Everyone has an opportunity to draw closer to Hashem through the maamar that’s closest to his spiritual station

“Assemble the people — the men, women, and children, including your converts…” (Devarim 31:12)

If all of Klal Yisrael needed to be at Hakhel, why detail all the different groups of people? The mishnah in Avos (5:1) says the world was created with ten maamaros (utterances). Why ten when one would’ve sufficed? Explains the Mishnah, in order to exact retribution from evildoers who destroy a world created with ten utterances of G-d, and to increase the reward to tzaddikim who uphold such a world. Still, why artificially multiply the punishment or reward? (Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein, based on the Meor Einayim)

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his past summer my inbox was inundated with pictures and clips of my sons’ camp activities. My youngest’s day camp sent multiple pictures and there were looong videos from my teen’s camp, plus daily prompts, reminders, and jokes that were probably funny in camp, but went over my head. Whatever happened to the good old once-a-week newsletter?

I went wading through the pictures, my kids fascinated with each one, telling me who was who, but I couldn’t keep track. I was just waiting for a picture of my own kid having fun. And of course, by the time we got to my son’s picture out of the thousands I viewed, the sun was in his eyes, and all I saw was a halo of light. But that’s how I view him always.

The maamaros make connection with Hashem possible to the widest range of people. If all of Creation had been telescoped into one maamar, very few people — perhaps one in a generation — could hope to attach themselves to it and use it as a platform to grow. The kedushah of this single maamar would be incredibly powerful, but inaccessible to most.

The ten maamaros form a graduated scale. Some are higher than others. Everyone, however, has an opportunity to latch on and draw closer to Hashem through the maamar that is closest to his spiritual station.

“Look! Ma, look!” Yitzi pointed excitedly. “That’s me there at the Kosel!”

I almost snorted. The picture was taken from above, and all it showed was hundreds of heads gathered at the Kosel. Go find Yitzi, sure!

“I’m standing right next to that guy,” Yitzi said. He put his finger on the screen, covering about 60 heads. I zoomed in, and zoomed in some more. And there was Yitzi, hat on his head, eyes closed in concentration, his hand uplifted in tefillah. Tears filled my eyes. This picture was so precious. But then Shloime bumped the mouse and the picture zoomed out again, with Yitzi lost in a sea of anonymous heads all pouring their hearts out as one.

The gemara (Rosh Hashanah 18a) depicts a line of people, passing one after the other waiting for judgment. Surprisingly, the gemara then insists that, “they are all examined in a single glance.” How does an image of individual judgment jibe with an instantaneous assessment of all?

The gemara means that at the moment of the sounding of the shofar, all Jews merge together. They all draw closer, elevating themselves separately yet together.

I once attended a Shabbos Shuvah shabbaton run by Shalheves. I don’t know about you, but I’m usually pretty down on Shabbos Shuvah. I feel like I didn’t daven enough on Rosh Hashanah and how can I possibly deserve another good year and even my kabbalos aren’t working out the way I want them to just a few short days into the new year.

I was sitting at one of the speeches and the speaker challenged us. “What’s the percentage of Jews in the world? How many of them are affiliated? How many are religious? How many are Torah Jews like you sitting here in the room? Do the math. You, sitting here, are the shpitz of Hashem’s Torah world, and it’s because of you that the world is still functioning. Don’t be down. Be proud!”

I sat up straighter, suddenly feeling that perhaps Hashem still does have use for little me. For all my failings, I represent something in this world that’s precious to Hashem. And He loves me.

He sends me signs of that love when sending me a parking spot or any other little hug. He’s zooming in on me, and I’d like to think He’s proud of what He sees.

Picture that!

(Originally featured in Family First, Issue 962)