Thought of the week:
Never forget that Hashem created you to be unique – just like everyone else.
“Hashem spoke to Moshe in the Wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting, on the first [day] of the second month from the Exodus from Egypt saying.” (Bamidbar 1:1)
The book of Bamidbar begins with the command to count the Jews. Rashi comments, already on the first verse, that because Hashem loves us so much, He is constantly counting us. Rashi further comments that when Hashem wanted to rest His countenance upon us, he counted us the third time.
The Mishkan was erected on the 1st of Nisan, so on the 1st of Iyar He counted us. If you ask that this is not “at the time” Hashem placed His Shechina upon us, we can explain that one is not considered a permanent resident in a city until thirty days has passed. Therefore, now that Hashem’s presence was becoming “permanent,” it was time to count us.
There may also be another level of explanation here for us to examine and learn from. The Mishkan had been erected with great fanfare. The Princes had brought their offerings for nearly two weeks, and the Mishkan was inaugurated with much pomp, circumstance, and joy. Now that this was settling down, though, and things got into a routine, there was the risk that some would feel disenfranchised.
Though everyone had contributed to the Mishkan to the best of their ability, they didn’t all bring the same things. It’s possible that once the initial excitement wore off, people who had not brought the most precious things could feel they were not as involved or responsible for the Mishkan as some others. They might look at their contributions and feel they were less important than those of others. They might even feel the Mishkan belonged to others more than themselves.
For this reason, Hashem said to Moshe, “Count the Jews.” Hashem wanted every person to recognize that they are precious for their individual contribution to the world, which is different than anyone else’s. We are each on our own track in our journey to come close to Hashem and we cannot objectively compare our successes to those of others.
Indeed, Hashem counts us at every moment, collectively but also individually. He loves us for who we are, and the uniqueness we possess. He doesn’t compare us to others and find us wanting. This message had to be conveyed, and so it was done at a time when people could have begun feeling they didn’t matter, so we always remember how special and precious we are to Hashem.
A king gave three men each a plot of land and told them to plant it and report back to him at the end of the season. The first man came to report that he had produced thirty bushels of wheat. The king was pleased and gave him a bag of gold. The second man, who had produced fifty bushels of wheat, was eagerly awaiting the king’s response. To his shock, the king gave him a tongue-lashing about being lazy. But what happened next truly boggled his mind. The third fellow quietly admitted that he had only produced fifteen bushels of wheat. This time the king ran over and hugged him, then gave him a very large award. The middle farmer cried foul. “I don’t understand,” he said, “I produced more wheat than either of them yet you castigated me and rewarded them?!” “It’s quite simple,” replied the monarch. “The first man’s field was expected to produce thirty bushels. He worked responsibly and it did so. Your field was so fertile that it should have produced one hundred bushels, yet you produced only fifty, proof that you did not put your heart into doing my will. But,” said the king, “the third fellow’s field should only have produced ten bushels. If he produced fifteen, that means he went above and beyond simply because I asked. THAT is why he stands out.”
©2025 – J. Gewirtz
