It all starts with a simple verse: "These are those who were counted of the children of Israel…" And from there, it launches into a deep dive about blessings, promises, and the enduring nature of God's word.
The text reminds us of the verse, "The number of the children of Israel will be like the sand of the sea…" (Hosea 2:1). But where does that promise come from? Well, it all goes back to Abraham. God promised him, way back when he was told to leave his father's home, "Go from your land…I will render you a great nation…" (Genesis 12:1–2).
But Abraham, bless his heart, wasn't so sure. He pointed out to God, "Master of the universe, everything that you promised me, what benefit do I have from it, as I have no children?" (Genesis 15:2). According to the stars, Abraham wasn't destined to have kids! Can you imagine the despair?
So what did God do? This is where it gets really cool. Rabbi Yehuda bar Rabbi Simon, quoting Rabbi Ḥanin in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan, tells us that God actually elevated Abraham above the dome of the heavens! God said, in essence, "Abe, forget what the stars say. I'm in charge here." As it says, "He took him outside, and said: Look [habet] now toward the heavens… So shall be your descendants" (Genesis 15:5). Rabbi Shmuel bar Rabbi Yitzḥak notes that the word habet – “look” – is used when someone is situated above.
But what does "So shall be your descendants" really mean? Rabbi Levi, quoting Rabbi Yoḥanan, tells a beautiful parable. Imagine a traveler, lost and weary, wandering for days without finding anything – no city, no inn, not even water. Then, in the distance, they see a tree. Hope flickers! Reaching it, they find it's beside a spring, its fruits are delicious, its shade is cool. The traveler rests, is restored, and feels immense gratitude.
What can they say to the tree? "May your tree be fine?" It already is. "May your shade be fine?" Already there. "May a spring emerge from beneath your roots?" Already happening. The only blessing left is: "May all the saplings that are produced from you be like you."
Similarly, the text explains, before Abraham, twenty generations lived and "were of no use," meaning they didn't produce anyone particularly righteous. Then came Abraham, standing strong in the land of Babylon. He was tested in the fiery furnace, and he passed! So God drew him near, and Abraham built an "inn," welcoming people, bringing them closer to God, and publicizing God’s glory. Abraham even attached his name to God's name, like the angels do! As the text notes, there is a reference to God's name within Abraham's name (Maharzu).
So, what blessing could God give Abraham? Not just personal righteousness – he already had that! Instead, God blessed him that all his descendants would be like him. "So shall be your descendants."
Now, here’s where it gets even more interesting. The text goes on to say that Abraham was blessed with stars, as we saw in (Genesis 15:5). Isaac was blessed with sand, as it says, "For I will bless you and multiply your descendants…as the sand that is upon the seashore" (Genesis 22:17). And Jacob? He was blessed with the dust of the earth: "Your descendants will be as the dust of the earth…" (Genesis 28:14).
But these blessings don't manifest all at once. The blessing of Abraham, the stars, came to fruition in the days of Moses, when the Israelites were as numerous as the stars. The blessing of Jacob, the dust, showed up in the days of Balaam, when he couldn't even count the dust of Jacob. And the blessing of Isaac, the sand? That one arrived with Hosea, who spoke of the Israelites being like the uncountable sand of the sea.
Wait a minute, though. If the blessing of the sand is associated with Isaac, why does Hosea refer to "the children of Israel" and not "the children of Isaac?" The text offers a fascinating explanation: when Jacob went to Padan Aram, his father Isaac passed the blessing of sand to him. Isaac said, "May He grant you the blessing of [et birkat] Abraham" (Genesis 28:4). What is this "et"? Rabbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina explains it meant: "The blessing with which both I and Abraham were blessed." A blessing for the father and a blessing for the son, passed down through generations.
And so, we circle back to the beginning: "The number of the children of Israel will be like the sand of the sea." Because, ultimately, "forever, Lord, does Your word stand in the heavens" (Psalms 119:89).
What a thought. That a promise made to one person, thousands of years ago, can still be unfolding in the world today. That a blessing, once given, can ripple through generations, shaping the destiny of an entire people. Makes you wonder what promises are still waiting to bloom in your life.
“These are those who were counted of the children of Israel….” That is what is written: “The number of the children of Israel will be like the sand of the sea…” (Hosea 2:1). “The number of the children of Israel will be,” that is what is written: “Forever, Lord, does Your word stand in the heavens” (Psalms 119:89). Because the Holy One blessed be He promised Abraham, and that promise came about when Israel departed from Egypt. When did the Holy One blessed be He promise him? It was when he said to him to depart from his father’s home, as it is stated: “Go from your land…I will render you a great nation…” (Genesis 12:1–2). Abraham said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, everything that you promised me, what benefit do I have from it, as I have no children,’ as it is stated: “Abram said: My Lord God, what will You give me, [ and I go childless?]” (Genesis 15:2). Abraham saw in his constellation that he was not destined to beget children. What did the Holy One blessed be He do for him at that moment? Rabbi Yehuda bar Rabbi Simon said that Rabbi Ḥanin said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: It teaches that the Holy One blessed be He elevated him above the dome of the heavens and said to him: ‘Emerge from that constellation in which you see that you are not destined to beget, I will show you that you will beget children’ as it is stated: “He took him outside, and said: Look [habet] now toward the heavens [and count the stars, if you could count them, and He said to him: So shall be your descendants]” (Genesis 15:5). Rabbi Shmuel bar Rabbi Yitzḥak said: It says habet only when one is situated above, just as it is stated: “Look [habet] from Heaven and see” (Psalms 80:15). “He said to him: So shall be your descendants” (Genesis 15:5). What is “so shall be your descendants”? Rabbi Levi said in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: To what is the matter comparable? To one who embarked on a trip and walked the first day, the second day, the third day, until ten days, but did not find a city, an inn, a tree, water, or a creature. After he went ten days, he spotted a tree from a distance. He said: ‘Perhaps there is water beneath it.’ When he reached it, he saw that it was standing alongside a spring. When he saw that it was fine, it fruits were excellent, and its branches were fine, he sat himself down, cooled in its shade, ate of its fruits, and drank from the spring. It was pleasant for him and his strength was restored. When he arose to leave, he said to the tree: ‘With what can I bless you and what can I say to you? May your tree be fine? It is fine. May your shade be fine? It is already fine. May your branches be fine? They are fine. May your fruits be sweet? They are sweet. May a spring emerge from beneath your roots? A spring already emerges from beneath your roots. May you stand in a desirable place? You stand in a desirable place. With what can I bless you? Rather, may all the saplings that are produced from you be like you.’ So, when the Holy One blessed be He created the world, twenty generations lived and they were of no use, and no righteous person was produced from them. After twenty generations, the Holy One blessed be He saw Abraham, who was situated in the land of Babylon, that is called distant, as it is stated: “From a distant land…” (II Kings 20:14). The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘Will you say that he has the strength to endure?’ When they cast him into the fiery furnace, and he sanctified the name of the Holy One blessed be He, and withstood his ordeal, the Holy One blessed be He immediately drew him near to the land of Israel. He [Abraham] built him the inn, and would feed passersby, would bring people under the wings of the Divine Presence, publicized the glory of the Holy One blessed be He in the world, and attached his name29There is a reference to God's name within Abraham's name (Maharzu). to the name of the Holy One blessed be He, like the [names of the] angels. The Holy One blessed be He said to Abraham: ‘What can I say to you and with what can I bless you? May you be wholehearted, in that you shall be righteous before Me or that Sarah your wife will be righteous before Me? You are righteous and Sarah your wife is righteous before Me. Or that all the members of your household will be righteous before Me? They are righteous before Me. Rather, may all the offspring that are destined to be produced from you be like you.’ From where is it derived? It is as it is written: “He said to him: So shall be your descendants.” You find that Abraham was blessed with stars, as it is stated: “Look now toward the heavens, and count the stars…[so shall be your descendants]” (Genesis 15:5). Isaac was blessed with sand, as it is stated: “For I will bless you and multiply your descendants…[as the sand that is upon the seashore]” (Genesis 22:17). Jacob was blessed with the dust of the earth, as it is stated: “Your descendants will be as the dust of the earth….” (Genesis 28:14). The blessing of Abraham came about in the days of Moses, as, indeed, it is written: “The Lord your God has multiplied you, and, behold, you are today [as the stars of the heavens in abundance]” (Deuteronomy 1:10). The blessing of Jacob, who was blessed with the dust of the earth, came about in the days of Bilam, as, indeed, it is written: “Who counted the dust of Jacob” (Numbers 23:10). The blessing of Isaac, who was blessed with sand, came about in the days of Hosea, as it is stated: “The number of the children of Israel will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured and cannot be counted; it will be that instead of it being said of them: You are not My people, it will be said of them: Children of the living God” (Hosea 2:1). Since it is regarding Isaac that the blessing of sand is written, it should have said: “The number of the children of Isaac will be.” But it does not say so, but rather, “the number of the children of Israel will be.” Why? It is, rather, that when Jacob our patriarch departed to go to Padan Aram, his father passed the blessing of sand to him, just as he said to him: “May He grant you the blessing of [et birkat] Abraham” (Genesis 28:4). What is et? Rabbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina said: This is what he said to him: ‘The blessing with which both I and Abraham were blessed; “for I will bless you [ki varekh avarekhekha]” (Genesis 22:17), a blessing for the father and a blessing for the son. “And multiply [veharha arbe],” multiplication for the father and multiplication for the son.’ “As the sand that is upon the seashore,” this blessing Isaac passed to Jacob. That is why it says: “The number of the children of Israel will be like the sand of the sea.” That is, “forever, Lord, does Your word stand in the heavens” (Psalms 119:89).
