• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

BKLA - Beis Knesses Los Angeles

Not Just a Shul

  • About
    • Rabbi Shoff
      • Rabbi Shoff’s Classes
  • Schedule
    • Events-Current
  • Torah
    • Current Parsha
    • Previous & Next Parshas
    • Oneg – PDFs
    • Paradise – Sefer Bereshis
      • Paradise: Bereishis — Redheads Aren’t Always Evil
      • Paradise: Noah — Killing the Giant
      • Paradise: Lech Lecha — Chase ’em to Damascus!
      • Paradise: Vayera – Wash Your Feet
      • Paradise: Chayei Sarah – Magical Stones, the Omer, and the Elderly
      • Paradise: Toldos – Married with Children
      • Paradise: Vayetze – Names and Souls
      • Paradise: Vayishlach – Your Money is Your Life
      • Paradise: Vayeshev – Wearing Nothing but a Crown
      • Paradise: Miketz – The Light of Darkness
      • Paradise: Vayigash – Lions and Moshiach
      • Paradise: Vayechi — Frogs and the Shema
    • Paradise – Sefer Shemos
      • Paradise: Shemos — Tongue Un-tied
      • Paradise: Va’era – Feet on the Ground
      • Paradise: Bo — Fresh and New
      • Paradise: Beshalach — Expectant Mothers and Song
      • Paradise: Yisro — The Secret of Successful Relationships
      • Paradise: Mishpatim – Webbed Hands and Earplugs
      • Paradise: Terumah — Men and Angels
      • Paradise: Tetzaveh — Oils, Incense and Satan
      • Paradise: Ki Tisa — Women’s Lib
      • Paradise: Vayakhel — Crowns, Forgetfulness and Shabbos
      • Paradise: Pekudei — Special Oxygen
    • Paradise – Sefer Vayikra
      • Paradise: Vayikra – Headless!
      • Paradise: Tzav – Burning Man
      • Paradise: Shmini – Sober Guys Anonymous
      • Paradise: Tazria — Love and Children
      • Paradise: Metzora — Diseases, Pigs and Reincarnation
      • Paradise: Acharei Mos — The Bald vs. the Hairy; Good vs. Evil
      • Paradise: Kedoshim – Clang the Tools Louder, Guys, or the Spirits will Get You!
      • Paradise: Emor – Sukkahs – Booths for War
      • Paradise: Behar — Giving Things Up
      • Paradise: Bechukosai – Deception and Idols
    • Paradise – Sefer Bamidbar
      • Paradise: Bamidbar – Overpopulation
      • Paradise: Naso – Seeing the Saddled Elephant
      • Paradise: Behaaloscha – Breastfeeding
      • Paradise: Shlach – Look At Me, I’m Humble!
      • Paradise: Korach — The Sound of Faith
      • Paradise: Chukas – Know-it-Alls, and Filthy, Filthy Snakes
      • Paradise: Balak – This Opposite That
      • Paradise: Pinchas – Peace and Priests
      • Paradise: Matos – Another Woman
      • Paradise: Maasei – Hearing voices and hitting home runs
    • Paradise – Sefer Devarim
      • Paradise: Devarim – You Are Good — Now Change!
      • Paradise: Ve’eschanan – Homes Filled with Pig
      • Paradise: Ekev – When You are Nearby to Moshe
      • Paradise: Reeh – Baseball and Koheles
      • Paradise: Shoftim – Kings, Women and Candles
      • Paradise: Ki Seitsei — Mystics, Rationalists and Fringes on Clothes
      • Paradise: Ki Savo — How to Look just like God
      • Paradise: Nitzavim — Monkey See
      • Paradise: Vayeilech – Bring the Kids Along!
      • Paradise: Haazinu — Say Pi Pi Pi and then Spit
      • Paradise: Vizos HaBracha — Moshe
    • Shiurim – Archives
    • Daf Yomi – Breakneck – 7 Daf per Week in 2 Hours
  • Contact
  • In the News
  • Donate
You are here: Home / Chumash / 4-Bamidbar / Paradise: Bamidbar – Overpopulation

Paradise: Bamidbar – Overpopulation

Leave a Comment

Paradise (PDF)


Take a census of the entire assembly of the Children of Israel.

Bamidbar 1:2

It is due to Hashem’s love of the Jewish people that He wants them counted constantly, teaches Rashi.[1] He also tells us that the way people were counted was by each person’s giving a coin. “When you will count the Jewish people according to their numbers, let each man give Hashem an atonement for his soul so that there will not be a plague when counting them.”[2] Rashi[3] explains that this is to avoid what happened in the times of King David. During the reign of King David,[4] a devastating mistake was made. David decided to count the Jewish people, and did so in no special way. Halacha tells us that it is permissible to count the number of raised hands in a room, but not the people themselves.[5] We cannot count people. But David did. And the Jews were hit with a death wave in which a staggering 70,000 people died, from one end of the nation to the other. Our Sages tell us[6] that actually, only one person died. His name was Avishai ben Tzeruyah, and though he was only one man, he was worth 70,000. It sounds a bit unusual to refer to one person as 70,000 – what is the message, and why choose to teach us the value of this man in this specific way and context?

If the Jewish people are counted in an ordinary fashion, it will cause a plague. Hashem, therefore, directs Moshe to count the Jews in an unusual way, wherein each person gives a coin. The coins will then be counted, and the census will thus be accomplished without pestilence. Why does this solve the problem? And what was the problem to begin with?

The reason why it is forbidden to count Jews is really quite simple[7] – you have no idea what anyone else is worth. One person may be worth far more than another. To count people as equally valuable is simply incorrect. David made that mistake – but he learned his lesson when he lost one man who was worth 70,000 men. That is the lesson. We count people based upon what they have contributed to society. That is really what life is about. “He who detests gifts is truly alive,”[8] stated Shlomo. We can count everyone only if they give something – for a gift can be quantified. When Moshe counted his people, each one gave something of himself, and that was what was counted. Thus, nobody had to be taken away.[9]

Avishai’s passing is referred to as “70,000 from one end of the nation to another”! (literally, “from Dan to Be’ersheba”). Now that we know that it was one man, and he certainly lived in only one city at a time, how are we to understand this statement? The message is the same, explains the R. David Luria.[10] Hashem took one man, whose positive influence affected the length and breath of his nation, and taught us a lesson. One man can span a nation, from Dan to Be’ersheba.

Overpopulation is dangerous in a society of takers. When people consume more than they produce, each new person is just another liability. But when people are innovative, and givers – when people produce more than they consume – the more, the merrier! Our aim must be to produce a society of givers and builders. It is only when we are fruitful that our multiplying and “overpopulation” can truly have any meaning.

[1]           Bamidbar 1:2

[2]           Shemos 30:11

[3]           Ibid.

[4]           Shmuel 2:24

[5]           Talmud Yoma 22b; Magen Avraham 156 and Avnei Nezer, Y.D. 399:3, 450:3, and 452:5. See, however, R. Moshe Feinstein in Igros Moshe Y.D., vol. 3, 117:2, who does not understand the Gemara’s permission to count fingers at face value.

[6]           Pirkei Dirabbi Eliezer 43

[7]           As explained by Rabbi David Lapin

[8]           Mishlei 15:17

[9]           There is another reason given by R. Shlomo Wolbe for the prohibition of counting Jews (Shiurei Chumash Mipi Maran Hamashgiach, Jerusalem: 2008, p. 98) – Jews are spiritual rather than physical, and spirituality cannot be quantified.

[10]         Biur Radal, ibid.

Filed Under: 4-Bamidbar, Chumash, Paradise, Parsha, Torah Tagged With: Bamidbar

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

Not Just a Shul


 – Shabbos & Yom Tov Services
 – Classes

6020 W Pico Bl
Los Angeles, CA 90035

Current BKLA Events

Chanukah Greet and Treat – December 13, 2020

Motzei Shabbos Chanukah Zoom Trivia – December 12, 2020

Current Parsha

Paradise: Shemos — Tongue Un-tied

Current Audio

Audio Shiurim for Teves

Shiurim for Teves Parshas from Rabbi Shoff’s Soundcloud library.

Previous & Next Parsha

Paradise: Vayechi — Frogs and the Shema

Gather and listen, sons of Yaakov; listen to Israel your father. — Bereishis 49:2

Paradise: Va’era – Feet on the Ground

The sorcerers said, “It is the finger of G-d!” but Pharaoh’s heart was strong and he did not hear them, as Hashem had spoken. — Shemos 8:15

Breakneck Daf Yomi – Current Masechta

Maseches Eruvin: Daf Yomi Breakneck – 7 Daf A Week In 2 Hours Shiur

Daf Yomi Maseches Eruvin 2-28 (Last Updated September 2, 2020)

More Breakneck Daf Yomi Posts

BKLA Schedule


Friday Night Services

Mincha/Kabalas Shabbos/Maariv: Candle Lighting Time!

Shabbos Morning Services

Fascinating Torah Topics Shiur by Rabbi Shoff: 8 am

Shachris: 9 am

Shochen Ad: 9:20 am

Shabbos Afternoon Pirkei Avos for men and women: One hour before mincha, Shabbos afternoons, during daylight savings time

Rabbi Shoff’s Weekday Classes

Sunday Mornings
All 7 Daf of the Week’s Daf Yomi for men
6:00 am to 8:00 am
6000 W. Pico – MBY Main Bais Midrash

Monday Night Class
8:00 pm
Shoff home: 6116 Saturn St.
For men and women!

Thursday Night Class
9:00 pm
Rosen Home: 1043 Point View St.
For men.
Delicious refreshments, deep inspiration.


Support BKLA by shopping on Amazon

Tags

acharei acharei mos acharei mot Bechukosai Behar bkla Chanukah Chaya Sara daf yomi dr. eli baron eli baron Emor kedoshim lech lecha leviticus metzora metzorah miketz Motzei Shabbos Trivia noah omer passover Pesach pnum rabbi steven weil sefiras haomer Shelach Shemos shmini shmos steven weil tazria tazria-metzora tazriah Toldos toldot Tu B'Av tzav vayechi Vayera Vayeshev Vayetze Vayigash vayikra Vayishlach

Footer

Every Friday

Tweets by @LAEruv_status

Social Media – Find BKLA Where You Hang Out

 BKLA
 Rabbi Shoff
 Twitter
LinkedIn
 Instagram


Support BKLA by shopping on Amazon

Latest Posts

Audio Shiurim for Kislev & Chanukah

Shiurim for Kislev Parshas and Chanukah from Rabbi Shoff’s Soundcloud library.

Audio Parsha Shiurim for Cheshvan

Shiurim for Cheshvan from Rabbi Shoff’s Soundcloud library.

Zoom Shiur in Preparation for Rosh Hashanah 5781 – September 16, 2020

Wednesday night, September 16, 8:00pm: “That Which Comes Before Speech” (Audio available)

Audio Shiurim for Tishrei

Shiurim for Tishrei from Rabbi Shoff’s Soundcloud library.

Maseches Shabbos: Daf Yomi Breakneck – 7 Daf A Week In 2 Hours Shiur

Daf Yomi Maseches Shabbos 2-157 (24 audio files – Last Updated August 16, 2020)

Search the BKLA Website

  • Home
  • Contact
  • Kiddush Eye Candy

Copyright © 2021 BKLA · Beis Knesses Los Angeles · Log in