You're not alone! Our sages grappled with these apparent inconsistencies too. Today, let's dive into a fascinating passage from Sifrei Bamidbar, a collection of early halakhic (legal) midrashim on the Book of Numbers, where they wrestle with just that.

The passage opens with a head-scratcher concerning the number of angels. One verse says, "Is there any number to His angelic hosts?" (Numbers 24:3). It suggests infinity! But then, another verse (Daniel 7:10) states, "A thousand thousands were serving Him, and myriad myriads were standing before Him." A finite number! So, which is it?

One explanation offered is that the number of angels diminished after the exile. Before the exile, the angelic hosts were indeed countless. But after, perhaps as a consequence of the people’s sins, the celestial retinue shrank. A poignant thought, isn't it?

But Rebbi, quoting Abba b. Yossi, offers a different take. Maybe "a thousand thousands" refers to one specific host of angels. And how many such hosts are there? Well, that's when we go back to "Is there any number to His angelic hosts?" It's not about individual angels, but rather about the sheer number of groups of angels. Problem solved!

Then, the text moves onto another apparent contradiction, this time concerning the stars. Psalm 147:4 tells us that God "counts the number of the stars, (which implies that He calls each by name)." Implying a personal connection. Yet, Isaiah 40:26 says, "He brings forth their legions by number; he calls to all of them by name," suggesting He calls them all together, as one unit. How can both be true?

The text cleverly points out that unlike us mere mortals, God can do it all simultaneously. We can barely manage two names at once! But for the Holy One, Blessed be He, calling each star by name and commanding the entire legion at once? No problem. This reminds us of the revelation at Sinai, where, as we find in Shemot (Exodus 20:1) and Psalm 62:12, "And God spoke all of these things (in one utterance)," and "One thing has God spoken; these two have I heard." God's power transcends our limitations.

Rebbi, this time in the name of Abba Yossi b. Dostai, adds another layer to the star conundrum. There's no changing of the essential name in that celestial realm. The name a star has now is the same name it will always have. However, its "name," in a functional sense, might change based on its "embassy" or purpose. This is supported by the story in Judges 13:18, where the angel of the Lord says, "Why do you ask my name? It is hidden." The angel’s identity, perhaps, is tied to its current mission.

Next, we encounter a classic discrepancy in the story of David purchasing the threshing floor. 2 Samuel 24:24 says he bought it "for fifty silver shekels," while 1 Chronicles 21:25 states he gave Arnon "gold shekels weighing six hundred." Was it silver or gold? Fifty or six hundred?

One reconciliation suggests that the six hundred shekels were for the place of the threshing floor itself, while the fifty shekels were specifically for the place of the altar. Another explanation, attributed to Rebbi in the name of Abba Yossi b. Dostai, is that David took fifty shekels from each of the twelve tribes, totaling six hundred. R. Elazar offers yet another perspective, distinguishing between the purchase of the threshing floor's location and the purchase of the cattle, threshing sledges, and gear.

Finally, we have Solomon's stables. 1 Kings 5:6 mentions "forty thousand stables of horses," while 2 Chronicles 9:28 says "four thousand stables of horses." Simple! Four thousand stables, each housing ten horses, for a total of forty thousand horses.

The last contradiction involves the capacity of the mikveh (ritual bath) in the Temple. 1 Kings 7:26 states "Its capacity was two thousand bath measures," while 2 Chronicles 4:5 says "Its capacity was three thousand bath measures." Here, the solution lies in the difference between wet and dry measures. Two thousand in wet measure equals three thousand in dry measure. This distinction is reflected in rabbinic law, where we learn that forty sa'ah in wet measure is equivalent to two kor in dry measure.

What can we take away from all this? These seemingly contradictory verses aren't errors or mistakes. They're invitations. Invitations to delve deeper, to question, to wrestle with the text, and to ultimately arrive at a richer, more nuanced understanding of the Torah's message. It reminds us that sometimes, the truth isn't a simple, straightforward answer, but a complex tapestry woven from multiple perspectives. And that, perhaps, is where the real beauty lies.