Happy Friday the 13th!

Earlier this week, I had a dream about a new TV show: CSI: Chicago. Due to intimidation by gangs and corruption in law enforcement, half the crimes in the first few episodes will go unsolved. However, criminals manage to avoid punishment for the cases that are solved. I also had an idea for CSI: Detroit, where the cast is to scared to even leave the station.

Tomorrow is Friday the 13th. To most Americans, this is an unlucky day, especially if your significant other is a big fan of the movies and her high school friends had a tradition of watching one of them every time there was a Friday the 13th, and now that she's in college she expects you to watch those generic slasher films. Really? You think a guy in a hockey mask is scary? There are so many better movies out there, and you want to watch these?

But I digress. Unlike most Americans, I'm not afraid of Friday the 13th. In fact, I consider it a great day. In Judaism, Friday is the day before the sabbath. It's a chance to prepare for the day of rest and relax. In Israel, the weekend is Friday and Saturday. So Friday is not a bad day.

The number thirteen is a little more complex to explain. First, we need to understand why Christianity considers thirteen unlucky:

In numerology, the number twelve is considered the number of completeness, as reflected in the twelve months of the year, twelve signs of the zodiac, twelve hours of the clock, twelve tribes of Israel, twelve Apostles of Jesus, twelve gods of Olympus, etc., whereas the number thirteen was considered irregular, transgressing this completeness. There is also a superstition, thought by some to derive from the Last Supper or a Norse myth, that having thirteen people seated at a table will result in the death of one of the diners. (source)

Judaism has no unlucky numbers. But some numbers are luckier than others. Twelve is also recognized as a natural number. But adding one more makes it "extra-natural" or even "supernatural." Boys have their Bar Mitzvah (the coming of age ceremony) at the age of thirteen. For the same reason, boys are circumcised and named on the eight day after their birth - seven is a "natural" number, so eight is the supernatural counterpart. So thirteen is a number to be celebrated, not feared.

So have a happy Friday the 13th. I know I will!