This past Shabbat we read the story of the Census. God tells Moses that he should conduct a census of all the Israelite men over the age of 20. There is much to relate to in this parsha, especially in this year when the US census is being conducted.
Why does Moses conduct the first census required by God? Unlike the US census, which comprehensively seeks to include every individual living in our country, the initial biblical census counts only adult males. Women and children are not included in the count, nor are non-Hebrews residing amongst the tribes. Also excluded from this census are the Levites, the firstborn specially anointed class who are designated to assist the Kohanim, the priestly class. In sum (no pun intended), only a fraction of the living souls from each tribe were numbered as individuals and tribe members.
The phrase in the Torah for this census literally means “to lift the head”. The newly minted Israelites were about to encounter strangers with whom they would have to battle for territory. The census showed the number of males who could be available for the service of this end. By counting within tribes and identifying the men specifically, the census results provided vitally needed information about the entire Israelite contingency, while also cementing solidarity within the tribes. By “lifting the head” of each male Counted, Moses acknowledged their individual worth as well as their identity as significant members of the group.
What about those who were not counted? Did they feel marginalized, less worthy or important or less deserving of God’s attention? We often use the word “count” as a synonym for “matter”. Did those who were not counted matter less to God, and were they not significant in their own right? The answer that I am the most comfortable with relies on the reason for the census. Women and children were not expected to fight the battles certain to come. Their omission from the census was not a referendum on their importance to the tribes or the whole, but rather was reflective of the information sought by the counting.
We are sometimes quick to imagine a slight, an insult or a sign that others are devaluing us. The reality is that we all count. The question should more appropriately be asked, “Can we be counted on?”.
Our new reality in this time of the pandemic also involves a daily census. The nightly news channels report the change from the day before – how many more have been infected; how many more have died. The inexorable push forward of this disease carves out a frightening path away from our world as we knew it and suggests a future that is more uncertain and disturbing than we are prepared for. The contradiction is that while many of us have not been affected personally and have few members of our extended communities who have been touched by the virus, we all feel impacted by the disease.
There is virtually no corner of the world that has been untouched by COVID-19. Yet, the response to the virus has been different depending upon locale, politics and extent of the breakout. Even in our country, there have been very divergent responses and reactions to sheltering in place, testing and reopening. We are told that our current best chance at averting a larger infection and death toll is social distancing. Sheltering in place has had disastrous effects on our economy that likely will have repercussions for many years to come. And yet, we are urged and asked to be responsible toward each other by keeping our distance. Separated as we now are, we can recognize the compelling reasons for us to act for the good of the community, to come together as one, to ignore tribal differences and geographic distances, and take care of one another, even if from afar.
Just like the women and children who were excluded from the census, the vast majority of us have not been counted among those doing battle with the disease. Sometimes it is the very people who are not being counted who are the ones who must be counted upon. In these perilous times, we must respond to the question “Can we be counted on” with a resounding “yes”.
The pandemic reminds us that we are one fragile world. The outpouring of concern, donations and efforts to connect that we have seen in our work here at Jewish World Watch reminds us that there are people who can be counted on, even when the beneficiary of their kindnesses lives very far away. Our mission to rid the world of genocide and mass atrocities based on the elevation of differences in race, religion, gender, beliefs and behaviors continues. Please stand up and be counted as we reach out, with your support, to protect the most vulnerable among us.
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