613

Symbolic numbers are very important in Judaism: they are used to make connections between words, dates, concepts, and practices. Each letter in the Hebrew alphabet corresponds to a number, which helps with these connections. Sometimes our holidays are even named for the calendar date they fall on using the Hebrew letters corresponding to the date (Tu Bishvat, for example, simply means the 15th day of the month of Shevat).So you may be wondering, what does 613 have to do with pomegranates? We're glad you asked! Tradition says that every pomegranate contains 613 seeds, which corresponds to the number of mitzvot (also known as commandments or good deeds) that are mentioned in the Torah. Mitzvot are the foundation of Jewish practice. The classic ""Ten Commandments"" brought down by Moses from Mount Sinai are probably the most well-known mitzvot, and are the core basis of the remaining 603. Another example of a mitzvah is as simple as resting on the Sabbath, or Shabbat.Because of their con