Monday, November 9, 2009

248 Limbs in Human Body Parallel the 248 Positive Commandments

Each limb announces, "Observe a commandment with me, so that I will live long."
pg 115 The Torah Anthology / Yalukt ME'AM LO'EZ

THE 248 LIMBS

30 bones in the sole of the foot, six in each toe = 60 ; total 60
10 in each ankle = 20 ; total 80
2 in the lower part of the each leg = 4 ; total 84
5 in each knee = 10 ; total 94
1 in each thigh = 2 ; total 96
6 in the hips ; total 102
11 pair of ribs = 22 ; total 124
30 in each hand, six in each finger = 60 ; total 184
2 in each forearm = 4 ; total 188
2 in each elbow = 4 ; total 192
1 in each upper arm = 2 ; total 194
4 in each shoulder = 8 ; total 202
18 vertebra in the spine ; total 220
9 bones in the head ; total 229
8 in the neck ; total 237
6 in the chest ; total 243
5 at the orfices ; total 248

There are also 365 prohibitions in the Torah, paralleling the 365 days of the solar year. Each day, from sunrise to sunset, a heavenly voice announces to man, "Take it upon yourself not to sin on this day, so as not to tilt the world to the side of liability. The world is in a state of equilibrium between good and evil. Even a minor sin can upset this equilibrium toward the side of evil and cause great damage.
share on: facebook

7 comments:

Aaron said...

What is your source for the parts of the body you have chosen?

My source says that we have 206 bones at adulthood (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bones_of_the_human_skeleton). Even adding orifices, if you are supposed to, gets you to 211.

in the vanguard said...

Here's another perspective on the problem of understanding exactly what constitutes an "eiver" ("limb"), because the contradiction on the face of it with physical anatomy is obvious:
http://hezbos.blogspot.com/2012/07/248-members-in-human-body-bartenuras.html
That said, I'm sure a good explanation awaits us - but wherefrom?

Anonymous said...

Can any one help me to calculate how they have reach 248 instead of 206?

Unknown said...

Anonymous, 206 + 32 teeth = 238. Can you guess the final "10"?

Unknown said...

Man has 248 limbs they are as follows: Thirty bones in the foot, six in each toe. Then, ten bones in the ankle, two in the lower leg, five in the knee, one in the thigh, and three in each hip. There are eleven pairs of ribs. The hand has thirty bones, six in each finger. There are two bones in the forearm, two in the elbow, one in the upper arm, and four in each shoulder. This yields a sum of 102 bones on each side, for a total of 204.

Besides these, there are another 46 limbs. These include the eighteen vertebra of the spine, nine bones in the head, and eight in the neck. There are also six in the “gateway to the heart,” which is the chest, and another five at the outside orifices. The total is 248 limbs.

in the vanguard said...

Rabbi Elkana Ben Avraham, you don't explain the apparent contradiction between that Mishna & physical anatomy? See here to know what I mean:
http://hezbos.blogspot.com/2012/07/248-members-in-human-body-bartenuras.html

HarrisonBergeron said...

Nicely done, sir.