24
votes
Accepted
Differences between RaMbaM and RaMbaN's mitzvah count
The following is just my understanding of the sources, and if there are any mistakes (ex: in the Ramban's reasons to disagree with the Rambam, the titles given to mitzvos, etc.), please point them out ...
- 19.6k
17
votes
Accepted
How many halachot are detailed in the Mishneh Torah?
According to Mechon Mamre:
TL;DR
TOTAL - 16,818 (+ 104)
Hamada` - 725
Ahavah - 730 (+ 63)
Zemanim - 1,738 (+ 41)
Nashim - 1,207
Qedushah - 1,140
Hafla'ah - 820
Zera`im - 1,582
`Avodah - 1,537
...
- 7,403
13
votes
1/60: why was the figure 60 chosen?
The concept of nullifying forbidden food when mixed with kosher food 60 times its volume is discussed in the Gemara (Hulin 98a-b), followed by the biblical source for this number: the foreleg of the ...
- 11.2k
12
votes
Accepted
Is it true that every 50th letter of the Hebrew Pentateuch text spells the word "Torah"?
The effect was among many found by Rabbi Dov Weismandel originally from Prague in the 1950s in New York. It was his discoveries that motivated all the Torah Code stuff, but he made no claims about ...
- 9,298
12
votes
Counting error in Genesis 46:15?
Rashi raises this question, and answers (probably based on the Midrash 94:9) that the 33rd is Yocheved, who wasn't born until they got to Egypt.
Ibn Ezra (on verse 23) rejects this explanation, and ...
- 6,427
12
votes
Accepted
Was Avrohom really born in 1948?
For example, the posuk (5:32) says that Noach begot Sheim (Chom and Yefes) when he was 500 so I added 500 on to 1056 and got 1556.
But it doesn't say what order they were born in. Rashi later on (10:...
- 96.9k
12
votes
Accepted
Longest Mishna By Word Count
I analysed the mishnayot according to how they appear on Mechon Mamre and how they appear on Sefaria.
For Mechon Mamre's mishnayot, the raw data is here, where I removed punctuation and eliminated ...
- 9,757
11
votes
Accepted
What are these marks with the numbers designating the Jewish years on this calendar?
They are a Gershayim, a Hebrew diacritic used in a number of ways, but generally to indicate that a certain set of letters does not spell a word in the ordinary sense. In this case, it is used to ...
- 96.9k
11
votes
What are Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach's Three Threes?
Reb Shlomo Zalman in Halichos Shlomo Hilchos Pesach Perek 13 Footnote 11 says;
There are 3 things that people say you need to do 3 times, however there is no mekor to any of them:
A child needs to ...
- 10.3k
10
votes
Seven Brochos at a Wedding
Bavli Ketubbot 8a:
לוי איקלע לבי רבי בהלוליה דר"ש בריה בריך חמש רב אסי איקלע לבי רב אשי בהלוליה דמר בריה בריך שית...רב אשי איקלע לבי רב כהנא יומא קמא בריך כולהו מכאן ואילך אי איכא פנים חדשות ...
- 96.9k
10
votes
Accepted
Why no number of p'sukim for P'kude?
Aharon Ahrend has a detailed article in Rabbi Mordechai Breuer's Festschrift (vol. 1 p. 157) titled "The Mneumotechnical Notes of the Numbers of Verses in the Torah Portions" where he goes through the ...
- 96.9k
10
votes
Accepted
Chamisha Va-arba'im Ushlosh Meyot - mi yodeya?
Ezra 2:34 & Nechemia 7:36 both have the same verse.
בני יריחו שלש מאות ארבעים וחמשה
- 138k
10
votes
Chatzi - mi yodeya?
Yom Tov is regarded as Chatzi L'Hashem and Chatzi lachem (half for Hashem and half for you) - Refer to Gemoro Beitzah 15b
- 27.3k
9
votes
Counting error in Genesis 46:15?
Rashi addresses this issue and says the following (quoted from Sefaria)
שלשים ושלש THIRTY THREE — But in the enumeration above you will find only thirty-two. The one whose name is omitted is ...
- 4,235
9
votes
How many Shevah Brachos se'udahs do I have to make?
You have to make as many as will make the couple happy. There is no obligation to have a fixed number of meals, but there is an obligation for the couple to be happy (or to make the couple happy (ShA ...
- 96.9k
9
votes
Chatzi - mi yodeya?
Machatzit hashekel (half a shekel) for counting Yisrael in the desert and payment for the hekdesh (money for the Temple).
- 24.3k
9
votes
Shlish - mi yodeya?
The Gemoro in Kiddushin 30a writes:
לעולם ישלש אדם שנותיו שליש במקרא שליש במשנה שליש בתלמוד
A person should always divide his years into three parts: A third for Torah, a third for Mishna, and a ...
- 27.3k
8
votes
Accepted
How is it that Abraham didn't ask that four save a city, yet four did so?
Rav Ozer Alport in his Parsha Potpourri Points to Ponder addresses this issue:
Question: How was Lot able to intercede in order to save one of the cities (Tzo'ar) from destruction (19:18-22) when ...
- 40.7k
8
votes
Accepted
Is there a listing of all 248 members of the human body?
They are listed in the Mishna Seder Taharoth, Ohaloth 1:8
A link to an english translation online has been provided by WAF here
30 feet 30 each foot (6 each toe)
10 ankle 10 each ...
- 2,087
8
votes
Accepted
Shelosha Va-arba'im Ushlosh Meyot - mi yodeya?
Rashi on Shoftim 5:31 says that the strength of the sun when Moshiach comes will be 343 times what it is now.
- 138k
8
votes
Chamisha Va-arba'im Ushlosh Meyot - mi yodeya?
345 is the gematria of Moshe.
This has added significance in light of Chullin 139b:
משה מן התורה מנין בשגם הוא בשר
Where is there a reference to Moshe in the Torah? "Since he is but flesh" (...
- 41.3k
8
votes
How did numbers "look" in earliest known Torah/Tanach scriptures?
In translations they're typically written as numbers, but in the Hebrew text they are (and were) written out as words. For instance, Numbers 1:21:
פְּקֻדֵיהֶם לְמַטֵּה רְאוּבֵן שִׁשָּׁה ...
- 9,035
8
votes
Shisha Veshishim Ushesh Meot (666) - mi yodeya?
Ezra 2:13
בְּנֵי֙ אֲדֹ֣נִיקָ֔ם שֵׁ֥שׁ מֵא֖וֹת שִׁשִּׁ֥ים וְשִׁשָּֽׁה:
The children of Adonikam were six hundred sixty-six.
- 138k
8
votes
Chapters of Tanach present in Talmud Bavli
Assuming you are asking regarding the standard (Christian) chapters, there are many chapters that are never cited in the Babylonian Talmud, such as Exodus 37, Joshua 23, Ezra 5, Chronicles I chapter 6,...
- 17.6k
8
votes
Accepted
Chapters of Tanach present in Talmud Bavli
From what I can tell off of Sefaria's Connections visualization, by skimming through each Sefer individually and noting the Perakim with no connections, the chapters one will not learn with this ...
- 34k
8
votes
Bamidbar Census does not add up
603,550 excludes the Levites:
Reuven: 46,500.
Shim’on: 59,300.
Gad: 45,650.
Yehuda: 74,600.
Yissachar: 54,400.
Zevulun: 57,400.
Efra’im: 40,500.
Menashe: 32,200.
Binyamin: 35,400.
Dan: 62,700.
Asher: ...
- 2,841
8
votes
How many Mitzvos does the Mishnah cover?
The only real answer to this question can come from going through the list and finding a mishnah for each mitzvah. I was hoping this had been done before, but if it has, nobody here has found it. So,...
8
votes
Accepted
Why do washing cups have two handles?
It's so one hand doesn't touch the other when passing between them.
If an unwashed hand touches a washed hand while wet, the washed hand needs to start over (Shulchan Arukh OC 162:4; there are ...
- 96.9k
8
votes
8
votes
Chatzi - mi yodeya?
Meguilat Esther 7:1 "What is your request, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. Even if it be up to half the kingdom ("חצי המלכות"), it shall be fulfilled" (Artscroll Translation)...
- 4,933
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