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Be Counted, Be Uplifted!

Parshas Bamidbar/ Preparation for Shavuos

Harav Hagaon Shmuel Friedman shlita

Next week, b’ezras Hashem, is the Yom Tov of Shavuos. Every Yom Tov needs hachanah, especially the Yom Tov of Shavuos, for which the Torah gave us a special mitzvah to prepare ourselves: the mitzvah of Sefiras HaOmer, to count fifty days, seven weeks. The kadmonim and the Menoras HaMaor explain that this is why the Yom Tov of Shavuos is not named for a particular event that happened on that day, and is not attached to a specific date on the calendar. The name “Shavuos” reflects the counting of the seven weeks during which we prepare ourselves for Matan Torah, and at the end of those weeks, we have the Yom Tov of Shavuos.

Chazal gave us different ways to prepare ourselves, to be mis’chazek, to inspire ourselves for the Yom Tov of Matan Torah. The Gemara states (Megillah 31):

עזרא תיקן להן לישראל שיהו קורין קללות שבתורת כהנים קודם עצרת, ושבמשנה תורה קודם ראש השנה. מאי טעמא? אמר אביי ואיתימא ריש לקיש: כדי שתכלה השנה וקללותיה.

Ezra instituted that we should read Parshas Bechukosai before the Yom Tov of Shavuos so that we should end the year along with its klalos before starting the new year, the new year referring to that of fruits of the trees, for which the Ribbono Shel Olam issues a judgment on Shavuos. Tosafos there adds that in order to separate between the klalos of Parshas Bechukosai and the Yom Tov of Shavuos, we also have to read Parshas Bamidbar before Shavuos. The Tur notes that there’s a siman for this: מנו ועצרו — first count (which is done in Parshas Bamidbar), and then celebrate Atzeres, which is Shavuos.

There is a specific inyan, then, to read Parshas Bamidbar before Shavuos. This is not just a symbolic remez, however, as we will explain.

Every Person is Necessary

Parshas Bamidbar discusses the counting of Klal Yisrael, and is, in fact, called “Chumash HaPekudim.”

The passuk at the beginning of this parshah states: שְׂאוּ אֶת רֹאשׁ כׇּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם בְּמִסְפַּר שֵׁמוֹת כׇּל זָכָר לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָם. Rashi explains that out of Hakadosh Baruch Hu’s love for Klal Yisrael, He counts them at all times. Just as a person who has a collection of precious stones and pearls values and looks at each one separately, and does not merely count them all collectively, Hakadosh Baruch Hu sees the chashivus of each individual, for no one is similar to any other. Rashi expresses a similar idea in Shemos, where he writes: להודיע חבתן שנמשלו לכוכבים שמוציאן ומכניסן במספר ובשמותם.

Klal Yisrael are compared to the stars in the sense that no star is identical to any other; each has a different name, a different purpose, a different function. Although, as we know, counting Klal Yisrael is problematic and can be dangerous, here, Moshe, Aharon, and the Nesi’im were commanded to count Klal Yisrael not for the purpose of arriving at a total number, but for the purpose of highlight Klal Yisrael’s chashivus. Indeed, the Ramban notes that the term שְׂאוּ, used here to mean “count,” is an expression of greatness. The Rambam explains that the idea of the counting was to uplift a person and spur him to recognize his own greatness.

The Gemara (Sotah 13) relates that after Moshe Rabbeinu was niftar, Hashem eulogized him and called him “safra rabba d’Yisrael.” On the simple level, this title can be understood as a praise of Moshe for having written thirteen sifrei Torah on the day he passed away. But the Maharsha explains that this title was conferred upon him because he counted Klal Yisrael twice. Clearly, this counting was considered a major achievement.

Furthermore, the Nesi’im had to be present for the counting. What did their presence contribute? In addition, in next week’s parshah, when the Torah enumerates the korbanos of the Nesi’im, it refers to them as the ones who stood at the counting: הֵם הָעֹמְדִים עַל הַפְּקֻדִים. That was their chashivus. This, too, indicates how important the counting was.

What does this mean for us in our preparation for Shavuos?

The Gemara teaches (Berachos 58a):

הרואה אוכלוסי ישראל אומר: ברוך חכם הרזים. שאין דעתם דומה זה לזה, ואין פרצופיהן דומים זה לזה.

If a person sees a large gathering of Klal Yisrael, he recites, “Baruch Chacham Harazim,” meaning that Hashem sees all the different thoughts of people, who have different views, and look different, and think differently. Ben Zoma, the Gemara continues, would recite this blessing when he saw all of Klal Yisrael standing on Har Habayis.

But what is the meaning of this berachah? I would think that when seeing a large crowd of Yidden, we should make a berachah that focuses on the unity of Klal Yisrael. Why “Chacham Harazim”?

The Maharsha explains that this berachah is referring to the 600,000 varying dei’os in Klal Yisrael, which correspond to all the dei’os with which the Torah was given. The Torah was originally given to 600,000 individuals because the Torah encompasses all possible dei’os and forms of wisdom. Even the divrei Torah that a scholar would eventually be mechadesh were included in the original Mattan Torah, for everything was given at Har Sinai, as part of the 600,000 dei’os transmitted at that time.

The Toras Chaim, on Bava Metzia, says something similar regarding the passuk in Va’eschanan, אֶת הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה דִּבֶּר ה’ אֶל כׇּל קְהַלְכֶם בָּהָר מִתּוֹךְ הָאֵשׁ הֶעָנָן וְהָעֲרָפֶל קוֹל גָּדוֹל וְלֹא יָסָף, which informs us that at Mattan Torah Hashem spoke in a great voice that did not stop. According to one opinion, this means that Hashem’s voice never ceased, and this is referring to what a future scholar would be mechadesh, which never stops. Even though nevuah did stop at one point, the chachamim still have a form of nevuah, for each time a person says a chiddush in Torah, it’s a manifestation of one of the dei’os that was transmitted at Ma’amad Har Sinai. This is reflected in the present-tense wording of the berachah נותן התורה, as opposed to נתן התורה, in the past. Similarly, the passuk says, מַגִּיד דְּבָרָו לְיַעֲקֹב, in the present tense — not הִגִּיד דְּבָרָו לְיַעֲקֹב.

The Midrash Rabbah also teaches, in Parshas Vayeitzei, that if even one member of Klal Yisrael had been missing at Ma’amad Har Sinai, the Torah could not have been given, for the number 600,000 represents the exact tally of people who were needed for giving the Torah. When Hashem cautioned Klal Yisrael, before Mattan Torah, not to ascend the mountain, He warned that if they would, וְנָפַל מִמֶּנּוּ רָב. Simply understood, this means many people would fall, but Rashi says it means even one person. Clearly, at Mattan Torah, every individual is considered significant: רָב. Without each person, we would not have been able to receive the Torah.

We see, then, the chashivus of the counting that preceded Mattan Torah, and we can now understand why we have to read about this counting before Shavuos.

Be Happy With Your Cheilek

We can also understand this on a deeper level.

The Sefer Menuchah U’Kedushah cites the Vilna Gaon as teaching that a person has to be samei’ach b’chelko even in ruchniyus. The Arizal is quoted as saying this as well. But what does this mean? The Gemara (Berachos 50a) teaches that the passuk הַרְחֶב פִּיךָ וַאֲמַלְאֵהוּ is referring to divrei Torah, meaning that a person should have great spiritual aspirations and not content himself with the minimum. How, then, can we say that a person should be samei’ach b’chelko in ruchniyus? If he manages to learn for an hour, should he say, “I’m good,” and be content with that?

To answer this question, let us consider the Gemara’s statement (Niddah 30b) that before a child is born, a malach comes and teaches him the entire Torah, but then, right before his birth, the malach taps him on the mouth and makes him forget what he learned.

The Sefer Maalos HaTorah, written by the brother of the Gaon, as well as the Sefer Chochmas Betzalel, citing the Gaon, ask, what is the use of teaching a child the entire Torah before he is born only to have him forget everything?

The Gaon and the Alshich explain that when the neshamos of Klal Yisrael all stood at Har Sinai, each one received his specific cheilek in Torah. This is reflected in Chazal’s statement יגעתי ומצאתי תאמן. The term מצאתי, which connotes something that was found after being lost, refers to the person’s cheilek in Torah, which he “finds” after having “lost” it just before birth. Had he not been taught the Torah in his mother’s womb, he could not have “found” it, through his own toil, later on.

When we work to understanding the Torah we learn, and are able to say a chiddush after investing that effort and thought, we are retrieving the cheilek of Torah that was once taught to us. When Chazal say that the child in the womb is taught the entire Torah, they are expressing that the child is taught his neshamah’s unique cheilek in Torah.

The Sefer Chochmas Betzalel adds that the Gaon said that before we are born, we are taught this cheilek of Torah because Torah is so kadosh and lofty that after a person is born it is very difficult for him to grasp it, both because he is living in this physical world, and also because he has been sullied by cheit. Therefore, for a person to attain his cheilek in Torah during his lifetime, he has to be taught it before his birth.

The Midrash, in Shir HaShirim, compares a person who learns Torah to someone who loses a coin in his house and kindles many lights in order to try to find it. The Eitz Yosef there wonders how this mashal corresponds to the nimshal: The Torah is not lost, so what is this person looking for? He explains that the person is going back to the Torah that was taught to him before he was born.

We express this idea when we say, ותן חלקנו בתורתך — grant us our personal cheilek in Torah.

Through a person’s hard work and toil, he acquires that cheilek, as a metziah that he found after losing it. It’s his cheilek that belongs to him alone.

We can now appreciate another dimension of what it means that every member of Klal Yisrael was required for Kabbalas HaTorah. Each individual has his unique cheilek in Torah that only he can attain, through his yegiah.

The idea that each of us “owns” a part of Torah that is uniquely ours is a tremendous chizuk for us. And this, we can suggest, is the cheilek the Gaon referred to when he taught that a person should be samei’ach b’chelko. A person should certainly aspire to learn as much as possible, but when he finds the cheilek that is personal to him, that should fill him with joy!

The Chasam Sofer writes, in fact, that the basis for the minhag to place branches of non-fruit-bearing trees in shul on Shavuos is that Chazal say that in the future, even those trees will produce fruit. So, too, even an am ha’aretz will be able to attain his cheilek in Torah.

Each year, we experience a new giving of the Torah on Shavuos. Technically, receiving it once at Maamad Har Sinai should have sufficed, so why is it given to us every year anew?

Every year, we receive new keilim to acquire our cheilek of Torah — to understand and connect to the Torah in the specific circumstances we find ourselves in this year, both individually and globally. With this new Kabbalas HaTorah, Hashem is giving us the opportunity and the kochos to succeed, in precisely the situation we are in, regardless of our earlier circumstances.

With this counting of Parshas Bamidbar — מנו ועצרו — before Mattan Torah, we are being informed of how beloved we are, and how each of us has a specific mission and a unique place in Torah.

Indeed, at Mattan Torah, the heavens opened and Klal Yisrael saw legions of malachim organized by flags, and they, too, wanted that. In other words, they saw that although each malach has its own, separate shlichus, they stand together, united, without envy, performing their avodah before Hakadosh Baruch Hu. We, too, should be zocheh to this b’ezras Hashem.

Gut Shabbos and gut Yom Tov.

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