54 is the new 18
PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. — The number 18 carries special meaning to Jewish people, since it is the sum of the letters that make up the word for "life" in Hebrew.
In my day, the standard bar mitzvah gift from classmates and their families was $18.
On Long Island in 2007, the going rate for such gifts, in cash and gift-certificates, is $54 (or sometimes $36).
1 comments:
Giving a gift in the amount of $18 is known as a "chai" -- the hebrew word for life. As you pointed out, the two letters in the word "chai" add up to eighteen. (Het is the eighth letter and Yod is the tenth.)
Giving a "double chai" means giving $36. Apparently "triple chais" are now commonplace. Just think that by the time our kids are bar mitzvah'ed, we'll be talking "octuple chais."
But what about kids who are stuck in the cusp? Chais become less valuable against inflation until the next multiple is introduced. If only there were a way to encourage fractional chais.
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