120

Question:

Hi, why do people say “until 120” on a birthday? Thank you.

AskTheRabbi.org answered:

The Torah relates that Moses lived to be one hundred and twenty years old (Deut. 34:7). That is the origin of the blessing "you should live until one hundred and twenty". It is a blessing that the person that they live and long and fulfilled life.

My wife's uncle always wishes people that they should live to one hundred and twenty-two so that they should not die suddenly! I’ve also heard people bless another with a higher number of years nowadays, taking into account inflation! But the traditional and widespread blessing is 120.

However, this does not preclude the possibility of people living to be much longer than that. There are, in fact, many Scriptural personalities who lived longer than Moses did, such as the Patriarchs of the Jewish nation.

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