יום ראשון, 20 במאי 2012

Head Count - Bamidbar 5770

1:2 & ב  שְׂאוּ, אֶת-רֹאשׁ כָּל-עֲדַת בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל, לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם, לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם--בְּמִסְפַּר שֵׁמוֹת, כָּל-זָכָר לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָם  The Posuk says L’gulgiloisam by each Sheivet. However, when the Leviim are counted the Posuk does not use L’gulgiloisam. R’ Yonason Eibishitz explains that L’gulgiloisam means to their heads. The question is, if you have a person with 2 heads how would he be counted in this counting, as one person or as two? Logically, he should be counted as one. However, the word L’gulgiloisam implies that he is counted as two.
There is a concept by Traifois that if someone has an extra limb it affects him as if that original limb was missing. So for example if someone has two heads the understanding is that he is a Traifa as he could not survive. Therefore, by the other Shevatim that were counted from the age of 20 and older, if someone had been born with two heads he would not be alive at the age of 20. So the expression L’gulgiloisam is very appropriate. The Leviim however, that are counted from the age of 30 days, it is theoretically possible that there would be someone with two heads and therefore the L’gulgiloisam method of counting would be inaccurate and that is why the Posuk doesn’t use that term.

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