(1) Adonai spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting on the first day of the second month, in the second year following the exodus from the land of Egypt, saying: raise the head of the whole Israelite community. "Raise" is an expression of elevation - that is, through the counting every individual will feel heightened and supported, as we read (Hosea 2:1) 'and the number of the children of Israel will be like the sand of the sea, which will not be measured, and will not be counted." And this verse seems to contradict itself (see Bavli Yoma 22b) because the beginning says "And the number of the children of Israel will be" suggesting that it is possible to count them, and after that it says "Which cannot be measured etc". In fact, all of Israel is without number, and what is written "the number will be" is said over every single specific soul of Israel, that every single one will be counted, that is, something of consequence in the counting, and important in the eyes of the Holy One of Blessing, as it is written "Adonai will count in the register of peoples [that each was born there.]" (Psalms 87:6) "And to Zion it says: every person was born in her" (Psalms 87:5) - this is that God does providence also with the other peoples, just not specifically on every single soul, but on all as a whole. "And to Zion it says 'every person was born in her' - this means that the Holy One is interested in every single soul. And this is the explanation for "and the number will be" that every single person is needed, since through the community of Israel the greatnesses of the Holy One are made known, and if one is missing then the demeanor is missing. This is similar to when they draw the face of the king in thousands of tablets, and if one is missing - something of the face of the king is missing. And at the moment that one is counted in Israel he is the greatest of all Israel, since all Israel is a piece of the Holy One of Blessing, as it is written "A piece of Adonai is His people" (Deuteronomy 32:9) and every single one holds within oneself one of the aspects of the Holy One of Blessing, and at the moment s/he is counted then the Holy One was in that aspect that s/he is held by and therefore s/he is the greatest - and through this every single person of Israel is heightened/elevated.