from the Rebbe on פרשת במדבר. In the beginning of פרשה במדבר the Torah talks about the counting of the Yidden. Hashem commanded Moshe Rabbeinu to count the Yidden, and Rashi comments these words: מתוך חיבתן לפניו מונה אותם כל שעה, because their love is in front of Him, which means because Hashem loves the Yidden, that's why He counts them at all times. And the obvious question that the mefarshim ask is, He count, the Oibershter counts the Yidden all times? There were very few times that we were counted throughout history, in thousands of years. So what does it mean that the Oibershter counts the Yidden all times, כל שעה? So in simple peshat, the Rebbe says it means anytime there's a major change in the situation. Actually, the word כל שעה, שעה means hours, times, but שעה could also mean turning. In Tanach, in Chumash we find that the word שעה means to turn. That means anytime there's a turning point in the Yidden's situation, Hashem counts them.

That's the פשוטע פשט, but then the Rebbe has the חסידישע פשט. The inyan of counting the Yidden means to reveal the neshama of the Yid. Why? Because when you count, everyone is counted as one. The greatest tzaddik and the greatest talmid chacham is counted as one, and the simplest Yid is counted as one. So obviously, we're not counting the person because of his specific מעלות that he has, specific qualities that he has. The counting means we're counting him because of something that all Yidden have equally, and therefore everyone is counted as one. What is it that all, every Yid has? And that is the neshama. And counting is the revelation of the neshama. The counting represents the idea that we count, we out, bring outright, out into the open the neshama, the עצם הנשמה that every Yid has. And that's the meaning of counting the Yidden: the revelation of the neshama. Now, this revelation of the neshama is something that gives a Yid koach that he should go through any situation that exists and still listen to Hashem. Even mesirat nefesh, even if it means to give up his life, he will do it because he has a neshama, and the neshama is revealed by the Yid. So it comes out that the concept of counting, which represents the revelation of the neshama, had an effect on the Yidden through all times. This is what brought the Yidden, gave the Yidden the koach that they should be able to go through all times, no matter what situation it is: easy situation, a hard situation, a very hard situation, mesirat nefesh, and Yidden would do it because of this neshama. And that's the deeper meaning when Rashi says that מתוך חיבתן לפניו מונה אותם כל שעה, because Hashem loves the Yidden, He counts them at all times, that means that He counts them, which means He reveals their neshama, which has an effect on all times. And all times means in time, and also all times means all kinds of time, all situations. And

that's connected also to Shavuos. That's why we always read Parshas Bamidbar before Shavuos, because when did this really happen that the Yidden got their neshama? And that was by matan Torah. So Shavuos, which is the day of matan Torah, that's the day we got our neshama, and the counting of the Yidden represents that the Oibershter reveals that, not only that we have it deep down someplace hidden, but He reveals that עצם הנשמה, and that has an effect on כל שעה, that all times, in all situations that a Yid goes through, he has this koach of overcoming all the obstacles and serving Hashem the way you're supposed to.