Take a census, etc. The purpose of this counting now was to inform that even though 24,000 had fallen, nevertheless, 600,000 remained. For a complete multitude is only when there are 600,000, since one can only recite the blessing “Blessed is the One who knows the secrets” when seeing 600,000 (Berakhot 58). Therefore, it comes to inform us that upon their entry to the land, they were a complete multitude.

And the reason he sealed all the tribes with the name of God [Yah] specifically in this count, is because they were not previously suspected of harlotry until they failed at Shittim with fornication. This [now] gave the nations grounds to say that their end proves their beginning — just as the males went after foreign women, so too in Egypt the women were promiscuous and breached boundaries because the Egyptians had control over their mothers. Therefore it says “HaChanochi, HaPallui” and sealed them with God’s name [Yah] [the two letters of this name coming at the beginning and end of each family’s appellation], because this name mediates between man and woman, indicating that they were all born from a man and woman with God’s name [Yah] between them. The placement of the letter hei before the yod [which spells God’s name backwards] comes to announce the virtue of the women, as the hei is given to the woman and the yod to the man. Indeed, the women were more guarded from sexual immorality than the men, as evidenced by Scripture publicizing only Shelomith daughter of Dibri, which teaches that she alone was immodest while all other women were modest (Leviticus Rabbah 32:5). But the men were “weeping in their families” over the matter of forbidden relationships, and many of them stumbled at Shittim. Therefore the hei of God’s name precedes the yod, because the main point being conveyed is the virtue of the women — that the Egyptians did not have control over their mothers. Furthermore, in every seal the letters are reversed so that they appear in the correct order on the thing being sealed, and Israel is the seal, as it says Place me as a seal upon your heart (Song of Songs 8:6) — when I am the seal, then the name of God [Yah] will be engraved through me.

And what He added further is the name of God [Yah] in three tribes. And they are the Reubenite, the Simeonite, the Zebulunite — these are the families of the Reubenites [HaReuveni], and similarly with Simeon and Zebulun — because these needed two witnesses more than the others. For Reuben stumbled in the matter of Bilhah, and from Simeon came Zimri, and it appears that the 24,000 who fell were mostly from Simeon, and the deficiency in the count of this tribe [as compared to the previous count before the story of Zimri] proves this. And Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea (Genesis 49:13), and our Rabbis of blessed memory said (Ketubot 61a), “The marital duty of sailors is once every six months.” And there is concern that since those who go down to the sea in ships are separated from their wives, perhaps because of this they might come to commit harlotry. Therefore, He sealed the name of God [Yah] a second time on these three to say that they are all seed blessed by God and fenced off from forbidden sexual relations, both in the past and in the future, more than any other nation or tongue.

And among these there was not a man [counted by Moses and Aaron the priest when they recorded the Israelites in the wilderness of Sinai]. But women were present because the decree of the spies was only on the men, since the men hated the land and were saying Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt (Numbers 14:4). But the women cherished the land, as the daughters of Zelophehad said, Give us a possession. I will provide two reasons for this matter: There are lands that produce modest people, and there are lands that produce adulterers. And our Sages said that Shittim was a place that produced adulterers, and therefore they engaged in harlotry in Shittim because living in that place caused them to commit harlotry. And the Land of Israel is uniquely suited in this way, as the land does not tolerate immorality, as it is written in the section on forbidden relationships: For all these abominations were done by the men of the land… and the land vomited out its inhabitants (Leviticus 18:25-27). We have already written above that the men were promiscuous in sexual matters, and therefore they hated the land. But the women were virtuous and modest, and Shelomit the daughter of Dibri proves this, as the Scripture publicized her [as the only one who was immoral]. Therefore, they cherished the land that produces modest people. And know that this is so, for even Shittim, which produces adulterers, will receive healing from the Holy Land, as it is said: And a spring shall come forth from the house of the Lord and shall water the valley of Shittim (Joel 4:18). And for this reason, And among these there was not a man is written specifically near the census, to tell you that women were present, because in this count the modesty of women is hinted at more than in men, since the letter hei precedes the letter yud as explained above.

The second reason is, because it is known that there is a difference between the Land of Israel and other lands, as in the Land of Israel rain is more abundant than in the land of Egypt or other lands. Now in the land of Egypt, since rain is not common there, the farmers need to water the grain fields with their feet, just as they water vegetable gardens. And since they have such great toil in the fields, the Torah exempted them from terumot and ma’asrot [tithes], because justice does not dictate that one should give a portion to someone who did not labor for it. But in the Land of Israel, where rain falls in its season and the field owner does not have such great toil in watering the fields, even though he has the labor of sowing and plowing and other field work, nevertheless, the Holy One, Blessed be He, also has a share in the field because He gives rain in its season. Therefore, it is just that they should give from the Most High’s portion to the priests and Levites, the servants of our God, for they are acquiring [it] from the table of the Most High.

And this matter is explained very well, in Parashat Ekev (11:10–12) where it says: For the land which you are entering to possess is not like the land of Egypt from which you came, where you would sow your seed and water it by foot like a vegetable garden. Rather, the land which you are entering to possess drinks water from the rain of the heavens. It is a land which the Lord your God seeks out, etc. And the Yalkut in Parashat Ekev (860) concludes that specifically this land [Israel] is given for “seeking” — to separate from it challah, terumah, and tithes, but not other lands. Anyone with eyes to see and a heart to understand would be astonished at this sight — what do challah and terumah have to do with this context? And what suggests that the word it [referring to the Land of Israel] comes to exclude other lands from terumah and tithes? And why is this exclusion written here? Rather, certainly the intent was to give a reason why the Land of Israel is obligated in challah, terumah, and tithes more than other lands. The explanation is that in other lands, all the toil is yours — even a field of grain you must water by foot like a vegetable garden; therefore, the Torah exempts you from terumah and tithes. But the land which you are entering to possess drinks water from the rain of the heavens, and thus half the labor is yours and half is from Above. Therefore, it is just that you should give a portion to the Above through those who minister to our God.

And for this reason the men hated the Land, because they were hardened of heart, far from righteousness, and had no desire or will to go from a place of exemption to a place of obligation. They openly said, We remember the fish that we ate in Egypt for free (Numbers 11:5), and the Sifrei interprets free as “free from commandments.” The explanation is that they were eating without [separating] tithes and offerings, and for this reason they mentioned the cucumbers and the melons, etc. because all these are exempt from tithing outside the Land [of Israel] even rabbinically, while in the Land of Israel they are obligated rabbinically. This is because all these are garden vegetables that require watering by foot even in the Land of Israel, as they need abundant water. The language of the verse proves this, as it states, and watered it with your foot, like a vegetable garden (Deuteronomy 11:10). This teaches that a vegetable garden plainly requires watering everywhere, therefore even in the Land of Israel they are exempt from tithing by Torah law, but the Rabbis obligated them since abundant water is available there, but not outside the Land where abundant water is not available. And from the fact that they said “free from commandments,” we learn that they were stingy toward the priests of God, and therefore they hated the Land, the place of obligation.

But the women of that generation were righteous and loved charity, both the mitzvah of challah which is specifically for women and depends on the land, and other terumot and ma’asrot. Therefore, they loved the land and desired to go to the place of obligation. Since typically a woman does not have authority over her husband’s possessions, they desired to go to a place where their husbands would be obligated to give. This is what our Sages meant when they said (Sotah 11b): “In the merit of the righteous women of that generation, our forefathers were redeemed from Egypt.” This means that in their merit, the people left a place of exemption for a place of obligation, which their souls desired and longed for. Similarly, our Sages said (Bava Batra 119b) about the daughters of Zelophehad that they were righteous, meaning they loved charity, and therefore they said, “Give us a possession.” A strong and good proof for our words is Rashi’s explanation of “to the families of Manasseh son of Joseph” — why is Joseph mentioned? Because he cherished the land, etc., and so did his daughters. You already know that Joseph possessed these two good traits: first, that he was guarded against sexual immorality, his bow remained taut (Genesis 49:24) with Potiphar’s wife; second, that he loved the land because of the charity [obligations], and Joseph loved charity, as he sustained and provided for his father’s entire household. His daughters inherited these two traits, and because of them, they said, Give us a possession. This is what is meant by saying they were righteous — that they married only those who were suitable for them, as the Gemara concludes. The explanation is that they married specifically into the tribe of Joseph, as they also followed their ancestors’ ways in loving charity. They were wise because they were guarded against sexual immorality, the opposite of what is written (Numbers 5:12), If a man’s wife goes astray [tisteh], which is an expression of foolishness [shtut]. And this is a precious reason.