שְׂא֗ וּ אֶת־ר ֹאשׁ֙ כׇּל־עֲד ַ֣ת בְׂנ ֵֽי־יִשְׂרָא ֵ֔ ל לְׂמִשְׂפְׂחֹתָָ֖ם לְׂב ַ֣ית אֲבֹתָָ֑ ם בְׂמִסְׂפ ַ֣ר ש מֵ֔ וֹת כׇּל־זָכָָ֖ר לְׂגֻלְׂגְׂלֹתֵָֽ ם׃ ... וְׂאִתְׂכֶַ֣ם יִהְׂיֵ֔וּ אִִ֥יש אִָ֖יש ל מ טֶָ֑ה אִִ֛יש ר ִֹ֥ אש לְׂב ית־אֲבֹתָָ֖יו הֵֽ וּא׃
"Count the entire congregation of Bnei Yisrael by their families, to its ancestral houses, listing the names, every male, head by head... Together with you shall be a participant from each tribe, each one the head of his ancestral house".
There are many words in Lashon Hakodesh for counting. Why does the verse employ the cryptic term “lift up the heads of the Jewish people”? And what is the lesson to us from this command to Moshe and Aharon to count Bnei Yisrael?
Hashem’s directive to Moshe and Aharon, is a perpetual command to the leaders and Tzaddikim of Klal Yisroel, to lift up the Jewish people and elevate them. This is why the counting is described as “lift up the heads”.
The words ואתכם יהיו “with you shall be ...” can be read as saying “they shall be with you”. Since the Tzaddikim have the power and responsibility to spiritually uplift the Jewish people, Hashem tells them that Bnei Yisrael shall be with you - that you must reach out to all of the Jewish people and draw them close.
איש איש למטה can be read as “every man who is lowly” (למטה). Hashem is telling the Tzaddikim that even if they see a Jew who appears to be on the lowest spiritual level, they are obligated to reach out and draw them closer as well.
Why is this? Because איש ראש לבית אבותיו הוא - each man is a “head” and belongs to “their fathers’ house”. Every Neshama, comes from the loftiest heights. And every Jew is a descendant belonging to the “house of the Avos” Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov.
