Our oldest daughter just graduated
from college. In Canada, we would say she just graduated from university. In
either case, she completed her coursework and graduated as with a BA in
Political Science and a BA in History. The entire weekend was very nice.
Because the University is so large there were two separate graduations. The
first occurred on Shabbat, when her school, School of Arts and Sciences held a
ceremony. Since that ceremony involved a smaller number than the several
thousand from all the undergraduate programs, her name was called individually,
she walked across the stage and received some type of certificate. On Sunday,
the Commencement activities for all several thousand graduates occurred.
Several individual spoke including one graduating students and one keynote
speaker. Then the graduating class stood up and moved their tassels from one
site of the cap to the other side. Both ceremonies were tasteful. Neither
ceremony lasted too long. The speakers were all appropriate and each ceremony
fulfilled their respective function. In one, our daughter was recognized for
her academic performance as an individual within a department. In the other our
daughter was one of the nameless thousands that joined the ranks of 110,000
total alumni from that particular institution. In each ceremony, our daughter was
a number, and part of something much greater. However during the course of the
entire weekend neither of those two ceremonies was as significant as her
Shabbat community and the meaning of the numbers within that community. Certainly
the Shabbat community was smaller than her undergraduate school or the entire
university. However, her most meaningful friendships, the Rabbi and especially
the Rebbetzin who played such a large role in her life during these past four
years, the people who opinion matters the most to her, the place where she
shared common values was with this Shabbat community. In a sense these men and
woman who were incredibly active with the Jewish life on campus, created a
cocoon for each other, a safe haven where each one mattered as an individual
and each one could see the value that they brought to the this very unique
community.
This Shabbat we read from Parshat Bemidbar
which is the first Parsha of the fourth book of the Torah Bemidbar. Literally
meaning “In the Wilderness”, this fourth book of the Torah resumes its
narrative format with B'nai Yisroel preparing to leave the foot of Mount Sinai.
For the past year, B'nai Yisroel has essentially camped out at Har Sinai and
listened to Moshe and Aharon teach all the laws concerning Tamei/Tahor –Purity
and Impurity, Kodesh and Chol – the Holy and the Mundane, as well as the laws
for Korbonot, sacrificial offerings. Prior to B'nai Yisroel’s embarking on the
remainder of its journey a census is required. In fact, Parsha Bemidbar
consists of three types of census. The first census counts all men over the age
of twenty that come from all the tribes except for the Levites. Since the
journey will be fraught with danger, as well as hostile tribes, ascertaining
the size of B'nai Yisroel’s fighting force makes sense. The second census
focuses only upon the Levites. Since this tribes’ sole function is to operate
and manage the Mishkan, ascertaining the number of workers in the Mishkan
suggests the importance of the Mishkan to the everyday life of the B'nai
Yisroel. The third census focuses upon the organizational placement of each
tribe around the Mishkan while traveling.
While the focus of each census is
different, intrinsic to each census is a certain degree of commonality. That
commonality has to do with function. Those that are counted have a specific
purpose and therefore require counting.
That is not to say those who are not counted are not considered important.
Rather those that are counted have a specific function. In the first census God
command’s Moshe S’u Et Rosh Kol Aat Bnai
Yisroel L’Mishpechotam L’Veit Avotam Mispar Sheimot Kol Zachar L’Gulgulotam; Miben Esrim Shana
Va’Malah Kol Yotzei Tzavah B’Yisroel Tifkedu Otam….- Take a census of the entire assembly of the Children of Israel
according to their families, according
to their father’s household, by number of the names and every male according to
their head count; from twenty years of
age an up everyone who goes out to the legion in Israel, you shall count them (Num.
1:2-3)…. The Levites have another specific role within the community. Yisu et Ha’Mishkan – they shall carry the Mishkan and tend to it
(Num. 1:50)….
These different censuses remind us
of one vital aspect regarding the role of the individual to the community.
Every individual plays a role in the community. Even if that role is different
from other roles, each role carries with it an intrinsic value. The degree of
importance, the level of status placed upon each role, is a human endeavor.
That is a value judgment that we make. However in terms of the community, and
in terms of God’s relationship to us, each role possesses its own intrinsic
value, an importance to the welfare of our community. The Rabbi, the wealthiest
person, and the simplest laborer each counts as one person towards a minyan.
Each gives Tzedakkah according to his ability to do so. As our daughter
interviews for jobs and eventually begins work and moves to a community, we
pray that just as she found such a special community within her University; she
will find a community, become involved in a community and count in the well
being in that community that is just as meaningful as her University Shabbat community.
May we remember what our role in the community is and if we wish to be counted
in the community, then we also must accept the idea that we will be counted
upon as well.
Peace,
Rav Yitz
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