Who knows sixty-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.
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asked Jul 23, 2010 at 1:45
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judaism.stackexchange.com/q/106297/759– Double AA ♦Commented Sep 11, 2019 at 22:33
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4 Answers
65 years passed from when Amos prophesied the eventual exile of the Ten Tribes, until that exile actually occurred and the the kingdom of Israel ("Ephraim") ceased to exist. (Isaiah 7:8 and commentaries there)
Mahalalel was 65 when Yared was born to him (Bereishis 5:15); Chanoch was 65 when Mesushelach was born to him (ibid. v. 21).
65 is the median number of years ("once every sixty or seventy years...") that it took for the leftover ketores to accumulate and add up to 184 maneh, which is half of the yearly ketores recipe. (Kerisos 6b)
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I've always wondered how often in Jewish history this actually happened -- 65 years of calm, prosperous, normal Temple operation.– ShalomCommented Jul 23, 2010 at 11:49
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It unfortunately happened quite often that the Beis Hamikdash was despoiled, either by Jewish kings or by non-Jewish invaders; but would they have necessarily done anything to the saved-up ketores? They tended to usually be after silver and gold, not spice mixtures.– AlexCommented Jul 23, 2010 at 19:34
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1How often can a shul keep track of stuff sitting in its office for a few weeks? Months? Years? Decades?– ShalomCommented Jul 23, 2010 at 19:45
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1I expect that the Beit Hamikdash, with its regimented duties, controlled access, and shifts of personnel who had to take over from each other periodically, was likely better organized than the average shul office. But then, maybe I'm looking back with ketoret-smoked glasses.– Isaac Moses ♦Commented Jul 25, 2010 at 16:55
65 is the gematria of הלל, Hallel (or Hillel). The significance of this is expounded in Sefer Hap'liah as follows:
הסר כעס מלבך ר"ת עולים הלל, במספר הכ"ם ס"ה והלל עולה ג"כ ס"ה
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1Is he saying Hallel (when we're focused on praising God, we don't get angry) or Hillel (the sage on whom people took bets if they could get him to lose his temper)? Though the mekubalim believe the proper spelling of Hillel is with a yud.– ShalomCommented Jul 23, 2010 at 11:48
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You're right, he probably means Hillel! I was wondering what Hallel had to do with minimizing anger.– DaveCommented Jul 23, 2010 at 13:33