The Significance of 7

In case you never realized, the past few posts were themed for Shavuos, based around Dovid and Rus. There were 7 weeks between Pesach and Shavuos. What other sevens were there?

What does SEVEN mean to you?

  • The 7 species of Israel –Wheat, Barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, dates
  • 7 Prophetesses –Sara, Miriam, Chana, Devorah, Chana, Avigayil, Chuldah and Esther
  • The 7 Mitzvos Bnei Noach (the Seven Noahide Laws)
  • 7 Mitzvos D’Rabbonan – Hallel, megillas esther, lighting Chanukah candles, lighting Shabbos candles, washing hands before eating, Brochas and Eruvin –Chatzrosm Tachumin and Tavshilin.
  • 7 blessing said under the Chuppah
  • 7 Ushpizin on Sukkos – Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Moshe, Yoseph, Aharon and Dovid
  • 7 days of the week
  • 7 people called up to the Torah.
  • 7 Shabbosim of comfort  between Tisha B’av  and Rosh Hashona where the Haphtarah is from Yishayahu.
  • 7 Nations in the land of Canaan – Canaani, Amori, Chitim Chivi, Prizi, YeVusi and Girgoshi,
  • The first verse in the Torah contains 7 words and 28 letters (divisible by 7)
  • There are 7 weeks between Pesach and Shavuos, and 49 days until we get the Torah (a multiple of 7).
  • At the commencement of the Yom Kippur Prayers, we say Hashem hu HaElokim 7 times.
  • There are 7 years in a Shemittah cycle
  • There are 7 Shemittahs in a Yovel Cycle
  • Yehoshua circles the walls of Yericho 7 times before they fell.
  • Thinking of sailing the seven seas? The world has 7 seas.
  • There are 7 Hafkofas on Simchas Torah
  • Moshe was the 7th generation after Avraham
  • Yisro had 7 names and 7 daughters
  • The smallest measurement of a sukkah is 7X 7
  • There were 7 branches on the Menorah
  • Achashveirosh had a party for 7 days
  • On Sukkos we shake  7 things we shake on sukkas: 2 haddasim, 3 Arovos, 1 lulav and an esrog,
  • Each plague in Egypt lasted 7 days.
  • Are you in seventh Heaven? -There are 7 levels in Heaven
  • The 7 weeks in the omer correspond to the 7 Godly character traits
  • DID YOU KNOW!: If a mother has 7 consecutive boys or 7 consecutive girls, it is said that she is guaranteed a portion in Olom Haba. My mom had 6 consecutive boys… and then my sister was born! I have another friend whose mother had six consecutive girls and then a boy. That boy was the 3rd male born into the family line in the past century!
  • In Kabbalah, the 7th dimension of the world represents holiness and completion.

Next Week’s Question: From where in Tanach, do we learn to knock on doors before entry?

Reference: http://judaism.about.com/library/3_askrabbi_o/bl_simmons_seven.htm