Author Description

Each word of the Torah has a purpose, but some passages leave us scratching our heads. Why does the Torah include details that seem to have no purpose? When we come across passages that contain long lists of strange names and numbers, such as the ages of the generations from Adam to Noah, the detailed measurements of the construction of the Mishkan, or the census tabulations of Israel, we may find ourselves skimming through the section or skipping it altogether. Why do we need to know that Kenan begot Mahalalel at age 70, lived another 840 years, and that the total years of Kenan’s life was 905? We are given similar details for each of the ten men in the genealogy of Seth to Noah. The names of the twelve tribal chieftains are repeated five times in the Book of Numbers. Yet, Torah scribes expend ink writing this all down, and the baal keriah reads every word aloud on Shabbat morning. The Torah does not waste words or even letters, so what is the Torah teaching by providing us with all these numbers? Numerical symbolism is the Divine thread that binds the Torah together, from the toldot of Adam to the census of Israel. The message of the genealogical numbers is clear: Hashem is present throughout the lives of man, from the family of Adam to the generations that left Egypt and arrived at the border of Canaan. The teachings are right there on the surface of the text. One must probe the numerical design to reveal the Light of the Generations, the Ohr Hatoldot. The unifying numerical symmetry that weaves its way throughout the fabric of the Torah teaches us to take a long view of human history: the spirit of God never stopped hovering over the waters.