(Numb. 1:1) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses in the Sinai desert.” What did He say to him (in vs. 2)?37Numb. R. 1:9. “Take a census (literally: raise [rt.: ns'] the head) of the whole congregation of the Children of Israel….” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, ‘I have not cherished [any] creation more than you; therefore I have given you a head held high and have likened you to Me. Thus just as I have a head held higher than all that come into the world, as stated (in I Chron. 29:11), ‘To you, O Lord, belong the greatness, the might, the splendor, the triumph, and the majesty; for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is Yours; [Yours] is the kingdom, O Lord, and [You] are exalted (rt.: ns') as head over all’; so I have also done for you, for you to have a head held high.” It was therefore stated (in Numb. 1:1), “Raise (rt.: ns') the head.” [This exaltation was] to fulfill what is stated (in Ps. 148:14), “He has raised up a horn for His people, praise for all His saints, even the Children of Israel, a people near to Him. Hallelujah.” And so it says (in Deut. 28:1), “and the Lord your God will set you high over all the nations of the earth.”
וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי. מָה אָמַר לֵיהּ: שְׂאוּ אֶת רֹאשׁ כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, לֹא חִבַּבְתִּי אֻמָּה יוֹתֵר מִכֶּם, לְכָךְ נָתַתִּי לָכֶם תִּלּוּי רֹאשׁ, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאֲנִי יֵשׁ לִי תִּלּוּי רֹאשׁ עַל כָּל בָּאֵי עוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: לְךָ ה' הַגְּדֻלָּה וְהַגְּבוּרָה וְהַתִּפְאֶרֶת וְהַנֶּצַח וְהַהוֹד כִּי כָל בַּשָּׂמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ, לְךָ ה' הַמַּמְלָכָה וְהַמִּתְנַשֵּׂא לְכָל לְרֹאשׁ (דה״א כט, יא). לְפִיכָךְ נָתַתִּי לָכֶם תִּלּוּי רֹאשׁ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: שְׂאוּ אֶת רֹאשׁ, לְקַיֵּם מַה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְיָרֶם קֶרֶן לְעַמּוֹ תְּהִלָּה לְכָל חֲסִידָיו לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עַם קְרוֹבוֹ הַלְלוּיָהּ (תהלים קמח, יד). וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר, וּנְתָנְךָ ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ עֶלְיוֹן עַל כָּל גּוֹיֵי הָאָרֶץ (דברים כח, א).
(Numb. 1:1) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses in the Sinai desert.” What did He say to him (in vs. 2)?37Numb. R. 1:9. “Take a census (literally: raise [rt.: ns'] the head) of the whole congregation of the Children of Israel….” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, ‘I have not cherished [any] creation more than you; therefore I have given you a head held high and have likened you to Me. Thus just as I have a head held higher than all that come into the world, as stated (in I Chron. 29:11), ‘To you, O Lord, belong the greatness, the might, the splendor, the triumph, and the majesty; for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is Yours; [Yours] is the kingdom, O Lord, and [You] are exalted (rt.: ns') as head over all’; so I have also done for you, for you to have a head held high.” It was therefore stated (in Numb. 1:1), “Raise (rt.: ns') the head.” [This exaltation was] to fulfill what is stated (in Ps. 148:14), “He has raised up a horn for His people, praise for all His saints, even the Children of Israel, a people near to Him. Hallelujah.” And so it says (in Deut. 28:1), “and the Lord your God will set you high over all the nations of the earth.”