Fewness Reveals Israels Loftiness

בפסוק לא מרובכם כו' כי אתם המעט כו'

On the pasuk, "Not because you are more numerous... for you are the fewest..." (Devarim 7:7).

The Sfas Emes opens with the pasuk in which Hashem says He did not choose Bnei Yisrael because of their large numbers, since they are in fact the fewest of the nations.

תמוה אם כפשוטו מה קאמר לא מרובכם הואיל ואינם מרובים כלל

This is puzzling, for if it is meant literally, what is the point of saying "not because you are more numerous" — seeing that they are not numerous at all?

He raises a difficulty: if the pasuk is taken at face value, it seems pointless to say Hashem did not choose them for being numerous when they were never numerous to begin with.

ובמדרש ממעטין עצמם כו'

And in the Midrash it is taught: they make themselves few.

He cites the Midrash, which reads the phrase to mean that Bnei Yisrael actively make themselves small and few.

וי"ל ביאור הענין שיש לבנ"י ב' הבחי'

It may be explained that there are two aspects within Bnei Yisrael.

He proposes that the answer lies in there being two distinct states that Bnei Yisrael can be in.

כשהם במעלה הם מרובים מכולם

When they are in their elevated state, they are more numerous than all the nations.

In their elevated, spiritually proper state, Bnei Yisrael actually outnumber all the nations.

אך כשיורדים הם מועטין מכולם

But when they descend, they are the fewest of all.

But when they fall from that state, they become the smallest of all the nations.

והטעם שא"י לקבל חיות מסט"א כמו כל האומות

The reason for this is that Bnei Yisrael are unable to receive their vitality from the sitra achra, the side of impurity, as do all the other nations.

The cause is that, unlike the nations, Bnei Yisrael cannot draw their life-force from the side of impurity.

ולכן כשאינם במקומם אין להם קיום

Therefore, when they are not in their proper place, they have no enduring existence.

As a result, when they are out of their rightful spiritual place, they have nothing to sustain them and cannot endure.

ובאמת זו הבחי' היא עדות למעלות בנ"י

And in truth, this very aspect is testimony to the loftiness of Bnei Yisrael.

Far from being a flaw, this very inability to survive outside holiness is proof of how lofty Bnei Yisrael truly are.

והיא יותר זכות מבחי' המרובה

It is an even greater merit than the aspect of being numerous.

This aspect of fewness is an even higher merit than the aspect of being numerous.

כי הריבוי שיש להם הוא מצד טובו ית' עמנו להשפיע לנו כיד המלך לאוהביו

For the abundance that they possess comes from the side of His goodness, may He be blessed, toward us, to bestow upon us as befits the hand of the King to those who love Him.

Their abundance flows from Hashem's goodness and generosity toward them, like a king lavishing gifts on those he loves.

אבל זו הבחי' שאין לנו בגלות קיום ע"י שאין רוצין לקבל חיות רק מהשי"ת כמ"ש אם שכחנו כו' ונפרוש כפינו לאל זר כו'

But this aspect — that we have no enduring existence in galus, because we are unwilling to receive vitality from anything other than Hashem, as it is written, "If we had forgotten... and spread out our hands to a strange god..." (Tehillim 44:21) —

But the aspect of fewness reflects something deeper: that in galus they cannot endure precisely because they refuse to take their vitality from any source other than Hashem, as the pasuk in Tehillim attests.

וז"ש לא מרובכם כו' כי החשיבות אינו מצד הריבוי רק מצד המיעוט

this is the meaning of "not because you are more numerous...", for the distinction of Bnei Yisrael is not on account of their abundance, but rather on account of their fewness.

This is what the pasuk means by "not because you are more numerous" — the greatness of Bnei Yisrael stems not from their numbers but from their very fewness.

והאמת כי בגלות ניכר כח ישראל וגם הגאולה שיהי' במהרה יהי' ג"כ בזכות זה שסובלין הגלות כראוי

And the truth is that in galus the strength of Yisrael becomes recognizable, and the geulah too, which will come speedily, will likewise come in the merit of this — that they bear the galus as is fitting.

In truth, galus is precisely where the strength of Yisrael shows itself, and the coming geulah will be earned through their bearing galus properly.

וזה צריך כל איש לידע כי בוודאי הקב"ה יגאל אותנו בקרוב

And this every person must know: that Hakadosh Baruch Hu will surely redeem us soon.

Every person must hold firm to the knowledge that Hakadosh Baruch Hu will certainly redeem us soon.

אבל אופן גוף הגאולה זה תלוי בעבודתינו בגלות כי מי שטרח בע"ש כו'

But the manner of the geulah itself depends upon our avodah in galus, for whoever toiled on Erev Shabbos will eat on Shabbos.

However, the specific form the geulah takes depends on our avodah during galus — like one who prepares on Erev Shabbos and thereby has what to eat on Shabbos.

ובגלות היא ההכנה להגאולה

And in galus lies the preparation for the geulah.

Galus itself is the preparation that readies us for the geulah.

והשי"ת יזכנו לעבדו בכל כוחנו כדי שיהי' הגאולה עצה"י טוב

May Hashem grant us the merit to serve Him with all our strength, so that the geulah may come in a good way, with the help of Heaven.

He offers a tefillah that Hashem help us serve Him with all our strength, so that the geulah will arrive in a good manner, with Heaven's help.

וז"ש יה"ר שנשמור חוקיך כו' לימות המשיח כו':

And this is the meaning of "May it be Your will that we keep Your statutes... in the days of Mashiach...".

He closes with the words of the prayer asking that we be able to keep Hashem's statutes in the days of Mashiach.

Summary: The Sfas Emes wonders why the Torah says Hashem did not choose Bnei Yisrael for being numerous, when they were already the fewest of the nations, and answers by way of the Midrash that they make themselves small. He explains that Bnei Yisrael have two states: when elevated they outnumber all the nations, but when they fall they become the fewest, because unlike the nations they cannot draw vitality from the sitra achra and therefore cannot endure outside their proper place. This very fewness is not a weakness but the highest testimony to their loftiness — a greater merit than abundance, since it reflects their refusal to take life from anything other than Hashem. He teaches that galus is precisely where the strength of Yisrael is revealed, and that while the geulah will surely come, its very form depends on our avodah in galus, just as one who toils on Erev Shabbos has what to eat on Shabbos. He concludes with a tefillah that Hashem grant us the strength to serve Him fully, so that the geulah may come in a good way, in the days of Mashiach.