 Parshat VaYeishev U'S'FUNEI T'MUNEI CHOL Beachcombing the G'matriya Beach with the help of "Otzrot Yisrael", one of the CDs of the "Responsa Project" of Bar Ilan University. In addition to the Surgeon General type of warning about G'matriya that appears at the end of this column, there is, from time to time, a more elaborate comment about what G'matriyas are and what they are not. I try to say things in different words each time, because people relate to the topic differently. I open TES'sBible Scholar (an old DOS program) which allows my to browse through Tanach and highlight whole p'sukim or parts of p'sukim and get the G'matriya at the click of the mouse. I then take that number and enter it into the program mentioned above (under the title of the column) and get a list of all p'sukim (or phrases) inTanach with the same numerical value. These searches result in a G'matriya Match (GM) between two or more p'sukim (or parts thereof). I try to see if the GM contains a lesson that I can share with TT readers via this column. Most matches don't say anything. Some say the wrong things. But a few hit me as worthy of comment.Those I call Treasures in the Sand, for reasons that I've already voiced in previous columns. I would appreciate your feedback on Torah Tidbits in general, and this column in particular. So far, I tend to hear from people with prejudices against G'matriyas. You can say anything you want with G'matriyas, they say. I agree.Here, the Gs are not saying anything. They are just pointing to a Dvar Torah or comment waiting to be shared. And Reuven heard and he saved him (Yosef) from their (the brothers, specifically Shimon and Levi) hands, and he said: Let us not commit murder (Breishit 37:21). Generations later, the Torah tells us of the two M'raglim who stood up and spoke in favor of the Land of Israel, against the majority of the spies. Can it be suggestedthat we have an example of MAASEH AVOT SIMAN L'BANIM, the deeds of our ancestors set the pattern for their children. Reuven stood up and spoke out against killing Yosef. The Torah testifies that Reuven saved Yosef. Although things didn't work out as he planned it, the fact remains that Reuven gets the credit for standingup against the majority. As did Calev and Yehoshua. (Although they were not direct descendants of Reuven, Calev and Yehoshua are the BANIM and the Tribes are part of the AVOT whose deeds we see echoing throughout Jewish History.) Bamidbar 32:12 has the same G'matriya (1770) as the previously mentioned pasuk. On the other hand, commentaries tell us that Reuven could have done much more than he did. He had the status among his brothers and an authority that would have allowed him to stop the brothers cold. No killing, no selling, no terrible deceit of Yaakov. He wasn't strong enough. This characteristic is manifest in the personalityof King Saul. Shmuel HaNavi says to Shaul, you see yourself as small in your eyes, but you are the head of the Tribes of Israel and G-d anointed you as king over Israel. (Shmuel Alef 17:15, 4384). This pasuk also matches the Reuven verse, but not its regular G'matriya, its full G. This is found by assigning a value toeach letter equal to the G'matriya of the name of the letter. Alef, for example, is spelled alef-lamed-pei, so the full G'matriya value of ALEF is 1+30+80=111. Similarly, BET = 2+10+400=412. And so on. On a straight level, the GM shows Reuven in one light. The more obscure match shows us another aspect of his personality. Take a look at this. And Yaakov tore his garments and wore sackcloth and mourned his son many days. This is what jealousy caused. G-d tells Yechezkeil, And He said to me, Ben Adam, look to the north, and I did, and to the north of the gate of the Mizbei'ach there was the Sybol of Jealousy... Commentaries say that this refersto an idolatrous image (possibly erected by King Menashe). The connotations of the terms KIN'A in each case are different, but the association give you a jolt. The brothers' jealousy of Yosef almost leading to murder, causing all the grief and pain. The association with idol worship in the context of Yechezkeil. And yet,here is a third pasuk. And Moshe was 80 years old and Aharon 83 when they spoke to Par'o. Here too is the potential for ugly jealousy, but instead we have the beautiful relationship between Moshe and Aharon. These three p'sukim, B'reishit 37:34, Yechezkeil 8:5, and Sh'mot 7:7 all have the same G'matriya, 3577. The G'matriyasearch brought these 3 verses together; the comparison and contrast remind us that potential jealousy can, but need not, have disastrous consequences. A word of caution about 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. Try any of them withoutthe G'matriya. They still "work". [The VaYeishev Homepage] |