Mordechai מרדכי
The hero of Purim carries a Babylonian court name, and the Talmud finds him in a spice of the Torah. Ezra and Nehemiah list a second Mordechai.
- Found in the Torah
- 10,009
- Chance alone: 10,657
- Skips 2 to 76,212
- Found in the Tanakh
- 217,495
- Chance alone: 207,912
- Skips 2 to 299,260
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The hero of Purim is a Jew with a foreign name. Esther 2:5 introduces him with a title, איש יהודי, a certain Jew in Shushan the castle, and the next verse says he had been carried from Jerusalem with the exile. His name has the shape of a Babylonian court name, the kind Daniel and his friends were given, and it is no more a confession than Monday is. The same page of the Talmud that finds Esther in Deuteronomy, Chullin 139b, finds Mordechai in the spices of Exodus 30:23: מר דרור, flowing myrrh, which the Targum renders מירא דכיא. The name stands 41 times in his own book. Ezra 2:2 and Nehemiah 7:7 list a Mordechai among those who came back from exile with Zerubbabel, and the spelling never varies.
- As a whole word
- 43
- First, with any prefix
- Esther 2:5
- Last
- Nehemiah 7:7
The measurement
Under the formula by 6.1 percent in the Torah, over it by 4.6 percent in the Tanakh, and dead level among the shuffles, where half reach the real 278. A count can swing that far with no reason worth reporting.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 10,009 | 217,495 |
| Chance alone | 10,657 | 207,912 |
| P (≥ found) | 1.00 | 6.4 × 10⁻⁹⁷ |
| Shortest skip | 4 | 2 |
| Longest skip | 75,521 | 299,079 |
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 1,400 against 1,352 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 4, forward from Deuteronomy 2:23
Short skip 54, backward from Exodus 5:20
וַֽיִּפְגְּעוּ֙ אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְאֶֽת־אַהֲרֹ֔ן נִצָּבִ֖ים לִקְרָאתָ֑ם בְּצֵאתָ֖ם מֵאֵ֥ת פַּרְעֹֽה׃
And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh;
וַיִּרְא֞וּ שֹֽׁטְרֵ֧י בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל אֹתָ֖ם בְּרָ֣ע לֵאמֹ֑ר לֹא־תִגְרְע֥וּ מִלִּבְנֵיכֶ֖ם דְּבַר־י֥וֹם בְּיוֹמֽוֹ׃
And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were set on mischief, when they said: ‘Ye shall not diminish aught from your bricks, your daily task.’
וְעַתָּה֙ לְכ֣וּ עִבְד֔וּ וְתֶ֖בֶן לֹא־יִנָּתֵ֣ן לָכֶ֑ם וְתֹ֥כֶן לְבֵנִ֖ים תִּתֵּֽנּוּ׃
Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.’
תֶּ֗בֶן אֵ֤ין נִתָּן֙ לַעֲבָדֶ֔יךָ וּלְבֵנִ֛ים אֹמְרִ֥ים לָ֖נוּ עֲשׂ֑וּ וְהִנֵּ֧ה עֲבָדֶ֛יךָ מֻכִּ֖ים וְחָטָ֥את עַמֶּֽךָ׃
There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us: Make brick; and, behold, thy servants are beaten, but the fault is in thine own people.’
וַיָּבֹ֗אוּ שֹֽׁטְרֵי֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיִּצְעֲק֥וּ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר לָ֧מָּה תַעֲשֶׂ֦ה כֹ֖ה לַעֲבָדֶֽיךָ׃
Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying: ‘Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?
Middle skip 503, forward from Leviticus 25:14
וְכִֽי־תִמְכְּר֤וּ מִמְכָּר֙ לַעֲמִיתֶ֔ךָ א֥וֹ קָנֹ֖ה מִיַּ֣ד עֲמִיתֶ֑ךָ אַל־תּוֹנ֖וּ אִ֥ישׁ אֶת־אָחִֽיו׃
And if thou sell aught unto thy neighbour, or buy of thy neighbour’s hand, ye shall not wrong one another.
וּבְכֹ֖ל אֶ֣רֶץ אֲחֻזַּתְכֶ֑ם גְּאֻלָּ֖ה תִּתְּנ֥וּ לָאָֽרֶץ׃
And in all the land of your possession ye shall grant a redemption for the land.
וּֽשְׂדֵ֛ה מִגְרַ֥שׁ עָרֵיהֶ֖ם לֹ֣א יִמָּכֵ֑ר כִּֽי־אֲחֻזַּ֥ת עוֹלָ֛ם ה֖וּא לָהֶֽם׃
But the fields of the open land about their cities may not be sold; for that is their perpetual possession.
וְ֠גַם מִבְּנֵ֨י הַתּוֹשָׁבִ֜ים הַגָּרִ֤ים עִמָּכֶם֙ מֵהֶ֣ם תִּקְנ֔וּ וּמִמִּשְׁפַּחְתָּם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עִמָּכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר הוֹלִ֖ידוּ בְּאַרְצְכֶ֑ם וְהָי֥וּ לָכֶ֖ם לַֽאֲחֻזָּֽה׃
Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them may ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they have begotten in your land; and they may be your possession.
כִּֽי־לִ֤י בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ עֲבָדִ֔ים עֲבָדַ֣י הֵ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־הוֹצֵ֥אתִי אוֹתָ֖ם מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם אֲנִ֖י יְקוָ֥ק אֱ־לֹהֵיכֶֽם׃
For unto Me the children of Israel are servants; they are My servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
Wide skip 5,007, forward from Genesis 35:18
וַיְהִ֞י בְּצֵ֤את נַפְשָׁהּ֙ כִּ֣י מֵ֔תָה וַתִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ בֶּן־אוֹנִ֑י וְאָבִ֖יו קָֽרָא־ל֥וֹ בִנְיָמִֽין׃
And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing—for she died—that she called his name Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin.
וַיֵּ֨ט אֵלֶ֜יהָ אֶל־הַדֶּ֗רֶךְ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ הָֽבָה־נָּא֙ אָב֣וֹא אֵלַ֔יִךְ כִּ֚י …
And he turned unto her by the way, and said: ‘Come, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee’; for he knew not that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said: ‘What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?’
יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה פַרְעֹ֔ה וְיַפְקֵ֥ד פְּקִדִ֖ים עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וְחִמֵּשׁ֙ אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם בְּשֶׁ֖בַע שְׁנֵ֥י הַשָּׂבָֽע׃
Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint overseers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven years of plenty.
וַיְמַהֵ֣ר יוֹסֵ֗ף כִּֽי־נִכְמְר֤וּ רַחֲמָיו֙ אֶל־אָחִ֔יו וַיְבַקֵּ֖שׁ לִבְכּ֑וֹת וַיָּבֹ֥א הַחַ֖דְרָה וַיֵּ֥בְךְּ שָֽׁמָּה׃
And Joseph made haste; for his heart yearned toward his brother; and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there.
וְהָאֲנָשִׁים֙ רֹ֣עֵי צֹ֔אן כִּֽי־אַנְשֵׁ֥י מִקְנֶ֖ה הָי֑וּ וְצֹאנָ֧ם וּבְקָרָ֛ם וְכָל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר לָהֶ֖ם הֵבִֽיאוּ׃
and the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 2, forward from Psalm 114:6
Middle skip 500, forward from 2 Chronicles 28:18
… וְאֶת־אַיָּל֜וֹן וְאֶת־הַגְּדֵר֗וֹת וְאֶת־שׂוֹכ֤וֹ וּבְנוֹתֶ֨יהָ֙ וְאֶת־תִּמְנָ֣ה וּבְנוֹתֶ֔יהָ וְאֶת־גִּמְז֖וֹ וְאֶת־בְּנֹתֶ֑יהָ וַיֵּשְׁב֖וּ …
The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the Lowland, and of the South of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, and Aijalon, and Gederoth, and Soco with the towns thereof, and Timnah with the towns thereof, Gimzo also and the towns thereof; and they dwelt there.
וְיֶ֤תֶר דְּבָרָיו֙ וְכָל־דְּרָכָ֔יו הָרִאשֹׁנִ֖ים וְהָאַחֲרוֹנִ֑ים הִנָּ֣ם כְּתוּבִ֔ים עַל־סֵ֥פֶר מַלְכֵֽי־יְהוּדָ֖ה וְיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Now the rest of his acts, and all his ways, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
וַיְהִי֙ קֶ֣צֶף יְקוָ֔ק עַל־יְהוּדָ֖ה וִירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וַיִּתְּנֵ֤ם לזועהלְזַֽעֲוָה֙ לְשַׁמָּ֣ה וְלִשְׁרֵקָ֔ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר אַתֶּ֥ם רֹאִ֖ים בְּעֵינֵיכֶֽם׃
Wherefore the wrath of the LORD was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and He hath delivered them to be a horror, an astonishment, and a hissing, as ye see with your eyes.
… אֵ֤ת כָּל־הַטֻּמְאָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֤ר מָֽצְאוּ֙ בְּהֵיכַ֣ל יְקוָ֔ק לַחֲצַ֖ר בֵּ֣ית יְקוָ֑ק …
And the priests went in unto the inner part of the house of the LORD, to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the LORD into the court of the house of the LORD. And the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad to the brook Kidron.
… וַֽיִּזְרְק֖וּ הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חָה וַיִּשְׁחֲט֣וּ הָאֵלִ֗ים וַיִּזְרְק֤וּ הַדָּם֙ הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חָה וַֽיִּשְׁחֲטוּ֙ הַכְּבָשִׂ֔ים …
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.
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 2 | 2.5 |
| 11 to 100 | 22 | 25.2 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 254 | 250 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 1,122 | 1,075 |
| 5,001 to 76,212 | 8,609 | 9,305 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 278. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 278 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 50/100 | 278 | 237 to 333 |
| Words within each verse | 44/100 | 274 | 231 to 313 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 2,344 | 2,729 |
| Exodus | 2,114 | 2,221 |
| Leviticus | 1,300 | 1,566 |
| Numbers | 2,374 | 2,221 |
| Deuteronomy | 1,877 | 1,920 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 53,166 | 52,949 |
| Prophets | 101,691 | 96,186 |
| Writings | 62,638 | 58,777 |
Run this search yourself
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