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Who knows twenty-four?

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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24 Answers 24

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24 are the divisions (mishmaros) of Kohanim, each of which served in the Beis Hamikdash for one week.

Correspondingly, there were also 24 divisions of Levi'im, and 24 groups (ma'amados) of Yisraelim who represented the rest of the people in being present at the daily Tamid sacrifices.

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24 books in Tanakh

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  • There are 35. If you were to wright a Sefer Torah Gedolah, a Sefer Torah with the whole Tanakh in it, you will find that there are 35 books.
    – Joshua Pearl
    May 28, 2014 at 14:27
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    @JoshuaPearl 5 books of the Torah plus 8 books of the Prophets plus 11 books of the Writings makes 24. Samuel is only one book. Kings is only one book. Twelve Prophets is only one book (Bava Basra 14b). Ezra and Nehemiah is only one book. Chronicles is only one book. I assume you got 35 by dividing the Twelve Prophets into 12 different books?
    – DonielF
    Aug 25, 2017 at 17:40
  • @DonielF yes...
    – Joshua Pearl
    Sep 4, 2017 at 16:26
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24 leniencies of Beis Shammai that are stringencies of Beis Hillel. (Tosefta, Eduyos, Chapter 2, see also Pirush HaRaavad there, Chapter 5)

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24 birds that are Tamei (Hulin, 63)

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  • The Ramban on Bereishit 6:19 says there are 120, also quoting Chulin 63.
    – Kfir
    Jun 28, 2020 at 21:53
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24 limbs for which a (male) Canaanite slave is set free if his owner cuts them off (Rashi on Shmot 21:27; Kiddushin 25a)

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The letters engraved into the luchot cut through from one side to the other. The holes in the center of the letters Mem and Samech (ם & ס) were held up by a miracle. This occurs 24 times on each side of the luchot (& only in the first five commandments). (Parshat Yisro)

related

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24 things that push salvation farther off and make the time necessary to reach the end of days longer ...

(Braisa DiYishua SheBiPirkei D'Rabi HaKadosh)

I found a link, but it is a give-away to one of my favorite sources! :-)

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  • 2
    Online source? List? Don't leave us hanging!
    – Isaac Moses ♦
    Apr 26, 2010 at 17:02
  • 2
    Checkmark for giving away your source.
    – Isaac Moses ♦
    Apr 27, 2010 at 15:35
  • 2
    That's a powerful cheat-sheet...
    – Alaychem goes to Codidact
    Aug 27, 2019 at 5:56
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24 places that Kohanim are called Leviim.

(Yevamos, 86)

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24 traits to acquire the Kehuna (Avot 6:6)

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24 decorations for a Kallah (bride) written in Yeshayah (Perek 3)

corresponding to the

24 verses mentioned in Tractate Shabbos (which is called Kallah)

(Midrash Rabbeinu Bachya, Ki Sisa)

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  • I think there's a medrish that Hashem adorned Chava in 24 pieces of jewelry before introducing her to Adam. And I heard something about Yemenite brides being totally gold-clad to this day?
    – Shalom
    Apr 26, 2010 at 17:10
  • True. At the Henna (ceremony for bride preceding the wedding) the Yemenite Bride is completely adorned with gold. (Halichos Teiman, R' Kappah)
    – Yahu
    Apr 26, 2010 at 18:41
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24 guarding posts in the Beis HaMikdash (3 guarded by the Kohanim and 21 by the Leviim)

(Beginning of Tractate Tamid)

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24 Korbanos brought on Shavuos (3 bulls, 3 rams, 14 sheep, 2 sheep of the two breads, and 2 goats) (Lev. 23 and Num. 28)

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24 Avos Nezikin

(BK 4b)

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24- are the number of reasons that a person can be put into cherem (Rambam, Hilchos Torah 6:14)

    1. a person who disgraces a chacham, even after he's passed away.
    1. a person who disgraces a messenger of a court.
    1. a person who calls his fellow a slave.
    1. a person who was summoned to appear in Beis Din at a specific time and he did not show up.
    1. a person who treats even one point of Rabbinic law with disrespect (all the moreso a matter Torah law).
    1. a person who doesn't accept the ruling of Beis Din is placed under a cherem until he complies.
    1. a person who possesses something that can cause damage- ie like a bad dog or a rickety ladder- is placed under cherem until he gets rid of the damaging object.
    1. a person who sells land to a non-Jew is placed in cherem until he assumes responsibility for any damages that the non-Jew may cause his Jewish neighbor.
    1. a person who testifies vs a Jewish colleague in a secular court and causes him to pay money that normally wouldn't be required in Torah law, is placed in cherem until he repays said amount.
    1. a Kohein butcher who does not separate the priestly gifts and give to another Kohein is placed in cherem until he gives them.
    1. a person who violates the sanctity of the second day of the Yom Tov in Chutz La'aretz.
    1. a person who does work on Erev Pesach after chatzos.
    1. a person who takes God's name in vain or casually takes an oath.
    1. a person who causes many people to commit a Chillul Hashem.
    1. a person who causes the many to eat sacrificial food outside (ie where it shouldn't be eaten).
    1. a person who calculates the years or sets the day of the new month in Chutz La'aretz.
    1. a person who causes the blind to stumble (ie unsuspecting people).
    1. a person who prevents the many from performing a mitzvah.
    1. a butcher who underhandedly sold non-kosher meat.
    1. a butcher who does not inspect his knife in front of a chacham.
    1. a person who intentionally causes himself to have an erection.
    1. a person who divorced his wife and subsequently entered into a partnership or business dealing with her which requires them to come into contact (when they appear before court, they are placed in cherem).
    1. a scholar who has an evil reputation.
    1. a person who places another in cherem when said person does not deserve such a punishment.
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24 days when Shofar is blown during the month of Elul (for those customs that start on Elul 1 and end before Elul 29.)

It does not matter which day of the week Rosh Hashannah occurs. Eliminate the Shabbatot and the 29th of Elul (Shofar is not blown on Erev Rosh Hashanna.) It's always 24.

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24 Chapters of tractate Shabbos

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Twenty four is the number of times the word הללוי-ה appears in the Tanach, the majority of the appearances occurring in the later chapters of Sefer Tehillim.

(Source)

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TWENTY FOUR is the number of letters in the longest name mentioned in Tanach.

(פלא יועץ אל גבור אבי עד שר שלום (ישעיהו ט` ה

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Reish Lakish would ask Rebbi Yochanan 24 questions when they learnt together - Bava Metziah 84a

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  • +1 don't forget the 24 answers R Yochanan gave back!
    – Double AA ♦
    Jul 24, 2020 at 15:31
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24=4! possible permutations for the order of havdala (wine, spice, fire, havdala; YKNH on Y"T M"S)

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  • If Saturday night is yomtov, there's kiddush for yomtov but no spices -- YKNH. On an ordinary Saturday night there's no "kiddush", but there's spices. So I guess you call that YBNH?
    – Shalom
    Apr 26, 2010 at 16:03
  • oh, and I forgot about Zman. I will have to wait until 120 to get permutations on Sat night Y"T=5!
    – Jeremy
    Apr 26, 2010 at 17:21
  • @Jeremy Nu? judaism.stackexchange.com/q/3844/759
    – Double AA ♦
    Mar 25, 2012 at 2:24
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When Achashverosh stuck out his "Sharvito" to Esther according to some sources it extended 24 Amos (Megila 15:2)

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24 - is-- as recounted in Ketubot 62b-63a-- the number of years that R' Akiva studied Torah... and subsequently attributed his Torah learning to his wife who encouraged him to do so.

As R' Akiva states in the above gemara:

שלי ושלכם שלה הוא
my Torah knowledge and yours [ie his talmidim] is actually hers

24 is also the number (in thousands!) of talmidim that R' Akiva brought back with him.

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24 is the number of things that prevent repentance.

Hilchot Teshuva 4:1-5 from the Touger translation:

  1. One who causes the masses to sin,
  2. One who leads his colleague astray from the path of good to that of bad;
  3. One who sees his son becoming associated with evil influences and refrains from rebuking him.
  4. One who says: "I will sin and then, repent."
  5. One who separates himself from the community;
  6. One who contradicts the words of the Sages;
  7. One who scoffs at the mitzvoth;
  8. One who demeans his teachers;
  9. One who hates admonishment;
  10. One who curses the many without cursing a specific individual from whom he can request forgiveness;
  11. One who takes a share of a thief's [gain],
  12. One who finds a lost object and does not announce it [immediately] in order to return it to its owners.
  13. One who eats an ox belonging to the poor, orphans, or widows.
  14. One who takes a bribe to pervert judgment.
  15. One who eats from a meal which is not sufficient for its owners.
  16. One who makes use of a pledge taken from a poor person.
  17. One who looks at women forbidden to him.
  18. One who takes pride in his colleague's shame.
  19. One who suspects worthy people.
  20. gossip;
  21. slander;
  22. quick-temperedness;
  23. a person preoccupied with sinister thoughts;
  24. a person who becomes friendly with a wicked person,
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I don't know if this qualifies....

But there are two instances of 24,000 people dying.

  1. Bamidbar 25:9 - 24,000 people died and only stopped after Pinchas killed Kozbi bas Tzur and Zimri ben Salu

  2. Yevamos 62b - Rebbi Akiva had 12,000 pairs of students who died for not showing honour to one another.

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