Times each day (not including mourner’s kaddish) – a phrase that also contains seven words and 28 letters, identical to the first Pasuk in the Torah. There is another Pasuk that matches this pattern, and it is the opening Pasuk of Ma’amad Har Sinai: לֹהִים אֵת כׇּל־הַדְּבָרִ ים הָאֵלֶּה לֵאמֹר -וַיְ דַ בֵּ ר אֱ. Seven words and 28 letters – ח'כ. He adds, all who respond יְהֵא שׁ ְ מֵ הּ רַ בָּא מְ בָרַ ך with all their might (כּוֹחוֹ) becomes a partner with Hakadosh Baruch Hu in the Creation and is as if he received the Torah on Har Sinai. Why? Because all three are verses of seven words and twenty-eight letters. (He then adds a similar idea related to the opening Pasuk of Parshat Ha’azinu.)
Corresponding to this model, Shlomo HaMelech provides us with seven well-known Pesukim that speak of 28 times (Kohelet 3:2-8): עֵת מִלְחָמָה וְעֵת שׁ ָלוֹם ...עֵת לָלֶדֶ ת וְעֵת לָמוּת. There are many more examples of seven in our lives and rituals, but we’ll suffice with these examples, plus one more. The Midrash says (Vayikra Rabbah 29:11): כָּל הַ שׁ ְּ בִ יעִ ין חֲבִ יבִ ין לְעוֹלָם – All the sevens are forever beloved. The Midrash then lists sets of seven, along with a Pasuk supporting why the seventh in each set is the most beloved. Some examples include: Aravot is the most beloved of firmaments, as it says: הּ שְׁמוֹ -סֹלוּ לָרֹכֵב בָּעֲרָבוֹת בְּיָ; Tevel is the most beloved of lands, supported by the Pasuk: וְהוּא יִשְׁפֹּט תֵּבֵל בְּצֶדֶק יָדִ ין לְאֻמִּים בְּמֵישׁ ָרִים. Chanoch is the most beloved of the generations, as it says: ל ֹהִ ים- אֶת הָאֱ חֲנוֹך ִתְ הַלֵּך ּ וַי; The seventh year is the most beloved of the years, as it says: ו ְ ה ַ שׁ ּ ְ ב ִ י ע ִ י ת תּ ִ שׁ ְ מְ ט ֶ נ ּ ָ ה ו ּ נ ְ ט ַ שׁ ְ תּ ָ ה ּ; and the seventh day is the most beloved of the days, as it says: לֹהִים אֶת יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי - אֱ וַיְ בָ רֶ ך.
What is the significance of seven? Why is the seventh most beloved? What is behind the Ibn Ezra’s comments that the secret of the Korbanot was their completeness of seven? I’d like to reveal the secret and I hope that I am not mistaken in my interpretation.
In sefer Tiferet Yonatan (Behar), Rav Yonatan Eybeschutz writes that the number seven is a holy number because the Kadmonim (early Rabbis) embraced the number ten, which was the strongest of numbers. We know about the Ten Utterances, the Ten Sefirot, the Ten Commandments, etc. along with the rule of אֵין דָּבָר שׁ ֶבִּקְדֻושָּׁה פָּחוֹת מֵעֲשָׂרָה – any expression of sanctity may not be recited in a quorum of fewer than ten. With ten comes the presence of the Shechinah.
When it comes to the numbers in general, the number one is singular and representative of Hakadosh Baruch Hu, while the numbers two and onward are יְלִיד and נוֹלַד – i.e., they both generate and are generated. For example, two generates four, in that combining two and two together produces four. Three generates six and nine, in that combining three and three together produces six, while adding another three yields nine. The number four is generated from two – i.e., two and two – while it also generates eight. Five is not generated from any pair, but it generates ten. Six is generated from three, eight is generated from four, nine is generated from three, and ten is generated from five. The only number that is not generated from another, and does not generate another, is the number seven. Putting seven and seven together yields fourteen, which is already outside the scope of ten, and there is no pair that comes together to form the number seven. Because seven neither is neither generated and does not generate, it is considered ק ָ ד ו ֹ שׁ מֻ ב ְ ד ּ ָ ל ו ּ מֻ פ ְ רָ שׁ – sacred, differentiated, and separated. Therefore, says Rav Yonatan Eybeschutz, the number seven corresponds to Hakadosh Baruch Hu.
Layered atop this concept is an idea presented by the Maharal (Pirkei Avot 5). Have a look at the unique structure in the fifth chapter of Pirkei Avot. In order, it is comprised Mishnayot that list sets of ten, Mishnayot that list sets of seven, and Mishnayot that list sets of four. What is behind this unique formation? Could it be that it just happened to land this way when arranging the Mishnayot in memory and then putting them to paper? Is it mere happenstance that no sets of three were found? There are certainly sets of three found elsewhere in Pirkei Avot, so is it just chance that they didn’t make their way into this parade of numbers and sets? Why not include a small sample of every number? Why limit the sets presented to ten, seven, and four?
The Maharal says there is nothing accidental in this pattern. The Gemara (Menachot 29b) teaches that Olam Hazeh and Olam Haba were created with two letters: yud and heh, as it says צוּר עוֹלָמִים 'הּ ה'כִּ י בְּ יָ. The Gemara then debates which letter is connected to which world, indicating that Olam Hazeh was created with the letter heh, and Olam Haba with the letter yud, which is appropriate given that the Shechinah resides once there are ten and the World to Come is one where Hakadosh Baruch Hu will constantly dwell. The Maharal then points to how the letter heh is written (in Ashkenazi tradition). ה – the letter consists of a daled along with the addition of the letter yud below it, and the Maharal says, daled and yud represent the connection of this world and the world to come.
Olam Hazeh is comprised of four elements – earth, fire, air, and water – that form four realms: domem (the inanimate), tzomeach (growing things), chai (the animal world), and medaber (the speaker – man). Olam Hazeh was created with the letter heh – a letter formed with a daled and yud – because our job is to elevate the number four to the number ten. We are tasked with bringing the presence of Hakadosh Baruch Hu and holiness into the world. The Kotzker Rebbe says something wonderful based on the Haftara read by Bnei Ashkenaz on fast days, including this coming week:
כִּי כַּאֲשׁ ֶר יֵרֵד הַגֶּשׁ ֶם וְהַשֶּׁלֶג מִן־הַשָּׁמַיִם וְשׁ ָמָּה לֹא יָשׁ וּב כִּי אִם־הִרְוָה אֶת־הָאָרֶ ץ וְהוֹלִידָ הּ וְהִצְמִ יחָהּ וְנָתַן זֶרַ ע לַזֹּרֵ עַ וְלֶחֶם לָאֹכֵל׃ כֵּן יִ הְ יֶה דְבָרִי אֲשׁ ֶר יֵצֵא מִפִּי לֹא־יָשׁ וּב אֵלַי רֵיקָם כִּי אִם־עָשָׂה אֶת־אֲשׁ ֶר חָפַצְתִּי ו ְ ה ִ צ ְ ל ִ י ח ַ א ֲ שׁ ֶ ר שׁ ְ ל ַ ח ְ תּ ִ י ו ׃
For as the rain or snow drops from heaven and does not return but soaks the earth and makes it bring forth vegetation, yielding seed for sowing and bread for eating; So is the word that issues from My mouth, it does not come back to Me unfulfilled, but performs what I purpose and achieves what I sent it to do.
The Kotzker Rebbe asks, if we say that the rain and snow will descend but not return, should that not be the end of the statement? It won’t return – great. Why is there a need to then explain what this rain and snow will then do on earth? The reason it is spelled out is that what’s done on earth does indeed wind up back in heaven! If the rains produce wheat that led to my bracha on the challah before and after eating it on Shabbat, my berachot elevate the rains back up to heaven! וְהָאָ רֶ ץ נָתַ ן לִבְ נֵי־אָ דָ ם 'ה ַ שׁ ּ ָ מ ַ י ִ ם שׁ ָ מ ַ י ִ ם ל ַ ה – the earth was given to man in order for him to return it up to heaven by way of reciting brachot on what it produces and provides.
If our mission is to elevate Olan Hazeh to Olam Haba, and the number four to the number ten, what is the midway point of that journey? The Maharal says, seven is that point exactly in the middle. Seven is therefore what connects Olam Hazeh with Olam Haba. Therefore, all the sevens we discussed, along with all the additional instances including numerous sevens read last week in the section of the Parah Aduma, all represent the connection of our two worlds.
What does this have to do with Balak and Bilaam? The Ibn Ezra says the secret of these two men lies in their action of bringing complete Korbanot based on the number seven. The sod rests in the number seven, in that seven is complete and unique, not generated by another and not generating another. Seven is the point of connection between Olam Hazeh and Olam Haba, and that is exactly what Balak and Bilaam were after. They sought a portion of Olam Haba, but without all the strings attached, without being a member of Bnei Yisrael, and without accepting anything more than seven laws. They offered their Korbanot with the number seven to reflect this desire of theirs to cling to Hakadosh Baruch Hu and hang onto a piece of Olam Haba despite the Torah being given uniquely to Bnei Yisrael and the door to Gan Eden being shut on them.
With this explanation, we can also understand why only a bull and ram were brought, and not a sheep. To connect with the nations of the world, a connection to Avraham and Yitzchak were appropriate, but not Yaacov. While Avraham and Yitzchak both had sons – Yishmael and Eisav – who make up a large portion of the nations, Yaacov had twelve pure sons who were exclusively the Bnei Yisrael, the tribes of Israel.
We can now also understand the meaning behind Rabbi Tzadok’s words that the image of David HaMelech stirred inside of Balak, along with the direction of the Gemara that one should always engage in performing a Mitzvah שׁ ֶ ל ּ ֹ א ל ִ שׁ ְ מ ָ ה ּ (not for its own sake) because לִשׁ ְ מָ הּ (for its own sake) will follow. In the merit of the 42 Korbanot offered by Balak, his descendant, Shlomo HaMelech, offered a thousand Korbanot. But Rashi points to the reward of David HaMelech and his songs of praise arising from Balak’s sacrifices, because these 42 Korbanot are sets of seven – seven altars, seven bulls, and seven rams. If the Korbanot were directed to the number seven, the seventh son of Yishai – David – was highlighted by Rashi to point us in the direction of this tremendous sod. Balak wanted to curse Bnei Yisrael but was rejected, and from him stemmed David HaMelech who sang songs of praise, and who died on the seventh day at the age of seventy. Despite his desire to curse Bnei Yisrael, Balak’s intentions of clinging to Hakadosh Baruch Hu and retaining a portion of Olam Haba, resulted in a Parsha being named for him.
Rabbotai, on the 17th of Tammuz, the Luchot were broken by Moshe Rabbeinu as he descended from Har Sinai and found Bnei Yisrael dancing around a golden calf. The Chatam Sofer says, Aharon wanted them to wait one more day for the celebration: מָ חָ ר 'חַ ג לַ ה, and that next day was the 17th of Tammuz. Balak merited a Parsha in his name because Ruth descended from him, and the wedding date of Ruth and Boaz was the 17th of Tammuz. They were married on the eve of the th and Noaz died the very next morning, but that one night led to David HaMelech. The 17th of Tammuz, a day of many sorrows and calamities that is now marked by fasting and mourning, is the day on which Malchut David all began! And it all began with the 42 Korbanot offered by Balak in the Parsha we read this week! May Hakadosh Baruch Hu bless us that the 17th of Tammuz be transformed into a day of joy and rejoicing over the dynasty of David HaMelech and the arrival of Mashiach Tzidkeinu.
