פְּקֹד כָּל בְּכוֹר זָכָר. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: מֵאֲשֶׁר יָקַרְתָּ בְּעֵינַי נִכְבַּדְתָּ וַאֲנִי אֲהַבְתִּיךָ וָאֶתֵּן אָדָם תַּחְתֶּיךָ וּלְאֻמִּים תַּחַת נַפְשֶׁךָ (ישעיה מג, ד). אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, לְיַעֲקֹב, יַעֲקֹב, הַרְבֵּה אַתָּה יָקָר בְּעֵינַי. לָמָּה, כִּבְיָכוֹל, קָבַעְתִּי אִיקוֹנִין שֶׁלְּךָ בְּכִסֵּא כְּבוֹדִי, וּבְשִׁמְךָ הַמַּלְאָכִים מְקַלְּסִין אוֹתִי וְאוֹמְרִים: בָּרוּךְ ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִן הָעוֹלָם וְעַד הָעוֹלָם (תהלים קו, מח). הֱוֵי, מֵאֲשֶׁר יָקַרְתָּ בְּעֵינַי דָּבָר אַחֵר, מֵאֲשֶׁר יָקַרְתָּ בְּעֵינַי נִכְבַּדְתָּ. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, יָקַרְתָּ בְּעֵינַי. כִּבְיָכוֹל, אֲנִי וּמַלְאָכַי נִצָּבִים לְפָנֶיךָ בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁיָּצָאתָ לֵילֵךְ לְפַדַּן אֲרָם וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁבָּאתָ. בִּיצִיאָתְךָ מִנַּיִן. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיֵּצֵא יַעֲקֹב וְגוֹ', וַיִּפְגַּע בַּמָּקוֹם, וַיַּחֲלֹם וְהִנֵּה סֻלָּם וְגוֹ', וְהִנֵּה ה' נִצָּב עָלָיו (בראשית כח, י-יג). אָמַר רַבִּי אוֹשַׁעְיָה, אַשְׁרֵי יְלוּד אִשָּׁה שֶׁכֵּן רָאָה הַמֶּלֶךְ וּפָמַלְיָא שֶׁלּוֹ עוֹמְדִין עָלָיו וּמְשַׁמְּשִׁין אוֹתוֹ. בִּשְׁעַת בִּיאָתוֹ מִנַּיִן. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְיַעֲקֹב הָלַךְ לְדַרְכּוֹ וַיִּפְגְּעוּ בּוֹ מַלְאֲכֵי אֱלֹהִים (שם לב, ב), הֲרֵי הַמַּלְאָכִים. הַשְּׁכִינָה מִנַּיִן. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיֵּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶל יַעֲקֹב עוֹד בְּבוֹאוֹ מִפַּדַּן אֲרָם וַיְבָרֵךְ אוֹתוֹ (שם לה, ט). לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר: מֵאֲשֶׁר יָקַרְתָּ בְּעֵינַי נִכְבַּדְתָּ וְגוֹ'. דָּבָר אַחֵר, מֵאֲשֶׁר יָקַרְתָּ בְּעֵינַי. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, יָקָר אַתָּה בְּעֵינַי, שֶׁכָּל הָאֻמּוֹת לֹא נָתַתִּי לָהֶם מִנְיָן, וּלְךָ נָתַתִּי מִנְיָן. מָשָׁל לְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה. לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁהָיוּ לוֹ גְּרָנוֹת הַרְבֵּה, וְהָיוּ כֻּלָּן טִנּוֹפוֹת מְלֵאוֹת זוּנִין, וְהוּא אֵינוֹ מְדַקְדֵּק בְּמִנְיָנָן. וְהָיָה לוֹ גֹּרֶן, רָאָה אוֹתָהּ נָאָה, אָמַר לְבֶן בֵּיתוֹ, אוֹתָן הַגְּרָנוֹת שֶׁהֵן טִנּוֹפוֹת וּמְלֵאוֹת זוֹנִין, לֹא הָיִיתִי מְדַקְדֵּק בְּמִנְיָנָם. אֲבָל הַגֹּרֶן הַזֹּאת, חִטִּין יָפוֹת הֵן, לָכֵן אֲנִי רוֹצֶה לְדַקְדֵּק בְּמִנְיָנָהּ לֵידַע כַּמָּה כּוּרִין יֵשׁ בָּהּ, כַּמָּה שַׂקִּים יֵשׁ בָּהּ, כַּמָּה מִדּוֹת יֵשׁ בָּהּ. כָּךְ, הַמֶּלֶךְ, זֶה מֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא. וְהַגֹּרֶן, אֵלּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: מְדֻשָׁתִי וּבֶן גָּרְנִי (ישעיה כא, י). וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר, קֹדֶשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל לַה' רֵאשִׁית תְּבוּאָתוֹ (ירמיה ב, ג). בֶּן בֵּיתוֹ, זֶה מֹשֶׁה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: בְּכָל בֵּיתִי נֶאֱמָן הוּא (במדבר יב, ז). אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, הָעַכּוּ״ם טִנּוֹפוֹת הֵן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְהָיוּ עַמִּים מִשְׂרְפוֹת סִיד, קוֹצִים כְּסוּחִים בָּאֵשׁ יֻצָּתוּ (ישעיה לג, יב), לְכָךְ אַל תְּדַקְדֵּק בְּמִנְיָנָם. אֲבָל יִשְׂרָאֵל צַדִּיקִים הֵם, חִטִּים בְּרוּרִים הֵם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים (שם ס, כא). וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר, כֻּלָּךְ יָפָה רַעֲיָתִי וּמוּם אֵין בָּךָ (שה״ש ד, ז), לְפִיכָךְ אֲנִי מְדַקְדֵּק בְּמִנְיָנָם שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְכָךְ עָשָׂה מֹשֶׁה מָנָה אוֹתָם. כַּמָּה כּוּרִין, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: שְׁאוּ אֶת רֹאשׁ כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. כַּמָּה שַׂקִּים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וּצְבָאוֹ וּפְקוּדָיו. כַּמָּה מִדּוֹת, פְּקֹד כָּל בְּכוֹר זָכָר. (Numb. 3:40:) “Enroll every first-born male.” This text is related (to Is. 43:4), “Because you are precious in my eyes, you are honored, and I love you….” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Jacob, “Jacob, you are exceedingly precious in My eyes.97Numb. R. 4:1. Why? Because I, as it were, have installed your image98Gk.: eikonion. on My glorious throne, and in your name the angels praise Me and say (in Ps. 41:14), “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,99Israel here is the patriarch Jacob, not the people. from everlasting to everlastings.” Ergo (in Is. 43:4), “Because you are precious in my eyes, you are honored.” Another interpretation (of Is. 43:4), “Because you are precious….” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Jacob, you are precious in my eyes because I and my angels were, as it were, standing over you when you set out for Paddan-Aram and when you came back.” It is so stated (in Gen. 28:10-13), “And Jacob set out…. When he came across a certain place…. Then he dreamed that there was a ladder [placed on earth with its top reaching to the heavens; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.] And behold, the Lord stood over him….” R. Hosha'ya said, “Blessed is the one born of woman who has seen the King and his household100Lat.: familia. standing over him and ministering to him.” But where is it shown in reference to his coming back? Where it is stated (in Gen. 32:2), “So Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.” So much for the angels, but where is it shown for the Divine Presence? (Gen. 35:9), “Now God appeared unto Jacob again….” It is therefore stated (in Is. 43:4), “Because you are precious in My eyes.” Another interpretation (of Is. 43:4), “Because you are precious in My eyes, you are honored.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “You are precious in my eyes, because to all the nations I gave no numbering (minyan), but to you I did give a numbering.” To what is this comparable? It is comparable to a king of flesh and blood who had a lot of granaries, but all of them were dirty and full of darnel; so he was not meticulous about their numbering. [There was,] however, this granary [which had] beautiful wheat. He said to his household, “Those granaries that are dirty and full of darnel; I will not be meticulous about their numbering. But this granary has beautiful wheat. I therefore want to be meticulous in numbering how many kor101One kor is equivalent to somewhat under 400 liters. there are, how many sacks there are in it, [and] how many measures there are in it.” Similarly this king is the Supreme King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He; and this granary (goren) is Israel, since it is stated (in Is. 21:10), “My threshing, and the product (literally: the child) of My threshing floor (goren).” It also says (in Jer. 2:3), “Israel is the Lord's sanctuary, the beginning of His harvest.” The child of His house is Moses, as stated (in Numb. 12:7), “he is trusted in all My house.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, The nations are [comparable to thorns], as stated (in Is. 33:12), “And the peoples shall become burnings of lime, thorns cut down that are burned in the fire.” Therefore, you shall not be meticulous about numbering them, but Israel is righteous, chosen wheat, as stated (in Is. 60:21), “And all of your people are righteous.” It also says (in Cant. 4:7), “You are beautiful all over, My beloved, and there is no blemish in you.” Therefore, be meticulous in counting Israel. Moses did so. He numbered them [to determine] how many kor there were, as stated (in Numb. 1:2), “Take a census…”; how many sacks there were, as stated (in Numb. 2:4), “Its host and those of them enrolled”; and how many measures there were, as stated (in Numb. 3:40), “enroll every first-born male.”