"וְהָיָה֩ בַיּ֨וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֜י יְגַלַּ֣ח אֶת־כָּל־שְׂעָר֗וֹ אֶת־רֹאשׁ֤וֹ וְאֶת־זְקָנוֹ֙ וְאֵת֙ גַּבֹּ֣ת עֵינָ֔יו וְאֶת־כָּל־שְׂעָר֖וֹ יְגַלֵּ֑חַ וְכִבֶּ֣ס אֶת־בְּגָדָ֗יו וְרָחַ֧ץ אֶת־בְּשָׂר֛וֹ בַּמַּ֖יִם וְטָהֵֽר" - Perek Yud Daled, Pasuk Tet
Why did the torah have to first give a general statement, then a specific one, the another general one? Why did it have to be on the 7th day? Why did the torah specify these three places? Why did these actions then make him clean again?
What are other times the number 7 is symbolic in the Torah and what does it represent?
Rashi says: The general statement, followed by a specific statement followed again, by a general statement is to include every place where hair grows in a bunch and is visible, [bearing a similarity to the hair of the head, the beard, and the eyebrows]."
Number 7 is the most important number in the Torah. It represents being complete and holy. We know this because Shabbos is on the 7th day and Shmitta is on the 7th year. Also, when we give a Korban we sprinkle the blood 7 times on the mizbeach.
ReplyDeleteI like this idea of 7 being a special number because its consistent throughout the Torah and its nice to have consistency with rules and dates.
Kayla Markovitz
Rabbi Eliyahu Safran says that the number 7 is the most important number in Judaism. 7 represents completeness and wholesomeness. We see this because on Shabbos Shuva, we read Nitzavim and in Nitzavim, it says Shuv 7 times in various ways showing the theme of Teshuva. Additionally, marriage is nothing but a partnership without the Sheva Brachot. I really like this because I like how we have one number that really appears a lot throughout the Torah and really represents our religion.
ReplyDeleteThe number 7 brings wholeness and completeness since it represents a full cycle (7 days of creation, 7 yoval years, etc) but the Hebrew word for 7 (zayin) can also mean weapon. This introduces a struggling battle between having the potential to be holy and be evil. Each day we face battles that test our limits, and we would all fail if we only used our zayin (weapon) because that only includes our free will and animal instincts. But, we are given Teshuva, which is called for seven times, in order for us to return to Hashem. I like this idea because it gives a deeper meaning to a simple number we use everyday.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.ou.org/torah/parsha/parsha-from-ou/seven-the-power-of-numbers/
RAV SHRAGA SIMMONS points out that Shavuot is literally a holiday called “weeks”. It highlights the 7 weeks between pesach and shabuot. He says, time can be counted in so many different ways. Days, months etc. but why a week? Why 7 days? The week is something gd created and humans accepted. The significance of seven is shown through tour daily life experiences and represents the wholeness and completeness of something. I think this is a beautiful and interesting interpretation of the word Shavuot and it’s connection to the number 7
ReplyDeleteSource: https://www.ou.org/torah/parsha/parsha-from-ou/seven-the-power-of-numbers/
Kayla T
Miriam Hoffmann
ReplyDeleteChizkuni says that the reason the torah repeats these instruction is to emphasize the critical importance of this procedure and its date. It must be performed on the seventh day, not on the eighth, ninth or tenth day.
I think this answer stresses and makes what the torah said really clear which is sometimes what we need.
Rabbi Geoffrey Dennis:
ReplyDeleteThe number seven is shown numerous times in the Torah in symbolic places such as the number of days of creation and the fact that the seventh day is the most symbolic and precious (Shabbat). The Hebrew word “Mazal” in gematria equals 77. And the word “Gad”equals 7. It also goes past a biblical sense in which there are 7 days of mourning for a person's death, and a woman circles her husband seven times under the Chuppah. ALSO the first pasuk of Bereshit has seven words.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.myjewishlearning.com/article/judaism-numbers/amp/
RONIT SHREM
ReplyDeleteAnother time in the Torah where the number 7 is represented is in the special holiday, Shavuot. There is a 7 week countdown from Pesach to Shavuot, a holiday that literally means "weeks".
Rav Shraga Simmons asks a question as to why a week is 7 days. He explains that the number 7 is significant and represents wholeness as well as consistency, which are two things that we must have in our day-to-day lives.
I love this idea since I find it interesting how Rav Shraga Simmons connects the number 7 to Shavuot. I also think it's cool and ironic how there is a 7 week countdown to Shavuot, a holiday that means "weeks".
Esther Avidan
ReplyDelete#2 -Chizkuni explains that
והיהביוםהשביעייגלח, means that as soon as the seventh day has come, he will shave all his hair. The reference is to hair that has grown during the preceding seven days. There are two occasions when shaving has to occur. He has to perform two separate shavings - that is why there are more than one statements given about this. I like this answer a lot because it is simple and makes sense but also because it gives a better understanding of the descriptive language and the transition to not so descriptive language.
Tova Rubin
ReplyDeleteThe Mussaf Rashi says that one who has tzaarat must tovel on the seventh night and on the eighth day
he can return to the camp. This so so he shouldn't be separated from the kedushas ezra as it says "when
the kohen calls and stands him there", this pasuk states that the kohen calls him and purifies him. I like
this idea because once someone has tzaarat it is already a painful experience and we wouldn't want
them to be in pain any longer, he should go back to the machane right away.