“And God spoke to Moshe in the wilderness of Sinai in the Tent of Appointed Meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year from their departure from the land of Egypt, saying, Raise [count] the heads of all the congregation of the children of Israel.” (Bamidbar, 1:1–2) “Raise” signifies importance. By means of counting the numbers of each tribes, every individual will know his special importance. This is as it is written (Hoshea, 2:1), “And the number of the children of Israel will be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or counted.” This verse seems to contradict itself (v. Gemara Yoma, 22b), for at the beginning it says, “and the number,” implying that they can be counted, and at the end it says, “which cannot be measured.” But in truth, the community of Israel as a whole is without number, and what was said, “and the number,” was said concerning the specific souls of Israel, that each one should have a number. This is said in the sense that something that is counted will be important in the eyes of God, as it is written (Tehilim, 87:6–5, Tr. of Hirsch), “God will count when he registers the peoples.” “But of Zion it is said, every man that was born there, the Most High maintains her thus.” “God will count when He registers the peoples” meaning that the Providence of the Holy One, blessed be He, also extends to the nations of the world. Not in an individual way, but in a general way for the maintenance of the species. “But of Zion it is said, every man that was born there, the Most High maintains her thus” means that the Providence of the Holy One, blessed be He, is over each individual soul. This is the meaning of “and the number of the children of Israel,” that each and every one will be absolutely necessary. The greatness of God is seen in the entire community of Israel as a whole, and if just one member of that community is missing then the mixture will be deficient. It is as if the image of the king were made up of a mosaic of many small parts, and if just one of the parts were missing, then the picture of the king would be lacking. So at the time when each member of Israel is counted, then He is the greatness in all of Israel, for each one of Israel is a portion of God. This is as it is written (Devarim, 32:9), “for His nation is a portion of God.” Each individual possesses one of the attributes of the Holy One, blessed be He, and at the time when that individual is counted, then God himself is present in that attribute which he possesses, and clearly whatever is being counted is at that time the greatest of all. This is how each member of Israel has a special state of elevation.
וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי בַּשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית לְצֵאתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לֵאמֹר שְׂאוּ אֶת רֹאשׁ כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. "שְׂאוּ" הוּא לְשׁוֹן הִתְנַשְּׂאוּת הַיְינוּ שֶׁעַל יְדֵי הַמִּנְיָן יִהְיֶה לְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד הִתְנַשְּׂאוּת וְכָל אֶחָד יִהְיֶה מְדוּגָּל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (הושע ב',א') "וְהָיָה מִסְפַּר בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּחוֹל הַיָּם אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִמַּד וְלֹא יִסָּפֵר". וְהַפָּסוּק הַזֶּה נִרְאֶה כְּסוֹתֵר (יומא כ"ב:) כִּי בַּתְּחִילָּה כָּתוּב "וְהָיָה מִסְפַּר", מַשְׁמַע שֶׁיּוּכַל לְהִסָּפֵר וְאַחַר כָּךְ כָּתוּב "אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִמַּד" כוּ'. אַךְ בֶּאֱמֶת כְּלַל יִשְׂרָאֵל הֵם בְּלֹא מִסְפָּר, וּמַה שֶּׁכָּתוּב "וְהָיָה מִסְפַּר" נֶאֱמַר עַל פְּרָטֵי נְפָשׁוֹת מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁיִּהְיֶה כָּל אֶחָד מִסְפָּר, הַיְינוּ דָּבָר שֶׁבְּמִנְיָן וְיִהְיֶה חָשׁוּב בְּעֵינֵי הַש"י, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (תהלים פ"ז,ו') "ה' יִסְפֹּר בִּכְתוֹב עַמִּים. וּלְצִיּוֹן יֵאָמַר אִישׁ וְאִישׁ יֻלַּד בָּהּ". "ה' יִסְפֹּר בִּכְתוֹב עַמִּים" הַיְינוּ כִּי עַל הָאוּמּוֹת גַּם כֵּן מַשְׁגִּיחַ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אַךְ לֹא עַל כָּל נֶפֶשׁ בִּפְרָט רַק עַל כּוּלָּם בִּכְלָל לְקִיּוּם הַמִּין. "וּלְצִיּוֹן יֵאָמַר אִישׁ וְאִישׁ יֻלַּד בָּהּ", הַיְינוּ שֶׁמַּשְׁגִּיחַ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל כָּל נֶפֶשׁ בִּפְרָט. וְזֶה פֵּירוּשׁ "וְהָיָה מִסְפַּר" שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד יִהְיֶה נִצְרָךְ, כִּי מִתּוֹךְ כְּלַל יִשְׂרָאֵל נִיכָּר גְּדוּלוֹת הַש"י וּבְאִם נֶחְסַר אֶחָד מִכְּלַל יִשְׂרָאֵל אָז יֶחְסַר הַמָּזֶג. כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְּצַיְּירִין צוּרַת הַמֶּלֶךְ עַל כַּמָּה אֲלָפִים טַבְלָאוֹת וְאִם יֹאבַד אֶחָד מֵהֶם צוּרַת הַמֶּלֶךְ חֲסֵרָה. וּבְעֵת שֶׁהָיָה נִמְנֶה כָּל אֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל אָז הוּא הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁבְּכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל הֵם חֵלֶק הַש"י, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (דברים ל"ב,ט') "כִּי חֵלֶק ה' עַמּוֹ". וְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד הוּא אָחוּז בְּמִדָּה אַחַת מִמִּדּוֹתָיו שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וּבְעֵת שֶׁהָיָה נִמְנֶה אָז הָיָה הַש"י בְּזֹאת הַמִּדָּה שֶׁהוּא אָחוּז בָּהּ וּמִמֵּילָא הוּא הָיָה הַגָּדוֹל, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה יֵשׁ לְכָל אֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל הִתְנַשְּׂאוּת.
“And God spoke to Moshe in the wilderness of Sinai in the Tent of Appointed Meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year from their departure from the land of Egypt, saying, Raise [count] the heads of all the congregation of the children of Israel.” (Bamidbar, 1:1–2)
“Raise” signifies importance. By means of counting the numbers of each tribes, every individual will know his special importance. This is as it is written (Hoshea, 2:1), “And the number of the children of Israel will be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or counted.” This verse seems to contradict itself (v. Gemara Yoma, 22b), for at the beginning it says, “and the number,” implying that they can be counted, and at the end it says, “which cannot be measured.” But in truth, the community of Israel as a whole is without number, and what was said, “and the number,” was said concerning the specific souls of Israel, that each one should have a number.
This is said in the sense that something that is counted will be important in the eyes of God, as it is written (Tehilim, 87:6–5, Tr. of Hirsch), “God will count when he registers the peoples.” “But of Zion it is said, every man that was born there, the Most High maintains her thus.” “God will count when He registers the peoples” meaning that the Providence of the Holy One, blessed be He, also extends to the nations of the world. Not in an individual way, but in a general way for the maintenance of the species. “But of Zion it is said, every man that was born there, the Most High maintains her thus” means that the Providence of the Holy One, blessed be He, is over each individual soul.
This is the meaning of “and the number of the children of Israel,” that each and every one will be absolutely necessary. The greatness of God is seen in the entire community of Israel as a whole, and if just one member of that community is missing then the mixture will be deficient. It is as if the image of the king were made up of a mosaic of many small parts, and if just one of the parts were missing, then the picture of the king would be lacking. So at the time when each member of Israel is counted, then He is the greatness in all of Israel, for each one of Israel is a portion of God. This is as it is written (Devarim, 32:9), “for His nation is a portion of God.” Each individual possesses one of the attributes of the Holy One, blessed be He, and at the time when that individual is counted, then God himself is present in that attribute which he possesses, and clearly whatever is being counted is at that time the greatest of all. This is how each member of Israel has a special state of elevation.