If You Can’t Trust Moshe, Who Can You Trust?

And Hashem spoke to Moshe in the wilderness of Sinai from within the Tent of Meeting on the first day of the second month in the second year from their departure from the Land of Egypt saying: Count all of the assembly of Bnai Yisrael according to their families and the households of their fathers according to the names of every male by their heads. (Sefer BeMidbar 1:1-2)

1. The censuses of Sefer BeMidbar and Sefer Shemot

Sefer BeMidbar is also referred to as Sefer Pekudim – the Book of the Censuses. This name is assigned to Sefer BeMidbar because it opens with a census of the nation. A second census is described toward the end of the sefer. In other words, most of the material in the sefer is found between these two censuses.

In the above passages Hashem instructs Moshe regarding the first of the censuses. It is unclear whether this is the first or the second census taken of the nation. Sefer Shemot includes an account of a census taken at the time that the Mishcan was created. The Torah tells us that according to that census the nation included 603,550 males over the age of twenty. The census described in the opening passages of Sefer BeMidbar is focused on this identical demographic group – males over the age of twenty. The census yields the same result as the one described in Sefer Shemot. The group includes 603,550 members. This suggests that both accounts describe a single census.[1]

Others dispute this conclusion. They contend that the accounts describe two distinct events. A census was taken prior to the construction of the Mishcan. This is the census described in Sefer Shemot. Sefer BeMidbar is opening with the description of a second census. Of course, this poses a problem. It is remarkable that the two events yielded the same outcome. In both the number of individuals tallied is identical.

2. The miracle of the BeMidbar census and its message

Gershonides – Ralbag responds to this criticism. He explains that each census counted the males between the ages of twenty and sixty. In the period between the two censuses, some members of the first census passed the age of sixty. These individuals were replaced by an identical number of young people who attained the age of twenty. Therefore, the totals of the two censuses are identical.

Ralbag acknowledges that this is a remarkable outcome. Under normal circumstances, the number of young people reaching the age of twenty would exceed those passing the age of sixty. This is because the older and age group, the less its members. Mortality rates generally increase in correspondence with age. The mortality rate for older people is higher than the rate for younger people. In a typical population sample, the number of people attaining the age of twenty will exceed the number of people who approaching the age sixty. Therefore, we would expect the second census to yield a larger total than the first census. The number of young people entering the census should exceed the number of elderly people leaving the census population.

Gershonides concludes that the result of the census suggest that a miracle, of sorts, took place. The number of older people was significantly larger than normal. This group did not experience the typical mortality rate. Their number was somewhat bloated. Consequently, an adequate number of elders passed the age of sixty to balance the number of young people attaining the age of twenty.[2]

Why would Hashem bring about this miracle? Ralbag suggest that the intention of the miracle was to communicate a message. Hashem would maintain the nation in the wilderness. The people would live their full years. Their travels through a harsh environment would not afflict them and weigh on the elderly. They would not die prematurely because of the stresses posed by their travels and the environment.[3]

From the age of twenty years of age and above, all that go forth in a host, you should count them according to their hosts – you and Aharon. With you should be a man from each tribe. Each man should be the head of the household of his fathers. (Sefer BeMidbar 1:3-4)

3. The purposes of the BeMidbar census

The Torah does not explicitly explain the purpose of this census. The above passage suggests that the purpose was to determine how many men were included on the “hosts” of the nation. These hosts are apparently the army of the nation. In other words, the census determined how many warriors were among the people.

 

This is a reasonable explanation for the census. The nation was leaving Sinai and embarking upon its journey to the Land of Israel. The plan was for Bnai Yisrael to soon enter the land promised to their forefathers and capture it from its inhabitants. This would require Bnai Yisrael to be prepared to battle these nations. This was the appropriate time to organize an army for the forthcoming campaign.

However, in the above passages Moshe is instructed to enlist a leader from each shevet – tribe – to join him in the process of taking the census. Why were these representatives required? It seems that this census would have some impact upon the individual shevatim – tribes. Therefore, Hashem directed Moshe to include representatives from the shevatim. What was this impact?

Malbim explains that this census not only tallied the warriors of the nation. It also would serve as the basis for the divisions of the Land of Israel among the shevatim. Each shevet would receive a portion of the land corresponding with the size of its population.

Malbim explains that because of this second objective Moshe was required to enlist the assistance of these leaders. They would advise Moshe regarding the assignment of each individual to his proper shevet.[4]

And they arose from before Moshe with two hundred fifty men – leader of the assembly, those summoned on important occasions, men of reputation. (Sefer BeMidbar 16:2)

4. Hashem anticipated that the census would engender suspicion

According to Malbim, the representatives of the shevatim serve a practical and essential function. They assigned the individuals in the census to their appropriate tribe. However, there is another plausible reason for requiring Moshe to enlist these leaders into the process of taking the census.

The above passages introduce the Torah’s account of Korach’s rebellion. Korach enlisted a number of prominent leaders to his cause. Together, they challenged Moshe’s authority. Specifically, they contended that Moshe had seized power for himself and his closest family members. This account is both remarkable and instructive.

It is remarkable that the sincerity, objectivity, and motives of Moshe would be challenged.

Moshe had risked everything in opposing Paroh. He had placed his own life in jeopardy in order to demand the liberation of his people. Moshe was the greatest of all prophets. He had ascended Sinai and returned with the tablets of the Decalogue and with the Torah he had received directly from Hashem. How could the Korach enlist two hundred and fifty leaders – individuals of substance – to join him in challenging Moshe?

The account is instructive. It communicates to us that this is human nature. Even Moshe was subject to suspicion and of serving self-interest. Our relationships with our leaders are complex. They are influenced and formed not only be objective observation. They are also the products of our own internal dynamics – our inner psychology. We strive to be objective and fair but sometimes fail and misjudge even the most righteous and selfless leaders.

This suggests that Hashem may have had another good reason for requiring that Moshe enlist these leaders in the conducting of this census. This census would determine the distribution of the Land of Israel among the shevatim. The process had the potential for fostering intense discontent. It could engender terrible envy and conflict. In order to avoid these outcomes, it was essential that the people recognize the census as equitable. The outcome must be credible. Moshe – acting alone – could not produce a census result that would be accepted as credible by the entire nation. He could only secure the acquiescence of the nation to his conclusions through including their leaders in the process.

5. We cannot expect to do better than Moshe and his generation

There are messages here for both a community and its leaders. Community members must recognize that their judgments of their leaders may not be completely objective. Moshe was misjudged by his generation. We are not greater people than those lead by Moshe. We should humbly acknowledge that our judgments may be as flawed as those of Moshe’s generation.

There is a message here for those who are leaders or aspire to be leaders. A leader must be able to accept criticism. He must be prepared to accept even unreasonable and unjustified criticism. He should not imagine that he will be a more effective or impressive personality than Moshe. Moshe was subjected to cruel and unfair assessment. Contemporary leaders should not expect to be above such criticism.

There is a second message here for leaders. Moshe was told by Hashem to enlist the nation’s leaders in the conducting of the census. He did not protest that the people should trust him and not question the credibility of his conclusions. He understood the wisdom of conducting himself in a manner that would not evoke suspicions – even unreasonable and unfair suspicion. Contemporary leaders can take a lesson from this episode. A leader must conduct himself with honesty and integrity. He must also strive to place himself above suspicion – even unjustified suspicion. Sometimes this requires taking measures like those Hashem directed Moshe to take. He must be proactive. He must take those measures that proactively assure the community of the integrity of his actions and decisions.

 

[1] This interpretation is championed by Rabbaynu Yosef Bechor Shur. (Rabbaynu Yosef Bechor Shur, Commentary on Sefer BeMidbar 1:1) It is subject to a number of criticisms. Among these is that the census here described takes place at a later date than the census described in Sefer Shemot. Rabbaynu Yosef Bechor Shur is aware of the objections to his perspective and briefly addresses them in his commentary.

[2] Ralbag notes that in Sefer BeMidbar Hashem instructs Moshe to not include the tribe of Leyve in the census. This exclusion is not mentioned in Sefer Shemot. Ralbag concludes that, although not noted in the Torah’s narrative, Shevet Leyve was not included in the Sefer Shemot census.

[3] Rabbaynu Levi ben Gershon (Ralbag / Gershonides), Commentary on Sefer Beresheit, 1:1.

[4] Rav Meir Leibush ben Yechiel Michel (Malbim), HaTorah VeHaMitzvah – Commentary on Sefer BeMidbar 1:4.