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How can Jews fulfill their universal mission of tikkun olam with such small numbers? The Torah (תורה)'s statement "not because you are numerous" reveals that influence comes not from projecting success to attract followers, but from empowering others to reach their potential. Leadership means making yourself smaller to lift others up.
Rabbi Zweig addresses a fundamental question that has troubled him for years: How can the Jewish people fulfill their stated universal mission of establishing international brotherhood (tikkun olam) when they constitute such a tiny fraction of the world's population with minimal apparent power or influence? The question becomes more acute when considering the Ramchal's interpretation of the Mishna in Avos that describes the proper path as one that brings "tiferet" - which Ramchal translates as establishing international brotherhood, meaning Jews have a responsibility not just for themselves but for fixing the entire world. The shiur focuses on the verse in Parshas Vaeschanan (Devarim 7:7): "Not because you are more numerous than all the peoples did Hashem (ה׳) desire you and choose you, for you are the fewest of all peoples." Rabbi Zweig examines the commentaries' difficulties with this verse. The Rashbam asks why the Jews would need to be told they weren't numerous - they clearly knew their small size. The Ramban (רמב"ן) questions why anyone would think God loves people because of their numbers. Various answers are proposed but found wanting.
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Why does the Midrash connect Pharaoh's expulsion of the Jews to the mitzvah of shiluach hakan? The shiur develops a chiddush that Pharaoh's sin wasn't only drowning the children, but the insensitivity of expelling the parents afterward. The deeper analysis reveals that Pharaoh may have valued the Jews greatly and wanted to control them—making his expulsion an act of tremendous cruelty, not liberation.
Why does Moshe respond to the splitting of the sea with shirah rather than praise or thanksgiving? Rashi's use of "al libo" reveals that shirah is an emotional expression—a response of love to love. When Hashem shows personal care, the only adequate response is "I love You too," not mere gratitude or praise, and this principle applies to all relationships.
Devarim 7:7
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