This week\u2019s parashat Bamidbar, is the first portion of the fourth Chumash, the Book of BaMidbar (Numbers). Parashat BaMidbar is read before the festival of Shavuot, a preparation for the holiday of Shavuot, which commemorates the receiving of the Torah by the Jewish people. Shavuot might be considered as the most important holiday in the Jewish calendar, as without the Torah we wouldn\u2019t have had any holidays or Mitzvot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“\u05e9\u05d0\u05d5 \u05d0\u05ea \u05e8\u05d0\u05e9 \u05db\u05dc \u05e2\u05d3\u05ea \u05d1\u05e0\u05d9 \u05d9\u05e9\u05e8\u05d0\u05dc\u201d
\u201cTake a census of the entire assembly of the Children of Israel.\u201d (1:2)
Bamidbar is known as \u201cSefer Hapekudim\u201d, \u201cThe Book of Numbers\u201d because in it, a census of the Jewish people is taken twice. If not for the sin of the spies, the Jewish people would have entered Eretz Israel just twenty days after the census. Their entry would have involved fighting the inhabitants and conquering the land. Consequently, it was necessary to take count of \u201ceveryone who goes out to war,\u201d to determine how many Jews were eligible to join the army. (Ramban)<\/p>\n\n\n\n