Bamidbar: Non-miraculous Miracles
Bamidbar: Non-miraculous Miracles

The Rabbinic title for the book of Bamidbar is “Sefer HaPikudim” or “The Book of Numbers,” which may be counterintuitive because counting the Jewish people seems to be a peripheral and unimportant detail.  Although they are counted twice in the book, it seems to be a technical way to know how many Jews there were, and not an event anything should be named for. 

Wouldn’t something more central be more appropriate?  Is enumerating the Jews somehow representative of the book’s larger goals? Taking a look at Bamidbar as a whole and understanding it’s theme, may help us understand why the Rabbis named the book as they did.

The Netziv (Introduction to Bamidbar) observes that the wars fought against Canaan and Sichon, found towards the end of Bamidbar, were fundamentally different in nature than previously wars.  Until now the Jews won wars miraculously because Hashem fought for them (Shemot 14:13) bringing ten plagues, splitting the sea and drowning the Egyptians in it afterwards.  However, by contrast, the battles with Canaan and Sichon were fought naturally.

Additionally, he notes, towards the end of the book Moshe stops using his staff that was previously instrumental in bringing miracles.  Based on these observation and others, the Netziv concludes that Bamidbar illustrates the transformation the Jews undertook progressing from a metaphysical existence into a mundane one.  Bamidbar tells the story of how that metamorphosis took place, how the Jews developed from a supernatural post-Egypt nation into a normative pre-Israel one. 

One may even further suggest that Moshe’s mistake of hitting the rock was because he used his staff, an instrument designed for miracles, however, an instrument of the past.  As a result he did not lead the Jews into Israel, instead Yehoshua did, a leader designed for the Jewish future.

Based upon this theory of the book of Bamidbar he further explains that counting the Jews twice captures each of these two stages.  Moreover, whereas the first count Aharon assisted Moshe, now it was Eleizar, perhaps on a deeper level its because Eleizar was the Kohen designed to service the Jewish people in Israel.  And if the original counting highlights their statue of post-Egypt, then understandably the next section recorded by the Torah is their travel plans, while immediate juxtaposed to the second count is how to divide and inhibit the land of Israel. 

Buttressing this point, the Netziv quotes two Midrashim.  One which breaks the book of Bamidbar into three parts.  The first describes the post-Egypt stage, third the pre-Israel stage and the middle surrounded by two upside-down ‘nuns’ (Bamidbar 10:35-37) divides them.  The other Midrash contrasts the beginning of the book from the end labeling the first half as light and second the second dark.  The explanation of the otherwise puzzling Midrash lies along the same lines, in the beginning of the book the Jews’ existence is represented by light for they lived a supernatural lifestyle and at the end they live a mundane life deplete from miracles represented by darkness.

However this second Midrash may capture an additional element.  The darkness of the second half of Bamidbar may reflect the nations’ sins which led to their punishment of having to remain in the desert for forty years.  While the first half of Bamidbar captures how the Jews lived supernaturally, as well as their planned start on a path towards Israel, the second half captures the national transformation into a mundane nation, as well as the fact that they are not yet ready for Israel and have to wait forty more years.

It is precisely why the second counting is introduced with “And it was after the plague” (Bamidbar 26:1).  The second counting captures not only their shift to a new mundane existence but also the fact that they are still in the desert instead of Israel where they should have been.  The original plan was to transfer from a post-Egyptian state into an Israeli one, not a pre-Israel one.  It is precisely the sin leading to the plague, and other similar mistakes like it that caused them to still be in the desert as opposed to Israel.

Perhaps the religious take-home message is twofold.  Firstly, the ultimate religious dream is to cultivate a normal and non-miraculous society in the land of Israel.  Hashem’s original plan was not just to deliver the Jews from the land of Egypt into Israel, but for them to create for themselves normal devout lives there.  Committed religious behavior and observance is all the great when done without miracles precipitating or inspiring it.  In short our national dream is to create a normal society in Israel that

However, there is a second conclusion to draw.  Along the way there are hurdles and challenges that cause a nation to take a step backwards before taking two steps forward.  Although Bamidbar concludes with the ‘darkness’ of setback, Devorim is an inspiring speech for future success that comes to fruition in the Book of Yehoshua.  Although the journey is long and contains ups and downs, we should look ahead with optimism and positivity, knowing that it is our destiny and that sooner or later, we will reach our goal.