This week (outside of Israel) Bamidbar is read and we then celebrate the holiday of Shavuot. Parsha Bamidbar starts with the counting of the nation of Israel while we were in the desert. The Torah tells us that the census of military age men was conducted in a way that every person was accounted for. There are various opinions on why they were commanded to count the people at this point, but we know that this was an exact counting and not an estimation. Our sages teach us that the Divine Presence doesn't rest on less than 600,000 of the Jewish People. When we received the Torah at Mount Sinai this was the number that we needed. If we would have been missing one then the Divine Presence wouldn't have rested on us. This isn't a counting that we can if we don't have the required amount we at least have 95% or 80% etc. if we don't have 100% we don't have anything. If we have nine men for a minyan we don't have a minyan, we can't say 90% of the things that require a minyan if we have nine men, we can't say anything. This shows how important and precious all of us are in the eyes of Hashem.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach,

Heath