TORAH PORTION

Counting What
You Cherish

Parshat Naso: Numbers 4:21-7:89;
Judges 13:2-25.

Ann Arbor

So it is with the countings that take
place in the Torah, and so it should
his is a significant year for
with every census of any kind. The
our country as our govern-
total number we arrive at may be
ment once again undertakes
significant as a whole, but to only
the process of counting each citizen
see those we count as part of a mass
in the form of a census of our entire
group is not as critical as seeing each
population.
individual and understanding their
This is hardly a new idea.
infinite value.
The Torah recounts on
In the long run, the
several occasions a census
most important number in
of all of the Israelites, or of
Judaism is one. It reflects
specific families and clans.
not only the one God but
As Parshat Naso begins, we
also the infinite value of
see another of these count-
each and every individual.
ings: This time, the census
The other day, I was
of the clans of the Levites
asked: "How many bar and
who would be responsible
f_..-
bat mitzvah ceremonies have
for individual aspects of
you
officiated at?" I thought
Rabbi Robert
the care of the Mishkan, the
for
a
moment, trying to
Dobrusin
tabernacle.
come
up with an answer,
Special to the
While the value of a
and
gave
a reasonably good
Jewish News
census cannot be denied,
estimate but was then quick
there is a problem inherent
to add: "And I remember
in such a count. When we reach num-
each and every one:' Since I have been a
bers such as 2,750 Kohathites or 3,200
rabbi for 28 years, I, and my questioner,
Merarites or 600,000 Israelites or more laughed a bit at what was obviously an
than 300,000,000 Americans (thank-
exaggeration.
fully that number,
Then, a few days
unlike the Torah's
later, a young man
census, includes
who appeared
each individual
to be in his late
regardless of gen-
20s saw me and
der or age), we are
recognized me. He
tempted to see only
introduced himself
a group and not see
to me and then
the value of each
said to the person
individual.
whom he was with:
Rashi makes a
"When I celebrated
beautiful comment
my bar mitzvah, he
on the first verses of
was the rabbi".
the book Bamidbar
I'm proud to say
(Numbers). He says
I remembered him.
that even without a census God is always
I was lucky. I doubt I remember
counting: Mitoch hibatan monin otam
them all. But I should, because they
kol sha'ah — "God counts the people
are each so important and so dear. Cl
every hour because they are so dear."
If you are, as I am, a collector, you
Robert Dobusin is rabbi at Beth Israel
probably know the total number you
Congregation in Ann Arbor.
have in any particular collection. If the
objects you are collecting and count-
Conversations
ing are dear to you, that number does
Think
of an example of things
not represent a whole. It represents
you
have
counted and yet found
a number of individual objects, each
the
beauty
and significance of
carrying significant value ... whether
each
one.
monetary or sentimental.

T

If you are, as am
I, a collector, you
probably know
the total number
you have in any
particular collection.

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May 20 = 2010

JN

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