Ruthfully Jewish

The purpose of this blog is to get the kids talking at the table. Please print and share.

This week's question for your table:

Who was the most famous convert to Judaism ever?

Answer: Ruth the Moabitess (i.e., she was from Moab).

It is an interesting fact that the numerical value (gematria) of her name is 200 (resh) + 6 (vav) + 400 (tav) = 606.

So what you ask?

Since a Gentile has 7 mitzvoth (the 7 Noahide Laws) and a Jew has 613, her name alludes to the 606 additional mitzvoth she received when she became a Jew.

(Source: Talmud Yevamot 47b)

Question #2 - Can you name the 7 Noahide Laws? (try to guess)

Question #3 for your table - The Torah says that there are about 10^18 stars in the universe. The question is, Why is this significant?

(Here is my answer to the question, and I'd love to hear yours too.)


Shabbat Shalom and Happy Shavuot


PS - What amazing smartphone/tablet app has this fact about Ruth?

Here's the answer if you have an iphone or ipad.
Here's the answer if you have an Android device.
Here's the answer if you have a Kindle.


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Life Begins @ 40 (Do You Agree?)

In memory of my grandparents, Sylvia Seinfeld (whose yahrzeit is tonight) and Lester Seinfeld (whose yahrzeit is Sunday night). (To dedicate a future Table Talk, send an email.)


Somehow I've become an app developer.

That sounds fun, but like anything worthwile, it involves a lot of grueling hard work.

And unlike other projects, it comes with something quite unique to software development:

Bugs.

There was a really pesky bug plaguing my app that was causing it to crash for SOME users. I couldn't get it to crash, but I was getting emails from all over the world, including Brazil and Germany, complaining that "your app do not work".

We've finally, FINALLY fixed it. New version released yesterday (links below).

In honor of the occasion, here's yesterday's amazing Jewish fact.

It's entitled "40 Days (Part II)"


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The number 40 always refers to complete transformation:

- 40 days after conception, the soul enters the fetus;
- It rained for 40 days and nights during the flood which overturned Noah's world;
- Moses spent 40 days on Mt. Sinai when he received the Torah;
- The Israelites spent 40 years in the wilderness after leaving Egypt;
- 40 is the "age of wisdom" when one is sufficiently mature to start learning Kabala.

(Sources: Genesis 7:12; Exodus 24:18; Exodus 16:35;  Mishna Avot 5:22; Yoreh De'ah 246.6)

This link is to a scholarly book on Biblical numerology.


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How to use this post for a Friday night dinner discussion:

Skip the first line, but ask, What do these 40s have in common??

Shabbat Shalom


Iphone app: http://tinyurl.com/amazingcalendarlink
Android version: http://tinyurl.com/amazingandroidcalendar


Bar and Bat Mitzvah gift suggestions at bestjewishkidsbooks.com (a service of JSL).