Secrets of the Numbers: Exploring the Mystical Significance of 6 and 7

In Judaism, there is a period called the "Counting of the Omer," where 49 days are counted from Passover to Shavuot. These two holidays are pivotal in our people's calendar: Passover marks the Exodus from Egypt, and Shavuot commemorates receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai.

Many human time units are based on cosmic phenomena like the month from the moon's orbit, a day from Earth's rotation, and a year from Earth's orbit around the sun. However, the week aligns with none of these and raises the question of why humanity chose this division. The Torah explains this choice as humanity inheriting this time unit from the first man, Adam, reflecting the six days of Creation and the seventh day of rest.

In Judaism, the number 7 is uniquely significant, influencing Jewish life: six workdays followed by the holy Shabbat, seven weeks from Passover to Shavuot, and the cycle of seven Sabbatical years culminating in the Jubilee. What makes the number 7 a foundational element of Judaism, connecting the divine realms with our world? Let's explore the mystical insights, notably from the Maharal of Prague.

Our world is comprised of three dimensions: length, width, and height. Humans perceive six directions: right, left, forward, backward, up, and down. Every object spreads in these six directions because nothing is less than three-dimensional.

Thus, the number 6 represents our physical world, while 7 symbolizes the essence and meaning, the "soul" of things. For example, a book has six sides, but its value lies in its content. The words transcend the pages, giving life and purpose to the material.

Similarly, a human is a physical being with three dimensions, yet the soul adds purpose and meaning, perceiving the vast universe and the beauty of creation.

Why Seven?

After six days of creation, the seventh day brought the holy Shabbat, considered part of the creation cycle. Although creation took six days, it was incomplete until the seventh, when humanity's mission to elevate and refine the world began.

Shabbat highlights the need for spiritual values despite the universe's vastness, symbolizing the holiness and purpose inherent in Judaism. The number 7 unveils a hidden layer within the Torah, a depth revealed only recently through analyzing its structure.

The number 7 is cherished in Judaism, as noted in Midrashic and Kabbalistic texts, expressing the spiritual hierarchy in the seven heavens.

In our world, there are seven continents, seven seas, and Israel's patriarchs and matriarchs total seven. The Day of Atonement falls in the seventh month (Tishrei). Furthermore, the number 70 (7 x 10) represents Israel's relationship with the world: chosen from 70 nations, descendants of 70 souls who entered Egypt, celebrating through 70 holy days (52 Shabbats and 18 festivals), the Torah has 70 facets, translated into 70 languages on 70 stones as they approached Jerusalem, for the Temple with 70 pillars, where 70 bulls were sacrificed during Sukkot for the 70 nations.

The number 7 is a central component of scripture and Midrash, appearing throughout biblical narratives, facts, and names exactly seven times each, signifying the Torah's unity and single authorship.

The Secret of Six

The number six represents the six days of labor, and on Shabbat, all work is prohibited because "Hashem created heaven and earth in six days, and on the seventh day, He rested." According to the Talmud, these prohibited labors are the 39 activities used in constructing the Tabernacle.

Why were these specific labors chosen, and how do they relate to the six days of creation? The Tabernacle and Temple are considered "microcosms," built with dimensions reflecting cosmic structures. Each labor parallels a stage in creation, and just as Hashem ceased His miraculous works on the seventh day, humans must cease similar earthly labors to sanctify the Shabbat.

Examining the root of the number 6 reveals a remarkable fact about the world's creation date and the Tabernacle's establishment. According to the Ramban, each of creation's six days symbolizes a millennium of world history. The Tabernacle was erected in the second year after the Exodus, 2449 from creation, on the 178th day of the second year.

The root of 6 (2.4494897) reveals the year 2449, and multiplying the decimal by 365 gives the 178th day, pinpointing the exact moment the Tabernacle, the "microcosm," was established. This demonstrates the interplay between the cosmic creation and its earthly reflection, illustrating the divine plan embedded in numbers 6 and 7 as revealed in the Torah's pshat, remez, drash, and sod.