Published January 07, 2010
“And Yosef and all his brothers and all that generation died.” This pasuk (1:6) has a gimatriya (numeric value) of 981.
There is one other pasuk in the Torah with that same gimatriya -
D’varim 4:4
V’ATEM HADVEIKIM BA’HASHEM ELOKEICHEM CHAIM KULCHEM HAYOM:
ואתם הדבקים בה’ אלוקיכם חיים כולכם ביום
“And you who cling to HaShem your G-d, are all alive today.” This pasuk is one of the sources of the concept that G-d-fearing people live on after their physical death. The pasuk from the beginning of Sh’mot had a certain finality sound to it.
The second pasuk (its G’matriya Twin) testifies that the “Shivtei Kah” live on.
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