 Parashat R'ei TREASURES IN THE SAND (from last year) Beachcombing the G'matriya Beach with the help of "Otzrot Yisrael", one of the CDs of the "Responsa Project" of Bar Ilan University. D'varim 13:4 (g'matriya = 4343) contains a major warning against Avoda Zara, specifically against being "suckered in" by false prophets who perform a sign or wonder and try to get us to turn towards other gods. The following pasuk explains that this phenomenon is a test of our faith by G-d, and we must not listen to this false prophet. Here's an example of an irony-type G'matriya-match (GM) or, if you prefer, a case-in-point GM. Remember that I'm just doing computer-assisted searches and playing things by ear. It's a bit like the analogy of the Dubiner Maggid about the guy who shoots arrows at a blank wall and then draws targets around them. This is an example of a GM that simply says open a chapter of Tanach and (re)learn it. Melachim Bet 10:19 (also 4343) tells of Yeihu calling the prophets of Baal, all worshipers and priests of Baal to him, claiming that there would be a major sacrifice made to Baal, when in actuality, Yeihu's plan was to destroy all Baal worshipers. Yeihu is praised for ridding Israel of Baal. Unfortunately, he neglected to do away with the sins of Yeravam b. Nevat and did not follow completely in the ways of the Torah. We can hardly begin to imagine the allure of idolatry in those times. D'varim 16:2 repeats the command to bring the Korban Pesach, and emphasizes that it can only be done in "the place that G-d will choose to place His name there", namely the Beit HaMikdash. Reference in the pasuk to flocks and cattle is explained this way: Korban Pesach comes from sheep or goats (lambs or kids). If warranted by the number of people sharing the Korban Pesach, a Chagiga of the 14th (of Nissan) is brought (this can be from the cow family) as a sacrifice, and its meat becomes the main dish to the dessert of Korban Pesach. This pasuk has the same G'matriya as Bamidbar 28:31 (3163): "Aside from the daily sacrifice and its meal offering, you shall do, they shall be unblemished to you, and their libation." This is a Makes-a-point-type GM. The point it makes? Our mitzvot include grandiose once a year types and routine, everyday kinds. These and those are equal partners in the total picture of Torah observance. Yom Kippur and Shabbat, Ne'ila and a Tuesday afternoon Mincha, Shofar and Netilat Yadayim - these are some of themitzvot that concern the Torah-true Jew. Vayikra 25:55 - For to Me are the Children of Israel as servants, they are My servants whom I took out of the Land of Egypt, I Am HaShem, their G-d. One of the mitzvot that commemorates the Exodus and includes a recognition of G-d as the One Who took us out, is the thrice- yearly pilgrimages (ALIYA L'REGEL), as in Eikev(D'varim 16:16 partial): Three times a year your males shall appear before G-d in the place He will choose (the Beit HaMikdash in Yerushalayim)... The pasuk KI LI BNEI YISRA'EL AVADIM... and the partial pasuk SHALOSH P'AMIM BA SHANA... have the same g'matriya, 3294. Here's one more from the Bil'am- Balak series. I have found several GMs that can be used to make a certain point over and over again. Bamidbar 23:3 - And Bil'am said to Balak, you stand by your sacrifice and I will go and see if maybe G-d... Bil'am repeatedly uses sacrifices to G-d in an attempt to nullify the sacrifices of our ancestors in the hope that G-d will allow him to "bless" the people of Israel. He does not succeed. This is partially due to the fact that we not only have the korbanot of the Avot to our credit and protection, so to speak, but we have our own commitments to G-d. The penultimate (love using that word!) pasuk of the Haftara for Shabbat Rosh Chodesh, which is also the next to the last (that's what penultimate means) pasuk of the book of Yeshayahu is reread after the last pasuk, because it contains a cheerier message than the final pasuk. (This is done for four books of Tanach - Yeshayahu, Trei Asar (Zechariya), Eicha, Kohelet.)The pasuk in question, Yeshayahu 66:23, contains our Bil'am-antidote: And on Rosh Chodesh from month to month, and from Shabbat to Shabbat, we will all come to bow and worship before HaShem. If we live up to this commitment to G-d and Torah, no Bil'am can touch us. The two p'sukim mentioned share the same G'matriya, 4341. Here's a nice find. This time, YOU say something about it. D'varim 32:3 - KI SHEIM HASHEM EKRA HAVU GODEL LEILOKEINU (when I, says Moshe, call G-d's name, you acknowledge G-d's greatness) has the same g'matriya (880) as ROSH CHODESH ELUL. A word of caution when it comes to G'matriya, specifically the homemade variety that appear in this Treasures in the Sand column. Don't read too much into them. They are not meant to say something new. They are meant to be a nice "numerical confirmation" of existing ideas. They point to ideas to be explored. We have a Torah Tape lending library, an Aish HaTorah Tape Library, and... [The R'ei Homepage]
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