June 6 • 2019 25
jn
A
national census, at any level,
is no small undertaking. For
those who are counted, it might
be considered a nuisance at
best. For those who must do
the counting, it seems like an
exceedingly long and difficult
task.
Considering the logistical
hurdles in accounting for large
numbers of people, particularly
in a world where all must be
tallied by hand, there needs
to be a compelling reason
to take a census, something
that actively and immediately
serves the national interest. In
the census that we learn of in
Bamidbar, counting all of the
males over the age of 20 not
only makes clear at which point we
view males as men who are responsible
for caring for the nation, but also that
this census serves as verifying Israel’
s
military readiness.
Yet for all of that, the census of Israel
that is taken is overwhelmingly anti-cli-
mactic. The number of Israelite men
over the age of 20 is reported as being
603,550 (Bamidbar 1:46), an identical
amount to a census that was earlier
recorded in Exodus 38:26. The Bekhor
Shor, a medieval commentator, suggest
that this is understood to be a miracle:
God kept alive all of those men who
were previously counted. God com-
manded this census so that each person
would have his name acknowledged as
a person of intrinsic worth, something
the later Italian commentator Sforno
suggests relates to the unique character
of each and every individual.
This would provide us with enough
intrinsic value to demonstrate the
importance and necessity of this cen-
sus. For each and every person to be
recognized, acknowledged and valued
as the unique soul that he is would
be enough to uplift the entire nation,
uniting us again in a common pur-
pose just as when we stood at Sinai
and declared Na’
aseh v’
nishmah! “We
will do and understand!” This census
is about creating a sacred community
and emphasizing the critical role of the
individual in maintaining that
community, not enumerating
people as numbers with neither
faces nor voices.
As the command given to
Moshe to begin the census is
literally s’
ooh et rosh, “uplift the
head,
” of all the community, we
can understand this to refer to
lift up our heads as members of
the community with pride in our
common purpose, fully united
as a people who stand together.
We are literally standing up and
being counted.
In our modern understanding
of standing up and being count-
ed, we emphasize how this is about
making our voices heard. We state our
opinions for the record and ensure that
our views are expressed. As Americans,
our nation is preparing for a national
census in 2020. While certain aspects
of that census remain to be decided by
the courts, in the tradition of our faith,
let us regard this census as an oppor-
tunity to engage in heshbon hanefesh,
personal accounting of our own souls,
to consider what each and every one
of us can and do to contribute to our
communities.
How will you stand and be counted
in the coming year? Let us look at the
chance to take part in the U.S. census
not as a necessary burden of citizen-
ship, but as an opportunity to ensure
that we make our voices heard. Let us
ensure that we take an active part in
civic and communal leadership so that
all our communal organizations endure
and thrive. Let us wholeheartedly voice
our opinions with civility, kindness,
courtesy and strength as leaders in our
communities and our nation. ■
Rabbi Jeremy Yoskowitz is a Jewish Studies
instructor at Frankel Jewish Academy as well as
a chaplain and ethics consultant for Beaumont
Health.
Rabbi Jeremy
Yoskowitz
Stand and Be Counted
Parshat
Bamidbar:
Numbers 1:1-
4:20; Hosea
2:1-22.
spirit
torah portion
Call Today! 248.919.1244
synergyhomecare.com/oaklandcounty
Care for
Everyone
Mom gave you
her best - now
she deserves
the best!
Call Jeanne Atkinson and Colleen McDonald for
the best home care in Oakland County!
Discreet, light housekeeping, grocery shopping,
meal preparation, running errands, transportation,
companionship and personal care.
People of all f
aiths and belief
s are welcome.
6760 West Maple Road, West Bloomfield
Eugene & Marcia Applebaum Jewish Community Campus
(Enter from Ring Road, across from Henry Ford Hospital West Bloomfield)
248-444-2430
TTY: 711
www.jslmi.org
Rental Assistance Grants
available to those who qualify
To schedule a personal tour
call Jackie Rosender
Independent Senior Leasing Consultant