Subj : Big fat warning, oh my!
To   : Frank Masingill
From : Joshua Lee
Date : Mon Oct 30 2000 09:29 am

-=> Frank Masingill wrote to Curtis Johnson <=-

 JW> I had the privledge of interviewing (for two hours) Noam
 JW> Chomsky; during a commercial break I sez t' him: "Yer Father
 JW> is/was a Hebrew Scholar...is there ANY validity to Gematria?

Gematria is interesting; as for "validity", if it has insights that
are valid to the reader, who cares about it's alleged lack of
lingustical underpinnings? I'm not really "into" gematria much,
incidentally, other than the brilliant concise commentary of the
Ba'al HaTurim.

 FM>         It was my reference to my _Thought Mosaic_ (stopping at 613
 FM> and then beginning again after some time) that began this thread in
 FM> which I, obviously, have little or no interest.  For the information

I wasn't upset about it; I thought my response showed good humor; I
don't consider your "Mosaic" to be problematical because of the number
of items in it. Even if you call it "Mosaic" and number, in your
earlier edition, 613 items. 8-)

Incidentally, the number 613 was not arrived at via numerology. Rather,
by logic and/or tradition. Hal White was pretty impressed with
Maimonidies' methodology in his compilation of his list. (Though later
writers, such as the Ramban (Nachmanidies), wrote commentaries that
ask questions and dispute various parts of his list and methodology.)
I've read a study on the subject of the tradition of the 613 mitzvos
and their various treatments from the Gaonic era to the Shelo that
was very interesting to me. (But probably not of interest to anyone
on this forum. If they are interested, the title of the book is
"Taryag", published by Jason Aronson. (www.aronson.com))

 FM> of those who wish to continue such nonsense I added another just a day
 FM> or two ago and I think the number is now up to about 638 or so.
 FM> Perhaps some critique of my mystical play of numbers is required
 FM> each time I add one.

I'm sure the critiques will fly when you reach 666!

                       JBL


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