Freethought & Rationalism Archive

emotional · 07-19-2001, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Waning Moon Conrad:
<STRONG>At least one Kabbalist notes that the word for serpent and the word for messiah have the same numerical value. Kabbalah places great store on numerical coincidence and this Kabbalist suggests that the serpent and the messiah are the same being/principle and there is indeed a "higher purpose" to the fall and that god planned it all along.

</STRONG>

Indeed so, the numerical value of both "Mashiah" (Mem-Shin-Yod-Het, 40 + 300 + 10 + 8) and "Nahash" (Nun-Het-Shin, 50 + 300 + 8) is 358. It's one of those linguistic coincidences which mean nothing.

Quote:

<STRONG>
Personally, I think that that is nothing more than an attempt by a mystic, to make Jewish mythology acceptable to discriminating minds and keep it relevant.</STRONG>

Orthodox Jewish rabbis, from the Talmud to this day, are fond of using numerical values (called "gimatria" in Hebrew) to prove their points, such as equating "Yosi Sarid" (a secularist, humanist Knesset Member" with "Haman HaRasha'" (Haman of the book of Esther). Those attempts may backfire, because the venerable Sephardi Orthodox rabbi "Ovadya Yosef" equals "HaZed Dino Gehinnom", which means "the judgement of the wicked one is hell".

[ July 19, 2001: Message edited by: devnet ]

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