Weekly Story: Yes, It Is Exact
by Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon
This past Friday night, I was visited by a group of teenagers who asked me numerous questions regarding Emunah. One of the main questions was on this week’s Parsha, Parshas Bamidbar, asking if everything in the Torah is exact. For example, are the numbers recorded for each Shevat in Parshas Bamidbar exact or are they rounded off? I decided to share with you part of that informal farbrengen. As always, your feedback is welcomed.
In Parshas Bamidbar the twelve tribes are counted and each one has a complete number. All of them had forty or fifty some thousand and a few hundred, while one of them had fifty more. But none of them had an amount that ended in single digits. So our question is, is that how it was or did the Torah round it off?
I replied that you realize that today’s youth are not the first generation that is somewhat skeptical and question the veracity of the sayings of our sages and even of the Torah. So luckily for me this question was discussed in general, and let us proceed.
The Ramban had a student named Avner. One day Avner stopped coming and left the city. Some years later he returned as the bishop in charge of the entire area. At that time in history the church was very powerful, and he passed various edicts that oppressed the Jews.
One year he instructed the Ramban to come to his residence on Yom Kippur. The Ramban had no choice but to oblige. After greeting his former teacher, he took him to the garden, slaughtered a pig, made a fire, roasted it, and ate it with its blood. Turning to the Ramban he asked, “how many penalties of Kores did I just transgress?”
The Ramban replied, “5.” and he said, “I believe you taught me 6.”
He then said, I will tell you why I converted to Christianity. You once said that everyone’s life is described in the fifty-two pesukim of Parshas Haazinu. How is it possible that millions and millions of people are all mentioned in a few pesukim? That is preposterous! For example, where am I mentioned?
Without any delay the Ramban replied, “if you would take the third letter of the words in the possuk, ‘amarti afeihem ashbisa mehenosh zichrum,’ it spells the word Reb Avner.
Hearing this he paled as he saw his doubts were unfounded and indeed it is as his teacher taught. If he would have asked then, he wouldn’t have left Judaism. So full of remorse he asked, “what is my end?”
Once again, the Ramban replied that is also stated in the possuk, “I will get rid of their remembrance from the people.” Hearing this he allowed the Ramban to leave and disappeared from the city.
Another story
The Vilna Goan once stated that all 613 mitzvos are alluded to in the first word of the Torah, Bereishis. Someone challenged him and said that is impossible. The Gra replied, “you can ask me about any one mitzvah, and if I answer that one, you will trust me that I can demonstrate how each mitzvah is alluded to.”
Accepting the challenge the man asked, “where is the mitzvah of pidyon haben- redeeming the first born son mentioned in the word Bereshis.”
With a smile, as if to say that is an easy one, the Gra replied, “the six letters of Bereshis are an acronym for the six words “Ben rishon achar sheloshim yom tipuhdeh” – the first born son shall be redeemed after he becomes thirty days old.
To be honest with you I [Sholom Avtzon] don’t know how the other mitzvos, not even one of them, are alluded to in the word Bereishis. But we can take note from the Rebbe Rashab’s response to two maskilim who argued that since they don’t see angels, it must be a tall tale. He replied, “two professors are traveling together, discussing the newest theories in their field of expertise. The wagon driver doesn’t understand their conversation and he is thinking about how much he will earn from this trip. Meanwhile, the horse is thinking about the bucket of oats he’ll receive from the driver when they arrive at their destination. So just because the horses are not understanding the words of the wisdom from the professors and are thinking about oats instead, does that mean that the professors are not discussing words of wisdom. The same thing is by you. Just because you don’t see angels, that doesn’t mean that they don’t exist.”
But nevertheless, it is human nature to accept something when an idea is understood, and not rely just on faith, so let us understand why the numbers stated in Bamidbar are exact.
You all heard of instances that the Rebbe replied to people check your tefillin and or mezuzos (or another mitzvah) and after they were rectified, the person’s problem ceased. While you may say it was a miracle, the Rebbe himself explained it differently. One time the Rebbe was asked, how does he know medicine better than the doctors? How can he state not to operate when the doctor says it is a necessity to do so?
Answering a question with a question the Rebbe asked, “why do the builders listen to the contractor? They each are professionals in their field of electrical or plumbing installation, while the contractor isn’t. Yet they listen to him. The answer is that the contractor knows how to read the blueprints of the architect.
“The same thing is here. I see what is missing in the Torah observance of the individual which subsequently causes something to be missing in their life or health, since the Torah is the blueprint of the universe. Once the mitzvah is taken care of, the problem no longer exists. As our sages teach us that Hashem looked into the Torah, and through it created the world.”
So back to your question, how is it possible that not one of the tribes’ populations ended in the single digits?
If you are counting, you have this question. However, since the Torah creates the reality, therefore when the Torah states that there were forty-six thousand and five hundred men in the tribe of Reuven, that gave life to that amount of men, not one more and not one less.
So just as this is exact, so too is everything else in the Torah exact. And if I don’t see that, it is a shortcoming in me not in the Torah.
May we all merit to receive the Torah with happiness and internalize it.
Rabbi Avtzon is a veteran Mechanech and the author of numerous books on the Rebbeim and their Chassidim. He can be contacted at avtzonbooks@gmail.com
Mushkie
There are certain numbers in Torah that are rounded off (according to many commentaries), two such examples:
Malkos – the Torah states “Arbo’im ya’akenu” (he gets hit 40 times) but we only give 30 malkos.
Sefiras HaOmer – the Torah states “Tisperu chamishim yom” (count 50 days) but we only count 40 days.
Yanky
“we only give 30 malkos” – you mean “39”!
Mushkie
Regarding the counting of the Shevatim, Chida’s commentary on the Torah, “Pnei David:”
“‘The numbers of the tribe of Reuven were forty-six thousand, five hundred’ (1:21) – How can this be? Is it possible that there were not one or two less than the figure stated here, or one or two more? We must conclude that the text is not conveying exact figures, as it is written (Vayikra 23:16),
-continued-
Mushkie
as it is written (Vayikra 23:16), ‘You shall count fifty days,’ where in actuality we count only forty-nine days. Likewise (Devarim 25:3), ‘They shall mete out forty lashes’ – but they really mete out no more than thirty-nine’ (Makkot 22a-b).”
This Chida is based on the view of the Tosafot ha-Rid commentary on Chumash called “Nimukim”.
The idea that Torah rounds off the numbers
-continued-
Mushkie
The same applies to the total count of Bnei Yisroel as 600,000 as the Torah reports in Beshlach, when in actuality the count was 603,550/601,730.
A related note: The claim is made that there are 6000,000 letters in the Torah, when in actuality there are 304,800-plus letters.
See https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1254056/jewish/Where-Are-the-600000-Letters-of-the-Torah.htm
Mushkie
The Shaarei Aharon quotes the Imrei Noam, who maintains that the Torah isn’t particular about small numbers, and suggests that the census for each tribe was rounded to the nearest 100 (except Gad which was rounded to the nearest 50).
This is also the position of the Meshech Chochmah (3:16).
-continued-
Mushkie
However, Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky relates that he initially assumed that the census numbers were rounded, but when he mentioned this to his father, the Steipler responded that a number written in the Torah must be exact, and God must have had a reason why He miraculously caused each tribe to have such even numbers of people.
see https://aish.com/151850085/
Yanky
Neither a Lubavitcher bochur or Lubavitcher girl would know what Kanievsky held and what Steipler held. Or know of what Aish has on it’s websites. I am freaking out because you are a mystery!
Sholom Avtzon
When the Torah counts how many people came to mitzrayim, it states the toral was 70. Rashi and other commentaries ask that the total was only 69 and each one gives his answer how the true number is 70.
When the Rebbe taught a Rashi or explained a story in the zohar, he showed how every word and detail is exact.
The Torah is emes, in every aspect.
Concerning 39 Malkovich the Talmud explains that
Sholom Avtzon
Torah says b”mispar in the number of 40 and not actually 40.
I would advise you to listen to Rabbi Dovid Dubov’s weekly explanation of a saying of the Rebbe’s father where you see the amazing insights of what one might have thought as minor details and words in the Torah
Yanky
Rabbi Avtzon,
I think Muskie is right.
EIlu v’eilu divrei elokim chaim.
I don’t think saying that the numbers are rounded off is being in any way “skeptical and questioning the veracity of the sayings of our sages and even of the Torah.”
Chas v’sholom to say that those rishonim and meforshim are saying kefira questioning the veracity of the Torah, when they say the numbers are rounded?
Mushkie
“The Torah counts how many people came to mitzrayim, the toral was 70. Rashi and other commentaries ask that the total was only 69 and each one gives his answer how the true number is 70.”
Indeed, the Yalkut Shimonei says that Hashem joined the 69, making it 70 with Him. Others say Yakov was included
Why not just say it was rounded up?.
-continued-
Mushkie
There, there was a specific need for 70, as the Zohar says (Shmos 65), each of these 70 was to stand against each of the 70 nations of the world. Or, like the 70 angels that serve before Hashem. Or like the 70 Elders that Moshe chose (and as a Sanhedrin of 70).
The number is VERY specific – and for a reason!
-continued-
Mushkie
However, by the census counting of Bnei Yisroel, there is no special implication or significance of the number.
Therefore there two possible Torah views: rounded to the closest 100 (by Gad – 50) as Rav Chaim Kanievsky assumed (certainly this is a valid Torah view!), or, as the Steipler said that a number written in the Torah must be exact. As you support.
It’s not like only one view is true!!!!
Mushkie
The availability of 2 Torah based views on THIS issue is found:
Rosh (Pesochim 10, 40) and the RADAK – that really on 69 came down to Mitzrayim, but the Torah rounded it up to 70.
Even Ezra attacks the view that it was rounded. He says such a view is mistaken, and the number is exactly 70.
Again we see that there are 2 possible RELIABLE Torah views, each can have truth and neither is false!!
Yanky
I am confused. A bochur might know the Rosh in Psochim. A girl might know the Radak on Shoftim (and an Even Ezra). But tell me, what person knows both????
Mushkie
The RADAK I mentioned (that the Torah rounds the number of the 69 that went to Mitzrayim to 70) is in Shoftim 9, 5.
I am simply pointing out the great danger of teaching and stating that THIS view is the ONLY view & MUST be that the numbers in Torah are ALWAYS the exact number, when many great Meforshim (Rosh, Radak and others I mentioned) say that the numbers in Torah is rounded in many cases!!!
Yanky
I am speechless.
Malka
When explaining a pasuk to youth, I adopt Rashi’s words
יש מדרשי אגדה רבים וכבר סדרום רבותינו על מכונם בבראשית רבה ובשאר מדרשות ואני לא באתי אלא לפשוטו של מקרא ולאגדה המישבת דברי המקרא דבר דבור על אופניו.
There are many correct explanations, but the one to choose for a youth (as Rashi also teaches the youth) is the Agadah that fits well with the pasuk. When youth are skeptical and questioning, a rabbi should use the approach of Rashi (a commentary written for youth!), and only adopt the Agadah that reflects closest to the pasuk. Are there other possible interpretations? Definitely. But not for the youth reading the pasuk! Rabbi Avtzon used this approach, as does Rashi, and for valid reasons. No need to debate it
Malka
Meanwhile, this gave us all a learning opportunity to study the wide variety of commentaries on the subject. Nothing in Torah is simple. All of Torah is delightful and wonderful for the young and old. Let us continue learning and inspiring ourselves and others. May our delight in Torah be an inspiration for Hashem to finally send us the Geualah as He promised and we will all say ברוך שומר הבטחתו
Malka
I note that Rashi, quoted above, uses the words of Mishlei (25:11) דבר דבור על אופניו, the need of explaining each thing based on the particulars of that place and circumstances.