Bamidbar

In this week’s parsha we begin the fourth book of the Torah-Sefer Bamidbar.

The question arises: Why did Chazal choose this specific point in time to begin a new book in the Torah? Why was parshat Bamidbar chosen to be the starting point of the fourth book of the Torah?

Additionally, the Torah (1;1) states: “Hashem spoke to Moshe in the Wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting…etc.” Why did the Torah mention the fact that the Tent of Meeting was in the Wilderness? At the beginning of Sefer Vayikra (1;1) the Torah states that Hashem spoke to Moshe from the Tent of Meeting (“He called to Moshe, and Hashem spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying:”) and there is no mention of the fact that the Tent of Meeting was in the Wilderness! Therefore, why does the Torah now feel the need to tell us that the Tent of Meeting was in the Wilderness if it didn’t even do that earlier in the Torah?!?

Furthermore, the Torah (1;2) relates that Hashem commanded Moshe to “Take a census of the entire assembly of the Children of Israel according to their families, according to their fathers’ house, by number of the names, every male according to their head count.” Rashi (1;2) explains that the census wasn’t simply in order to know the accumulate number of the nation, but in order so that we should know exactly how many people there were in every tribe (as the Torah states: “according to their families”). However, this was the third time in which Hashem counted the nation of Israel (see also: Shemos, 12;37 and Shemos, 38;26) and the first two times Hashem counted the nation simply in order to know their accumulate number (without needing to know exactly how the accumulate number was added up from every tribe). Why weren’t all the tribes counted according to their number the first 2 times? Why is it only now-the third time in which Hashem counted the nation of Israel-in which He demanded to know exactly how many people there were per tribe and not just the accumulate number?

Lastly, the Torah (1;2) states that the nation of Israel was to be counted “by the number of the names.” The Ramban (1;2) explains this to mean that the entire nation of Israel were counted through their names (not simply one by one). The question arises: Why weren’t the nation of Israel “counted by name” in the actual book of “names” (Shemos) when they were counted twice? Why did Hashem only count the nation of Israel “by the number of the names” the third time-in Sefer Bamidbar?

Rabbi Yochanan Zweig explains that we are all actually partners with Hashem in running the world (economically, morally, etc.). We could see this for example from the fact that there are so many Jews who are leaders or who have big positions in many prestigious companies as it is our job to act as leaders for the rest of the world. This unification with Hashem in running the world began in Sefer Bamidbar.

Rabbi Zweig explains that Hashem counted the entire nation by the number of their tribe in order to send out the message that every tribe had their unique individual abilities in which they could contribute to society that no other tribe was able to. This message was important for Hashem to send out at this specific point in time as it was now in which we gained the responsibility to continue society as a result of becoming partners with Him in running the world. Therefore, it was only now, the third time in which Hashem counted the entire nation of Israel, in which he commanded that they all be counted by the number of their tribe because it wasn’t until now in which we all became responsible to help run the world and had to know that we all have unique abilities in which only we are able to contribute towards the rest of society.

Similarly, Rabbi Zweig explains that the nation of Israel were only counted by name the third time they were counted (here in Sefer Bamidbar) as counting the nation of Israel by name gave them all a sense of importance (in contrast, the first two times the nation of Israel were counted they were simply viewed as a number-one more person to add towards the accumulate number of people). Meaning, each person within each tribe needed a sense of individuality (not simply that each tribe needed a sense of individuality). And why was that? Because in order to properly run the world and contribute all that we can Hashem knew that we all needed to feel our own sense of individuality and know that we all have some abilities in which only we are able to add to the rest of society. This message was specifically important at this point in time (when the nation of Israel became partners with Hashem in running the world) and it was therefore only now, by the third counting of the entire nation, in which Hashem commanded that we all be counted by name.

Further, Rabbi Zweig explains that the Torah (1;1) mentions the fact that the Tent of Meeting was in the desert (even though the Torah gives no mention to that fact earlier-Vayikra, 1;1) as Hashem specifically counted the nation of Israel (and thereby gave them all a feeling of individuality) while they were in the desert as in a desert there is no society in which a person has to adjust towards. As a result the nation of Israel were able to create their own society in the desert without any constraints. The entire nation knew that they could be whoever they wanted to be as they didn’t need to adjust the way they act in order to fit in with the rest of society since there was no society in the desert. Therefore, it is only here in which the Torah mentions that the Tent of Meeting was in the desert as Hashem specifically counted us in the desert in order so that we could easily be able to create the type of society that He wants there to be in the world.

Lastly, Rabbi Zweig explains that Sefer Bamidbar marks the beginning of our responsibility to run the world. Until this point in time we were completely supported by Hashem through the Manna which He made come down from Heaven. Now however we all gained the responsibility to run the world by becoming partners with Hashem (and it was therefore specifically now in which Hashem made sure we all knew that we all have unique abilities in which we could contribute to the world by counting us all by names). Thus, Chazal chose parshat Bamidbar as the beginning of the fourth book of the Torah as it was now in which we became partners with Hashem and thereby responsible to make sure that the world runs in the manner in which He desires.

                      Bamidbar