Vayigash - The Secret Number

המספר הסודי
The Secret Number

Yaakov's Sons

In the weekly Torah portion of Vayigash, the Torah takes the trouble to detail the names of the descendants of Yaakov as they make their way down to Egypt. At first glance, its names and numbers look just like a typical list. Let us consider, however: Why did the Torah devote so many verses to such a list, when many important laws, such as those of the Sabbath, are covered only sparsely?

The fact is that when we look at the numbers here, we will be surprised to discover one of the great secrets of none other than the human cell. On the way to this secret, we will also delve into one other topic: the Mishkan (Tabernacle) built by Moshe and the People of Israel during their 40 years in the wilderness. The connection between these two topics - the Mishkan and Yaakov's children - is that the light of G-d that dwells within the wooden beams and curtains of the Mishkan, similarly dwells amidst the Children of Israel – and even more intensely. As G-d has promised:

וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל
I will dwell amidst the Children of Israel (Shmot 29,45)

Just like a radio built according to the correct specifications receives broadcasts from long distances, so too, the Mishkan, built according to G-d's precise commands, is able to absorb the special prophetic light transmitted by the Creator.

Let us start our study of the numbers in the list of Yaakov's descendants (B'reshit 46, 8-27) with those of Leah. The Torah states: "The above are the sons of Leah whom she bore to Yaakov in Padan-Aram, and his daughter Dina; the total of his sons and daughters was 33." (verse 15)

The problem is that when we count the names listed in the verses beforehand, we see that there are only 32! Our Sages explained that the extra one is Yocheved, Levy's daughter and Moshe Rabbeinu's mother, who was born "between the walls," that is, just as the children of Israel were about to enter Egypt.

We now turn to the list of Rachel's descendants: "These are the children of Rachel who were born to Yaakov - a total of 14 souls" (verse 22). The sum of the totals for both Rachel's and Leah's descendants is 46.

When we count the children of Yaakov's other wives, Bilhah and Zilpah, we find 23 descendants: Zilpah, Leah's handmaiden, had 16, while Rachel's handmaiden Bilhah had 7.

Rachel and Leah had 46, and their handmaidens had half that number, 23. This was a 2:1 ratio: Of the total of 69 (Yocheved was the 70^th), two-thirds were of Rachel and Leah, and one-third was born to Bilhah and Zilpah.

The Testimony

Let us now jump to Parashat Terumah (Shmot 26) and count the number of boards used in the construction of the Mishkan. There were 20 boards on the southern side (verse 18), another 20 on the northern side (verse 20), and another six boards on the western end of the Tabernacle (verse 22). The total, of course, is 46.

The Mishkan was made up not only of boards, but also of tapestries on the walls and on top. Earlier in the above chapter in Parashat Terumah, we read of four types and layers of tapestries: The first covering was 10 tapestries of fine-twined linen (verse 1). On top of those were 11 sheets of goat's hair (verse 7), and atop those were two sheets: one of reddened ram's skins and another of blue processed hides (verse 14). The total number of tapestries: 23.

The parallel is startling and wondrous: The Mishkan had 46 planks and 23 tapestries, while the offspring of Yaakov were similarly divided: 46 for Rachel and Leah, and 23 for Bilhah and Zilpah.

This parallel explains the following Medrashic passage:

What was the source of the boards used in the Mishkan? - Our Forefather Yaakov planted the trees when he went down to Egypt. He explained to his sons, "My sons! You will one day be redeemed and delivered from Egypt, and G-d will command you, 'Build me a Mishkan.' Plant cedar trees now, therefore, so that when He gives you the command, the trees will be ready for you."  (Medrash Tanchuma, Terumah 9)

The Medrash thus answers two questions. The first is very straightforward: "From where did Bnei Yisrael get boards that were so tall [some five meters long, based on Shmot 26,16]?" The second is more profound, dealing with the connection between the Mishkan and the sons of Yaakov as they descend to Egypt. The basis of this link is that the family of Yaakov, whose details parallel the components of the Mishkan, is a type of human Mishkan upon which the Divine Presence rests.

But the Torah has hidden yet another important principle here.

The Human Cell

Scientists say there are some 100 thousand billion cells in the human body. Every single one has a nucleus, which is akin to its "brain" and controls everything that goes on in the cell. In every nucleus, there is a complex of acids and proteins called chromatin, in which the cell's "work plan" is hidden. Every chromatic fiber is made up of a strand of DNA, containing our hereditary traits, and these fibers become the cell's 46 chromosomes.  

This means that there are exactly 46 chromosomes in every one of the body's 100 trillion cells - except for reproductive cells, which contain only 23 chromosomes, i.e., exactly half the number of the other cells; this is so that when the male and female cells combine together, they will form a total of 46 chromosomes and no more.

To review:

1. a) Yaakov's descendants: 46 from Leah and Rachel, 23 from their handmaidens
2. b) The Tabernacle: 46 structural planks, 23 covering tapestries
3. c) The human cell: 46 chromosomes in regular cells, 23 in reproductive cells

This most amazing triple parallel is a clear Torah message that these numbers are the very basis for the dwelling of the Divine Presence: within the human being, within the family of Yaakov Avinu, and within the Sanctuary of the Mishkan.

We learn something else, as well: The descendants of Yaakov, as they make their way down to Egypt and to their first steps of nationhood, represent the ideal model of a cell from which the entire Nation of Israel will sprout and be a home for the Divine Presence, "Whose glory fills the entire world."

Let us also note incidentally that the sons of the handmaidens, who correspond to the number of chromosomes in the reproductive cells (23), were those who helped increase the number of Tribes of Israel: Rachel and Leah used their handmaidens for this purpose. In addition, the very births of the handmaidens' sons gave a "push" to the births of Yisachar and Zevulun to Leah, and Yosef and Binyamin to Rachel; as Leah said upon Yisachar's birth, "G-d has rewarded me for having given my handmaiden to my husband; she therefore named him Yisachar" [from the same Hebrew root as "reward"] (B'reshit 30,18).

B'reshit and Shmot

The Torah emphasizes, twice, the number one with regard to the Mishkan:

וְחִבַּרְתָּ אֶת הַיְרִיעֹת אִשָּׁה אֶל אֲחֹתָהּ בַּקְּרָסִים וְהָיָה הַמִּשְׁכָּן אֶחָד
Join together the tapestries one to another with fasteners,

and the Mishkan will be one. (Shmot 26,6)

and here:

וְהֵבֵאתָ אֶת הַקְּרָסִים בַּלֻּלָאֹת וְחִבַּרְתָּ אֶת הָאֹהֶל וְהָיָה אֶחָד
Place the fasteners in the loops, joining the tent, and it will be one. (verse 11)

Is there significance to this double mention? Apparently so. In the entire book of B'reshit, the word echad, one, is mentioned 23 times. Not only that, but the same is true for the next book: The word echad, one, is mentioned in Shmot 23 times!

What this means is that the concept of oneness and unity is linked to the joining together of these two numbers. As we saw above, the male and female reproductive cells, each of which has 23 chromosomes, join together to form one new cell with 46, which then divides and multiplies into a new human being.

Most amazingly, the verse of the Torah's description of the first conjoining of male and female has exactly 46 letters (G-d's Name has four letters):

וַיִּבֶן ה' אֱ-לֹהִים אֶת הַצֵּלָע אֲשֶׁר לָקַח מִן הָאָדָם לְאִשָּׁה וַיְבִאֶהָ אֶל הָאָדָם
G-d built the side that He had taken from the man into a woman,
and He brought her to the man. (B'reshit 2,22)

This brings us to the famous verse in Zechariah:

וְהָיָה ה' לְמֶלֶךְ עַל כָּל הָאָרֶץ בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יִהְיֶה ה' אֶחָד וּשְׁמוֹ אֶחָד
G-d will be King over the entire earth;

on that day Hashem will be One and His Name will be One. (Zechariah 14,9)

Once again: The number of letters in this verse discussing the Oneness of Hashem and His Name is – exactly 46. Furthermore, the phrase "Hashem will be One" represents the Book of B'reshit, and "His Name will be One" symbolizes Shmot. How so?

B'reshit describes Hashem's works in the Creation of the world. In contrast, Shmot is the story of the revelation of G-d's Name in the world, as evidenced by the Ten Plagues and the miracles that accompanied the Exodus from Egypt. Therefore, the joining together of the Books of B'reshit and Shmot is just like the joining of “G-d [is] One,” referring to the Creator, and “His Name is One,” referring to His actions in the world.

Er and Onan

Returning to Vayigash, we find in the list of names of Yaakov's descendants two who died before reaching Egypt: Yehuda’s sons Er and Onan:

וּבְנֵי יְהוּדָה עֵר וְאוֹנָן וְשֵׁלָה וָפֶרֶץ וָזָרַח וַיָּמָת עֵר וְאוֹנָן בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן
The sons of Yehuda were Er and Onan and Shelah and Peretz and Zerach;

and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.  (B'reshit 46,12)

The Ramban notes that Er and Onan are listed among those who went down to Egypt, even though they in fact died beforehand and are not counted among the 70. His explanation leads to the understanding that although they died physically, their souls reappeared when Tamar later gave birth to the twins Peretz and Zerach. This is, of course, a strange situation: Er and Onan both existed and did not exist; their souls were in Peretz and Zerach, but physically, they were not there.

Let us return to the Mishkan and ask: Is there a parallel in the Mishkan? Are Er and Onan represented there? The answer is yes!

The six boards closing off the western side of the Mishkan from the inside leave the two corners empty. These corners were filled with two additional boards that were seen completely only from the outside, but not on the inside:

וּשְׁנֵי קְרָשִׁים תַּעֲשֶׂה לִמְקֻצְעֹת הַמִּשְׁכָּן בַּיַּרְכָתָיִם
Two planks you shall make at the corners of the Mishkan. (Shmot 26,23)

These two partially-seen planks are parallel to the partially-present Er and Onan. We thus have 46 boards and 23 tapestries, representing the descendants of Yaakov, and the two boards representing Er and Onan.

We can round off the picture with the following fascinating insights: At the entrance to the Mishkan stood five pillars; they represent Yaakov Avinu and his four wives - Rachel, Leah, Bilhah and Zilpah. Within the Mishkan, near the Holy of Holies, stood four more pillars, representing the four other Patriarchs and Matriarchs: Avraham and Sarah, Yitzchak and Rivkah. And finally, on these four pillars in the Mishkan, a curtain was hung, as is written:

וְהִבְדִּילָה הַפָּרֹכֶת לָכֶם בֵּין הַקֹּדֶשׁ וּבֵין קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים
The curtain shall separate, for you, between the Holy and the Holy of Holies. (verse 33)

The curtain represents Yocheved, daughter of Levi and mother of Moshe, Aharon and Miriam – the 70^th descendant of Yaakov, who was born, as we said above, just as the Children of Israel were entering Egypt.

The structure of the Mishkan thus reflects the appearance of the roots of the Nation of Israel, as detailed in the Book of B'reshit. There can be no more impressive testimony to this eternal insight indicating that just as the Mishkan is the foundation for the dwelling of the Divine Presence, so too, the Nation of Israel serves the same purpose for the revelation of G-d's Name in the entire world.