475.

"Agricultural Activities of the Jews in America", Leonard G. Robinson, 1912.

1

The Jewish calendar consists of 12 months annually. An extra leap month of 30 days is added every 2 or 3 years (7 leap months in 19 years) for a total of 235 lunar months in 19 years. This 19-year cycle is called the Metonic cycle and results in the 19 Jewish years approximating 19 solar years.

The Jewish holidays are always in the same season and vary by less than a month in the solar calendar. However, the approximation is not exact, and the average Jewish year is 6-7 minutes longer than the average solar year. As a result, the Jewish calendar is one day longer over approximately every 216 years. This causes a calendar drift where the holidays and seasons are gradually coming out later in the solar year.

The Beginning of the Jewish Calendar

1

We say ברכת החֹדש‎ 216 times in each 19-year cycle: 11×19+7.

1

Rambam in Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Kiddush HaChodesh 14:2 writes:

נִמְצָא מַהֲלָכוֹ בַּעֲשָׂרָה יָמִים קל''א מַעֲלוֹת וּמ''ה חֲלָקִים וַחֲמִשִּׁים שְׁנִיּוֹת. סִימָנָם קל''א מה''נ. וְנִמְצָא שְׁאֵרִית מַהֲלָכוֹ בְּק' יוֹם רל''ז מַעֲלוֹת וְל''ח חֲלָקִים וְכ''ג שְׁנִיּוֹת. סִימָנָם רל''ז ל''ח כ''ג. וְנִמְצָא שְׁאֵרִית מַהֲלָכוֹ בְּאֶלֶף יוֹם רי''ו מַעֲלוֹת וְכ''ג חֲלָקִים וְנ' שְׁנִיּוֹת. סִימָנָם רי''ו כג''ן. וְנִמְצָא שְׁאֵרִית מַהֲלָכוֹ בְּי' אֲלָפִים יוֹם ג' מַעֲלוֹת וְנ''ח חֲלָקִים וְכ' שְׁנִיּוֹת. סִימָנָם ג' נ''ח כ'. וְנִמְצָא שְׁאֵרִית מַהֲלָכוֹ בְּכ''ט יוֹם כ''ב מַעֲלוֹת וְשִׁשָּׁה חֲלָקִים וְנ''ו שְׁנִיּוֹת. סִימָנָם כב''ו ונ''ו. וְנִמְצָא שְׁאֵרִית מַהֲלָכוֹ בְּשָׁנָה סְדוּרָה שמ''ד מַעֲלוֹת וְכ''ו חֲלָקִים וּמ''ג שְׁנִיּוֹת. סִימָן לָהֶם שד''ם כ''ו מ''ג. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ זוֹ תִּכְפּל לְכָל מִנְיַן יָמִים אוֹ שָׁנִים שֶׁתִּרְצֶה:

It comes out that its movement in ten days is one hundred thirty-one degrees, forty-five parts and fifty seconds. Its symbol is 131.45.50. And it comes out that the remainder (according to the earlier equation) of its movement in one hundred days is two hundred and thirty-seven degrees, thirty-eight parts and twenty-three seconds. Its symbol is 237.38.23. And it comes out that the remainder of its movement in a thousand days is two hundred and sixteen degrees, twenty-three parts and fifty seconds. Its symbol is 216.23.50. And it comes out that the remainder of its movement in ten thousand days is three degrees, fifty-eight parts and twenty seconds. Its symbol is 3.58.20. And it comes out that the remainder of its movement in in twenty-nine days is twenty-two degrees, six parts and fifty-six seconds. Its symbol is 22.6.56. And it comes out that the remainder of its movement in an ordered year is three hundred forty-four degrees, twenty-six parts and forty-three seconds. Its symbol is 344. 26.43. And in this way, you can multiply [it] for any amount of days or years that you want.

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12 x Chai 18 = 216

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