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There's an unusual phenomenon in parshas Metzora, where there are six verses with the exact same second half (after the אתנחתא). They are Leviticus 15:5-8,10,11. The six are also together, with four appearing in a row, one verse interrupting, and the remaining two in a row. Two verses, #4 and #6 in the list, deviate with one word. Instead of יְכַבֵּ֧ס, he shall cleanse, it says וְכִבֶּ֧ס, and he shall cleanse.

Leviticus 15:5-8,10,11

  1. וְאִ֕ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִגַּ֖ע בְּמִשְׁכָּב֑וֹ יְכַבֵּ֧ס בְּגָדָ֛יו וְרָחַ֥ץ בַּמַּ֖יִם וְטָמֵ֥א עַד־הָעָֽרֶב׃ Those persons* who touch his bedding shall wash their clothes, bathe in water, and remain impure until evening.

  2. וְהַיֹּשֵׁב֙ עַֽל־הַכְּלִ֔י אֲשֶׁר־יֵשֵׁ֥ב עָלָ֖יו הַזָּ֑ב יְכַבֵּ֧ס בְּגָדָ֛יו וְרָחַ֥ץ בַּמַּ֖יִם וְטָמֵ֥א עַד־הָעָֽרֶב׃ Those who sit on an object on which the one with the discharge has sat shall wash their clothes, bathe in water, and remain impure until evening.

  3. וְהַנֹּגֵ֖עַ בִּבְשַׂ֣ר הַזָּ֑ב יְכַבֵּ֧ס בְּגָדָ֛יו וְרָחַ֥ץ בַּמַּ֖יִם וְטָמֵ֥א עַד־הָעָֽרֶב׃ Those who touch the body of the one with the discharge shall wash their clothes, bathe in water, and remain impure until evening.

  4. וְכִֽי־יָרֹ֥ק הַזָּ֖ב בַּטָּה֑וֹר וְכִבֶּ֧ס בְּגָדָ֛יו וְרָחַ֥ץ בַּמַּ֖יִם וְטָמֵ֥א עַד־הָעָֽרֶב׃ If the one with a discharge spits on someone who is pure, the latter shall wash those clothes, bathe in water, and remain impure until evening.

    וְכׇל־הַמֶּרְכָּ֗ב אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִרְכַּ֥ב עָלָ֛יו הַזָּ֖ב יִטְמָֽא׃ Any means for riding that the one with a discharge has mounted shall be impure;

  5. וְכׇל־הַנֹּגֵ֗עַ בְּכֹל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִהְיֶ֣ה תַחְתָּ֔יו יִטְמָ֖א עַד־הָעָ֑רֶב וְהַנּוֹשֵׂ֣א אוֹתָ֔ם יְכַבֵּ֧ס בְּגָדָ֛יו וְרָחַ֥ץ בַּמַּ֖יִם וְטָמֵ֥א עַד־הָעָֽרֶב׃ all those who touch anything that was under him shall be impure until evening; and all those who carry such things shall wash their clothes, bathe in water, and remain impure until evening.

  6. וְכֹ֨ל אֲשֶׁ֤ר יִגַּע־בּוֹ֙ הַזָּ֔ב וְיָדָ֖יו לֹא־שָׁטַ֣ף בַּמָּ֑יִם וְכִבֶּ֧ס בְּגָדָ֛יו וְרָחַ֥ץ בַּמַּ֖יִם וְטָמֵ֥א עַד־הָעָֽרֶב׃ All those whom the one with a discharge touches, without having rinsed his hands in water, shall wash their clothes, bathe in water, and remain impure until evening.

I was wondering:

  1. If a similar such phenomenon of verses with the same ending appear together elsewhere in Tanach
  2. If any commentaries pick up on this particular instance and explain its significance
  3. If any commentaries pick up on the twice deviation of יְכַבֵּ֧ס to וְכִבֶּ֧ס
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  • Tehillim 136 is the obvious one
    – Double AA
    Commented Apr 6, 2022 at 18:45
  • @DoubleAA :-) I guess I had in mind non-poetic verses
    – robev
    Commented Apr 6, 2022 at 18:48
  • For the reverse, you have 12 verses that all start the same way ולזבח השלמים בקר שנים
    – Heshy
    Commented Apr 6, 2022 at 19:04
  • similar judaism.stackexchange.com/q/35345/759
    – Double AA
    Commented Apr 6, 2022 at 19:12

2 Answers 2

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If we limit our search to consecutive pasuk endings without skips:

This is definitely a Tanach record to have the exact same six words end a pasuk in four consecutive pesukim.

When opening things up to five words then the record is nine consecutive pesukim starting from דברי הימים א:כז:ז (and occurs earlier in the perek in close proximity three other times) Where the following words appear at the end of all of the pesukim: וְעַל֙ מַחֲלֻקְתּ֔וֹ עֶשְׂרִ֥ים וְאַרְבָּעָ֖ה אָֽלֶף

For four words ending a pasuk, the record is 22 consecutive pesukim starting from דברי הימים א:כה:י Where the following words appear at the end of all of the pesukim: בָּנָ֥יו וְאֶחָ֖יו שְׁנֵ֥ים עָשָֽׂר

For three words the record is 26 pesukim for the famous כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ of תהלים:קלו:א-כב in Hallel HaGadol.

I haven't heard of special explanations for these instances but one can't help notice the number 22 as being the number of letters in the alef-beis and the number 26 being the gematria of שם השם.

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  • Welcome to MiYodeya and thanks for this first answer. Great to have you learn with us!
    – mbloch
    Commented Apr 7, 2022 at 3:26
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One trivial answer is in כי תבוא. Haven't seen any special commentary on it though.

אָר֕וּר מַקְלֶ֥ה אָבִ֖יו וְאִמּ֑וֹ וְאָמַ֥ר כׇּל־הָעָ֖ם אָמֵֽן

אָר֕וּר מַסִּ֖יג גְּב֣וּל רֵעֵ֑הוּ וְאָמַ֥ר כׇּל־הָעָ֖ם אָמֵֽן

אָר֕וּר מַשְׁגֶּ֥ה עִוֵּ֖ר בַּדָּ֑רֶךְ וְאָמַ֥ר כׇּל־הָעָ֖ם אָמֵֽן

אָר֗וּר מַטֶּ֛ה מִשְׁפַּ֥ט גֵּר־יָת֖וֹם וְאַלְמָנָ֑ה וְאָמַ֥ר כׇּל־הָעָ֖ם אָמֵֽן

אָר֗וּר שֹׁכֵב֙ עִם־אֵ֣שֶׁת אָבִ֔יו כִּ֥י גִלָּ֖ה כְּנַ֣ף אָבִ֑יו וְאָמַ֥ר כׇּל־הָעָ֖ם אָמֵֽן

אָר֕וּר שֹׁכֵ֖ב עִם־כׇּל־בְּהֵמָ֑ה וְאָמַ֥ר כׇּל־הָעָ֖ם אָמֵֽן

אָר֗וּר שֹׁכֵב֙ עִם־אֲחֹת֔וֹ בַּת־אָבִ֖יו א֣וֹ בַת־אִמּ֑וֹ וְאָמַ֥ר כׇּל־הָעָ֖ם אָמֵֽן

אָר֕וּר שֹׁכֵ֖ב עִם־חֹֽתַנְתּ֑וֹ וְאָמַ֥ר כׇּל־הָעָ֖ם אָמֵֽן

אָר֕וּר מַכֵּ֥ה רֵעֵ֖הוּ בַּסָּ֑תֶר וְאָמַ֥ר כׇּל־הָעָ֖ם אָמֵֽן

אָרוּר֙ לֹקֵ֣חַ שֹׁ֔חַד לְהַכּ֥וֹת נֶ֖פֶשׁ דָּ֣ם נָקִ֑י וְאָמַ֥ר כׇּל־הָעָ֖ם אָמֵֽן

אָר֗וּר אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹא־יָקִ֛ים אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֥י הַתּוֹרָֽה־הַזֹּ֖את לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת אוֹתָ֑ם וְאָמַ֥ר כׇּל־הָעָ֖ם אָמֵֽן

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