One death is a tragedy, a million is a statistic.
Joseph Stalin
A poignant and chilling statement (especially given the source).
Yet, it’s hard to debate his point as we calmly analyze charts and figures about COVID 19 death rates by country. Our hearts move into our throats when we hear of the death of a loved one, yet by some phenomenon, we are more emotionally distant from COVID deaths the more there are of them…
Our hearts move into our throats when we hear of the death of a loved one, yet we are more emotionally distant from COVID deaths the more there are of them
The Torah says “Take a census of the entire assembly of the Children of Israel according to their families, according to their fathers’ household, by number of names…” [Num 1:2] A surface read indicates that this is a parsha about dry statistics. About emotionless numbers and little else.
What’s even more puzzling is there is actually a mitzvah not to do this: Jews should not “count the people by head” [Talmud, Yoma 22b]. It’s dehumanizing. When you take a person and make them into a number, you minimize everything about their life. You reduce an entire story, an entire soul, into no more than a tally mark.
How can it be that the very Torah that warns of the danger of statistics, then devotes serious real estate to documenting statistics and numbering the Israelites?!
If we look closer, we see that the Torah conducts this “count” in an unusual manner. It tells us their names. It tells us their family relationships. Instead of just counting how many there are, the Torah gives us a glimpse as to who they are. Counting by pointing at heads as if they are all equivalent is dehumanizing, but listing names is not. A name embodies the essence of a person and reflects their unique soul.
Instead of just counting how many there are, the Torah gives us a glimpse as to who they are.
So numbers don’t have to be evil. But It’s our job to remember the humanity of the people represented by those numbers.
Ok, but why should we count at all? Aren’t numbers irrelevant to God? Wasn’t there that one time when 300 warriors defeated a massive army from the East with over 100,000 soldiers?
No not that 300. I’m a rabbi, why do you think I’d use such an example? I meant with Gideon.
No not that 300. I’m a rabbi, why do you think I’d use such an example? I meant with Gideon.
Although there are times when God does miracles for us and leads us to victory against all odds (like when Israel fights a war against half the countries in the Middle East at once and wins), we are expected to act as though we live within nature. We are expected to crunch the numbers and do what is logical based on them.
Moses needed to take a census of the Israelite footmen so he could have an idea of their military capabilities for the battles to come. But he did it in a way that respected the individuals as human beings.
So keep appraised of the COVID statistics. Follow the numbers. But never forget the dignity of the people behind those numbers. Never lose your humanity.
Have a wonderful Shabbos,
Rabbi A
