Musar sobre Números 1:55

שאו את ראש בני ישראל . The purpose of the count was to enable the שכינה to take up residence among the Jewish people. Everyone should become aware of his personal value by having been counted. He was encouraged to think that everything depended on his personal activity and contribution. This is why the sages have said that a person should always consider himself as if mankind's merits and demerits were in perfect balance, and his very next action would tilt the scales giving him a chance to determine the world's fate. A single good deed by him would enable the world to endure (Kidushin 40).

On the day the terrestrial Tabernaclde was erected a parallel Sanctuary was established in the Celestial Regions. This is the reason that the word משכן is repeated in Exodus 38,21: משכן, משכן העדות. G–d displayed as much desire for that which is in hidden regions as for what is revealed in our world. Rabbi Shimon (ben Gamliel) stated in the Midrash Nasso 16 that at the time G–d created the universe, He wished to have a residence in the terrestrial world similar to His residence in the Celestial Regions. This is discussed at length. The reason that G–d did not establish such a residence at that time was the damage caused to the universe by Adam and subsequent generations through their sins. Now a time had come when G–d related to the Jewish people with goodwill and it had become possible to establish His residence in the terrestrial world and to simultaneously establish its counterpart in Heaven. The Tabernacle is perceived as a microcosm and the process of building it was comparable to the steps involved in creating the universe. Midrash Tanchuma on פרשת פקודי explains this in detail. We know that when G–d created the universe, He created everything both male and female (Baba Batra 74b). The commentators explain that this means that G–d created both משפיע, and מושפע, active forces as well as their passive counterparts. This can alternatively be described in terms of the visible forces containing invisible forces. Or, to put it differently: There is constant interaction between cause and effect.

Another problem is that Rashi writes that the prince Elitzur ben Shedeyur and some of his asscociates of the tribe of Reuben, was one of these two hundred and fifty men! Rabbeynu Bachyah writes on this subject that even the princes who had offered the 12 offerings described in Parshat Nasso were part of the two hundred and fifty men. Our sages further point out that in one place these men were described as קריאי מועד, and in another place as נשיאי העדה. In Parshat Bamidbar 1,16, they are referred to as קרואי העדה, נשיאי מטות אבותם. We know from Numbers 26,9, that the term קריאי העדה is used by the Torah for people who had provoked Israel into rebellion against G–d. It is certainly mindboggling to think that people of such calibre who had witnessed all these miracles should forfeit their standing as holy people by joining such a self-seeking rebellion. When we think of someone like Nachshon ben Aminadav who had risked his life being the first to enter the sea before it had even split, it is quite inconceivable that he should have lowered himself to such a degree! On the contrary, we find that Nachshon's merit even helped his descendants long afterwards, since our sages say that it did not prove helpful anymore to Elimelech the husband of Naomi in the book of Ruth, since the latter emigrated from the land of Israel (Baba Batra 91a).

There were three "crowns" as we mentioned earlier. The reason they are referred to as זרים rather than as כתרים, is to reflect the statement of our sages who have said that "he who merits a crown, זר, spelled with the vowel Tzeyreh, does not need to worry about the זר spelled with the vowel kametz. Of the latter the Torah has written: והזר הקרב יומת, "The stranger who approaches will be executed" (Numbers 1,51). What our sages meant was that he who studies Torah in order to observe its precepts, is fortunate and will be crowned with the crown of Torah. If, however, someone is a Torah scholar, preaching Torah values but personally not practising them, he will eventually become totally estranged and his punishment will be twice that of people who do not have Torah knowledge. The reason is that the Torah scholar used to be קרוב, close, whereas now he has become זר, estranged.

In order to explain the nature of this התבודדות, isolation, let me first quote a passage from the Tikkunei Ha-Zohar concerning הבל which is rampant on earth: "It happened on a Sabbath eve that someone who could only walk on crutches encountered two scholars whom he addressed as "masters of the generations" [foremost scholars of their time] and "masters of wisdom." He greeted them cordially, inquiring where they were headed. When told the place the scholars were travelling to (on horseback), the man on crutches mentioned that he was headed for the same place and could arrange board and lodging there for the scholars in the event the latter were in need of same. Upon hearing this, the scholars asked how it was possible that they would not arrive ahead of the man on crutches seeing that they were on horseback whereas he did not even have his own legs. While saying this they turned their heads and observed that the cripple suddenly ran like a rod of lightning. He arranged for the two scholars to experience a contraction of the distance to be covered so that they too arrived simultaneously with the cripple at the entrance of a cave. The cripple asked the scholars to enter the cave. The Rabbis followed him and climbed inside the cave until they arrived at an orchard where they found the cripple divesting himself of his former body and assuming an entirely new body. The former cripple's face shone like the sun and he was seated on a Royal throne surrounded by three hundred disciples at his feet. The disciples were engaged in reciting the first verse of Kohelet: "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity." The disciples kept on repeating this verse innumerable times. The "leaders of the generation" turned to the disciples inquiring if there was no other verse in the Book of Kohelet that they kept repeating the same verse all the time. Upon hearing this, the man on the throne [who had first appeared to the scholars as a cripple] immediately arose and took hold of the hands of the two scholars and transported them to seven palaces. Each of these palaces was inscribed with the first verse of Kohelet, i.e.: "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity." When they came to the seventh palace the entrance was decorated with the likeness of an eagle and a crown. On the crown there was the image of a dove. On the crown was inscribed the following: "Anyone who is not conversant with the meaning of the seven vanities in the first verse of Kohelet is the subject of the verse in Numbers 1,51: והזר הקרב יומת, 'And any stranger (non priest) who enters will be executed.'" Thereupon the two scholars turned to leave.

Now to the third "perfection" enjoyed by Adam, that of the נפש, the soul. The priest offering the sacrifice enjoys a higher level of נפש. Any non-priest who arrogated to himself priestly functions was guilty of death by execution (Numbers 1,51). We note that the priest offered sacrifices at a place appointed by G–d at a time designated by G–d. This is the mystical dimension of the עשן.

במדבר סיני . This book is called חומש הפקודים, the book of those who have been numbered, because of the census the people of Israel underwent. This count will never become irrelevant (else we would not read about it annually, after over three thousand years). Our sages say that the purpose of the census was to ensure that the שכינה, Divine Presence, would take up permanent residence amongst the Jewish people. I believe that this Parshah and all its details refers to the מחנה כהונה. The מחנה שכינה on earth is, of course, "opposite" of the מחנה שכינה in the Celestial Region (Bamidbar Rabbah 4,13).

שאו את ראש . The word את is difficult, as well as other apparently superfluous words. Even if we allow for the fact that Shimon Ha'Amsuni explained every את in the Torah and when he was stymied by one particular את in the verse "et hashem elokecha tira,” he abandoned his attempt altogether (compare Pesachim 22b). The fact remains that we have to explain whatever we can. Rabbi Akiva explained also the one et that had stymied Shimon Ha-amsuni by saying that not only G–d but also Torah scholars must be shown reverence (Bechorot 6). Another difficulty is that when counting the Israelites, the word את appears in front of the word כל, i.e. Numbers 1,2, שאו את ראש כל עדת בני ישראל, thereby joining the Israelites to the previous "אהל מועד", whereas when the Levites are counted in 3,15, the word כל appears after the object of the count, the בני לוי. It says viz: פקוד את בני לוי לבית אבותם למשפחותם, כל זכר וגו', instead of as in 1,2, שאו את ראש כל עדת בני ישראל. Still another unusual inconsistency is found when we compare the respective counts of the Kehatites, Gersonides and Merarites. The Torah writes in 4,2: "נשא את ראש בני קהת," and in 4,21 we read: "נשא את ראש בני גרשון," whereas in 4,29, we read: בני מררי למשפחותם, לבית אבום תפקוד אותם, without the word את. Why this change in the wording? Nonetheless, the word את, is mentioned also with מררי, in 4,30: כל הבא לצבא לעבוד את עבודת אהל מועד. On the other hand when the Torah describes the function of the Kehatites in 4,3, it says: כל בא לצבא לעשות מלאכה באהל מועד." Strangely, the word את is missing here. When the function of the Gersonides is discussed in 4,23, the word את is also missing.

שאו את ראש . The word את is difficult, as well as other apparently superfluous words. Even if we allow for the fact that Shimon Ha'Amsuni explained every את in the Torah and when he was stymied by one particular את in the verse "et hashem elokecha tira,” he abandoned his attempt altogether (compare Pesachim 22b). The fact remains that we have to explain whatever we can. Rabbi Akiva explained also the one et that had stymied Shimon Ha-amsuni by saying that not only G–d but also Torah scholars must be shown reverence (Bechorot 6). Another difficulty is that when counting the Israelites, the word את appears in front of the word כל, i.e. Numbers 1,2, שאו את ראש כל עדת בני ישראל, thereby joining the Israelites to the previous "אהל מועד", whereas when the Levites are counted in 3,15, the word כל appears after the object of the count, the בני לוי. It says viz: פקוד את בני לוי לבית אבותם למשפחותם, כל זכר וגו', instead of as in 1,2, שאו את ראש כל עדת בני ישראל. Still another unusual inconsistency is found when we compare the respective counts of the Kehatites, Gersonides and Merarites. The Torah writes in 4,2: "נשא את ראש בני קהת," and in 4,21 we read: "נשא את ראש בני גרשון," whereas in 4,29, we read: בני מררי למשפחותם, לבית אבום תפקוד אותם, without the word את. Why this change in the wording? Nonetheless, the word את, is mentioned also with מררי, in 4,30: כל הבא לצבא לעבוד את עבודת אהל מועד. On the other hand when the Torah describes the function of the Kehatites in 4,3, it says: כל בא לצבא לעשות מלאכה באהל מועד." Strangely, the word את is missing here. When the function of the Gersonides is discussed in 4,23, the word את is also missing.

Bamidbar Rabbah 1,9, on Numbers 1,1, שאו את ראש, says that G–d said to Israel: "I have not liked any other creature more than you, that is why I have 'raised' your head high." I have made you similar to Me. Just as My "head" is high, as stated in Chronicles I 29,11: והמתנשא לכל ראש, "so your head is high," as stated in Psalms 148,14: "He has exalted the horn of His people."

Another difficulty is the subsequent statement in Bamidbar Rabbah 1,11, on the verse "but do not count the tribe of Levi, etc." (1,49), that Rabbi Pinchas ben Idi said: "when it says at the beginning of the Book, שאו את ראש, it pointedly does not say גדל את ראש, "elevate the head." The expression "שאו" is similar to the judge telling the executioner to behead the convicted prisoner. By the use of this word, G–d hinted that Israel would have to qualify for greatness only through the accumulation of merits. In that case the meaning of שאו, would be similar to Genesis 40, 12, "within three days Pharaoh will lift your head, (ישא) and restore you to your former position." Should Israel fail to merit greatness however, they would all die, as did the chief of the bakers in Genesis 40,19, who was told by Joseph that Pharaoh would ישא ראשך מעליך "will lift your head off you, and hang you on a pole." It had been clear to G–d at that time, that all the people about to be counted would die in the desert. G–d therefore told Moses to count the Levites not with the Israelites, but separately. The Levites had to be counted separately. If the tribe of Levi had been counted together with the other tribes the angel of death would have had authority to kill all Israel including them, and the decree that Israel could not enter the Holy Land would have become operative, since the Torah says in Numbers 14,29: "In this desert your carcasses will fall, and all of you who have been numbered in accordance with their respective number." G–d separated the count of the Levites in order to head off this catastrophe. This is also why the Torah does not even employ the same wording when referring to the counting of the Levites, but instead of שאן את ראש, we have פקוד את בני לוי in 3,15. So far that Midrash

Eve was the reason that death came into our world, as we know. Vayikra Rabbah 20,2 on Psalms 75,5 states: "I said to wanton men: 'do not be wanton.'" Elisheva, daughter of Aminadav, did not rejoice in spite of five joyous events on the same day: The appointment of her husband as High Priest, the appointment of her brother-in-law Moses as king, her brother Nachshon as prince, her sons Eleazar and Itamar as deputy High Priests, and her nephew's Pinchas elevation to the priesthood. In spite of all this, her sons Nadav and Avihu entered the Sanctuary with אש זרה resulting in their death and turning her joy into mourning. This is why David warns us in the Psalm not to indulge in excessive joys. It is not given to the righteous to experience so much joy in this life. The Midrash mentions that G–d does not rejoice anymore in this world since He had to withdraw His שכינה due to Eve's sin but will rejoice only in the World to Come as we know from ישמח ה' במעשיו, that "G–d will once again rejoice in His accomplishments" (Psalms 104,31) [as He did when He completed the universe. Ed.]. In this world only the wicked experience true joy. There are several difficulties in this Midrash. Why does the author speak about Elisheva's having seen five joyous events on that day instead of the same joyous events "seen" by her husband Aaron? Did not her husband experience even greater joy on that day when he personally was elevated to the position of High Priest? He saw his brother crowned as king, his sons installed as deserving children, as mentioned in the Torah by the words למשפחותם לבית אבותם, "belonging to their families because they are descended from the house of their respective fathers," meaning that his sons are compared to him even more than to their mother? His sons became his deputies which demonstrated how closely they resembled their father in character traits. Some people want to answer our question by referring to the Talmud in Avodah Zarah 31 which regards the wife of a חבר, a pious person, as being equal to her husband. This means that she experienced that her sons regarded themselves as related to their mother as intimately as to their father. This is in line with the advice of our sages (Baba Batra 110a) who counsel a person to examine the brothers of a prospective bride to see what character traits he may expect to find in his bride. When the Torah reports the marriage of Aaron to Elisheva in Exodus 6,23, it stresses that Elisheva was Nachshon's sister. This proves that he was influenced by the character qualities of Nachshon. Still, I regard this answer as somewhat forced.