Ilustration Credit: Elad Lifshitz, Dov Abramson Studio
Midrash מִדְרָשׁ
שְׂא֗וּ אֶת־רֹאשׁ֙ כׇּל־עֲדַ֣ת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם לְבֵ֣ית אֲבֹתָ֑ם בְּמִסְפַּ֣ר שֵׁמ֔וֹת כׇּל־זָכָ֖ר לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָֽם׃
Take a census of the community of Benei Yisrael, each family and house, in the number of names of every male, head by head.
What does that word לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָם (legulgelotam, head by head) mean? What does it add here?
וּבְמִדְבַּר סִינַי רַבָּה רָאִיתִי כָּךְ "בְּמִסְפַּר שֵׁמוֹת לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָם": אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לִמְנוֹתָם בְּכָבוֹד וּבִגְדוּלָּה לְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד.
לֹא תִּהְיֶה אוֹמֵר לְרֹאשׁ הַמִּשְׁפָּחָה, "כַּמָּה בְּמִשְׁפַּחְתְּךָ? כַּמָּה בָּנִים יֵשׁ לְךָ?"
אֶלָּא כּוּלְּהוֹן יְהוֹן עוֹבְרִים לְפָנֶיךָ בְּאֵימָה וּבְכָבוֹד וְאַתָּה מוֹנֶה אוֹתָם.
I saw a midrash on “in the number of names, head by head.” The Holy One told Moshe to count everyone with respect, treating each person as a great person.
Don’t say to the head of each family, “How many people are there in your family? How many children do you have?”
Instead, each person should pass before you [Moshe] with awe and respect, and you shall count them.
- Are you ever known by one of your family members? For example, people might say, “You’re Shahar’s younger sibling!” or, “That’s Avi’s child?” Do you like it?
- According to this midrash, the pasuk means that Moshe individually met and spoke to each person being counted. This wasn’t the most efficient way to take a census. What could have been the advantages of doing it this way?
- Can you act out how you might have felt if you were part of Benei Yisrael in the wilderness, and it was your chance to meet Moshe? What would you say?
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