Hakadosh Baruch Hu says to Moshe: Count Bnei Yisrael by the number of their names – בְּמִסְפַּר שֵׁמוֹת כָּל זָכָר לְגֻלְגְלֹתָם. What is the meaning of “names” (שֵׁמוֹת) here?
To understand what names are, we must first explain what Bnei Yisrael saw. When the angels descended, each angel held a flag. Everyone understands that a flag is not merely a piece of cloth on a stick. The angels did not descend with sticks and fabric – they descended with roles! Each angel descended with a mission!
Michael knows he must do one thing, Gavriel knows he must perform another, and so on. No angel is jealous of another – they are all equal!
The Ramchal writes (Mesilat Yesharim 11:149):
This is what the Navi foretells to us on the future era, that Hakadosh Baruch Hu will first remove this ugly trait from our hearts in order for the good of Israel to be perfect. At that time no one will feel pain in the good of another and also there will be no need for a successful person to conceal himself and his matters due to the jealousy of others. The Navi says: וְסָרָה קִנְאַת אֶפְרַיִם וְצוֹרְרֵי יְהוּדָה יִכָּרֵתוּ אֶפְרַיִם לֹא יְקַנֵּא אֶת יְהוּדָה – And the envy of Ephraim shall cease, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not envy Judah.
This is the peace and contentment among the ministering angels who all rejoice in their service, each in his place, no one feeling any jealousy whatsoever on the other, for they all know the full truth, delighting on the good in their hands and happy with their lot.
Why does an angel rejoice and not envy his fellow? Why are they all beloved, all pure, all mighty, all holy? Why does no one wish to surpass another? It is simple – because it is not their role. Each one knows their role! Each one knows what Hakadosh Baruch Hu has designated for them!
Thus, a flag is a role; each angel knows their role – Raphael’s role is to heal, Michael’s role is to bring good news, Gavriel’s role is to execute the attribute of justice, and so forth. As Yaakov Avinu asked Eisav’s angel: הַגִּידָה נָא שְׁמֶךָ – Tell me, please, your name. And the angel replied: לָמָּה זֶה תִּשְׁאַל לִשְׁמִי – Why do you ask my name? Meaning, “My name changes according to the role given to me.” And if that is the case for angels, it is all the more so for members of Bnei Yisrael.
Chazal teach (Chulin 91b) that Yisrael are even more beloved than the ministering angels, whose praise is limited – either to once a day, once a week, once a month, once a year, once every seven years, once every fifty years, or only once in the entire existence of the angel – while we are permitted to sing praises to Hakadosh Baruch Hu any day and any time.
We can now understand what Bnei Yisrael sought with the flags. They requested: נְרַנְנָה בִּישׁוּעָתֶךָ וּבְשֵׁם אֱלֹהֵינוּ נִדְגֹּל – Ribbono Shel Olam, we are encamped around the Mishkan; this one on the north side, this one on the south side, this one on the east side, this one on the west side. But Ribbono Shel Olam, we want to know our purpose. We want to know our mission in this world!” This was the intention of Bnei Yisrael when they requested “flags”. Hakadosh Baruch Hu responded: יְמַלֵּא ה' כָּל מִשְׁאֲלוֹתֶיךָ – I will give you exactly what you need; each one will receive their flag – their role!”
Therefore, Sefer Bamidbar is called, in the language of Chazal, חוּמַּשׁ הַפְּקוּדִים, from the word תַּפְקִידִים – jobs or roles, as seen in Megillat Esther (וְיַפְקֵד הַמֶּלֶךְ פְּקִידִים) and in Yosef’s guidance to Pharaoh (יַעֲשֶׂה פַרְעֹה וְיַפְקֵד פְּקִידִים עַל הָאָרֶץ).
Chazal say in the Gemara (Chullin 92a): Knesset Yisrael is likened to a grape vine. Its branches are the wealthy balabatim who perform acts of kindness and support the poor; its clusters, which are the essence and purpose of the vine, are the Torah scholars, who are the essence of the nation. Its leaves are the common people; its curls, thin thread-like branches that wrap the vine around its supports, are the empty ones in Bnei Yisrael, meaning those who sin. The Gemara then closes with:
And this is the meaning of the instruction that they sent from there (from Eretz Yisrael to Bavel): Let the clusters of grapes pray for the leaves, as were it not for the leaves, the clusters of grapes would not survive.
The clusters – i.e., those in Bavel – should seek mercy for the leaves – i.e., those in Eretz Yisrael – for without the leaves, the clusters would not endure. Thus, everyone needs to know their role in this world. And with that, we can now approach the great yesod that appears in this week’s Parsha – the special count that Hakadosh Baruch Hu commands Moshe Rabbeinu to conduct.
