Spring Water
ויקרא יד ,ה: וְצִוָּה הַכֹּהֵן וְשָּחַט אֶת־הַצִּפּוֹר הָאֶחָת אֶל־כְּלִי־חֶרֶשׂ עַל־מַיִם חַיִּים
Baal HaTurim: עַל־מַיִם חַיִּים (over spring water) The Gematria of this phrase (258) is the same as the phrase of ולא במים מלוחים (not in salty water). Note: the principal of im hakollel allows the value of 257 to be considered 258.
The term ‐living waters‐ excludes: ‐salty waters‐; and מים פושרים ‐water which has been cooked‐ (waters that are no longer in a state of חיים); מים מכזבים ‐insincere waters‐ (water flowing from an intermittently flowing spring); and מים מנטפים water which does not flow but drops or dribbles from its source.
Even though the Baal haTurim’s comment only alludes to the first of the four types of excluded waters, the verse also contains allusions to the other three types:
- The Gematria of חרש על מים חיים is 766, while the Gematria of ולא מים חיים is 763 plus 3 (for the words – principle of im hataivos).
- The Gematria of מים חים is 158; while the Gematria of ולא מכזבים is 156 plus 2 (for the words)
- The Gematria of על מים חיים is 258 plus 3 for the words; while the Gematria of מנפים לא is 260 plus one (im hakollel).
Seven Afflictions of Tzaraas
ויקרא יד,ז: וְהִזָּה עַל הַמִּטַּהֵר מִן־הַצָּרַעַת שֶׁבַע פְּעָמִים
Baal HaTurim: The seven sprinkles of cleansing correspond to the seven causes of Tzaraas afflictions.
A number of places in Rabbinical literature provides lists of tzaraas afflictions including:
- Arachin 16a lists seven causes:
- a. Evil speech (gossip, slander, etc.)
- b. Spilling of blood (murder)
- c. False oaths
- d. Illicit intimacy
- e. Haughtiness of spirit
- f. Robbery
- g. Stinginess
- Tanchuma lists eleven reasons:
- a. Idolatry
- b. Desecration of G-d’s name
- c. Illicit intimacy
- d. Thievery
- e. Evil speech
- f. Bearing false witness
- g. A judge distorting the law
- h. False oaths
- i. Trespassing someone else’s boundary
- j. Devising plans to perpetuate falsehood
- k. Causing family strife
- VaYikra Rabbah lists ten reasons:
- a. Idolatry
- b. Illicit intimacy
- c. Murder
- d. Desecration of G-d’s name
- e. Cursing with G-d’s name
- f. Robbery of communal property
- g. Robbery of personal property
- h. Haughtiness of spirit
- i. Evil speech
- j. Stringiness