At the end of this week’s parsha, Hashem gives Avraham the mitzvah of brit milah. We know that a brit milah happens when a baby boy is eight days old. Now, seven days is just like a regular week. Eight days is going one beyond that. This means that the eighth day after a baby’s birth is more spiritual than other days. As an equation it is 7 + 1 = 8.

In the Torah there is another number that is like eight. It is connected with the holiday of Shavuot, which is celebrated on the day right after Sefirat HaOmer. Sefirat HaOmer lasts for seven weeks and each week has seven days. Shavuot is celebrated on the day right after the end of the omer count. As an equation it is 7 x 7 + 1. What number is that?

Well, 7 x 7 is 49 and one more than that is 50. This means that the 50th day is more spiritual than other days since Shavuot is the day we received the Torah.

Imagine there was some event that happened one day after another set of seven. In total it would happen one day after seven sets of seven groups of seven days. How many days after the beginning of the count would the event take place?

Solution: It would take place on the 344th day. The equation to solve is 7 x 7 x 7 + 1 =? We can solve it in three steps.

7 x 7 x 7 equals 49 x 7.

49 x 7 equals 343.

343 + 1 equals 344.

All together that is 7 x 7 x 7 + 1 = 344. Shabbat Shalom.

Ari Blinder is a math educator living in Highland Park and the owner of Math for the Masses, an innovative math tutoring and consulting company. For more information see www.math4masses.com. Ari can be reached at [email protected].