Torah תורה
Rabbi Weissmandl's starting observation was this word at skip 50 from the first ת of Genesis. The same word across the whole range of skips.
- Found in the Torah
- 965,907
- Chance alone: 999,576
- Skips 2 to 101,616
- Found in the Tanakh
- 13,295,740
- Chance alone: 13,224,906
- Skips 2 to 399,013
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Before anyone looked for it at a skip, תורה was an ordinary word for instruction. A mother has one in Proverbs 1:8, and Exodus 12:49 uses it for a single rule about the Passover. Its reach grows through the Tanakh until Malachi 3:22 closes the Prophets with the Torah of Moses. Our interest here is a narrower thing. Rabbi Michael Ber Weissmandl noticed that from the first ת of Genesis, every 50th letter spells this word, and that Exodus does the same. That observation started the modern search. The gallery entry tells that story with its figures. This page counts the word at every skip the text allows, because a single skip tells you little until you can see the whole range around it.
- As a whole word
- 23
- First, with any prefix
- Exodus 12:49
The measurement
At every skip the Torah holds 965,907 sequences of its own name, 3.4 percent fewer than the formula gives. Nothing at this scale sets the word apart. What Rabbi Weissmandl saw was one skip in one place, and a whole range cannot speak to that. Open skip 50 in the laboratory and set it beside 49 and 51.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 965,907 | 13,295,740 |
| Chance alone | 999,576 | 13,224,906 |
| P (≥ found) | 1.00 | 1.2 × 10⁻⁸⁴ |
| Shortest skip | 2 | 2 |
| Longest skip | 101,467 | 398,847 |
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 95,111 against 95,930 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 Genesis 7:11
… בַּיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֗ה נִבְקְעוּ֙ כָּֽל־מַעְיְנֹת֙ תְּה֣וֹם רַבָּ֔ה וַאֲרֻבֹּ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם נִפְתָּֽחוּ׃
In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
Shortest skip 2, forward from Genesis 15:10
וַיִּֽקַּֽח־ל֣וֹ אֶת־כָּל־אֵ֗לֶּה וַיְבַתֵּ֤ר אֹתָם֙ בַּתָּ֔וֶךְ וַיִּתֵּ֥ן אִישׁ־בִּתְר֖וֹ לִקְרַ֣את רֵעֵ֑הוּ וְאֶת־הַצִפֹּ֖ר לֹ֥א בָתָֽר׃
And he took him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each half over against the other; but the birds divided he not.
וַיֵּ֥רֶד הָעַ֖יִט עַל־הַפְּגָרִ֑ים וַיַּשֵּׁ֥ב אֹתָ֖ם אַבְרָֽם׃
And the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.
Short skip 50, forward from Exodus 1:1
וְאֵ֗לֶּה שְׁמוֹת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הַבָּאִ֖ים מִצְרָ֑יְמָה אֵ֣ת יַעֲקֹ֔ב אִ֥ישׁ וּבֵית֖וֹ בָּֽאוּ׃
NOW THESE are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt with Jacob; every man came with his household:
רְאוּבֵ֣ן שִׁמְע֔וֹן לֵוִ֖י וִיהוּדָֽה׃
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;
וַֽיְהִ֗י כָּל־נֶ֛פֶשׁ יֹצְאֵ֥י יֶֽרֶךְ־יַעֲקֹ֖ב שִׁבְעִ֣ים נָ֑פֶשׁ וְיוֹסֵ֖ף הָיָ֥ה בְמִצְרָֽיִם׃
And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls; and Joseph was in Egypt already.
וַיָּ֤מָת יוֹסֵף֙ וְכָל־אֶחָ֔יו וְכֹ֖ל הַדּ֥וֹר הַהֽוּא׃
And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation.
Middle skip 500, forward from Leviticus 8:23
וַיִּשְׁחָ֓ט וַיִּקַּ֤ח מֹשֶׁה֙ מִדָּמ֔וֹ וַיִּתֵּ֛ן עַל־תְּנ֥וּךְ אֹֽזֶן־אַהֲרֹ֖ן הַיְמָנִ֑ית וְעַל־בֹּ֤הֶן יָדוֹ֙ הַיְמָנִ֔ית וְעַל־בֹּ֥הֶן רַגְל֖וֹ הַיְמָנִֽית׃
And when it was slain, Moses took of the blood thereof, and put it upon the tip of Aaron’s right ear, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot.
… עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ֒ וַיַּ֤ז עַֽל־אַהֲרֹן֙ עַל־בְּגָדָ֔יו וְעַל־בָּנָ֛יו וְעַל־בִּגְדֵ֥י בָנָ֖יו אִתּ֑וֹ וַיְקַדֵּ֤שׁ …
And Moses took of the anointing oil, and of the blood which was upon the altar, and sprinkled it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon his sons’ garments with him, and sanctified Aaron, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons’ garments with him.
וְאֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל תְּדַבֵּ֣ר לֵאמֹ֑ר קְח֤וּ שְׂעִיר־עִזִּים֙ לְחַטָּ֔את וְעֵ֨גֶל וָכֶ֧בֶשׂ בְּנֵי־שָׁנָ֛ה תְּמִימִ֖ם לְעֹלָֽה׃
And unto the children of Israel thou shalt speak, saying: Take ye a he-goat for a sin-offering; and a calf and a lamb, both of the first year, without blemish, for a burnt-offering;
וַיִּשְׁחַ֖ט אֶת־הָעֹלָ֑ה וַ֠יַּמְצִאוּ בְּנֵ֨י אַהֲרֹ֤ן אֵלָיו֙ אֶת־הַדָּ֔ם וַיִּזְרְקֵ֥הוּ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ סָבִֽיב׃
And he slew the burnt-offering; and Aaron’s sons delivered unto him the blood, and he dashed it against the altar round about.
Wide skip 5,000, forward from Numbers 3:46
וְאֵת֙ פְּדוּיֵ֣י הַשְּׁלֹשָׁ֔ה וְהַשִּׁבְעִ֖ים וְהַמָּאתָ֑יִם הָעֹֽדְפִים֙ עַל־הַלְוִיִּ֔ם מִבְּכ֖וֹר בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
And as for the redemption of the two hundred and three score and thirteen of the first-born of the children of Israel, that are over and above the number of the Levites,
וְכִֽי־יָמ֨וּת מֵ֤ת עָלָיו֙ בְּפֶ֣תַע פִּתְאֹ֔ם וְטִמֵּ֖א רֹ֣אשׁ נִזְר֑וֹ וְגִלַּ֤ח רֹאשׁוֹ֙ בְּי֣וֹם טָהֳרָת֔וֹ בַּיּ֥וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֖י יְגַלְּחֶֽנּוּ׃
And if any man die very suddenly beside him, and he defile his consecrated head, then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing, on the seventh day shall he shave it.
… עַל־אֲרֹ֣ן הָעֵדֻ֔ת מִבֵּ֖ין שְׁנֵ֣י הַכְּרֻבִ֑ים וַיְדַבֵּ֖ר אֵלָֽיו׃
And when Moses went into the tent of meeting that He might speak with him, then he heard the Voice speaking unto him from above the ark-cover that was upon the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim; and He spoke unto him.
לֹֽא־אוּכַ֤ל אָנֹכִי֙ לְבַדִּ֔י לָשֵׂ֖את אֶת־כָּל־הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֑ה כִּ֥י כָבֵ֖ד מִמֶּֽנִּי׃
I am not able to bear all this people myself alone, because it is too heavy for me.
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 2, forward from Joshua 7:20
וַיַּ֧עַן עָכָ֛ן אֶת־יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַ וַיֹּאמַ֑ר אָמְנָ֗ה אָנֹכִ֤י חָטָ֨אתִי֙ לַֽיקוָק֙ אֱ־לֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְכָזֹ֥את וְכָזֹ֖את עָשִֽׂיתִי׃
And Achan answered Joshua, and said: ‘Of a truth I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done.
ואראהוָאֵ֣רֶא בַשָּׁלָ֡ל אַדֶּ֣רֶת שִׁנְעָר֩ אַחַ֨ת …
When I saw among the spoil a goodly Shinar mantle, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.’
Middle skip 500, forward from Judges 2:17
… מַהֵ֗ר מִן־הַדֶּ֜רֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֨ר הָלְכ֧וּ אֲבוֹתָ֛ם לִשְׁמֹ֥עַ מִצְוֺת־יְקוָ֖ק לֹא־עָ֥שׂוּ כֵֽן׃
And yet they hearkened not unto their judges, for they went astray after other gods, and worshipped them; they turned aside quickly out of the way wherein their fathers walked, obeying the commandments of the LORD; they did not so.
רַ֗ק לְמַ֨עַן֙ דַּ֚עַת דֹּר֣וֹת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לְלַמְּדָ֖ם מִלְחָמָ֑ה רַ֥ק אֲשֶׁר־לְפָנִ֖ים לֹ֥א יְדָעֽוּם׃
only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as beforetime knew nothing thereof;
וַתְּהִ֨י עָלָ֥יו רֽוּחַ־יְקוָק֮ וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֣ט אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וַיֵּצֵא֙ לַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה …
And the spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel; and he went out to war, and the LORD delivered Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Cushan-rishathaim.
וַֽיְהִי֙ כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר כִּלָּ֔ה לְהַקְרִ֖יב אֶת־הַמִּנְחָ֑ה וַיְשַׁלַּח֙ אֶת־הָעָ֔ם נֹשְׂאֵ֖י הַמִּנְחָֽה׃
And when he had made an end of offering the present, he sent away the people that bore the present.
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 206 | 177 |
| 11 to 100 | 1,717 | 1,770 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 17,439 | 17,611 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 75,749 | 76,372 |
| 5,001 to 101,616 | 870,796 | 903,646 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 19,362. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 19,362 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 94/100 | 19,566 | 19,314 to 19,894 |
| Words within each verse | 34/100 | 19,314 | 18,985 to 19,634 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 236,433 | 255,981 |
| Exodus | 222,934 | 208,312 |
| Leviticus | 154,558 | 146,879 |
| Numbers | 180,465 | 208,358 |
| Deuteronomy | 171,517 | 180,045 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 3,719,469 | 3,367,979 |
| Prophets | 6,126,174 | 6,118,210 |
| Writings | 3,450,097 | 3,738,716 |
Run this search yourself
Change the skips, set תורה beside another word, and run the controls on your own question.
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