It's more than just letters; it's a tapestry woven with stories, numbers, and profound insights. Today, we're going to delve into a fascinating passage from Bamidbar Rabbah 18, a treasure trove of rabbinic interpretation, to unlock some of these secrets.
The passage begins by discussing the mem, nun, tzadi, peh, and kaf—those letters that change form when they appear at the end of a word. The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) tells us these were spoken by the prophets, each holding a specific allusion. Take kaf for instance. Repeated twice, kaf kaf alludes to Abraham and the famous words, "Lekh lekha" (Genesis 12:1), meaning "Go forth!" But it’s more than that – the numerical value of the letters in Lekh lekha hint that Abraham will beget a son at the age of one hundred. Isn't that incredible?
And what about mem mem? It's linked to Isaac, and the verse "For you have grown much mightier than we [mimenu]" (Genesis 26:16). According to the Midrash, the double mem suggests that Isaac and his descendants would be mighty in two worlds. The text emphasizes that the Torah could have used a different phrase for “than us,” but it chose mimenu specifically to hint at this concept!
Then we have nun nun, representing Jacob and his plea, "Deliver me, please [hatzileni na]" (Genesis 32:12) – again, a plea for deliverance in two worlds. And peh peh, tied to Israel, with God's words to Moses, "I have remembered you [pakod pakadeti]" (Exodus 3:16).
Finally, tzadi tzadi points to the future, to the coming of the Tzemaḥ, the sprout, a messianic figure: "Behold a man, Tzemaḥ is his name, and he will sprout [yitzmaḥ...]" (Zechariah 6:12). As we find in Jeremiah (23:5) this figure will be a righteous offspring of David, bringing justice and righteousness to the land.
But the text doesn't stop there. It moves into a fascinating exploration of numbers and their significance. The phrase "A leader of fifty" (Isaiah 3:3) is seen as an allusion to the breadth of Jewish knowledge: the twenty-four books of the Bible, the eleven minor prophets (excluding Jonah), the six orders of the Mishna, and nine chapters of Torat Kohanim, a midrash halakha (legal interpretation) on Leviticus. According to the Midrash, at the time of its writing, the Torat Kohanim was divided into nine large chapters.
The passage then connects phrases from the Song of Songs to different aspects of Jewish learning. "They are sixty queens" (Song of Songs 6:8) represents the sixty tractates of the Talmud. "And eighty concubines" (Song of Songs 6:8) symbolizes the eighty study halls in Jerusalem. "And young women without number" (Song of Songs 6:8) alludes to external Mishna – Tannaitic statements not included in the official Mishna.
Even the seemingly simple statement "Three hundred and eighteen" (Genesis 14:14) gets a deep dive. It's interpreted as a reference to Eliezer, Abraham's servant, because the numerical value of the letters in Eliezer's name adds up to 318!
Then we get to a discussion of Abraham's spiritual journey. "Because [ekev] Abraham heeded My voice..." (Genesis 26:5) is connected to the idea that Abraham recognized God at the young age of three.
The Midrash then explores the names of Sarah and Abraham, noting that Abraham was incomplete until he was circumcised and had a child. The letter heh was added to his name to make him whole. The numerical value of Abraham's name, after the addition of the heh, equals 248, the number of limbs in a person’s body.
The text goes on to analyze the names of Isaac and Jacob, connecting them to significant events and concepts. For example, the letters in Isaac's name (Yitzchak) are linked to the ten ordeals, Sarah's age when he was born, and the eight days until his circumcision.
The passage continues with more numerical interpretations, connecting seemingly disparate verses and ideas. The numerical value of "Fear of the Lord" (yirat Adonai) is equated with the value of "Torah," and when combined, they equal 613 – the number of commandments in the Torah!
The Midrash also tells us that the days of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, when added together, equal the distance between heaven and earth. How amazing is that?
Finally, the passage explores the significance of prayer, especially in the absence of the Temple. The numerical value of "good" (tov) is linked to the concept of nefesh (soul), suggesting that prayer can serve as an atonement in place of sacrifices.
What's the takeaway from all this? It’s that the ancient rabbis saw the Torah as a multi-layered text, filled with hidden meanings and connections. They used gematria (numerical values of letters) and other interpretive methods to unlock these secrets, revealing deeper insights into Jewish law, theology, and history. It reminds us that there's always more to discover, more to learn, and more to appreciate in the rich tapestry of Jewish tradition. And perhaps, it encourages us to look more closely at the world around us, to find the hidden connections and deeper meanings that might be waiting to be discovered.
Mem, nun, tzadi, peh, kaf, the double letters,45These letters are written differently when they appear as the last letter of a word. were stated by the prophets. Kaf kaf alludes to Abraham: “Lekh lekha” (Genesis 12:1) – he will beget a son at the age of one hundred.46The letter kaf appears twice in lekh lekha. Lamed – 30 + kaf – 20 = 50 x 2 = 100. Mem mem is for Isaac: “For you have grown much mightier than we [mimenu]” (Genesis 26:16).47The letter mem appears twice in mimenu. An alternative term meaning “than we” could have been employed, but wasn’t. He alluded to him that he and his descendants would be mighty in two worlds. Nun nun for Jacob: “Deliver me, please [hatzileni na]” (Genesis 32:12); deliver in two worlds. Peh peh to Israel, [when God said] to Moses: “I have remembered you [pakod pakadeti]” (Exodus 3:16). Tzadi tzadi – “Behold a man, Tzemaḥ is his name, [and he will sprout [yitzmaḥ…]” (Zechariah 6:12). And it says: “I will establish for David a righteous offshoot [tzemaḥ tzadik] and he will reign as king and succeed, and he will perform justice and righteousness in the land” (Jeremiah 23:5). “A leader of fifty” (Isaiah 3:3) – twenty-four books; add to them eleven of the twelve minor prophets, excluding Jonah, which stands alone, six orders of Mishna, and nine chapters of Torat Kohanim48The Torat Kohanim is a midrash halakha on Leviticus. At the time that this midrash was written, the Torat Kohanim was apparently divided into nine large chapters. – that is fifty. “They are sixty queens” (Song of Songs 6:8) – sixty tractates; “and eighty concubines” (Song of Songs 6:8) – eighty study halls that were in Jerusalem, corresponding to its entrances; “and young women without number” (Song of Songs 6:8) – external Mishna.49Tannaitic statements which were not incorporated into the Mishna. “Behold the bed of Solomon: There are sixty valiant men around it” (Song of Songs 3:7) – sixty letters of the Priestly Benediction.50Numbers 6:24–26. “Three hundred and eighteen” (Genesis 14:14) – it is Eliezer.51The number of members of his household whom Abraham took to recover Lot corresponds to the numerical value of Eliezer: alef – 1 + lamed – 30 + yod –10 + ayin – 70 + zayin – 7 + reish – 200 = 318. “Because [ekev] Abraham heeded My voice, and kept My commission, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws” (Genesis 26:5) – at the age of three he recognized Him.52Abraham heeded God’s voice for ‘ekev’ years: ayin – 70 + kof – 100 + beit – 2 = 172. He lived a total of one hundred and seventy-five years. He recognized God at age three. HaSatan – three hundred and sixty-four,53Heh – 5 + sin – 300 + tet – 9 + nun – 50 = 364. the number of days in the solar year that he [the Satan] has license to inform on all of them, excepting Yom Kippur. Rav Ami said in the school of Rabbi Abba: Abraham, as long as he was not circumcised and had not begot a son, was lacking a heh. The heh was added, he became whole, and he begot a son at the sum of his letters.54Alef – 1 + beit – 2 + reish – 200 + heh – 5 + mem – 40 = 248, the number of limbs in a person’s body. “A woman of valor is the crown of her husband” (Proverbs 12:4) – this is Sarah. Sarai was her name; two amora’im have a dispute regarding this: One said: The yod was split in two, heh for Abraham and heh for Sarah.55Yod is ten and heh is five. And one said: The yod that was taken from Sarah objected, until Joshua [Yehoshua] came and Moses added a yod56Yehoshua's name, originally, was Hoshea. – may the Lord rescue you [Ya yoshiakha] from the counsel of the spies.57Yehoshua is a portmanteau of ya yoshiakha. The yod of Isaac [Yitzḥak] corresponds to the ten ordeals; tzadi,to the ninety years of age that Sarah was when he was born; ḥet, to the eight days [of age] at which he was circumcised; kof, Abraham was one hundred years of age.58When Isaac was born. Jacob [Yaakov] was named for himself. Yod corresponds to the tenth. Calculate from Benjamin until Levi;59Counting backwards from Benjamin, Levi is the tenth. he is the tenth. Ayin – “with seventy people” (Deuteronomy 10:22);60This is the number of people with whom Jacob descended to Egypt. kof – corresponding to the letters in the blessing of: “May God give you” (Genesis 27:28). Beit remains. It is corresponding to the two angels that ascended.61When Jacob left Canaan to go to Aram. The tablets contained six hundred and thirteen mizvot, corresponding to the letters from “I am” (Exodus 20:2) until “that is your neighbor’s” (Exodus 20:14), no more and no fewer. All of them were given to Moses at Sinai, among them statutes, ordinances, Torah, Mishna, Talmud, and aggada. “Fear of the Lord, that is his treasure” (Isaiah 33:6). Among all the attributes, there are none greater than fear and humility62Since humility is not mentioned elsewhere in this portion of the midrash, Matnot Kehuna and Etz Yosef write that it should be erased. – “Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you? Only to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 10:12). The numerical value of yirat is six hundred and eleven,63Yod – 10 + reish – 200 + alef – 1 + tav – 400 = 611. and of Torah is six hundred and eleven.64Tav – 400 + vav – 6 + reish – 200 + heh – 5 = 611. Add fear and Torah to them;65When a gematria is used, sometimes the word or words being discussed are used to add 1 to the gematria. Thus, 611 + Torah + yirat = 613. the result is six hundred and thirteen. Tzitzit – the Rabbis taught: Eight strings that are drawn and five knots, two above66Adjacent to the corner of the garment. and three below, that is six hundred and thirteen.67Tzadi – 90 + yod – 10 + tzadi – 90 + yod – 10 + tav – 400 = 600 + 8 strings + 5 knots = 613. The days of Abraham were one hundred and seventy-five years; Isaac, one hundred and eighty years; Jacob, one hundred and forty-seven years. When you add them together, the result is five hundred and two years. That is, likewise, the distance between the heavens and earth: “Like the days of the heavens over the earth” (Deuteronomy 11:21).68The preceding phrase is: “regarding which the Lord has taken an oath to your forefathers.” And "the days of the heavens over the earth" is interpreted as the time that it would take to walk from the earth to the heavens. “[These are David’s last words: The utterance of David son of Yishai, and the utterance of the man] raised on high [al]” (II Samuel 23:1) – this corresponds to one hundred blessings.69The numerical value of al is 100: Ayin – 70 + lamed – 30 = 100. Each day one hundred men of Israel would die. David came and instituted for them one hundred blessings. Once he instituted them, the plague was halted. Al – the yoke [ol]70Both al and ol are written with an ayin and lamed. of Torah and the yoke of suffering. “Forgive all iniquity, and accept good [tov], and instead of bulls we will pay the offering of our lips” (Hosea 14:3). Israel said: ‘Master of the universe, when the Temple was extant, we would sacrifice an offering and gain atonement; now, we have nothing in our hand other than prayer.’ The numerical value of tov is seventeen; prayer contains nineteen blessings?71The Amida. Exclude from there the blessing of the heretics,72This refers to the twelfth blessing in the Amida. that they instituted it in Yavne, and “the offshoot of David”73This refers to the fifteenth blessing of the Amida. that they instituted after him because of: “Examine me, Lord, and test me” (Psalms 26:2).74See Sanhedrin 107a, where David fails the test of Bathsheba. Rabbi Simon says: On the basis of a numerical cypher, “and accept good [tov]” equals the value of nefesh [person].75With the atbash cypher, the distance of a letter from the beginning of the alphabet is measured, and it is replaced bythe letter that is the same distance from the end of the alphabet. Tet – nun; vav – peh; beit – shin: tov becomes nefesh. Israel said: ‘When the Temple was extant, we would burn fats and the other portions on the altar and gain atonement. Now, here are our fats, our blood, and our souls. May it be Your will that they will serve as atonement on our behalf’ – “instead of bulls we will pay the offering of our lips.” “The Lord granted her pregnancy [herayon]” (Ruth 4:13). Its numerical value is two hundred and seventy-one.76This is the number of days in nine full months, plus the first day of the tenth month. The measure of water in a ritual bath is forty se’a, which corresponds to the number of times that the water of a well [be’er] is written in the Torah. How many egg bulks are in a ritual bath? There are five thousand seven hundred and sixty. Each and every se’a is one hundred and forty-four egg-bulks. Ḥalla is forty-three and one-fifth egg-bulks. From where is it derived that one requires forty se’a for a ritual bath? “The water of Shilo’aḥ that flows slowly [le’at]” (Isaiah 8:6), whose numerical value is forty. One who is separating ḥalla must, by Torah law, separate one from forty-three and one-fifth [egg-bulks], in accordance with the numerical value of ḥalla.77Ḥet – 8 + lamed – 30 + heh – 5 = 43. The primary categories of labor are forty less one, as it is written: “These are the matters [eleh hadevarim]…” (Exodus 35:1).78The following verse begins: “Six days labor shall be performed…” Eleh – thirty-six,79Alef – 1 + lamed – 30 + heh – 5 = 36. devarim – two,80Devarim (matters) is written in the plural. The minimum plural possible is two. hadevarim –three;81Deriving an additional one from the heh prefix. that is forty less one. “Forty he shall flog him, he shall not add” (Deuteronomy 25:3), corresponding to the forty curses that the serpent, Eve, Adam, and the ground were cursed. The Sages deducted one due to “he shall not add.” Those who recommended acquittal would have a majority of one, and thus the iniquities are fewer.82Iniquities can refers to people who the court puts to death by mistake. According to that explanation, the midrash here explains that in order to prevent the iniquity of mistakenly killing somebody, for acquittal a majority of one is sufficient, but a majority of two is required for a guilty verdict. It is preferable when convicting that at least a majority of two will prevail, rather than one. “Sheshakh” (Jeremiah 25:26, 51:41) is Babylon [Bavel] in the atbash cypher. “[Son of] Tave’al” (Isaiah 7:6) according to the albam83Alef becomes lamed. The alphabet is divided in two in the middle, with eleven letters in each group. The first letter in the first group – aleph – is replaced by the first letter in the second group – lamed. The second letter – bet – is replaced by mem, etc. cypher is Remala.84The son of Tave’al, mentioned in the verse, is a reference to Pekaḥ ben Remalyahu, king of Israel. “With this [bezot] shall Aaron enter the Sanctum: with a young bull as a sin offering, and a ram as a burnt offering” (Leviticus 16:3), bezot is an allusion to the first Temple, that would stand four hundred and ten years.85Beit – 2 + zayin – 7 + alef – 1 + tav – 400 = 410.
