Comentario sobre Números 1:3

כל יצא צבא [FROM TWENTY YEARS OLD AND UPWARDS] ALL THAT GO FORTH TO THE HOST — This tells us that no one less than twenty years of age goes forth to the host (cf. Rashi on Exodus 30:14 and Note thereon).

FROM TWENTY YEARS OLD AND UPWARD, ‘KOL YOTZEI TZAVA’ (ALL THAT ARE ABLE TO GO FORTH TO THE HOST) IN ISRAEL. “This tells us that no one under the age of twenty goes forth to the host. ‘Se’u eth rosh’ [literally: ‘take the head’ and generally translated: take ye the sum] of all the congregation of Israel.¹⁶Verse 2. This is as one says to an executioner: ‘take that man’s head’.”¹⁷The meaning of this text which stems from Bamidbar Rabbah 1:9 will be explained further on by Ramban. The final quote is not found in our texts of Rashi, although Ramban quotes it from his commentary. The reason for its disappearance from all other texts of Rashi may well be its sharpness of expression which on first sight baffles the student. Ramban, however, recognizing that it is a genuine text which stems from Midrash Rabbah proceeds to explain it appropriately. This is Rashi’s language.
Perhaps the reason for this [law that a male under twenty years old was not liable to military service] is because he is not strong enough for war under the age of twenty, as the Rabbis have said:¹⁸Aboth 5:21. “Twenty is the age for pursuit.”¹⁹The Hebrew is lirdof, which is variously interpreted as: “for seeking a livelihood:” or “for seeking one’s life-pursuit.” Ramban here understands it in its literal sense — “to pursue [the enemy in battle].” But it may be that the meaning of the phrase kol yotzei tzava is “all who go forth to be assembled in the congregation,” because the young men do not take part in such an assembly of the people, and every gathering of the people is called tzava, as in ‘[litzvo] tzava’ (to be counted among the host) for the work of the Tent of Meeting;²⁰Further, 8:24. he shall return from the ‘tz’va’ of the work;²¹Ibid., Verse 25. with the mirrors of the ‘tzov’oth’ that ‘tzav’u’ (women that congregated together);²²Exodus 38:8. and similarly ‘tz’va’ (the host of) heaven;²³Deuteronomy 4:19. and all ‘tz’va’am’ (their host) I commanded.²⁴Isaiah 45:12. Therefore Scripture explains when speaking of men of war: ‘mi’tz’va’ (from the host of) the war;²⁵Further, 31:14. and the number of them reckoned ‘bi’tz’va’ (by the host) for the war.²⁶I Chronicles 7: 40. Scripture states here all that go forth to the host, similar to what it says, all that went out of the gate of the city.²⁷Genesis 34: 24. Ramban’s meaning is that the intention of the verses is: “all that are able to go,” even if they have not actually gone. It states, ye shall number them by their ‘hosts’ [in the plural], because they consisted of many hosts, since each and every tribe was a great host.
But as for Rashi’s expression when he wrote — “This is as one says to an executioner: ‘take that man’s head’” — it is not clear to me why the Sages should interpret the verse in this derogatory manner. If it is because [the people counted here] died in the desert [therefore He said, take the head …] whereas in the case of the tribe of Levi He said Number the children of Levi,²⁸Further, 3: 15. since they were not included in the decree [that they die in the desert] — [this cannot be so], for in the second census [taken] of those who were to come into the Land it also uses the same [expression], take the head of all the congregation of the children of Israel!²⁹Ibid., 26:2. But in the Agadah (homiletic exposition) of Vayikra Rabbah³⁰I did not find it there. But a similar exposition is found in Bamidbar Rabbah 1:7. See my Hebrew commentary p. 196, Note 26 for the full text. the Rabbis explain it as an expression of praise [for the people]: “The term se’u always means ‘greatness’, as it is written, Pharaoh ‘yisa’ (shall lift up) thy head, and restore thee unto thy office.³¹Genesis 40:13. Said the Holy One, blessed be He, to Israel: ‘I have given you an exaltation of the head, and I have likened you to Myself. Just as I am exalted above all inhabitants of the world, as it is said, Thine is the kingdom, O Eternal, and Thou art exalted as head above all,³²I Chronicles 29:11. so to you also I have given an elevation of the head, as it is said, Lift up the head of all the congregation of the children of Israel, thus fulfilling that which is said, And He hath lifted up a horn for His people,³³Psalms 148:14. and similarly it is said, and the Eternal thy G-d will set thee on high above all the nations of the earth. ' ”³⁴Deuteronomy 28:1.
I have found further in Bamidbar Sinai Rabbah that the Sages have stated:³⁵Bamidbar Rabbah 1:9. “Said Rabbi Pinchas in the name of Rabbi Idi: What is [the meaning of] that which is written at the beginning of this book, ‘se’u eth rosh’ (take the head)? It does not say: ‘lift up the head,’ ‘elevate the head,’ but it says se’u eth rosh, like a man who says to an executioner: ‘take this man’s head’. Here He gave a hint to Moses, se’u eth rosh, meaning that if the people are worthy they will become exalted, just as it is written, Pharaoh ‘yisa’ (shall lift up) thy head, and restore thee unto thy office;³¹Genesis 40:13. but if they are not worthy, they will all die, just as it is written, Pharaoh ‘yisa’ (shall lift up) thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree. ”³⁶Genesis 40:19. Thus the expression [se’u eth rosh which, as Rashi explained, is used in connection with execution] is to be interpreted according to the intention [of the speaker] — in a good way for those who are good.³⁷See Psalms 125:4: Do good, O Eternal, unto the good. Thus Pharaoh said unto the chief executioner: “Take the chief butler and lift up his head and restore him to his office.” But as for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the Eternal will lead them away with the workers of iniquity (ibid., Verse 5). Thus in the case of the chief baker, the same expression signified his downfall. In short, the expression of the Midrash which Rashi quoted can be interpreted either for bad or for good. And since it is an expression of elevation etc. And since it is [also] an expression of elevation, and it is used [here] in the first census, He used the same expression in the second census.²⁹Ibid., 26:2.

תפקדו אתם, "you shall number them." The reason the Torah repeats this instruction, something which is contained in the command of "count the people" in verse two, is explained by Yalkut Shimoni on this verse as connected with the jealousy the Gentile nations would display when they became aware that G'd deemed only the Jews worthy of being counted individually. G'd would counter their complaint by inviting them to produce books tracing each family's genealogy. If they were able to do so they too would qualify for a census based on family affiliation as was being conducted amongst the Israelites. This is why G'd employed the expression שאו when He first commanded the Israelites to be counted; He told them that being counted was a form of elevation, promotion, for them as implied in the word שאו, "elevate, uplift!" Subsequently G'd explained in verse three that the males above the age of twenty were so elevated. It follows that the words תפקדו אתם are necessary to describe the actual commandment to count the people.

כל יוצא צבא בישראל, “every one who goes to join the army among the Israelites.” Rashi comments that we learn from this verse that no one under the age of twenty is to join the army, something that corresponds to what we learned in Avot, בן עשרים לרדוף, “at the age of twenty one has matured enough to give chase.” (Avot, 5,25) It is possible to interpret the words כל יוצא צבא, as referring to all the men old enough to participate in general assemblies of the people. We know that every such general assembly is described as צבא, as for instance in לצבא צבא לעבודה באהל מועד, “to take part in the assembly around the Tent of Meeting in order to perform service” (Numbers 4,23). Another example of such a meaning of the word צבא would be the well-known term צבא השמים, “heavenly assemblies.” (Deut 4,19 and 15 other examples throughout the Bible) This is the reason why men participating in wars are not just described as חיילים, or אנשים לבושים בדים, “soldiers, or men wearing uniforms, but as יוצאי צבא, similar to יוצאי שער עירו, (Genesis 24,34) “all those assembled in the public square of his town.”

מבן עשרים שנה ולמעלה, “from twenty years old and up.” The reason that the under twenty-year olds were not included in the census was because they were not yet strong enough physically to be recruited for army duty. This is reflected in the statement by our sages in Avot, 5 (near end) that at twenty one is strong enough to engage in pursuit (of an enemy).

Below the age of twenty. You might ask: From where does Rashi know this? Perhaps even those younger than twenty were eligible for the army. And accordingly, the Torah would be understood as saying that you shall count those from twenty years old and above who are eligible for the army. However, if they are twenty years old but are not eligible, such as the old or sick, or are eligible but are not twenty years old — do not count them. The answer is that if this were so the Torah should have stated “from twenty years and above who are eligible for the army,” why then does the Torah state “all those eligible for the army.” Thus, it is certain that the verse must be explained as Rashi says. Similarly, when Rashi writes in Parshas Ki Siso (Shemos 30:14) that below the age of twenty no one is eligible for the army, this is derived from here (Re’m). See also Parshas Ki Siso.

V. 3. צבא .מבן עשרים וגו׳ כל יצא צבא בישראל ist durchaus nicht nur, nicht einmal zunächst das Kriegsheer oder der Kriegsdienst. Kap. 4, 3: כל בא לצבא לעשות מלאכה באהל מועד daselbst 23: לצבא צבא לעבד וגו׳, und sonst dort vom Levitendienst am Tempelzelt gebraucht, ebenso 8, 24 u. 25 sind Stellen, die beweisen, dass unter צבא überhaupt jede unter höherem Befehl zu öffentlichem Dienst vereinigte Menge, oder der von solcher zu leistende Dienst, verstanden wird. Und auch hier ist nicht notwendig an Kriegsdienst zu denken. יצא צבא בישראל dürfte vielmehr jeden bezeichnen, der verpflichtet ist, so oft erforderlich, aus dem bloßen Privatleben in den öffentlichen Gesamtdienst hinauszutreten, jeden somit, auf welchen die Gemeinde für Erledigung ihrer Gesamtanliegen zu rechnen hat; es ist dies כל זכר, jedes männliche Individuum, מבן עשרים שנה ומעלה. Von den Leviten, deren ganzes Leben im öffentlichen Dienste der Gesamtheit stand, heißt es daher Kap. 4 nicht: יוצא צבא, sondern: תפקדו אתם — .בא לצבא, siehe zu Schmot 30, 12. — לצבאתם, siehe daselbst 12, 51.

מבן עשרים שנה ומעלה, “from twenty years old and up;” from that age and up the males were considered as mature enough to serve in the army. Based on this verse, our sages at the end of chapter 5 in Ethics of our fathers, made the well known statement: בן עשרים לרדוף, “when having attained the age of twenty, one is fit to join the pursuit.”

תפקדו אותם, “you are to count them.” Nachmanides writes that the use of the term פקידה instead of ספירה for counting is meant to show that each individual so counted was elevated to a higher status than he had possessed prior to being counted. He was brought to the special attention of G’d’s benevolent supervision of his individual fate. We find an example of the use of the word פקד in this sense when it did not involve counting at all, in Genesis 21,1 וה' פקד את שרה, “Hashem had remembered Sarah specifically, etc.” In our context the term implies that all the men so counted would henceforth enjoy G’d’s special individual protection. This became evident when we do not read about the armies of the Jewish people suffering any casualties with the single exception of the attack by the Canaanites after the death of Aaron, and even then the sole casualty, i.e. a captive, appears to have been a civilian. (Numbers 21,1) Instead of being counted head by head, each soldier tendered a silver coin of the value of half a shekel, as atonement for any sin he might have been guilty of at the time he was counted. When Yoav reluctantly counted part of the Jewish people at the insistence of King David, (Samuel II chapter 24) we find that the prophet describes the result of the census as מספר מפקד, this appears to mean that the total was arrived at after counting the number of silver coins tendered. We believe that the reason why G’d was so angry at the counting was not at the manner in which the census was taken, but was on account of the entire census having been unnecessary as no military threat existed at the time against the Kingdom of David. He wanted to glory in the vast number of subjects he ruled over. It is also possible that the word מספר there is justified as David commanded Yoav also to count men under 20 years of age, i.e. from 13 years and up. Doing this may have been the reason why he was punished, as he had never been permitted to count the people below the age of 20. One of the reasons G’d does not want the entire Jewish population to be counted may be because then the promise that they are as numerous as the stars, i.e. beyond man’s ability to count them, would not be true. When, in the above mentioned chapter when Yoav counted the people, there appears a line saying “the entire Jewish nation numbered one million three hundred thousand (including the men from the tribe of Yehudah) that could handle a sword;” this does not mean that all of these people were fighting in the front line, it merely means that all these people were physically fit and healthy, and in case of need could be mobilized for war. The sick, the elderly, and the handicapped were not included in that count, as no one can boast about being the ruler of such people.

כל יוצא צבא, “all those able to bear arms.”

TIPHKEDU OTHAM.’ The term p’kidah is an expression meaning remembrance of and attention to a certain matter, as in the phrase, And the Eternal ‘pakad’ (remembered) Sarah as He had said,³⁸Genesis 21:1. See Ramban there (Vol. I, p. 268). and this in my opinion is its interpretation in all places, without any exception. The expression pikadon [which means a bailment or deposit of goods] is also [from this root], because his guarding and supervision is on it [i.e., because the bailee must guard it]. And therefore when He commanded that Israel be counted He stated tiphkedu otham, in order to hint that he [Moses] was not to count them [by persons] but that they were each to give half a shekel as a ransom for their soul,³⁹Exodus 30:12-13. and he should supervise them [the half-shekels] and thereby know the number of the people. In the case of David Scripture states: the sum of ‘miphkad’ (the numbering) of the people⁴⁰II Samuel 24:9. because he knew their numbers through the counting of [the half-shekel] ransom [that each one gave]. For it appears to me unlikely that David should not be careful about that which Scripture states, that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them.⁴¹Exodus 30:12. And even if David did perhaps make a mistake,⁴²In Exodus, at the beginning of Seder Ki Thisa, Ramban in fact does explain that David made a mistake and did indeed count them without half-shekels [a theory to which he reverts here briefly at the end of the verse]. For the reason for his mistake, see ibid., (Vol. II, p. 511). why did Joab [the captain of the host in charge of the census] not take [the census through] shekels, for the king’s word was abominable to Joab,⁴³I Chronicles 21:6. and Joab [in fact] said to the king, Why doth my lord require this thing? Why will he be a cause of guilt unto Israel?⁴⁴Ibid., Verse 3. So why did he [Joab] not count them through the shekels, so that he should not sin?
But in my opinion the [Divine] wrath was [aroused] against him [David] because he counted them unnecessarily, since he was not going forth to war, nor did he do anything with them [the men he counted, so that he would need to know their number] at that time, and [the census] was only to make him rejoice that he ruled over a large people. Therefore Joab said [to David], Now the Eternal thy G-d add unto the people, how many soever they may be, a hundredfold, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it; but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?⁴⁵II Samuel 24:3. And I have seen in Bamidbar Sinai Rabbah:⁴⁶Bamidbar Rabbah 2:17. “Rabbi Eliezer in the name of Rabbi Yosei ben Zimra said: Whenever Israel was counted for a purpose, their numbers did not diminish; but when they were counted for no purpose, they became diminished. When were they counted for a purpose? In the days of Moses, and⁴⁷In our Midrash Rabbah the word “and” is not found in the Hebrew text, so that it refers to only one, not two times: “When were they counted for a purpose? In the days of Moses for the [setting up of the] standards” as described here in Chapter 2. See, however, Rashi on Verse 1 above, who is of the opinion that the people were counted at the exodus from Egypt (Exodus 12:37), and again after the worship of the golden calf to ascertain the number of those left. In that case Ramban’s version in the text of Bamidbar Rabbah is fully understandable, for there were numberings in the days of Moses preceding the one at the time of setting up the standards. for the [setting up of the] standards and at the division of the Land.⁴⁸Further, Chapter 26; ibid., Verse 53. [When were they counted] for no purpose? In the days of David.”
It is also possible to say by way of explanation that David commanded that every “man” in Israel be counted, meaning thereby to include everyone above the age of thirteen years old, who is regarded as “a man” [and not from the age of twenty years upwards], since it is nowhere mentioned in [describing] his counting: “from twenty years old and upwards”, but instead David said, Go, number Israel from Beer-sheba even to Dan … that I may know the sum of them.⁴⁹I Chronicles 21:2. And this was [the reason for] his punishment, for Scripture only allowed counting to be done from twenty years old and upwards⁵⁰Exodus 30:14. by means of the shekels. It was because this is not clearly expressed in Scripture [that even by means of the half-shekels the people are only to be counted from the age of twenty years and over] that David made this mistake, for he thought that when Scripture says that there be no plague among them⁴¹Exodus 30:12. it is because of the shekels, which are a ransom [of the soul] for them [and therefore he thought that as long as he counted them by means of the shekels and not by direct census there would be no plague even if he counted them from above the age of thirteen years old, instead of twenty], but Joab applied his heart [to understand the matter] and was concerned because of it.
And Scripture [itself] stirs me to this thought by saying: But David took not the number of them from twenty years old and under, because the Eternal had said He would increase Israel like to the stars of heaven. Joab the son of Zeruiah began to number, but finished not; and there came wrath for this upon Israel.⁵¹I Chronicles 27:23-24. It is apparent that Ramban interprets these verses as follows: But David took not the number of them from twenty years old ‘and under’ because Joab began … but finished not for the reason that he [Joab] applied his heart to understand the matter and was concerned about the breach of the law in taking the census from twenty years old and under. From this it appears that Joab’s census included those under twenty years old, and this was [the reason for] the “wrath”, because G-d does not want all Israel to be limited by numbers since He will multiply them like the stars of heaven, as He said [to Abraham], Look now toward heaven, and count the stars, if thou be able to count them.⁵²Genesis 15:5. And when the verse says concerning that census [of Joab], And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and a hundred thousand men that drew sword,⁵³I Chronicles 21:5. it does not mean to say that they were all eligible for military service [since, as explained above, they included also thirteen-year olds who do not go to war], but its correct interpretation is that they were all sufficiently healthy and strong to be able to go to battle, thus stating that he did not count the sick, the weak, and the old, because the king’s word was abominable to him.⁴³I Chronicles 21:6. This interpretation is very appropriate.
But according to the opinion of the Midrash Agadah [a homiletic exposition⁵⁴Berachoth 62 b: “And when he [David] counted them he did not take from them the ransom of soul etc.” This would seem to indicate that David’s mistake was that he counted them by persons, [from twenty years old and upwards], and not, as Ramban suggested above, because he included in the count [which was done with shekels] people under twenty but over thirteen years old. from which it would appear] that there was an actual census [i.e., that the people were counted without the use of shekels, we must say that] they all erred. This is why David said [to Joab], Go, ‘number’ Israel,⁵⁵II Samuel 24:1. and it is further written, after that he had ‘numbered’ the people⁵⁶Ibid., Verse 10. [expressions which indicate that there was an actual counting of persons without using half-shekels], for in the Torah the term “numbering” of people is not mentioned at all, and the meaning of the expression according to the number of names¹⁶Verse 2. is that each one should tell his name when he is counted through bringing his ransom [of half a shekel].

כל יצא צבא בישראל, “all who are able to go to war on behalf of Israel;” the repetition of this word excluded the mixed multitude who had joined the people only at the Exodus.

לצבאותם, “according to their legions.” There were numerous legions, the army of each tribe representing one legion.

The Torah adds the word בישראל, “among the Israelites,” to exclude members of the recent converts to Judaism, the mixed multitude (Ibn Ezra).

תפקדו אותם, “you are to count them.” The reason that the Torah did not use the word תספרו for counting here is that this was not a head count. The term פקידה implies (divine) supervision. The Israelites were commanded to find out how many of them there were, but they did not arrive at the number through counting heads but through counting the half-shekel each one of these men had to contribute.