Q) A rabbi spoke about the Sefer Torah having six hundred thousand letters, is that correct?

A – The aphorism “There are six hundred thousand letters in the Torah” is not mentioned in the Talmud, however it is cited in Zohar Chodosh (Shir Hashirim p.74a) and repeated in countless other seforim. (Chasam Sofer, Kovetz Teshuvos 52). An often-quoted saying is that the word Ysroel is an acronym for “Yesh Shishim Ribuo Osiois Latorah”, (“There are six hundred thousand letters in the Torah”). This number is significant, as it matches the number of the males (20 to 60 years old) that left Egypt and were present at Kabolas Hatorah. It is the number of the root Neshamos of Am Ysroel (Maharal, Tiferes Ysroel 17 – Muharan 273)

Indeed, many Meforshim wonder at this figure, since the real number of the letters that our Sefer Torah contains is only slightly over half that amount or 304,805.

Some of the explanations given are:

1) The reference of 600,000 is to the celestial Sefer Torah, which contains that number of letters. The rest remain hidden from us, and are represented in the unwritten Klaf (parchment) that surrounds the written text (Medresh Talpios p. 24 – Aters Paz Y.D. introd.).

2) There is a difference between the way the Torah is written and the way we actually read it (K’ri and K’siv), as many vocals are not written. Those unwritten vocals compensate for the missing letters (R’ma Mipano – Maamar Hanefaesh 3,85, Pnai Yehoshua, Kidushin 30a)

3) The Targum’s Aramaic translation, balances the missing letters (Arugas Habosem)

4) Many of the Hebrew letters are compounded or amalgamated from simpler letters, such as Lamed or Mem from Chav and Vav, Shin from three Vavin etc. (Ateres Rosh on Ein Yaakov, Kidushin 30a – Mishne Halochos 11,115).

5) The Torah is complete only when it is learned. That Limud Hatorah (Torah learning) is added to the written text and complements the absent letters. (Vayechi Yosef, p.56)

Rabbi a. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit”a