Parashat Bamidbar
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The Census of Israel Passages
The Census of Israel Passages
So Moses and Aaron took these men designated by name.
So Moses and Aaron took these men designated by name. They assembled all the community on the first day of the second month. They declared their lineage according to their families, the households of their forefathers, with the number of the names of those 20 years old and upward being listed individually. Moses numbered Israel in the wilderness of Sinai just as Adonai had commanded him.
The Census from Israel of men 20 years old and up
- Reuben
those counted from the tribe of Reuben were 46,500.
- Simeon
they counted from the tribe of Simeon 59,300.
- Gad
those counted from the tribe of Gad were 45,650.
- Judah
those counted from the tribe of Judah were 74,600.
- Issachar
those counted from the tribe of Issachar were 54,400.
- Zebulun
those counted from the tribe of Zebulun were 57,400.
-Ephraim 1/2 tribe
those numbered from the tribe of Ephraim were 40,500.
- Manasseh 1/2 tribe
From the sons of Manasseh (their generations according to their families, their ancestral households, by number of the names of those 20 years old and upward going out with the army),
those counted from the tribe of Manasseh were 32,200.
- Benjamin
those numbered from the tribe of Benjamin were 35,400.
- Dan
those numbered from the tribe of Dan were 62,700.
- Asher
those counted from the tribe of Asher were 41,500.
- Naphtali
those counted from the tribe of Naphtali were 53,400.
- Levi Not Counted
The Levites, however, were not counted by the tribe of their ancestors,
The Levites, however, were not counted by the tribe of their ancestors, for Adonai told Moses saying, “Definitely you are not to number the tribe of Levi, nor take the sum of them among Bnei-Yisrael. Instead, you are to appoint the Levites over the Tabernacle of the Testimony, over all its implements and all pertaining to it. They are to carry the Tabernacle and all its utensils, tend to it and camp around it.
These were the ones numbered—Moses, Aaron and the princes of Israel counted them. Each of the twelve men represented his ancestral house. So all those counted from Bnei-Yisrael, according to their ancestral houses, from 20 years old and up—all able to go out with the army in Israel— all those who were counted totaled 603,550.
The Camp of Israel Passages
The Camp of Israel Passages
To the East is Judah with Issacher, Zebulun (Num 2:5-9)
Those camping on the east—toward the sunrise—will be of the standard of Judah, according to their divisions. Nachshon son of Amminadab, is the prince of the sons of Judah. His division, by their number, is 74,600.
- Reuben is on the South: with Simeon, Gad (
The standard of the camp of Reuben shall be on the south side, by their divisions. The prince of the sons of Reuben is Elizur son of Shedeur.
- Levi is in the middle of the camp
Then the Tent of Meeting will move out with the camp of the Levites, which is in the middle of the camps—just as they were in camp, each person in his own place under his own appropriate standard.
- Ephraim is to the West: with Manasseh and Gad ()
On the west will be the standard of the camp of Ephraim, by their divisions. The prince of the sons of Ephraim is Elishama son of Ammihud.
- Dan is North: with Asher and Naphtali ()
The standard of the camp of Dan shall be on the north, according to their divisions. The prince of the sons of Dan is Ahiezer, son of Ammishaddai.
Levi is not Counted in the Arrangement of the Count ()
These are the numbers of Bnei-Yisrael, in accordance with their ancestral households. All those counted according to their divisions are 603,550.
However, the Levites were not counted among Bnei-Yisrael, just as Adonai commanded Moses. So Bnei-Yisrael acted in accordance with all that Adonai had commanded Moses.
Thus they camped by their standards and set out, each man according to their families and their ancestral houses.
The Census of Levi Passage
The Census of Levi Passage
- The Total Count for Levi
Those camping in front of the Tent of Meeting, on the east, toward the sunrise, were Moses, Aaron, and his sons. They were to care for the Sanctuary on behalf of Bnei-Yisrael. But anyone unauthorized who approached had to be executed.
All the Levites counted by Moses and Aaron at the word of Adonai, by their families, inclusive of every male one month old and upward, were 22,000.
- The Redemption of Firstborn
So Moses counted all the firstborn of Bnei-Yisrael as Adonai commanded him. The sum total of the firstborn males of Bnei-Yisrael, one month old and upward, listed by name, was 22,273.
Again Adonai spoke to Moses saying, “Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Bnei-Yisrael, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites will be Mine. I am Adonai. To redeem the 273 firstborn of Bnei-Yisrael exceeding the number of the Levites, you are to collect five shekels for each, based on the shekel of the Sanctuary, which is 20 gerahs.
The Warning and Responsibility of Proper Delegation Passages
The Warning and Responsibility of Proper Delegation Passages
So Moses and Aaron took these men designated by name. They assembled all the community on the first day of the second month. They declared their lineage according to their families, the households of their forefathers, with the number of the names of those 20 years old and upward being listed individually. Moses numbered Israel in the wilderness of Sinai just as Adonai had commanded him.
The sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn (their generations, their families, by their ancestral households, according to the count of their names, every male from 20 years and upward, all available for the army),
Adonai spoke to Moses and Aaron saying, “You are not to let the families of the tribe of the Kohathites be cut off from among the Levites. Do this for them so that they may live and not die whenever they approach the most holy items—Aaron and his sons are to go into the Sanctuary and assign each man his job and his responsibility. But the Kohathites are not to go in to look at what is holy, not even momentarily, or they will die.”
“Yet despite the fact that the Levites are an eminent family in Israel, a family dedicated to God’s service and solely responsible for carrying the sacred vessels, they are forbidden to witness the “covering of the sacred.” Only a small group of Priests is permitted to cover the sacred objects; anyone else who does so puts himself in mortal danger.” - Excerpt From: Adin Steinsaltz. “Talks on the Parasha.” iBooks. https://itun.es/us/BsmT9.l - See
Whenever the camp is about to move out, Aaron and his sons are to take down the shielding curtain and cover the Ark of the Testimony with it.
“The very heart of the difficulty, the most dangerous stage, is of course at the point of transition, and that is why the sacred vessels must be covered when the Levites come to take them: “They will then not come and see the sacred objects being covered, and they will not die.” Only the Priests, who are God’s actual servants, and not servants of servants, may enter within, and they alone have the authority and permission to go in and cover the sacred. Others lack the authority and permission to do so; for them, such an act is fraught with danger. A Levite may not watch the Priest draw near and wrap the vessels in cloth. The concern is that he will not be able to bear the difficulty of the scene, and therefore he may not be present at this stage. Only after the covers have been placed upon the sacred vessels may the Levites draw near and carry them.” - Excerpt From: Adin Steinsaltz. “Talks on the Parasha.” iBooks. https://itun.es/us/BsmT9.l
“But what happens when one has to dismantle the sacred? How does one switch from the stage where everything is sanctified to the stage where the sacred must be carried on one’s shoulder?” - Excerpt From: Adin Steinsaltz. “Talks on the Parasha.” iBooks. https://itun.es/us/BsmT9.l
Excerpt From: Adin Steinsaltz. “Talks on the Parasha.” iBooks. https://itun.es/us/BsmT9.l
Excerpt From: Adin Steinsaltz. “Talks on the Parasha.” iBooks. https://itun.es/us/BsmT9.l
“In this parasha we have, in effect, a general acknowledgment that not every mind can bear. Not everyone can deal with the fact that what was once sacred is now voided of its sanctity; that something that could not be seen or touched or related to is now freely handled by the Levites.” - Excerpt From: Adin Steinsaltz. “Talks on the Parasha.” iBooks. https://itun.es/us/BsmT9.l
“The study of Talmud and Torah study in general is essentially a matter of breaking things down into their composite parts.” - Excerpt From: Adin Steinsaltz. “Talks on the Parasha.” iBooks. https://itun.es/us/BsmT9.l
Excerpt From: Adin Steinsaltz. “Talks on the Parasha.” iBooks. https://itun.es/us/BsmT9.l
“As we see in the parasha, not everyone can bear the process of dismantling the sacred.” - Excerpt From: Adin Steinsaltz. “Talks on the Parasha.” iBooks. https://itun.es/us/BsmT9.l
I would add unto this that not everyone can bear the process of decision making especially regarding change.
Excerpt From: Adin Steinsaltz. “Talks on the Parasha.” iBooks. https://itun.es/us/BsmT9.l
“The ordinary person’s problem is not that he is unable to take the Tabernacle apart and break it down, but that he cannot always reassemble it.” - Excerpt From: Adin Steinsaltz. “Talks on the Parasha.” iBooks. https://itun.es/us/BsmT9.l
Excerpt From: Adin Steinsaltz. “Talks on the Parasha.” iBooks. https://itun.es/us/BsmT9.l