Lifting the Head: The Tzaddik and Unity
From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Bamidbar 1:2
שְׂאוּ אֶת־רֹאשׁ כׇּל־עֲדַת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם בְּמִסְפַּר שֵׁמוֹת כׇּל־זָכָר לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָם
Lift up the head of the entire congregation of Bnei Yisrael, by their families, by their fathers' house, by the number of the names, every male, head by head.
1“Lift up the head of the entire congregation of Bnei Yisrael.”1 Why does the verse use the word “head” here? Later, when the Levi'im are counted, it says, “Count the sons of Levi,”2 and not “Lift up the head of the sons of Levi.” We must also ask why the verse says “the head,” in the singular, and not “the heads.”
שְׂאוּ אֶת רֹאשׁ כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (א, ב). צָרִיךְ לְהָבִין לָמָּה נִזְכַּר כָּאן לְשׁוֹן ׳רֹאשׁ׳, וְאִילּוּ לְהַלָּן בְּמִנְיַן הַלְּוִיִּים נֶאֱמַר (ג, טו) ״פְּקוֹד אֶת בְּנֵי לֵוִי״, וְלֹא נֶאֱמַר בָּהֶם ׳שְׂאוּ אֶת רֹאשׁ בְּנֵי לֵוִי׳. עוֹד צָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר לָמָּה נִזְכַּר בִּלְשׁוֹן יָחִיד ׳שְׂאוּ אֶת רֹאשׁ׳ וְלֹא ׳אֶת רָאשֵׁי׳.
In shortWhy does Israel's census say “lift up the head,” in the singular, when the Levi'im are simply “counted”?
2The next verse says, “From twenty years old and upward, all who go out to the army in Israel, you shall count them by their legions, you and Aharon.”3 Why was it Moshe and Aharon in particular who were commanded to count Israel?
וּלְהַלָּן בַּכָּתוּב ״מִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וָמַעְלָה כָּל יוֹצֵא צָבָא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל תִּפְקְדוּ אוֹתָם לְצִבְאוֹתָם אַתָּה וְאַהֲרֹן״ (א, ג), וְצָרִיךְ לְהָבִין לָמָּה דַּוְקָא מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן נִצְטַוּוּ לִמְנוֹת אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל.
- Bamidbar 1:3. ↩
In shortA second question: why was the census given to Moshe and Aharon in particular?
3We can explain the counting of Bnei Yisrael this way. True, their number had been known since the sin of the Golden Calf, when Israel was counted in Parshas Ki Sisa.4 But the purpose of the count now was to “lift up the head” of Bnei Yisrael, that is, to raise them up in avodas Hashem, the service of Hashem. In the same way, the Baal Shem Tov and his disciples after him would raise up the simple people and draw them close to the service of the Creator. That is the meaning of “Lift up the head.” This task falls on the tzaddikim of the generation. That is why this mitzvah was given to Moshe and Aharon in particular: to hint that the tzaddikim of the generation can lift up even the simple people, together with the whole congregation of Bnei Yisrael.
וְאֶפְשָׁר לְפָרֵשׁ עִנְיַן הַסְּפִירָה שֶׁל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּאַף שֶׁכְּבָר הָיָה יָדוּעַ מִנְיָנָם לְאַחַר חֵטְא הָעֵגֶל, שֶׁכֵּן כְּבָר נִמְנוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּפָרָשַׁת כִּי תִשָּׂא, אַךְ עִנְיַן הַסְּפִירָה עַתָּה הָיָה עַל מְנָת לִישָּׂא אֶת רֹאשׁ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, הַיְינוּ לְרוֹמֵם אוֹתָם לַעֲבוֹדַת הַבּוֹרֵא, וּכְדֶרֶךְ הַבַּעַל שֵׁם טוֹב וְתַלְמִידָיו אַחֲרָיו שֶׁהָיוּ מְרוֹמְמִים אֶת פְּשׁוּטֵי הָעָם וּמְקָרְבִים אוֹתָם לַעֲבוֹדַת הַבּוֹרֵא, וְזֶהוּ ׳שְׂאוּ אֶת רֹאשׁ׳. וְהִנֵּה דָּבָר זֶה מוּטָּל עַל צַדִּיקֵי הַדּוֹר, וְלָכֵן נֶאֶמְרָה מִצְוָה זוֹ דַּוְוקָא לְמֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן, לְרַמֵּז כִּי צַדִּיקֵי הַדּוֹר יְכוֹלִים לְנַשֵּׂא וּלְהַעֲלוֹת אַף אֶת הַפְּשׁוּטֵי עַם, יַחַד עִם כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.
- Shemos 30:12, the count made through the half-shekel. ↩
In shortThis census came to lift even the simple toward serving Hashem, a task of the tzaddikim; so Moshe and Aharon were told to count.
4The way to raise up the simple people is through unity, with friends bound closely together [along the lines of what the Maor VaShemesh writes, cited below]. That is why “head” is in the singular: it hints at unity.5 We find both of these, unity and the tzaddik, at the receiving of the Torah as well. There it says, “And Israel encamped there,” and Rashi explains, “as one man with one heart”:6 Bnei Yisrael were united, so as to fulfill every mitzvah in the name of all Israel. And after all the preparations of the three days in which bounds were set around the mountain, it says, “Moshe brought the people out toward God.”7 Moshe Rabbeinu roused them toward receiving the Torah, for it is the tzaddik of the generation who raises Bnei Yisrael up and brings them close to their Father in Heaven.
וְהִנֵּה הַדֶּרֶךְ שֶׁעַל יָדָהּ אֶפְשָׁר לְהַעֲלוֹת וּלְרוֹמֵם אֶת פְּשׁוּטֵי הָעָם, הוּא עַל יְדֵי אַחְדוּת וְדִיבּוּק חֲבֵרִים יַחַד [וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ דְּאִיתָא בַּמָּאוֹר וָשֶׁמֶשׁ הַמּוּבָא לְהַלָּן], וְלָכֵן נֶאֱמַר ׳רֹאשׁ׳ בִּלְשׁוֹן יָחִיד, לְרַמֵּז עַל עִנְיַן הָאַחְדוּת (עיין כעין זה בפנים יפות). וְכֵן לְעִנְיַן קַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה מָצִינוּ אֶת שְׁנֵי הַדְּבָרִים הַנִּזְכָּרִים, עִנְיַן הָאַחְדוּת וְעִנְיַן הַצַּדִּיק, דְּנֶאֱמַר שָׁם (שמות יט, ב וברש״י שם) ״וַיִּחַן שָׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל״ כְּאִישׁ אֶחָד בְּלֵב אֶחָד, שֶׁהָיוּ בְּאַחְדוּת לְקַיֵּים כָּל הַמִּצְוֹות בְּשֵׁם כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְעוֹד נֶאֱמַר שָׁם אַחַר כָּל הַהֲכָנוֹת שֶׁל שְׁלֹשֶׁת יְמֵי הַגְבָּלָה (שם יט, יז) ״וַיּוֹצֵא מֹשֶׁה אֶת הָעָם לִקְרַאת הָאֱלֹקִים״, שֶׁמֹּשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ הָיָה מְעוֹרֵר אוֹתָם לִקְרַאת קַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה, שֶׁכֵּן צַדִּיק הַדּוֹר הוּא הַמְרוֹמֵם אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמְקָרֵב אוֹתָם לַאֲבִיהֶם שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם.
- See something similar in the Panim Yafos of R' Pinchas Horowitz. ↩
- Shemos 19:2; Rashi there. ↩
- Shemos 19:17. ↩
In shortUnity raises the simple, as the singular “head” hints; at Sinai both appear: one heart, and Moshe the tzaddik leading the people toward Hashem.
5This is in line with what the Maor VaShemesh writes in explaining why people travel to the tzaddik.8 As long as a person sits alone at home, with no contact with other people, he can think that he learns, does mitzvos and keeps the Torah as he should. But then he comes to the tzaddik and sees how the tzaddik serves Hashem and how he learns Torah. Besides this, he finds Chassidim and men of deeds gathered around the tzaddik, and he sees how high they have risen in serving Hashem. Through this his heart breaks within him, and he is filled with longing for avodas Hashem. That is the purpose of traveling to the tzaddik.
וְהוּא עַל דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁכָּתַב בְּמָאוֹר וָשֶׁמֶשׁ (פרשת ראה, מסעי) בְּבֵיאוּר עִנְיַן הַנְּסִיעָה אֶל הַצַּדִּיק, כִּי בְּעוֹד הָאָדָם יוֹשֵׁב לְבַדּוֹ בְּבֵיתוֹ וְלֹא בָּא בְּמַגָּע עִם אֲנָשִׁים אֲחֵרִים, יָכוֹל הוּא לַחְשׁוֹב שֶׁהוּא לוֹמֵד וְעוֹשֶׂה מִצְוֹות וּמְקַיֵּים אֶת הַתּוֹרָה כָּרָאוּי, אַךְ בְּעֵת שֶׁהוּא בָּא אֶל הַצַּדִּיק, וְרוֹאֶה אֵיךְ הַצַּדִּיק עוֹבֵד אֶת ה׳ וְאֵיךְ הוּא לוֹמֵד תּוֹרָה, וּמִלְּבַד זֶה הֲרֵי נִמְצָאִים אֵצֶל הַצַּדִּיק חֲסִידִים וְאַנְשֵׁי מַעֲשֶׂה, וְרוֹאֶה גּוֹדֶל מַדְרֵגוֹתֵיהֶם בַּעֲבוֹדַת ה׳, עַל יְדֵי זֶה לִבּוֹ נִשְׁבַּר בְּקִרְבּוֹ וּמְקַבֵּל חֵשֶׁק לַעֲבוֹדַת ה׳, וְזֶהוּ הַתַּכְלִית שֶׁל הַנְּסִיעָה לַצַּדִּיק.
- Maor VaShemesh (R' Kalonymus Kalman Epstein of Krakow), Re'eh and Masei. ↩
In shortAlone, a person may think he serves Hashem properly; seeing the tzaddik and his Chassidim breaks his heart and wakens his longing.
6But of the tribe of Levi the Torah does not say “Lift up the head,” because the Levi'im were people of high stature. As is well known, the Rambam writes that Levi did not receive a share in Eretz Yisrael because he was set apart to serve Hashem, to minister to Him and to teach His upright ways and His righteous judgments to the many.9 That is why the Torah does not say “Lift up the head” of them: they did not need to be raised up.
אַךְ בְּשֵׁבֶט לֵוִי לֹא נֶאֱמַר ׳שְׂאוּ אֶת רֹאשׁ׳, לְפִי שֶׁהֵם הָיוּ אַנְשֵׁי מַעֲלָה, כַּנּוֹדָע דִּבְרֵי הרמב״ם (הלכות שמיטה פי״ג הי״ב) דְּלָא זָכָה לֵוִי בְּנַחֲלַת אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּבְדַּל לַעֲבוֹד אֶת ה׳ לְשָׁרְתוֹ וּלְהוֹרוֹת דְּרָכָיו הַיְּשָׁרִים וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו הַצַּדִּיקִים לָרַבִּים, וְלָכֵן לֹא נֶאֱמַר בָּהֶם ׳שְׂאוּ אֶת רֹאשׁ׳, כִּי אוֹתָם אֵין צוֹרֶךְ לְהַעֲלוֹת וּלְרוֹמֵם.
- Rambam, Hilchos Shemitah veYovel 13:12. ↩
In shortThe Levi'im, set apart to serve Hashem and teach His ways, as the Rambam writes, needed no raising, so their count omits “head.”
7May Hashem, blessed be He, help us serve Him in unity and in love, and may we bring near the coming of Moshiach. Amen, may it be His will.
ה׳ יִתְבָּרֵךְ יַעֲזוֹר שֶׁנּוּכַל לְעָבְדוֹ בְּאַחְדוּת וּבְאַהֲבָה, וּנְקָרֵב אֶת בִּיאַת הַמָּשִׁיחַ, אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן.
In shortThe Rebbe prays that we serve Hashem in unity and love and bring near the coming of Moshiach.
Takeaway
Alone, a person can easily believe he is serving Hashem well enough; it is beside the tzaddik, and among those more devoted than he, that his heart breaks and a real longing awakens. The census was a “lifting of the head,” given to Moshe and Aharon and spoken in the singular, because the tzaddik raises even the simplest Jew, and unity holds everyone together. At Sinai, too, the Torah came to a people “as one man with one heart,” led out by Moshe toward Hashem.
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English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.