Parshas Bamidbar - Should Jews be counted or not?

the Parshas we are reading are from the book of numbers we are counting (Rashi says its out of love) and being counted repeatedly.

which is a bit surprising, because in כי תשא we read that we aren’t allowed to count Jews unless commanded. Counting Jews isn’t a good thing. Therefore they were counted through the half shekel,

Are we supposed to be counted or not?

The הפטרה last week began מסםר בני ישראל, the number of Jews – היה מספר בני ישראל כחול הים אשר לא ימד ולא יספר they can't be counted. so how can it be a number? If it's beyond numbers then why is it called a number. do we have a number or not? How can it be a number that cant be counted? 

So, what are Jews' numbers or not?

The answer is we are both. of course, the Jews aren’t numbers. every Jew is a soul, a brain, personality, that is unique. every one of his experiences is personal and shapes who and who he is. his morals and values are all unique.

The yochid and klal.

 That fact that everyone is different isn’t a mistake. Its not that hashem keeps trying to make a perfect yid, and it hasn’t worked yet, rather there is a need for every yochid, and each one is different. So to look at Yid as a number is a terrible thing.

On the other hand every Yid needs to know that its not for him to do his own thing alone. He is part of KY. It's finding your individual mission life as part of KY.

This is why there is a dichotomy.

If you just think about the needs of the nation you will be overlooking what you were given.

If are busy with whom you are – you forget KY.

What really you are is both! An individual and part of the klal.

Practically – how should one do this?

Rabbi Tatz – imagine I go and drop you off at a construction site and I say I’m going to pick u up at 10pm, its 9am now. you look around and you have no idea what’s going on, you have never been to a construction site in your life, I drop you off, I say get to work. you are confused what does he want me to do? so you start looking around – plumbing, electrics, brick, everything half done, you don’t have google…! you have nothing to help you out. so, some might try and see if they can figure out wats going on. but what if I drop you off at the work site with a toolbox, first thing you should do is open the toolbox and let’s see what’s inside! What talents, abilities, strengths – what do you have, that all paints a picture of the direction of where you are supposed to be going with your life. It’s really amazing!!  

 Rabbi Sacks said "Where what you want to do meets what needs to be done, that is where God wants us to be."