Parashat Bamidbar We all Count…..
Parashat Bamidbar begins with the following Pasuk: שְׂא֗וּ אֶת־ראֹשׁ֙ כׇּל־עֲ דַ֣ת בְׂנֵֵֽׁי־יִשְׂרָאֵֵׁ֔ל לְׂמִשְׂפְׂחֹתָָ֖ם לְׂבֵַׁ֣ית אֲבֹתָָ֑ם בְׂמִסְׂ פַ֣ר שֵׁמֵ֔וֹת כׇּל־זָכָָ֖ר לְׂגֻ לגְׂלֹתֵָֽם ׃
“Take a head count of the entire Nation of Bnei Yisrael, according to their families, and according to the house of their fathers, counting the names of all males individually”. The simple reason for this census of the Jewish people was to count those men who would be called upon to go to war. Additionally, the census was to be used to see how the Land of Israel would be allocated to the individual tribes. This census, unlike the modern census taking, was not conducted online or even thru snail mail. Tribe by tribe, each head of a Household appeared individually before Moshe and Aaron to give his name and be counted. The Rabbis learn that the counting was not merely to finalize a count- a final number. Quite the contrary- the message here was that Hashem was trying to show the Nation how much he treasured them- How so? The method used to count was as important as the count itself, for the counting of the People demonstrated the value of every individual, it demonstrated how cherished each person was to Hashem, for each person was counted, irrespective of his skills, his financial status, his educational level or his political position. We all deserve to be counted, for it shows that every individual was not a mere number but an important and integral part of the greater whole, the Nation of Israel. Rather than focus the counting on the final number, we focus on our individuality. The individual is not to be “lost in the crowd” but celebrated, for we are all created in Hashem’s image. Hashem warns Moshe that there is a danger in counting a nation, for each person may seem insignificant. What am I? What difference can I make? I am only one of millions, a mere small wave in the vast oceans. The Rambam comes in and teaches us that “each of us should see ourselves as if our next act could change the fate of the world”. What will your next action be? Whatever it is, no matter how simple it may seem, make it count. Value who you are, and the special role Hashem wants you to play in the world. Everyone one of us is an אִִ֛יש רֹ֥אֹש לְׂבֵׁית־אֲבֹתָָ֖יו הֵֽוּא׃ , a head of a household. This means that we all should be proud to be connected to this nation. And further, others will be proud to be connected to us, and in future generations, people will be proud to be descended from us. I recall an interesting story I read once, while browsing thru a Jewish bookstore in Brooklyn. The story goes that a little boy, barely Bar-Mitzvah age, came home on day to find his Mother distraught. There had been a fire in their home, and it caused damage before being put out. So, the boy exclaimed “Mommy, all of us are ok, isn’t that what is important? She replied, “that’s not why I am crying. You see, there was a document that was destroyed, and it was the only copy of our Family Tree. We were able to show everyone that we were descended directly from King David, but now that document is gone”. The boy, thought for a second and exclaimed “Don’t worry Mommy, I will always try to be a good righteous person and, Gd willing, people will be proud to be descended from me! Let’s start a new Family Tree together Mommy!”.
That is the powerful message of אִִ֛יש רֹ֥אֹש לְׂבֵׁית־אֲבֹתָָ֖יו הֵֽוּא׃ ., that we should strive to be outstanding role models to our family, our friends, our Community and to ourselves, so that we give people a reason to be proud to be descended from us. We must always recognize our own inner values and realize that we ALL can truly make a real difference. We all must hold our heads up high, showing the world our integrity. In fact, the Paraha states that with this census counting, we should lift our heads up, as it writes: שְׂא֗וּ אֶת־ראֹשׁ֙ כׇּל־עֲ דַ֣ת בְׂנֵֵֽׁי־יִשְׂרָאֵֵׁ֔ ל . That the counting is meant to lift our heads up and hold them up high. Lastly, certain values begin with us, as individuals. Each of us must strive to integrate our Jewish values into not only OUR lives but the lives of others. Communicating with our children, grandchildren, friends and fellow community members that we appreciate their contributions, validates their dignity. We are a Nation, but we are also individuals, this is both a challenge and a strength. We need to value ourselves not just as separate individuals but also as valued members of the same team, a team called the Nation of Israel! The census was designed not just to count each person, but to make each person count! אִִ֛יש רֹ֥אֹש לְׂבֵׁית־אֲבֹתָָ֖יו - means that this is the time for us to be heads of households, to be responsible for ourselves, our families, our communities and indeed, the entire world!