במדבר, פרק כ״ו, פסוק י״ד

The census of the tribe of Simeon reveals a dramatic and tragic reality. The once-thriving population suffered a devastating collapse during the years in the desert, leaving them with only twenty-two thousand, two hundred men. This represents a staggering loss of over thirty-seven thousand individuals since their original count.

The sheer scale of this decline is rooted in a specific catastrophe. All twenty-four thousand men who perished in the plague following the sin of Baal Peor belonged to the tribe of Simeon. As for the rest of the missing population, approximately thirteen thousand additional men passed away from natural causes over the years of wandering, a mortality rate consistent with the rest of the tribes [רש ר הירש, ברכת אשר על התורה].

Beyond the numbers, the tragedy of Simeon is reflected in the very way they are recorded. Unlike every other tribe in the census, Simeon is missing a specific term of counting usually attached to the final tally. Commentators link this deliberate omission directly to the crisis the tribe endured. One perspective views this missing term as a mark of honor and personal worth. During the first census, when the tribe's moral standing was unblemished, they were granted this honorable description. However, after their shameful involvement with the women of Moab, the tribe lost its dignity, prompting the record to be as brief as possible [רש ר הירש].

Another approach connects this absence to a loss of military authority. Because so many men of Simeon participated in the sin, including their tribal leader, Zimri the son of Salu, they were stripped of their independent military command. Control over their soldiers was temporarily handed over to the leaders of another tribe or to Moses himself [קונטרס חיבה יתירה]. Alternatively, the missing term is understood as an expression of social order and stable household management. The plague struck Simeon with such force that their family systems and daily routines were entirely shattered. With their societal structure in ruins, it was impossible to describe them using a term that implies an intact and functioning family order [העמק דבר].