Torah Trivia

"בן בג בג אומר: הפוך בה והפוך בה, דכולא בה"

"Ben Bag Bag says: 
Delve in the Torah and continue to delve in the Torah for everything is in it; look deeply into it ..." 
(Pirkei Avos 5:26)

BOOKS, CHAPTERS, & VERSES

Shortest word

The opening letter ה
Example: Deuteronomy Chapter 32;6 ( הַ לְיְהוָה, תִּגְמְלוּ-זֹאת; Hey is considered a word in itself

Longest word

3 words containing 11 letters:
וְהָאֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנִים - (and the satraps); Megillat Esther Esther Chapter 9;3
וכעלילותיהם - (and their plots) Ezekiel 7
וכתועבותיהן - (after their abominations); Ezekiel 16:47

Shortest Verse
"אדם שת אנוש" (Adam, Seth, Enosh); Chronicles 1;1

Longest Verse
Megillat Esther; 8 (43 words)

Shortest Chapter
Psalms 117 (2 verses)

Longest Chapter
Psalms 119 (176 verses in alphabetical order; 8 verses per letter)

Shortest Sefer (Book)
Ovadia (only one chapter)

Longest Sefer
Psalms (150 chapters)

NAMES:
Most common male name in the Torah
14 men were named Zecharia and 14 men were named Meshulam.
13 men were named Yoel.
If the name Zecharia and Zecharyahu are considered same name, 27 men in the Torah 

were named it.

Most common female name

5 women were named Ma'acha, including King David's wife and Rachava'am's wife.

3 women were named Tamar: Yehuda's daughter in law; King David's daughter 

(Amnon's half sister); and King David's grandaugher (Avshalom's daughter).

Most mentioned name
(King) David is written 1,023 times.
Moshe (Rabenu, a'h) is written 414 times.

Most names for one person
"פלא יועץ, אל גבור, אבי עד, שר השלום" (Pele-Yoetz-El-Gibbor-Avi-Ad-Sar-Shalom); Isaiah 9;5

Longest male name
נבוכדראצור (Nebuchadrezzar); Jeremiah 49;28

Longest female name
הַצְלֶלְפּוֹנִי (Hazlelponi); 1 Chronicles 4;3 (according to the Midrash, she was Manoach's wife 

and Shimshon's mother).

Fastest man
Asahel; and Asahel was as light of foot as one of the roes that are in the field (2 Samuel 2;18)
Naftali was compared to "Naphtali is a hind let loose"

City with most names
Yerushalayim is also called City of Shalem, Ariel, Tzion, City of Yevus, City of David, and 

much more.

Most mentioned city
Yerushalayim is written 700 times.

Name with most various spelling
נבוכדנאצר מלך בבל, שנתכנה גם נבוכדאצר, נבוכדאצור, נבוכדנצור (Nebuchadrezzar)

HUSBANDS AND WIVES
Husband with most wives
King Shlomo (a'h) had 1,000 wives.

Wife with most husbands
Michal, daughter of King Shaul. Her husbands were Adriel HaMecholi, King David, Palsi 

ben Lish.

First man to have 2 wives
Lemach; Ada and Tzila.

WAR AND PEACE
The longest period of peace
During the reign of the Judge Ehud ben Gra. The land was peaceful for 80 years.
During Prophet Devorah''s (a'h) reign among other judges, the land was peaceful for 40 years.

Battle where all were killed
In the Pool of Gibeon (all 24 soldiers died); 2 Samuel Chapter 2;13

Battle between most kings
The battle of Vale of Siddim; 9 kings participated (Genesis 14)

SONS AND DAUGHTERS
Most sons
Judge Gideon had 70 sons (it is said that he had 71 sons and Avimelech, whom killed 

the sons of Gideon, was the 71st son (Judges 8;30).

King Achav had 70 sons (2 Kings 10;1)

Avdon son of Hillel HaParatoni, the 12th judge, was a father to 40 sons (Judges 12;9)

Most daughters
Rachava'am had 60 daughters (2 Chonicles 11;21)

Abtzan, Judge of Bet Lechem, had 30 daughters (Judges 12;9)

Most famous females
Jephte's daughter (an only daughter).
Tzaluphachad's daughers (he only had daughters); Malka, No'a, Chulga, Machla and Tirtza.

FAST AND MOURNING
Longest fast
Moshe Rabenu (zs'l) fasted 40 days and 40 nights (Exodus 34;28)

Shortest fast
Queen Esther and her mainservants fasted for 3 days (Esther 4;19)

YOUNGEST ORPHAN
Yo'ash ben Achazi was one year old when his father died.

ANIMALS AND PLANTS
Largest animal
The Livyatan (Isaiah 27;1)
It is said in the Torah that the sea-monsters were giants (Genesis 1;21)

Most names for an animal:
The lion, also called Shachal, Lavi, Ari, K'fir, and Lish (Job 4;10-11)

Verse with most trees mentioned;
Isaiah 41;19 אֶתֵּן בַּמִּדְבָּר אֶרֶז שִׁטָּה, וַהֲדַס וְעֵץ שָׁמֶן; אָשִׂים בָּעֲרָבָה, בְּרוֹשׁ תִּדְהָר וּתְאַשּׁוּר--יַחְדָּו.
I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia-tree, and the myrtle, and the oil-tree; 

I will set in the desert the cypress, the plane-tree, and the larch together;

Smallest animal
The ant (Proverbs 6;6)
The flea (1 Samuel 24;14)

Fastest animal
The leopard (Habakkuk 1;8)
The eagle (Jeremiah 4;13)

Tallest and most powerful trees
Palm and cedar tree
"צדיק כתמר יפרח, כארז בלבנון ישגה The righteous shall flourish like the palm-tree; 

he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. (Psalms 92;13)

NUMBERS
Largest number
A thousand thousand and a hundred thousand men that drew sword

 (אֶלֶף אֲלָפִים וּמֵאָה אֶלֶף אִישׁ, שֹׁלֵף חֶרֶב; Chronicles 21;5

Smallest number
Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah והאומר עשירי האיפה הוא (Exodus 16;36)

KINGS
Longest kingdom
The kingdom of Menashe, son of Chizkiyahu king of Yehuda; 55 years.

Shortest kingdom
* Zimri was a king for only 7 days.

* Shalom ben Yavesh was king for 1 month only.

* Yehoachaz and Yehochin ruled for 3 months each.

Longest dynasty
* The house of Yehu; 5 kings - Yehu, Yehoachaz son of Yehu, Yoash son of Yehoachaz, 

Yerava'am son of Yoach, and Zecharyahu son of Yerava'am.

* The house of Omri had 4 kings (Omri, his son Achav, his sons Achazia and Yehoram).

Largest kingdom
The kingdom of Achashverosh; he ruled 127 states.

Youngest king
Yo'ash was 7 years old when he became a king.

Oldest king
Yehoshafat was 35 years old.

JUDGES & PROPHETS
Longest ruling
Tola ben Pu'a (23 years)

Shortest rule
Iftach the Giladi (6 years)

Longest prophet book
Isaiah (66 chapters)

Shortest prophet book
Ovadia (1 chapter)

First prophet
Avraham Avinu (zs'l); Genesis 20;7

First prophet to prophesize for many kings
Hoshe'a in the days of Aziyahu, Yotam, Achaz and Chizkiyahu, Kings of Yehuda, 

Yerava'am ben Yo'ash; king of Israel.

First prophetess to be mentioned in the Torah
Miriam HaNevia (a'h) Exodus 15;20

Other prophetesses
Devorah, Noadia, Chulda, as well as Yeshayahu's wife (Isaiah 8;3).

LIFE
Longest recorded life span
* Metushelach lived for 969 years;
* Yarad died at the age of 962;
* Noach lived for 950 years;
* Adam HaRishon lived for 930 years;
* Shet lived 912 years; and
* Enosh lived 905 years.

Shortest lifespan
Bat Sheva and King David's first son died after 7 days (2 Samuel 2;18)

Mentioned female's lifespan
The holy Torah states that Sara Imenu, a'h, died at 127 years.

Oldest father
Noach was 500 years old when he had Cham, Shem, and Yefet.

First twins
* Most famous twins are the sons of Yitzchak Avinu and Rivka Imenu: Yaakov (a'h) and Esav.

* Other famous twins are Perach and Zerach, sons of Yehuda.

Strongest and tallest
* Og, king of Bashan (Deuteronomy 3;11)

* Goliat (height was six cubits and a span) 1 Samuel 17;4.

* Shimshon was the strongest, he killed a thousand men with a jawbone of a donkey

 (Judges 15;15).

* Shamgar ben Anat killed 600 men in Melamed HaBoker (Judges 3;31).

CHARACTERIZATION
Handsome men
King Shaul, King David and Avshalom.

Beautiful women
Sara, Rivka, Rochel Imenu, and queen Esther, a'h.

Fattest
Eglon, king of Moav

Strongest
Shimshon

Fastest
Asha'el

Smartest
King Shlomo

Drunkards
Noach and Lot

Tormented
Iyov (Job)

Scoundrel
Naval HaCarmeli

Traitor
Zimri ben Salu

Loyal
Rut

FIRSTS
First career
Hevel (shepherd)

First killer
Kayin (killed his brother Hevel)

First city
Chanoch (named after Kayin's son)

First grandson
Chanoch son of Kayin, grandson of Adam and Chava.

First to have multiple wives
Lemach, husband of Ada and Tzila

First musician
Yuval (played the violin and pipe organ)

First woodworker
Noach built the ark.

First metal
Gold

First prophet
Avraham Avinu, zs'l