Rabbi’s Message: May 27, 2025

As we open the Book of Numbers (Sefer Bamidbar) this week with Parashat B’midbar, we find ourselves once again standing at the threshold of the wilderness with our ancestors, just before we arrive at Mount Sinai. The parashah begins with a seemingly bureaucratic task: a census of the Israelite community. Names, tribes, numbers. A tally of the people.

At first glance, it might feel dry or technical—but beneath the surface lies a powerful spiritual message.

In Hebrew, the Book of Numbers is called Bamidbar, meaning “in the wilderness.” It is in this uncharted, open space that our people begin to recover, to organize, to journey, to grow. And it is there—in a place of uncertainty—that each individual is counted, by name, by lineage, and with intention.

God commands Moses not just to count the people, but to “lift up the head” (se’u et rosh) of each individual (Numbers 1:2). It’s a phrase that speaks to more than arithmetic. It’s about dignity. It’s about being seen. It’s about mattering.

In our own lives, especially in this season as we prepare for Shavuot and reflect on our journey from freedom to responsibility, Parashat B’midbar reminds us: everyone counts. Not just in the census, but in the community. Every voice, every soul, every story has value. We are not just numbers—we are names. We are needed.

As we read B’midbar, may we take the message to heart. May we strive to see others as God sees them: with infinite worth. And may we be reminded, especially in moments of doubt or feeling lost in our own wilderness, that we, too, count.

Wishing you a wonderful week, a Shavuah Tov,

Rabbi Lauren Ben-Shoshan