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Shabbat Bamidbar: Numbers 1:1-4:20;
I Samuel 20:18-42.

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May 21 2009

arshat Bamidbar begins
Israel as having 70 families. These 70
the Book of Numbers. Ezra,
correspond to the 70 nations of the
the scribe, established the
world. The counting made it possible
order of the reading of the parshot
for the Jewish people to survive in
the beginning of the Second Temple
the world as the act of counting itself
Period (circa 350 B.C.E.). Bamidbar
facilitated that the Jewish people never
is always read prior to the holiday of
is lost among the nations. It is true
Shavuot. It follows that there must be
there is only one Jewish people, but
an intrinsic connection between the
that one weighs equal to all the 70.
holiday and the parshah.
Consider this: The Baal Shem Tov
The Book of Numbers involves four
would spend hours devoted to the
censuses the Jewish people were to
evening prayers of Friday night. His
conduct while in the desert.
followers would finish pray-
People only count things of
ing in the normal manner
importance. No one knows
and stand and wait for their
how much garbage he or
Rebbe to finish.
she has in his or her trash-
It once happened that
cans, but they most likely
one of the participants felt
would know how much
hungry. Since it would be
money is in their wallet.
several hours before the
Counting, as in a census,
Baal Shem Toy finished his
indicates value of that
prayers, he thought no one
which is being counted.
would miss him if he went
The first census was
Rabbi
home, ate and came back
conducted on the first day
Herschel
before the Rebbe finished.
of the second month of the
Finman
Someone noticed the man
second year as they were
Special to the
sneaking out and decided
camped at Sinai. The effect
Jewish News
to do the same. Soon, the
was to elevate the Jews
Baal Shem Toy was left
to a higher awareness of God. The
alone to his prayers.
Torah states,"S'u es rosh bnai Yisroel"
When the group returned, much
— count (literally lift up the heads
to their chagrin, they found the Baal
of) the Children of Israel. The Jewish
Shem Toy sitting and waiting for them.
people witnessed the ultimate Divine
He explained that a person's head is
revelation at Sinai. In order to be able
only as high as the rest of his body. He,
to fully appreciate the Sinatic revela-
the Baal Shem Tov, was like a head to
tion once they left Sinai, they needed
the community. He could only stay "up
to be taken to a higher level. Hence, lift there" if he had the support of the rest
up the heads (count) the children of
of the community.
Israel. That very act of counting gave
the Jews importance.
Herschel Finman is host of the Jewish
The laws of kashrut state that
Hour radio program heard 3-5 p.m. Fridays
something that is countable is never
on WPON 1460-AM.
lost. It would not matter if a person
were standing over a pot of stew while
drinking a cup of milk and some of
Conversations
the milk dribbled into the pot and was
If the world's population is sur-
mixed in with the meat. The food is
passing seven billion and the
still kosher as the milk-to-meat ratio
Jewish population is only 16 mil-
is less than 1:60. If however, a non-
lion, how is it that Judaism is
kosher chicken were to be mixed into
considered a major world religion.
even 1,000 kosher chickens, the entire
Why is it that Jews find them-
mixture would be rendered unkosher
selves in so many prominent
as there exists 1,001 chickens. One
roles in every field and endeavor:
of the chickens is for sure not kosher
science, the arts, film, finance,
and, therefore, is never lost.
etc?
The Torah lists the Children of