Parshat Bamidbar opens the 4th Sefer of the Torah. A census is taken of the people in the 2nd month of their 2nd year in the desert. After listing the leaders of the 12 Tribes, the Torah records the total of men aged 20-60 (those eligible for army service) in each Shevet. The overall count is 603,550.

The encampment structure is given, with Shevet Levi in the middle, safeguarding the Mishkan & surrounded by the other Shvatim. Levi, the spiritual leaders of Am
Yisrael, is counted separately in their own census.

The Sedra concludes with the special instructions given to Kehat, Levi's 2nd son, who managed the Mishkan. The Haftora is from Hoshea 2.