THE POWER OF THE FEW

Print-friendly version

THE POWER OF THE FEW

Harav Y. Reuven Rubin Shlita

I’ve never been good at sums, any mathematic quandary beyond the ten fingers Hashem has gifted me with, can trigger anxiety. It’s probably something I struggled with as a child and have never really shrugged off.  Numbers have no soul; they are empty if they are not given in any context. I remember as a youngster we were taught math’s by rote. On and on the teacher would drum into our heads what was then called the “times tables.”  Nine times nine is…, eight times seven is …. Like some sort of medieval incantation, they were crammed into our brains, dry empty sums, with no story, no life, just brain stress.

Today numbers come tumbling at us with a torrential pace. To a Yied these numbers definitely have taken on a strong meaning, and not in a positive guise. Untold numbers of rockets fly at our brethren in Eretz Yesroil. Precious Children are being raised fearing the next siren, hoping their safety rooms will be close at hand. Here in chutz leretz we are experiencing a huge explosion of vile anti semitism. Articles in the press speak of swelling numbers of citizens, especially the young, who are openly turning against the Jewish people. These stories come complete with percentages and amounts per capita. Numbers are dangled in front of a bewildered population, leaving in its wake more anti semitism.   “Obvious” Yidden are apprehensive when walking alone at night, our families count how many catcalls they receive on a Shabbos Walk, and fear for the future. This nation that was known for its politeness and gentle manners, was a place of safety for a Klall Yisroel needing to rebuild. Since the infamous October 7th murder spree, we have witnessed tens of thousands taking to the streets with horrific anti-semitic chants. None of this should be shrugged off, The Eibishter wants something from us, and it’s not just in the numbers.

Allow me to throw some more numbers at you that will intrigue and hopefully inspire.

There are roughly seven billion human inhabitants in the world today. Of these there are about fifteen million seven hundred thousand Jews. Amongst these there are understood to be two million one hundred thousand Chareidi neshomas. Now let’s just do the maths: the Torah community in the world isn’t even a speck in the sea of human habitation, and yet, well the whole world exists only in the zechus of Torah and mitzvos. This minute number of people is what is keeping the whole of mankind alive. It sort of blows your mind if you just sit for a moment and think about it. Just try writing these numbers down and you will be amazed at the results. The zeroes take on a new life when you begin to contemplate what they represent.

Question how with all the madness, the chaos; what’s stopping it all from imploding? The answer? Your mitzvos! Sounds far- fetched, almost beyond belief?  But as Torah Yidden who live with our holy mesorah it is just this that we affirm with every mitzvah we do. The Imrei Emes of Ger ztl once told a young man in Warsaw that “if a Yied in Warsaw changes his Yiddisher clothing in even a small way, then a Yied in Berlin will become an apostate!” The energy we create through our mitzvos generates the positive illumination that can reach even the darkest of chasms.

We lay sleepless, fearing for our brethren, wondering what we can do, how we can help in this challenging time.   The answer is in the numbers; the Torah world has it in their hands to create even more light. Every one of us should take upon ourselves something extra with the intent that this should bring merit to our holy brethren. Let us create our own missiles, ones filled with the energy that is totally life-enhancing.

The world exists because of Torah. We may be few in quantity compared to the entirety of the world, yet it is up to us to bring the reality of Hashem’s presence to humanity. Take just one mitzvah, refine it a bit, and do so for the whole of Klal Yisroel, and hence the world.

We are now at the cusp of Tisha Bav, historically a difficult time for Klal Yisroel. It is just at this moment when Hashem is calling us for more. Hopefully, by the time these words are published the situation will have changed for the better. However, the need for our concentrated Torah focus will always be needed. Extra chessed, Ahavas Yisroel, achdus, they are all the antidote to past disasters, and the wherewithal to dispel future pain. With our efforts everything is possible; no one should shirk their responsibility, and soon, very soon, we will all greet the Moshiach in that fountain of Peace, Yerusholayim Ir Hakodesh.