Counting Bnei Yisrael

Found 9 Search results

1. The Daughters of Zelophehad

   Rabbanit Sharon Rimon

   The census in Parashat Pinhas is in anticipation of the division of the land. Why does the Torah insert two unrelated stories - the story of Datan, Aviram, and the sons of Korah, and the story of the daughters of Zelophehad? Apparently these are stories describing situations in which a person might lose his inheritance in the land, following a severe sin, or in a case of no legal heirs. Zelophehad's daughters claim that their father, who had no sons, does not deserve to lose his inheritance as someone who sinned severely, like Korah.

2. Families

   Rabbi Ezra Bick

   The key to understanding the unique nature of Parashat Pinhas is the significance of the families in this census. The families are emphasized throughout the counting process.

3. Families (Audio)

   Rabbi Ezra Bick | 12 minutes

   The key to understanding the unique nature of Parashat Pinhas is the significance of the families in this census. The families are emphasized throughout the counting process.

4. The Second Census

   Rabbi Yair Kahn

   תאריך פרסום: תשע"ו | | 15 minutes

   Why were the people of Israel commanded to battle Midian twice, and what does this teach us about the evolution of Israel's national identity?

5. Erev Shabbat Parshat Ki Tisa - A Census Prohibition

   Rabbi Ezra Bick | 14 minutes

   Parashat Ki Tisa has an unusual set of te’amim (cantillation notes) at the beginning of the instructions relating to conducting a census of Bnei Yisrael. We look at the meaning of the Divine command and prohibition, and ask why King David mistakenly thought he could conduct a census without penalty.

6. Rounding of the Numbers of the Censes of Bnei Yisrael

   Rabbi Elchanan Samet

   What is the Torah's system for transmitting these numerical data? Does the Torah round to hundreds, to tens, or not at all? This article addresses this question through an examination of the censes listed throughout Sefer Bamidbar. 

7. Ramban on Bamidbar: "Tifkedu Otam" - Remembrance and Supervision

   Rabbi Ezra Bick | 38 minutes

   The book of Bemidbar begins with a census – a Divine command to count.  Ramban discusses what the word used for count - "pakad" actually means- to actively remember and supervise.

   We explore the meaning of a census and why it is  generally forbidden and severely limited. The finite and infinite clash. The notion of counting is limiting, minimizing, whereas the Jewish people are in process of increasing, expanding. 

    

8. Parshat Bemidbar - Of Counting and Consequences

   Rabbi Chanoch Waxman | 35 minutes

   Parashat Bemidbar begins with a census. We will be discussing the topic of counting in this shiur. What is the purpose of counting and how is it done?

   We compare with Parashat Ki Tisa (Shekalim) and ask: why is it that counting can lead to a plague? Why is it that kofer – machazit hashekel can fix this problem?

9. Parashat Pinhas and the Primacy of Counting in the Book of Bemidbar

   Dr. Yael Ziegler | 34 minutes

   At the beginning of Parashat Pinhas is the second Divine command to count Bnei Yisrael (the first at beginning of Bemidbar).)  This event has far more importance than just counting the people. It becomes the name for the book: the Sages' name for the book of Bemidbar  is"The Book of Counting" - the Sages – see it as the essence of the book.

   We examin various suggested reasons for God's command to count Bnei Yisrael, and we note that the second counting has a major difference in the reasons for counting from that of the first census: we find military vs. inheritance to explain the disparities.