The Torah Code: Interview with Prof. Eliyahu Rips

Here is an interview with Professor Eliyahu Rips, a professor of mathematics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, regarding recent developments in Torah code findings, especially the astounding discovery by Professor Haralik of the City University of New York. Haralik, who was president of the World Association for Pattern Recognition, uncovered a remarkable depth dimension found exclusively in Torah codes, which does not appear in any other book, allowing for the differentiation between authentic codes and manipulative, counterfeit ones.<\/p>

The topic of Torah codes is not new; it has been making headlines for many years, both positive and negative. However, two aspects prompted us to visit Professor Rips: first, to see the latest updates on this fascinating subject, and second, to hear about recent studies conducted in response to the repeated attacks from critics of the encryption method, who resort to demagoguery and lack the meticulous research standards used by Professor Rips and his colleagues.<\/p>

This contentious topic made headlines in the academic world when the initial article by Professor Rips, a world-renowned mathematician, along with physicist Doron Witztum and computer scientist Yoav Rosenberg from the Jerusalem High School of Technology, was published in a prestigious statistics journal, "Statistical Science" (Equidistant Letter Sequences in the Book of Genesis Statistical Science. 1994.Vol. 9 No.438-3,429<\/span>). Several scientists, disturbed by the implications of the research, published a counterarticle in the same journal, arguing that similar encryption phenomena appear in other books. The journal has yet to publish the counter-response by Rips, Witztum, and Rosenberg.<\/p>

Let us first discuss their groundbreaking work, the research causing such a stir. The authors used the Encyclopedia of Judaism to compile a list of prominent Jewish figures with their accepted names or nicknames. To prevent manipulation, they consulted Professor Rabin, one of the leading biographical experts, to confirm these names. Simultaneously, they created a list of birth or death dates, adding over a million random name and date combinations. The computer was then instructed to search for the names and dates using letter skips in the Book of Genesis.<\/p>

They performed the same check on other books as a control group, such as a random shuffled text of Genesis, the Book of Isaiah, and the translated Hebrew version of "War and Peace." The results were analyzed using predetermined statistical measures, named p1<\/span> and p2<\/span>, yielding astounding results. The convergence level in Genesis was beyond all proportions, while in other books, the convergence was exceedingly weak. The smaller the number in the table, the higher the convergence of correct names and dates; the larger the number, the more random the results. The findings were clear: the suitable combinations were found only in Genesis.<\/p>

What did the critics have to say about such clear results presented in these studies? We asked Professor Rips.<\/strong><\/p>

Several researchers were so shaken by the idea of encrypted messages within Torah verses that they decided to fight with all their might to prove the occurrence of skips in any other text. They used "War and Peace" to seek parallels but failed, resorting to altering the inputted names to fit desired results, even when inaccurate. They then accused us of similar manipulative methods, adjusting the rabbinical names and titles to achieve desired outcomes—claiming variations like Horowitz, Horovitz, etc.<\/p>

What was your method? Firstly, the rabbinical names entered into the computer came from the Encyclopedia of Judaism, as spelled there. Secondly, we consulted Professor Rabin, a renowned biography expert, about every name, using both these parameters in our work. In contrast, McKey, who wrote the opposing article, altered names as needed for desired results.<\/p>

We submitted an article where Doron Witztum demonstrated how McKey and his associates worked without any real understanding—these individuals lacked any biography expertise, thus their findings held no validity. Nonetheless, the journal editors refused to publish our response, denying us the elementary right to a proper reply. The battle did not end there; rabbinical names can indeed vary, so we conducted a similar study using universally agreed names, like the names of the twelve tribes and their birthdates (e.g., Benjamin was born on the 11th of Cheshvan at his mother Rachel's demise). Feeding this to the computer yielded astonishing results—almost all tribes were identified with their birthdates, presenting a statistical odds of 27 in five million(!), rendering any accusations of altered names unfounded.<\/p>

And what was their response?<\/strong><\/p>

No response! I'll add these findings were presented in their presence, yet this was not the end. Doron Witztum decided if there's dispute over spelling surnames, perhaps checking fathers' names would work, like instead of Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz (the ShLAH), using Rabbi Isaiah son of Abraham (his father's name). This experiment also led to astounding results, and even this research was presented before the critics, who also had no answer. If this were a fair debate, our work would already be validated by them, but unfortunately, it is not a fair discussion.<\/p>

This month, Distinguished Professor Haralik (a rank above professor), former president of the World Association for Pattern Recognition, published his research on Torah codes and, conversely, McKey's codes. In my opinion, for a study like this, if it were about a different field, Professor Haralik would deserve a Nobel Prize, but given the current academic establishment's stance, it seems unlikely.<\/p>

Professor Haralik's work is akin to distinguishing a genuine bill from a counterfeit—holding the bill to the light reveals whether the image reappears as a watermark, indicating authenticity. Here too, Haralik discovered an additional depth that authenticates the finding against a counterfeit one visible only on the surface.<\/p>

He did this by taking two lists of rabbis and dates, constructing intersections, and including McKey's list with another control list combining the above. The computer was instructed to search for convergences in Torah verses using letter skips, finding both names and dates aligned in one place. This same search was carried out in "War and Peace," where our lists excelled in Torah verses, and McKey's excelled in "War and Peace," as was already known. But when the computer was instructed to search for another place with name and date convergence using different skip orders, the results were astounding. Our lists proved once again, showing skips each rabbi by their appropriate date. This repeated in the second, third, and even the 20th trials, still presenting significant results. In contrast, McKey's list did not hold up in further tests. After the third trial, it became statistically insignificant. The depth check revealed the divine watermark on genuine findings, distinguishing them from any random finding uncovered by chance in another book.<\/p>

According to this description, it sounds like you randomly dug and found a treasure of bills, and upon checking them against the light, you discovered they were genuine, while theirs turned out to be counterfeit.<\/strong><\/p>

They didn’t discover them; they printed the bills themselves, hence the missing watermark. Another topic gathering fascinating data is Dr. Alex Rotenberg's work. The idea is that there are profound things written in the Torah not explicitly explained, with the Oral Torah clarifying them. For instance, the tefillin of the head should be "totafot," but what are totafot? The sages demonstrated in various ways that it means head tefillin should be made of four compartments. The computer was then instructed to search for the phrase "four compartments," and surprisingly, this code was found in two places: the verse "And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as totafot between your eyes" (Deuteronomy 6:8) and the verse "And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as totafot between your eyes" (Deut. 11:18), both concerning head tefillin!<\/p>

Another example: The Torah describes how the Israelites traveled for 40 years in the desert, surrounded by divine clouds. Rashi explained there were seven clouds—six on all six sides and a pillar of cloud before the camp. Here, we find the code "seven clouds" in two places: the verse "The pillar of cloud will not depart" (Exodus 13:21), and the verse "And the cloud of Hashem was upon you" (Numbers 10:33). This phenomenon, where codes appear recurrently in the same context, illustrates it’s no coincidence, similar to Joseph's words to Pharaoh on the dreams... <\/p>

At times, because the matter is resolved divinely! In the commandment of tzitzit, we are instructed to dye one of the threads in tekhelet blue, but where is this color sourced? The Talmud states it is produced from a certain snail, and indeed archaeological findings reveal piles of such snails used for making blue dye. And indeed, the verse in Numbers (15:38) "And they shall put upon the fringe of each corner a thread of blue" is intersected by the word "the snail" with a skip of 30.<\/p>

The Midrash explains Adam and Eve sinned on the day of their creation in the tenth hour, and in Genesis chapter 3 verse 6, in the verses detailing their sin, we find the code "hour 10" as well as the word (hour of) tenth. According to tradition, Rachel died on the 11th of Cheshvan, and thus between the verses "And Rachel gave birth and suffered during her labor" to "And Rachel died," we find the code "on 11th of Cheshvan." To showcase all the findings revealing the words of the sages hinted at in the scripture would exceed this publication’s space, but it must be noted that these revelations are truly fascinating and surprisingly unveil a new dimension in acknowledging interpretative accuracy.<\/span><\/p>

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