Shemos: Nominal Identity and Numerical Significance
Liluei Nishmas Ita bas Chanoch Aharon Bistritzky
In this week's Parsha, we transitioned from the Book of Bereishis to Shemos. Stylistically, Bereishis was focused on individuals and their personal journeys. In Shemos, the story of the collective, of the Jewish people as a nation with a shared destiny, is told. The arc of Chumash Shemos starts with the grim realities of slavery in Egypt. It culminates in the triumphant redemption and the divine presence, ultimately dwelling among us through the Mishkan.
The opening verses of Shemos recount the names and then tallies the number of Yacov's children. Coming from Chumash Berieishis, the obvious question is: Why this repetition? An almost identical counting was done in Parshas Vayigash as the Jewish people descended to Egypt. Rashi asks this question and concludes that the recounting is a statement of God's love for the Jewish people. In this context, to count is to cherish; the statement is a powerful one according to rating, even in the depth of exile and servitude, and in the darkest moments of history, the Torah reminds us that the Jewish people are cherished. However, while this merits a recount, why are there two modes of counting? What is the message of the two counts, one by name, the other by number?
One aspect of the Jewish identity is our part of a greater collective – a nation with a shared history and destiny. This posits the Torah is not the full story of what it means to be a jew; the other aspect is the individual significance, where each name, each soul, matters independently.
This nominal and numerical counting tells a dual story that can serve as a sort of thesis statement for Sefer Shemos. The story of the Exodus is not just a recounting of historical subjugation but a story that is told and retold through history and through our individual lives. It alludes to the resilient spirit of a people who, despite oppression, are destined to emerge as a nation fortified by a unique bond with God. This relationship is not distant or impersonal; it is intimate and individualized. This transformation of God from a transcendent author of history and national destiny into a personal, accessible presence is perhaps the deeper story of Sefer Shemos.
The culmination of this journey is the giving of the Torah and the construction of the Mishkan. We can also see this thread of a personal god inviting each individual to these pivotal milestones. The first words that the Jews hear from God directly are "I am the lord your god" in Hebrew, the "your" is stated in the singular tense, a personal declaration between God and the individual jew. The commandment to build the Mishkan, "And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them," is also noted by Rashi as a call for a personal relationship with the Divine, affirming that God dwells not just in the Mishkan but within each individual.
The duality of counting in Shemos is thus a profound message about the nature of redemption. It emphasizes that true liberation, whether from physical bondage or personal spiritual exile, requires recognition of our worth. Each person's struggles, experiences, and redemption "count" and are cherished, holding intrinsic value. This perspective is reflected in how we recount the Exodus multiple times a day, not as a distant historical event but as a personal journey of liberation that each Jew undergoes daily. As the Talmud states, "Every day, a person is obligated to see themselves as if they had left Egypt."
While heritage often frames the connection, we initiate our redemption in intimate communion with the Divine through prayer and individual mitzvot. The secret to contending with exile and finding true redemption lies in this balance: before we can be redeemed as a people, we need to believe that each individual matters. To see God's hand in history, we must first practice seeing it daily.
Adapted from “Life Talks on the Parsha By Rabbi Adin Even-Israel (Steinsaltz)”