The Good life in Egypt (Diaspora)

 החיים הטובים במצרים (חו"ל)

B'Midbar 11.5- במדבר

5. ‘We remember the fish which we would eat in Egypt for free, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic-זָכַרְנוּ אֶת הַדָּגָה אֲשֶׁר נֹאכַל בְּמִצְרַיִם חִנָּם אֵת הַקִּשֻּׁאִים וְאֵת הָאֲבַטִּחִים וְאֶת הֶחָצִיר וְאֶת הַבְּצָלִים וְאֶת הַשּׁוּמִים(8594=26=8 counting final Mems as 600).

The verse can be divided so:

·         We remember the fish which we would eat in Egypt for free- זָכַרְנוּ אֶת הַדָּגָה אֲשֶׁר נֹאכַל בְּמִצְרַיִם חִנָּם (1783+7 words=1790=17=8);

·         The cucumbers and the melons and the leeks- אֵתהַקִּשֻּׁאִים וְאֵת הָאֲבַטִּחִים וְאֶת הֶחָצִיר (3179+6 words=3185=17=8 counting final Mems as 600);

·         And the onions- וְאֶת הַבְּצָלִים (584=17=8 or + 2 words=19=10=1);

·         And the garlic- וְאֶת הַשּׁוּמִים (808+2 words = 18).

Rashi comments here that the word “free”- חִנָּם means “free from the commandments”-חִנָּם מן המצות. He concludes that as it is written “straw will not be given you” (Shmot 5.18) it could not be possible that they were given free fish (Sifrei 87).

Free from the commandments

חִנָּם מן המצות

729=18

The Fish

הַדָּגָה

17=8 or + 1 word=18

Free

חִנָּם

98=17=8 or + 1 word=18

The Free Fish

הַדָּגָה חִנָּם

115+2 words=1+8 or 675=18 (Mem 600)

The cucumbers

הַקִּשֻּׁאִים

1016=8 (Mem 600)

The watermelons

הָאֲבַטִּחִים

635=14=8 (Mem 600)

The leeks

הֶחָצִיר

313+1 word=8

The onions

הַבְּצָלִים

737=17=8 or + 1 word=18 (Mem 600)

The garlic

הַשּׁוּמִים

961+1 word=17=8 (Mem 600)

The joint gematria of the six foods listed in the verse is:

1.                The fish-                             הַדָּגָה=17

2.       The cucumbers-             הַקִּשֻּׁאִים=456

3.       The watermelons-         הָאֲבַטִּחִים=75

4.       The leeks-                         הֶחָצִיר=313

5.       The onions-                     הַבְּצָלִים=177

6.       The garlic-                       הַשּׁוּמִים=401

1439=17=8