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Parshat Pinchas 5779
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week's parsha that Bnei Yisrael are counted for the second time in sefer Bamidbar. They are counted first in parshat Bamidbar and now in our parsha. Rashi explains that the first time they are counted is because due to the love Hashem has for Bnei Yisrael, He counts them close to significant events and this counting is soon after the building of the Mishkan. In our parsha, Rashi gives two explanations. One is to check their numbers after the plague resulting from the sin of Ba'al Pe'or, while the other reason he brings is that Moshe counts his flock before giving them over to the next shepherd i.e. Yehoshua. It is because of these two countings that Chazal in the Mishnah in Yoma 68B refer to sefer Bamidbar as "Chumash HaPekudim", the book of counting.
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The Sfas Emes teaches that the first counting at the beginning of their sojourn in the desert corresponds to the Torah, specifically Torah Shebichsav. As Chazal teach in the Medrash Rabbah in the beginning of Bamidbar, the desert is a metaphor for the means with which one needs to receive the Torah. One must make himself hefker like the desert. And the means which Moshe Rabbeinu led Bnei Yisrael in the desert was by giving them a direct connection with Hashem. Their Divine connection was reflected in Moshe bringing the Torah down from the heaven and in his bringing them food down from the heaven.
The significance of counting is to show how important each individual is. And since the first counting in Bamidbar corresponds to their receiving the Torah, it also reflects that each person has his own personal connection to the Torah. As it is brought in the sefarim in the name of the Shelah Hakadosh, the Torah has six hundred thousand letters corresponding to the members of Clal Yisrael, indicating that each person has his own letter and his own portion in Torah.
The counting in our parsha corresponds to Eretz Yisrael, as Rashi explains Moshe counted them before giving them over to Yehoshua who would bring them into Eretz Yisrael. This counting therefore also indicates each person's connection to Eretz Yisrael. Just as each person has a letter in the Torah, each member of Clal Yisrael has four amos in Eretz Yisrael. And in Eretz Yisrael their experience changed from the spiritual existence in the desert of direct connection to Hashem and His Torah, to being involved in the material world and purifying the physical through our connection to Torah Shebe'alpeh.
This explains why sefer Bamidbar is called Chumash HaPekudim. One might ask, just because Bnei Yisrael were counted, why does this define this sefer in Chumash? The answer is that since these two countings express and reflect our unique and personal connection to both Torah and Eretz Yisrael, it properly defines the significance of sefer Bamidbar. Sefer Bamidbar is the transition from Torah Shebichsav to Torah Shebe'alpeh; from the spiritual, Divine existence in the desert to the experience of finding the holy in the mundane in Eretz Yisrael. And we all have a significant role in this process.
When counting Bnei Yisrael, Rashi comments that their names are brought with two letters of Hashem, a "Heh" at the beginning of their name, and a "Yud" at the end of their name. This is brought as a testimony for them as true descendants of their forefathers, the "Shivtei Kah". The Sfas Emes points out that the Gemara in Menachos 29B teaches from the pasuk in sefer Yeshayahu (Chapter 26, Pasuk 4), B'Kah Hashem Tzur Olamim, that Hashem created Olam Hazeh with a "Heh" and Olam Haba with a "Yud". And man himself was created with both aspects (see Rashi and the Medrashim on Bereishis, Chapter 2, Pasuk 7). Therefore, when counting Bnei Yiisrael, the two letters of "Yud" and "Heh" express the unique ability of Bnei Yisrael to live both the idyllic, spiritual life of the desert, Olam Haba, and the mundane life of finding the holiness of Eretz Yisrael, Olam Hazeh. And these two experiences of Bnei Yisrael come together in sefer HaPekudim.
Good Shabbos
When counting Bnei Yisrael, Rashi comments that their names are brought with two letters of Hashem, a "Heh" at the beginning of their name, and a "Yud" at the end of their name. This is brought as a testimony for them as true descendants of their forefathers, the "Shivtei Kah". The Sfas Emes points out that the Gemara in Menachos 29B teaches from the pasuk in sefer Yeshayahu (Chapter 26, Pasuk 4), B'Kah Hashem Tzur Olamim, that Hashem created Olam Hazeh with a "Heh" and Olam Haba with a "Yud". And man himself was created with both aspects (see Rashi and the Medrashim on Bereishis, Chapter 2, Pasuk 7). Therefore, when counting Bnei Yiisrael, the two letters of "Yud" and "Heh" express the unique ability of Bnei Yisrael to live both the idyllic, spiritual life of the desert, Olam Haba, and the mundane life of finding the holiness of Eretz Yisrael, Olam Hazeh. And these two experiences of Bnei Yisrael come together in sefer HaPekudim.
Good Shabbos
