—Numbers 1:19
The Great Wealth Debate
In a small town, two boys were locked in a heated argument
over whose father was the wealthiest.
“My dad’s the richest man in town,” declared the first
boy, puffing out his chest like he owned half the village. “Every time he walks
by, his pockets jingle like a tambourine. You hear him coming before you see
him. Coins, coins, coins. He’s practically a walking bank.”
The second boy gave a slow, knowing nod. “That’s true,” he
said, “your dad does make a lot of noise.”
“But my father? He carries a little velvet pouch. No jingling, no clinking. Just a quiet clunk when he sets it down. Inside? Diamonds. Tiny ones. They don’t look like much, but each one is worth more than all of your father’s coins put together!”
Can Israel Be Counted?
The book of Numbers begins, as its name suggests, with
a census of the Israelites. But this isn’t merely about tallying heads. It’s a
lesson in understanding who we are and what it means to belong to a unique
community.
The weekly Haftarah chimes in with a dramatic flourish:
“The number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which
cannot be measured nor counted” (Hosea 2:1).
At first glance, this sounds poetic: a nation beyond measure, as infinite as the grains of sand. Beautiful, right? But hold on. There’s a paradox: How do we talk about the number of the Jewish people if they can’t be counted?
Jangling Coins or Rare Jewels?
The Talmud offers a tidy solution. When the Jewish
people live according to God’s will, they’re like the sand on the
shore—uncountable, limitless. But when they stray from God’s commandments?
Well, then they’re just another nation—limited, finite, measurable.
A nation disconnected from its purpose is like a pocketful
of jangling coins. Easily counted, easily replaced, indistinguishable from any
other.
But when we live up to our potential, when we embrace the
Torah and its ideals, we become something different. We transcend mere numbers.
We become rare, priceless jewels. Even if you try to count us, our true worth
will never be captured.
