This week's parshah tells of the census taken of the Jewish people. A census places everyone on an equal footing. Somebody on the highest spiritual levels is counted equally to somebody on a "lower" level, with nobody taking priority over anybody else.
The reason for this is not simply to make it easier to count. There is a common denominator which applies across the entire nation. On the surface, we each appear different--each with different skills and talents which make us "individuals." Some are more creative, some more analytical, some are more intellectual, and so on. Each person has his or her own particular quality which makes them unique.
When we are looking at these external qualities, we cannot say that everyone is equal. Quite the opposite--what makes a person special and unique are those personal qualities which each person possesses in different measure.
This only applies, however, to our external makeup. Each of us possesses another quality, one which surpasses any of our "individual" qualities. Each of us is created in the image of G-d. Each of us possesses a soul which is an "actual part of G-d," as unlimited as G-d himself is. Our soul is our real being. When we shed the outer layers, the soul is what remains at our core and essence. In this regard, each of us is equal. How can somebody be higher or lower than somebody else when we are dealing with spirituality, with infinite qualities?
It is good to be aware of our revealed qualities and to use our talents for good purposes. We must not forget, however, that there is something higher, something more esoteric which drives each and every one of us. In particular, when we feel tempted to look down on somebody else because of their apparent "station in life," we must remember that really each of us is equal.
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