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Greater Presence
In Pirke Avot we find a connection between the number of Jews gathered together and the presence of the Shechinah (3:6). Rabbi Halafta ben Dosa of Kfar Hananyah says, ten who sit and engage in Torah, the Divine Presence dwells among them, as it says, G-d stands in the Divine congregation (Tehillim 82:1). How do we know that this is so even of five? As it says, And His group is founded on earth (Amos 9:6). And how do we know that this
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is so even of three? As it says, He will judge in the midst of judges (Tehillim 82:1). How do we know that this is so even of two? As it says, Then those who fear G-d spoke to one another, and G-d listened and heard (Malachi 3:16). How do we know that this is so even of one? As it says, In every place where My Name is mentioned I will come to you and bless you (Shmot 20:21). We learn from this mishnah that the Shechinah rests upon those who engage in Torah study, and that the more people are learning together, the greater the presence of the Shechinah in their midst. This is surprising; dont we know that G-d is everywhere? The whole world is filled with His glory (Yeshayahu 6:3), and And His Presence is everywhere (Tikune Zohar 122b). And yet, the mishnah says that the Shechinah is found specifically with those who are learning, and that an increase in the number of those learning brings about a greater level of revelation of the Shechinah.
Levels of Sanctity
How can there be gradations or levels of the Divine Presence? We find the concept of different levels of sanctity in the laws of ritual purity and impurity. Our Sages tell us that there are ten levels of sanctity. Eretz Yisrael is on a higher level than all other lands. Cities in Eretz Yisrael surrounded by a wall are on a higher level of sanctity than the rest of the Land; the area inside the wall surrounding Jerusalem is on a higher level still; and the Temple Mount is even more sanctified. The mishnah goes on to list increasingly higher levels of sanctity, concluding with the Holy of Holies at the highest level of all (Mishnayot Kelim 1:6-8). Clearly, these levels of sanctity are related to the level at which the Shechinah resides in each place. Even in our times, when we no longer have the Bet Hamikdash and are in exile among the nations, the concept of different levels of sanctity still exists. For example, a bet midrash where Torah is studied has greater sanctity than a synagogue used exclusively for prayer (see Megillah 26b, 27a).
Sanctified Locations
Let us try to understand more about this complex topic. It is Hashems Will to rest His Shechinah in the lower world and in the midst of the Jewish people. We find this principle frequently in the Torah. For example: And I will place My Sanctuary among you (Vayikra 26:11).
And they will make for Me a Sanctuary and I will dwell in their midst (Shmot 25:8). For Hashem chose Zion, He desired it as His dwelling place (Tehillim 132:13). The foundation of Your dwelling place You have made, Hashem (Shmot 15:17). As we learn from the mishnah in Kelim, the greater the spiritual standing of a location, the greater the Divine revelation in that location will be, with thousands of possible levels. There is no doubt that the whole world is filled with His glory (Yeshayahu 6:3), but the revelation in the world as a whole is at a low, generalized level. The Holy of Holies, the most sacred place on earth, is the site of the greatest degree of revelation. The level decreases progressively from the Bet HaMikdash to Jerusalem to Eretz Yisrael to the rest of the world. The more elevated form of Divine revelation, related to the higher spiritual worlds, is called Kudsha Brich Hu. The lowest level, related to our physical world, is called Shechinah, from the root of the word shochen, to dwell. The Shechinah is the revelation of G-d which dwells among us on earth,1 as we find in the verse, And they will make for Me a Sanctuary, and I will dwell (shachanti) in their midst (Shmot 25:8). In the Lshem Yihud prayer recited before fulfilling a mitzvah, we say For the unification of Kudsha Brich Hu and the Shechinah. These are not two separate entities, G-d forbid; Hashem is One and His Name is One (Zechariah 14:9), in the most simple sense of the words. The use of more than one term indicates that the innumerable levels at which Hashem reveals Himself are all truly One. When we say LShem Yihud, we declare our complete belief that all levels of Hashems revelation are One.
See Responsa Rav Pe'alim 1, end of p. 2b and Responsa Nodah BYehudah Tanyana, Orah Hayyim 107. 3
deeds good or bad the revelation of the Shechinah becomes more or less intense, or even departs altogether, G-d forbid. If mans deeds are a major factor in the degree of Divine revelation, what can we do to bring the Shechinah closer? The most powerful means we have is learning Torah, the expression of Hashems Will. Great tzaddikim can achieve a very elevated level of Divine revelation, as we learn from Hashems words to the prophet Yeshayahu: For so said the lofty and mighty One, Who dwells forever and His Name is holy: I dwell elevated and sanctified, but I am with the oppressed and low of spirit, to give life to the spirit of the lowly and give life to the heart of the oppressed (Yeshayahu 57:15; see Rashi). This verse alludes to the tzaddikim, who are truly humble and worthy of having the Divine Presence rest upon them. As Hashem Himself says, I am with [them].
Pillar of Fire
With this in mind, we can understand Hashems commandment to count the Jewish people in our parashah. As Rashi explains, the purpose of this counting was for Hashem to rest His Shechinah upon them after the erection of the Mishkan. Numbers were a crucial factor here, for the greater the number of people uniting to fulfill His Will, the greater the revelation would be (see Torat Moshe by the Hatam Sofer, Parashat Ki Tisa). The yarche kallah held twice a year in the Babylonian town of Mata Mehasia were a magnificent illustration of this principle. Every Adar and Elul, tens of thousands of sages, scholars, and students would come together to learn Torah. The sanctity and spirituality at these times were so powerful that a pillar of fire would descend from Heaven to rest upon the assembly. In fact, our Sages tell us that the non-Jewish inhabitants of the town were exceedingly crude: they witnessed this amazing sight twice yearly right at their own doorstep, so to speak, and yet they remained complacent and apathetic, and were never moved to convert (Berachot 17b, Tosfot citing Sefer HaIttim).
follow My decrees, fulfill My statutes, and observe all My commandments, to follow them.... I shall dwell among the Children of Israel (I Melachim 6:12-13). Hashems Presence in the Bet HaMikdash was dependent on one fundamental factor. If the people would follow My decrees, fulfill My statutes, and observe all My commandments to follow them, then, and only then, Hashem told Shlomo, I shall dwell among the Children of Israel. When the peoples internal Sanctuary was ruined, the existence of the physical, external structure could no longer help them, and it was destroyed, may G-d spare us. We find this idea in Hashems words to the Prophet Yechezkel concerning the Bet HaMikdash. Tell the House of Israel about the Temple and they will be ashamed of their sins.... and if they become ashamed of all they have done, [make known to them] the form of the Temple and its design, its exits and its entrances and all its forms, all its laws, all its designs and all its teachings, and write it down before their eyes so that they may safeguard its entire form and all its rules and fulfill them (Yehezkel 43:10-11). Knowledge of the laws concerning the structure of the Temple and its vessels has a very distinct purpose: it teaches us to prepare ourselves to serve as a dwelling place for the Shechinah, by learning Torah, fulfilling the mitzvot, and refraining from sin. Sinning would be akin to destroying the Temple, causing the Shechinah to depart, G-d forbid. Immediately following the commandment to count the people (Bamidbar 1:1-3), the Torah lists the names of the princes of the various Tribes (5-15). Moshe was instructed to count the nation as a whole composed of parts. Each individual Jew, at his own particular level of Torah and mitzvot, is a crucial part of the nation. In keeping with that level, he is instrumental in bringing the Shechinah to rest upon Klal Yisrael. The greater our dedication to Torah and mitzvot, the closer we can bring the Shechinah not only to ourselves, but to our entire people.