PARSHA MATH
Age group – 12 years and up
Objective of this lesson:
Appreciate math in the Parsha
Introduction to concepts within Judaism of words and their numeric values
ANSWER SHEET
- 613 = 600 (ציצית) + 8 (threads of each fringe) + 5 (knots on each fringe)
- 600 = ציצית = ר"ת (רבנן תנן) (perhaps an allusion to the Oral Torah)
- צדקות = (אני בצדק אחזה פניך) = נשרים = (ואשא אתכם על כנפי נשרים) Being careful in Tzitzis one can see the face of the Shechina and merit to the blessing of being carried on wings of eagles
- 8 = four threads doubled = second set of coils (first 2 coils equal 15 – first part of G-d’s name to protect against error with the eight parts of the body (ears, eyes, mouth, nose, hands, legs, place of the bris, and the heart) to merit a place not subject to the 8 punishments of the grave
- 5 = knots on each fringe = to remind of the five Books of Moshe
- 7 = first set not less than 7 coils for the 7 firmaments of Heaven
- 11 = third set of coils ו-ה second part of G-d’s name
- 13 = (last set of coils) אחד
- 4 = corners which obligate the placement of Tzitzis
- 39 = י-ה-ו-ה, אחד coils on each set of threads (7, 8, 11, 13)
- 26 = (י-ה-ו-ה) = 8 threads woven from two plus 5 doubled knots
- 150 = כנף = כעס fringes are a protection against anger
- 104 = לעד (last place after kri”at Shema that one kissing the Tzitzis = total items in Tzitzis (4 fringes of 8 threads each (32) times two (each thread is woven from two), plus 20 (5 knots on 4 fringes) plus 20 (each knot is really two knots)
- 208 – קדקד (crown of the head) twice 104 – custom to kiss Tzitzis by two words לעד (after Shema)