Midrash sa Deuteronomio 10:22: Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Bamidbar Rabbah, Midrash Tehillim & Shir HaShirim Rabbah

Another interpretation: David said (in Ps. 147:3): WHO HEALS THE BROKEN HEARTED…. These are the tribes since they had a broken heart, saying <that> Joseph might kill them. (Ps. 147:4:) HE RECKONS (rt.: MNH) THE NUMBER OF THE STARS.¹⁴Exod. R. 1:3. These are the tribes. Just as these stars only go forth by < their > names, as stated (ibid., cont.): HE GIVES THEM ALL NAMES; and likewise, when they come in, they come in with a reckoning (minyan, rt.: MNH), as stated (in Ps. 147:4): HE RECKONS (rt.: MNH) THE NUMBER OF THE STARS; so <also> in the case of the tribes, when they entered Egypt, it is written (in Deut. 10:22): WITH SEVENTY SOULS DID YOUR ANCESTORS GO DOWN TO EGYPT. Also, when they left, (according to Exod. 12:37): ABOUT SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND MEN ON FOOT. And before¹⁵The translation follows an emendation in Midrash Tanhuma (Jerusalem: Eshkol: n.d.), vol. 1, appendix, p. 89, n. 7. the tribes went down to Egypt, their names were specified (in Gen. 46). Also, when they entered Egypt, their names were specified, as stated (in Exod. 1:1): NOW THESE ARE THE NAMES OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL.

“These are those who were counted of the children of Israel by their patrilineal house; all those counted of the camps according to their hosts were six hundred and three thousand, and five hundred and fifty” (Numbers 2:32).
“These are those who were counted of the children of Israel by their patrilineal house…” In ten places Israel was counted: One, upon their descent to Egypt: “With seventy people, your ancestors descended to Egypt…” (Deuteronomy 10:22). One upon their ascent: “The children of Israel traveled from Rameses to Sukot, some six hundred thousand men on foot” (Exodus 12:37). One after the deed of the calf:²⁴The sin of the Golden Calf. “When you take a census of the children of Israel…” (Exodus 30:12). Two in the book of Numbers; once with the banners, and once with the division of the land. Two in the days of Saul: “He counted them in Tela’im” (I Samuel 15:4), “he counted them in Bazek” (I Samuel 11:8); when they were wealthy, with these lambs,²⁵The word tela’im is also the Hebrew word for lambs. According to the midrash they were not counted in a place called Tela'im, rather they were counted by means of lambs. and when they were poor, with these pebbles.²⁶That is the translation of bazek. One in the days of David: “Yoav gave the sum of the number [mispar] of the census [mifkad] of the people [to the king]” (II Samuel 24:9). If mispar, why mifkad; if mifkad, why mispar?²⁷Mispar and mifkad have similar meanings. Rather, he prepared two notes, a large sum and a small sum. The small one he showed to David; the large one he did not show him.²⁸David and the people were punished for conducting the census. Yoav though that by keeping the larger sum from David, fewer people would be harmed. That is why it wrote et mispar mifkad. One in the days of Ezra: “The entire congregation together was forty[-two] thousand [three hundred and sixty]” (Ezra 2:64). And one in the future: “The flock will pass again under the hands of one who counts” (Jeremiah 33:13).

12. “Be sincere [literally: kiss with purity]” (Psalms 2:12). [This Midrash reads the verse as “kiss the wheat”] This [relates to] that which is written, “Your navel is like a round goblet; [let mixed wine not be lacking; your belly is like a heap of wheat hedged about with lilies.]” (Song of Songs 7:2). Why is Israel compared to wheat, [such] that it is written, “your belly is like a heap of wheat” (ibid.)? Rabbi Iddi said, “Just as a [kernel of] wheat has a furrow through its middle and is [thus] distinguished from all other fruit; such that all other [foods] are secondary to it; so too Israel is distinguished from the idolatrous nations, with circumcision, and with tzitzit, and everyone is secondary to them.” Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said, “Just as with wheat, when they go out to be sown, they only go out [once they’ve been] counted, and when they are brought in [at time of the harvest], they are only brought in [once they’ve been] counted; so too with Israel – when they went down to Egypt, they went down [having been] counted, as it is said, “Your ancestors went down to Egypt as seventy souls” (Deuteronomy 10:22). And when they ascended [from the land of Egypt], they only did so [having been counted], as it is said, “[The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth,] around six hundred thousand [fighting men on foot, aside from noncombatants]” (Exodus 12:37).” Rabbi Chanina said, in response to [the teaching of] Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish, “Why is Israel compared to wheat? [The following parable will] tell you [why]. If a landlord has a steward, when he comes to [work] with him on [his] accounts, he doesn’t ask him “how many baskets of chaff did you bring into the storehouse?” or, “how many bundles of chaff did you bring into the storehouse?” or, “how many bundles of straw?” Rather, place the thorns in the fire, and winnow the chaff into the wind. And [thus], what does he say? “Pay attention to how much wheat you’re bringing into the storehouse.” Because [wheat] gives life to the world. This landlord is the Holy One, blessed be He, for all of the world is His, as it is said, “To God belongs the land and all that it contains” (Psalms 24:1). This [trusted] steward is Moses, as it is said, “in all my house he is [the most] trusted” (Numbers 12:7). And what did the Holy One, blessed be He, say to him? Pay attention to the idolators? No! Why? Because they are compared to straw: “[Your fury] consumes them like straw” (Exodus 15:7). And what do we do with straw? We soak it in water, as it is said, “[God] hurled Pharoah and his army into the Sea of Reeds” (Psalms 136:15). And they are compared to thorns, as it is said, “Nations shall be burnings of lime; thorns cut down that are set on fire” (Isaiah 33:12). But Israel is likened to wheat, as it is said, “your belly is like a heap of wheat” (Song of Songs 7:3). Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “Pay attention to counting the Israelites, to know how many there are, as it is said, “When you take a census of the Israelites...” (Exodus 30:12).” Another interpretation of: “your belly is like a heap of wheat” (Song of Songs 7:3). An ear of wheat rises up and ascends, and her stem is long, and her leaves are wide and long, and the ear of wheat [sits at] the top of the stalk. And when the stalk is complete it becomes prideful and boasts, “For my sake was this field sown.” And the leaves become prideful and boast the same [boast]. The ear of wheat says to them, “Behold! The harvest [will soon] come and then everyone will be appeased, and will know for whom the field was [really sown].” After not much time, the harvest came. The straw was gathered into the fire. The chaff is thrown to the wind. And [only] the wheat is preserved in the granary, and everyone who sees it, takes it, and kisses it. So too the idolatrous nations. They say, “The world was made for our benefit.” And Israel says to them, “Is it not written that “Nations shall be burnings of lime; [thorns cut down that are set on fire]” (Isaiah 33:12)?” But Israel in the days to come [is destined] to be left alone, as it is said, “God alone did guide them, and there was no alien deity alongside Him” (Deuteronomy 32:12) [as if to say God guided Israel to the end of days, but He guided nobody else, he “guided them alone”]. Another interpretation of: “your belly is like a heap of wheat” (Song of Songs 7:3). Rabbi Yuden said, “This heap of wheat refers to the book of Leviticus since all of the sin and guilt offerings are written within it, as it says, “This is the law of the burnt-offering” (Leviticus 6:2); “This is the law of the sin offering” (ibid., 6:18); “This is the law of the guilt offering” (ibid., 7:1) – “hedged about with lilies” (Song of Songs 7:2) – this refers to words of Torah which are as delicate as lilies. How many commandments and details are contained within [the book of Leviticus]? How many laws does it contain concerning invalid sacrifices, and [how many laws] concerning leftover sacrificial meat?” Rabbi Levi said, “In the way of the world, if a man marries a woman of 20 or 30 years old, once he has settled his [wedding] expenses, he comes to her to be intimate with her. But if she says, “I have seen [the colour] or a red rose [i.e., I am menstruating],” he separates from her immediately. And what caused him not to draw near to her? What wall was there between then? What fence? What serpent bit him? What viper stung him? Rather, what stung him were the words of Torah, which are delicate like a lily, for it is written within her, “Do not approach [to be intimate with] a woman in her menstrual impurity” (Leviticus 18:19). And similarly, if someone brought a person a plate of meat, and he was hungry, but they told him that some forbidden fat had fallen within it, he will immediately rescind his hand from it, and he won’t taste it. And what caused him not to taste it? Nothing other than words of Torah, which are as delicate as a lily, like that which is written within them, “Do not eat any forbidden fats or any blood” (Leviticus 3:17).” Another interpretation of: “your belly is like a heap of wheat” (Song of Songs 7:3). Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi Iddi, wouldn’t a heap of pinecones, or a heap of peppers be more beautiful? Why [then] are [the Israelites] compared to wheat? Rather, a person can live without pinecones and without pepper, but a person can never live without wheat. And just as it is impossible for a world to be without wheat, so too it is impossible for the world to be without Israel.