Search: 18
Why: I donated $18 to Katy's Suicide Prevention Walk because she is Jewish and so am I.
Answer: This stuff:
- The Hebrew word for "life" is חי (chai), which has a numerical value of 18. Consequently, the custom has arisen in Jewish circles to give donations and monetary gifts in multiples of 18 as an expression of blessing for long life.
- In the Talmud; Pirkei Avot (5:25), Rabbi Yehudah ben Teime gives the age of 18 as the appropriate age to get married.
- In Ancient Roman custom, the number 18 can symbolize a blood relative.
- There are 18 chapters in the Bhagavad Gita, which is contained in the Mahabharata, which has 18 books. The Kurukshetra War which the epic depicts is between 18 armies - 11 on the Kuru side, 7 on the Pandava).
- 18 is on the right palm of the right hand in Arabic (?)
- In Chinese tradition, the number 18, normally 十八 (shí bā), can also be read as 幺八 (yāo bā), which sounds like 要发 (yào fā), meaning "one is going to prosper." Thus, building floors numbered "18" are often very expensive in China
The More You Know: Joseph Heller's novel Catch-22 was originally named Catch-18 because of the Hebrew meaning of the number. He changed the published title to avoid confusion with another war novel, Mila 18.
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