Bamidbar

Our parsha begins with the words, וידבר ה אל משה במדבר סיני, "Hashem spoke to Moshe in the Sinai desert." Then it states, שאו את ראש כל עדת בני ישראל, "Take a census of the entire assembly of the Jewish people." Reb Moshe Feinstein explains that we read this parsha before Shavuos because some people may think, "Who am I and what is my Torah learning worth? Even if I study I won't amount to anything so why bother?” To counter this and show that everyone is important, we read this passage that shows that each person counts. Therefore, each person was counted individually; no matter whether big or small, everyone was counted. Each person makes up the whole of Klal Yisroel; each person is an irreplaceable part of the whole unit, and what each person does, no matter how much or little, counts. 

Also, the fact that Hashem gave the Torah in the desert, teaches the message of bitachon, trust in Hashem. Just as Hashem took care of us so that everyone had all they needed, so, too, He takes​ care of us always and gives us all that we need. No one else can take anything that's coming to an individual. Just as when one is in a desert, there is no one around that can take anything from him, so, too, when one is among people, no one can take anything from him. Only what Hashem wants one to have will remain with him;  no one will be able to touch it. 

The mussar rabbis used to say, "A horse kicks with its feet when it goes to the river to drink​ water." Why does it do that? For when it gets to the riverbank, it sees its reflection in the water and thinks another horse is coming to take the water that he's about to drink, so he kicks up the water with his feet, making it all full of sand and undrinkable. 

People are the same.  When someone thinks that someone is trying to take something from him and does something to make sure that the other person doesn't get it either, he will see that he messed himself up as well.  However, one who just trusts that Hashem is in control and no one can take anything from him, will not lose anything. 
A person must realize that every part of his life, down to the last detail, is designed by Hashem What is set aside for him is what he's going to get, not a penny more or less. No one can take it away from him. 

In the Gemara,  Ben Azai says, בשמך יקראוך ובמקמך יושיבוך ומשלך יתנו לך, which Rashi translates to mean that a person shouldn't say, "so and so is taking my business away” because a person is called by name to go sit in his seat and take what is his.  What one gets is what is his from heaven, ואין מלכות נוגעת בחברתה ; when it's time for someone else to get, Hashem will make it happen in an instant. The Ben Ish Chai comments, since Chazal used the word נוגע, "touch" instead of נוטל , "to take," is teaching us that not only can't one take something that's meant for someone else, he can't even get close enough to touch it. Whatever is for destined for him, he will get at the exact moment that Hashem wants him to. 

The Ben Ish Chai brings a true story to demonstrate. There was a group of friends who went camping every summer in the same place. They would all come and set up their tents by knocking pegs into the ground. One year, when they came to the campsite, one of the men, while hammering in the peg, hit something under the ground. Quickly, he dug it up and found a box full of precious stones. The men were astounded, for they had been coming there for years and pitching their tents in the same spot. This time, he hit the peg in a few centimeters off and found the treasure which shows us that we have no reason to worry; we just need to trust Hashem; whatever we're supposed  to get, when it's the right time, Hashem will give it to us in an instant! 

Perhaps we can combine these two messages to teach that we are all individuals, all counted individually. Each one of us matters; Hashem has an individual plan for each one of us which can't be taken by anyone else. As we prepare to accept the Torah this week, let's go in with complete trust that Hashem is in total control!