That’s exactly what happens in Bamidbar Rabbah 13, a Midrash on the Book of Numbers. It all starts with a single letter: a vav.

The passage asks, "vekorbano, why is there an extra vav?" The word korban, meaning "offering," is spelled with an extra vav in a particular verse, and the rabbis of old just had to know why. It's this kind of meticulous attention that makes diving into the Midrash so rewarding.

Rav Beivai, quoting Rabbi Reuven, offers a fascinating answer. This extra vav, they say, alludes to six things that were taken from Adam, the first human, and which will be restored in the Messianic era through a descendant of Naḥshon, a key figure in the Book of Numbers and an ancestor of King David. Talk about a connection!

So, what were these six things lost and destined to be found again?

First, Adam’s radiance. Remember how Adam and Eve were originally clothed in light? That was diminished after the sin in the Garden of Eden. As Job 14:20 says, "You alter his countenance and sent him away."

Second, Adam’s life. The decree "For you are dust, and to dust you shall return" (Genesis 3:19) marked a significant reduction in human lifespan compared to Adam's potential immortality.

Third, Adam’s stature. Before the fall, Adam was immense. Midrash Rabbah connects Genesis 3:8, "The man…hid…," to the idea that he was originally 100 cubits tall!

Fourth and fifth, the produce of the land and the fruit of the tree. The curse, "The ground is cursed because of you…" (Genesis 3:17), diminished the bounty and ease with which the earth provided.

And sixth, the lights. Isaiah 24:23 tells us, "The moon will be disgraced and the sun will be ashamed…". Job 38:15 adds, "Their light will be withheld from the wicked…" suggesting a cosmic dimming after Adam's sin.

But here's where the story gets truly hopeful. According to the Midrash, all these things are destined to be restored in the Messianic era. How?

Adam’s radiance will return, as Judges 5:31 proclaims, "Those who love Him will be like the sun emerging in its might!"

His life will be restored, for Isaiah 65:22 promises, "For like the days of a tree will be the days of My people." Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai points out that "tree" here refers to Torah itself, "It is a tree of life for those who grasp it" (Proverbs 3:18).

His stature will be regained. Leviticus 26:13 states, "I caused you to walk upright [komemiyut]." Rabbi Ḥiyya explains this means walking with an upright stature, fearing nothing. Different rabbis even debated the exact height: Rabbi Shimon says 200 cubits, Rabbi Yehuda says 100 (like Adam), Rabbi Elazar ben Rabbi Shimon says 300, and Rabbi Abahu goes all the way to 900 cubits! Rav Huna, in the name of Rabbi Dosa, arrives at the 900 cubit figure by calculating the growth of a child based on cubits per year, tying it back to the lifespan of a tree.

The produce of the land and the fruit of the tree will flourish once more, as Zechariah 8:12 says, "For the seed is of peace: The vine will yield its fruit, and the land will yield its produce…"

And the lights? Isaiah 30:26 promises, "The light of the moon will be like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, like the light of the seven days!"

Isn’t it amazing how a single extra letter can unlock such a profound meditation on loss and redemption? It reminds us that even the smallest details can hold immense significance and that the promise of restoration is woven into the very fabric of our tradition. It makes you wonder, what other hidden treasures are waiting to be discovered in the texts we read?