A Word From The Rabbi

Dear Friend,

In this section of the Torah portion, G‑d commands Moses to take a census of the Jewish people. Unlike a typical census, G‑d tells Moses himself to take the count! The most esteemed members of the community - Moses, Aaron and the heads of the tribes - were designated to perform the census.

Why did G‑d assign this job to Moses himself - the one who received the Torah from Sinai and taught it to the Jewish people?

By placing this job on the most esteemed members of the community, G‑d wished to demonstrate the preciousness of every Jew. Counting the people is an exalted task, one that can be assigned only to the most distinguished individuals. G‑d counts the Jewish people because he loves them so; we count our most cherished possessions repeatedly, so as not to overlook a single one.

The counting of the Jewish people is no mundane task. Every Jew is holy; an actual part of G‑d above. Counting the people was a mitzvah. When the counters approached the tents, they were dressed in their most festive clothing, and conducted themselves with respect, dignity and pleasantness.

Performing a census, in and of itself, is an ordinary task, not requiring any special skill or talent. However, when it comes to counting the Jewish people, the ordinary and mundane becomes transformed into something holy. The same is true of every mundane task - the way we eat, sleep, work, run our homes, bring up our children - these are all holy, exalted matters which must be carried out with great care.

Wishing you a successful week,

Rabbi Yudy Shemtov
Senior Rabbi/Executive Director