Parashat Ki Tissa- Count Us As One

Ki Tissa et-rosh b’nei-Yisrael lifkudeihem v’natnu ish kofer nafsho lA-donai bifkod otam v’lo-yiyeh bahem nefesh bifkod otam.

When you count the heads of the children of Israel according to their number, every man will give a ransom for his soul to God when he numbers them, that there be no plague among them when you number them. (Shemot 30:12)

There is a Jewish custom not to count people. We are somehow worried that if we count we will somehow bring bad luck upon us. A verse in this week’s parasha plays that out. “Every man will give a ransom… [so] that there be no plague.” The implication being that if we do count, either without God’s command, or by regular numbering. The prophet Hosea reminds us that we are to be as numerous as the sands of the sea, and therefore uncountable. Throughout the generations we have devised all sorts of interesting methods. We use p’sukim. The poteach verse in Ashrei is seven. We use letters: aleph, bet, gimel…. We count not one, not two, not three.

Halakhot regarding counting allow counting body parts, the heads in our parasha or even noses. Some permit counting if done silently in your mind. This leads to modern issues of how to conduct a census in Israel. One argument is that the census counts written names instead of people. Another is that a census is of a population of mixed individuals, not only Jews, and so does not fall under the prohibition.

The question of why continues to stand. One opinion in Panim Yafot, a commentary on the Humash by Rabbi Pinchas HaLevy Horowitz, explains that Jews are best when we are unified. As a unit we are connected to God as our Source and our Creator, and when unified we do not need further protection. When we are separated, we are subject to scrutiny and difficulties. Our history plays this out. The Temples were destroyed because of sinat chinam, senseless hatred of Jew against Jew. When someone like Bernie Madoff takes advantage of the most vulnerable among his own people, everyone suffers.

Abraham Lincoln stated it more succinctly, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” We should remember that we are at our best when united. Dissention is damaging. It produces discord and strife. However, the ability to speak up within the community, knowing our opinions will be respected is vital. Openness and honest sharing instead leads to strength of body and purpose. Together we can build a stronger community connected to our Divine purpose.