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Who knows two hundred five?

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.

4 Answers 4

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Avraham's father Terach died at the age of 205. Bereishit 11:32

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Well we are in the month of Adar

Adar = 205

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http://dafyomi.shemayisrael.co.il/parsha/vayera3.htm

Avraham Avinu called the Makom HaMikdash "Har". Har = 205

Yitchok Avinu called it "Sadeh"

Yaakov Avinu called it "Bayis"

Avraham Avinu came and prayed on the place where the Temple was to be, opposite the heavenly Temple, and with his prayers he added an additional wall to the heavenly Temple -- a second Machaneh of angels. Machaneh (103) plus Machaneh (another 103) equals 206. That is why Avraham called it a "Har" [= mountain], the Gematria of which is 205 (He = 5, Resh = 200. One of the rules of Gematria is that one may, at times, add 1 to the combined numerical value of a word's letters. This extra 1 corresponds to the word as a whole. Adding an extra 1 in such a manner is referred to as "Im Hakollel" [= with the total]. In such a manner, the word "Har" equals exactly 206, or 2x103.)

Yitzchak prayed there and added another Machaneh of angels to the Heavenly Beit Hamikdash, giving it a third "wall." Now that there were three Machanot, he referred to it as a "Sadeh" [= field] which has the Gematria of 309 (Sin = 300, Dalet = 4, He = 5), or three times Machaneh (103).

When Yakov prayed there he added a fourth wall, making it a "Bayit" [= house], which has the Gematria of four times Machaneh (103), or 412 (Beit = 2, Yud = 10, Taf = 400).

The Belzer Rebbe adds that the heavenly Beit Hamikdash did not yet have a ceiling -- just as the tabernacle in the desert had four walls but no ceiling, only a covering of cloth. Later on, before Moshe Rabbeinu was taken away from the Bnei Yisrael, he was shown all of Eretz Yisrael [= the Land of Israel], including the place of the Beit Hamikdash (Rashi, Devarim 3:25). At that time Moshe Rabbeinu also prayed for the completion of the heavenly Beit Hamikdash. He prayed using the word, "Va'etchanan [= and I pleaded]" (Devarim 3:23). He used this word because his prayer was to add a ceiling -- a fifth Machaneh of angels -- to the heavenly Beit Hamikdash. Five times Machaneh is 515, exactly the Gematria of "Va'etchanan" (Vav = 6, Alef = 1, Taf = 400, Chet = 8, Nun = 50, Nun = 50)!

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  • I actually just learned this part of Yeshaya yesterday. Check out Abarbanel for a great explanation of a very similar medrash.
    – jake
    Mar 11, 2011 at 9:24
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An important method for addressing Israel’s water shortage is utilizing high-quality purified water for agriculture in place of scarce and expensive fresh water. Through its Israeli counterpart, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael (KKL), JNF has already invested $75 million for the construction of 205 reservoirs in Israel, which serve as the final stage in the water purification process and hold 66 billion gallons of recycled water and flood runoff for agriculture. These reservoirs increase Israel’s total water supply by 12%, providing almost half of the water used by the agricultural sector and saving enough fresh water for 1.5 million people a year. The JNF Parsons Water Fund has committed to continuing this work by building an additional 40 reservoirs.

http://www.jnf.org/work-we-do/our-projects/water/jnf-parsons-water-fund.html

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