The Meaning of The Number Fourteen
By Hillel ben David (Greg Killian)
In this study I would like to examine the significance of the number fourteen. The meaning of fourteen is related to the Hebrew characters that represent fourteen, the yod (10) - י and the dalet (4) - ד. Fourteen is thus represented as: יד. Yod dalet, in addition to being a number, also is the Hebrew word for “hand” – yad - יד. Fourteen is also the number of joints in the human hand.
Our Sages teach that the number fourteen symbolizes the "strong hand" or "yad hachzaka" (יד החזקה) of Moshe, who was the recipient of the Torah.[1]
Sefer Yad Hachzaka is also the subtitle of the Mishneh Torah, a code of Jewish law (halakha) by Maimonides.[2] The Mishneh Torah is regarded as Maimonides' magnum opus. The work consists of fourteen books.
Maimonides also wrote a book titled Sefer HaMitzvot (The Book of the Commandments). This book sets forth a series of fourteen “roots” which are general principles for identifying, enumerating, and classifying the Torah’s mitzvot.
Finally, Maimonides also wrote a book titled, “The Guide for the Perplexed”. In this book he informs us that he has “divided all the commandments into fourteen classes”.[3]
Yaaqov left his parents' home in Be’er Sheva at age 63, but arrived in Charan 14 years later at age 77. Our sages explain that for fourteen years Yaaqov hid himself in the home of his ancestor and teacher, Eber (the great-grandson of Shem), where he immersed himself in the study of Torah.
When he completed his studies, Yaaqov worked fourteen years for Rachel. This is where we find the first use of the number fourteen in the Torah:
Bereshit
(Genesis) 31:41 Thus have I been twenty years in thy house;
I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy
cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.
From previous verses we know that Yaaqov worked seven years to earn Rachel and received Leah. He then worked an additional seven years to acquire Rachel. The fourteen years are made up of two sets of seven years. Further, these two sets of seven were for the purpose of securing and providing for his wives.
This suggests that the meaning of fourteen is: The strong hand of HaShem to acquire and take care of His Beloved Bride. As Yaaqov worked to secure his brides, So HaShem works with His strong hand to acquire His bride.
Rachel was barren for fourteen years before she bore Yaaqov two sons, who became fourteen when they entered Mitzrayim.
Bereshit
(Genesis) 46:22 These are
the sons of Rachel, whom she bore to Yaaqov: all the souls, fourteen.
This pasuk suggests that the care that Yaaqov lavished on his beloved allowed her raise up fourteen children and grandchildren. We know that ten of these grandchildren are the sons of Benyamin. Yosef had two children. Finally there were her children, Yosef and Benyamin.
* * *
Another way to understand the meaning of the number fourteen is to see it as a compound number composed of the ‘ten’ part and the ‘four’ part. As we have seen, in Hebrew the number fourteen is also a compound number.
We learned in our study of the Temple that the body of Mashiach is a body composed
of the righteous of
According to Chazal,
our Sages, the number four signifies
completion, wholeness, or fullness.
Thus the compound number fourteen has the meaning of its parts: A whole or complete unity as expressed in the body of Mashiach who is the complete unity composed of member, the righteous of israel.
* * *
How many times does ‘Zeh
toledot’ (these are the generations) appear in the Tanakh? The answer is 13 and
they are found in:
1. Genesis 2:4
2. Genesis 5:1
3. Genesis 6:9
4. Genesis 10:1
5. Genesis 10:32
6. Genesis 11:10
7. Genesis 11:27
8. Genesis 25:12
9. Genesis 25:19
10. Genesis 36:1,9
11. Genesis 37:2
12. Exodus 6: 16,19
13. Numbers 3:1
‘Zeh toledot’ appears an
additional time in Matthews genealogy. Matthews genealogy makes 14. This means
that his genealogy had to have divisions of fourteen.
Gen. Rabbah 57:1 tells us
that Rivka was 3 years old. The Hakham suggests that this is 3.5 times the four
hermaneutic levels (peshat, remez, drash, and sod) which = 13.5.
The previous insight was
found at:
http://vic.australis.com.au/hazz/Toldoth.html
http://vic.australis.com.au/hazz/number014.html
* * *
The Rebbe Ramash, in his gloss to the Haggada, explains the Mishna (beginning of Pesachim): "On the evening of the fourteenth, one searches for chametz by the light of a lamp." Fourteen is the aspect of midot, the emotional attributes (corresponding to the seven midot of the Divine soul and the seven midot of the animal soul); here one needs to search for chametz, and the search must be by the light of a lamp - that is:
Mishlei 20:27 The soul of a man is a lamp of G-d.
* * *
The number of stitches used to stitch together the tefillin, is fourteen.
* * *
At the Pesach seder we have: four cups of wine, three matzot, six items on seder plate (beitza, z'roa, karpas, chazeret, marror, charoset), and salt water = fourteen items used at the seder.
* * *
fourteen is the number of calendrical permutations (i.e. depending on whether the year has twelve or thirteen months, what day Rosh Hashana is on, etc. the calendar can take on fourteen different arrangements).
* * *
In the megilla of Ruth, there were fourteen advisers to King Achashverosh.
* * *
The Jews settled in Gilgal on the western shore of the Jordan, where they set up the Tabernacle which stayed there for fourteen years, until Joshua and the Bne Israel conquered and divided the Land of Canaan.
We spent fourteen years conquering and settling the
* * *
There were fourteen separate ritual components of the seder, kadesh urchatz, etc. (Motzi-matzah is regarded as one).
* * *
Sukkah 27a R. ELIEZER SAID, A MAN IS OBLIGED TO EAT
FOURTEEN MEALS IN THE SUKKAH, ONE ON EACH DAY AND ONE ON EACH NIGHT. THE SAGES
HOWEVER SAY, THERE IS NO FIXED NUMBER EXCEPT ON THE FIRST NIGHT OF THE FESTIVAL ALONE.
* * *
The word "return" is used fourteen times in the Megilla of Ruth (the word in v4:15 is of the same root but has a different meaning, a not uncommon finding when using this method). This indicates that it is the Key-Word, one that encodes and conceals the key to interpretation. This tells us that the concept of return is the key to understanding this book.
* * *
The word, hineini,
appears just fourteen times
in the Tanach, but each time it appears in a memorable and meaningful story.
* * *
|
A time to be born |
and a time to die. |
|
A time to plant |
and a time to uproot. |
|
A time to kill |
and a time to heal. |
|
A time to wreck |
and a time to build. |
|
A time to weep |
and a time to laugh. |
|
A time of mourning |
and a time of dancing. |
|
A time to throw stones |
and a time to hoard stones. |
|
A time to embrace |
and a time to shun. |
|
A time to seek |
and a time to lose. |
|
A time to safeguard |
and a time to discard. |
|
A time to tear |
and a time to sew. |
|
A time to be still |
and a time to speak. |
|
A time to love |
and a time to hate. |
|
A time of war |
and a time of peace. |
|
The Fourteen Years of the Septennial
Torah Cycle |
|
|
Tishri Cycle |
Nisan Cycle |
|
3½ years of Pshat |
3½ years of Remez |
|
3½ years of Drash |
3½ years of Sod |
* * *
Avraham spent fourteen years from the time he left Charan until Yitzchak was born.
* * *
II Corinthians
12:2 I know a man in Mashiach: above fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I know not, or out of the body, I know not: God
knoweth), such a one caught up to the third heaven.
* * *
Galatians
2:1 Then, after fourteen
years, I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus also with me.
* * *
Fourteen is the number imprinted on Succoth, as we can see from the following pasukim:
Bamidbar (Numbers) 29:13And you shall offer a holocaust for a most
sweet odour to the Lord, thirteen calves of the herd, two rams, and fourteen lambs of a year old, without blemish:
Bamidbar (Numbers) 29:15 And the tenth of a tenth to every lamb,
being in all fourteen lambs:
Bamidbar (Numbers) 29:17 On the second day you shall offer twelve
calves of the herd, two rams and fourteen
lambs of a year old, without blemish:
Bamidbar (Numbers) 29:20 The third day you shall offer eleven
calves, two rams, and fourteen lambs of a
year old, without blemish:
Bamidbar (Numbers) 29:23 The fourth day you shall offer ten calves,
two rams, and fourteen lambs of a year old,
without blemish:
Bamidbar (Numbers) 29:26 The fifth day you shall offer nine calves,
two rams, and fourteen lambs of a year old,
without blemish:
Bamidbar (Numbers) 29:29 The sixth day you shall offer eight calves,
two rams, and fourteen lambs of a year old,
without blemish:
Bamidbar (Numbers) 29:32 The seventh day you shall offer seven
calves and two rams, and fourteen lambs of a
year old, without blemish:
* * *
Gold - זהב = fourteen
While we wait for Mashiach, we are in the period of Midrash and how to rule the people of HaShem.
When Mashiach comes we will be concerned with how to rule the universe.
Chakma (ח) + Binah (ב) + Dalet (ד) = ChaBaD - חבד
ChaBaD = 14 times the three letters (חבד) = 42.
David (דוד) = 14 = the hand of HaShem.
The bench of three is the hand of HaShem. David is the hand of HaShem.
14 is now.
42 (3 times 14) is the number we are becoming.
42 = How to become Hakhamim
* * *
Fourteen means kingship. They derived this from the gematria of David - דוד. The gematria of דוד is 14.
* * *
According to
Maimonides’ list of the 613 Torah Commandments, there are fourteen Mitzvoth contained
in the scrolls of the head Tefillin, and they are:
6 To know that God is
One, a complete Unity (Deut. 6:4).
7 To love God (Deut.
6:5).
12 To learn Torah and to
teach it (Deut. 6:7).
19 To bind tefillin on
the head (Deut. 6:8).
20 To bind tefillin on
the arm (Deut. 6:8).
21 To affix the mezuzah
to the doorposts and gates of your house (Deut. 6:9).
23 To read the Shema in
the morning and at night (Deut. 6:7).
122 Not to eat chametz on
Passover (Ex. 13:3).
123 That chametz shall not
be seen in an Israelite's home during Passover (Ex. 13:7).
124 To discuss the
departure from Egypt on the first night of Passover ( Ex. 13:8).
368 To redeem the
firstborn human male (Ex. 13:13; Ex. 34:20; Num. 18:15)
369 To redeem the
firstling of an ass (Ex. 13:13; Ex. 34:20).
370 To break the neck of
the firstling of an ass if it is not redeemed (Ex. 13:13; Ex. 34:20).
459 To sanctify the
firstling of clean cattle and offer it up (Ex. 13:2; Deut. 15:19).
* * *
This study was written by Hillel ben David
(Greg Killian).
Comments may be submitted to:
Greg Killian
1101 Surrey Trace SE
Tumwater, WA 98501
Internet address: gkilli@aol.com
Web page:
http://www.betemunah.org/
(360) 584-9352
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[1] Devarim 34:12, which contains the Rambam’s first name (Moshe): "And for all the great might [lit. 'mighty hand'] and awesome power that Moshe displayed before all Israel.".
[2] Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, also known by the Hebrew acronym of RaMBaM, usually written "Rambam" in English.
[3] The Guide for the Perplexed, Maimonides, III, 35, page 535.