• Why Jews Don't Count People

  • Apr 9 2025
  • Length: 2 mins
  • Podcast

Why Jews Don't Count People

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  • Summary

  • In this episode of Dear Rabbi, I explore the curious ritual a viewer observed when their rabbi was pointing at congregants while saying seemingly random Hebrew words before a Kaddish service. I explain that this was likely the rabbi counting to ensure there was a minyan (ten adults) present for prayer, but doing so indirectly. Since Jewish tradition discourages counting people directly, rabbis often use verses with exactly ten words, assigning one word per person rather than numbers. I share that some rabbis use specific Hebrew verses, while I prefer using "to be or not to be, that is the question," which conveniently has ten words. I hint at the deeper reason behind this counting prohibition, teasing that we might explore this fascinating topic in a future episode.

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