Midrash su Giosuè 18:10

A census of Israel was taken on ten different occasions. The first occurred when they descended to Egypt, as is said: Thy fathers went down into Egypt with three score and ten persons (Deut. 10:29). Again, when they came out of Egypt, as it is said: And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men (Exod. 12:37). Once in the Book of Numbers (it was taken) with reference to the standards (Num. 2:21); once with regard to the spies (Num. 13);¹⁵There is no biblical evidence that a census was taken at the time of the spies.. in the days of Joshua when the land was divided (Josh. 18:10); twice in the time of Saul, as is said: And he numbered them with lambs in Telaim (I Sam. 14:4) and He numbered them with pebbles in Bezek (ibid. 11:8). What is indicated by the word Telaim? When they were prosperous, he counted them by means of their lambs (telayim), but when they were poor in deeds, he counted them with stones. What is bezek? It is a stone. He took a stone for each one of them and then totaled the stones. A census was taken in the days of David, as is said: Joab gave up the sum, the number of the people to the king (II Sam. 24:9); and again at the time of Ezra: The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand, three hundred and three score (Ezra. 2:14). In the time-to-come (a census will be taken), as is said: The flock shall again pass into the hands of Him that counteth them (Jer. 33:13), and in this instance: When thou takest the sum.

... “For you have not yet come…” (Devarim 12:9) this was said in order to permit private altars between the ‘resting place’ and the ‘inheritance’, because the resting place refers to Shiloh and the inheritance is Jerusalem. Why did the verse mention them separately? To permit private altars between the two. Inheritance refers to Jerusalem, as its says “My inheritance was to Me like a lion in the forest…” (Yirmiyahu 12:8) and it says “Is My inheritance to Me a speckled bird of prey?” (Yirmiyahu 12:9) These are the words of R’ Yehudah. R’ Shimon says the resting place is Jerusalem and the inheritance is Shiloh, as it says “This is My resting place forever; here I shall dwell for I desired it,” (Tehillim132:14) and it says “For the Lord has chosen Zion; He desired it for His habitation.” (Tehillim 132:13) The opinion that the resting place is Shiloh makes sense, that is why the verse says ‘to the resting place and to the inheritance.’ But according to the opinion that says that the inheritance is Shiloh and the resting place Jerusalem, it should have said ‘to the inheritance and to the resting place’! That is a difficulty. The opinion that both refer to Shiloh makes sense, because ‘the resting place’ where they ceased from the conquest and ‘the inheritance’ is where they divided tribal portions, as it is written “And Yehoshua cast lots at Shiloh before the Lord; and there Yehoshua divided the land…” (Yehoshua 18:10) But according to the opinion that both refer to Jerusalem ‘the inheritance’ is the eternal inheritance, but ‘the resting place’…? What does the resting refer to? The resting of the ark, as it is written “And now, arise, O Lord God to Your resting place, You and the Ark of Your might…” (Divre HaYamim II 6:41) The opinion that both refer to Jerusalem makes sense, because while the Tabernacle was at Shiloh private altars were permitted, as it is written “And Manoah took the kid goat and the meal-offering, and offered it upon the rock to the Lord…” (Shoftim 13:19) But the according to the opinion that both refer to Shiloh, then private altars were forbidden while the Tabernacle was there and how do we understand Manoah’s act? It was a temporary injunction. The House of R’ Yishmael taught like the opinion of R’ Shimon bar Yochai that both refer to Jerusalem, and your sign is: one man pulled many to him…