וגלה לך הכתוב כי העם הנפרט במנינו כל אחד לגלגלותם הנה הוא מושגח מבעל ההשגחה יתעלה וכל מעשיו נפרטין לפניו ואז יחול הנגף, מה שאין כן בתחלה שהיה ענינו נמשך בכלל הרבים אבל עתה בהיות כל יחיד ויחיד וכל מעשיו נפרטין אי אפשר מבלתי עונש... ומכאן ראוי אותו היום שכל באי עולם עוברין לפניו כבני מרון שיהיה יום הדין ופקידת עונש לעולם ולהתפחד ולדאוג בו כיון שכל יחיד נפרט וכל מעשיו נפרטין לאיש כדרכיו וכפרי מעלליו,
The most important revelation of our verse is that all the people that were counted each enjoy individual supervision of their fates by the Lord G’d. All the deeds performed by any individual are recorded. This is why these people become potential victims of a plague. As long as they had only been part of a whole, and not individuals in their own right, the evil eye had not been able to focus on them, seeing they were not a number in themselves. The whole idea of enjoying individual supervision of one’s fate by G’d carries with it also the awesome responsibility of ensuring one does not become a candidate for punishment by G’d...
The day on which all our actions are reviewed by G’d is Rosh Hashanah, New year’s Day. On that day each one of us is treated as an individual and this is why it is such an awesome day. On that day our deeds are isolated from the fact that all of us are also members of the community at large (compare Jeremiah 32,19).
If only by way of midrash, and with no suggestion that this is the plain sense of the verse, there is another possibility. Why do nations normally take a census of their population? To establish their strength: military (the number of people who can be conscripted into an army), economic (the number from whom taxes can be raised) or simply demographic (the numerical growth or decline of the nation). The assumption beneath every census is: there is strength in numbers. The more numerous a people, the stronger it is.
That is why it is dangerous to count Jews. We are a tiny people. The late Milton Himmelfarb once wrote that the total population of Jews throughout the world is smaller than a small statistical error in the Chinese census. We are a fifth of a per cent of the population of the world: by any normal standards too small to be significant. Nor is this true only now. It was then. In one of his concluding addresses in Deuteronomy, Moses said:
The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you are the fewest of all peoples. (Deuteronomy 7: 7).
The danger in counting Jews is that if they believed, even for a moment, that there is strength in numbers, the Jewish people would long ago have given way to despair....How then do you estimate the strength of the Jewish people? To this the Torah gives an answer of surpassing beauty. Ask Jews to give, and then count their contributions. Numerically we are small, but in terms of our contributions to civilization and humankind, we are vast...
If you want to know the strength of the Jewish people, ask them to give, and then count the contributions. That is the majestic idea at the opening of this week’s sedra...
to win the Jewish battle, the battle of the spirit, the victory of heart, mind and soul, you do not need numbers. You need dedication, commitment, study, prayer, vision, courage, ideals, hope. You need a people who are instinctively inclined to give, to contribute. Give, then count the contributions: the finest way ever devised to measure the strength of a people.
http://rabbisacks.org/covenant-conversation-5770-ki-tissa-counting-the-contributions/
"The wealthy should not increase and the poor should not diminish" just like there is a negative statement about 'not diminishing' there is also a negative statement about 'not increasing'--they both are equally forbidden since the Mishkan can only be built through the collective effort of the entire community, and only if everyone equally contributes to the building of the Mishkan can there be one collective community. But if only person gives even a little bit extra, he has separated himself from the rest of the community, and has singled himself out, and it cannot be that G-d can dwell in a dwelling built in such a manner, and the Torah cannot dwell in such a place.
ויהי בישורון מלך בהתאסף וגו'. כלומר כשישראל יחד באחוה ורעות אז הקדוש ברוך הוא מלך עליהם אבל בשעת מחלוקת כביכול הם עושין כאלו אין הקב"ה מלך עליהם:
ויהי בישורון מלך בהתאסף ראשי עם, “and there was a king in Jeshurun when the heads of the people were gathered.” When the Jewish people are truly united and relate to one another as true brothers, then G–d is truly King over them. When they quarrel among themselves then G–d cannot truly be seen as being their King.
. דָּבָר אַחֵר, אַתֶּם נִצָּבִים הַיּוֹם, מָה הַיּוֹם מֵאִיר פְּעָמִים וּמַאֲפִיל פְּעָמִים, אַף אַתֶּם כְּשֶׁאֲפֵלָה לָכֶם, עָתִיד לְהָאִיר לָכֶם אוֹר עוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְהָיָה לְךָ ה' לְאוֹר עוֹלָם (ישעיה ס, יט). אֵימָתַי, בִּזְמַן שֶׁתִּהְיוּ כֻּלְּכֶם אֲגֻדָּה אַחַת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: חַיִּים כֻּלְּכֶם הַיּוֹם (דברים ד, ד). בְּנֹהַג שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם, אִם נוֹטֵל אָדָם אֲגֻדָּה שֶׁל קָנִים, שֶׁמָּא יָכֹל לְשָׁבְרָם בְּבַת אַחַת. וְאִלּוּ נוֹטֵל אַחַת אַחַת, אֲפִלּוּ תִּינוֹק מְשַׁבְּרָן. וְכֵן אַתְּ מוֹצֵא שֶׁאֵין יִשְׂרָאֵל נִגְאֲלִין עַד שֶׁיִּהְיוּ כֻּלָּן אֲגֻדָּה אַחַת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: בַּיָּמִים הָהֵמָּה וּבָעֵת הַהִיא נְאֻם ה' יָבֹאוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וּבְנֵי יְהוּדָה יַחְדָּו וְגוֹ' (ירמיה נ, ד). כְּשֶׁהֵן אֲגוּדִים, מְקַבְּלִין פְּנֵי שְׁכִינָה.
Another interpretation (of Deut. 29:9), “You are standing today”: Just as today (literally: the day) sometimes darkens and sometimes lightens, so it is with you. Although you have darkness, the Holy One, blessed be He, is going to shine on you with light eternal, as stated (in Is. 60:19), “for the Lord shall be your everlasting light.” When? When you all become one group, as stated (in Deut. 4:4), “are all alive today.” According to universal custom, if one takes a group of reeds, will he be able to break them at one stroke! But if he takes them one by one, even an infant can break them. So also you find that Israel was not redeemed until they became one group, as stated (in Jer. 50:4), “’In those days and at that time,’ says the Lord,’ the children of Israel, they and the children of Judah, shall come together.’” When they are united, they shall welcome the face of the Divine Presence.
ודברים אחדים. בָּאוּ בְעֵצָה אַחַת וְאָמְרוּ לֹא כָּל הֵימֶנּוּ שֶׁיָּבֹר לוֹ אֶת הָעֶלְיוֹנִים, נַעֲלֶה לָרָקִיעַ וְנַעֲשֶׂה עִמּוֹ מִלְחָמָה.
ודברים אחדים AND ONE SPEECH — They came with one plan, saying: “He has no right to select the heavenly regions exclusively for Himself; let us ascend to the skies and make war upon Him”.
אוֹתָן שֶׁל דּוֹר הַמַּבּוּל לֹא נִשְׁתַּיְּרָה מֵהֶן פְּלֵיטָה, וְאֵלּוּ שֶׁל דּוֹר הַפְלָגָה נִשְׁתַּיְירָה מֵהֶם פְּלֵטָה, אֶלָּא דּוֹר הַמַּבּוּל עַל יְדֵי שֶׁהָיוּ שְׁטוּפִים בְּגָזֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (איוב כד, ב): גְּבֻלוֹת יַשִֹּׂיגוּ עֵדֶר גָּזְלוּ וַיִּרְעוּ, לְפִיכָךְ לֹא נִשְׁתַּיֵּיר מֵהֶן פְּלֵיטָה, אֲבָל אֵלּוּ עַל יְדֵי שֶׁהָיוּ אוֹהֲבִים זֶה אֶת זֶה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיְהִי כָל הָאָרֶץ שָׂפָה אֶחָת, לְפִיכָךְ נִשְׁתַּיְּרָה מֵהֶן פְּלֵיטָה. רַבִּי אוֹמֵר גָּדוֹל הַשָּׁלוֹם שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עוֹבְדִים עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וְשָׁלוֹם בֵּינֵיהֶם, אָמַר הַמָּקוֹם כִּבְיָכוֹל אֵינִי יָכוֹל לִשְׁלֹט בָּהֶם, כֵּיוָן שֶׁשָּׁלוֹם בֵּינֵיהֶם... הָא לָמַדְתָּ גָּדוֹל הַשָּׁלוֹם וּשְׂנוּאָה הַמַּחְלֹקֶת.