Who knows two hundred forty-five?
Please cite/link your sources, if possible. At some point at least twenty-four hours from now, I will:
Upvote all answers I consider relevant and interesting.
Accept the best answer.
Go on to the next number.
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Sign up to join this communityThere are 245 words in the three paragraphs of Shema (including the line ברוך שם).
Since this is three short of 248 (the number of limbs in the human body, per Ohalos 1:8 and Bechoros 45a), we want to add three words so that we have a word to benefit each limb (Beis Yosef citing Zohar). Depending on whether one praying with or without a minyan, and also depending on custom, this involves either repeating אני ה' אלקיכם, or ה' אלקיכם אמת, or prefacing Shema with א-ל מלך נאמן, or having in mind the numerical value of the fifteen words beginning with ו.
(Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 61:3)
נחמיה: ז. סז. מלבד עבדיהם ואמהתיהם אלה שבעת אלפים שלש מאות שלשים ושבעה ולהם משררים ומשררות מאתים וארבעים וחמשה