How much should we read into things? With discussions I have had with my rabbi, I gathered that it is O.K. to read into things such as addresses and zipcodes, and maybe even social security numbers. I grew up in an ultra Orthodox neighborhood with an address that was the same as the Jewish Year of my mother's conception of me. It was between three Orthodox synagogues. I have always regarded it as being significant. Also, my rabbi looked at addresses as being significant. Four is a matriarchal number, etc. People rely on "Jewish Zipcodes." And also names are significant. Hebrew names and names that sound like Jewish holidays, or names like Hazel reminding me of Chazal, and it goes on and on.And time is significant. Is this all O.k.? It has always seemed to make sense to me this way, and I have made decisions in my life based on such thinking. Is it Torah based?

Maybe you should try the lottery

A Gut Moed/Chag Sameach

My two-cents, which is surely worth less than that, is that since Hashem is constantly communicating with us, its great to pay attention to such subtle cues that are hiding in plain sight, however two examples given cause me some concern...

That the English name Hazel would remind you of the Hebrew term Chazal seems like a bit too much of a stretch, and thus might not be the way to cause your attention to be directed to Chazal - one should I think first expect a reminder to heed Chazal's advice to come through either a more Jewish framework, or something which would be likely to be seen as a reminder by others.

For example hearing a secular proverb that we find out has its source in Chazal might have the effect of reminding others of Chazal without having to take the somewhat fuzzy jump to the English name Hazel (or was that the eye color).

I don't think that anyone who looks into my eyes (being hazel in color) will be reminded to think of chazal... I'll save for Purim speculation on what else they might be reminded of

2) Making life decisions on these factors seems a bit of a stretch in itself... if the life decision is logical (paraphrasing Rav Reisman's shiur on the meaning of dreams in halacha) absent the inference from the message then perhaps its a fine life decision to make simply on the logic, and the message just sweetens the decision. Whether or not the message was "valid" or accurately received, it sweetened the logical decision which already had merit.

However making illogical decisions, such as seeing a bird fly by while walking on a tall roof as a message that one can fly and should risk jumping, noone has yet come to tell me afterwards of making such life decisions based upon such messages as having been valid.

Raybin,

the amount we can read into things varies. through if we strive to read more into things, one should have a tradition and not soley read whatever they want least they miss the point completely of what their reading.


I have never heard of the matter of zip codes, and address so i will not comment. as far as Hazel goes it is not much of reading into but rather reshaping the wording in way that brings a certain thought to mind.

I also have taken to looking at the gematriya of different things to see what could be there. After moving to our present home 1 1/2 years ago, I discovered, much to my very great dismay that we had mice. I have spent considerable money to prevent them from returning, as well as davening that my friends, family, and neighbors shouldn't have mice. I got a picture of a rebbe who's picture is a known segula for mice - he now sits in my dining room. In the meantime, the gematriya of my address adds up to achbar!!! I told my dh that I thought perhaps we should consult a mekubal - or at the very least see if the city of Chicago would change our address. My dh, however puts less stock in gematriya than i and just let me complain.