2020 was, undoubtedly, a very negative year.

2021 will be, we pray and predict, a much more positive year.

Here’s the rationale:

Write 2021 in words; that’s: TWENTY TWENTY-ONE.

Assign numerical values to each letter, using A=1, B=2, … Z=26, and add them.

TWENTY TWENTY-ONE gives a total of 248.

According to Jewish tradition, there are 613 commandments. Some are positive – things we should do, and some are negative – things we should not do.

There are 365 negative commandments and…. 248 positive ones.

That's enough to have something negative for each day of 2020 (except the leap day), and 248 positive things for 2021.

There’s the proof, in our tradition and our text. 2021 will be a very positive year.

Photo by Nick Hillier on Unsplash.

Get To Know The Author

WHP Alum Dr. Jonathan Berkowitz (Vancouver) is a Full-Time Lecturer with the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia, and is a consulting statistician with Berkowitz & Associates Consulting Inc.