There is a holiday coming up this Shabbat called Yom HaMeyuchas, “The Day of Distinction.” What makes it a special day and what can we
learn from it?

Yom HaMeyuchas takes place on the second of Sivan, the day after Rosh
Chodesh and the day before the Shloshet Yemei Hagbala, the three days of
preparation for receiving the Torah leading up to Shavuot.

Since the second of Sivan is sandwiched between all of these important
days, the rabbis didn’t want to leave this one day out. In order to make this
day feel special as well, they gave it a special name.

Just as the rabbis were concerned about not hurting the feelings of a
calendar date, not wanting to leave the second of Sivan out, how much more so should
we be concerned about not alienating our fellow Jews.

Yom HaMeyuchas is also significant because it is associated with the day
when the nation answered as one (Shmot 19:8) “Whatever God told us we will do.”

The nation was united and they were willing to take on the commandments.
For those reasons alone, we deserve an extra holiday!

When we hear the word Meyuchas, it sounds like the word “yichus” which
we usually translate as lineage. Often when a person is in the process of
dating, they ask about what the yichus is of their future partner. But in the
end, it doesn’t matter so much what the lineage is like, it is more important
to make sure that the person is the right match. This is an important message
especially now during the wedding season.

As we prepare for Shavuot, we should keep all of the lessons that can be
learned from Yom Hameyuchas in mind: Widen your circles and become more inclusive
to make sure that nobody is left out, work on keeping the Jewish people united,
especially during these difficult times, reaffirm your commitment to Judaism and
don’t discriminate against people because of their family lineage.

This week, the Knesset approved Yom HaAchdut, Unity Day as an official
holiday. Yom HaAchdut has been celebrated for ten years in memory of the three
boys who were kidnapped and murdered in 2014, Naftali Frankel, Gilad Shaer and
Eyal Yifrach. This year, Yom HaAchdut will be celebrated on Sunday, the third
of Sivan and there will be 500 activities to join around Israel that will
promote unity.

How appropriate that we will officially celebrate unity, which is so
desperately needed, on the day following Yom HaMeyuchas, the original day of
unity.

In Bamidbar 1:18 we read:

They gathered together the entire congregation on the first day of the
second month (Rosh Chodesh Iyar) and they were registered by family ancestry
according to the house of their fathers…

According to Rashi, B’nai Yisrael brought their genealogical documents
as well as witnesses who verified the circumstances of their birth. This
applied to each individual, to establish their kinship with the tribe.

Rabbi Yitzchak Zev Soloveitchik asks why these documents and witnesses were
only requested here, in Parshat Bamidbar and not when B’nai Yisrael were
counted elsewhere. He answers that here, each tribe was counted separately and
therefore they needed proof that each person was from that specific tribe.

The Rambam, in Hilchot Melachim 12:3, explains what will happen in the
future:

During the days of Melech HaMashiach,
when he will be secure in his monarchy, and all of Israel will gather about
him, everyone’s genealogy will be clarified by him by means of the Ruach
Hakodesh, the Holy Spirit which will rest upon him, as it says, “And he
shall sit as a purifier and refiner…” (Malachi 3:3). The Sons of
Levi will be the first to be purified, and he will say, “this one has the
pedigree of a Kohen, and this one has the pedigree of a Levi”. He will reject
those who have no (true) lineage and make them Israelites, as it says, “And the
Tirashoso said to them…until a Kohen will arise with the Urim and Tumim”
(Ezra 2:63). You have now learned that those with a pedigree will be confirmed,
and lineage will be made known, by means of Ruach HaKodesh. He will not
ascertain the ancestry of Israel except regarding which tribe they are from,
and inform us that this one is from such and such a tribe and that one is from
such and such a tribe.

When B’nai Yisrael left Egypt, the nation was young enough for each
person to have a record of which tribe they were from as well as witnesses to
confirm their lineage.

Today, after two exiles, it is miraculous that Jews are coming back to
Israel but many have lost their genealogy along the way. It is amazing that so
many Kohanim and Leviim have held on to their lineage. However, almost everyone
else doesn’t know what tribe they are from. It will only be in the days of the
Mashiach that we will all know through Ruach HaKodesh which tribe we belong to.

May the time come when all of the Jews will be back in Israel, living on
the portions of land which were designated for them in the days of Yehoshua.

At the beginning of Parshat
Bamidbar, over 50 verses describe the counting of the men above age 20, all who
are eligible for the army, from each tribe, aside from the tribe of Levi who
worked in the Mishkan and were exempted from army service.

Why did they need to count the
number of men eligible for the army?

The census took place a year after
the exodus from Egypt, on the 1^st of Iyar. At that point, B’nai Yisrael
were getting ready to enter the Land of Israel.

According to Rashbam, the count was
taken since they now had to go to the Land of Israel and 20 year old men are
fitting to go out to battle in the army.

How do we know that they were headed
for the Land of Israel?

In Bamidbar 10:29, Moshe tells his
father in law: “We are journeying to the place about which God said: ‘I will
give it to you…’”

At this point, Chet HaMeraglim, the
Sin of the Spies (Parshat Shlach) had not yet taken place, so they did not yet
have the decree that they would have to spend 40 years in the Wilderness rather
than one. Therefore, they needed to get the army ready and see how many
soldiers would be available to conquer the Land of Israel.

At the end of the census (Bamidbar
1:46) we read that the total number of men from all of the tribes combined (aside
from Levi) was 603,550 ages 20 and up.

Ramban asks why we need the total
number if we already saw the breakdown from each tribe.

Ramban answers:

It is possible to say that the
reason for ascertaining their numbers was similar to the practice of
governments before fighting a war, since they were now ready to enter into the
Land and to fight against the kings of the Emori that were on the other side of
the Jordan (eastward) and all the others. As Moshe said (to Hovav), “We are
journeying to the place about which God said: ‘I will give it to you…’”
Therefore, Moshe and the princes (of the tribes) had to know the number of
those armed for war, and also the numbers of each and every tribe, (in order to
decide) what to command each of them in the plains of Moav (when drawing up)
the battle lines. For the Torah does not rely on the miracle of: (Dvarim 32:30)
“one chasing a thousand.” This is the reason for the expression, “all that go
forth to the host in Israel” namely that the census was for the purpose of
determining the number of men that will go forth to war. And also so that he should
distribute the Land to them according to their numbers, and should know how
many parts will be allotted to them of the Land that they capture, since if not
for the affair of the spies, they would have entered the Land immediately.

We see from here the importance of
having a prepared and well organized army. We must do our part and not rely on
miracles. We need to know how many soldiers we have and then break down where
they need to be sent so that we can be most effective.

Some things haven’t changed. We are
still fighting against our enemies and we need to be prepared on all fronts at
all times. What has changed is that Israeli soldiers are drafted even younger
than in the days of the Torah, at 18 and both men and women serve in very
important units. They just called up many reserve soldiers and may continue to
do so depending on what happens next.

Sadly, we already lost one soldier
this week, Omer Tabib z”l. May our soldiers come home safely and may peace be
restored speedily in our days.

The Talmud, Yoma 22b asks: Why weren’t the Kohanim counted
by a headcount (why were their fingers counted)?  Rabbi Yitzchak said: It is forbidden to count
the people of Israel
through a head count, even for the purpose of a mitzva for it is written in
Shmuel Alef 11:8:  “He counted them
through pottery shards.” According to Rav Ashi we derive the prohibition from
Shmuel Alef 15:4: “Saul had all the people summoned and he counted them through
lambs.”

We see from here that even when preparing for war, King Saul
counted the people indirectly.

The Gemara continues: Rabbi Elazar said: Whoever counts the
people of Israel
transgresses a negative commandment for it is stated in Hoshea 2:1 “The number
of the children of Israel will be like the sand of the sea which cannot be measured.”

Why does the Gemara quote the prohibitions from the Neviim
(Prophets) rather than from the Torah (Shmot 30:12) “When you take a census of
B’nai Yisrael according to their numbers, every man shall give God an atonement
for his soul (a half shekel) when counting them, so that there will not be
plague among them when counting them.” ? According to the Maharsha, this pasuk
in Shmot does not necessarily address future generations. It may have only been
directed to the generation that sinned with the golden calf who needed
atonement.

In Parshat Bamidbar (Bamidbar 1:2) there is no mention of
the half shekel: “Take a head count of the entire congregation of B’nai Yisrael
according to their families to the house of their fathers counting the names of
all males individually.” Rashi and Ramban insist that this was done with the
half shekel like in Shmot. Abravanel states that this time the count was taken
without the half shekel.

According to Sefer HaChinuch, when the Mishkan and Beit
HaMikdash stood, once a year the half shekel was collected to help pay for
everything that was needed for the continual and additional burnt offerings.

At the end od Shmuel Bet, King David insisted that Yoav the
captain count the people. Yoav didn’t want to count them but King David
insisted so Yoav counted them. Afterwards, Kind David repented but God sent a
plague that killed 70,000 men.

Abravanel explains that King David’s problem was that he
counted the people for the wrong reasons. He was counting the people to pride
himself in front of his enemies.

We learn from here that we shouldn’t count people for no
reason.

The question remains, can we count people in times of
necessity?

When necessary, we can count indirectly. In other words, you
can count kipot, hats or jackets the same way that the fingers of the Kohanim
were counted. In this way we have a clear picture of who is there without
counting heads.

When counting to see if there are ten people for a minyan,
words from the pasuk “Hoshia et amecha uvarech et nachlatecha ureim vinasem ad
olam” are used instead of numbers. You only have a minyan once you have recited
the entire pasuk!

In Bamidbar 2:2 we read: “Take a head count of the entire
congregation of B’nai Yisrael according to their families to the house of their
fathers counting the names of all males individually.”

The English name for Sefer Bamidbar is Numbers since there
is a lot of counting that takes place.

The best way to show that we care about a cause is if we are
counted.

Less than a month ago, we celebrated Yom HaAtzmaut, Israel Independence Day. The State of Israel was established in 1948. What would have
happened if everyone who fought for the state went back to the countries that
they came from? In order to hold on to the State of Israel, we need a critical
mass of Jewish people to be living here today.

In 1948 there were a total of 806,000 residents in Israel.

Today, there are 6,042,000 Jews is Israel (75% of
the population), 1,658,000 Arabs (20.7% of the population) and 318,000 others.

If more Jews move to Israel
and less Israelis leave Israel
then the numbers will continue to go up.

This past week, we celebrated Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem
Day. Jerusalem was reunited in 1967 and we once
again had access to Har HaBayit (the Temple Mount) and the Kotel (the
Western Wall). If we go to these places and show that they are important to us,
then they will remain ours. If we don’t visit these holy sites, then it will
look like we don’t care.

As of now, Israelis are not allowed to pray on the Temple Mount.
If an Israeli is caught moving their lips, they can be arrested. Recently,
there has been talk of changing that law so that people of every faith and
religion including the Jews would be free to pray on the Temple Mount.
If enough people take initiative, then there is a possibility that a difference
can be made.

The same is true for the Kotel. Those who pray there on a
regular basis are going to feel that they have “ownership” of the site and
rightfully so. Masses speak in numbers. At the end of the day, those who truly
care need to stand up and be counted.

When I arrived in Israel almost ten years ago, the
word “baal” bothered me. Although the word “baal” in Modern Hebrew refers to
husband, the traditional definition is master or owner. I asked a Hebrew Ulpan
teacher who was about to be married if she was going to use the term “baal” to
refer to her husband. She said that she had no problem with the word “baal”
which in her mind was the Modern Hebrew word for husband.

I don’t have a problem with the English word “husband” which
in Old English meant master of the house since today the word husband is
defined as a married man. I can therefore see where the teacher is coming from.
However, there are women today who prefer not to use the word husband due to
the Old English definition and prefer to use a different word such as spouse.

Despite her answer, there are many men and women in Israel who are
uncomfortable with using the term “baal”.

The relationship between God and the Jewish people is often
compared in the Tanach to the relationship between a husband and wife, this
week’s Haftarah (Hoshea 2:18-19) is no exception where we read: “It shall be on
that day-the word of God- you will say ‘ishi’ (my Husband) and you will no
longer say ‘baali’ (My master).

Rashi explains that “ishi” is an expression of marital
relationship and young love while “baali” is an expression of lordship and
fear.

Radak points out that the word “baal” also refers to the
heathen idol.

In 1953, David Ben Gurion wrote a letter stating that on
government documents and forms the word “ishi” should be used as opposed to the
word “baali” since “baali” conjures up images of the husband being the master
as well as a god of idol worship and does not show respect for women. Ben
Gurion then quoted our pasuk from Hoshea to prove his point.

David Ben Gurion took the Tanach and Biblical Hebrew
seriously. Today, unfortunately many Israelis are not as well educated in
Biblical Hebrew and are only familiar with Modern and spoken Hebrew.

If more women use the word “ishi” to describe their husbands,
the word may eventually become standard. From looking at our Haftarah it is
clear that “ishi” is the word that God prefers.

Bamidbar is called “Numbers” in English but literally means “In the Desert”.The Book of Bamidbar begins with the words: “God spoke to Moshe in the Sinai Desert, in the Tent of Meeting, on the first of the second month, in the second year after their exodus from Egypt saying: Take a census of the entire assembly of B’nai Yisrael according to their families, according to their fathers’ household, by number of the names, every male according to their head count.”According to S.Y Zavin, We read Parshat Bamidbar on the Shabbat before Shavuot to teach us that whoever keeps the Torah can change the face of the desert from a wasteland to the Garden of Eden as it says in Yishayahu 51:3: “For the Lord shall comfort Zion, he will comfort all her waste places and He will make her wilderness like Eden and her desert like the garden of the Lord, joy and gladness shall be found in it, thanksgiving and the voice of melody.”We have almost completed the counting of the Omer, the days between the Exodus of Egypt (Pesach) and the giving of the Torah (Shavuot).Between the major holidays of Pesach and Shavuot we have celebrated two modern holidays, Yom HaAtzmaut, Israel Independence Day and Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Day where we have celebrated the modern miracles of the State of Israel and the Unification of Jerusalem.Over the past 62 years, we have had the opportunity to see the prophecy of Yishayahu come true with our own eyes- the wilderness has turned into Eden and the desert has turned into the garden of the Lord.May we continue to find joy and gladness, thanksgiving and melody in the State of Israel as we did this past week when we celebrated Yom Yerushalayim.

In Parshat Bamidbar 3:15 we learn that the male members of the tribe of Levi were counted from the age of one month. This was different from the other tribes where the male members were counted from the age of 20, the age that the men began to serve in the army.

Why would God want the members of the tribe of Levi to be counted from the age of one month instead of from the age of 20?

Rabbi Nissenboim’s answer is that we can begin to train the young men who are going to the army when they are teenagers. However, when we are speaking about training the Leviim who will be the leaders of the Jewish people, their education needs to begin at the age of one month.

We can learn from here that it is never too early to teach your child Torah. Here in Jerusalem, mothers and babies take part in Mommy and Me Torah study classes which help the mothers keep up with the study of Torah as well as expose the babies to the Torah at a young age.

There is a story in the Talmud about a woman who would bring her baby to the Beit Midrash so that he could absorb the sounds of Torah study. That baby later became a Rabbi in the Mishna. Rashi says that the mother deserved a reward as she demonstrated the value of Torah study. According to the Sfat Emet, even if the baby doesn’t understand what is going on, the study of Torah has an impact on his Neshama which will lead to a greater appreciation of Torah study.

At the beginning of Parshat Bamidbar, we read about one leader from each tribe who is designated to help Moshe count B’nai Yisrael (the Jewish people).

The leader from the tribe of Yehudah is Nachshon Ben Aminadav.

The Gemara in Sotah 36b-37a describes how Nachshon was a true leader who caused the tribe of Yehudah to sanctify God’s name in public.

After B’nai Yisrael left Egypt, the Egyptians pursued them until they came to the Red Sea. At that point they were unable to continue. According to Rabbi Yehudah, when the tribes were standing at the edge of the red sea, one tribe was saying “I will not be the first to descend into the sea,” while another tribe declared “I will not be the first to descend into the sea”. Each tribe was unwilling to enter the water first. At that point Nachshon Ben Aminadav, the prince of the tribe of Yehudah leaped forward and descended into the sea first.

While Moshe was praying, God said “Speak to B’nai Yisrael and let them journey forth. Lift up your staff and stretch out your arm over the sea and split it; and B’nai Yisrael shall come into the midst of the sea on dry land”.

On account of Nachshon’s willingness to sacrifice himself, the tribe of Yehudah merited to establish dominion in Israel. As we say in the Hallel prayer concerning when Israel went out of Egypt, Psalms 114: 1-3: “Hayta Yehudah Likodsho, Yisrael Mamshelotav”, Judah became God’s sanctified one to rule over Israel his dominions. For what reason was Judah God’s sanctified one? Because “Hayam ra’ah vayanos”, the sea saw and fled.

When the sea saw Nachshon jump in, it split.

Nachson taught us the important lesson that to be a true leader it is best to follow the teaching from Pirkei Avot, “Omer me’at v’aseh harbeh”, say little, but do much.

A true leader is a leader who acts.

As the Nike ads say, Just do it!

Parshat Bamidbar (literally in the desert) is read on
the Shabbat before Shavuot for a number of reasons:

According to Rabbi D. Shoham if a person wants to
merit in receiving the Torah, they should make
themselves into a desert, meaning that they should act
modestly.

Rabbi S. Y. Zevin adds that whoever keeps the Torah
has the capability of turning a wilderness into the
Garden of Eden.

Sfat Emet comments that on the Shabbat before Shavuot
we have to spiritually prepare for Kabbalat HaTorah,
accepting the Torah. The mitzvah of Shabbat was given
before the Torah was given so that Shabbat could be
the first step in the process of receiving the Torah.

Sfat Emet continues that in the Book of Shmot, Parshat
BeShalach 16:30 it says ?€?So the people rested on the
Seventh day?€. From there they went to Har Sinai (Mt.
Sinai). BeShalch 19:2 states ?€?Vayachan-Yisrael camped
before the mountain?€. Rashi explains that it says
vayachan in the singular as opposed to vayachanu in
the plural since at that moment B?€™nai Yisrael were
like one person with one heart. The power of Shabbat
united them.

People who are returning to religious observance often
begin with the observance of Shabbat. Once they have
mastered Shabbat observance they are more confident in
taking on more of the mitzvoth. We must go out of our
way to help those who are striving. We must remember
that the Jewish people started their mitzvah
observance in the desert, with nothing. Even a newborn
baby must celebrate one Shabbat before he takes on the
mitzvah of Brit Milah.

In Israel today, where Shabbat observance has become a
controversy we must find ways to teach the beauty of
Shabbat observance in a positive way as opposed to
forcing it on those who have not yet been exposed to
what Shabbat is all about. If we can each invite a
guest over who has not yet experienced Shabbat we will
be taking the first step in accepting the full Torah
next week on Shavuot. At a time when the Jewish
community is so divided, let?€™s use Shabbat to get
reunited.