12 May PARSHA IN PRACTICE: SKILLS FOR BETTER LIVING BAMIDBAR – THE LOVE THAT COUNTS

It’s the secret to
Jewish success and
survival
The Book of
Numbers begins
with yet another census which, Rashi
explains, demonstrates Hashem’s great
love for us. Just as a person constantly
counts money because every dollar is so
precious, Hashem always wants to know
the exact number of Jewish people in His
“account.”
Being counted makes us special in
another way as well.
In halachic terminology, something that
is carefully counted or measured is called
a davar she’b’minyan. An item with this
status is considered so significant that
even if it falls into a mixture a thousand
times its size, it never loses its identity. It
cannot be ignored. It cannot be absorbed.
It can never become bateil (Beitzah 3b;
Yoreh Dei’ah 110:1).
The Chidushei HaRim pointed out that,

by counting us so often, Hashem has
effectively given us the status of a davar
she’b’minyan. No matter how small the
Jewish nation is relative to the rest of the
world, we will never become bateil. We
cannot disappear into the background of
history.
This helps explain a striking reality of
Jewish existence: we stand out – no matter
what.
In some eras, that distinctiveness takes the
form of disproportionate contribution.
Despite our minuscule numbers, Jewish
people have played outsized roles in
fields like economics, technology, art,
and social progress. In other eras, that
same distinctiveness expresses itself
in the opposite direction: irrational,
relentless persecution. Jews have been
targeted for being too rich and too poor,
too powerful and too weak, too separate
and too assimilated. The details change;
the phenomenon does not. The common
denominator is that the Jewish people are
never simply absorbed. We are always
noticed.
What began with being
counted was cemented at Har
Sinai.
Chazal explain that the
name “Sinai” is related to
sin’ah (hatred) because the
giving of the Torah marked
a moment of permanent
distinction. Hashem’s unique
relationship with Bnei Yisrael,
so powerfully displayed at
Sinai, ignited an enduring
tension between the Jewish people and
the rest of the world (Shabbos 89b). From
that point on, our status as a nation that
cannot blend in became part of the fabric
of history.
As we celebrate Kabbalas HaTorah on
Shavuos, it is worth reflecting on what
that distinction means.
A davar she’b’minyan is not just something
that stands out – it is something that is
meant to stand out.

With loving enumeration, Hashem
has ensured that we will endure and
remain visible among the nations. But
that visibility is not just a promise; it is
a responsibility. Regardless of where we
live or how we dress (no, baseball caps
have not solved this), we are meant to
be a presence in the world – spreading
G-dliness, morality, and kindness.
We must not falter in this mission;
Hashem is counting on us!