Reply To: Does למודי חול constitute ביטל תורה?

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#2125418
Reb Eliezer
Participant

I will show with a knowledge of a little arithmetic (multiply and divide fractions) how we can get a good estimate from the Torah on the value of PI, the ratio between the diameter and circumference of a circle. The GRA uses the pasuk in Melachim (1,23) where there is a keri (the way read) קו and kesav, the way written קוה to estimate the value 3 x 111/106 = 333/106 = 3.141509 but PI is 3.1415926.. It was known long ago the fractional estimation to PI of 355/113 = 3.1415929 so let us see how we can arrive to this amount. Let us take the full word as written וקוה and read וקו. So take 3 x 117 / 112 = 351/112 adjusting the numerator by the number of letters 4 and the denominator by a kolel giving us our fraction of 355/113. We can do this as number of letters and a kolel as needed are usually added to a gematria.