The Census

The Torah (the Hebrew word for the first five books of the Old Testament) is divided up into portions (Hebrew: Parasha) to be read each week. This Friday's portion is Bamidbar (Numbers 1:1 - 4:20)

On the first day of the second month, in the second year following the exodus from the land of Egypt, the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting, saying:

Take a census of the whole Israelite community by the clans of its ancestral houses, listing the names, every male, head by head. You and Aaron shall record them by their groups, from the age of twenty years up...

The Velveteen Rabbi often writes poems inspired by weekly portions, and I suspect several readers will enjoy this week's, as it is on the census, and genealogy. She also records her poems, and the audio is available on her blog.