Treasures in The Sand

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Parshat B'reishit
U'S'FUNEI T'MUNEI CHOL
B'reishit 3:6 which describes Chava taking a fruit from the Tree of Knowledge,
eating from it, and then giving some to Adam, has the same G'matriya (5323) as
Vayikra (7,18) which speaks of another forbidden "fruit" (food), namely PIGUL.
Parshat No'ach
Beachcombing the G'matriya Beach with the help of "Otzrot Yisrael", one of the
CDs of the "Responsa Project" of Bar Ilan University.
"And No'ach was 600 years old, and the MABUL was water over the land."
(B'reishit 7:6) Contrast this most devastating, destructive use of water to the very
special, positive, spiritual use of the word MAYIM from Yeshayahu 12:3 -
"And you shall draw, with joy, water from the Well of Salvation" The G'matriya of
each of these two opposite p'sukim is the same (2113). "And after seven days, the
waters of the Flood were upon the land." (7:10) Rain? Floods? That's nature, not
G-d. Perish the thought. G-d is the Rainmaker. G-d controls water (and everything
else). A G'matriya-match (1494) to this pasuk is Yeshayahu 51:15 - "And I Am G-d,
your G-d, Who stirs up the sea, whose waves roar;HaShem Tz'vakot is His name."
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Here's a GM that I found many months ago and have been saving for B'reishit
and/or No'ach. At least I don't think I used it before now.
The world was created and was almost-but-not-quite destroyed 1656 years later,
following generations of corruption and perversion. This first existence of the world
began with B'REISHIT BARA... (1:1) and ends with, "And in the second month, on
the 27th of the month, the land was dry." (8:14) In a numerically symmetrical
fashion, these two "bookend" p'sukim to the first section of the world's history have
the same G'matriya (2701).
G-d says to No'ach and Co. that He is going to uphold His covenant with them and
their descendants (9:9). Generations later, the covenant with some of No'ach's
descendants takes the form of keeping the Shabbat, as in Dvarim 5:11 - SHAMOR
ET YOM HASHABBAT... Keep the Shabbat day to sanctify it as G-d has
commanded" These two p'sukim of BRIT have the same G'matriya, 2879.
When we are introduced to Avram and Sari, the Torah tells us that Sari was
barren, without child (11:30). We will see later in the Torah that it is prayer which
finally succeeds in ending Sarah's barrenness. T'hilim 19:15 - Y'h'yu l'ratzon... May
the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart find favor before You...G-M.
G'MATRIYA based on L'ORA SHEL TORAH by R. Yaakov Auerbach z"l

The Gemara says that the decree against the Generation of the Flood was not
finalized except for the sin of theft. The Torah uses the term CHASMAS, a term for
stealing accompanied by violence. That the Flood was a measure-for-measure
punishment for stealing, is numerically demonstrated by the G'matriya of CHAMAS
= 8+40+60= 108 and the G'matriya of MEI NO'ACH, the term for the MABUL used
in the Haftara of Parshat No'ach. 40+10 (50) + 50+8 (58) = 108. Rabbi Aurebach
z"l credits the Ba'al HaTurim with finding this G'matriya-match before him. The
Ba'al HaTurim furthe points out that the G'matriya of Geihinom is also
3+10+5+50+40 =108.
Speaking of the Baal HaTurim...

G-d said to No'ach, KEITZ KOL BASAR... - the end of all living creatures...
The Baal HaTurim sees a hidden clue-reference to the Mabul in the numeric value
of KEITZ, 100+90 = 190. The Mabul consisted of 40 days and nights of rain, plus
an additional 150 days of the turmoil of the flood-waters before they began to
subside.That's 190 days, KEITZ.
The Baal HaTurim, a.k.a. Rabbi Yaakov b. Asher Ashkenazi, was born 5029 in
Ashkenaz and died in 5103 in Toledo. His major work is the Arba'a Turim, the code
of Jewish Law that preceded the Shulchan Aruch. His father and main teacher was
Rabbeinu Asher, the RO"SH.
The Torah tells us that every living thing was destroyed by the Mabul except
No'ach and those with him in the Teiva. ACH NO'ACH, just No'ach was left... is
numerically equal to 1+20+50+8=79. There is a Midrashic tradition that OG, an
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antediluvian giant survived the Flood by holding on to the Teiva. OG = 70+6+3 =
79. Who survived the Flood? (1) Just No'ach... (2) OG. Rashi later tells us that the
"PALIT" (refugee) who told Avraham of Lot's capture was none other than OG, a
refugee from pre-Flood times.
Parshat Lech L'cha
Several times in my computer searching, I have found G'matriya-Matches between

one of G-d's promises on the one hand, and our failure to benefit from the
promises because we didn't live up to our side of the commitment. Each time, the
GM serves as a reminder that in many cases, G-d's promises are linked to our
behavior.3 different p'sukim in Lech L'cha produced such GMs. B'reishit 15:18 says
that "On that day, G-d entered into a covenant with Avra(ha)m saying: to your
offspring I have given the Land from the Egyptian river until the P'rat river. Sho'f'tim
3:8 states that "G-d was angry with Israel (because they abandoned G-d and
worshiped Baal and Asheirot) and He sold them into the hands of Kushan-
Rish'atayim, king of Aram-Naharayim, and the Children of Israel served Kushan-
Rish'atayim for eight years." Both p'sukim have the same G'matriya, 6351.
Similarly, 17:7 - "And I will My covenant between Me and you and your
descendants after you for generations, an eternal covenant, to be your G-d and
your offspring's after you." But we slip occasionally.
D'varim 32:15 states - "Yeshurun got fat and kicked... and forsook G-d and
mistreated the Rock of his Salvation." Both p'sukim share 4999 as their
G'matriya.And again with 17:19 - "And G-d said, Sara your wife shall bear you a
son, and you shall call him Yitzchak, and I will establish My covenant with him..."
Yechezkeil 5:7 - Therefore, thus said G-d... you have not followed My statutes..."
GM=7127. In each case, the promises of the first pasuk are matched by our
messing things up. In each case, the result should have been very different. IY"H,
we'll yet get our act together and be worthy of all G-d's promises.
On the other hand... B'reishit 17:24 states that "Avraham was 99 years old when
he circumcised himself." This particular action on Avraham's part is a model for his
descendants' commitment to observe G-d's commands. Avraham and his offspring
follow G-d's Torah and Mitzvot. That is Avraham and that is the People of
Israel.Sh'mot 12:50 - "And all of Bnei Yisrael did as G-d commanded Moshe and
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Aharon, so they did." The p'sukim G-Match at 3548. That's more like it. It's the real
us.
No matter how improperly we behave sometimes, we will straighten out.
Parashat Lech L'cha
Several times in my computer searching, I have found G'matriya-Matches between

one of G-d's promises on the one hand, and our failure to benefit from the
promises because we didn't live up to our side of the commitment. Each time, the
GM serves as a reminder that in many cases, G-d's promises are linked to our
behavior.3different p'sukim in Lech L'cha produced such GMs. B'reishit 15:18 says
that "On that day, G-d entered into a covenant with Avra(ha)m saying: to your
offspring I have given the Land from the Egyptian river until the P'rat river. Sho'f'tim
3:8 states that "G-d was angry with Israel (because they abandoned G-d and
worshipedBaaland Asheirot) and He sold them into the hands of Kushan-
Rish'atayim, king of Aram-Naharayim, and the Children of Israel served Kushan-
Rish'atayim for eight years." Both p'sukim have the same G'matriya, 6351.
Similarly, 17:7 - "And I will My covenant between Me and you and your
descendants after you for generations, an eternal covenant, to be your G-d and
your offspring's after you." But we slip occasionally. D'varim 32:15 states -
"Yeshurun got fat and kicked... and forsook G-d and mistreated the Rock of his
Salvation." Bothp'sukimshare 4999 as their G'matriya.
And again with 17:19 - "And G-d said, Sara your wife shall bear you a son, and you
shall call him Yitzchak, and I will establish My covenant with him..." Yechezkeil 5:7
- Therefore, thus said G-d... you have not followed My statutes..." GM=7127.
In each case, the promises of the first pasuk are matched by our messing things
up. In each case, the result should have been very different. IY"H, we'll yet get our
act together and be worthy of all G-d's promises.
*****
On the other hand... B'reishit 17:24 states that "Avraham was 99 years old when
he circumcised himself." This particular action on Avraham's part is a model for his
descendants' commitment to observe G-d's commands. Avraham and his offspring
follow G-d's Torah and Mitzvot. That is Avraham and that is the People of
Israel.Sh'mot12:50 - "And all of Bnei Yisrael did as G-d commanded Moshe and
Aharon, so they did." The p'sukim G-Match at 3548. That's more like it. It's the real
us. No matter how improperly we behave sometimes, we will straighten out.
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Parashat Vayeira
B'reishit 21:3 - And Avraham called his son who was born to him, whom was born
from Sara, Yitzchak.
According to one Tradition, Yitzchak was born on the first day of Pesach.
Bamidbar 28:18 talks about the first day of Pesach - On the first day it is called
Holy, all M'lechet Avoda you shall not do.
Both mentioned p'sukim have the same G'matriya - 2794.
The promise by G-d to Avraham that his descendants will be as countless as the
grains of sand and as the stars was "begun" with the birth of Yitzchak. It took a
major leap forward with the description at the end of Vayigash, B'reishit 47:27 -
And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt in the land of Goshen... and they grew
andmultiplied greatly.
This pasuk also has that same G'matriya.
Parshat Chayei Sara
Very often, my computer searches for "meaningful" G'matriya-matches fail to turn

up anything of interest. Sometimes, the results turn up something "worse" than
uninteresting - something contrary to our beliefs or positions. In those cases, it is
easy to dismiss the find, since G'matriya does not prove anything, nor doesit create
a new point. I am referring to G'matriya of the homemade variety, as are found in
the Treasures in the Sand column.
I feel the need to occasionally begin the column with the "warning" that is
contained in the box at the end of each week's column, especially for those who
skip the boxed message.
With that said (again), here is a find that is "nice".

Not major, but nice.
The opening pasuk in this week's sedra - B'reishit 23:1 - And these were the years
of Sara's life, one hundred years and twenty years and years, the years of the life
of Sara. G'matriya of 3623 matches a significant pasuk that appears twice in
theTorah, Vayikra 19:30 and 26:2 - My Shabbats you shall preserve and My
sanctuary you shall revere, I Am HaShem. This pasuk touches upon all that is
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holy. G-d, of course. Shabbat, which represents the sanctity of time, and the
Mikdash, which represents the sanctity of place. That this pasuk is what came up
as a GM to the summary pasuk of the life of Sara Imeinu highlights the perfection
and high spiritual quality of the first of the Imahot.
And another point about these G'matria searches. Even

when I find something of interest, it is often a pair of p'sukim out of several that
popped up, most of which I just ignore, because they don't fit or add anything to the
find. Here's an exception. 5833 is a G'matriya shared by only three p'sukim in
Tanach, all from the Torah. And the maiden to whom I will say, please tip your
pitcher and I will drink and she will say, and I will also give drink to your camels, it
is she that You (G-d) have provided to Your servant to Yitzchak, and in that I will
know that You have acted kindly with my master. The Gemara gives the opinion
that Eliezer did not behave properly by making this request of G-d. G-d,
nonetheless, responded favorably, in consideration of Avraham and Yitzchak. If
this was, in fact, a sin on Eliezer's part, we can categorize it as presumptuous on
Eliezer's part, or as Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Poupko puts it (in a different context) -
excessive familiarity with the Divine. As opposed to the common type of sinning, in
which one rebels against G-d, pulls away from Him, goes in the opposite direction
from the one He wants us to follow, this type of sin is based on being "too close" to
G-d. Or in thinking that it is okay to be so.
The context that Rabbi Y.M.P. uses to illustrate this kind ofsin is the episode of
Nadav and Avihu. Vayikra 10:1 tells us - And the sons of Aharon, Nadav and Avihu
each took his fire-pan and they put coals in them, and they put incense on them,
and offered before G-d a strange fire that they had not been commanded on.
Nadav and Avihutook too much to themselves. They got "too close" to the Divine.
This is one of the other p'sukim with the same G'matriya. The third verse concerns
Korach and his gang. They too were punished for attempting to offer unauthorized
incense. The pasuk in question is Bamidbar 17:32.
Parshat To'l'dot
Just one item this week. It sort of lends support to the idea of the "lead tidbit" from
pages 1 and 2.
And Yaakov said (to Eisav), swear to me this day; and he (Eisav) swore to him,
and he sold his birthright to Yaakov. (B'reishit 25:33).
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The biological aspect of being a first born cannot be changed by a sale or oath or
deal or whatever. There is, however, another aspect of the birthright that can
change hands. The spiritual dimension of the first born starts off with the biological
B'CHOR, but apparently is transferable.
Bamidbar 3:42 gives us a different example of the same idea. And Moshe counted,
as G-d had commanded him, all the firstborns of the Children of Israel. This set into
motion the transfer of the spiritual dimension of the birthright from the B'CHORIM
to the LEVI'IM. The two p'sukim quoted have the same G'matriya, 2878.
Parshat Vayeitzei
There's an old joke about a guy walking around with a placard which said "life is
like a bowl of cherries". Someone confronted him and asked him, "how so?". "How
should I know, I'm not a philosopher", he replied.
That's how it is sometimes with some of the G'matriya - matches I find. For
example...
B'reishit 28:11 - "And he (Yaakov) encountered the place and slept there because
the sun had set, and he took from the stones of the place and placed them about
his head and he lied down in that place." Commentaries make various comments
about the rocks, We have a sense that they are important. When Yaakov awakes,
the Torah speaks of a rock, singular.
A person should realize that wealth is not permanent; it can be lost as easily as it is
gained. Therefore, if one is blessed with wealth, he should use it wisely,
constructively, charitably. This idea is symbolized by the ladder, and the ups and
downs that take place on it - the SULAM, with the angels OLIM V'YORDIMBO.
SULAM (ladder) is numerically 60+6+30+40=136. MAMON (money) is also
40+40+6+50=136. And so is ONI (poverty) 70+6+50+10=136. More... KOL, voice
(prayer) and TZOM, fasting are also equal to 136, perhaps saying that prayer and
petition of G-d can be effective in resulting in a blessing of wealth rather than one's
being poor.
Towards the end of the sedra, Yaakov and Lavan make some kind of deal that is
"witnessed" by a mound of rocks. This pasuk totals 3745, as does Yehoshua 4:21 -
"And he said to Bnei Yisrael thus, when your children will ask their parents
tomorrow saying: What are these rocks?" The rocks that Yehoshua was talking
about were the reminders of the miracle of the crossing of the Jordan River. What's
the connection? I don't have one, but I feel that there is something to point out.
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Here's an interesting GM which contrasts the course of the lives of Rachel and
Leah. B'reishit 29:35 tells us that Leah became pregnant yet another time (fourth)
and gave birth to a boy, and said, this time I will thank G-d (especially, because it
means that I already have more than the average share of Yaakov's sons -12 sons
/ 4 wives = 3 sons per wife); therefore she named him Yehuda; and she stopped
having children. As we know, Leah has two more sons and a daughter. Meanwhile,
her sister Rachel is having so much difficulty having children. Pasuk 35:16 tells us
that they (Yaakov and family) traveled from Beit El and were in the Efrataarea
when Rachel gave birth to Binyamin, but had complications from which she died.
These two p'sukim have the same G'matriya (4314), but what different stories they
tell us.
Here are two p'sukim in the same perek that match G'matriya and raise an
eyebrow when looked at together. Rachel complains to Yaakov about her
childlessness. In 30:2, Yaakov replies angrily that he is not G-d, not the one who
has prevented her from conceiving. These words might be true, but they are harsh
to one who feels so downhearted. In 30:23 we read that Rachel became pregnant
and gave birth to a boy, and said, "G-d has taken away my reproach".
Both p'sukim total 3076. Perhaps it can be said that Yaakov's words are more than
G-d wanted Rachel to suffer, and she finally had a child.
Food for thought. That is sometimes what these GMs are.
Here's one more. End of the sedra, Yaakov goes on his way and encounters
angels of G-d (sent to protect him). That's 32:2, with a G'matriya of 873. Bamidbar
10:34 tells us that G-d's Cloud was over the people all day when they traveled from
the camp. That pasuk too, totals 873. G-d's protection for Yaakov Avinu, G-d's
protection for Yaakov's children, Bnei Yisrael.
One TT reader is keeping me on my toes, by checking the G'matriyas of the

p'sukim in this column. Last week's GM involved Bamidbar 3:42, which I indicated
totaled 2878. The reader came up with 2884. A discrepancy of 6 screamed out:
VAV. And sure enough, in checking the G'matriya of the pasuk in question, the
Bible Scholar program of TES gave 2884 as the G'matriya result. The Bar Ilan CD
spelled the word B'CHOR in the pasuk without a VAV. The Jerusalem Bible and a
standard Chumash spell it with a VAV, This is not the first time I have found a
difference of a VAV between the two computer programs. I have someone
checking into the source Tanach of the Bar Ilan CDs, and I'll report on it IY"H when
I find out what's what.
Parashat Vayeitzei
TREASURES IN THE SAND - U'S'FUNEI T'MUNEI CHOL (from last year)
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There's an old joke about a guy walking around with a placard which said "life is
like a bowl of cherries". Someone confronted him and asked him, "how so?". "How
should I know, I'm not a philosopher", he replied.
That's how it is sometimes with some of the G'matriya-matches I find. For

example...
B'reishit 28:11 - "And he (Yaakov) encountered the place and slept there because
the sun had set, and he took from the stones of the place and placed them about
his head and he lied down in that place." Commentaries make various comments
about the rocks, We have a sense that they are important. When Yaakov awakes,
the Torahspeaksof a rock, singular. Towards the end of the sedra, Yaakov and
Lavan make some kind of deal that is "witnessed" by a mound of rocks. This pasuk
totals 3745, as does Yehoshua 4:21 - "And he said to Bnei Yisrael thus, when your
children will ask their parents tomorrow saying: What are these rocks?" The rocks
that Yehoshuawastalking about were the reminders of the miracle of the crossing
of the Jordan River. What's the connection? I don't have one, but I feel that there is
something to point out.
Here's an interesting GM which contrasts the course of the lives of Rachel and
Leah. B'reishit 29:35 tells us that Leah became pregnant yet another time (fourth)
and gave birth to a boy, and said, this time I will thank G-d (especially, because it
means that I already have more than the average share of Yaakov's sons -12sons /
4 wives = 3 sons per wife); therefore she named him Yehuda; and she stopped
having children. As we know, Leah has two more sons and a daughter. Meanwhile,
her sister Rachel is having so much difficulty having children. Pasuk 35:16 tells us
that they (Yaakov and family) traveled from Beit El and were in the Efrataareawhen
Rachel gave birth to Binyamin, but had complications from which she died. These
two p'sukim have the same G'matriya (4314), but what different stories they tell us.
#####
Here are two p'sukim in the same perek that match G'matriya and raise an
eyebrow when looked at together. Rachel complains to Yaakov about her
childlessness. In 30:2, Yaakov replies angrily that he is not G-d, not the one who
has prevented her from conceiving. These words might be true, but they are harsh
to one who feelssodownhearted. In 30:23 we read that Rachel became pregnant
and gave birth to a boy, and said, "G-d has taken away my reproach". Both p'sukim
total 3076. Perhaps it can be said that Yaakov's words are more than G-d wanted
Rachel to suffer, and she finally had a child.
Food for thought. That is sometimes what these GMs are.
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Here's one more. End of the sedra, Yaakov goes on his way and encounters
angels of G-d (sent to protect him). That's 32:2, with a G'matriya of 873. Bamidbar
10:34 tells us that G-d's Cloud was over the people all day when they traveled from
the camp. That pasuk too, totals 873. G-d's protection for Yaakov Avinu, G-d's
protectionforYaakov's children, Bnei Yisrael.
Parashat Vayishlach
R. Yaakov Auerbach z"l give an interesting numeric twist on Yaakov's name-

change-blessing. The Zohar says that Yaakov's fight was against the Satan.
Yaakov = 10+70+100+2 = 182. Satan = 300+9+50 = 359. By defeating the Satan,
Yaakov adds Satan's numeric value to his own and acquires a new name: Yisrael,
which is 10+300+200+1+30= 541, that is 182 + 359 = 541.
Yaakov prepares elaborate gifts from his flocks and herds for Eisav to be delivered
with a good-will message of appeasement.
The Baal HaTurim points out that there are two p'sukim in the Torah in which every
word ends with a "final mem". Here in Vayishlach (32:15): 200 she-goats, 20 he-
goats... and BaMidbar (29:33): And their (referring to sacrifices) flour-oil offerings,
their wine of libation, for the oxen... Is there a connection? Yaakov sent 550
animals as an appeasement to Eisav, even though G-d had assured him that He
would protect him. Yaakov's descendants were destined to offer 550 animals per
year as Musaf sacrifices.
In the past, I let the Baal HaTurim go by without checking his numbers. This year, I
tried to match his totals, and with great difficulty. Counting Musafim only didn't
work. But then the Baal HaTurim doesn't say Musafim, he says korbanot except for
the daily T'midim. That allows more than Musaf to enter the total. For a regular
year, there was a discrepancy that I couldn't explain away. Here's the best I came
up with. Take a year of 13 months and 55 Shabbatot. 55 Shabbatot means 110
lambs as Musafim. 13 Rosh Chodeshes. Each has 2 bulls, a ram, 7 lambs, and a
goat as a Chatat - 11 animals, times 13. That's 143. Total so far - 253. 7 days of
Pesach and 1 day of Shavuot have the same Musaf as Rosh Chodesh for another
88 animals. 341 so far. There is an additional lamb with the Omer on day 2 of
Pesach, 1 bull, 2 rams, 7 lambs, a goat, and another two lambs on Shavuot with
the Two Loaves, in addition to Musaf. That's another 14 animals for a running total
of 355. Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur and Shmini Atzeret all have the same
Musaf of a bull, a ram, 7 lambs, and a Chatat goat. That's 10 animals for each
Musaf - 30 all together. Now we are at 385. Yom Kippur has an additional bull and
ram from the Kohen Gadol and 2 goats and a ram on behalf of the people. (One of
those goats is not really a Korban - it is sent out into the Midbar alive - but the
Torah calls both goats Chatat..) So let's count 5 more animals for a total, not
counting Sukkot, of 390. On Sukkot, the Musafim total 70 bulls, 14 rams (2 each
10
day), 98 lambs (14 each day), and a Chatat goat each day for another 7. That's
189 more animals for a total of 579. The number of animals that Yaakov sent toi
Eisav is given as 550 if you total the numbers in the p'sukim, but if you look at
Rashi you'll find another 30 camels - one male for each female. The Torah says 30
nursing camels and their sons. So there were actually 580 animals in Yaakov's gift.
579 animals brought in the course of the longest year, not counting T'midim. That's
one off and the Baal HaTurim seems to have that a lot and not be bothered by it.)
Parshat VaYeishev
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
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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.
Parshat Va'y'chi
Easing back into this feature too.
HAMALACH HA'GO'EIL OTI... That pasuk's G'matriya is 4710, as mentioned

elsewhere in this issue. It matches the pasuk from Balak which tells us that G-d
appeared to Bil'am at night and gave him restricted permission to go with the
delegation from Balak (Bamidbar 22:2). This is another example of many GMs
12
(G'matriya matches)that remind us that Bil'am's attempts to "bless" the People of
Israel were doomed to failure from the start. Here is Yaakov's bracha to his
descendants serving as the vaccination against the attempts of Balak and Bil'am to
do the opposite.
Another...
B'reishit 49:1,2 - Yaakov calls to his sons to gather to him, so that he can tell them
what will happen at the latter days. Gather and listen, sons of Yaakov, and listen to
Yisrael your father.
Yaakov does not tell them. But look at these two p'sukim that the computer
matched to the G'matriya of both p'sukim in ch. 49 - 5462.
B'reishit 6:17 - And I Am bringing the Mabul to the world to destroy... That is one
scenario, G-d forbid, of what can happen in the future. Sh'mot 35:2 is one of the
verses that command us to keep the Shabbat, a foretaste of the world to come.
That is the other possibility.
Parshat Sh'mot
1) When Yosef revealed himself to his brothers, he told them that G-d had sent him
into Egypt before them to prepare it for them so that there will be a great
deliverance (B'reishit 45:7). The G'matriya of the pasuk is 3161, the same as the
open pasuk in the book and sedra of Sh'mot - And these are the names of Bnei
Yisrael who are coming to Egypt with Yaakov... With this GM (G'matriya-match)
one is reminded of the connection between the Sale of Yosef and the subsequent
going down to Egypt of Yaakov and his descendants.
2) Shmot 1:6 states that Yosef and all his brothers and all that generation died out.
G'matriya of 981 matches D'varim 4:4, the well-known pasuk: And you who cling to
HaShem your G-d are all alive today. The latter pasuk alludes to the concept of life
after death, and to T'chiyat HaMeitim. Yosef and his brothers and that whole
generation gone? Yes... and no. Righteous people in death are called living. This
latter pasuk comforts us for the loss expressed in the former pasuk. It sounded so
final. But we know that they are still alive.
3) Here's another GM that appeals to one's sense of balance. And a new king
arose over Egypt who "didn't know" Yosef (Shmot 1:8). T'hilim 89:21 states: "I
found David My servant, with My holy oil I anointed him". Both p'sukim total 2211.
Their king; our king.
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4) Shmot 2:4 tells us that baby Moshe's sister stood at a distance (from his basket,
and kept an eye on him) to know what would happen to him. This point very early
in the life of the future Moshe Rabeinu is beautifully matched to a pasuk at the
other end of Moshe's life. D'varim 34:10 tells us, in summation of Moshe's life- And
no prophet arose in Israel like Moshe, who G-d communicated face-to-face. Both
these p'sukim, from the beginning and end of Moshe's temporal life in this world,
have the same G'matriya - 2236. 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 without the G'matriya. They still "work".
Parshat Bo
After Moshe and Aharon visit Par'o for the first time and ask/demand that he let the
People go, Par'o increases the people's burdens by commanding that no straw be
given to them AND that their quota of bricks not be reduced. Shmot 5:9 - Make the
work more intense upon the people and they shall do it, and not pay attentionto
false words. This intensification of the slavery in Egypt is offset by what might be
the first step in the process of redemption - the first mitzva to the People of Israel,
the setting up of the calendar. Shmot 12:2 - This month is for you the first of your
months... These two p'sukim have the same G'matriya, 2658.
Please remember, I'm not suggesting that the match of G'matriya proves anything
or makes any kind of statement. It is just an observation of a neatness and balance
that I find appealing. Hope some of you do too.
Shabbat and Yom Tov are the same and they are different. Both are sanctified by
G-d, both have prohibitions of Melacha, both are called Shabbat, both testify to G-
d's creation of and His continued ruling of the world and nature. Shabbat is known
as the "first of the days called holy", the first of the Yamim Tovim. Hereis a nice
G'matriya-match (GM) that ties Shabbat and Yom Tov together. B'reishit 2:3 - And
G-d blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, for He rested from all His work that
He created... And in Shmot 12:16 we have - And on the first day (of Pesach) it is
Yom Tov (called Holy) and on the 7th day... no manner of melachamay be done,
except for... These 2 p'sukim have the same G'matriya, 4928.
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Here is a GM that links the redemption from Mitzrayim to the future redemption as
prophesied by Yirmiyahu. Shmot 12:37 - And Bnei Yisrael traveled from Raamses
to Sukot, about 600,000 men, not counting (women and) children. And there will
come the day, says G-d, that I will break the yoke from upon your neck and burst
yourbonds... Each pasuk totals to 3556. There are many links between Geulat
Mitzrayim and the Complete Geula; this is a numerical link.
The Midrash, Shir HaShirim Rabba, states that "the world was not created except
for Yisrael". Here's a nice GM that illustrates that idea in a specific case. B'reishit
1:11 - And G-d said, let the Earth spring forth with vegetation... For what purpose
was the plant kingdom created, so to speak, so that Bnei Yisrael wouldbe able to
do what it says in Shmot 12:39 - And they baked the dough that they took from
Egypt into matzot... Same G'matriya, 5165.
This is the "Surgeon General's warning" that appears at the end of each Treasures
in the Sand column.
Parshat B'Shalach
Only one entry this week. Presented in numerical support of the idea of the Lead
Tidbit.
Shmot 15:2, the second pasuk of the SHIRA, is a magnificent expression of joy in
being the recipient of G-d's "favor". G-d is my strength and song, He is my G-d,
and I will praise Him... I will exalt Him.
For what do we say all that? There are two p'sukim in T'hilim with the same
G'matriya as AZI V'ZIMRAT KAH...
105:43 - And He brought out His people with joy, and His chosen with gladness.
The GM, we can say, answers the above question - We praise G-d for Y'tzi'at
Mitzrayim and all the miracles associated with the Exodus (including the Splitting of
the Sea).
19-2 - The heavens declare the glory of G-d, and the firmament proclaims His
handiworks. This GM says that it is all of Creation that is the cause of our joy and
its expession.
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Of course, the answer is both. The Jew with "eyes in his head", as the expression
goes, can and must see G-d's greatness in the unusual as well as in the mundane.
Each of the three p'sukim - the one from the Shira and the two from T'hilim, add up
to 1781.
Parshat Mishpatim
Avraham Avinu was told by G-d: KUM HIT-HALEICH BA'ARETZ... (B'reishit 13:17)
Arise and traverse the Land throughout its length and breadth, for I will give it to
you. G-d's promise to Avraham is conditional upon the behavior in the Land of his
descendants (that's us). One of the p'sukim that summarizes the proper
functioningof society is the opening pasuk in this week's sedra - V'EILEH
HAMISHPATIM... (Sh'mot 21:1) And these are the laws that you shall put before
you. In other words, if we follow the latter pasuk, then the former pasuk will be
actualized. Both p'sukim have the same G'matriya, 1992.
What a great nation is the one that has laws and just statutes as all this Torah that
I Am placing before you today. (D'varim 4:8) This is a general statement of the
greatness of the Jewish People because of the Torah. This pasuk came up as a
GM (G'matriya match) for Sh'mot 22:24 - If (when) you shall lend money to a
poorperson among My people, you shall not take interest from him. The mitzva to
lend, and the prohibition of taking interest are specific examples of the greatness of
the Jewish People. There are other mitzvot which typify Israel's greatness, but
these mitzvot are "high on the list".
Parshat T'ruma
Sh'mot 25:3 - And this is the T'ruma you shall take from them - Gold, Silver,
Copper... Sometimes, as in the major task of building the Mikdash, we are each
called upon to contribute large amounts. Other times, it is a commitment to a penny
here a penny there which is called for. As in Vayikra 19:10, with the prohibitionof
taking the gleanings from one's vineyards. The amount of grapes in question do
not add up to impressive amounts, as they did with the collection of materials for
the Mishkan. Both p'sukim have the same G'matriya - 3510, pointing to a certain
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commonality that has nothing to do with amounts, only with the giving fromone's
heart.
Here's an interesting point from a triple G'matriya-Match. Sh'mot 25:11 (our sedra),
concerning the ARON says that we are to plate the wooden box inside and outside
and to make a decorative border around it. Bamidbar 8:15 deals with the
sanctifying of the Levi'im in preparing them for their work in the Mishkan.
Bamidbarmentions the goat for atonement, the daily sacrifices, the flour and oil
offering, and the wine. All three p'sukim total 3652, indicating that everyone
(everything) pulls its own weight in the operation of the Mikdash - furnishings,
humans, animals...
Parshat T'tzaveh
In the opening pasuk in T'tzaveh, G-d tells Moshe to command the people of Israel
to take pure olive oil for the purpose of having an eternal flame. G'matriya of this
pasuk is 5288. It matches Vayikra 26:42 where G-d promises to remember the
covenant He made with Yaakov, and the one with Yitzchak, and with Avraham,
andHe will also remember the Land. Perhaps one can say that a constant
commitment to G-d, as would be evident in the daily kindling of the Menora in the
Beit HaMikdash, is the kind of mitzva that is matched by G-d's fulfillment of His
promises to the Avot.
Here's another G'matriya match which reminds us that mitzvot can be grand or
mundane, but they are equal members of the mitzva family. We are repeatedly
reminded that we should not attempt to evaluate mitzvot, nor rank them, since we
do not know G-d's plan concerning mitzvot and their rewards. Sh'mot 28:3 - And
you (Moshe)shall speak to the Divinely inspired craftsmen and they shall make the
garments for Aharon, to sanctify him to serve me. D'varim 22:4 - Don't see the
beast of burden of your brother fall on the road and ignore the situation, but rather
you shall help him right the animal. Two very different kinds of mitzvot, but the
same.
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Parshat Ki Tisa
Water plays a significant role in Jewish History and in Jewish Life. 3620 is a
G'matriya shared by two p'sukim that show us the prominence of water in very
different ways. B'reishit 24:11 tells us that Eliezer tewthered the camels outside the
city, near the well, in the early evening, when the water drawers would usuallygo
out to the well. In our sedra, Sh'mot 30:20, the Torah states that when the Kohanim
come to the Mishkan they shall wash with water and they shall not die... or when
they approach the Mizbei'ach to offer a sacrifice... Water was a significant element
in several "stories" of the Avot and Imahot, and it became an important"ritual"
component of daily Jewish lives. With a GM (G'matriya match) of these two
aspects of water, a full picture of its status is indicated.
And along the same lines, here is a further G'matriya match which asks you to see
the overall value of water in Judaism. Shmot 30:21, pasuk following the one
mentioned above, the Torah states that they (the kohanim) shall wash their hands
and feet and they shall not die, and this shall be a law for them and their
descendantsthrough the generations. Bamidbar 12:15 states that Miriam was
isolated outside the camp for seven days...
Parshat Tzav - Pesach
At the end of the sedra (8:35) the Torah tells us that Aharon and his sons were not
allowed to leave the Mishkan during the seven inaugural days (and nights). They
were to observe the MISHMERET HASHEM... lest they die. The Ramban says that
this was not just a one-shot command, but it is a mitzva that applies through
thegenerations, that a Kohen may not leave the Mikdash while in the midst of
service. This, the Torah tells us specifically as applied to the Kohen Gadol (21:12).
By extension based on another pasuk, the rule applies to all Kohanim.
R. Auerbach z"l found a beautiful numeric link between the MISHMERET HASHEM
of the first week of the Mishkan and the Kohen Gadol's prohibition and the
inclusion of all Kohanim in the rule.
MISHMERET HASHEM = 40+300+40+200+400 (980) + 26 = 1006.
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V'LO Y'CHALEIL ET MIKDASH ELOKAV (said concerning Aharon) = 30+1 (31) +
10+8+30+30 (78) + 1+400 (401) + 40+100+4+300 (444) + 1+30+5+10+6 (52) =
1006.
V'HA'Y'TA LO U'L'ZAR'O ACHARAV (and it shall be for him and his offspring after
him, indicating all Kohanim through the generations)
6+5+10+400+5 (426) + 30+6 (36) + 6+30+7+200+70+6 (319) + 1+8+200+10+6

(225) = 1006.
Not sufficing with this neat triple equation, R. Auerbach z"l takes the whole pasuk:
And it shall be for him and his offspring the eternal covenant of the Kehuna,
because he defended G-d's honor, and atoned for Bnei Yisrael. (This verse said of
Pinchas). G'matriya = 4800. Then back to the original pasuk from Tzav: And inthe
entrance of Ohel Mo'ed they shall sit day and night for seven days, and they shall
guard the MISHMERET HASHEM - this too totals 4800. And he brings a third
numeric connection between the prohibition of leaving the Mikdash in mid-work
(Vayikra 10:7) and the blessing of the Kohanim (Vzot HaBracha - YORU
MISHPATECHA...)both of which total 3558; the verse in the blessing for Levi
definitely referring to future generations.
Parshat Tazria-M’tzora
Following through with an idea from the Midrash at the beginning of Parshat
Tazri'a, Rabbi Auerbach z"l make several numeric observations.
NISHMAT CHAYIM, the breath of life that G-d breathed into ADAM HARISHON
(and therefore into us all) equals 50+300+40+400 (790) + 8+10+10+40 (68) = 858.
This beautifully matches the Torah's identification of the uniqueness of humans
above the rest of the animal word, in that he (Adam HaRishon) was created in G-
d's image,B'TZELEM ELOKIM BARA OTO, which equals 2+90+30+40 (162) +
1+30+5+10+40 (86) + 2+200+1 (203) + 1+400+6 (407) = 858. That the human
being, because of who he is, is challenged to by holy, is numerically illustrated by
the comparison of the following two G'matriyas. VAYIPACH B'APAV, NISHMAT
CHAYIM = 6+10+80+8 (104) + 2+1+80+10+6(99) + 858 = 1061. This matches
V'HAYITEM K'DOSHIM LEILOKEICHEM, and you shall be holy for your G-d =
6+5+10+10+400+40 (471) + 100+4+300+10+40 (454) + 30+1+30+5+ 10+20+40
(136) = 1061. And how do we go about becoming holy? By doing Mitzvot.
MITZVOTAI TISHMORU, My commands you shall observe = 40+90+6+400+10
(546) + 400+300+40+200+6(946) = 1492. Same as V'H'YITEM LI K'DOSHIM KI
KADOSH ANI HASHEM= 471 + 30+10 (40) + 454 + 20+10 (30) + 100+4+6+300
(410) 1+50+10 (61) + 26 = 1492
The Physical-Spiritual Connection
19
Imagine this: A person falls and breaks his arm. Let's see - simple fracture, left
arm, ulna - that means that the person didn't say Birkat HaMazon with proper
kavana. A painful hangnail results from showing disrepect to one's teachers. A
toothache happens because a person ate a food with a questionable set of
ingredients.
How do we know those things? We don't. I just made it up But what if we did?
Actually, there was such a thing. There is. Except we are not knowledgeable in
how it works, so it isn't "practiced" today. Imagine a person talking LASHON HARA
(for example) and developing a certain skin condition that IS a direct result of his
sin. Imagine a physical manifestation of a spiritual transgression.
That is TZORA'AT. (People tend to translate it into English as Leprosy, but that
disease does not conform with the discriptions from the Torah and Mishna as
TZORA'AT. Some of the manafestations of the one resemble those of the other.
TZORA'AT is the main theme of Parshat Tazria, not jut M'tzora.)
Our sources say that LASHON HARA is the main sin that causes TZORA'AT,
although other sins are also implicated. Not every skin problem is TZORA'AT. A
person was required to consult an expert Kohen if he develops certain symptoms.
Sometimes, the Kohen would declare the person TAHOR (ritually pure) upon the
first inspection.Basically, that would mean that the particular skin problem should
be shown to a dermatologist - it is a physical problem only. Sometimes, the Kohen
would declare the person a M'TZORA and sometimes the Kohen would recheck
the signs a week later to determine what's what.
The point is - there is a direct connection between a person's spiritual behavior and
his physical well-being. Things are much more complicated than this, but there is
enough here to provide food for thought. Today, without TZORA'AT, we still have
the notion that there is a connection between what we do and what happens to us.
We might not know the mechanics of the connection, but we believe (should
believe) that there is a connection. We are made up of a body and soul which are
firmly linked to each other throughout a person's lifetime.
Parshat Tazria-M’tzora
Following through with an idea from the Midrash at the beginning of Parshat
Tazri'a, Rabbi Auerbach z"l make several numeric observations.
NISHMAT CHAYIM, the breath of life that G-d breathed into ADAM HARISHON
(and therefore into us all) equals 50+300+40+400 (790) + 8+10+10+40 (68) = 858.
This beautifully matches the Torah's identification of the uniqueness of humans
above the rest of the animal word, in that he (Adam HaRishon) was created in G-
20
d's image,B'TZELEM ELOKIM BARA OTO, which equals 2+90+30+40 (162) +
1+30+5+10+40 (86) + 2+200+1 (203) + 1+400+6 (407) = 858. That the human
being, because of who he is, is challenged to by holy, is numerically illustrated by
the comparison of the following two G'matriyas. VAYIPACH B'APAV, NISHMAT
CHAYIM = 6+10+80+8 (104) + 2+1+80+10+6(99) + 858 = 1061. This matches
V'HAYITEM K'DOSHIM LEILOKEICHEM, and you shall be holy for your G-d =
6+5+10+10+400+40 (471) + 100+4+300+10+40 (454) + 30+1+30+5+ 10+20+40
(136) = 1061. And how do we go about becoming holy? By doing Mitzvot.
MITZVOTAI TISHMORU, My commands you shall observe = 40+90+6+400+10
(546) + 400+300+40+200+6(946) = 1492. Same as V'H'YITEM LI K'DOSHIM KI
KADOSH ANI HASHEM= 471 + 30+10 (40) + 454 + 20+10 (30) + 100+4+6+300
(410) 1+50+10 (61) + 26 = 1492
The Physical-Spiritual Connection
Imagine this: A person falls and breaks his arm. Let's see - simple fracture, left
arm, ulna - that means that the person didn't say Birkat HaMazon with proper
kavana. A painful hangnail results from showing disrepect to one's teachers. A
toothache happens because a person ate a food with a questionable set of
ingredients.
How do we know those things? We don't. I just made it up But what if we did?
Actually, there was such a thing. There is. Except we are not knowledgeable in
how it works, so it isn't "practiced" today. Imagine a person talking LASHON HARA
(for example) and developing a certain skin condition that IS a direct result of his
sin. Imagine a physical manifestation of a spiritual transgression.
That is TZORA'AT. (People tend to translate it into English as Leprosy, but that
disease does not conform with the discriptions from the Torah and Mishna as
TZORA'AT. Some of the manafestations of the one resemble those of the other.
TZORA'AT is the main theme of Parshat Tazria, not jut M'tzora.)
Our sources say that LASHON HARA is the main sin that causes TZORA'AT,
although other sins are also implicated. Not every skin problem is TZORA'AT. A
person was required to consult an expert Kohen if he develops certain symptoms.
Sometimes, the Kohen would declare the person TAHOR (ritually pure) upon the
first inspection.Basically, that would mean that the particular skin problem should
be shown to a dermatologist - it is a physical problem only. Sometimes, the Kohen
would declare the person a M'TZORA and sometimes the Kohen would recheck
the signs a week later to determine what's what.
The point is - there is a direct connection between a person's spiritual behavior and
his physical well-being. Things are much more complicated than this, but there is
enough here to provide food for thought. Today, without TZORA'AT, we still have
the notion that there is a connection between what we do and what happens to us.
We might not know the mechanics of the connection, but we believe (should
21
believe) that there is a connection. We are made up of a body and soul which are
firmly linked to each other throughout a person's lifetime.
Parshat Acharei-K’doshim
This feature is back after a long break. Here's what it is. Bible Scholar is an old
(relatively so) DOS program by TES (Torah Education Software) that works with
the Tanach. One of it's features is G'MATRIYA. One of the things that can be done
is to pull up and block a piece of text - word, phrase, pasuk, etc. - and at a click find
its G'matriya (several types at thesame time). I browse the parsha and choose
p'sukim or parts thereof that I want to work with. I then open Otzrot Yisrael, one of
the Bar Ilan project CDs. It has a feature, among many, of taking a number and
giving all p'sukim or parts thereof that have that number as a g'matriya. Once in a
while, a G'matriya-match (GM)is found that lends itself to making a point. As
follows...
Vayikra 18:3 (Achrei) contains G-d's warning against our doing any of the
idolatrous practices of Mitzrayim, from where we had just come, nor of Canaan, to
where we would be going, and not to follow in their ways. The fulfillment of this
command comes in the form of our doing away with Avoda Zara that would be a
temptationfor the people. One of the passages in Tanach that can be considered a
fulfillment of the command is found in and around M'lachim Bet 23:19, which tells
us that Yoshiyahu the king removed the houses of worship and the high places in
the cities of the Shomron that the kings of Israel had spitefully placed there...
Bothof these p'sukim have the same G'matriya, 7381.
6+300+80+6+50+10 + 9+40+6+50+10 + 8+6+30
Vayikra 19:11 (K'doshim) contains the prohibitions of stealing, fraud, and lying. All
in the realm of interpersonal mitzvot. D'varim 29:16 (Nitzavim) deals with the
abomination of idolarty - a classic "between person and G-d" area of mitzva. Both
p'sukim have the same G'matriya, 3145, pointing to the theme of equating thetwo
categories of mitzva.
The idea of the previous GM ican be seen even more beautifully in the following
three-way GM. Vayikra 20:7 (K'doshim) is the summary of the mitzva of K'doshim
t'h'yu and all the mitzvot that help one attain K'dusha. Sanctify yourselves and be
holy, for I Am your G-d. A Jew strives for K'dusha by immersing himself in mitzvot-
of both types: Person to G-d, as typified by D'varim 6:14: Do not go after other
gods from among the gods of the nations around you. Interpersonal, as typified by
T'hilim 34:14 - Hold your tongue from evil and your lips from deceit. All three
p'sukim mentioned here have the same numeric value, 2403.
6+300+80+6+50+10 + 9+40+6+50+10 + 8+6+30
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Yeshayahu 11:2, in describing the character of Mashiach ben David, the pasuk
says that G-d's spirit will rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the
spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and fear of G-d. These are
qualities which we ask of G-d for ourselves (after the 13 Midot on Yom Tov
Torahtaking-out). K'doshim provides a GM to the pasuk in Yeshayahu with a
"surprising" suggestion as to how to attain the qualities mentioned. Surprising,
because the focus is pure BEIN ADAM L'CHAVEIRO, interpersonal. One might
have thought of an intensifying of Jew to G-d mitzvot. Vayikra 19:18 - Do not take
revenge nor beara grudge, love thy fellow as thyself, I Am HaShem.
6+300+80+6+50+10 + 9+40+6+50+10 + 8+6+30
Remember, G'matriyas, especially of the homemade type that show up in this

column, are not meant to prove something new. Mostly, they are a numeric pointer
to ideas and concepts that exist quite independently from the G'matriya.
Speaking of G'matriya - here's a G-fact that someone told me (I don't remember

who) in the name of a Rishon (I don't remember who). HaShem, s'fatai... the
opening pasuk of the Amida, and V'orva LaShem Minchat Yehuda... the concluding
pasuk, have the same G'matriya. 2721. Prove anything? I don't think so. But it's
nice.Meaningful. Appealing to one's sense of balance.
Parshat Acharei-K’doshim
This feature is back after a long break. Here's what it is. Bible Scholar is an old
(relatively so) DOS program by TES (Torah Education Software) that works with
the Tanach. One of it's features is G'MATRIYA. One of the things that can be done
is to pull up and block a piece of text - word, phrase, pasuk, etc. - and at a click find
its G'matriya (several types at thesame time). I browse the parsha and choose
p'sukim or parts thereof that I want to work with. I then open Otzrot Yisrael, one of
the Bar Ilan project CDs. It has a feature, among many, of taking a number and
giving all p'sukim or parts thereof that have that number as a g'matriya. Once in a
while, a G'matriya-match (GM)is found that lends itself to making a point. As
follows...
Vayikra 18:3 (Achrei) contains G-d's warning against our doing any of the
idolatrous practices of Mitzrayim, from where we had just come, nor of Canaan, to
where we would be going, and not to follow in their ways. The fulfillment of this
command comes in the form of our doing away with Avoda Zara that would be a
temptationfor the people. One of the passages in Tanach that can be considered a
fulfillment of the command is found in and around M'lachim Bet 23:19, which tells
us that Yoshiyahu the king removed the houses of worship and the high places in
the cities of the Shomron that the kings of Israel had spitefully placed there...
Bothof these p'sukim have the same G'matriya, 7381.
6+300+80+6+50+10 + 9+40+6+50+10 + 8+6+30
23
Vayikra 19:11 (K'doshim) contains the prohibitions of stealing, fraud, and lying. All
in the realm of interpersonal mitzvot. D'varim 29:16 (Nitzavim) deals with the
abomination of idolarty - a classic "between person and G-d" area of mitzva. Both
p'sukim have the same G'matriya, 3145, pointing to the theme of equating thetwo
categories of mitzva.
The idea of the previous GM ican be seen even more beautifully in the following
three-way GM. Vayikra 20:7 (K'doshim) is the summary of the mitzva of K'doshim
t'h'yu and all the mitzvot that help one attain K'dusha. Sanctify yourselves and be
holy, for I Am your G-d. A Jew strives for K'dusha by immersing himself in mitzvot-
of both types: Person to G-d, as typified by D'varim 6:14: Do not go after other
gods from among the gods of the nations around you. Interpersonal, as typified by
T'hilim 34:14 - Hold your tongue from evil and your lips from deceit. All three
p'sukim mentioned here have the same numeric value, 2403.
6+300+80+6+50+10 + 9+40+6+50+10 + 8+6+30
Yeshayahu 11:2, in describing the character of Mashiach ben David, the pasuk
says that G-d's spirit will rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the
spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and fear of G-d. These are
qualities which we ask of G-d for ourselves (after the 13 Midot on Yom Tov
Torahtaking-out). K'doshim provides a GM to the pasuk in Yeshayahu with a
"surprising" suggestion as to how to attain the qualities mentioned. Surprising,
because the focus is pure BEIN ADAM L'CHAVEIRO, interpersonal. One might
have thought of an intensifying of Jew to G-d mitzvot. Vayikra 19:18 - Do not take
revenge nor beara grudge, love thy fellow as thyself, I Am HaShem.
6+300+80+6+50+10 + 9+40+6+50+10 + 8+6+30
Remember, G'matriyas, especially of the homemade type that show up in this

column, are not meant to prove something new. Mostly, they are a numeric pointer
to ideas and concepts that exist quite independently from the G'matriya.
Speaking of G'matriya - here's a G-fact that someone told me (I don't remember

who) in the name of a Rishon (I don't remember who). HaShem, s'fatai... the
opening pasuk of the Amida, and V'orva LaShem Minchat Yehuda... the concluding
pasuk, have the same G'matriya. 2721. Prove anything? I don't think so. But it's
nice.Meaningful. Appealing to one's sense of balance.
Parshat Emor
In Vayikra 21:6, the Torah states that kohanim shall be "holy to their G-d..." —
K'DOSHIM Y'H'YU LEILO KEI'HEM = 100+4+300+10+40 (454) + 10+5+10+6 (31)
+ 30+1+30+5+10 +5+40 (121) = 606.
24
The reason for their holiness is given in the same pasuk: because they LECHEM
ELOKEIHEM HEIM MAKRIVIM (offer sacrifices) = 30+8 +40 (78) +
1+30+5+10+5+40 (91)+ 5+40 (45) + 40+100+200+10+2+40 (392) = 606.
Nice balance, and it works out only because MAKRIVIM is spelled in the unusual
manner of no YUD before the last MEM.
We are commanded to count from the Barley Offering on the second day of
Pesach until (including or excluding?) the Two Loaves Offering of Shavuot. We are
to count seven complete weeks and we are commanded to count (until) 50 days.
We all know that the counting is "up to, but not including" 50 days (AD V'LO AD
B'CHLAL).It is actually the seven complete weeks that teach us that. But it can be
demonstrated numerically as well.
The words of the Torah that contain the command to count are: SHEVA
SHABATOT T'MIMOT T'H'YENA (there shall be 7 complete weeks), AD MIMA
CHARAT HASHABBAT HA'SH'VI'IT TIS'P'RU CHAMISHIM YOM (until the morrow
of the seventh week, you shall count 50 days...) This phrase consists of 49 letters
(not 50). Simple, but nice.
Bonus: Take the 49 letters of this phrase and write them out in a 7x7 grid. The four
corner letters are SHIN, VAV, MEM, and MEM, which add up to 386. The numeric
value of DAVID BEN YISHAI = 4+6+4 (14) + 2+50 (52) + 10+300+10 (320) = 386.
Now add the middle letter of the grid, REISH, and you get 586. Yerushalayim (as it
is spelled in Tanach, almost invariably) equals 10+200+6+300+30+40 = 586.
The diagonal of the grid, from upper-left to lower-right is made up of VAV, TAV,
HEI, REISH, HEI, TAV, MEM = 1056, which is Yerushalayim in Full G'm.
Parshat B’har-B’chukotai
The Torah emphasizes that our hold on Eretz Yisrael is dependent upon
observance of mitzvot in general, and the laws of Sh'mita in particular. As
mentioned elsewhere in this issue, Pirkei Avot echoes this idea by saying that exile
comes to the world because of... Sh'mita (violation). Also appearing elsewhere in
this issueis the idea that one who violates Sh'mita is, in some way, denying G-d's
mastery of the world. Both of these ideas are beautifully reflected in an Auerbach
G'matriya.
The last pasuk in B'har says: ET SHABTOTAI TISHMORU, and my Shabbats you
shall safeguard. Based on the Midrash and several commentaries, here the
reference is to SHABBAT HA'ARETZ (i.e. Sh'mita), and not to "regular" Shabbat
(a.k.a. Shabbat B'reishit). The numeric value of this phrase is:
25
1+400 (401) + 300+2+400+400+10 (1112) + 400+300+40+200+6 (946) = 2459.
This is balanced by the statement, also from B'har (25:38): I Am G-d Who took you
out of Egypt LATEIT LACHEM ET ERETZ CANAAN, L'H'YOT LACHEM LEILOKIM
(to give you Eretz Yisrael, to be your G-d). In this portion, we find both "benefits" of
Sh'mita — to receive and secure our hold on the Land, and to acknowledge G-d.
G'matriya: 30+400+400 (830) + 30+20+40 (90) + 1+400 (401) + 1+200+90 (291) +

20+50+70+50 (190) + 30+5+10+6+400 (451) + 30+20+40 (90) +
30+1+30+5+10+40 (116) = 2459.
Another numeric indication that the observance of Sh'mita is the key to our
continued existence in Eretz Yisrael can be seem in the G'matriyot of the following
two phrases.
U'VASHANA HASH'VI'IT = 6+2+300+50+5 (363) + 5+300+2+10+70+10+400 (797)

= 1160.
VISHAVTEM LAVETCH B'ARTZ'CHEM
and you shall dwell securely in your Land =
6+10+300+2+400+40 (758) 30+2+9+8 (49) + 2+1+200+90+20+40 (353) = 1160.
It was not in 5708 that the people of Israel first declared Yerushalayim as its
capital. It was 2817 years earlier, in 2891. Yerushalayim has been Israel's capital
for almost half the time the world exists. And will be, IY"H, forever.
The words and sentiments of this letter bear repeating as long as there are Jews
(and non-Jews) who do not understand the value of a united, undivided Jerusalem
under exclusive Jewish sovereignty... (It's good for those who already know its
truth, too). This letter first appeared as an editorial in the summer of '69 in the
Times of Israel (long defunct).
Parshat B’har-B’chukotai
The Torah emphasizes that our hold on Eretz Yisrael is dependent upon
observance of mitzvot in general, and the laws of Sh'mita in particular. As
mentioned elsewhere in this issue, Pirkei Avot echoes this idea by saying that exile
comes to the world because of... Sh'mita (violation). Also appearing elsewhere in
this issueis the idea that one who violates Sh'mita is, in some way, denying G-d's
mastery of the world. Both of these ideas are beautifully reflected in an Auerbach
G'matriya.
The last pasuk in B'har says: ET SHABTOTAI TISHMORU, and my Shabbats you
shall safeguard. Based on the Midrash and several commentaries, here the
26
reference is to SHABBAT HA'ARETZ (i.e. Sh'mita), and not to "regular" Shabbat
(a.k.a. Shabbat B'reishit). The numeric value of this phrase is:
1+400 (401) + 300+2+400+400+10 (1112) + 400+300+40+200+6 (946) = 2459.
This is balanced by the statement, also from B'har (25:38): I Am G-d Who took you
out of Egypt LATEIT LACHEM ET ERETZ CANAAN, L'H'YOT LACHEM LEILOKIM
(to give you Eretz Yisrael, to be your G-d). In this portion, we find both "benefits" of
Sh'mita — to receive and secure our hold on the Land, and to acknowledge G-d.
G'matriya: 30+400+400 (830) + 30+20+40 (90) + 1+400 (401) + 1+200+90 (291) +

20+50+70+50 (190) + 30+5+10+6+400 (451) + 30+20+40 (90) +
30+1+30+5+10+40 (116) = 2459.
Another numeric indication that the observance of Sh'mita is the key to our
continued existence in Eretz Yisrael can be seem in the G'matriyot of the following
two phrases.
U'VASHANA HASH'VI'IT = 6+2+300+50+5 (363) + 5+300+2+10+70+10+400 (797)

= 1160.
VISHAVTEM LAVETCH B'ARTZ'CHEM
and you shall dwell securely in your Land =
6+10+300+2+400+40 (758) 30+2+9+8 (49) + 2+1+200+90+20+40 (353) = 1160.
It was not in 5708 that the people of Israel first declared Yerushalayim as its
capital. It was 2817 years earlier, in 2891. Yerushalayim has been Israel's capital
for almost half the time the world exists. And will be, IY"H, forever.
The words and sentiments of this letter bear repeating as long as there are Jews
(and non-Jews) who do not understand the value of a united, undivided Jerusalem
under exclusive Jewish sovereignty... (It's good for those who already know its
truth, too). This letter first appeared as an editorial in the summer of '69 in the
Times of Israel (long defunct).
Parshat BaMidbar
Hunt assisted by "Otzrot Yisrael", one of the CDs of the "Responsa Project" of Bar
Ilan Univ.
After listing the leaders of the tribes of Israel, the Torah says (Bamidbar 1:16):
“These are the chosen leaders of the people, the heads of the tribes, the chiefs of
thousands of Israel they are.” What best describes leaders of Israel? They should
have qualities like G-d has, as epitomized in Dvarim 10:18 – He sees to the justice
27
of the orphan and widow, He loves the GER (convert or stranger) to give him food
and clothing. These traits of kindness are part of the description of G-d. They
should be the characteristics of our leaders as well. Both these p'sukim have the
same numeric value (2934).
Parshat B’ha’a’lo’t’cha
Hunt assisted by "Otzrot Yisrael", one of the CDs of the "Responsa Project" of Bar
Ilan Univ.
Once again, Bil'am has popped up in computer comparisons of G'matriya of

p'sukim. In this instance, let's look at an oft-repeated phrase (36 times as is; more
with variations): KA'ASHER TZIVA HASHEM ET MOSHE, referring to something
being done "as G-d commanded Moshe". In this week's sedra, the phrase appears
twice: WithAharon and the Menora (8:3), and with the separation of the Levi'im for
their sacred duty in the Mikdash (8:22).
The phrase has a numeric value of 1394, which turned up 3 p'sukim of interest with
that G'matriya:
And Avimelech said (to Avraham) behold my land is before you, live where it
pleases you. (B'reishit 20:15)
And Bil'am arose and went and returned to his place, and Balak also went his way.
(Bamidbar 24:25)
What suggests itself is that when we do as "G-d commanded Moshe", when we

keep the mitzvot, then we will merit being left alone by the nations of the world, and
even to be favored by them. (One can debate which situation is better.) Balak and
Bil'am who teamed up to harm Bnei Yisrael, dissolve their partnership when
theirattempts fail. And, hopefully, the Avimelechs of the world will realize and
appreciate the special quality of the Jewish people and behave accordingly.
To which we can say the words of T'hilim (113:2), "May G-d's name be blessed
from now and forever", Y'HI SHEIM HASHEM M'VORACH MEI' ATA V'AD OLAM.
(This pasuk also has a value of 1394).
Taking a similar phrase, also from B'ha'a'lotcha (9:5) in the context of the first
annual Korban Pesach, the Torah says: K'CHOL ASHER TZIVA HASHEM ET
MOSHE KEIN ASU BNEI YISRAEL, like all that G-d commanded Moshe, that's
what the people of Israel did.
This phrase's G'matriya (2493) matches that of Dvarim 21:10 – When you go out to
war against your enemies, G-d will give them (into your hands)... We can say that
military victory flows from (is a reward for) our adherence to G-d's commands.
28
Similarly, if we do as He commands, then the pasuk in T'hilim (145:20) with that
same numeric value will be activated – "G-d protects all who love Him, and all the
wicked He will destroy." SHOMER HASHEM ET KOL OHAVAV... (from Ashrei)
This is the fourth presentation of Treasures in the Sand; three times, so far, there
has been mention of Bil'am. He, and what he represents, is a very powerful force
set up against us. The Bil'ams of the world can be neutralized iff (that's not a typo;
it means "if and only if") we keep the Torah and remain faithful toG-d.
Parshat Korach
TES Bible Scholar, an "old" DOS program, is used to block a pasuk in Tanach and
calculate its G'matriya. Otzrot Yisrael, Bar Ilan CD, takes a number and outputs list
of p'sukim or partial p'sukim whose G'matriyas are the inputted number. The
G'matriya matches (GM) that result sometimes point to interesting comments or
observations.Such as...
Vayikra 26:11 is part of the pre-Tochacha promises of what will happen if we follow
G-d's mitzvot - "And I will place My Mishkan among you..." The G'matriya of this
pasuk is 3215. It matches exactly 2 other p'sukim in the Torah, each with a
different kind of disregard of the commands and promises of "If you will followMy
ways...". The opening pasuk of this week's sedra, "And Korach... took... and Datan
& Aviram..." introduces us to a prime example of a of serious challenge to G-d's
authority (so to speak). Bamidbar 35:18 deals with murder. Korach's supposed
motives were to be able to be more holy, without the "restrictions" imposedby G-d
through Moshe Rabeinu. Murder is a very different, opposite, kind of behavior, yet
both are rejections of G-d's Laws, and as such stand in clear opposition to the first
of the three p'sukim.
Remember: The fact that the three p'sukim referred to in the above piece have the
same G'matriya does not affect the comment made. It just points to the p'sukim
and "asks" if there is a point that can be made. These G'matriyot are not meant to
prove anything. It feels (to me) like walking along the beach and finding a
prettyshell or a beautiful smooth stone with an interesting color pattern. U's'funei
T'munei Chol...
***
Very similar to the first UTC above, we have another statement of G-d's "offer" to
us, His "deal" with us - Shmot 34:11, "Guard to yourselves that which I command
you today, (if so,) I will chase out before you (from the Land) the Emori,
Canaanites..." If we would do that properly, if we would keep the Mitzvot, then
wewill merit reaching the point described in Vayikra 6:8, which describes the
bringing of a Mincha offering, including its being "pleasing" before G-d. This should
be the result of our proper behavior, in contrast to Bamidbar 16:3 (from our sedra),
which describes the Korach-mob which descended upon Moshe and Aharon
29
withtheir challenge against their authority. These 3 p'sukim have the same
G'matriya, 4347.
Extra point: for each of the three-way GMs above, in each case, we are dealing
with the only three p'sukim in the Chumash with the specific G'matriya. This is not
usually so. More often than not, I just ignore other matching p'sukim that don't fit
the point being made.
***
Bamidbar 17:3 tells us that the fire-pans of the (250) sinners were to be beaten into
copper plating for the Mizbei'ach, because they offered (incense) before G-d and
they were sanctified by that act - and this shall be a sign for Bnei Yisrael. Signs for
us come in different forms for different purposes and reminders. Take,for example,
Shmot 31:17 - Between Me and Bnei Yisrael it (the Shabbat) is an eternal sign that
G-d created the Heavens and the Earth and that on the Seventh day He "rested"...
These two are not only different signs, they are different kinds of signs. Their
common denominators between the two p'sukim are the word (andconcept)
SIGN... and the G'matriya, 5971.
Once again... G'matriya matches don't prove anything. But they can focus you onto
something of interest.
Parshat Chukat
Beach combing the G'matriya Beach with the help of "Otzrot

Yisrael", one of the CDs of the "Responsa Project" of Bar
Ilan University.
In T'hilim 49:2 it says: Here this, all the nations, listen to this all the residents of the
world. This pasuk shares its G'matriya (1532) with the phrase that gives this
week's
sedra its name: ZOT CHUKAT HATORAH. Rashi says that this statement is what
we say to the nations of the world when they taunt for doing mitzvot, especially the
CHOK, without rational explanation. We say that we listen to G-d because He is
King and Master. That is enough for us.
But we don't only express this idea to the nations of the

world. We must say it to ourselves, especially those among
us who scoff at Torah and mitzvot. It seems reasonable to
draw this idea from the juxtaposition of Parshat Korach and Parshat Chukat. ZOT
CHUKAT HATORAH is an answer to the rebellious among us, as much, if not
more, as it is to the
nations of the world. How appropriate, then, is the introductory pasuk of T'hilim 49:
LaMinatzei ach Livnei
Korah Mizmor. Bnei Korach did not die in the Korach fiasco. They distanced
30
themselves from their father and allied themselves with Moshe Rabeinu. They did
T'shuva. Eleven chapters (of 150) of T'hilim are attributed to them. But their name -
Bnei Korach - conjures up in our minds the kind of Jews that also need the
message of ZOT CHUKAT HATORAH.
***
And Moshe made the copper serpent and he put it on a pole, and if the serpent
had bitten someone, he would look at the copper serpent and live (Bamidbar 21:9).
When the people had to circumvent the territory of Edom, who had refused to allow
them to pass through their land, they got very discouraged and fed up with their
lives. In the aftermath
of Korach's rebellion and the plague that claimed 14,700
lives, the deaths of Miriam and Aharon, the accompanying
thirst and military encounter respectively, they bitterly
complained against G-d and Moshe. G-d sent poisonous snakes (serpents) which
bit many of the people and many died. This situation was "remedied" by the
fashioning of the copper serpent on the pole. Without getting into the discussion of
whether this was a good thing or not, it is a case of G-d commanding Moshe to
make an image which would help bring people back to faithfulness in G-d.
What a sharp contrast with the event that occurred nearly

40 years earlier. Then the people sinned by fashioning an
image – the Golden Calf – which was "remedied" (in part) by its destruction. Sh'mot
32:20 tells us that Moshe took the
Calf which they had made and burned it in fire and ground
it into powder and scattered it over the water and gave the
people to drink from it. Lack of faith in G-d, in the one case, was manifest by the
image the people made; in the other case it (faithfulness in G-d) is brought about
by looking at an image.
Interesting contrast. These two contrasting (and complementary in a different way)

p'sukim have the same
G'matriya (5149).
***
The Haftara of Chukat is about Yiftach HaGil'adi. See the

Aliya-by- Aliya Sedra Summary – Haftara for the connection
to the sedra. The opening pasuk of the Haftara (Sho'f'tim
11:1) tells us that Yiftach was a great warrior and that he was the son of an ISHA
ZONA; Gil'ad fathered Yiftach. ISHA
ZONA is interpreted differently in the commentaries as: a
prostitute, a concubine, an innkeeper, or a woman from a
different tribe. In all cases, the term is meant to be derogatory, at it explains the
terrible treatment of Yiftach before the people so desperately needed him. (During
a certain period of early Jewish history, intermarriage among tribes was
31
discouraged, lest territory change hands via the laws of inheritance. This attitude is
well expressed by the term ISHA ZONA.)
One way or another, this pasuk that introduces us to the

leader of his generation has a G'matriya of 2411. Running
the search program turned up a "nice", famous pasuk which
at first glance had no connection to Yiftach's pasuk. Further inspection established
the connection. The pasuk is D'varim 33:4): TORAH TZIVA LANU MOSHE,
MORASHA K'HILAT YAAKOV. The Gemara in Rosh HaShana and Midrash Rabba
on Kohelet expand upon the issue of Jewish Authority throughout the generations.
The pasuk in the Torah refers to consulting the judges "who will be in your time".
Can one consult judges of another time? The answer to the rhetorical question is, it
comes to teach us that the
leaders of each generation have the authority, backed by
the Torah, that requires us to follow their decrees, without our saying: "but they
aren't as great as So-and-so". There is an equation made between three giants
and three "lightweights" (as we would define the term) — Moshe,
Aharon, Shmuel on the one hand and Y'ruba'al (a.k.a. Gid'on), B'dan (a.k.a.
Shimshon), Yiftach, on the other. The Beit Din of Yiftach in his generation is
equated to the Beit Din of Shmuel in his, and Shmuel is equated to Moshe and
Aharon. Hence, a connection between Moshe and Yiftach.
Note especially, that the pasuk in question is not just a
Moshe Rabbeinu pasuk – there are hundreds of those – it is
the pasuk that indicates Moshe's authority. That is the pasuk with the same
G'matriya as the pasuk that tells us who Yiftach is.
Parshat Chukat
Beach combing the G'matriya Beach with the help of "Otzrot Yisrael", one of the
In T'hilim 49:2 it says: Here this, all the nations, listen to this all the residents of the
world. This pasuk shares its G'matriya (1532) with the phrase that gives this week's
sedra its name: ZOT CHUKAT HATORAH. Rashi says that this statement is what
we say to the nations of the world when they taunt for doing mitzvot,especially the
CHOK, without rational explana tion. We say that we listen to G-d because He is
King and Master. That is enough for us.
But we don't only express this idea to the nations of the world. We must say it to
ourselves, especially those among us who scoff at Torah and mitzvot. It seems
reasonable to draw this idea from the juxtaposi tion of Parshat Korach and Parshat
Chukat. ZOT CHUKAT HATORAH is an answer to the rebellious among us, as
much,if not more, as it is to the nations of the world. How appropriate, then, is the
introduc tory pasuk of T'hilim 49: LaMinatzei ach Livnei Korah Mizmor. Bnei Korach
did not die in the Korach fiasco. They distanced themselves from their father and
allied them selves with Moshe Rabeinu. They did T'shuva. Eleven chapters (of150)
32
of T'hilim are attributed to them. But their name - Bnei Korach - conjures up in our
minds the kind of Jews that also need the message of ZOT CHUKAT HATORAH.
***
And Moshe made the copper serpent and he put it on a pole, and if the serpent
had bitten someone, he would look at the copper serpent and live (Bamidbar 21:9).
When the people had to circumvent the territory of Edom, who had refused to allow
them to pass through their land, they got very discouraged and fed up with
theirlives. In the aftermath of Korach's rebellion and the plague that claimed 14,700
lives, the deaths of Miriam and Aharon, the accompanying thirst and military
encounter respectively, they bitterly complained against G-d and Moshe. G-d sent
poisonous snakes (serpents) which bit many of the people and many died. This
situationwas "remedied" by the fashioning of the copper serpent on the pole.
Without getting into the discussion of whether this was a good thing or not, it is a
case of G-d commanding Moshe to make an image which would help bring people
back to faithfulness in G-d.
What a sharp contrast with the event that occurred nearly 40 years earlier. Then
the people sinned by fashioning an image – the Golden Calf – which was
"remedied" (in part) by its destruction. Sh'mot 32:20 tells us that Moshe took the
Calf which they had made and burned it in fire and ground it into powder and
scatteredit over the water and gave the people to drink from it. Lack of faith in G-d,
in the one case, was manifest by the image the people made; in the other case it
(faithfulness in G-d) is brought about by looking at an image.
Interesting contrast. These two contrasting (and complementary in a different way)

p'sukim have the same G'matriya (5149).
***
The Haftara of Chukat is about Yiftach HaGil'adi. See the Aliya-by- Aliya Sedra
Summary – Haftara for the connection to the sedra. The opening pasuk of the
Haftara (Sho'f'tim 11:1) tells us that Yiftach was a great warrior and that he was the
son of an ISHA ZONA; Gil'ad fathered Yiftach. ISHA ZONA is interpreted
differentlyin the commentaries as: a prostitute, a concubine, an innkeeper, or a
woman from a different tribe. In all cases, the term is meant to be derogatory, at it
explains the terrible treatment of Yiftach before the people so desperately needed
him. (During a certain period of early Jewish history, intermarriage among
tribeswas discouraged, lest territory change hands via the laws of inheritance. This
attitude is well expressed by the term ISHA ZONA.)
One way or another, this pasuk that introduces us to the leader of his generation
has a G'matriya of 2411. Running the search program turned up a "nice", famous
pasuk which at first glance had no connection to Yiftach's pasuk. Further inspection
established the connection. The pasuk is D'varim 33:4): TORAH TZIVA LANU
MOSHE,MORASHA K'HILAT YAAKOV. The Gemara in Rosh HaShana and
33
Midrash Rabba on Kohelet expand upon the issue of Jewish Authority throughout
the generations. The pasuk in the Torah refers to consulting the judges "who will
be in your time". Can one consult judges of another time? The answer to the
rhetorical questionis, it comes to teach us that the leaders of each generation have
the authority, backed by the Torah, that requires us to follow their decrees, without
our saying: "but they aren't as great as So-and-so". There is an equation made
between three giants and three "lightweights" (as we would define the term) —
Moshe, Aharon,Shmuel on the one hand and Y'ruba'al (a.k.a. Gid'on), B'dan (a.k.a.
Shimshon), Yiftach, on the other. The Beit Din of Yiftach in his generation is
equated to the Beit Din of Shmuel in his, and Shmuel is equated to Moshe and
Aharon. Hence, a connection between Moshe and Yiftach. Note especially, that the
pasuk in questionis not just a Moshe Rabbeinu pasuk – there are hundreds of
those – it is the pasuk that indicates Moshe's authority. That is the pasuk with the
same G'matriya as the pasuk that tells us who Yiftach is.
A general word of caution when it comes to G'matriya, specifically, the homemade

variety that will be appearing 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.
A new Treasures in the Sand
TES Bible Scholar, an "old" DOS program, is used to block a pasuk in Tanach and
calculate its G'matriya. Otzrot Yisrael, Bar Ilan CD, takes a number and outputs list
of p'sukim or partial p'sukim whose G'matriyas are the inputted number. The
G'matriya matches (GM) that result sometimes point to interesting comments or
observations.Such as...
In the ninth chapter of Kohelet, Shlomo HaMelech speaks about the vast difference
between life and death. Among other descriptive terms is his statement that it is
better to be a live dog than a dead lion. In 9:5 he states that "the living know that
they will (eventually) die, but the dead know nothing, and they no longerhave the
opportunity to receive reward (for doing mitzvot)..." This pasuk that presents an
important distinction between the living and the dead, has a g'matriya of 3250. So
does a pasuk from Parshat Chukat - Bamidbar 19:14, to be specific. ZOT
HATORAH - this is the Torah, a person dies in a tent, then everything thatcomes
into the tent or was in the tent becomes Tamei. That pasuk too teaches us how
very different life and death are. If the rules of T'mei Meit (defilement from contact
with a dead body) point us in that direction in general, how much more so this
particular detail. There are many sources of ritual defilement. Only one,however,
can impart Tum'a without direct or indirect contact. And that's a dead body. This
aspect of Tum'at Meit is singled out by the Torah, is introduced by ZOT HATORAH.
This aspect, more than the others, says that MEIT is the ultimate form of impurity.
All other sources of Tum'a are different from a regular person.This one is the same
- but the most different. That was Shlomo HaMelech's point. Maybe that was G-d's.
34
Parshat Balak
This column has appeared for the past number of weeks. Several times, so far,
p'sukim from Parshat Balak have matched G'matriya with various other p'sukim,
calling our attention to how very powerful Bil'am was, and how formidable an
enemy he could have been, had we not merited G-d's protection from him. One of
the first Treasures in the Sand that I found, bears repeating on this note.
Compare Sh'mot 19:8 and Bamidbar 23:26 - VAYA'ANU, and all the People
"answered" together... VAYA'AN, and Bil'am "answered"; VAYOMRU, and they
said, VAYOMER, and he said to Balak...; KOL ASHER DIBEIR HASHEM
NA'ASEH, all that G-d shall speak, we shall do, KOL ASHER YIDABEIR HASHEM
OTO E'ESEH, all that G-d will say, that I will do. The similarity of wording leads one
to make the following hypothesis: Our commit ment to do what HaShem tells us to
do, in some way locks Bil'am into the same mode. He too, against his inclination, is
only capable of doing what HaShem tells him to do. Had we not set that precedent,
had we not made that commitment to HaShem, perhaps Bil'am would be able to
act more independently, and would have been able to accommo date Balak, G-d
forbid. The beauty of this particular pair of p'sukim is that the point can be made
even without noting that they have the same G'matriya. That fact becomes the
icing on the cake.
Bamidbar 23:1 and 29 are identical. Bil'am tells Balak to build for him seven altars
and to prepare for him seven bulls and seven rams (as sacrifices). The
commentaries tell us that Bil'am was attempting to negate to effect of our
Patriarchs having built altars and offered sacrifices. But the merit of Israel works in
two directions - past and future. We often say that because Avraham did such-and-
such, or Yitzchak or Yaakov, etc. therefore we are treated a special way by G-d, so
too is it sometimes possible to say that in the merit of what we will do in the future,
we are protected now and shown G-d's mercy.
Bamidbar 29:17 and 25 (interesting that there are two identical p'sukim on this side
of the coin too) deal with the first and fourth day of Sukkot (the other days have
slightly different wording). We are com manded to bring a goat as a CHATAT (sin
offering), aside from the daily sacrifice, its meal- offerings and wine of libation. The
Chata'ot and the T'midim that we will be bringing in the Beit HaMik dash, protected
us, so to speak, from Bil'am, Balak, and their many sacrifices. These p'sukim all
have the same G'matriya (2823).
Bil'am's famous observation of the modesty and beauty of the Camp of Israel, of
the way we behave (are supposed to behave) as a society, is recited daily as we
enter shul — MA TOVU OHALECHA YAAKOV...
35
Two p'sukim in T'hilim share the same G'matriya as MA TOVU, namely 1691.
T'hilim 121:4 states that The Guardian of Israel (G-d) shall neither sleep nor
slumber. Perhaps we can say that when we live up to the beautiful description
of MA TOVU, then we will merit round-the-clock Divine protection.
T'hilim 130:8 says that G-d will redeem Israel from all its iniquities. This too can be
seen as a favorable consequence of our living up to the Torah's standards of
modesty and proper social behavior.
Parshat Balak
This column has appeared for the past number of weeks. Several times, so far,
p'sukim from Parshat Balak have matched G'matriya with various other p'sukim,
calling our attention to how very powerful Bil'am was, and how formidable an
enemy he could have been, had we not merited G-d's protection from him. One of
the firstTreasures in the Sand that I found, bears repeating on this note.
Compare Sh'mot 19:8 and Bamidbar 23:26 - VAYA'ANU, and all the People
"answered" together... VAYA'AN, and Bil'am "answered"; VAYOMRU, and they
said, VAYOMER, and he said to Balak...; KOL ASHER DIBEIR HASHEM
NA'ASEH, all that G-d shall speak, we shall do, KOL ASHER YIDABEIR HASHEM
OTO E'ESEH, all that G-d will say, thatI will do. The similarity of wording leads one
to make the following hypothesis: Our commit ment to do what HaShem tells us to
do, in some way locks Bil'am into the same mode. He too, against his inclination, is
only capable of doing what HaShem tells him to do. Had we not set that precedent,
had we not made that commitmentto HaShem, perhaps Bil'am would be able to act
more independently, and would have been able to accommo date Balak, G-d
forbid. The beauty of this particular pair of p'sukim is that the point can be made
even without noting that they have the same G'matriya. That fact becomes the
icing on the cake.
Bamidbar 23:1 and 29 are identical. Bil'am tells Balak to build for him seven altars
and to prepare for him seven bulls and seven rams (as sacrifices). The
commentaries tell us that Bil'am was attempting to negate to effect of our
Patriarchs having built altars and offered sacrifices. But the merit of Israel works in
twodirections - past and future. We often say that because Avraham did such-and-
such, or Yitzchak or Yaakov, etc. therefore we are treated a special way by G-d, so
too is it sometimes possible to say that in the merit of what we will do in the future,
we are protected now and shown G-d's mercy.
36
Bamidbar 29:17 and 25 (interesting that there are two identical p'sukim on this side
of the coin too) deal with the first and fourth day of Sukkot (the other days have
slightly different wording). We are com manded to bring a goat as a CHATAT (sin
offering), aside from the daily sacrifice, its meal- offerings and wine oflibation. The
Chata'ot and the T'midim that we will be bringing in the Beit HaMik dash, protected
us, so to speak, from Bil'am, Balak, and their many sacrifices. These p'sukim all
have the same G'matriya (2823).
Bil'am's famous observation of the modesty and beauty of the Camp of Israel, of
the way we behave (are supposed to behave) as a society, is recited daily as we
enter shul — MA TOVU OHALECHA YAAKOV...
Two p'sukim in T'hilim share the same G'matriya as MA TOVU, namely 1691.
T'hilim 121:4 states that The Guardian of Israel (G-d) shall neither sleep nor
slumber. Perhaps we can say that when we live up to the beautiful description of
MA TOVU, then we will merit round-the-clock Divine protection.
T'hilim 130:8 says that G-d will redeem Israel from all its iniquities. This too can be
seen as a favorable consequence of our living up to the Torah's standards of
modesty and proper social behavior.
Special thanks to the person who corrected my spelling error, and in such a
sensitive manner.

G'MATRIYA - Rabbi Yaakov Auerbach z"l
In the final pasuk of Micha, the prophet indicates three "demands" of G-d: ASOT
MISHPAT (the carrying out of justice), AHAVAT CHESSED (the love of acts of
kindness), and HATZNEI'A LECHET... (modesty).
Each "demand" has a numeric partner, as follows:
ASOT MISHPAT = 70+300+6+400 (776) + 40+300+80+9 (429) = 1205.
EILEH HAMITZVOT ASHER TZIVA HASHEM (theses are the mitzvot that G-d
commanded) = 1+30+5 (36) + 5+40+90+6+400 (541) + 1+300+200 (501) +
90+6+5 (101) + 26 = 1205.
AHAVAT CHESSED = 1+5+2+400 (408) + 8+60+4 (72) = 480.
37
OLAM CHESSED YIBANEH (the world is built upon a foundation of kindness). In
the account of Creation there are 480 words.
V'HATZNEI'A... (follow the words by numbers) = 6+5+90+50+70 (221) +

30+20+400 (450) + 70+40 (110) + 26 + 1+30+5+10+20 (66) = 847.
As a result of reaching this level, says Rabbi Auerbach z"l, one achieves U'MATZA
CHEN V'SECHEL TOV B'EINEI ELOKIM V'ADAM (Mishlei 3:4) - "And finding
grace and good understanding in G-d's eyes and those of man." 6+40+90+1 (137)
+ 8+50 (58) +6+300+20+30 (356) + 9+6+2 (17) + 2+70+10+50+10 (142) +
1+30+5+10+40 (86) + 6+1+4+40(51) = 847.
The beauty of the Auerbach G'matriyas is that they involve actual verses and not
forced, some times clumsy wording in order to make the numbers work.
Interesting side discovery
HAMITZVOT = 5+40+90+6+400 = 541.
YISRAEL = 10+300+200+1+30 = 541.
Parshat Pinchas
Partial pasuk - Bamidbar 25:11 - the opening pasuk in this week's sedra - Pinchas
ben Elazar ben Aharon HaKohen, G'matriya 956. Aside from G-d's "stamp of
approval" for his actions - His giving Pinchas the kehuna, we can see a "nice"
G'matriya-match to Vayikra 10:20 - And Moshe heard and it was good in his eyes.
(Of course, that pasuk was not referring to what Pinchas did, but...)
A kohen is a kohen because he was born to a kohen. This statement is true of all
kohanim except for 6 individuals. Bamidbar 3:2 names five of them - And these are
the names of Aharon's sons: Nadav and Avihu, Elazar and Itamar. The G'matriya
of that pasuk is 2391, same as Bamidbar 25:12, which refers to the sixth person,
Pinchas — There fore say, I hereby give him my covenant of peace.
Bamidbar 28:18 refers to the first day of Pesach when it says: On the first day it is
MIKRA KODESH, all M'LECHET AVODA you shall not do.
[Side point: MIKRA KODESH means YOM TOV; MELECHET AVODA is not as
inclusive as MELACHA – the latter refers to the whole list of the 39 categories of
prohibited creative activities of Shabbat; the former includes most, but not all
M'lachot, cooking and others being permitted on Yom Tov.]
According to Tradition, Yitzchak Avinu was born on the 15th of Nissan, the first day
38
of (the future) Pesach. B'reishit 21:3 tells us: And Avraham named his son that was
born to him, that Sara bore him, Yitzchak.
These two p'sukim share the same G'matriya (2794). As does another pasuk that
we can identify with Yitzchak Avinu. Sh'mot 30:2 gives us the dimensions of the
Golden Mizbei'ach: "Its length is an ammah and its width is an ammah, square it
shall be, and its height is two ammot, from it come its raised corners." AVODA,
service of G-d, is symbolized by the Mizbei'ach. Yitzchak Avinu also represents
AVODA. He was bound to the Mizbei'ach during the Akeida.
[Two points that detract a bit from this G'matriya-match: (1) There are different
traditions as to when Yitz chak was born; not everyone agrees that it was the first
day of Pesach; (2) Bamidbar 28:18, from this week's sedra, is referring to the
first day of Pesach, but the identical pasuk appears in Vayikra 23:35 is talking
about the first day of Sukkot. Oh well, I think it's a nice observation anyway.]
Also related to Korbanot, in reference to the two daily sacri fices, we have
Bamidbar 28:4 – The one lamb you shall do in the morning and the second lamb
you shall do in the afternoon. The G'matriya of this pasuk is 4083. This matches
the pasuk from Shmuel Alef (1:13) that describes Chana's (mother of Shmuel
HaNavi) praying: And Chana is speaking from her heart, only her lips are moving
and her voice is not heard, and Eli thought she was drunk. Chana's method of
praying became the guideline for our T'fila, specifically the Amida — prayer from
the heart, lips moving, but silent (or near silent).
T'FILOT K'NEGED KORBANOT TIK NUM – our prayers correspond to

thesacrifices in the Beit HaMik dash. Here we have a G'matriya- match between a
major pasuk about the daily korbanot and a major pasuk about prayer. It does not
prove anything, but it's nice.
In my "beachcombing", I generally favor looking for whole p'sukim rather than

"phrases". The Bar Ilan program permits searching for either, but phrases present
two problems. For one, there are often several hundred to over a thousand
phrases to sift through – a formidable task. Also, most of the phrases are choppy,
with extra words at the beginning or end, or key words missing. Sometimes a
phrase is properly "trimmed" and usable. Here is an example of a G'matriya-match
between two partial p'sukim, but they point to something nice.
Bamidbar 29:1 contains the command to blow Shofar on Rosh HaShana — YOM
T'RU'A YIH'YEH. It's G'matriya is857. This matches the phrase from Parshat
HaAkeida (end of Vayeira, B'reishit 22:9): VAYE'EKOD ET YITZCHAK B'NO, and
he (Avraham) bound his son Yitzchak. The connection is obvious. A major feature
of Shofar is the reminder of Akeidat Yitzchak. The preference of a ram's horn for
the Shofar is the obvious link between these two phrases.
[These searches often reveal other p'sukim or phrases that I don't know how to fit
in. So I don't mention them. I do make a note of them, in case I get an idea as to
39
how to connect them. E.g. 857 also found the phrase V'LO TIKACH SHOCHAD,
and you shall not take a bribe. Do you have any ideas as to how to connect it to
Shofar or theAkeida?]
Bamidbar 29:5 (re: Rosh HaShana) - "And one goat (as a) Chatat to atone for
you."This, we can say is the SUR MEI'RA, shun evil. D'varim 6:5 (with the same
G'matriya), gives us the VA'ASEI TOV - V'AHAV'TA...
Parshat Pinchas
Partial pasuk - Bamidbar 25:11 - the opening pasuk in this week's sedra - Pinchas
ben Elazar ben Aharon HaKohen, G'matriya 956. Aside from G-d's "stamp of
approval" for his actions - His giving Pinchas the kehuna, we can see a "nice"
G'matriya-match to Vayikra 10:20 - And Moshe heard and it was good in his eyes.
(Of course,that pasuk was not referring to what Pinchas did, but...)
A kohen is a kohen because he was born to a kohen. This statement is true of all
kohanim except for 6 individuals. Bamidbar 3:2 names five of them - And these are
the names of Aharon's sons: Nadav and Avihu, Elazar and Itamar. The G'matriya
of that pasuk is 2391, same as Bamidbar 25:12, which refers to the sixth
person,Pinchas — There fore say, I hereby give him my covenant of peace.
Bamidbar 28:18 refers to the first day of Pesach when it says: On the first day it is
MIKRA KODESH, all M'LECHET AVODA you shall not do.
[Side point: MIKRA KODESH means YOM TOV; MELECHET AVODA is not as
inclusive as MELACHA – the latter refers to the whole list of the 39 categories of
prohibited creative activities of Shabbat; the former includes most, but not all
M'lachot, cooking and others being permitted on Yom Tov.]
According to Tradition, Yitzchak Avinu was born on the 15th of Nissan, the first day
of (the future) Pesach. B'reishit 21:3 tells us: And Avraham named his son that was
born to him, that Sara bore him, Yitzchak.
These two p'sukim share the same G'matriya (2794). As does another pasuk that
we can identify with Yitzchak Avinu. Sh'mot 30:2 gives us the dimensions of the
Golden Mizbei'ach: "Its length is an ammah and its width is an ammah, square it
shall be, and its height is two ammot, from it come its raised corners." AVODA,
serviceof G-d, is symbolized by the Mizbei'ach. Yitzchak Avinu also represents
AVODA. He was bound to the Mizbei'ach during the Akeida.
[Two points that detract a bit from this G'matriya-match: (1) There are different
traditions as to when Yitz chak was born; not everyone agrees that it was the first
40
day of Pesach; (2) Bamidbar 28:18, from this week's sedra, is referring to the first
day of Pesach, but the identical pasuk appears in Vayikra 23:35 is talkingabout the
first day of Sukkot. Oh well, I think it's a nice observation anyway.]
Also related to Korbanot, in reference to the two daily sacri fices, we have
Bamidbar 28:4 – The one lamb you shall do in the morning and the second lamb
you shall do in the afternoon. The G'matriya of this pasuk is 4083. This matches
the pasuk from Shmuel Alef (1:13) that describes Chana's (mother of Shmuel
HaNavi) praying:And Chana is speaking from her heart, only her lips are moving
and her voice is not heard, and Eli thought she was drunk. Chana's method of
praying became the guideline for our T'fila, specifically the Amida — prayer from
the heart, lips moving, but silent (or near silent).
T'FILOT K'NEGED KORBANOT TIK NUM – our prayers correspond to the

sacrifices in the Beit HaMik dash. Here we have a G'matriya- match between a
major pasuk about the daily korbanot and a major pasuk about prayer. It does not
prove anything, but it's nice.
In my "beachcombing", I generally favor looking for whole p'sukim rather than

"phrases". The Bar Ilan program permits searching for either, but phrases present
two problems. For one, there are often several hundred to over a thousand
phrases to sift through – a formidable task. Also, most of the phrases are choppy ,
withextra words at the beginning or end, or key words missing. Sometimes a
phrase is properly "trimmed" and usable. Here is an example of a G'matriya-match
between two partial p'sukim, but they point to something nice.
Bamidbar 29:1 contains the command to blow Shofar on Rosh HaShana — YOM
T'RU'A YIH'YEH. It's G'matriya is 857. This matches the phrase from Parshat
HaAkeida (end of Vayeira, B'reishit 22:9): VAYE'EKOD ET YITZCHAK B'NO, and
he (Avraham) bound his son Yitzchak. The connection is obvious. A major feature
of Shofar is the reminderof Akeidat Yitzchak. The preference of a ram's horn for the
Shofar is the obvious link between these two phrases.
[These searches often reveal other p'sukim or phrases that I don't know how to fit
in. So I don't mention them. I do make a note of them, in case I get an idea as to
how to connect them. E.g. 857 also found the phrase V'LO TIKACH SHOCHAD,
and you shall not take a bribe. Do you have any ideas as to how to connect it to
Shofaror the Akeida?]
Bamidbar 29:5 (re: Rosh HaShana) - "And one goat (as a) Chatat to atone for you."
This, we can say is the SUR MEI'RA, shun evil. D'varim 6:5 (with the same
G'matriya), gives us the VA'ASEI TOV - V'AHAV'TA...

41
Parshat Matot - Mas'ei
There are seven pairs of sedras that sometimes are combined and sometimes
read separately. Due to the reasons for combining and separating, which are not
the same with all the pairs, and due to quirks in the calendar and the difference
between Israel and Chutz LaAretz concerning the length of Yom Tov, the pairs
differ in the combined- separate balance. Some pairs are more separate; some are
more combined.
Chukat-Balak is the most separate of the pairs, read separately 71.5% of the time
in Chutz LaAretz, and always read separately in Israel. Nitzavim- Vayeilech is the
other more-separate-than-not pair, combined less than 40% of the time. Tazria-
M'tzora and Acharei-K'doshim are combined 63% of the years. So is B'har-
B'chukotai in Chutz LaAretz, but in Israel it is combined only 45% of the years.
Vayakhel-P'kudei is combined 60% of the time.
This leaves Matot-Mas'ei and the purpose of this statistical review. It is the most
combined pair of sedras, read together almost 90% of the time in Chutz LaAretz,
and almost 80% of the years in Israel. Their "togetherness" has an interesting
numeric support in the G'matriyas of the first pasuk in each sedra. Bamidbar 30:2 -
And Moshe spoke to the heads of the tribes of Bnei Yisrael saying, this is what G-d
has commanded, has a numeric value of 3324. Bamidbar 33:1 - These are the
travels of Bnei Yisrael who came out of Egypt by the hand of Moshe and Aharon,
has the same G'matriya. Nice.
Here's a partial pasuk G'matriya- match (GM) with a single word, but an important
point, nonetheless.
Remember, I am not suggesting that the G'matriya-match makes the point. The
point exists, and it is a significant one. The GM shines a spotlight on the idea. And
that serves a purpose too.
The opening statement of the laws of vows and oaths is that a person must not
cancel (profane, void) his word, (but rather) a person must fulfill all that came out of
his mouth. This is followed by two types of HAFARAT NEDARIM, the nullifica tion
of a vow of a NAARA (girl between 12 and 12½ years of age) by her father, and
the vow of a wife by her husband. This, together with the unwritten concept of
HATARAT NEDARIM (the nullification of vows by a Beit Din, as taught to us in the
Oral Law) stand in opposition to the idea expressed by LO YACHEIL D'VARO.
That these are truly equal forces on opposite sides of the balance is illustrated by
the GM between LO YACHEIL D'VARO =291 and V'HEIFEIR (and he nullifies...,
42
from Bamidbar 30:9, referring to the husband), also 291. A vow or pledge that is
proper, thought out, etc. must be kept. On the other hand,vows that have good
bases to be undone, should be, in the proper manner, of course. It is not praise
worthy to keep Nedarim in force where there is good reason to nullify them.
Bamidbar 31:8 describes the royal casualties in the battle against Midyan - the
kings of Midyan were killed: Evi and Rekem and Tzur and Chur and Reva, the five
Midyanite kings, and Bil'am ben B'Or was killed by the sword. G'matriya of this
pasuk is 6473. One other pasuk in the Torah shares this G'matriya - D'varim 11:31
- For you are crossing the Jordan (River) to come to inherit the Land that G-d is
giving you, and you shall inherit it and dwell in it. Can we say, perhaps, that the
victory against Midyan and the vanquishing of its kings and of Bil'am was a
necessary prerequisite for entrance into the Land of Israel. If so, then, to be sure,
there were many things that had to happen first, but this could be one of them.
Here is a type of G'matriya-match I've found before, but each new one strengthens
the observation. Bamidbar 31:31 - And Moshe and Elazar HaKohen did what G-d
had commanded Moshe. M'lachim Bet 17:2 - And he did evil in G-d eyes (referring
to Hoshea ben Eilah, who reigned in the Shomron over the Kingdom of Israel
during the reign of Achaz, king of Yehuda), not like his predecessors. Both these
p'sukim have the same G'matriya (2519). With this type of match, there is a
suggestion of a balance between the choice of paths open to us. The Torah
repeatedly presents us with alternatives: If you follow G-d's commands, then... And
if you don't, then... That's it. No further connec tion is implied. Just the feeling of the
two directions, the two paths, and our exercise of Free Will choice.
Here's another GM that points to a balance in things. Bamidbar 33:3 begins the
account of the travels of the people of Israel from the Exodus until the threshold of
Eretz Yisrael. And they journeyed from Raamses in the first month on the 15th of
the first month on the day following the Korban Pesach, the Children of Israel left
(Egypt) with a high hand, in full sight of the Egyptians. This pasuk is telling us
where and when it began. D'varim 4:46 tells us - On the (east) bank of the Jordan,
in the valley opposite Beit-P'or in the land of Sichon king of Emori who lived in
Cheshbon, whom Moshe and the people of Israel defeated, after they came out of
Egypt. And this is where chapter 1 of the nation ends. There's a nice feeling of
balance. A G'matriya-match. 5795.
43
differ inthe combined- separate balance. Some pairs are more separate; some are
more combined. Chukat-Balak is the most separate of the pairs, read separately
71.5% of the time in Chutz LaAretz, and always read separately in Israel. Nitzavim-
Vayeilech is the other more-sepa rate-than-not pair, combined less than 40% of the
time.Tazria- M'tzora and Acharei-K'doshim are combined 63% of the years. So is
B'har-B'chukotai in Chutz LaAretz, but in Israel it is combined only 45% of the
years. Vayakhel-P'kudei is combined 60% of the time. This leaves Matot-Mas'ei
and the pur pose of this statistical review. It is the most combined pair of sedras,
readtogether almost 90% of the time in Chutz LaAretz, and almost 80% of the
years in Israel. Their "togetherness" has an interesting numeric support in the
G'matriyas of the first pasuk in each sedra. Bamidbar 30:2 - And Moshe spoke to
the heads of the tribes of Bnei Yisrael saying, this is what G-d has commanded,
has a numericvalue of 3324. Bamidbar 33:1 - These are the travels of Bnei Yisrael
who came out of Egypt by the hand of Moshe and Aharon, has the same
G'matriya. Nice.
point, nonetheless.
his mouth.
This is followed by two types of HAFARAT NEDARIM, the nullifica tion of a vow of
a NAARA (girl between 12 and 12½ years of age) by her father, and the vow of a
wife by her husband. This, together with the unwritten concept of HATARAT
NEDARIM (the nullification of vows by a Beit Din, as taught to us in the Oral Law)
standin opposition to the idea expressed by LO YACHEIL D'VARO. That these are
truly equal forces on opposite sides of the balance is illustrated by the GM between
LO YACHEIL D'VARO =291 and V'HEIFEIR (and he nullifies..., from Bamidbar
30:9, referring to the husband), also 291. A vow or pledge that is proper, thought
out, etc.must be kept. On the other hand, vows that have good bases to be
undone, should be, in the proper manner, of course. It is not praise worthy to keep
Nedarim in force where there is good reason to nullify them.
pasuk is 6473. One other pasuk in the Torah shares this G'matriya - D'varim 11:31-
For you are crossing the Jordan (River) to come to inherit the Land that G-d is
44
necessary prerequisite for entrance into the Land of Israel. If so, then, to besure,
during thereign of Achaz, king of Yehuda), not like his predecessors. Both these
if you don't, then...That's it. No further connec tion is implied. Just the feeling of the
the first month on the day following the Korban Pesach, the Children of Israelleft
Cheshbon, whom Moshe and the people of Israel defeated, after theycame out of
A word of caution when it comes to G'matriya, specifically the homemade variety

that appears 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.
SDT - In G-d's original promise to Avraham Avinu, the land to be given to his
descendants was to be "from the Egyptian River until the great river, P'rat". The
boundaries described in this week's sedra contain a territory significantly smaller
than that which was promised. Our Sages tell us that the original promise
includesterritory to be added to Eretz Yisrael in the future, in the times of the
Moshiach. There is a "numeric clue" that supports this notion. In this week's sedra,
the Land to become ours is referred to as ERETZ CANAAN L'G'VULOTE'HA, the
Land of Canaan to its boundaries. The G'matriya of this phrase is 961, exactly the
numberof letters in B'reishit 15 - the portion of the Brit Bein HaB'tarim..
45
differ in the combined- separate balance. Some pairs are more separate; some are
more combined.
Chukat-Balak is the most separate of the pairs, read separately 71.5% of the time
in Chutz LaAretz, and always read separately in Israel. Nitzavim- Vayeilech is the
other more-separate-than-not pair, combined less than 40% of the time. Tazria-
M'tzora and Acharei-K'doshim are combined 63% of the years. So is B'har-
B'chukotai in Chutz LaAretz, but in Israel it is combined only 45% of the years.
Vayakhel-P'kudei is combined 60% of the time.
This leaves Matot-Mas'ei and the purpose of this statistical review. It is the most
combined pair of sedras, read together almost 90% of the time in Chutz LaAretz,
and almost 80% of the years in Israel. Their "togetherness" has an interesting
numeric support in the G'matriyas of the first pasuk in each sedra. Bamidbar 30:2 -
And Moshe spoke to the heads of the tribes of Bnei Yisrael saying, this is what G-d
has commanded, has a numeric value of 3324. Bamidbar 33:1 - These are the
travels of Bnei Yisrael who came out of Egypt by the hand of Moshe and Aharon,
has the same G'matriya. Nice.
point, nonetheless.
his mouth. This is followed by two types of HAFARAT NEDARIM, the nullifica tion
of a vow of a NAARA (girl between 12 and 12½ years of age) by her father, and
the vow of a wife by her husband. This, together with the unwritten concept of
HATARAT NEDARIM (the nullification of vows by a Beit Din, as taught to us in the
Oral Law) stand in opposition to the idea expressed by LO YACHEIL D'VARO.
That these are truly equal forces on opposite sides of the balance is illustrated by
the GM between LO YACHEIL D'VARO =291 and V'HEIFEIR (and he nullifies...,
46
from Bamidbar 30:9, referring to the husband), also 291. A vow or pledge that is
proper, thought out, etc. must be kept. On the other hand,vows that have good
bases to be undone, should be, in the proper manner, of course. It is not praise
worthy to keep Nedarim in force where there is good reason to nullify them.
pasuk is 6473. One other pasuk in the Torah shares this G'matriya - D'varim 11:31
- For you are crossing the Jordan (River) to come to inherit the Land that G-d is
necessary prerequisite for entrance into the Land of Israel. If so, then, to be sure,
during the reign of Achaz, king of Yehuda), not like his predecessors. Both these
if you don't, then... That's it. No further connec tion is implied. Just the feeling of the
the first month on the day following the Korban Pesach, the Children of Israel left
Cheshbon, whom Moshe and the people of Israel defeated, after they came out of
47
differ inthe combined- separate balance. Some pairs are more separate; some are
more combined. Chukat-Balak is the most separate of the pairs, read separately
71.5% of the time in Chutz LaAretz, and always read separately in Israel. Nitzavim-
Vayeilech is the other more-sepa rate-than-not pair, combined less than 40% of the
time.Tazria- M'tzora and Acharei-K'doshim are combined 63% of the years. So is
B'har-B'chukotai in Chutz LaAretz, but in Israel it is combined only 45% of the
years. Vayakhel-P'kudei is combined 60% of the time. This leaves Matot-Mas'ei
and the pur pose of this statistical review. It is the most combined pair of sedras,
readtogether almost 90% of the time in Chutz LaAretz, and almost 80% of the
years in Israel. Their "togetherness" has an interesting numeric support in the
G'matriyas of the first pasuk in each sedra. Bamidbar 30:2 - And Moshe spoke to
the heads of the tribes of Bnei Yisrael saying, this is what G-d has commanded,
has a numericvalue of 3324. Bamidbar 33:1 - These are the travels of Bnei Yisrael
who came out of Egypt by the hand of Moshe and Aharon, has the same
G'matriya. Nice.
point, nonetheless.
his mouth.
This is followed by two types of HAFARAT NEDARIM, the nullifica tion of a vow of
a NAARA (girl between 12 and 12½ years of age) by her father, and the vow of a
wife by her husband. This, together with the unwritten concept of HATARAT
NEDARIM (the nullification of vows by a Beit Din, as taught to us in the Oral Law)
standin opposition to the idea expressed by LO YACHEIL D'VARO. That these are
truly equal forces on opposite sides of the balance is illustrated by the GM between
LO YACHEIL D'VARO =291 and V'HEIFEIR (and he nullifies..., from Bamidbar
30:9, referring to the husband), also 291. A vow or pledge that is proper, thought
out, etc.must be kept. On the other hand, vows that have good bases to be
undone, should be, in the proper manner, of course. It is not praise worthy to keep
Nedarim in force where there is good reason to nullify them.
pasuk is 6473. One other pasuk in the Torah shares this G'matriya - D'varim 11:31-
For you are crossing the Jordan (River) to come to inherit the Land that G-d is
48
necessary prerequisite for entrance into the Land of Israel. If so, then, to besure,
during thereign of Achaz, king of Yehuda), not like his predecessors. Both these
if you don't, then...That's it. No further connec tion is implied. Just the feeling of the
the first month on the day following the Korban Pesach, the Children of Israelleft
Cheshbon, whom Moshe and the people of Israel defeated, after theycame out of

that appears in this Treasures in the Sand column. Don't read too much into them.
confirmation" of existing ideas.
SDT - In G-d's original promise to Avraham Avinu, the land to be given to his
descendants was to be "from the Egyptian River until the great river, P'rat". The
boundaries described in this week's sedra contain a territory significantly smaller
than that which was promised. Our Sages tell us that the original promise
includesterritory to be added to Eretz Yisrael in the future, in the times of the
Moshiach. There is a "numeric clue" that supports this notion. In this week's sedra,
the Land to become ours is referred to as ERETZ CANAAN L'G'VULOTE'HA, the
Land of Canaan to its boundaries. The G'matriya of this phrase is 961, exactly the
numberof letters in B'reishit 15 - the portion of the Brit Bein HaB'tarim..
49
Parshat D'varim
In D'varim 1:11, Moshe Rabeinu calls upon G-d to bless the people: "May
HaShem, G-d of your ancestors, multiply you a thousandfold and bless you as He
has spoken to you." An interesting G'matriya- match (GM) came up for this pasuk.
Sh'mot 1:12 describes the unusual population growth of Bnei Yisrael in Egypt: "And
the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied..." Both p'sukim have a
numeric value of 2808. The earlier pasuk can be seen as a retroactive fulfillment of
Moshe's bracha.
This population explosion was necessary at this moment in the early history of the
family-nation in order to guarantee its survival. Moshe laments that he was not able
to bear the burden of the people alone: EICHA ESA L'VADI... (D'varim 1:12). This
pasuk has the same G'matriya (1346) as B'reishit 45:14, which suggests the same
idea in an opposite manner: "And he (Yosef) fell on his brother Binyamin's neck
and he cried, and Binyamin cried on his (Yosef's) neck."
One gets the impression of the easing of a burden because the brothers finally had
each other.
CHAZON... "The vision of Yishayahu b. Amotz about Yehuda and Yerushalayim in

the days of Uziyahu, Yotam, Achaz, (and) Yechezkiyahu, kings of Judah." This
opening pasuk of the book of Yeshayahu gives its first word to name the Shabbat
before Tish'a b'Av. This prophecy of destruction echoes the dreaded prophecies of
the Tochacha. Vayikra 26:37 has the same G'matriya (2512) as this first pasuk of
Chazon — "You will fall over one another as if chased by the sword even when no
one is pursuing you, and you won't be able to stand up to your enemies."
The previous UTC (U's'funei T'munei Chol) is of a type where two p'sukim with the
same G'matriya are also thematically related. Here are five examples of GMs with
opposite themes. They too make a point. The second pasuk of the Haftara
(Yeshayahu 1:2) calls the Heavens and the Earth as witnesses to G-d's words - I
have raised children and have exalted them and they have betrayed me. Contrast
this with Sh'mot 12:14 (same G'matriya, 3218) which speaks of what was from the
beginning, and what should have always been - "And this day shall be as a
remembrance and you shall celebrate it as a Festival to G-d throughout the
generations..."
Parshat D'varim has its pasuk of EICHA; so does the Haftara - "How has the
faithful city become like a harlot? I (says G-d) filled it with justice and
righteousness, and now it has murderers." (Yeshayahu 1:21]
50
The pasuk laments to direction taken by Jerusalem and its inhabitants. Contrast
this with the idea expressed in B'reishit 12:1 (a GM for the EICHA pasuk) - "And G-
d said to Avra(ha)m, LECH L'CHA... Again we see the plan expressed in one
pasuk and the lament of our failure in the other pasuk.
Similarly, the opening pasuk of EICHA - "How is it that the City with a multitude of
people now sits lonely, like a widow..." In Nechemia (8:12) we see a glimpse of
what it should be like in Jerusalem - And the whole nation went to eat and drink
and send gifts (to one another) and to make a great celebration because they
understood the words (of the Torah) that were being taught to them. Jerusalem
should be the sight of Jews rejoicing in the Torah, not an abandoned ruin.
Editorial comment: Sadly, the event recorded in Nechemia involved a relatively

small minority of the people; the majority remained in Bavel and did not return to
Eretz Yisrael with Ezra and Nechemia. Perhaps if more and more Jews would
return to the Land and to the Torah, we would not be sitting on the ground this
coming Motza'ei Shabbat saying EICHA.
In the same form of contrasting p'sukim with the same G'matriya, we find Eicha 2:1
- EICHA YA'IV B'APO... in contrast with Vayikra 1:5 which describes the offering of
the Korban Olah to HaShem by the kohanim on the Mizbei'ach of the Mikdash.
And one more: Eicha 5:17-18 - "For this our heart is faint; for these our eyes are
dim - upon the Mountain of Zion which is desolate with foxes running about."
Contrast this with the exalted, joyful song of Devorah (Shoftim 5:3], "Here ye kings
and princes, I am for HaShem, I will sing to HaShem the G-d of Israel.
In each of these cases, there is a pair of p'sukim that match numerically. Each
pasuk stands opposite its "partner" and they say "read each of us carefully. Which
do you want to be actualized in your life, the one or the other?"
Parshat D'varim
TREASURES IN THE SAND - U'S'FUNEI T'MUNEI CHOL
In D'varim 1:11, Moshe Rabeinu calls upon G-d to bless the people: "May
HaShem, G-d of your ancestors, multiply you a thousandfold and bless you as He
has spoken to you." An interesting G'matriya- match (GM) came up for this pasuk.
Sh'mot 1:12 describes the unusual population growth of Bnei Yisrael in Egypt: "And
the morethey were oppressed, the more they multi plied..." Both p'sukim have a
numeric value of 2808. The earlier pasuk can be seen as a retroactive fulfillment of
Moshe's bracha. This population explosion was necessary at this moment in the
early history of the family-nation in order to guarantee its survival.
51
Moshe laments that he was not able to bear the burden of the people alone:
EICHA ESA L'VADI... (D'varim 1:12). This pasuk has the same G'matriya (1346) as
B'reishit 45:14, which suggests the same idea in an opposite manner: "And he
(Yosef) fell on his brother Binyamin's neck and he cried, and Binyamin cried on his
(Yosef's)neck." One gets the impression of the easing of a burden because the
brothers finally had each other.
CHAZON... "The vision of Yishayahu b. Amotz about Yehuda and Yeru shalayim in
the days of Uziyahu, Yotam, Achaz, (and) Yechezkiyahu, kings of Judah." This
opening pasuk of the book of Yeshayahu gives its first word to name the Shabbat
before Tish'a b'Av. This prophecy of destruction echoes the dreaded prophecies of
theTochacha. Vayikra 26:37 has the same G'matriya (2512) as this first pasuk of
Chazon — "You will fall over one another as if chased by the sword even when no
one is pursuing you, and you won't be able to stand up to your enemies."
The previous UTC (U's'funei T'munei Chol) is of a type where two p'sukim with the
same G'matriya are also thematically related. Here are five examples of GMs with
opposite themes. They too make a point.
The second pasuk of the Haftara (Yeshayahu 1:2) calls the Heavens and the Earth
as witnesses to G-d's words - I have raised children and have exalted them and
they have betrayed me. Contrast this with Sh'mot 12:14 (same G'matriya, 3218)
which speaks of what was from the beginning, and what should have always been
- "Andthis day shall be as a remembrance and you shall celebrate it as a Festival
to G-d throughout the generations..."
Parshat D'varim has its pasuk of EICHA; so does the Haftara - "How has the
faithful city become like a harlot? I (says G-d) filled it with justice and
righteousness, and now it has murderers." (Yeshayahu 1:21]
The pasuk laments to direction taken by Jerusalem and its inhabitants. Contrast
this with the idea expressed in B'reishit 12:1 (a GM for the EICHA pasuk) - "And G-
d said to Avra(ha)m, LECH L'CHA... Again we see the plan expressed in one
pasuk and the lament of our failure in the other pasuk.
Similarly, the opening pasuk of EICHA - "How is it that the City with a multitude of
people now sits lonely, like a widow..." In Nechemia (8:12) we see a glimpse of
what it should be like in Jerusalem - And the whole nation went to eat and drink
and send gifts (to one another) and to make a great celebration because theyunder
stood the words (of the Torah) that were being taught to them. Jerusalem should
be the sight of Jews rejoicing in the Torah, not an abandoned ruin.
Editorial comment: Sadly, the event recorded in Nechemia involved a relatively

small minority of the people; the majority remained in Bavel and did not return to
Eretz Yisrael with Ezra and Nechemia. Perhaps if more and more Jews would
return to the Land and to the Torah, we would not be sitting on the ground this
coming Wednesday evening saying EICHA.
52
In the same form of contrasting p'sukim with the same G'matriya, we find Eicha 2:1
- EICHA YA'IV B'APO... in contrast with Vayikra 1:5 which describes the offering of
the Korban Olah to HaShem by the kohanim on the Mizbei'ach of the Mikdash.
And one more: Eicha 5:17-18 - "For this our heart is faint; for these our eyes are
dim - upon the Mountain of Zion which is desolate with foxes running about."
Contrast this with the exalted, joyful song of Devorah (Shoftim 5:3], "Here ye kings
and princes, I am for HaShem, I will sing to HaShem the G-d of Israel.
In each of these cases, there is a pair of p'sukim that match numer ically. Each
pasuk stands opposite its "partner" and they say "read each of us carefully. Which
do you want to be actualized in your life, the one or the other?"
Parshat Va'etchanan
D'varim 4:15, partial) warns us to be very careful - V'NISHMARTEM M'OD

L'NAFSHOTEICHEM... This warning implies a tremendous responsibility to follow
G-d and not to falter in faithfulness to Him. Perhaps this is too great a burden for
us? A G'matriya-match (GM) to that phrase (2011) beautifully expresses the
attitude we should have about our membership in the Jewish Nation: ASHREI
HA'AM SHE' KACHA LO... (T'hilim 144:15, whole pasuk) Happy (fortunate) is the
nation that are like that, happy is the nation that is G-d's.
Here is a super GM, three p'sukim with the same G'matriya:
In B'reishit 3:19, G-d tells Adam that he shall eat bread by the sweat of his brow
until he returns to the earth from whence he was taken. In other words, G-d is
saying to us that we are human. Whatever else that means, it includes Free Will
and Choice. A person can turn out to be like Eisav, described in 27:40 - By your
sword you shall live
and your brother you shall serve... or we can be like the People of Israel were
challenged to be like in D'varim 5:29 - And you shall be careful to do as G-d
commands you, veering neither to the left nor to the right.
Chazal teach us that he who keeps the Shabbat it is as if he keeps the whole
Torah, and he who violates the Shabbat it is as if he denies all of the Torah. In the
presentation of the Shabbat in the Yitro-version of the Aseret HaDibrot, a direct link
between the command to keep Shabbat and belief in G-d's creation of the world is
made. The command to keep the Shabbat appears twelve times in the Torah.
53
This concept equating Shabbat to the whole Torah is demonstrated with a GM
between one of the Shabbat p'sukim and a pasuk in this week's sedra. Sh'mot
31:15 states: Six days you shall work and on the seventh it is Shabbat Shabbaton,
holy to G-d, he who does melacha on Shabbat shall die. D'varim 6:1 says: And
these are the mitzvot, the chukim and the mishpatim that G-d commanded you to
teach you and to do them in the Land you are soon to enter in order to possess.
These p'sukim are quite long, and each weighs in with a G'matriya of 6155. But
they match, as do Shabbat and all of the Torah.
And now the dangerous quadruple G'matriya match, with a message that
somewhat combines messages from two of the "treasures" above.
In B'reishit 9:9, G-d promises to keep his covenant with No'ach, his children, and
all their descendants after them. In other words, with all people. That's His promise.
But we have Free Will. We can sink to the depths of Korach and his rebellious
gang, as in Bamidbar 16:33 - And they and all that was with them descended alive
to She'ol, and the earth closed over them and they were lost from among the
people. D'varim 5:11, commandment no. 4, tells us to Keep the Shabbat day as G-
d has commanded us. Keeping Shabbat in a sense means keeping all of the
Torah. That is the much more preferable path to follow in life. Not Korach's. And if
one veers from the proper path, there is the desirable option of T'shuva and service
of HaShem, as symbolized by Bamidbar 29:19 - And one goat as a CHATAT, aside
from the daily sacrifice and its accompaniments. Each of the four p'sukim
mentioned in this piece have 2879 as its G'matriya.
One more for Sh'ma, contained in this week's sedra. D'varim 6:4 - Sh'ma Yisrael
HaShem Elokeinu HaShem Echad totals 1118. This is the G'matriya of one of the
most often quoted p'sukim in davening, if not THE most. T'hilim 20:10 - HaShem
Hoshi'a HaMelech Yaaneinu V'yom Koreinu, G-d will save us, the King will answer
us on the day we call. One gets the feeling from this GM that our firm statement of
belief as expressed by the former pasuk merits us the special relationship with G-d
as expressed in the latter pasuk.
This G'matriya of Sh'ma shows up in another interesting context - the names of the
five fingers. BOHEN (thumb) = 57, ETZBA (pointer) = 163, AMA (middle finger,
from its out stretched tip until the elbow is the measure of an Ama) = 46, K'MITZA
(ring finger, named for the portion of a flour-oil offering that the kohen scooped out
and put on the Mizbei' ach) = 245, ZERET (pinky, also the term for a SPAN, the
length from thumb to pinky of an outstretched palm) = 607. Total: 1118. And the
connection between the fingers of the hand and Sh'ma? We cover our eyes with
our hand for Sh'ma. S'faradim use their fingertips: thumb & pinky in the corner of
the closed eyes and the other three on the forehead forming a SHIN.
54
Parshat Va'etchanan
TREASURES IN THE SAND - U'S'FUNEI T'MUNEI CHOL
D'varim 4:15, partial) warns us to be very careful - V'NISHMARTEM M'OD

L'NAFSHOTEICHEM... This warning implies a tremendous responsibility to follow
G-d and not to falter in faithfulness to Him. Perhaps this is too great a burden for
us? A G'matriya-match (GM) to that phrase (2011) beautifully expresses the
attitude weshould have about our membership in the Jewish Nation: ASHREI
HA'AM SHE' KACHA LO... (T'hilim 144:15, whole pasuk) Happy (fortunate) is the
nation that are like that, happy is the nation that is G-d's.
Here is a super GM, three p'sukim with the same G'matriya:
In B'reishit 3:19, G-d tells Adam that he shall eat bread by the sweat of his brow
until he returns to the earth from whence he was taken. In other words, G-d is
saying to us that we are human. Whatever else that means, it includes Free Will
and Choice. A person can turn out to be like Eisav, described in 27:40 - By
yoursword you shall live and your brother you shall serve... or we can be like the
People of Israel were challenged to be like in D'varim 5:29 - And you shall be
careful to do as G-d commands you, veering neither to the left nor to the right.
Chazal teach us that he who keeps the Shabbat it is as if he keeps the whole
Torah, and he who violates the Shabbat it is as if he denies all of the Torah. In the
presentation of the Shabbat in the Yitro-version of the Aseret HaDibrot, a direct link
between the command to keep Shabbat and belief in G-d's creation of theworld is
made. The command to keep the Shabbat appears twelve times in the Torah. This
concept equating Shabbat to the whole Torah is demonstrated with a GM between
one of the Shabbat p'sukim and a pasuk in this week's sedra. Sh'mot 31:15 states:
Six days you shall work and on the seventh it is Shabbat Shabbaton, holyto G-d,
he who does melacha on Shabbat shall die. D'varim 6:1 says: And these are the
mitzvot, the chukim and the mishpatim that G-d commanded you to teach you and
to do them in the Land you are soon to enter in order to possess. These p'sukim
are quite long, and each weighs in with a G'matriya of 6155. But they match,as do
Shabbat and all of the Torah.
And now the dangerous quadruple G'matriya match, with a message that
somewhat combines messages from two of the "treasures" above.
In B'reishit 9:9, G-d promises to keep his covenant with No'ach, his children, and
all their descendants after them. In other words, with all people. That's His promise.
But we have Free Will. We can sink to the depths of Korach and his rebellious
gang, as in Bamidbar 16:33 - And they and all that was with them descendedalive
55
to She'ol, and the earth closed over them and they were lost from among the
people. D'varim 5:11, commandment no. 4, tells us to Keep the Shabbat day as G-
d has commanded us. Keeping Shabbat in a sense means keeping all of the
Torah. That is the much more preferable path to follow in life. Not Korach's. And if
oneveers from the proper path, there is the desirable option of T'shuva and service
of HaShem, as symbolized by Bamidbar 29:19 - And one goat as a CHATAT, aside
from the daily sacrifice and its accompaniments. Each of the four p'sukim
mentioned in this piece have 2879 as its G'matriya.
One more for Sh'ma, contained in this week's sedra. D'varim 6:4 - Sh'ma Yisrael
HaShem Elokeinu HaShem Echad totals 1118. This is the G'matriya of one of the
most often quoted p'sukim in davening, if not THE most. T'hilim 20:10 - HaShem
Hoshi'a HaMelech Yaaneinu V'yom Koreinu, G-d will save us, the King will answer
us onthe day we call. One gets the feeling from this GM that our firm statement of
belief as expressed by the former pasuk merits us the special relationship with G-d
as expressed in the latter pasuk. This G'matriya of Sh'ma shows up in another
interesting context - the names of the five fingers. BOHEN (thumb) = 57, ETZBA
(pointer)= 163, AMA (middle finger, from its out stretched tip until the elbow is the
measure of an Ama) = 46, K'MITZA (ring finger, named for the portion of a flour-oil
offering that the kohen scooped out and put on the Mizbei' ach) = 245, ZERET
(pinky, also the term for a SPAN, the length from thumb to pinky of an
outstretchedpalm) = 607. Total: 1118. And the connection between the fingers of
the hand and Sh'ma? We cover our eyes with our hand for Sh'ma. S'faradim use
their fingertips: thumb & pinky in the corner of the closed eyes and the other three
on the forehead forming a SHIN.
Parshat Eikev
Over the three months or so that this column has appeared, I have received
comments expressing mixed or negative feelings about G'matriya-based Divrei
Torah. This, despite the cigarette-package-like warning at the end of the UTC
(Us'funei T'munei Chol) column. Therefore, allow me a few comments.
The Torah tells us that when Avra(ha)m Avinu joined the Battle of the Four Kings
and the Five Kings, he armed his servant(s) 318... (B'reishit 14:14). The plain
understanding is that he took 318 men with him. Rashi says in the name of "the
Sages" that he took only Eliezer, the value of whose name is 318. There might be
different ways of looking at this G'matriya, but (I would say that) it is most likely that
there was an Oral Tradition that Avraham took Eliezer with him, and that the
G'matriya is a "nice" highlighter of the other interpretation of the pasuk. I don't think
that the G'matriya was used to revise the meaning of the pasuk from 318 men to
56
just Eliezer.
Whether this is so or not with Rashi's G'matriya, it is certainly the case of the
G'matriya-matches presented in the UTC column. I take p'sukim and some partial
p'sukim and calculate their G'matriya. Then I search the Tanach for GMs. Then I
say something about the matched p'sukim or phrases - something that can be said
without a GM, but something that becomes "nice" or "cute" because of the GM. I
hope it is clear what G'matriyas are and what they are not.
D'varim 8:5 is part of Moshe's words about the period of wandering in the Midbar.
He tells us "to know in your heart that just as a father disciplines his child, so too
does G-d chasten you (us)." This pasuk drew an interesting G'matriya-Match (GM)
to a pasuk in the following chapter (9:20): And HaShem was so angry with Aharon
that He was ready to destroy him, and I (Moshe) also prayed on his behalf... Both
p'sukim equal 2677 - the first a general statement; the second, a specific example.
The mitzva of Birkat HaMazon is presented in the pasuk we actually quote in Birkat
HaMazon, second bracha: "When you will eat and be satisfied, then you shall bless
HaShem, your G-d for the good land which He has given you" (D'varim 8:10).
The first three brachot of Birkat HaMazon are considered the fulfillment of the
Torah's obligation to "bench". The first bracha is HAZAN ET HAKOL, it is attributed
to Moshe Rabeinu, and can be seen in the mitzva-pasuk in the words V'ACHALTA
V'SAVATA UVEIRACHTA. The second bracha is AL HA'ARETZ V'ALHAMAZON, it
is attributed to Yehoshua, and can be seen in the words of the pasuk ...AL
HA'ARETZ HATOVA ASHER NATAN LACH. The third bracha is BONEI
(b'rachamav) YERUSHALAYIM, it is attributed to David HaMelech (for the
Jerusalem part) and Shlomo HaMelech (for the Beit HaMikdash part), and does not
have specific words in the pasuk indicating it. However, there is a nice GM with a
pasuk in T'hilim (137:6) - both p'sukim having the G'matriya of 3824 - that can
make a Yerushalayim connection very nicely: "May my tongue cleave to my palate
if I do not remember, if I do not raise Jerusalem above my greatest joy."
Please remember that this is not the reason there is a bracha for Yerushalayim as
part of Birkat HaMazon. It is nothing more than an interesting G'matriya-Match find.
Many p'sukim are fed into the computer, and relatively few interesting GMs come
out. These "Treasures in the Sand" are only meant to bring a smile to your lips and
give you something light to share at your Seudat Shlishit table.
Here's an example of a GM that allows you to make an obvious statement which

would be so even if the G'matriyas didn't match.
Parshat Eikev contains an important guideline for T'shuva. "And you shall
circumcise the foreskin of your hearts, and you shall no longer be stiff-necked."
(D'varim 10:16) Don't be coldhearted or stubborn. In the process of our turning
back to HaShem, we can draw inspiration and incentive from others who hearken
to G-d's Words, even among the nations of the world. This pasuk matches in
57
G'matriya (3044) Sh'mot 9:20, which refers to those among the servants of Par'o
who feared G-d's word brought their servants and animals indoors (during the
plague of Barad, hail. Amidst the whole description of the Plagues and other
aspects of the Exodus, the Torah tells us that among the Egyptians there were G-
d-fearing people.
Parashat Eikev
TREASURES IN THE SAND (last year's)
The Torah tells us that when Avra(ha)m Avinu joined the Battle of the Four Kings
and the Five Kings, he armed his servant(s) 318... (B'reishit 14:14). The plain
understanding is that he took 318 men with him. Rashi says in the name of "the
Sages" that he took only Eliezer, the value of whose name is 318. There might be
different ways of looking at this G'matriya, but (I would say that) it is most likely that
there was anOral Tradition that Avraham took Eliezer with him, and that the
G'matriya is a "nice" highlighter of the other interpretation of the pasuk. I don't think
that the G'matriya was used to revise the meaning of the pasuk from 318 men to
just Eliezer.
Whether this is so or not with Rashi's G'matriya, it is certainly the case of the
G'matriya-matches presented in the UTC column. I take p'sukim and some partial
p'sukim and calculate their G'matriya. Then I search the Tanach for GMs. Then I
say something about the matched p'sukim or phrases - something that can be
saidwithout a GM, but something that becomes "nice" or "cute" because of the GM.
I hope it is clear what G'matriyas are and what they are not.
D'varim 8:5 is part of Moshe's words about the period of wandering in the Midbar.
He tells us "to know in your heart that just as a father disciplines his child, so too
does G-d chasten you (us)." This pasuk drew an interesting G'matriya-Match (GM)
to a pasuk in the following chapter (9:20): And HaShem was so angry withAharon
that He was ready to destroy him, and I (Moshe) also prayed on his behalf...
Both p'sukim equal 2677 - the first a general statement; the second, a specific
example.
The mitzva of Birkat HaMazon is presented in the pasuk we actually quote in Birkat
HaMazon, second bracha: "When you will eat and be satisfied, then you shall bless
HaShem, your G-d for the good land which He has given you" (D'varim 8:10). The
first three brachot of Birkat HaMazon are considered the fulfillment of the Torah's
obligation to "bench". The first bracha is HAZAN ET HAKOL, it is attributed to
Moshe Rabeinu, and can be seen in the mitzva-pasuk in the words V'ACHALTA
58
V'SAVATA UVEIRACHTA. The second bracha is AL HA'ARETZ V'AL HAMAZON,
it is attributed to Yehoshua, and can be seen in the words of the pasuk
...ALHA'ARETZ HATOVA ASHER NATAN LACH. The third bracha is BONEI
(b'rachamav) YERUSHALAYIM, it is attributed to David HaMelech (for the
Jerusalem part) and Shlomo HaMelech (for the Beit HaMikdash part), and does not
have specific words in the pasuk indicating it. However, there is a nice GM with a
pasuk in T'hilim (137:6) - both p'sukim having the G'matriya of 3824- that can make
a Yerushalayim connection very nicely: "May my tongue cleave to my palate if I do
not remember, if I do not raise Jerusalem above my greatest joy."
Please remember that this is not the reason there is a bracha for Yerushalayim as
part of Birkat HaMazon. It is nothing more than an interesting G'matriya-Match find.
Many p'sukim are fed into the computer, and relatively few interesting GMs come
out. These "Treasures in the Sand" are only meant to bring a smile to your lips and
give you something light to share at your Seudat Shlishit table.
Here's an example of a GM that allows you to make an obvious statement which

would be so even if the G'matriyas didn't match. Parshat Eikev contains an
important guideline for T'shuva. "And you shall circumcise the foreskin of your
hearts, and you shall no longer be stiff-necked." (D'varim 10:16) Don't be
coldhearted or stubborn. In the process of our turning back to HaShem, we can
draw inspiration and incentive from others who hearken to G-d's Words, even
among the nations of the world. This pasuk matches in G'matriya (3044) Sh'mot
9:20, which refers to those among the servants of Par'o who feared G-d's word
brought their servants and animals indoors (during the plague of Barad, hail.
Amidst the whole description ofthe Plagues and other aspects of the Exodus, the
Torah tells us that among the Egyptians there were G-d-fearing people.

that appear in this Treasures in the Sand column. Don't read too much into them.
confirmation" of existing ideas. They point to ideas to be explored.
The First Third
The beginning of the Book of D'varim tells us that we arrived at the door step of
Eretz Yisrael (a.k.a. the Plains of Moav) on Rosh Chodesh Shvat in the 40th year
of the Wandering. Tradition tells us that on the 7th of Adar, Moshe Rabeinu left this
world. The Book of D'varim is the account of those 37 days of the farewellof Israel's
greatest leader. The opening verses of the Book indicate that the 37 day period
was divided into three parts (the actual durations of the three parts is unknown...
and probably irrelevant).
We can see the rough breakdown by putting D'varim, Va'etchanan, and Eikev in
the first third, R'ei, Sho'ftim, and Ki Teitzei in the middle portion, and the rest of the
book in the final phase.
59
Although this is but a rough sketch, what characterizes the first third is Jewish
History 101 - the first 40 years and Judaism 101 - Fundamental Principles of the
Faith and Religion. The course work for the second trimester focuses almost
exclusively on Mitzvot 613 - an extensive survey and review of the mitzvot. The
end of the term is taken up by various subjects that the People needed for
graduation. We'll get there, IY"H, in due time.
As to the first three sedras, they contained exciting and frightening reviews of the
events of the previous generation, as well as the review of the Decalogue and the
Shma, parts I and II, and a presentation of a special group of mitzvot which form
the foundation of Judaism. These include basic elements of belief, as well as
fundamental concepts of Prayer and Blessings, prohibition of Idolatry, and the
basics of the Judicialsystem. The 170 mitzvot and more presented in the "middle"
three sedras construct the building of Judaism upon its solid foundation.
One theme keeps emerging in these early sedras of D'varim - the centrality of
Eretz Yisrael in G-d's plan for the People of Israel. As often as Torah Tidbits
repeats this idea - that G-d took us out of Egypt in order to give us the Torah and to
take us into Eretz Yisrael - two facts remain, that require attention: The Torahwas
given at Sinai, outside the Land of Israel, and the Jewish People have survived -
and even thrived - outside of Israel. They have built great Torah communities, self-
sufficient Jewish communities, in many places around the globe. The Torah was
given outside of Israel to make sure that we all understand that the Torahmust be
kept wherever we live. Had we entered the Land first, and then received the Torah,
Jews might make the terrible mistake of thinking that the Torah way of life does not
apply in Chutz LaAretz.
Torah is the basis of our lives. It is our spiritual oxygen, water, and nourishment. It
is our shelter, our occupation, our lives. Okay, so is the specific venue of Eretz
Yisrael so important to a Jewish way of life? The answer is a definite YES. The
Torah in Chutz LaAretz is like a spiritual oxygen tank strapped to our backs. The
Torah in Israel allows us to breathe the air around us. It's the difference between
packaged TV dinners and delicious, whole some home-cooked meals. Eretz
Yisrael always was the intended place forthe Jewish People to live and thrive. We
haven't always deserved to be here, and when we were exiled, we took the Torah
with us, so that our lives would continue.
But even during the long exile, when Jews did not physically live in E. Yisrael, they
always lived here in spirit. The longing to return has sustained us for centuries. We
have never been without Torah, nor without Eretz Yisrael, even when we weren't
here.
THE DEAL
G-d took us out of Egypt in order to give us the Torah and bring us to Eretz Yisrael.
That's the deal. Here is a beautiful numeric demonstration of it, courtesy of R.
Yaakov Auerbach z"l. In the third passage of the Sh'ma, G-d says: I AM HASHEM,
60
YOUR G-D WHO TOOK YOU OUT OF EGYPT TO BE YOUR G-D = 1+50+10 +
26 + 1+30+5+10+20+40 + 1+300+200 + 5+6+90+1+400+10 + 1+400+20+40 +
40+1+200+90 + 40+90+200+10+40 + 30+5+10+6+400 + 30+20+40+
30+1+30+5+10+40 = 3035.
In the book of Yehoshua it says: U'SH'MARTEM ET MISHMERET MITZVAT

HASHEM LOKEICHEM (and you shall keep the faith with G- d's mitzva) =
6+300+40+200+400+40 + 1+400 + 40+300+40+200+400 + 40+90+6+400 + 26 +
1+30+5+10+20+40 = 3035.
And we have G-d's promise LATEIT LANU ET HAARETZ ASHER NISHBA

LAAVOTEINU (and He took us out of there in order) to give us the Land that He
promised to our forefathers - D'varim 6:23 = 30+400+400 + 30+50+6 + 1+400 +
5+1+200+90 + 1+300+200 + 50+300+2+70 + 30+1+2+400+10+50+6 = 3035.
ET HASHEM ELOKECHA TIRA - The word ET comes to include Torah scholars,

that we must revere G-d AND Torah scholars. Adds a Chassidic Rebbe, ET comes
to include Torah Scholars, that THEY too must revere G-d.
Parshat R'ei
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 com pletely in the
ways of the Torah. We can hardly begin to imagine the allure of idolatry in those
61
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 the mitzvot 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.
62
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.
Parashat R'ei
TREASURES IN THE SAND (from last year)
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."
63
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.
Parshat Sho'f'tim
64
The opening pasuk in this week's sedra commands us to appoint judges and
policemen in all our com munities that G-d has given to us, and they shall judge the
people fairly (D'varim 16:18 paraphrased). The G'matriya of this pasuk is 5610.
In searching for a G-match, Dvarim 30:10 came up. The pasuk is from Nitzavim in
the portion that deals with T'SHUVA. Backing up to the beginning of the perek - If
the bad things prophesied come to pass and we get scattered
among the nations... we shall return to G-d (for many mitzva-counters, this is the
source of the mitzva of Repentance)... He will bring us back to Eretz Yisrael from
our places of dispersion... He will circumcise our hearts... We must obey G-d's
voice and keep the mitzvot... We will prosper... G-d will rejoice in us... And here is
the pasuk in question: If you shall listen to the voice of HaShem your G-d, to keep
his commandments and statutes which are written in the Sefer Torah and if you
return to G-d with all your heart and with all your soul. The formula for success of
our society, with its Sho'f'tim and Sho't'rim is justice in particular and social
behavior in general that is firmly based on following G-d's word, in keeping mitzvot,
and in repenting when we stray from the proper path.
TZEDEK TZEDEK TIRDOF... Justice you shall surely pursue, that you may live
and inherit the Land that G-d is giving you (D'varim 16:20). The GM this time is a
pasuk which shows us the frightful alternative to the proper pursuit
of justice (and the keeping of mitzvot in general). It is from the Tochacha in Ki
Tavo, D'varim 28:25. G- d shall cause you to be defeated by your enemies, you
shall go out one way to encounter them and flee seven ways before them; and you
shall be removed (from the Land) into all the kingdoms on earth. Notice how
inheriting Eretz Yisrael is the result in the first case, and losing it is the result in the
other.
Equal g'matriya
- opposite behavior & consequences.
And here is another example of a G'matriya-match that points to opposite sides of

the same coin. The last pasuk in the sedra (D'varim 21:9) concludes the portion of
EGLA ARUFA (which deals with a dead body that is found between two towns,
etc.) And you will get rid of (the spilling of) innocent blood when you will do that
which is right in G-d's eyes. T'hilim 106:38 talks about the generations that turned
away from G-d and worshiped idols: And shed innocent blood, the blood of their
sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was
polluted by their blood. Again, notice two p'sukim with the same g'matriya (3148),
both of which refer to DAM NAKI, innocent blood. How very different the p'sukim
are.
Comment: Again I say that these G'matriya matches merely

highlight two or more p'sukim with a connection to comment about. Think of the
GMs in this weekly column as a fluorescent yellow highlight marker that says: Hey,
look here! Or imagine yourself strolling along the beach and all of a sudden you
find a beautiful TREASURE IN THE SAND.
65
Parashat Sho'f'tim
TREASURES IN THE SAND (U's'funei T'munei Chol) - from last year
The opening pasuk in this week's sedra commands us to appoint judges and
policemen in all our communities that G-d has given to us, and they shall judge the
people fairly (D'varim 16:18 paraphrased). The G'matriya of this pasuk is 5610. In
searching for a G-match, Dvarim 30:10 came up. The pasuk is from Nitzavim in
theportion that deals with T'SHUVA. Backing up to the beginning of the perek - If
the bad things prophesied come to pass and we get scattered among the nations...
we shall return to G-d (for many mitzva-counters, this is the source of the mitzva of
Repen tance)... He will bring us back to Eretz Yisrael from our places of
dispersion... He will circumcise our hearts... We must obey G-d's voice and keep
the mitzvot... We will prosper... G-d will rejoice in us... And here is the pasuk in
question: If you shall listen to the voice of HaShem your G-d, to keep his
commandments and statutes which are written in the Sefer Torah and if you return
to G-d with all your heart and with all your soul. The formula for success of our
society, with its Sho'f'tim and Sho't'rim is justice in particular and social behavior in
general that is firmly based on following G-d's word, in keeping mitzvot, and in
repenting when we stray from the proper path.
TZEDEK TZEDEK TIRDOF... Justice you shall surely pursue, that you may live
and inherit the Land that G-d is giving you (D'varim 16:20). The GM this time is a
pasuk which shows us the frightful alternative to the proper pursuit of justice (and
the keeping of mitzvot in general). It is from the Tochacha in Ki Tavo,
D'varim28:25. G-d shall cause you to be defeated by your enemies, you shall go
out one way to encounter them and flee seven ways before them; and you shall be
removed (from the Land) into all the kingdoms on earth. Notice how inheriting Eretz
Yisrael is the result in the first case, and losing it is the result in the other. Equal
g'matriya - opposite behavior & consequences.
And here is another example of a G'matriya-match that points to opposite sides of

the same coin. The last pasuk in the sedra (D'varim 21:9) concludes the portion of
EGLA ARUFA (which deals with a dead body that is found between two towns,
etc.) And you will get rid of (the spilling of) innocent blood when you will do that
which is right in G-d's eyes. T'hilim 106:38 talks about the generations that turned
away from G-d and worshiped idols: And shed innocent blood, the blood of their
sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was
polluted by their blood. Again, notice two p'sukim with the same g'matriya(3148),
both of which refer to DAM NAKI, innocent blood. How very different the p'sukim
are.
66
Comment: Again I say that these G'matriya matches merely highlight two or more
p'sukim with a connection to comment about. Think of the GMs in this weekly
column as a fluorescent yellow highlight marker that says: Hey, look here! Or
imagine yourself strolling along the beach and all of a sudden you find a beautiful
TREASUREIN THE SAND.
Parshat Ki Teitzei
Beachcombing the G'matriya Beach with the help of "Otzrot

Yisrael", one of the CDs of the "Responsa Project" of Bar Ilan University.
The opening pasuk in this week's sedra tells us that "when we go out to battle
against our enemies, and G-d gives them into our hand..." G-d will make us
victorious against our enemies. This, however, is not an unconditional situation.
We will defeat our enemies if we remain faithful to Him and do His mitzvot. If we
love G-d, and if our enemies are wicked, then the formula will hold. D'varim 21:10
totals 2493, as does T'hilim 145:20, which is towards the end of ASHREI - "G-d
protects all those who love Him, and all the wicked people He will destroy.
D'varim 24:6 forbids us to take a millstone (or any vessel used in the preparation of
food) as a security for a loan to a poor person... Our adherence to this mitzva and
to what it represents - a high concern for the well-being of our fellow Jews - will
merit us to the relationship with G-d as expressed in Yirmiyahu 31:10 - "For G-d
has redeemed Yaakov and ransomed him from the hands of those
who are stronger than he." And even to the level that G-d does our bidding (so to
speak), as expressed in D'varim 18:17 - And G-d said to me, what they have said
is well-spoken." These three p'sukim all share 1079 as a G'matriya.
D'varim 25:3 tells us that a person who transgressed certain prohibitions is subject
to MAKOT, specific ally to 40 (less one) lashes, it is forbidden to give him more...
One who receives his "proper" makot and does T'shuva for his sin, is forgiven by
G-d and the mark against him is erased. The computer found a supportive
G'matriya-match in Sh'mot 32:14 - "And G-d repented for the evil that He had
planned for His people."
D'varim 25:13-14 prohibit the mere possession of false measures. This mitzva is
above and beyond the prohibition of cheating and stealing which would be violated
67
if one were to use the false measures. If we take these p'sukim as an expression of
the high degree of significance that the Torah places in Honest Weights and
Measures (in letter and spirit of the mitzvot), then we can point to an interesting
GM to summarize the goal of the Torah Jew in regard to his business affairs. The
two p'sukim in question here total 1514, as does T'hilim 119:72 - TOV LI TORAT
PICHA... Better for me is the Torah of Your mouth than thousands of gold and
silver (pieces). When confronted with the choice of ill-gotten profits (from the use of
dishonest weights) or following the dictates of the Torah, it shouldn't even be a
choice.
There are many p'sukim (including "famous" ones that have been borrowed by the
siddur or have influenced parts of the davening) that speak of a time in the
(hopefully near) future when G-d's great ness will be acknowledged by all the
nations of the world. "...on that day, G-d will be One and His name will be One."
One such pasuk that speaks of the result of G-d's deliverance from its enemies, is
Yechezkeil 38:23. V'HITGADILTI V'HITKADISHTI, "I will magnify Myself and
sanctify Myself, and I will make Myself known in the eyes of many nations, and
they will know that I Am HaShem." (This pasuk gives us the opening words of
KADDISH.)
Is Amalek included among the nations that will eventually recognize G-d's Name
and Greatness? Apparently not. Rashi on the last pasuk in B'shalach states that G-
d's battle and enmity with Amalek is forever, and that G-d swears that neither His
Name nor His Throne will be whole until Amalek is completely destroyed.
The G'matriya of the pasuk cited above from Yechezkeil is 3323. So too for the
partial pasuk that ends Parshat Ki Teitzei (D'varim 25:19) - ...you shall blot out the
remembrance of Amalek from under heaven - DO NOT FORGET IT. Wiping out
Amalek is a condition (of sorts) for the fulfillment of V'HITGADILTI
V'HITKADASHTI.
Parashat Ki Teitzei
TREASURES IN THE SAND (U's'funei T'munei Chol) from last year
The opening pasuk in this week's sedra tells us that "when we go out to battle
against our enemies, and G-d gives them into our hand..." G-d will make us
victorious against our enemies. This, however, is not an unconditional situation.
We will defeat our enemies if we remain faithful to Him and do His mitzvot. If we
love G-d, and if our enemies are wicked, then the formula will hold. D'varim 21:10
68
totals 2493, as does T'hilim 145:20, which is towards the end of ASHREI - "G-d
protects all those who love Him, and all the wicked people He will destroy.
#####
D'varim 24:6 forbids us to take a millstone (or any vessel used in the preparation of
food) as a security for a loan to a poor person... Our adherence to this mitzva and
to what it represents - a high concern for the well-being of our fellow Jews - will
merit us to the relationship with G-d as expressed in Yirmiyahu 31:10- "For G-d has
redeemed Yaakov and ransomed him from the hands of those who are stronger
than he." And even to the level that G-d does our bidding (so to speak), as
expressed in D'varim 18:17 - And G-d said to me, what they have said is well-
spoken." These three p'sukim all share 1079 as a G'matriya.
#####
D'varim 25:3 tells us that a person who transgressed certain prohibi tions is subject
to MAKOT, specific ally to 40 (less one) lashes, it is forbidden to give him more...
One who receives his "proper" makot and does T'shuva for his sin, is forgiven by
G-d and the mark against him is erased. The computer found a sup
portiveG'matriya-match in Sh'mot 32:14 - "And G-d repented for the evil that He
had planned for His people."
#####
D'varim 25:13-14 prohibit the mere possession of false measures. This mitzva is
above and beyond the pro hibition of cheating and stealing which would be violated
if one were to use the false measures. If we take these p'sukim as an expression of
the high degree of significance that the Torah places in Honest Weights
andMeasures (in letter and spirit of the mitzvot), then we can point to an interesting
GM to summarize the goal of the Torah Jew in regard to his business affairs. The
two p'sukim in question here total 1514, as does T'hilim 119:72 - TOV LI TORAT
PICHA... Better for me is the Torah of Your mouth than thousands of gold andsilver
(pieces). When confronted with the choice of ill-gotten profits (from the use of
dishonest weights) or following the dictates of the Torah, it shouldn't even be a
choice.
#####
There are many p'sukim (including "famous" ones that have been borrowed by the
siddur or have influenced parts of the davening) that speak of a time in the (hope
fully near) future when G-d's great ness will be acknowledged by all the nations of
the world. "...on that day, G-d will be One and His name will be One." Onesuch
pasuk that speaks of the result of G-d's deliverance from its enemies, is Yechezkeil
38:23. V'HITGADILTI V'HITKADISHTI, "I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself,
and I will make Myself known in the eyes of many nations, and they will know that I
Am HaShem." (This pasuk gives us the opening words of KADDISH.)
69
Is Amalek included among the nations that will eventually recognize G-d's Name
and Greatness? Apparently not. Rashi on the last pasuk in B'shalach states that G-
d's battle and enmity with Amalek is forever, and that G-d swears that neither His
Name nor His Throne will be whole until Amalek is completely destroyed.
The G'matriya of the pasuk cited above from Yechezkeil is 3323. So too for the
partial pasuk that ends Parshat Ki Teitzei (D'varim 25:19) - ...you shall blot out the
remem brance of Amalek from under heaven - DO NOT FORGET IT. Wiping out
Amalek is a condition (of sorts) for the fulfillment of V'HITGADILTI
V'HITKADASHTI.
Parshat Ki Tavo
A theme that has shown up in other G'matriya matches in past weeks, makes
another appearance in Ki Tavo. D'varim 26:11 tells us how to feel after having
been privileged to bring Bikurim. We are living in Eretz Yisra'el, we have the Beit
HaMik dash, and we have a prosperous yield of the ground. "And you shall rejoice
in all the good that
G-d has given you, you, your household, the Levi, the convert (stranger) among
you." One of the necessary pre- requisites of our life in Eretz Yisra'el is the
fulfillment of
all that G-d commands us, including fighting the wars G-d has commanded us to
wage. Bamidbar 36:3 - And Moshe spoke to the nation saying, recruit from among
yourselves men for the army, and fight against Midyan to avenge G-d's honor from
Midyan. These two p'sukim share 3941 as their G'matriya,
Animals are created for our use, not our misuse. One of the prime uses of animals
is Korbanot to G-d. D'varim 27:7 commands us to sacrifice a SHLAMIM offering
and eat from it, and rejoice before G-d. Vayikra 24:18 states that if one strikes an
animal and kills it, he shall pay "a life for a life". While this pasuk is not to be taken
literally, it does emphasize the terrible waste and serious offense to G-d in His
world of killing an animal (not for a Korban or for food, etc.) Both of these p'sukim
have the same G'matriya, 2656. This is an example of contrasting ideas that G-
match to say to us - One the one hand... but on the other hand...
Remember, I'm not claiming that what I'm about to say comes from the G'matriya-
match, but rather the GM pushed me to think in a particular direction. In our sedra,
70
D'varim 28:1, it speaks of our listening to G-d's voice and keeping all of the mitzvot,
then G-d will give us ascendancy over the other nations of the world. Vayikra 23:22
matches this pasuk with a value of 5960, and talks about the mitzvot of PE'AH and
LEKET, agricultural mitzvot that at the same time teach us to be kind and
charitable with those less fortunate than we, and also teach us that G-d is the
Boss, the real owner of the land we call our own, and has the authority to
command us what to do with our produce.
Perhaps, in some way, there is a comparison made between the specific mitzvot
and the general command to keep all mitzvot. There are several different mitzvot
that our Sages teach us are "equivalent to the whole Torah". Because of the
concepts that PE'AH and LEKET, etc. teach us, we can say this about them.
D'varim 26:7, from the Bikurim Declaration, became more famous because of its
place in the Pesach Hagada. "And we called out to G-d, the G-d of our ancestors,
and He heard us..." To be sure, one of the major functions of prayer is to call out to
G-d and ask for things we need. But there is more to prayer than that (of course).
Yeshayahu 40:26 (Haftara, Shabbat Nachamu) tells us to lift our eyes heavenward
and see Who has created all this. Acknowledging G-d for the wonders of creation
is no less an important function of prayer. These 2 p'sukim have the same
G'matriya, 3925. Again - it does not prove anything, it does not invent or innovate.
These GMs just point you in a certain direction to think about something that might
otherwise go unsaid, un-thought of, taken for granted.
And one more GM, this time a triple one. It is another in a long list of GMs related
to the Bil'am-Balak episode. Bil'am and Balak definitely underestimated the
specialness of Bnei Yisra'el and the uniqueness of our relationship with G-d. (In
addition to overestimating their own abilities.) Bamidbar 23:27 contains one of the
suggestions of Balak that perhaps changing viewing location of the People will
produce results. Bamidbar 24:14 contains Bil'am's parting words to Balak, offering
to tell Balak what this People (the Jewish nation) will do to the nation of Balak in
the future.
Bil'am left parting advice as to how to get G-d angry with us. Only then, can a
Bil'am and Balak see the results they desired. The formula is simple. If we remain
faithful and obedient to G-d, then no Balak and no Bil'am in the world can touch us.
The one reciting the Vidui of Tithes states in D'varim 26:14 (partial pasuk) - "...I
have listened to G-d's voice; I have done all that is com manded of me." If we do
that, then Balak's plan and Bil'am's advice will always come to nought. The three
p'sukim mentioned here (2 whole ones and 1 partial) all have the same G'matriya,
2957.
71
Parshat Ki Tavo
(U'S'FUNEI T'MUNEI CHOL) from last year

A theme that has shown up in other G'matriya matches in past weeks, makes
another appearance in Ki Tavo. D'varim 26:11 tells us how to feel after having
been privileged to bring Bikurim. We are living in Eretz Yisra'el, we have the Beit
HaMik dash, and we have a prosperous yield of the ground. "And you shall rejoice
inall the good that G-d has given you, you, your household, the Levi, the convert
(stranger) among you." One of the necessary pre- requisites of our life in Eretz
Yisra'el is the fulfillment of all that G-d commands us, including fighting the wars G-
d has commanded us to wage. Bamidbar 36:3 - And Moshe spoke to the
nationsaying, recruit from among yourselves men for the army, and fight against
Midyan to avenge G-d's honor from Midyan. These two p'sukim share 3941 as their
G'matriya,
Animals are created for our use, not our misuse. One of the prime uses of animals
is Korbanot to G-d. D'varim 27:7 commands us to sacrifice a SHLAMIM offering
and eat from it, and rejoice before G-d. Vayikra 24:18 states that if one strikes an
animal and kills it, he shall pay "a life for a life". While this pasuk is notto be taken
literally, it does emphasize the terrible waste and serious offense to G-d in His
world of killing an animal (not for a Korban or for food, etc.) Both of these p'sukim
have the same G'matriya, 2656. This is an example of contrasting ideas that G-
match to say to us - One the one hand... but on the other hand...
Remember, I'm not claiming that what I'm about to say comes from the G'matriya-
match, but rather the GM pushed me to think in a particular direction. In our sedra,
D'varim 28:1, it speaks of our listening to G-d's voice and keeping all of the mitzvot,
then G-d will give us ascendancy over the other nations of the world.Vayikra 23:22
matches this pasuk with a value of 5960, and talks about the mitzvot of PE'AH and
LEKET, agricultural mitzvot that at the same time teach us to be kind and
charitable with those less fortunate than we, and also teach us that G-d is the
Boss, the real owner of the land we call our own, and has the authorityto command
us what to do with our produce. Perhaps, in some way, there is a comparison
made between the specific mitzvot and the general command to keep all mitzvot.
There are several different mitzvot that our Sages teach us are "equivalent to the
whole Torah". Because of the concepts that PE'AH and LEKET, etc. teachus, we
can say this about them.
72
D'varim 26:7, from the Bikurim Declaration, became more famous because of its
place in the Pesach Hagada. "And we called out to G-d, the G-d of our ancestors,
and He heard us..." To be sure, one of the major functions of prayer is to call out to
G-d and ask for things we need. But there is more to prayer than that (of
course).Yeshayahu 40:26 (Haftara, Shabbat Nachamu) tells us to lift our eyes
heavenward and see Who has created all this. Acknowledging G-d for the wonders
of creation is no less an important function of prayer. These 2 p'sukim have the
same G'matriya, 3925. Again - it does not prove anything, it does not invent or
innovate. TheseGMs just point you in a certain direction to think about something
that might otherwise go unsaid, un-thought of, taken for granted.
And one more GM, this time a triple one. It is another in a long list of GMs related
to the Bil'am-Balak episode. Bil'am and Balak definitely underestimated the
specialness of Bnei Yisra'el and the uniqueness of our relationship with G-d. (In
addi tion to overestimating their own abilities.) Bamidbar 23:27 contains oneof the
suggestions of Balak that perhaps changing viewing location of the People will
produce results. Bamidbar 24:14 contains Bil'am's parting words to Balak, offering
to tell Balak what this People (the Jewish nation) will do to the nation of Balak in
the future.
Bil'am left parting advice as to how to get G-d angry with us. Only then, can a
Bil'am and Balak see the results they desired. The formula is simple. If we remain
faithful and obedient to G-d, then no Balak and no Bil'am in the world can touch us.
The one reciting the Vidui of Tithes states in D'varim 26:14 (partial pasuk) - "...I
have listened to G-d's voice; I have doneall that is com manded of me." If we do
that, then Balak's plan and Bil'am's advice will always come to nought. The three
p'sukim mentioned here (2 whole ones and 1 partial) all have the same G'matriya,
2957.
73

Treasures in The Sand

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U'S'FUNEI T'MUNEI CHOL

U'S'FUNEI T'MUNEI CHOL

G'MATRIYA based on L'ORA SHEL TORAH by R. Yaakov Auerbach z"l

Speaking of the Baal HaTurim...

Parshat Lech L'cha

U'S'FUNEI T'MUNEI CHOL

Several times in my computer searching, I have found G'matriya-Matches between

No matter how improperly we behave sometimes, we will straighten out.

Parashat Lech L'cha

Several times in my computer searching, I have found G'matriya-Matches between

Both mentioned p'sukim have the same G'matriya - 2794.

This pasuk also has that same G'matriya.

Parshat Chayei Sara

U'S'FUNEI T'MUNEI CHOL

Very often, my computer searches for "meaningful" G'matriya-matches fail to turn

With that said (again), here is a find that is "nice".

And another point about these G'matria searches. Even

U'S'FUNEI T'MUNEI CHOL

U'S'FUNEI T'MUNEI CHOL

Food for thought. That is sometimes what these GMs are.

One TT reader is keeping me on my toes, by checking the G'matriyas of the