This week we begin reading the book of Bamidbar.As pointed out by Rabbi Naphtali Tzevi Yehudah Berlin (Netziv) in the introduction to his commentary, Ha'amek Davar, to Bamidbar, this fourth book of the Torah is also called, by the author of the early halachic work Halachos Gedolos, the book of 'pekudim,' or of countings, apparently in reference to the countings of the nation recorded in the book.Rabbi Berlin notes that the title, written in the plural, refers to two separate countings, one in this week's parsha, taken in the second year of the people's journey, and another in parshas Pinchas, taken in the fortieth year, when the people were about to enter the land of Cana'an. Why, he asks, should these two countings have such importance that they should determine the name of the entire book? He answers that there is a slight change between the two countings that highlights the transition the people underwent before they entered the land. In parshas Bamidbar, we find that the tribe of Ephraim is counted before that of Menashe, and in the counting in parshas Pinchas, Menashe precedes Ephraim. By analyzing the manner in which Ya'akov gave blessings to the progenitors of these two tribes, Rabbi Berlin shows that Ephraim had predominance in spiritual matters, while Menashe had predominance in physical matters.Thus, while the Jews were just beginning their trek in the wilderness, Ephraim was counted first, because that journey was typified by the supernatural divine providence bestowed upon the nation, manifested by their receiving their daily sustenance through the heaven-sent manna and the miraculous well of Miriam, being surrounded and protected by seven clouds of glory, and, in general, experiencing a constant flow of miracles. As they prepared to enter the land, however, they had to be slowly educated to live their lives in a more natural way, for in the land they would have to sustain themselves through working the land, and, in general, would no longer benefit from such clear miracles.Divine providence in the land would express itself within the regular workings of nature.To mark this, in parshas Pinchas, which discusses the division of the land among the various tribes, Menashe, who was predominant in physical matters, is counted first.Thus, the two countings in the book of Bamidbar, when examined closely, highlight the transition the nation underwent in moving from the wilderness to the land of Cana'an, and, for this reason, it is known as the book of countings, just as, in English, it is known as Numbers. I would like to offer a different explanation for giving the book this name, one which, besides telling us something about the nature of the book, also has a message relevant to Shavuos, which usually  ( although not this year) occurs during the week after which parshas Bamidbar is read. Ramban, in his commentary to this week's parsha, gives several reasons for the census recorded in it.One of these explanations, which he brings from the Midrash Rabbah to our parsha, is that, by singling out each person, he is given the honor that is his due, rather than being considered a mere cog in a vast machine.In fact, the word used for the command of counting-'seu'-literally means 'lift up.' By counting each person separately, Moshe was telling them that they each had an important, unique task to fulfill.The author of  Kli Yakar  gives a similar explanation.The commentary Sefas Emes points out that the reason that it is considered (according to most authorities) forbidden to count the Jewish people without the use of a half shekel or some other device that avoids a direct head count is the fear that a regular enumeration carries the danger of reducing each person to a mere number, whereas, in truth, each person constitutes an entire world, and as such, holds great importance.Many of the accounts we find in the book of Bamidbar do point to the uniqueness of the individual. For example, in parshas Beha'aloscha, we find that individuals who had been impure when the Pesach sacrifice was offered in the month of Nisan and were therefore not able to participate in it at that time, came to Moshe and asked for an opportunity to bring it.Moshe asked God what to do, and the divine response was to inform him of the laws of Pesach Sheni-the second Passover sacrifice- a divinely granted second chance to participate in this mitzvah.We also find, in parshas Naso, the case of the Nazir, the person who wants to accept upon himself an extra measure of restrictions.While some view this ability as a temporary corrective measure to offset an exaggerated degree of indulgence in the material aspects of life, Ramban, in his commentary, views it as a laudatory attempt to attain a higher degree of holiness.These and other sections of the book of Bamidbar underscore the importance of the individual as noted by the Ramban himself in his explanation of the census, and can help us understand why the book is also called the book of countings, or Numbers.

There is, however, another aspect of the unique importance of each individual that is brought out in the book of Bamidbar, and must be included in the message inherent in the name it is given by the Halachos Gedolos. In parshas Shelach we are told of the unfortunate episode of the spies, who brought back an evil report of the land of Cana'an and swayed the people to complain and resist entering it. Although twelve spies went on the mission to scout out the land, only ten of them brought back an evil report.Yehoshua and Calev told the people that the land was conquerable and that they should not accept the comments of their ten colleagues. Interestingly, the Talmud derives the requirement of ten men for a minyan from the fact that these ten people are referred to as 'edah'-a congregation.Yehoshua and Calev, thus, were able to assert their individuality and remove themselves from this group among which they were originally included, and told the people that they, too, should refrain from joining the ranks of this 'edah.' In other words, the unique value and nature of each individual places upon him the obligation to act as an individual and not be swept along with any immoral trends or groups that he may encounter. Because each person is singled out and honored, because he is uplifted and accorded separate recognition, he has an obligation to be unique, and reject those elements of his society that do not conform with the demands of the Torah. Because the nation did not do so, and was swayed by the argument of the spies, they were punished and not allowed into the land.The next counting we encounter in the book of Bamidbar is that of the new generation that will enter the land.Thus, the two countings highlight, on the one hand, the unique character of the individual, and, on the other hand, the consequent obligation to assert that uniqueness, and the consequences involved when one does not do so.

The dual nature of the uniqueness of the individual is brought out very starkly in a mishnah in Sanhedrin (5,4), part of which was made famous by the film 'Schindler's List.' The mishnah discusses the procedure involved in testifying in capital cases.How, asks the mishnah, do we warn these witnesses, to ensure that they will indeed go ahead and give their testimony, and do so in a completely proper manner? The Mishnah states that they are told that what they are about to do has tremendous importance, and that if they testify falsely they will be responsible for the irreplacable loss of a human life.They are then told, "Therefore,man (Adam) was created alone, to teach you that whoever destroys a life is considered as if he destroyed the entire world, and whoever preserves a life is considered as if he maintained the entire world.......and to teach the greatness of God, for man makes many coins with one stamp (or mold) and they are all identical, while the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, coined all people with the stamp of the first man, and not one of them is identical to another. Therefore every person is obligated to say, 'the world was created for me'." The message of this mishnah, following the thought we have been developing, is that because each man is unique, he is obligated to consider himself as the only person in the world, and act in a moral way, offering his testimony in an honest fashion, regardless of any outside forces that may pull him in another direction. The gift of uniqueness carries with it the obligation to act in a unique manner when the forces around one all tell him to follow the crowd. This idea lies in the center of the book of Bamidbar, and serves as an important introduction to the festival of Shavuos, which celebrates the giving of the Torah, the blueprint of our lifestyle.