Is the Rambam Torah-Code Against Chazal?

Summary: A masoretic codex (Hilleli) and a Rishon (Rikanti) both record different texts in the Chumash. each of these would mess up the neat 50 skip pattern. similarly, there are a number of other variant textual readings recorded, which would also mess up the 613 skip. this is in like with the statement of the Amora Rav Yosef that we don't have all the yuds and vavs correct, and we are not experts on which should be where. this effectively undermines the Rambam Torah code.

Post: In a recent comment, a commenter, Eli, pointed to the Rambam Torah Code as one that is particularly convincing. You can read about it here and see the actual code here, though don't swallow all the bits about the statistical significance.

To quickly summarize it, people ascribe to the RambaN, Nachmanides, the following hint in roshei teivos to the RambaM, Maimonides. In parshas Bo, in Shemot 11:9:

ט  וַיֹּאמֶר ה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה, לֹא-יִשְׁמַע אֲלֵיכֶם פַּרְעֹה--לְמַעַן רְבוֹת מוֹפְתַי, בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם.

9 And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Pharaoh will not hearken unto you; that My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.'

And this is the only instance of the word 'Rambam' in roshei teivos in all of the Torah. And, it is meaningful because he is a rabbinic 'wonder' who prospered in Egypt. (I haven't seen this explicitly stated, but I think it is the logical elaboration.)

This is nice, though I wonder about the statistical significance of this. This is not the post to elaborate on this issue. But in short, what exactly are the odds that this would occur as pure chance. People actually have awful intuition about such matters. If Rambam were his only name, and not, for example, Moshe ben Maimon, then perhaps we could speak about the odds of this occurring. But if we would ooh and aah just the same if Rashi, or one of his synonyms would appear, but Rambam happens never to occur, then we are really just looking for the odds of any Rishon appearing. I am sure I have not convinced many people with this, but maybe I can elaborate better in a separate post. Enough of a digression for now.

The Torah Code gets better. Rambam was mentioned via roshei teivos (rather than a regular skip pattern). And Rabbi Weismandel discovered in this general area in the next perek a Torah code in which at skips of 50 letters, the word 'Torah' appears. Now, crossing the roshei teivos of Rambam is another Torah code which spells out Mishneh, again at a skip of 50 letters. And the gap between the code for Mishneh and the code for Torah is of 613 letters, which we treat as a meaningful magic number, and can kvetch a relationship to the topic, in that Rambam discusses the 613 mitzvos in his sefer!

This is a pretty impressive Torah code, especially if one does not know statistics to such a degree that one does not realize that similar patterns can be found in any large enough book, including non-religious works such as Moby Dick or War and Peace, and that not every seemingly meaningful pattern is indeed a meaningful pattern. Again, I am digressing. Sorry.

Here is the major problem. Rav Yosef says in Kiddushin 30a, א"ל: אינהו בקיאי בחסירות ויתרות, אנן לא בקיאינן, that we are not expert in plene and deficient spellings of words. This may well mean that even in areas where there is no known divergence in the Biblical text we received from the time of the Amoraim, the text might be riddled with extra vavs and yuds, or missing vavs and yuds. If so, any Torah code in the Torah text given by Hashem to Moshe Rabbenu would be entirely off.

I present the grid for the Torah code from the aforementioned website, here. It spans from Shemot 11-9 until Shemot 12:11. 'Mishneh' and 'Torah' are highlighted in yellow, and 'Rambam' in orange. I will highlight the problematic letters words in red, and will discuss it after displaying the grid: The two red-marked items are #23 and #637.

1ו 2י 3א 4מ 5ר 6י 7ה 8ו 9ה 10א 11ל 12מ 13ש 14ה 15ל 16א 17י 18ש 19מ 20ע 21א 22ל 23י 24כ 25ם line 1 משנה Mishneh 12 +50 26פ 27ר 28ע 29ה 30ל 31מ 32ע 33ן 34ר 35ב 36ו 37ת 38מ 39ו 40פ 41ת 42י 43ב 44א 45ר 46ץ 47מ 48צ 49ר 50י line 2 רמבם Rambam 51ם 52ו 53מ 54ש 55ה 56ו 57א 58ה 59ר 60ן 61ע 62ש 63ו 64א 65ת 66כ 67ל 68ה 69מ 70פ 71ת 72י 73ם 74ה 75א line 3 76ל 77ה 78ל 79פ 80נ 81י 82פ 83ר 84ע 85ה 86ו 87י 88ח 89ז 90ק 91י 92ה 93ו 94ה 95א 96ת 97ל 98ב 99פ 100ר line 4 101ע 102ה 103ו 104ל 105א 106ש 107ל 108ח 109א 110ת 111ב 112נ 113י 114י 115ש 116ר 117א 118ל 119מ 120א 121ר 122צ 123ו 124ו 125י line 5 126א 127מ 128ר 129י 130ה 131ו 132ה 133א 134ל 135מ 136ש 137ה 138ו 139א 140ל 141א 142ה 143ר 144ן 145ב 146א 147ר 148ץ 149מ 150צ line 6 151ר 152י 153ם 154ל 155א 156מ 157ר 158ה 159ח 160ד 161ש 162ה 163ז 164ה 165ל 166כ 167ם 168ר 169א 170ש 171ח 172ד 173ש 174י 175ם line 7 176ר 177א 178ש 179ו 180ן 181ה 182ו 183א 184ל 185כ 186ם 187ל 188ח 189ד 190ש 191י 192ה 193ש 194נ 195ה 196ד 197ב 198ר 199ו 200א line 8 201ל 202כ 203ל 204ע 205ד 206ת 207י 208ש 209ר 210א 211ל 212ל 213א 214מ 215ר 216ב 217ע 218ש 219ר 220ל 221ח 222ד 223ש 224ה 225ז line 9 226ה 227ו 228י 229ק 230ח 231ו 232ל 233ה 234ם 235א 236י 237ש 238ש 239ה 240ל 241ב 242י 243ת 244א 245ב 246ת 247ש 248ה 249ל 250ב line 10 251י 252ת 253ו 254א 255ם 256י 257מ 258ע 259ט 260ה 261ב 262י 263ת 264מ 265ה 266י 267ו 268ת 269מ 270ש 271ה 272ו 273ל 274ק 275ח line 11 276ה 277ו 278א 279ו 280ש 281כ 282נ 283ו 284ה 285ק 286ר 287ב 288א 289ל 290ב 291י 292ת 293ו 294ב 295מ 296כ 297ס 298ת 299נ 300פ line 12 301ש 302ת 303א 304י 305ש 306ל 307פ 308י 309א 310כ 311ל 312ו 313ת 314כ 315ס 316ו 317ע 318ל 319ה 320ש 321ה 322ש 323ה 324ת 325מ line 13 326י 327ם 328ז 329כ 330ר 331ב 332ן 333ש 334נ 335ה 336י 337ה 338י 339ה 340ל 341כ 342ם 343מ 344ן 345ה 346כ 347ב 348ש 349י 350ם line 14 351ו 352מ 353ן 354ה 355ע 356ז 357י 358ם 359ת 360ק 361ח 362ו 363ו 364ה 365י 366ה 367ל 368כ 369ם 370ל 371מ 372ש 373מ 374ר 375ת line 15 376ע 377ד 378א 379ר 380ב 381ע 382ה 383ע 384ש 385ר 386י 387ו 388ם 389ל 390ח 391ד 392ש 393ה 394ז 395ה 396ו 397ש 398ח 399ט 400ו line 16 401א 402ת 403ו 404כ 405ל 406ק 407ה 408ל 409ע 410ד 411ת 412י 413ש 414ר 415א 416ל 417ב 418י 419ן 420ה 421ע 422ר 423ב 424י 425ם line 17 426ו 427ל 428ק 429ח 430ו 431מ 432ן 433ה 434ד 435ם 436ו 437נ 438ת 439נ 440ו 441ע 442ל 443ש 444ת 445י 446ה 447מ 448ז 449ו 450ז line 18 451ת 452ו 453ע 454ל 455ה 456מ 457ש 458ק 459ו 460ף 461ע 462ל 463ה 464ב 465ת 466י 467ם 468א 469ש 470ר 471י 472א 473כ 474ל 475ו line 19 476א 477ת 478ו 479ב 480ה 481ם 482ו 483א 484כ 485ל 486ו 487א 488ת 489ה 490ב 491ש 492ר 493ב 494ל 495י 496ל 497ה 498ה 499ז 500ה line 20 501צ 502ל 503י 504א 505ש 506ו 507מ 508צ 509ו 510ת 511ע 512ל 513מ 514ר 515ר 516י 517ם 518י 519א 520כ 521ל 522ה 523ו 524א 525ל line 21 526ת 527א 528כ 529ל 530ו 531מ 532מ 533נ 534ו 535נ 536א 537ו 538ב 539ש 540ל 541מ 542ב 543ש 544ל 545ב 546מ 547י 548ם 549כ 550י line 22 551א 552ם 553צ 554ל 555י 556א 557ש 558ר 559א 560ש 561ו 562ע 563ל 564כ 565ר 566ע 567י 568ו 569ו 570ע 571ל 572ק 573ר 574ב 575ו line 23 576ו 577ל 578א 579ת 580ו 581ת 582י 583ר 584ו 585מ 586מ 587נ 588ו 589ע 590ד 591ב 592ק 593ר 594ו 595ה 596נ 597ת 598ר 599מ 600מ line 24 601נ 602ו 603ע 604ד 605ב 606ק 607ר 608ב 609א 610ש 611ת 612ש 613ר 614פ 615ו 616ו 617כ 618כ 619ה 620ת 621א 622כ 623ל 624ו 625א line 25 626ת 627ו 628מ 629ת 630נ 631י 632כ 633ם 634ח 635ג 636ר 637י 638ם 639נ 640ע 641ל 642י 643כ 644ם 645ב 646ר 647ג 648ל 649י 650כ line 26 תורה Torah 626 +50 651ם 652ו 653מ 654ק 655ל 656כ 657ם 658ב 659י 660ד 661כ 662ם 663ו 664א 665כ 666ל 667ת 668ם 669א 670ת 671ו 672ב 673ח 674פ 675ז line 27 676ו 677ן 678פ 679ס 680ח 681ה 682ו 683א 684ל 685י 686ה 687ו 688ה 689ו 690ע 691ב 692ר 693ת 694י 695ב 696א 697ר 698ץ 699מ 700צ line 28 701ר 702י 703ם 704ב 705ל 706י 707ל 708ה 709ה 710ז 711ה 712ו 713ה 714כ 715י 716ת 717י 718כ 719ל 720ב 721כ 722ו 723ר 724ב 725א line 29 726ר 727ץ 728מ 729צ 730ר 731י 732ם 733מ 734א 735ד 736ם 737ו 738ע 739ד 740ב 741ה 742מ 743ה 744ו 745ב 746כ 747ל 748א 749ל 750ה line 30 751י 752מ 753צ 754ר 755י 756ם 757א 758ע 759ש 760ה 761ש 762פ 763ט 764י 765ם 766א 767נ 768י 769י 770ה 771ו 772ה 773ו 774ה 775י line 31 776ה 777ה 778ד 779ם 780ל 781כ 782ם 783ל 784א 785ת 786ע 787ל 788ה 789ב 790ת 791י 792ם 793א 794ש 795ר 796א 797ת 798ם 799ש 800ם line 32 801ו 802ר 803א 804י 805ת 806י 807א 808ת 809ה 810ד 811ם 812ו 813פ 814ס 815ח 816ת 817י 818ע 819ל 820כ 821ם 822ו 823ל 824א 825י line 33 826ה 827י 828ה 829ב 830כ 831ם 832נ 833ג 834ף 835ל 836מ 837ש 838ח 839י 840ת 841ב 842ה 843כ 844ת 845י 846ב 847א 848ר 849ץ 850מ line 34 851צ 852ר 853י 854ם

According to Minchas Shai, here are some problems:

(i) In the very first pasuk, there is a divergence in trusted masoretic texts, with the Hilleli Codex the word spelled אלכם, chaser, and according to the Jerusalem Codex, the word spelled אליכם, malei. But the word משנה is based on the 50 letter skip. If אלכם is chaseir, following Codex Hilleli, then from the mem to the shin we only have a 49 letter skip! But then every other letter is still 50 letter skips. The code is ruined, according to this masoretic text. Thus, see box 23.

(ii) The yud in box 637 is also in doubt. To cite Minchas Shai on Shemot 12:11:

יא  וְכָכָה, תֹּאכְלוּ אֹתוֹ--מָתְנֵיכֶם חֲגֻרִים, נַעֲלֵיכֶם בְּרַגְלֵיכֶם וּמַקֶּלְכֶם בְּיֶדְכֶם; וַאֲכַלְתֶּם אֹתוֹ בְּחִפָּזוֹן, פֶּסַח הוּא לַיהוָה.

11 And thus shall ye eat it: with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste--it is the LORD'S passover.

The Sage Rabbi Menachem Ricanati wrote that the word חֲגֻרִם is spelled missing the yud. And the author of the Levushim, in Sefer Or Yekarot {J: in what seems a commentary on R' Rakanti) explains his words, that he intends to say 'their chagor' {=chagoram}. That is to so, with a mem. And so did he explain in parashat Bereishit on the verse {in Bereishit 3:7} 'and they made for themselves חגרת.' Yet, in all the sefarim, the word חגרים is missing the vav and does contain the yud, and so wrote the Rabbi Meir Abulafia, za'l.

Here is where R' Rikanti says this:

So this is a dispute between two Rishonim. Perhaps one could assert that R' Menachem Ricanti would insert the vav just as he has the yud missing. (That is how he cited it. But this could well have been for the sake of stressing the rereading which gave him the interpretation he sought. Indeed, we'll see that Vetus Testamentum has none with full yud but missing vav.) If a vav were inserted, the letter count would return to normal. But if a vav were NOT inserted, then in the word 'Torah', with the 50 letter skip, there are only 49 letters between the tav and the vav of Torah. The code ceases to exist.

This is what Vetus Testamentum has, as alternate Jewish texts:

Text #300 is missing a yud, like Rikanti. And texts 1, 9, 69, 75, 84, 108, 132, 136, 150, 155, 193, 196, 260, 264, have both vav and yud. This is also different from our Masoretic texts. Adding a vav would also throw off the count, such that we would have a 51 letter skip, rather than a 50 letter skip, for the first two letters. See Vetus Testamentum for a number of other variea lectiones, any one of which will mess up the various aspects of the Torah code.

They are pictured to the right, from Shemot 11:9 until Shemot 12:11:

In each instance, what is listed is a variation from the standard, present-day Masorah. The caret symbol, ^, means missing. This, on the second line, revos, we have ^ vav, 184. This means that in (Jewish, Torah) text #184, the vav is chaser. This is only one text, out of many. But still, he notes it. If this chaser is indeed the case, it would mess up the skip count of the word Torah. Then, he lists on the word מוֹפְתַי, spelled without a vav. And here there are quite a number of texts that have this spelled chaser. And so on and so forth, throughout the entire perek.

Thus, we might not have 'Mishneh'; and we might not have 'Torah'; and we might not have a pause of precisely 613 letters (but rather, more or less). All this, for the reason Rav Yosef gave. We are not experts in plene and deficient spellings, and all of these codes are quite possibly off!

This is not the end of the story. There is another aspect, which is the statistical significance of this particular code. Why should one care about statistical significance? As Eli wrote in a comment on the previous post:

"I don't understand what the argument is; it's like I see a building and someone tells me it's not a building. I check some of the codes in my Chumash, and hey presto, I see them."

Alas, this I will need to leave over to another post.