Our Gemara on Amud Aleph discusses the special rules that apply to items that are counted (davar shebeminyan), that is, sold and valued by each item instead of volume. For example, one buys cheese by the pound but danishes by the unit. When an item is valued to the extent that it is seen as an individual unit, it may not be subject to nullification. A piece of unkosher cheese that gets mixed into a much larger quantity of kosher may be subject to nullification, but a danish might not be nullified since the individual unit has a degree of significance or unique character. This fits under the general idea that items which have an intrinsic, distinctive nature are not subject to nullification, such as a complete object that is, or has been, alive (beriyah—literally, “created thing”) and has a name that is distinct when whole. A tiny insect or giant beast only retains its name when it is whole; no one calls a body part the same name as the animal. This is why a bug, no matter how small, if still whole, cannot be nullified in a mixture.
There is a dispute between Rabbi Yochanan and Reish Lakish regarding what is the threshold that defines a davar shebeminyan. Rabbi Yochanan requires that the item is always counted, and Reish Lakish says even if it is counted at times. Their dispute might be seen as dependent on whether the item is exclusive and distinctive or it is merely an item that has the ability to be distinctive and is occasionally treated as such. Consider the difference between a diamond and a baseball. Every diamond is unique and probably not sold en masse. But baseballs are counted and sold individually or by unit, though they might also be sold as a bunch and certainly not seen as unique.
The Divrei Dovid on Rashi (introduction) uses these distinctions in a remarkable and creative fashion. Rashi at the beginning of Bamidbar offers context and explanation for numerous times the Jews are counted:
“Because they were dear to Him, He counts them all the time: when they went forth from Egypt He counted them (Exodus 12:37), when many of them fell in consequence of their having worshipped the golden calf He counted them to ascertain the number of those left (cf. Rashi Exodus 30:16); when He was about to make His Shechinah dwell amongst them (i.e., when He commanded them to make a Tabernacle), He again took their census.”
The Divrei Dovid reflects that if an item that is counted is not nullified, then this quality of distinction in the Jewish people—being counted by God—will help them to not be assimilated and erased during their exile. He develops the idea further. The three counting periods (leaving Egypt, the sin of the Golden Calf, and the Mishkan) correspond to three ways in which an item can be distinctive and not be nullified.
First, if the item is so distinctive that it is a beriyah, a living entity, it will not be overcome by the majority. This is symbolic of the Jewish people prior to the redemption from Egypt. They were known for not changing their names or their language or their clothing, and this kept them unique and distinct as Jews and prevented them from being nullified by the majority of the Egyptians and absorbed into their culture. This distinction is predicated on being righteous enough that one stands out as a proud Jew keeping to his traditions and morals. That is comparable to the item that is always counted.
However, there are times where a Jew is more sinful and loses his identity; here he is an item that is only occasionally counted, but not consistently counted. However, according to Reish Lakish, if specifically counted for a census, even if not always counted, it will still prevent them from being lost. This is represented by the census conducted after the sin of the Golden Calf, where the Jews lost their uniqueness as righteous Jews because of their sins.
The final counting, which was conducted at the time of the dedication of the Mishkan, represents a return to the state of a beriyah—an intrinsically distinct and unique object that is not nullified. However, only the whole creature merits distinction; if it was broken up and not whole, it would not. We saw that the smallest insect is not nullified, but if it became disintegrated, it would be. So too, the Jewish people need to be in a whole spiritual state without internal disintegration and inconsistency. When they achieved that state and were counted in that way, they merited the manifestation of the Shekhinah in their midst.
The Jewish personality throughout history has ebbed in and out of being counted by society in one way or another. The intuitive morals, ambition, religious strivings, intellectual and artistic creativity have led Jews to be in and out of every culture and country they occupy. At times at the center of revolutions and other times at the center of hatred. At times a voice of moral clarity and at other times an example of the most atheistic and depraved behaviors. Somehow, like the gifted but troubled child, we are always at the center of attention—for good or bad.
Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation
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Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, LCSW-R, LMFT, DHL is a psychotherapist who works with high conflict couples and families. He can be reached via email at simchafeuerman@gmail.com