Midrash sobre Números 1:1

(Exodus 19:1) "On the third month of the exodus of the children of Israel from the land of Egypt": We are hereby apprised that we number the months from the exodus from Egypt. This tells me only of months. Whence do I derive (the same for) years? From (Numbers 1:1) "in the second year of their exodus from Egypt." This tells me only of that period (i.e., the general period of the exodus.) Whence do I derive the same for succeeding periods? From (Ibid. 33:38) "in the fortieth year of the exodus of the children of Israel from the land of Egypt in the fifth month" (Av). All this, until they entered Eretz Yisrael. Whence do I derive the same for (the period) after they entered Eretz Yisrael? From (I Kings 6:1) "In the four hundred and eightieth year of the exodus of the children of Israel from the land of Egypt." All this, until the Temple was built. Once the Temple was built, they began to count from (the time of) its building, viz. (II Chronicles 8:1) "And it was, at the end of forty years of Solomon's building of the Temple of the L rd, etc." If they did not merit numbering from its building they numbered from its destruction, viz. (Ezekiel 40:1) "in the fourteenth year after the city was smitten." If they did not merit numbering for themselves, they numbered for others, viz. (Daniel 2:1) "And in the second year of the reign of Nevuchadnezzar, etc.", and (Chaggai 1:15) "In the second year of the reign of King Darius." And it is written (Song of Songs 1:8) "If you do not know, you fairest among the women, etc." and (Devarim 28:47-48) "Because you would not serve the L rd your G d … you will serve your foes, etc."

(Numb. 1:1:) THEN THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES IN THE SINAI DESERT, IN THE TENT OF MEETING. This text is related (to Ps. 36:7 [6]): YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS IS LIKE THE MIGHTY MOUNTAINS; YOUR JUDGMENTS ARE LIKE THE GREAT DEEP. R. Meir said: <The passage> is speaking allegorically about the righteous in their dwelling, and it is speaking allegorically about the wicked in their dwelling.¹Above, in Tanh. (Buber), Gen. 2:8; Lev. 8:7; Gen. R. 33:1; Lev. R. 27:1; Numb. R. 1:1; PRK 9:1; Tanh., Lev. 8:5 (some texts); cf. Tanh., Numb. 1:1. It is speaking allegorically about the righteous <in their dwelling> (in Ezek. 34:14): I WILL FEED THEM IN A GOOD PASTURE, {AND IN A PASTURE OF OIL} [AND UPON THE MOUNTAINS OF THE LOFTY ONE OF ISRAEL] SHALL BE THEIR FOLD. It speaks allegorically about the wicked <in their dwelling> (in Ezek. 31:15): THUS SAYS THE LORD {GOD}: IN THE DAY THAT HE WENT DOWN TO SHEOL, I CAUSED HIM TO MOURN; I COVERED HIM WITH THE DEEP. With what are the wicked covered, when they go down to Gehinnom?²Above, Exod. 3:2; Tanh., Exod. 3:2. WITH THE DEEP. Hezekiah bar Hiyya said: In the case of a vat, with what does one cover it? With a lid of clay, since <the vessel itself > is <made> of clay. For that reason one covers it with a lid of clay. Similarly in the case of the wicked, it is written of them (in Is. 29:15): AND THEIR WORKS ARE IN DARKNESS. For that reason they are darkened before the Holy One.³See above, Gen. 1:19. So he brings them down to Sheol, which is darkness, and covers them with the deep, which is darkness, as stated (in Gen. 1:2): WITH DARKNESS UPON THE FACE OF THE DEEP.

...R’ Yehoshua be Levi said: If the nations of the world knew how good the Holy Temple was for them, they would surround it with fortifications in order to guard it. It was better for them than it was for Israel, just as Shlomo ordered his prayer “And also to the stranger, who is not of Your people Israel…” (Kings I 8:41 and it is written “…and do according to all that the stranger calls You for…” (Kings I 8:43) But when it comes to Israel, what is written? “…and give to each man according to his ways, whose heart You know…” (Chronicles II 6:30) If it was appropriate, He would give, and if not He would not. Don’t say that (they should value) the Holy Temple. Rather, if it were not for Israel the rain would not fall and the sun would not shine, because in their merit the Holy One brings plenty to His world. In the world to come the nations of the world will see how the Holy One is with Israel and they will come to cleave to them, as it says “In those days, when ten men of all the languages of the nations…” (Zechariah 8:23)

"And God spoke to Moses in the Sinai Wilderness" (Numbers 1:1). Why the Sinai Wilderness? From here the sages taught that the Torah was given through three things: fire, water, and wilderness. How do we know it was given through fire? From Exodus 19:18: "And Mount Sinai was all in smoke as God had come down upon it in fire." How do we know it was given through water? As it says in Judges 5:4, "The heavens dripped and the clouds dripped water [at Sinai]." How do we know it was given through wilderness? [As it says above,] "And God spoke to Moses in the Sinai Wilderness." And why was the Torah given through these three things? Just as [fire, water, and wilderness] are free to all the inhabitants of the world, so too are the words of Torah free to them, as it says in Isaiah 55:1, "Oh, all who are thirsty, come for water... even if you have no money." Another explanation: "And God spoke to Moses in the Sinai Wilderness" — Anyone who does not make themselves ownerless like the wilderness cannot acquire the wisdom and the Torah. Therefore it says, "the Sinai Wilderness."

(Numb. 26:1-2:) “And it came to pass after the plague [that the Lord said unto Moses and unto Elazar ben Aaron the priest, saying,] ‘Take a census.’” Every time that they fell, they were required to be numbered.¹⁰Numb. R. 21:7. The matter is comparable to the wolf who went into the midst of the flock. The owner of the flock was obliged to count them to know how many were missing. Another interpretation (of Numb. 26:2): Why did he count them here? The matter is comparable to a shepherd to whom the householder has delivered a flock after numbering them. [After] he has fulfilled his guardianship, when he returns them, it is necessary for them to be numbered. Thus when Israel went out from Egypt the Holy One, blessed be He, delivered them to Moses after numbering [them], as stated (in Numb. 1:1-2), “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses in the Sinai desert …, ‘Take a census….’” So also, when they went out, it is written (in Exod. 12:37), “Then the Children of Israel traveled [from Ramases to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot].” Ergo, he received them with a numbering. [So when] he was about to pass away in the Plains of Moab (after completing his guardianship), he returned them with a numbering. It is therefore stated (Numb. 26:2), “Take a census.”

10) "which the L–rd commanded Moses in Mount Sinai (on the day, etc."): From here we derive that the commands in the desert of Sinai were stated only in the daytime. And whence do we derive that the commands in Egypt were stated only in the daytime? From (Shemoth 6:28): "And it was on the day that the L–rd spoke to Moses in the Land of Egypt." And whence is it derived that the commands in the tent of meeting were stated only in the daytime? From (Bamidbar 1:1): ("And the L–rd said to Moses) in the desert of Sinai in the tent of meeting." The commands in the tent of meeting are hereby likened to the commands in the desert of Sinai. Just as the commands in the desert of Sinai were stated only in the daytime, so, the commands in the tent of meeting.

7 (Numb. 26:1-2) “And it came to pass after the plague [that the Lord said unto Moses and unto Elazar ben Aaron the priest, saying,] ‘Take a census’”: Every time that they fell, they were required to be numbered. The matter is comparable to the wolf who went into the midst of the flock. The owner of the flock was obliged to count them to know how many were missing. Another interpretation (of Numb. 26:2): Why did he count them [here]? The matter is comparable to a shepherd to whom the householder has delivered a flock after numbering them. [After] he has fulfilled his guardianship, when he returns them, it is necessary for them to be numbered. Thus when Israel went out from Egypt the Holy One, blessed be He, delivered them to Moses after numbering [them], as stated (in Numb. 1:1-2), “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses in the Sinai desert …, ‘Take a census […].’” [Likewise] (in Exod. 12:37), “Then the Children of Israel traveled from Ramases to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot.” Ergo, he received them with a numbering in Egypt. [So when] he was about to pass away from the world in the Plains of Moab (after completing his guardianship), he returned them with a numbering.