The Ten Countings of Israel and the Census Beyond Number

Another interpretation. "This they shall give" (Exodus 30:13). How many tribes shall give? The word zeh ["this"] has the numerical value seven and five, which makes twelve tribes. You find that Israel was counted ten times. Once at their descent into Egypt, "seventy souls" (Exodus 1:5); and once at their going up, "And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth"; and once in the portion of Ki Tisa; and once at the standards [in the wilderness]; and once at the dividing of the Land; and twice in the days of Saul, "and he numbered them in Bezek" (1 Samuel 11:8), "and he numbered them with lambs" (1 Samuel 15:4); and once in the days of David, "and Joab gave the sum of the number of the people"; and once at their going up from the exile, as it is said, "the whole assembly together was forty-two thousand" (Ezra 2:64); and once in the time to come, as it is said, "the flocks shall again pass under the hands of him that counts them" (Jeremiah 33:13). The Holy One, blessed be He, said: In this world human beings counted you, but in the world to come I will count you, and no one will be able to count you, as it is said, "And the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered."