The distance from the earth to the firmament is five hundred years’ journey, and so it is from each successive firmament to the next, throughout the series of the seven heavens.
P’sachim, fol. 94, col. 2.
“Now, as I beheld the living creatures, behold, one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures” (Ezek. i. 15). Rabbi Elazar says it was an angel who stood upon the earth, and his head reached to the living creatures. It is recorded in a Mishna that his name is Sandalphon, who towers above his fellow-angels to a height of five hundred years’ journey; he stands behind the chariot and binds crowns on the head of his Creator.
Chaggigah, fol. 13, col. 2.
In the Liturgy for the Feast of Tabernacles it is said that Sandalphon gathers in his hands the prayers of Israel, and, forming a wreath of them, he adjures it to ascend as an orb for the head of the supreme King of kings.
The mount of the Temple was five hundred yards square.
Middoth, chap. 2.
One Scripture text (1 Chron. xxi. 25) says, “So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold [ p. 208 ] by weight.“ And another Scripture (2 Sam. xxiv. 24) says, ”So David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.” How is this? David took from each tribe fifty shekels, and they made together the total six hundred, i. e., he took silver to the value of fifty shekels of gold.
Zevachim, fol. 116, col. 2.
Rabbi Samlai explains that six hundred and thirteen commandments were communicated to Moses; three hundred and sixty-five negative, according to the number of days in the year, and two hundred and forty-eight positive, according to the number of members in the human body. Rav Hamnunah asked what was the Scripture proof for this. The reply was (Deut. xxxiii. 4), “Moses commanded us a law” (Torah), which by Gematria answers to six hundred and eleven. “I am,” and “Thou shalt have no other,” which we heard from the Almighty Himself, together make up six hundred and thirteen.
Maccoth, fol. 23, col. 2.
David, we are told, reduced these commandments here reckoned at six hundred and thirteen, to eleven, and Isaiah still further to six, and then afterward to two. “Thus saith the Eternal, Observe justice and act righteously, for my salvation is near.” Finally came Habakkuk, and he reduced the number to one all-comprehensive precept (chap. ii. 4), “The just shall live by faith.” (See Maccoth, fol. 24, col. 1.)
The precept concerning fringes is as weighty as all the other precepts put together; for it is written, says Rashi (Num. xv. 39), “And remember all the commandments of the Lord.” Now the numerical value of the word “fringes” is six hundred, and this with eight threads and five knots makes six hundred and thirteen.
Shevuoth, fol. 29, col. 1.
“For behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread and the whole stay of water, the mighty man and the man of war, the judge and the prophet,” etc. (Isa. iii. 1, 2). By “the stay” is meant men mighty in the Scriptures, and by “the staff” men learned in the Mishna; such, for instance, as Rabbi Yehudah ben Tima and his associates. Rav Pappa and the Rabbis differed as to the Mishna; the former said there were six hundred orders of [ p. 209 ] the Mishna, and the latter that there were seven hundred orders. “The whole stay of bread” means men distinguished in the Talmud; for it is said, “Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled” (Prov. ix. 5). And “the whole stay of water” means men skillful in the Haggadoth, who draw out the heart of man like water by means of a Pretty story or legend, etc.
Chaggigah, fol. 14, col. 1.
There are seven hundred species of fish, eight hundred of locusts, twenty-four of birds that are unclean, while the species of birds that are clean cannot be numbered.
Chullin, fol. 63, col. 2.
“The same was Adino the Eznite,” etc. (2 Sam. xxiii. 8). This mighty man when studying the law was as pliant as a worm; but when engaged in war he was as firm and unyielding as a tree; and when he discharged an arrow he killed eight hundred men at one shot.
Moed Katon, fol. 16, col. 2.
“Ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land” (Deut. iv. 26). The term soon uttered by the Lord of the Universe means eight hundred and fifty-two years.
Sanhedrin, fol. 38, col. i.
There are nine hundred and three sorts of deaths in the world; for the expression occurs (Ps. lxviii. 20), “Issues of death.” The numerical value of “issues” is nine hundred and three. The hardest of all deaths is by quinsy, and the easiest is the Divine kiss (of which Moses, Aaron, and Miriam died). Quinsy is like the forcible extraction of prickly thorns from wool, or like a thick rope drawn through a small aperture; the kiss referred to is like the extracting of a hair from milk.
Berachoth, fol. 8, col. 1.
When Moses went up on high, the ministering angels asked, “What has one born of a woman to do among us?” “He has come to receive the law,” was the Divine answer. “What!” they remonstrated again, "that cherished treasure which has lain with Thee for nine hundred and seventy-four generations before the world was created, art Thou about to bestow it upon flesh and blood? What is mortal man [ p. 210 ] of earth that that Thou art mindful of him, and the son Thou thus visitest him? O Lord! our Lord! is not Thy name already sufficiently exalted in the earth? Confer Thy glory upon the heavens“ (Ps. viii. 4, 6). The Holy One—blessed be He!—then called upon Moses to refute the objection of the envious angels. ”I fear,“ pleaded he, ”lest they consume me with the fiery breath of their mouth.“ Thereupon, by way of protection, he was bid approach and lay hold of the throne of God; as it is said (Job xxvi. 9), ”He lays hold of the face of His throne and spreads His cloud over him.“ Thus encouraged, Moses went over the Decalogue, and demanded of the angels whether they had suffered an Egyptian bondage and dwelt among idolatrous nations, so as to require the first commandment; or were they so hardworked as to need a day of rest, etc., etc. Then the angels at once confessed that they were wrong in seeking to withhold the law from Israel, and they then repeated the words, ”O Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth!“ (Ps. viii. 9), omitting the words, ”Confer Thy glory upon the heavens.“ And not only so, but they positively befriended Moses, and each of them revealed to him some useful secret; as it is said (Ps. lxviii. 18), ”Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast captured spoil, thou hast received gifts, because they have contemptuously called thee man.”
Shabbath, fol. 88, col. 2.
Nine hundred and seventy-four generations before the world was created the law was written and deposited in the bosom of the Holy One—blessed be He!—and sang praises with the ministering angels.
Avoth d’Rab. Nathan, chap. 31.