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B"H

Hi it's known that every number in existence has some kind of significance in the Torah, what then does the number 500 (represented by the hebrew letter final chawf {some spell it "chof"}, according to one system of gematria) represent in the Torah (besides for what was mentioned)?

Blessings and success

B''H Bi'ezras -- Boruch Hashem
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8 Answers8

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King Achashverosh said to Queen Esther, “In the fortress Shushan alone the Jews have killed a total of five hundred men. [Esther 9:12]

Maurice Mizrahi
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And Shem lived after he begot Arpachshad five hundred years, and begot sons and daughters. [Genesis 11:11]

Maurice Mizrahi
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Noach was 500 years old when he bore Shem, Ham, and Yefes. (Genesis 5:32)

chortkov2
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וְאַתָּ֣ה קַח־לְךָ֮ בְּשָׂמִ֣ים רֹאשׁ֒ מָר־דְּרוֹר֙ חֲמֵ֣שׁ מֵא֔וֹת וְקִנְּמָן־בֶּ֥שֶׂם מַחֲצִית֖וֹ חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים וּמָאתָ֑יִם וּקְנֵה־בֹ֖שֶׂם חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים וּמָאתָֽיִם׃

The Annointing Oil contained 500 shekel of myrrh.

chortkov2
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The distance between earth and the heaven is 500 years, and between each of the seven heavens is another 500 years. (Pesachim 94b)

מִן הָאָרֶץ עַד לָרָקִיעַ מַהֲלַךְ חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה, וְעוֹבְיוֹ שֶׁל רָקִיעַ מַהֲלַךְ חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה, וּבֵין (כׇּל) רָקִיעַ לְרָקִיעַ מַהֲלַךְ חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה, וְכֵן בֵּין כׇּל רָקִיעַ וְרָקִיעַ, ״אַךְ אֶל שְׁאוֹל תּוּרָד אֶל יַרְכְּתֵי בוֹר״. תְּיוּבְתָּא.

In contrast, from the earth to the first firmament of seven (see Ḥagiga 12b) is a walking distance of five hundred years, and the thickness of the firmament is a walking distance of five hundred years, which is equal to approximately 1.8 million parasangs, and between each firmament is another walking distance of five hundred years, and so too between each and every firmament. Therefore, how can you, Nebuchadnezzar, hope to reach the heavens in your lifetime, such that you say: “I will be like the Most High”? Rather, as the verse continues: “Yet you shall be brought down to the netherworld, to the uttermost parts of the pit” (Isaiah 14:15). (Sefaria)

chortkov2
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Refer to Rashi on Bamidbar 10:32 - when they were splitting up / apportioning the land of Israel, the most fertile land of Yericho measured 500 x 500 amos.

והיה הטוב ההוא. מַה טּוֹבָה הֵטִיבוּ לוֹ? אָמְרוּ, כְּשֶׁהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מְחַלְּקִין אֶת הָאָרֶץ, הָיָה דֻּשְׁנָהּ שֶׁל יְרִיחוֹ ת"ק אַמָּה עַל ת"ק אַמָּה וְהִנִּיחוּהוּ מִלַּחֲלֹק

והיה הטוב ההוא AND IT SHALL BE THAT WHAT GOODNESS [THE LORD SHALL DO TO US, THE SAME WILL WE DO TO HIM] — What good did they actually bestow upon Him (i.e. when did they redeem their promise)? They (our Sages) say: When the Israelites were parcelling out the Land the most fertile part of Jericho proved to extend over an area of 500 by 500 cubits; they left it unparcelled...

Dov
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Iyov 1:3 - Iyov owned 500 yoke of oxen and 500 female donkeys.

Dov
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The Har HaBayis (Temple Mount) measured 500 by 500 square.

In Yechezkel 45:3 it writes:

וּמִן־הַמִּדָּ֤ה הַזֹּאת֙ תָּמ֔וֹד אֹ֗רֶךְ חמש [חֲמִשָּׁ֤ה] וְעֶשְׂרִים֙ אֶ֔לֶף וְרֹ֖חַב עֲשֶׂ֣רֶת אֲלָפִ֑ים וּבֽוֹ־יִהְיֶ֥ה הַמִּקְדָּ֖שׁ קֹ֥דֶשׁ קָדָשִֽׁים׃

And with this measurment, you shall measure off, as most holy and destined to include the Sanctuary, [a space] 25,000 long by 10,000 wide;

Rashi writes there:

ומן המדה הזאת. בקנה המדה שנמדד בו ריבוע הר הבית ה' מאות על ה' מאות כמו שאמור בענין של מעלה (מ"ב) לד' רוחות מדדו חומה לו סביב ה' מאות קנים וגו'

And with this measurement [lit. from this measurement.] - With the measuring rod by which the 500 by 500 square of the Temple Mount was measured, as is stated above (42:20): “To four sides he measured it; its wall all around, five hundred rods, etc.”

Dov
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