Three

Shalosh means three, and this number carries deep significance in Jewish tradition. Three patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob), three daily prayers (Shacharit, Mincha, Maariv), three pilgrimage festivals (Pesach, Shavuot, Sukkot), three sections of the Hebrew Bible (Torah, Nevi'im, Ketuvim — collectively called TaNaKh), and three stars marking the end of Shabbat all demonstrate the prominence of three in Jewish life. The number three represents stability and completeness. A beit din (Jewish court) requires a minimum of three judges. The priestly blessing (Birkat Kohanim) consists of three verses. The Torah was given to a threefold people (Kohanim, Levi'im, Yisrael) in the third month (Sivan) through Moses, the third child of his family. Three is the minimum number that creates a pattern, the point at which coincidence becomes design. Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) famously teaches: 'The world stands on three things: Torah, worship, and acts of loving-kindness.' This three-legged foundation mirrors the three-legged stool — remove any one support and the entire structure collapses. The message is that Jewish life requires balance among study, prayer, and ethical action. In Israeli culture, the number three appears in familiar patterns: the three major cities (Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa), the three seas (Mediterranean, Dead Sea, Red Sea), and the popular saying 'shalosh pa'amim' (three times) to indicate emphasis or certainty. The Hebrew connection between shalosh and shalom (peace) — they share the root shin-lamed — suggests that completeness (three) and wholeness (peace) are related concepts.