Why Count the Jews in the Wilderness? Ramban & Commentaries on Parshat Bamidbar

Counting the Jewish People on their journey might seem like a good idea, because we appreciate knowing the number of people in population measures. But did the Jews have to keep an exact accounting? What was the reason behind getting a specific number in the wilderness? Did God desire it? Was it for a pragmatic reason? Explore the verse and the various commentaries that follow. Seek to agree, disagree suggest other possibilities as you compare and contrast.

במדבר א׳:ב׳

(ב) שְׂא֗וּ אֶת־רֹאשׁ֙ כָּל־עֲדַ֣ת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם לְבֵ֣ית אֲבֹתָ֑ם בְּמִסְפַּ֣ר שֵׁמ֔וֹת כָּל־זָכָ֖ר לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָֽם׃

Numbers 1:2

(2) Take a census of the whole Israelite community by the clans of its ancestral houses, listing the names, every male, head by head.

רש"י על במדבר א׳:א׳

(א) וידבר. במדבר סיני באחד לחדש וגו'. מִתּוֹךְ חִבָּתָן לְפָנָיו מוֹנֶה אוֹתָם כָּל שָׁעָה — כְּשֶׁיָּצְאוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם מְנָאָן, וּכְשֶׁנָּפְלוּ בָּעֵגֶל מְנָאָן לֵידַע מִנְיַן הַנּוֹתָרִים, כְּשֶׁבָּא לְהַשְׁרוֹת שְׁכִינָתוֹ עֲלֵיהֶם מְנָאָם, בְּאֶחָד בְּנִיסָן הוּקַם הַמִּשְׁכָּן וּבְאֶחָד בְּאִיָּר מְנָאָם:

Rashi on Numbers 1:1

(1) וידבר… במדבר סיני … באחד לחדש וגו׳ AND [THE LORD] SPOKE [UNTO MOSES] IN THE DESERT OF SINAI … ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE [SECOND] MONTH … [TAKE A SUM OF ALL THE CONGREGATION] etc. — Because they were dear to him, God counts them every now and then. When they went forth from Egypt He counted them (Exodus 12:37). When many of them fell as a consequence of their having worshipped the golden calf, God counted them to ascertain the number of those left (cf. Rashi Exodus 30:16). When he was about to make the Shechinah dwell amongst them (i. e. upon commanding them to make a Tabernacle), He again took their census. (Exodus 40:2) And shortly afterwards, on the first day of Iyar, He counted them.

What is the reason that Rashi states, for counting the Jewish People? Do all his examples fit within the category he created? Why or why not?
Knowing the Rashi lets us compare and contrast commentary of the Ramban.

In Nachmanide's commentary he reveals what the verb "to take a census" connotes. That hints at a deeper meaning than just the simple sense of the Torah that a census of able-bodied men who can bear arms is being taken. What other sense of the census taking do you understand from the following commentary of Ramban?

במדבר א׳:ג׳

(ג) מִבֶּ֨ן עֶשְׂרִ֤ים שָׁנָה֙ וָמַ֔עְלָה כָּל־יֹצֵ֥א צָבָ֖א בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל תִּפְקְד֥וּ אֹתָ֛ם לְצִבְאֹתָ֖ם אַתָּ֥ה וְאַהֲרֹֽן׃

Numbers 1:3

(3) You and Aaron shall record them by their groups, from the age of twenty years up, all those in Israel who are able to bear arms.

רמב"ן על במדבר א׳:ג׳

תפקדו אותם ענין פקידה זכרון והשגחה על דבר כלשון וה' פקד את שרה כאשר אמר (בראשית כא א) והוא פתרונו בכל מקום לא ימלט מהן איש על דעתי וגם פקדון מפני ששמירתו והשגחתו עליו וכאשר צוה למנות את ישראל יאמר תפקדו אותם לרמוז שלא יספרם רק שיתנו כופר נפשם מחצית השקל ובהם ישגיח וידע מספר העם

Ramban on Numbers 1:3

(1) ... Record (tifkedu) them: The matter of recording, remembering and guarding something - like the words (Genesis 21:1), "And the Lord remembered Sarah" - is the understanding of [pakad] in every place. Even [with a] pikadon (deposit) - it is [called that] because its guarding and supervision is upon [the holder]. And when [God] commanded to count the people of Israel, He said, "tifkod them," in order to hint not to [actually] count them, but rather that they should give a ransom for their lives, a half shekel - and through them, He would oversee and remember the multitude of the people.

Does Ramban agree or disagree with Rashi (given this part of this commentary)? What does Ramban add about the procedure for counting? What dimension does that add to the count?

חזקוני, במדבר א׳:ג׳

(א) מבן עשרים שנה ומעלה לפי שבאותו זמן ראויים לצאת ולבא בצבא המלחמה ומכאן אמרו רבותינו בן עשרים לרדוף. (ב) כל יוצא צבא בישראל. להוציא ערב רב.

Chizkuni, Numbers 1:3

(1) מבן עשרים שנה ומעלה, “from twenty years old and up;” from that age and up the males were considered as mature enough to serve in the army. Based on this verse, our Sages at the end of chapter 5 in Pirke Avot made the well known statement: בן עשרים לרדוף, “when having attained the age of twenty, one is fit to join the pursuit.” (2) כל יצא צבא בישראל, “all who are able to go to war on behalf of Israel;” the repetition of this word excluded the mixed multitude who had joined the people only at the Exodus.

Chizkuni, Hezekiah ben Manoah of the 13th Century, adds yet other dimensions to the meaning of our verses and shares how our Sages read them. What does "join the pursuit" mean to you?
The Mixed Multitude is a group of non-Jews who left the tyranny of Egypt with the Jewish People. In some commentaries they get a bad rap; they are known for having caused the sin of the Golden Calf for instance. What does Chizkuni's comment make evident about his attitude concerning the non-Jews who joined and lived with the Jewish People in the wilderness?