“These are those who were counted of the children of Israel…” (Numbers 2:32). Come and see how beloved Israel is before the Omnipresent, as the Holy One blessed be He wrote a tally of Israel four times in the context of the banners; twice individually44By tribe. and twice generally. In addition, he counted each and every banner generally and individually, in order to inform how beloved they are before Him.
They are His hosts and He wishes to count them all the time, like a person who has a treasure of which he is exceedingly fond. He counts it and counts it again many times, in order to arrive at its total, and he will rejoice over each and every count. So, the Holy One blessed be He is joyful with the mention of Israel’s tally, saying: ‘I have such and such hosts in My world who perform my will,’ and He takes comfort in them.
“And the Levites were not counted among the children of Israel, as the Lord commanded Moses” (Numbers 2:33). “And the Levites were not counted…[as the Lord commanded Moses].” Just as it says in Israel’s tally: “As the Lord commanded Moses” (Numbers 1:19), as there was joy before the Omnipresent because the Levites were not counted with them, so that they would not be eliminated with them in the decree.45They were not included in the punishment for the sin of the spies.