“Rabbi
Elazar ben (son of) Chisma said, The laws of the bird-pair offerings
and the beginning of menstrual periods — these are essential laws.
Astronomy and the numeric values [of the Hebrew letters] are the spices
to wisdom.”
Last week we began discussing the concept of “numeric values”
(“gematriya”) in the Hebrew language — that the letters of the Hebrew
alphabet each have associated numeric values (alef = 1, bais = 2, gimmel
= 3, etc.), and so all Hebrew words and phrases have corresponding
values, sometimes of profound significance. We also introduced the
modern equivalent of the gematriya — the Torah Codes. The idea is that
by searching through the letters of the Torah at regular intervals (by
selecting e.g. every 50th letter), one will find significant words and
messages hidden within the text.
Last week I also offered my personal disclaimer. I am neither great
rabbi nor great statistician. In writing on this controversial topic, I
am not attempting to convince anyone of the validity of the Codes or to
weigh in with my own two cents. That being said, I’d like to offer a bit
of background to the Codes phenomenon and a few noteworthy
illustrations. I will then suggest what I feel is an important
perspective on the Codes — one which will perhaps provide a valuable
handle on the topic, rather than simply stirring up further controversy.
The concept of hidden information in the letters of the Torah is not a
new one; a number of the classical medieval commentators make reference
to it. The topic, however, became popularized only in the last few
decades. The earliest research was done by R. Chaim Michael Dov
Weissmandl, (1903-1957, a Hungarian Holocaust survivor who was
instrumental in slowing the deportation of Jews from Slovakia during the
War). He, without the benefit of computer technology, discovered
example after example of fascinating pattern in the Torah, one of which
is illustrated below.
With the advent of computers, researchers have begun exploring the
text of the Torah and in particular of the Book of Genesis with ever
more mind-boggling results. These include such finds as discovering the
word “Eden” encoded 16 times in Genesis 2:4-10 (discussing G-d’s
creation of the Garden), as well as tens of tree names encoded in the
entire chapter. Likewise, the name “Aaron” (“Aharon” in Hebrew, brother
of Moses and Israel’s first High Priest) was discovered tens of times
encoded in the first chapter of Leviticus (discussing Temple offerings).
Many other finds have indicated hints to such major future events as
the Chanukah story and the Holocaust, as well as the names of great
rabbis together with their birth dates.
Allow me to provide two more substantial examples. Last week we
quoted that R. Eliyahu Kramer (the “Vilna Gaon” of 18th Century
Lithuania) claimed that Exodus 11:9 — “…in order to magnify My wonders
in the Land of Egypt” — contains a hint that there would one day exist a
scholar known as Maimonides, great medieval sage who lived much of his
life in Egypt. R. Kramer saw this in the fact that the Hebrew verse —
“re’vos mofsai b’eretz Mitzrayim” begins with the letters raish – mem –
bais – mem = Rambam, the acronym by which Maimonides is universally
known.
R. Weissmandl buttressed this with an additional discovery. If we
take an instance of the letter ‘mem’ which appears earlier in this same
verse, and count forwards, selecting every 50th letter, we find the word
“Mishne”. If, in addition, we count 613 letters from the initial ‘mem’,
we discover an additional word (at 50 letter intervals) — “Torah”. And
the Mishne Torah was Maimonides’ classic work on the 613 Commandments!
Here is another personal favorite of mine, really not a Code at all,
but a related phenomenon — of the Torah’s allusion to future events. (As
above, my goal here is to broaden this subject, rather than tying
ourselves down to the Codes controversy.) In the Book of Esther, towards
the end of the story, King Ahasuerus allows the Jews to avenge
themselves of their enemies on the 13th day of Adar. In Shushan, the
capital, the Jews kill 500 men and hang Haman’s ten sons on a gallows.
Queen Esther then approaches the King with an additional request:
“…allow the Jews who are in Shushan to do tomorrow as they did today,
and let the ten sons of Haman be hanged on the gallows” (Esther 9:13).
It’s curious that she would request the hanging of Haman’s already slain
sons. Nevertheless, the King complies.
Now, the Hebrew word for “tomorrow” (“machar”) often refers to the
distant future. Further, the Midrash states that whenever the word
“king” appears in the Megillah it alludes to the King of kings as well.
Thus, the verse could be understand as a request by Esther to G-d to
again hang the ten sons of Haman at some point in the distant future.
Now, when the Megillah lists the ten sons Haman during their hanging
(9:7-9) there are a number of unusually-sized letters. (We have a
tradition to write certain letters in the Torah larger or smaller than
the standard size.) According to the most accepted tradition, there is a
large ‘vuv’ (numerical value = 6) and a small ‘tuv’ (400), ‘shin’ (300)
and ‘zayin’ (7). The following suggestion has been made: The large vuv
refers to the sixth millennium (of the Hebrew calendar); the small
letters refer to year 707 of that millennium. The meaning, then, is that
G-d agreed to hang Haman’s ten sons again in the year 5707 = 1946-7.
On October 1, 1946, a few days before Yom Kippur, the first of the
major Nuremberg trials was concluded. Ten of the chief Nazi masterminds
and instigators were sentenced to hanging. (The actual number was
twelve; one was sentenced in absentia and another committed suicide
before his execution.) The last of them, Julius Streicher, on his way to
the gallows and after his face was covered, cried out, for no apparent
reason, “Purim Fest 1946!” And again, Esther’s request was fulfilled.
At this point, I would like to offer some perspective on this
subject. The following thought is primarily not my own. I heard it was
the reaction of a great rabbi (of uncertain identity), when introduced
to the phenomenon of the Codes.
Of what value truly are the Codes? Say the phenomenon really is too
remarkable to deny — and again, that in itself is highly controversial.
Is this our ticket to proselytizing the world? Should we attempt to ram
the Codes down the throat of every non-believer — “proving” once and for
all that G-d wrote the Torah, that it contains hidden patterns alluding
to future events human beings could have never foreseen? What are we to
make of this phenomenon, supposing it is true? Why, in fact, would an
all-knowledgeable G-d bother putting such patterns in the Torah to begin
with? (It’s certainly not to allow us to predict the future. Even the
most serious proponents of the Codes are quick to deny this.)
Well, firstly, I’m not all certain that the Codes would be an
effective means of proselytizing the world in the first place. Would,
say, an unaffiliated Jew begin observing the Torah — changing his or her
lifestyle — because of statistical results of a scientific study? It is
a very small class of people who are so intellectually inclined as to
be willing to follow mathematical evidence alone and adjust their
personal lives accordingly. (Look at how many otherwise intelligent
people fervently believe in the notion of creation through uncontrolled
evolution.) Dry facts — even very compelling ones — do not create moral
human beings. (The old OJ trial is another telling case in point. People
believe what they want to believe. All else is what we’d call, “Don’t
confuse me with the facts.”)
Consider also the generation of the Exodus. A fraction of the men, 40
days after witnessing G-d at Sinai, were dancing around a golden calf.
Knowledge alone is a very dangerous thing. If our brains know more than
our hearts are willing to accept — well, that’s the one whose “wisdom is
greater than his deeds” we talked about so recently (3:22).
We may just rebel against knowledge we cannot deny but can neither live
with, as did the generation of the Desert. If so, how are we to view
the Torah Codes? What are we to make of them?
Let me illustrate with one more related example, and we’ll finally
arrive at our punchline. I apologize for the length of this class, but I
feel this issue must be properly addressed.
In I Kings 7:23, during the construction of Solomon’s Temple, the
King constructed a large, round laver, described as being 10 cubits in
diameter and 30 in circumference. Hey, any calculus majors out there?
Isn’t pi 3.14159…, not 3, as Scripture here clearly states? My, the
ancient Hebrew authors of the Bible weren’t very sophisticated! Why,
even the ancient Greeks had a pretty good idea of the value of pi! (Pi
is a Greek letter, you know.) 🙂 If the Torah truly is the word of G-d,
how could such an archaic blunder slip in?
But let us look closer. When describing the cylinder’s circumference,
Scripture writes: “and a line of 30 cubits did circle it…” The word
“line” — “kav” is spelled “kuf” (100), “vuv” (6), “hai” (5) = 111. (The
“hai” is spelled but not pronounced.) There is a parallel passage in II
Chronicles 4:2 describing the exact same structure. There the same
phrase appears, but the word “kav” is spelled in the more standard
manner — “kuf” + “vuv” = 106. Now, if we multiply 3 by 111/106, the
result is 3.141509433… — within 1/10,000th of the true value of pi!
(This was told to me by my father, of blessed memory, as he heard from a
mathematician-friend of his.)
G-d has a message for us in all of this. First of all, do you really
think the G-d who created heaven and earth does not know the value of
pi? But of course, the message is far more profound.
The computer is quite possibly modern man’s greatest invention.
Microscopic processors perform upwards of a billion floating point
operations every second. We can process data and relay information in
ways unimaginable even a few years ago. Microprocessors, fiber optics,
wifi technology, touch screens, voice recognition, AI etc. The feats of
modern man absolutely boggle the mind.
And the question nags. Does our technological prowess fail to make us
look backwards, towards our past? Does the Torah seem dated, eons ahead
of its time for the semi-nomadic tribes of Mesopotamia but not really
in step with modern man? Does the Torah really talk to our generation
and our times? Are its messages wholesome and traditional but unable to
elicit more than nostalgia? Does G-d have anything to say to us?
But what do the Codes tell us? We take our most prized possession,
the indomitable computer, we turn it towards the Torah — and we find
even greater wisdom in the Torah. This, I believe, is
why G-d planted the Codes in the Torah. Let us not feel society has
advanced in ways never anticipated by the Torah, that the world is a
changed place, never to return to the simple, pastoral existence of our
ancestors.
No, wherever we reach, however far technology and humankind progress,
the Torah is still there and has something to say to us. The same G-d
who appeared to the ancients when civilization was at its infancy is
aware of the feats of modern man and is again ready to communicate with
him. G-d has one message to man today (or more accurately, the first of
many), perhaps encrypted in the Torah Codes, but in truth ever-present:
“I-a-m-h-e-r-e! I know of the achievements you will one day make in the
sciences, and I am still ready and waiting to speak to you. The timeless
messages of My holy Torah are still here for you, and I patiently await
your return.”
May our forward-looking society continue to be conscious of the roots
upon which it is founded. May we look forwards as well as backwards,
and ever see our Creator.
With this, and with G-d’s help, we have finished the third chapter.
Text Copyright © 2009 by Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld and Torah.org.
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