Gematria of the Word “Torah”

Question

As we all know, there are 613 mitzvot. The gematria of the word תורה is 611, just two shy of that. Yet it is very close, which is hard to ignore. Is there any significance to this proximity and the number 2 in which the gematria falls short?

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Answers

  1. The Just Ask! - AskTheRabbi.org Team

    Yes. We learn in Masechet Maccot 24:
    Rav Hamnuna said: “Moshe commanded us Torah” (Deut. 33:4) – Torah in gemaṭria (numerical value of letters) is 611 (a hint to 611 mitzvahs). Two other mitzvahs, “I am the Lord, your God, Who brought you out of the Land of Egypt” and “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exod. 20:2-3), we heard from the Almighty.

    This is a hint to the fact that there are 613 mitzvahs: 611 plus 2.

    Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team