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Why does the Torah (תורה) forbid counting Jews directly? The shiur develops a fundamental chakira: counting has two problems—the public number itself creates ayin hara, and the act of counting takes dominion over people. Machatzis hashekel solves both by counting only those who sanctified an object, defining Jews by their capacity for kedusha.
Rabbi Zweig presents a comprehensive analysis of the prohibition against counting Jews, resolving multiple contradictions in Chazal through a fundamental two-tier framework. The shiur begins with the Or HaChaim's question: if the Torah (תורה) requires machatzis hashekel for counting, why did Shaul HaMelech count using clay pieces or sheep without requiring a half-shekel? The Ramban (רמב"ן)'s position that Dovid HaMelech thought the prohibition wasn't l'doros is challenged—how could he think so when Shaul had earlier used objects for counting? The foundation for understanding this issue comes from a careful reading of Rashi (רש"י) on Bava Metzia. The Gemara (גמרא) states that bracha only rests on things hidden from the eye—"davar hasamui min ha'ayin." Rashi translates "asamecha" twice in succession, first as "samui min ha'ayin" (hidden from the eye), then as "genuzim" (stored away, in someone else's treasury). This is not redundant—Rashi is identifying two distinct problems. The first is that when something becomes public and visible, it becomes subject to ayin hara from those who notice and resent it. The second is that the act of counting itself is an act of "shlichus ha'ayin"—the eye taking dominion and control. When you look at something or count it, you establish ownership, removing it from direct connection to Hashem (ה׳) and making it vulnerable.
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Shemos 30:12 (Parshas Ki Sisa)
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