Why God Dated Israel's Census Like a Marriage Contract

Another interpretation: "And the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, etc." This is what Scripture says: "He has not done so for any nation, etc." (Psalms 147:20), and likewise: "And He has raised up a horn for His people, praise for all His pious ones" (ibid. 148:14). A parable of a king who married a first wife and did not write her a marriage contract (ketubah); he divorced her and did not write her a bill of divorce (get). So he did to the second and to the third, and he wrote for them neither a marriage contract nor a bill of divorce. In time he saw a certain poor woman, an orphan, a daughter of noble ancestors, and he sought to take her. He said to his groomsman: Do not treat her as the former ones. This one is a daughter of noble ancestors, she is modest in her deeds and worthy. Write her a marriage contract — in which week, in which year, in which month, on which day of the month, in which province (eparchia) — just as it is written concerning Esther: "And Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, to his royal house, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tevet, in the seventh year of his reign" (Esther 2:16). So, as it were, He created the generation of the Flood, and did not write down when He created them; He removed them from the world, and did not write down when He removed them — rather, "On this day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened" (Genesis 7:11). And likewise for the generation of the Dispersion, [and likewise for the Sodomites,] and likewise for the Egyptians: He did not write for them when they were created nor when they died. But when Israel arose, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: I do not treat these as those former ones. These are children of noble ancestors, they are children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; therefore write for them in which month, on which day of the month, in which year, and in which province, in which country I exalted their horn and gave them a lifting of the head. Therefore it is said, "And the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai" — that is the province; "in the Tent of Meeting" — that is the country; in which year — "in the second year"; in which month — "in the second month"; on which day of the month — "on the first of the month"; [from their going out of the land of Egypt] — thus the era (consulship) was written. Why? "Take the head-count of all the congregation of the children of Israel, etc." — to fulfill what is said, "He has not done so for any nation, etc." What did He do? "And He has raised up a horn for His people, praise for all His pious ones, for the children of Israel, the people near to Him. Hallelujah" (Psalms 148:14).