to infinity and beyond

Yoma 32b:

מר רבי שמואל בר נחמני ר' יונתן רמי כתיב והיה מספר בני ישראל כחול הים וכתיב אשר לא ימד ולא יספר לא קשיא כאן בזמן שישראל עושין רצונו של מקום כאן בזמן שאין עושין רצונו של מקום 

There is no stira between the pasuk that Klal Yisrael is too numerous to count and the statement that we have a finite number, like sand on the beach.  When we follow "retzono shel Makom" we are so great there is no way to count us; when we are not doing "retzono shel Makom" we are merely like sand on the beach.

Shem m'Shmuel (end of Mishpatim) asks: when Bnei Yisrael do not follow when Hashem wants, the Torah says וְנִשְׁאַרְתֶּם֙ מְתֵ֣י מִסְפָּ֔ר בַּגּוֹיִ֕ם (Devarim 4:27), we will be very small in number, which implies we will certainly not be as numerous as the sand on the beach!   What does the gemara mean?

A person can follow the dvar Hashem because it makes sense to him and it fits with his worldview; he can follow the dvar Hashem because that is how he was raised; he can follow the dvar Hashem because that is the socially acceptable thing to do in his community.  In all of these cases, the person is doing the right thing, but it's not retzono shel Makom -- it's his ratzon, it's his parent's ratzon, it's his community's ratzon.  If this is where Klal Yisrael is holding, then we don't get the punishment of being מְתֵ֣י מִסְפָּ֔ר בַּגּוֹיִ֕ם, which is talking about evildoers, but our growth is limited to a finite number, just like our behavior is limited by the finite constraints of what our mind, our upbringing, our community imposes upon us.

When a person surrenders to doing what Hashem's ratzon is simply because that is what Hashem wants and for not other reason, then he is in touch with infinity.  That is the bracha of אשר לא ימד ולא יספר