“All of their numbers were 603,550.” (Bamidbar 1:46)

Ever do a 5,000 piece puzzle before and after finishing it show it off to others? How much excitement is there when the puzzle is completed? Imagine you are nearing the completion of the puzzle and only 1 piece remains – but you can’t find the piece. You look everywhere for that one piece, but you cannot find it. How many people would you show the completed puzzle to? Probably no one, because they will all say the same thing: “you’re missing a piece right there.” How embarrassing!

Hashem is constantly counting each and every Jew. Rashi tells us why: because Hashem loves all of us. It is like a person counting his money – he is very careful to make sure every dollar is there. No matter who the person is, Hashem loves you very much!

Some people think they are not important or that Hashem does not love them. This is definitely not true. Look closely at the people who are counted in this week’s parsha. Out of the 603,550, only 2 of these people entered Eretz Yisrael: Yehoshua and Caleb. All of the others were killed by Hashem because of terrible sins they committed. The people of this generation committed the terrible sin of the Meraglim, which caused the first Tisha B’Av. They complained about the mon that fell from Heaven. They took part in the revolt of Korach and his followers. These people certainly seem like the type of people Hashem would prefer to forget about, but He constantly counts them because He loves them! Hashem loves every Jew no matter what!

When a Jew runs away from following the Torah, though, it makes Hashem very sad. It is like completing a puzzle with having one piece missing – it is distressing for the person until he finds that piece. But just as a person will turn over his house to look for that missing piece, Hashem always looks for his “lost puzzle pieces”. Hashem never gives up looking for someone who leaves and if the person returns, He is overjoyed! Hashem loves each and every Jew very much and never gives up on any of us – no matter how far we have gone from him.

Good Shabbos!
-yes
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