PageRank is an algorithm used by Google to measure the importance of web pages. It considers pages more important if there are many links to that page from around the web. It's a bit more complicated than simply counting the number of links to a page. It weighs links from other highly ranked pages much higher. So if the Wall Street Journal quotes the New York Times, that is worth more than if a personal blog did.
We experimented using this algorithm on the links in our library to see which sources were rated the highest. The numerical values represent the relative score for each source; higher is better. Note that many Halakhic verses in the Torah are in this list. The reason for this is probably because Halakhic verses are quoted by many sources in order to determine a law. The only exception is Genesis 1:1, which is obviously an extremely important verse in and of itself.
Since our library is changing every day, this metric will change in the future. Last updated (2/26/17)
(1) pagerank = 2.55E-4
(מ) וּלְקַחְתֶּ֨ם לָכֶ֜ם בַּיּ֣וֹם הָרִאשׁ֗וֹן פְּרִ֨י עֵ֤ץ הָדָר֙ כַּפֹּ֣ת תְּמָרִ֔ים וַעֲנַ֥ף עֵץ־עָבֹ֖ת וְעַרְבֵי־נָ֑חַל וּשְׂמַחְתֶּ֗ם לִפְנֵ֛י יהוה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֖ם שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִֽים׃
(40) On the first day you shall take the product of hadar trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.
(2) pagerank = 2.55E-4
(א) כִּֽי־יִקַּ֥ח אִ֛ישׁ אִשָּׁ֖ה וּבְעָלָ֑הּ וְהָיָ֞ה אִם־לֹ֧א תִמְצָא־חֵ֣ן בְּעֵינָ֗יו כִּי־מָ֤צָא בָהּ֙ עֶרְוַ֣ת דָּבָ֔ר וְכָ֨תַב לָ֜הּ סֵ֤פֶר כְּרִיתֻת֙ וְנָתַ֣ן בְּיָדָ֔הּ וְשִׁלְּחָ֖הּ מִבֵּיתֽוֹ׃
(1) A man takes a wife and possesses her. She fails to please him because he finds something obnoxious about her, and he writes her a bill of divorcement, hands it to her, and sends her away from his house;
(3) pagerank = 2.41E-4
(ד) איסור מצוה. שניות מדברי סופרים. איסור קדושה. אלמנה לכהן גדול. גרושה וחלוצה לכהן הדיוט. ממזרת ונתינה לישראל. ובת ישראל לנתין וממזר:
(4) A prohibition commandment [refers to] the secondary degrees [of forbidden unions] prohibited by rabbinic decree. A prohibition due to sanctity [refers to] a widow [marrying] a high priest, a divorced woman or a Chalutzah [a woman who performs Chalitzah, marrying] a common priest, a Mamzeret [the offspring of a severely prohibited union between a Jewish man and woman] or a Netinah [a member of a caste of Temple servants historically descended from the Gibeonites, marrying] a Jew, and the daughter of a Jew [marrying] a Mamzer or a Netin.
(4) pagerank = 1.72E-4
(ג) אִישׁ֩ כִּֽי־יִדֹּ֨ר נֶ֜דֶר לַֽיהוָ֗ה אֽוֹ־הִשָּׁ֤בַע שְׁבֻעָה֙ לֶאְסֹ֤ר אִסָּר֙ עַל־נַפְשׁ֔וֹ לֹ֥א יַחֵ֖ל דְּבָר֑וֹ כְּכָל־הַיֹּצֵ֥א מִפִּ֖יו יַעֲשֶֽׂה׃
(3) If a man makes a vow to the LORD or takes an oath imposing an obligation on himself, he shall not break his pledge; he must carry out all that has crossed his lips.
(5) pagerank = 1.68E-4
(א) בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ׃
(1) When God began to create heaven and earth—
(6) pagerank = 1.67E-4
(ח) עַֽל־כָּל־דְּבַר־פֶּ֡שַׁע עַל־שׁ֡וֹר עַל־חֲ֠מוֹר עַל־שֶׂ֨ה עַל־שַׂלְמָ֜ה עַל־כָּל־אֲבֵדָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר יֹאמַר֙ כִּי־ה֣וּא זֶ֔ה עַ֚ד הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים יָבֹ֖א דְּבַר־שְׁנֵיהֶ֑ם אֲשֶׁ֤ר יַרְשִׁיעֻן֙ אֱלֹהִ֔ים יְשַׁלֵּ֥ם שְׁנַ֖יִם לְרֵעֵֽהוּ׃ (ס)
(8) In all charges of misappropriation—pertaining to an ox, an ass, a sheep, a garment, or any other loss, whereof one party alleges, “This is it”—the case of both parties shall come before God: he whom God declares guilty shall pay double to the other.
(6) pagerank = 1.63E-4
(ה) כִּֽי־יֵשְׁב֨וּ אַחִ֜ים יַחְדָּ֗ו וּמֵ֨ת אַחַ֤ד מֵהֶם֙ וּבֵ֣ן אֵֽין־ל֔וֹ לֹֽא־תִהְיֶ֧ה אֵֽשֶׁת־הַמֵּ֛ת הַח֖וּצָה לְאִ֣ישׁ זָ֑ר יְבָמָהּ֙ יָבֹ֣א עָלֶ֔יהָ וּלְקָחָ֥הּ ל֛וֹ לְאִשָּׁ֖ה וְיִבְּמָֽהּ׃
(5) When brothers dwell together and one of them dies and leaves no son, the wife of the deceased shall not be married to a stranger, outside the family. Her husband’s brother shall unite with her: he shall take her as his wife and perform the levir’s duty.
(7) pagerank = 1.58E-4
(ב) דַּבְּרוּ֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֖ם אֲלֵהֶ֑ם אִ֣ישׁ אִ֗ישׁ כִּ֤י יִהְיֶה֙ זָ֣ב מִבְּשָׂר֔וֹ זוֹב֖וֹ טָמֵ֥א הֽוּא׃
(2) Speak to the Israelite people and say to them: When any man has a discharge issuing from his member, he is unclean.
(8) pagerank = 1.53E-4
(יא) וְכֹהֵ֗ן כִּֽי־יִקְנֶ֥ה נֶ֙פֶשׁ֙ קִנְיַ֣ן כַּסְפּ֔וֹ ה֖וּא יֹ֣אכַל בּ֑וֹ וִילִ֣יד בֵּית֔וֹ הֵ֖ם יֹאכְל֥וּ בְלַחְמֽוֹ׃
(11) but a person who is a priest’s property by purchase may eat of them; and those that are born into his household may eat of his food.
(9) pagerank = 1.44E-4
(כז) וְאִם־נֶ֧פֶשׁ אַחַ֛ת תֶּחֱטָ֥א בִשְׁגָגָ֖ה מֵעַ֣ם הָאָ֑רֶץ בַּ֠עֲשֹׂתָהּ אַחַ֨ת מִמִּצְוֺ֧ת יְהוָ֛ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־תֵעָשֶׂ֖ינָה וְאָשֵֽׁם׃
(27) If any person from among the populace unwittingly incurs guilt by doing any of the things which by the LORD’s commandments ought not to be done, and he realizes his guilt—
(10) pagerank = 1.40E-4
(א) כל הזבחים שקבל דמן. זר. אונן. טבול יום. מחוסר בגדים מחוסר כפורים. שלא רחץ ידים ורגלים. ערל. טמא. יושב. עומד על גבי כלים. על גבי בהמה. על גבי רגלי חבירו. פסל. קבל בשמאל פסל. רבי שמעון מכשיר. נשפך על הרצפה ואספו. פסול. נתנו על גבי הכבש שלא כנגד היסוד. נתן את הנתנין למטן. למעלן. ואת הנתנין למעלן. למטן. את הנתנים בפנים בחוץ. ואת הנתנין בחוץ בפנים. פסול. ואין בו כרת:
(1) All offerings whose blood was collected by a non-priest, [or] by an Onen [a person whose close relative has died but has not yet been buried], [or] by a Tevul Yom [a person who has immersed that day for purification but who must wait for night-fall to be fully pure], [or] by a person who lacks [priestly] garments, [or] by a Mechusar Kippurim [one who has purified himself via immersion but still needs to bring a sacrifice before eating from offerings], [or] by a person with unwashed hands and feet, [or] by an uncircumcised person, [or] by an impure person, [or] by a person who is sitting, [or] by one who is standing on vessels, [or] on an animal, [or] on his friend's feet - these [offerings] are invalid. If one collected [the blood] with his left [hand], he has invalidated [the offering]. Rabbi Shimon deems it valid. [If the blood] spilled on the floor and he [a priest] collected it, it is invalid. If he sprinkled it [the blood] on the ramp, [or at a spot] not next to the base [of the altar], [or] if he sprinkled [blood] that should be sprinkled below [the altar's midpoint] above [it], [or if he sprinkled blood] that should be sprinkled above the altar's midpoint] below [it], or [if he sprinkled blood] that should be [sprinkled] inside [the Temple on the inner altar, on the] outside [altar], or [if he sprinkled blood] that should be [sprinkled on the] outside [altar] on the inside [altar], it is invalid but he is not subject to Karet [excision at the hands of Heaven].