Torah Portion

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The Counting Of People
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In his commentary on the Midrash
Raba, Rabbi Ze'ev Wolf Einhorn asks:
Were there not many other places in the
Bible where the Jewish people were
counted and was not the count by Ezra
only for those who returned to Judea
from the Babylonian exile, who com-
prised only a small minority of the
his week's Torah portion
Jewish nation?
begins the fourth of the five
It seems to me that there is another
books of the Torah.
Midrash that can answer these ques-
Its Hebrew name,
tions and explain this Midrash and give
Bamidbar, means "in the wilderness,"
us a possible insight to these many
taken from the words of the first verse
countings of the people.
and reflecting the setting of the entire
In the Midrash Pesikta Rabsi (10:4)
book.
the verse from the Song of Songs is
Another name for the book
quoted (7:3): "Thy belly is
in Hebrew is P'kudim, which
like a heap of wheat ..." and
is analogous to the English
the Midrash says: "Rabbi
name Numbers. This name
Isaac said: 'Why is the
reflects the opening section
Jewish people compared to
with the command and its
wheat? ... just as those who
implication to count the
process the grains, when
nation. As a matter of fact, in
they store the grain they do
this book the census is taken
it by measure; when they
twice: once in the beginning
take it from storage it is
and once toward the end of
RABBI E LIEZER done by measure; when
the book when, 39 years later,
they plant it they do it by
COH EN
the people of Israel are about
measure ... thus with the
Specia 1 to
to enter the land of Canaan.
The Jew r' s h News Jewish people ...'"
Actually, in addition to
This Midrash compares
these two countings, there are
the history of the Jewish
many others in the Torah and through-
people to the processing of grain. Each
out the books of the Bible.
step in the process serves its function
The Midrash (Bamidbar Raba 2:11
toward the ultimate goal and each step
and Pesikta Rabsi 10:14) states: In 10
is monitored and measured. So, too,
places is Israel counted.
the Jewish people were chosen by God
1) When they go down to Egypt, as
to serve His purposes; and at each
it says: "... all the souls from the house
stage toward the ultimate redemption,
of Jacob were 70" (Genesis 45:27).
we are monitored and counted. Each
2) When they went up from Egypt,
milestone in our history as a people, as
as it says : "... about 600,000 (men) on
God's people, as we travel toward our
foot" (Exodus 12:37).
ultimate destination and destiny to be
3) After the sin of the golden calf
fully redeemed and to exemplify to the
(Exodus Chapter 30).
world God's relationship with
4) and 5) Twice in Numbers; once to
humankind and our potential for
establish the camp (chapters 1-3) and
improvement, justice and sanctity are
once to distribute the land in Canaan
marked by these countings.
(chapter 26).
We were counted as went into exile
6) and 7) Twice in Samuel:"... and
and slavery in Egypt and when we were
he counted them in Bezek: (Samuel I,
redeemed from that slavery. We were
Chapter 11); " ... he counted them in
counted when we sinned with the gold-
Telaim" (or "by lambs") according to
en calf and when we reestablished our
some (Samuel I, chapter 15).
camp with God in our midst. We were
8) During the days of King David:
counted when we entered the land
c`... and Yoav gave the numbers of the
promised by God to our fathers and
counted nation ..." (Samuel II 24:9).
when we united under King Saul. We
9) During the days of Ezra: "... the
were counted when we fought Amalek,
whole nation together was about four
our proverbial enemy, and when the
myriads, 2,360."
dynasty of David was established.
10) In the future to come (at the
We were counted when we returned
ultimate redemption): "The flocks will
from the exile of Babylon and we look
again pass the one who counts them"
forward to being among those count-
(Jeremiah 33:13).
ed when we and the entire world final-
ly
achieve our true and ultimate
Eliezer Cohen is rabbi of
redemption.
❑
Congregation Or Chadash.

Shabbat Bamidbar:
Numbers 1:1-4:20;
Hosea 2:1-22.

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