Answering the questions
The above sheds light on the reason that the third counting of Israel, mentioned in our parsha, was on the first day of the month of Iyar—a month after the construction of the Mishkan—as well providing insight as to the purpose of Aharon participating in this count, although he did not participate in other counting’s.
The difference between the month of Nisan and Iyar is as follows:
Nisan is the month of the exodus from Egypt and is expressive of the way that G-d relates to the Jewish people without their own effort. Iyar, on the other hand, is the month in which every day contains the mitzvah of the counting the Omer—expressive of the way that the Jewish people refine themselves on their own accord.
Similarly, Moshe was considered the one who drew G-dliness down to the Jewish people, while Aharon was the one that drew the Jewish people towards G-d.
It was because this last accounting of the Jewish people was for the purpose revealing the spark of G-dliness in a manner that permeated their very being, (and not only in a way that was superimposed on their identity) did this reckoning need to be performed through both Moshe and Aharon.
It is also for this very reason that this counting was conducted in the month of Iyar—a month that focuses on personal growth. This aspect as well expressed, that the intent of the third accounting was to affect the Jewish people in a manner that permeated their very identity.
The giving of the Torah
This same concept is also the connection between the parsha of Bamidbar and the giving of the Torah.
By the giving of the Torah, there were two things that were affected: the lowering of the supernal to the mundane, and the ability for the mundane to lift itself to the supernal.
As a preface to this unification of G-d and the Jewish people in these two manners, we read about the counting of the Jewish people, which was to affect the unification of G-dliness in the complete identity of the Jewish people.
This was as well a prelude to the giving of the Torah, where through Torah, G-d and the Jewish people were united as one.
(Based on Likutei Sichos 8, Bamidbar 1, reworked by Rabbi Dovid Markel. To see other projects and to partner in our work, see: www.Neirot.com.)
