Bamidbar

Parshat Bamidbar Klal Yisrael Rabbi Ari Kahn This week, we begin a new book, the book of Bamidbar. The Parsha, and the Sefer begin: And G-d spoke to Moshe in the Sinai Desert in the Ohel Moed (Tent of Meeting), on the first of the second month in the second year after leaving Egypt, saying …(Bamidbar 1:1) The Jews are still in the desert, awaiting their glorious march to the Promised Land. Of course, we know how this book ends; the Jews endure various trials and tribulations, and never do enter the Land of Israel, that privilege falling to their children in the following generation. The Torah continues: Count the heads of all the community of the Children of Israel, according to families, to their fathers’ households; count the males... from the age of twenty and above, all those who would go out for battle in Israel. (1:2-3) The Divine imperative to count the people at this juncture must be understood. This is not the first time that the Jews have been counted since leaving Egypt. Rashi explains: Out of love [G-d] counts them at every point. When they left Egypt they were counted, when they fell (died) in the (sin of) the Golden Calf, they were counted to know how many remained. When it was time for the Shechina to envelop them they were counted; on the first of Nissan the Mishkan was erected, and on the first of Iyar they were counted (Rashi 1:1) Rashi is concerned with the motivation to count the Jews yet again, this being the third time within a year that a census is taken. Rashi explains that G-d's love for the Jews is the reason why He counts us time and time again. While not discounting this explanation, I believe the nearly identical results of each census point to another understanding of the phenomenon of counting. Each time the people are counted, the result is 600,000, more or less; in fact, the number 600,000 becomes a descriptive term for the totality of the Jewish People. Our question, then, should be obvious: Virtually every generation from the Exodus onward outnumbers 600,000, yet this number is still used to describe the totality of the Nation. Even in the desert, there were more than 600,000 people; there, the number 600,000 refers to the number of men between the ages of twenty and sixty. All others were not included in the tally. Are we to assume that others, men above or below the age limit, or women, were of no significance?

The Midrash applies the number 600,000 in a different way: G-d replied: ‘By thy life, I will go down and save them. One woman came into Egypt and on her account did I go down, and I saved her.’ When was this? When Pharaoh took Sarah, as it says: And the Lord plagued Pharaoh (ib. XII, 17). ' Well if on account of one woman I came down, I shall not come down for the sake of six hundred thousand men, six hundred thousand women, and six hundred thousand children? (Midrash Rabbah - Exodus XV:14)1 On a mystical level, the number 600,000 is identified with the number of souls comprising the Jewish Nation. The Talmud teaches that the arrival of the Messiah will transpire when all these souls are "complete". 2 For R. Assi stated: The Son of David will not come before all the souls in the body (guf ) will have been disposed of, since it is said, ‘For the spirit that unwrappeth itself is from Me…’ (Yevamot 62a) In fact, this source goes even further, implying that the Jewish Nation is one body with 600,000 parts. The Zohar carries this numeric parallel even further, stating that there are 600,000 letters in the Torah which are meant to parallel the 600,000 souls (Zohar Hadash Shir ha Shirim 74d). Another mystical source, the Megaleh Amukot, expands on this idea: Every one of Israel has for his soul one letter of the 600,000 letters of the Torah...Indeed, Yisrael is an acronym for Yesh Shishim Ribo Otiyot laTorah (3 there are 600,000 letters in the Torah). (Section 186) One difficulty which arises with these teachings is the fact that when the letters of the Torah are actually counted, there are found to be only 304,805, slightly more than half of the number we expected to find. One way of resolving this contradiction would be to cite another mystical tradition, found in the introduction to the Ramban's Commentary to the Torah4, which refers to a primordial Torah which preceded the creation of the world, written in black and white fire. We may conclude that the letters that we see on the parchment represent the black fire, while the parchment itself, the background on which the words are written, or the spaces between the letters, represent the white fire. Thus, we may account for the missing letters with these “white letters”, which would fill in the count to 1

See also, Midrash Rabbah - Exodus XLII:1 AND THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES: GO, GET THEE DOWN (XXXII, 7). R. Tanhuma b. Abba began: As vapours and wind without rain, so is he that boasteth himself of a false gift (Prov. XXV, 14… This could be said of the generation that was in the wilderness, that consisted of six hundred thousand old men and the same number of young men, of youths and of women. 2 3 4

See Zohar, Bereshith, Section 1, Page 119a ‫ישראל= יש שישים רבוא אותיות לתורה‬ For the source of the Ramban see Yerushalmi Shkalim 6:1

600,000. Alternatively, others explain that many letters of the Torah are compounds of other letters -for example, an aleph can be broken down to 2 yuds and a vav5. When we merge these teachings we conclude that the Jewish people as a whole equal 600,000, with one letter of the Torah for each soul. There are 600,000 souls - even though there are more than 600,000 people: Several people can share the same "soul root". The people who parallel the letters in the Torah are actually greater in numbers, while the number of letters is actually fewer: It may take many people working together to accomplish a single aspect of the Torah. The number 600,000, then, is an expression of the totality of the Jewish nation in its spiritual capacity, which in a sense mirrors the Torah. That being so, we can appreciate the need to count the Nation. The first counting takes place after leaving Egypt, at the moment the Jews become a Nation. Yosef and the brothers entered Egypt as a family, a clan, perhaps a tribe, but it was a nation that eventually marched out. We have seen (in my notes to Parshat Vayetze) that part of the disagreement between Ya'akov and his sons Shimon and Levi, was this very question of personal versus national status: Ya'akov saw his children as a family, or at most a tribe, while Shimon and Levi saw them as a nation, or at least as the forerunners of a nation, whose personal actions effect the collective consciousness of future generations of the nation. The Yalkut Shimoni spells this out in clear terms, which have direct impact on our topic: Ya'akov said to Shimon and Levi, 'You have endangered me for I am small in number... There is a tradition among the Canaanites that in the future they will fall into the hands of my children.' But G-d said to him, 'not until the land is liberated and inherited by 600,000' (Yalkut Shimoni Vayishlach section 135) Not until the Jews are a bona fide nation - represented by 600,000 - will the Land of Israel be theirs. In the words of another passage in the Yalkut, Leaving Egypt was with 600,000; entering the Land was with 600,000; furthermore, the messianic age will consist of 600,000 (Yalkut Shimoni Hoshea 518) The spiritual identity of the Jewish people is made of 600,000 parts; therefore, until this identity had been achieved, the Exodus from Egypt was impossible. Furthermore, entering the Land of Israel in either biblical or eschatological times is only possible if the Jews number at least 600,000. [It is fascinating to note that in 1948 there were approximately 600,000 Jews in Israel, and it was not until almost 1967 that there were 600,000 males of fighting age, in accordance with a teaching in the Zohar that Jerusalem will only be united when 600,000 males are in the Land].

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For a full discussion on this topic see R' Reuven Margoliot in "Hamikra vi Hamosora" chapter 12

For this same reason, the Jews were counted after the sin of the Golden Calf. If 600,000 did not remain, those who survived would not be considered the Nation of Israel until they once again numbered 600,000; the historical clock would have been put on hold. Being unable to take possession of the Land of Isael, the People would have been forced to wait in the desert until their numbers were replenished. In the words of the Zohar: “No one is missing” of the six hundred thousand which emerged by the power of the Name. And because no one is missing, therefore whenever Israelites died on account of a national sin, the people were afterwards numbered, and it was found that the number of six hundred thousand had not been diminished even by one, so that the likeness to the supernal prototype was still complete; just as no one was missing above, so no one was missing here below. (Zohar, Bereshith, Section 1, Page 2b) The requirement that there be no fewer than 600,000 in order to enter the Land of Israel is here coupled with the understanding that this number reflects an equally significant number in the higher realms; the 600,000 souls of Israel are a reflection of the various aspects of G-d revealed in the letters of the Torah. But why were they counted at this particular juncture in the desert, ... on the first of the second month in the second year after leaving Egypt. . (Bamidbar 1:1) By this point in history, the Torah had been given, the Mishkan was built, and the Shechina rested on the people via the Mishkan. They needed only to complete their march into the Holy Land6. Of course, that is not the way the story unfolds, but the further wanderings in the desert are not part of the original plan, and come only as a result of further intrigue which will take place in the desert. Another teaching in this week’s Parsha provides insight: Chapter 2 of Bamidbar describes the formation in which the Jews are to encamp and march. And the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying. Every man of the people of Israel shall camp by his own standard, with the ensign of their father’s house; far from the Tent of Meeting shall they camp. And on the east side toward the rising of the sun shall they of the standard of the camp of Judah camp their armies; and Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, shall be captain of the sons of Judah. (2:1-3) According to the Midrash, the model for the formation is taken from the only other time that the people marched to Israel, following the death of Ya'akov. On his deathbed Ya'akov commands his children: 6

See the comments of S’forno (Bamidbar 1:2), where he states that it is indeed time to enter the land at this juncture. We will return to this theme in Parshat Bahalotcha.

Take heed that no stranger touches the bed so that the Shechina not be expelled, rather in this particular order you are to carry me. Three in the north... this is the manner which you are destined to do in the desert, with the Shechina in the center. (Bereshit Rabba 100:2) The parallel between Ya'akov's death scene and the formation in the desert is highly significant. On the basic level, this confirms that the time to march to Israel has indeed arrived, and the full circle of our history is evident. Furthermore, there is a fascinating parallel to be drawn between Ya'akov and the Aron containing the Tablets. Ya'akov is described as "Yoshev ohalim," one who dwells in the tents, a description understood to portray Ya'akov as representing Torah. Now, even in death, Ya'akov is compared to a Torah scroll, just as his coffin, his Aron, is compared to the Aron of the Mishkan. In this Midrash, Ya’akov represents the Torah in a very real sense.7 On a deeper level, Ya’akov's insistence that no stranger join the entourage seems unusual, but when we recall that this march in the time of Ya'akov serves as the prototype for the march in the future- of the 600,000 Jews, of all of Israel, the parallel becomes instructive. No strangers are to join the ranks, for this would cause the Shechina to be expelled. This is all the more poignant when we look at the larger picture. The nation, which consists of 600,000 souls, is paralleled to the Torah, which has 600,000 letters. A Torah with too many or too few letters is invalid. Even one half of a letter gone amiss renders the Torah unkosher. So, too with the Jewish Nation; with either one person missing or one person too many, the glorious march to Israel can not begin. One extra person can have severe mystical implications. MY JUDGEMENTS SHALL YE DO AND MY STATUTES SHALL YE KEEP. R. Abba said: Happy are Israel in that G-d has chosen them above all peoples, and for the sake of His love has given them true laws, planted in them the Tree of Life, and made His divine Presence abide with them. Why? Because Israel are stamped with the holy impress on their flesh, and they are marked as being His and belonging to His Temple. Therefore all who are not stamped with the holy on their flesh are not His, and they are marked as coming from the side of uncleanness, and it is forbidden to associate with them or to converse with them on matters of the Holy One, blessed be He. It is also forbidden to impart to them knowledge of the Torah, because the Torah consists wholly of the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, and every letter of it is bound up with that Name.’ (Zohar, Vayikra, Section 3, Page 72b-73a)8 7

Similarly we find Jerusalem surrounded by the 12 tribes: Zohar, Bereshith, Section 1, Page 242a: “According to another explanation, the “daughters of Jerusalem” are the twelve tribes, as we have learnt that Jerusalem is established on twelve rocks, three on each side (wherefore it is called Hayah (living one)), and these are called “the daughters of Jerusalem”, and they testify to the King concerning the Community of Israel, as it is written: “The tribes of the Lord are a testimony unto Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the Lord” (Ps. CXXII, 4).’” 8 This is the source for the mystical saying “Am Yisrael, the Torah and G-d are all one”. Also see Zohar, Vayikra, Section 3, Page 93b. “Similarly the Holy One, blessed be He, and the Community of Israel are called one when together, but not when parted; and so now that the Community of Israel is in exile, she is, as it were, not called one, and will only be called one when Israel emerge from captivity.”

We are taught that a large number of Israelites perished in Egypt during the plague of darkness9. Only those whose souls paralleled one of the letters of the Torah left Egypt. Only those souls can enter Israel. The traditional sources point out that there was an "Erev Rav", the mixed multitude or "hangers on," who did leave Egypt with the Jews10. Apparently, this is precisely what concerned Ya'akov. The tragic consequences of the existence of the 'Erev Rav' are well known: the sin of the Golden Calf, as well as other indiscretions, are “credited” to them. Ya'akov, who represents Torah, is concerned lest an extra letter find its way into the walking, breathing entity known as Am Yisrael. One extra or missing letter, and the Divine plan may be altered, just as one letter or even part of one letter missing can invalidate a divine book. The Erev Rav did join and march with Am Yisrael, and the Divine plan was changed, but that story is told in other portions. Our lesson for this portion is that many Jews are needed to realize the Divine plan; there are indeed far more that 600,000 Jews and all are vitally necessary for the creation of a whole entity. Indeed, there are 600,000 core souls, which represent the division of labor, the different responsibilities, and ultimately the different aspects of the Divine Spirit contained in each of us uniquely11. Only a merger of these entities will allow the Jewish people to realize their divine mission. The Jewish People as a whole is a reflection of the Torah, which itself is composed of 600,00 individual, independent characters and in turn reflects that aspect of the mind of G-d which He reveals to us12.

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Rashi cites this tradition in his commentary to Shmot 13:18 “One out of five left Egypt while four of five perished during the 3 days of darkness”. The source of this teaching is the Michilata chapter 18. 10 The Midrash specifically associates the sin of the Golden Calf with the Erev Rav: Midrash Rabbah - Exodus XLII:6 “GO, GET THEE DOWN, FOR THY PEOPLE... HATH DEALT CORRUPTLY.It does not say ‘the people’ but THY PEOPLE, whereupon Moses said: ' Lord of the Universe! Whence are they my people? ' God replied: ' They are thy people, for when they were yet still in Egypt, I told thee that I will bring forth My hosts, My people the children of Israel (Ex. VII, 4). Did I not instruct thee not to allow a mixed multitude to be mingled with them; but thou, being meek and righteous, didst answer me, "The penitent must always be accepted." Knowing, however, what they would one day do, I replied: " No," but, nevertheless, I fulfilled thy request, with the result, that it was just these people who made the Calf, being idolaters from of old, and who caused My people to sin.’ For see, it does not say: ' This is our god,’ but ’This is thy god ‘. Why? Because it was the proselytes who went up with Moses [from Egypt] that made the Calf and that said to Israel: ’This is thy god.’ It is for this reason that God said to Moses: GO, GET THEE DOWN, FOR THY PEOPLE... HATH DEALT CORRUPTLY.” 11 The Ariza”l (Shulchan Uruch of the Ariza”l page 49) therefore writes of 600,000 different approaches to the Torah, each legitimate, each based on a different aspect of the Torah. 12 For an expression of the connection between G-d and the Torah see Zohar, Shemoth, Section 2,Page 60b “AND THEY WENT THREE DAYS IN THE WILDERNESS AND FOUND NO WATER. In Scripture “water” stands as a symbol for the Torah: “Ho, every one that thirsts, come to the waters” (Isa. LV, 1). ‘But’, remarked R. Jesse, ‘the time for the giving of the Torah was not yet, and how could they expect to find this “water” there?’ Said R. Eleazar: ‘They went out into the wilderness to see the glory of the Holy One, but could not, for He removed it from there. We learn from this that “water” is the symbol of the Torah, and the Holy One and the Torah are one.”