BS"D
YESHIVAT HARA'AYON HAYEHUDI
Jerusalem, Israel
HaRav Yehuda Kreuser SHLIT"A, Rosh Yeshiva
PARSHAT BAMIDBAR
26 Iyar 5768/30-31 May 2008
THE NUMBER GAME
“Take a census of the entire assembly of the Children of Israel
according to their families, according to their father’s house by number of
the names, every male according to their head count.”
If numbers told the whole story, then surely the Jewish people would
have ceased to exist a long time ago. The Jewish people have survived many
years of exile, not because we were the mightiest or the most numerous;
rather, quite the opposite. G-d said: “You are the fewest among the nations”.
But - the “Shepherd” has been watching over His herd.
The Talmud relates to us the discussion between the rabbi and the Roman
who told him: Great is the sheep who survives the hungry wolves. Answered
the Rabbi: Great is the Shepherd who watches over His sheep. Without a
doubt, without Hashem’s special guidance over us, we would have gone the way
of oblivion, as many nations have.
It is this great love that Hashem has for His people, that has kept us
going time and again. We learn in the Midrash:
G-d said to Moses: All the nations are insignificant, as it says, “the
people shall be like burning lyme, like cut thorns burnt in the fire” - and
you are fair, My love, therefore keep an exact tally.
So great is G-d’s love and bond to us, that it is unchanging, with a
everlasting hold, as the Tanchuma teaches us: “Rabbi Yehuda said in the
name of Rabbi Shumuel: There was a king who had many silk garments and he
commanded someone, saying, take a look at this silk garment which I cherish
above all silk garments in the world. Just so, Hashem said to Moses, take a
look at Israel who cling to Me, they crowned Me King of the universe and
said the L-rd will reign forever and ever, and out of My great love for
them, I descended from heaven to earth and I dwelt within goatskin
curtains.”
While the other nations were questioning Hashem’s Torah about what’s
written inside, when He tried to offer it to them, the Jewish people were
the only ones who quickly accepted, with no questions asked. For this
reason, Hashem counts us time and time again: “Take the sum of all the
congregation of Israel”. G-d said to Israel: I love no other nation more
than I love you.
This is the secret of the eternal Jew, for one who realizes this great
bond and love between Hashem and the Jewish people cannot help but shout out
for joy. If one would dwell on this great affection that the Master of the
world has for His people, he would not be able to stop singing and dancing
and praising Hashem day and night. A mere drop in the bucket of the world’s
population of some 7 billion people, still, the Jew is in the limelight
daily. For the precious few will bring Hashem’s light thoughout His world.
With love of Israel,
Levi Chazen
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Topic: PARSHAT BAMIDBAR - THE NUMBER GAME (Read 1997 times)