Who are the Israelis?

[Ringo]

 

[rylah]

Bamidbar: Collectivism or Individualism?​

Why does the Torah command Moses to count the Israelites in Parashat Bamidbar?

Counting can reduce people to numbers, making the individual insignificant. Throughout history, societies have swung between collectivism, where only the mass matters, and individualism — where only personal identity matters.

What is the Torah’s message about the relationship between the individual and the collective?

Rabbi Oury Cherki explains that Judaism teaches a balance: the collective gains meaning only when it honors each individual’s name, and the individual fulfills their purpose within the collective. Not collectivism or individualism, but a unity where both enrich each other.

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