Mezuzah מזוזה
A מזוזה in the Tanakh is the doorpost itself. How the name moved from the wood to the parchment fixed to it.
- Found in the Torah
- 984
- Chance alone: 916
- Skips 2 to 76,212
- Found in the Tanakh
- 15,336
- Chance alone: 15,775
- Skips 2 to 299,260
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A mezuzah today is a small parchment scroll, fixed to the doorpost in a case. In the Tanakh the word is the post. Blood goes on the two doorposts in Egypt in Exodus 12:7, and a servant who refuses his freedom has his ear pierced at the door or at the post, אל הדלת או אל המזוזה, in Exodus 21:6. The command in Deuteronomy 6:9 says to write these words on the מזוזת of thy house. Over time the name moved from the wood to the writing that was fixed to it, and the Tanakh never uses the word for anything but the wood.
- As a whole word
- 0
- First, with any prefix
- Exodus 21:6
- Last
- Isaiah 57:8
The measurement
Skip 2 at Exodus 32:15 is built out of the words מזה ומזה, on the one side and on the other. Words with repeated letters make short-skip sequences of their own, which is why skips 2 to 10 hold 2 against 0.2 by chance. The surplus is the wording of one verse.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 984 | 15,336 |
| Chance alone | 916 | 15,775 |
| P (≥ found) | 0.01 | 1.00 |
| Shortest skip | 2 | 2 |
| Longest skip | 73,087 | 297,805 |
Counted forward and backward on the written text, with final letters treated as ordinary ones. At the laboratory's opening setting, skips 2 to 5,000, the Torah gives 117 against 116 by chance. How these figures are made.
The sequences, letter by letter
Each letter is shown in the verse it happens to stand in, nothing more. Tap one to read it in the Tanakh, with the rest of the sequence marked.
In the Torah
Shortest skip 2, forward from Exodus 32:15
וַיִּ֜פֶן וַיֵּ֤רֶד מֹשֶׁה֙ מִן־הָהָ֔ר וּשְׁנֵ֛י לֻחֹ֥ת הָעֵדֻ֖ת בְּיָד֑וֹ לֻחֹ֗ת כְּתֻבִים֙ מִשְּׁנֵ֣י עֶבְרֵיהֶ֔ם מִזֶּ֥ה וּמִזֶּ֖ה הֵ֥ם כְּתֻבִֽים׃
And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, with the two tables of the testimony in his hand; tables that were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written.
Short skip 67, backward from Leviticus 4:21
וְהוֹצִ֣יא אֶת־הַפָּ֗ר אֶל־מִחוּץ֙ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה וְשָׂרַ֣ף אֹת֔וֹ כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר שָׂרַ֔ף אֵ֖ת הַפָּ֣ר הָרִאשׁ֑וֹן חַטַּ֥את הַקָּהָ֖ל הֽוּא׃
And he shall carry forth the bullock without the camp, and burn it as he burned the first bullock; it is the sin-offering for the assembly.
וְאֵ֥ת כָּל־חֶלְבּ֖וֹ יָרִ֣ים מִמֶּ֑נּוּ וְהִקְטִ֖יר הַמִּזְבֵּֽחָה׃
And all the fat thereof shall he take off from it, and make it smoke upon the altar.
… לִפְנֵ֣י יְקוָ֔ק אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּאֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד וְאֵ֣ת כָּל־הַדָּ֗ם יִשְׁפֹּךְ֙ אֶל־יְסוֹד֙ …
And he shall put of the blood upon the horns of the altar which is before the LORD, that is in the tent of meeting, and all the remaining blood shall he pour out at the base of the altar of burnt-offering, which is at the door of the tent of meeting.
וְטָבַ֧ל הַכֹּהֵ֛ן אֶצְבָּע֖וֹ מִן־הַדָּ֑ם וְהִזָּ֞ה שֶׁ֤בַע פְּעָמִים֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יְקוָ֔ק אֵ֖ת פְּנֵ֥י הַפָּרֹֽכֶת׃
And the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD, in front of the veil.
וְ֠סָמְכוּ זִקְנֵ֨י הָעֵדָ֧ה אֶת־יְדֵיהֶ֛ם עַל־רֹ֥אשׁ הַפָּ֖ר לִפְנֵ֣י יְקוָ֑ק וְשָׁחַ֥ט אֶת־הַפָּ֖ר לִפְנֵ֥י יְקוָֽק׃
And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before the LORD; and the bullock shall be killed before the LORD.
Middle skip 526, backward from Deuteronomy 8:19
… וְהָֽלַכְתָּ֗ אַחֲרֵי֙ אֱ־לֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים וַעֲבַדְתָּ֖ם וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִ֣יתָ לָהֶ֑ם הַעִדֹ֤תִי בָכֶם֙ …
And it shall be, if thou shalt forget the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I forewarn you this day that ye shall surely perish.
אֶ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹ֤א בְמִסְכֵּנֻת֙ תֹּֽאכַל־בָּ֣הּ לֶ֔חֶם לֹֽא־תֶחְסַ֥ר כֹּ֖ל בָּ֑הּ אֶ֚רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֲבָנֶ֣יהָ בַרְזֶ֔ל וּמֵהֲרָרֶ֖יהָ תַּחְצֹ֥ב נְחֹֽשֶׁת׃
a land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass.
כָּל־הַמִּצְוָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָנֹכִ֧י מְצַוְּךָ֛ הַיּ֖וֹם תִּשְׁמְר֣וּן לַעֲשׂ֑וֹת לְמַ֨עַן תִּֽחְי֜וּן וּרְבִיתֶ֗ם וּבָאתֶם֙ וִֽירִשְׁתֶּ֣ם אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־נִשְׁבַּ֥ע יְקוָ֖ק לַאֲבֹתֵיכֶֽם׃
All the commandment which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD swore unto your fathers.
לֹ֥א תִירָ֖א מֵהֶ֑ם זָכֹ֣ר תִּזְכֹּ֗ר אֵ֤ת אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה֙ יְקוָ֣ק אֱ־לֹהֶ֔יךָ לְפַרְעֹ֖ה וּלְכָל־מִצְרָֽיִם׃
thou shalt not be afraid of them; thou shalt well remember what the LORD thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt:
וְיָ֣דַעְתָּ֔ כִּֽי־יְקוָ֥ק אֱ־לֹהֶ֖יךָ ה֣וּא הָֽאֱ־לֹהִ֑ים הָאֵל֙ הַֽנֶּאֱמָ֔ן שֹׁמֵ֧ר הַבְּרִ֣ית וְהַחֶ֗סֶד לְאֹהֲבָ֛יו וּלְשֹׁמְרֵ֥י מצותומִצְוֺתָ֖יו לְאֶ֥לֶף דּֽוֹר׃
Know therefore that the LORD thy God, He is God; the faithful God, who keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations;
Wide skip 5,246, backward from Genesis 37:21
וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע רְאוּבֵ֔ן וַיַּצִּלֵ֖הוּ מִיָּדָ֑ם וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לֹ֥א נַכֶּ֖נּוּ נָֽפֶשׁ׃
And Reuben heard it, and delivered him out of their hand; and said: ‘Let us not take his life.’
אַךְ־בְּזֹ֖את נֵא֣וֹת לָכֶ֑ם אִ֚ם תִּהְי֣וּ כָמֹ֔נוּ לְהִמֹּ֥ל לָכֶ֖ם כָּל־זָכָֽר׃
Only on this condition will we consent unto you: if ye will be as we are, that every male of you be circumcised;
וַיִּבְרַ֥ח הוּא֙ וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־ל֔וֹ וַיָּ֖קָם וַיַּעֲבֹ֣ר אֶת־הַנָּהָ֑ר וַיָּ֥שֶׂם אֶת־פָּנָ֖יו הַ֥ר הַגִּלְעָֽד׃
So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the River, and set his face toward the mountain of Gilead.
… בְּכֹ֣ל אֲשֶׁר־תֵּלֵ֔ךְ וַהֲשִׁ֣בֹתִ֔יךָ אֶל־הָאֲדָמָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את כִּ֚י לֹ֣א אֶֽעֱזָבְךָ֔ עַ֚ד …
And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee whithersoever thou goest, and will bring thee back into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.’
וַיָּ֥זֶד יַעֲקֹ֖ב נָזִ֑יד וַיָּבֹ֥א עֵשָׂ֛ו מִן־הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה וְה֥וּא עָיֵֽף׃
And Jacob sod pottage; and Esau came in from the field, and he was faint.
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 3, forward from 2 Chronicles 29:22
וַֽיִּשְׁחֲטוּ֙ הַבָּקָ֔ר וַיְקַבְּל֤וּ הַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ אֶת־הַדָּ֔ם וַֽיִּזְרְק֖וּ הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חָה וַיִּשְׁחֲט֣וּ הָאֵלִ֗ים וַיִּזְרְק֤וּ הַדָּם֙ …
So they killed the bullocks, and the priests received the blood, and dashed it against the altar; and they killed the rams, and dashed the blood against the altar; they killed also the lambs, and dashed the blood against the altar.
Middle skip 520, backward from Psalm 109:1
לַ֭מְנַצֵּחַ לְדָוִ֣ד מִזְמ֑וֹר אֱ־לֹהֵ֥י תְ֝הִלָּתִ֗י אַֽל־תֶּחֱרַֽשׁ׃
For the Leader. A Psalm of David. O God of my praise, keep not silence;
שֹׁפֵ֣ךְ בּ֭וּז עַל־נְדִיבִ֑ים וַ֝יַּתְעֵ֗ם בְּתֹ֣הוּ לֹא־דָֽרֶךְ׃
He poureth contempt upon princes, And causeth them to wander in the waste, where there is no way.
יוֹד֣וּ לַיקוָ֣ק חַסְדּ֑וֹ וְ֝נִפְלְאוֹתָ֗יו לִבְנֵ֥י אָדָֽם׃
Let them give thanks unto the LORD for His mercy, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
וּֽמֵאֲרָצ֗וֹת קִ֫בְּצָ֥ם מִמִּזְרָ֥ח וּמִֽמַּעֲרָ֑ב מִצָּפ֥וֹן וּמִיָּֽם׃
And gathered them out of the lands, From the east and from the west, From the north and from the sea.
לֹֽא־הִ֭שְׁמִידוּ אֶת־הָֽעַמִּ֑ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר אָמַ֖ר יְקוָ֣ק לָהֶֽם׃
They did not destroy the peoples, As the LORD commanded them;
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 2 | 0.22 |
| 11 to 100 | 2 | 2.2 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 25 | 21.5 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 88 | 92.4 |
| 5,001 to 76,212 | 867 | 800 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 29. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 29 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 15/100 | 23 | 15 to 37 |
| Words within each verse | 34/100 | 26 | 15 to 37 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 206 | 235 |
| Exodus | 258 | 191 |
| Leviticus | 152 | 135 |
| Numbers | 222 | 191 |
| Deuteronomy | 146 | 165 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 3,617 | 4,017 |
| Prophets | 7,087 | 7,298 |
| Writings | 4,632 | 4,460 |
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