The Significance of Insignificance

Seeing the hidden power in what seems small—ourselves, our actions, and even a single word

This past week, our family took a vacation over Purim to the Caesarea area of Israel. We needed a break from the usual hustle and volume of in-town Purim, so the holiday weekend proved to be the perfect opportunity. On Purim morning, we went to the ancient Roman port in Caesarea to enjoy the water and the fresh air. It turned out to be a surprisingly popular destination for Purim morning.

As I stood in the very place where some truly great people had stood before me, as well as some truly not great ones, I looked out at the sea and watched the waves for a while, lost in thought.

I noticed the sun shining, reflecting off each and every wave like tiny diamonds. It was breathtaking. I tried capturing the enormity of it on my iPhone, but apparently, that scene was reserved for my neshama. No matter how I tried, I couldn’t quite capture it.

I realized then that each wave is unique. There is something special about each one. It moves with purpose, beyond my grasp, yet Hashem shines the sun upon it as if to say: I see you. You are doing great. You are shining. You are part of this great sea, and without you, it would not be the same. And in that moment, I understood that the same is true for every human being. We are each unique, each offering our own contribution. All we need to do is recognize that even what seems insignificant is part of something greater. We are each playing our role in creating something majestic and awe-inspiring.

As Purim progressed and then Shabbos, I realized that this truth extends to our role in building Eretz Yisrael, in learning Torah, and in every facet of life. In fact, I believe it is the very message of our Parashah.

After Moshe delayed in coming down from Har Sinai, Bnei Yisrael did the unthinkable—they built and worshipped the Golden Calf. When Moshe arrived and saw what was happening, he shattered the luchos into smithereens. A plague struck, and though Hashem ultimately forgave us, the nation was left in turmoil. What now?

Moshe understood that the people needed to come together. They needed to realize that being a Jew is about more than who gets to do the Avodah. While Shevet Levi plays a large part, there is room for each person from each shevet. As insignificant as we may sometimes feel, we are, in fact, deeply significant. We can contribute in our own unique way. We can build the Mishkan.

Thus, the parsha begins: Vayakhel Moshe—Moshe gathered everyone together as a community. He first told them about Shabbos and then proceeded to instruct them on the building of the Mishkan.

Every Jew brought forth that which made him or her shine, and with those contributions, Moshe was able to build the Mishkan.

There is an interesting pattern in the text. If one were to think of the most insignificant word in the Torah, it would likely be es (את). This word doesn’t have a direct translation and it is primarily used for juxtaposition, so it often appears to have little intrinsic value. In many cases, it functions interchangeably with a vav (ו), meaning “and.”

It is therefore striking that when detailing the Mishkan, the materials are listed with the juxtaposition of a vav:

ויאמר משה אל־כל־עדת בני־ישראל לאמר זה הדבר אשר־צוה ה' לאמר. קחו מאתכם תרומה לה' כל נדיב לבו יביאה את תרומת ה' זהב וכסף ונחשת. ותכלת וארגמן ותולעת שני ושש ועזים וערת אילם מאדמים וערת תחשים ועצי שטים ושמן למאור ובשמים לשמן המשחה ולקטרת הסמים ואבני־שהם ואבני מלאים לאפוד ולחשן

Each element is connected with ו, linking them together in a simple, sequential manner.

However, when it comes to the actual construction of the Mishkan, the juxtaposition shifts, we see that the connective word is now es (את):

וכל־חכם־לב בכם יבאו ויעשו את כל־אשר צוה ה'. את־המשכן את־אהלו ואת־מכסהו את־קרסיו ואת־קרשיו את־בריחו את־עמדיו ואת־אדניו. את־הארן ואת־בדיו את־הכפרת ואת פרכת המסך. את־השלחן ואת־בדיו ואת־כל־כליו ואת לחם הפנים. ואת־מנרת המאור ואת־כליה ואת־נרתיה ואת שמן המאור. ואת־מזבח הקטרת ואת־בדיו ואת שמן המשחה ואת קטרת הסמים ואת־מסך הפתח לפתח המשכן. את  מזבח העלה ואת־מכבר הנחשת אשר־לו את־בדיו ואת־כל־כליו את־הכיר ואת־כנו. את קלעי החצר את־עמדיו ואת־אדניה ואת מסך שער החצר. את־יתדת המשכן ואת־יתדת החצר ואת־מיתריהם. את־בגדי השרד לשרת בקדש את־בגדי הקדש לאהרן הכהן ואת־בגדי בניו לכהן

The most seemingly insignificant word, את, becomes the word that unites all the elements of the Mishkan.

We find a similar pattern in Bereishis:

"בראשית ברא אלקים את השמים ואת הארץ."

​​The very act of Creation, the connection of heaven and earth, is expressed with the word את. What appears to be the smallest, least meaningful word is, in essence (pun intended), the very glue that binds everything together.

Perhaps את is not so insignificant after all. We find that the word את is the root of לאתויי—to include. It is all-encompassing, spanning from alef to tav, from A to Z. It tells us that everyone has a place, that every detail matters.

The building of the Mishkan required the participation of each individual. Each act of giving, each contribution, was marked by את—a sign of deliberate inclusion. Every person, in their own way, played a role in the greater whole. The Mishkan was built by the entire nation, each individual bringing forth what they had to offer.¹

Beyond the Mishkan or the Creation of the world, this concept brings us directly into the geulah. The Mishkan was built when each person brought their unique contribution, unified by the word את. The geulah, too, will come when every Jew recognizes their role in the greater whole.

Let’s take a look at the Haftara for Parashas Parah. Yechezkel HaNavi describes the arrival of Mashiach. He speaks of a time when the Jewish people will be exiled from Eretz Yisrael, scattered throughout the world, while the land itself lies desolate and abandoned. But then, Hashem will reveal His Kedusha, gathering us back to Eretz Yisrael. At that time, He will purify us from being trapped in a galus mindset, shaped by the influences of the nations among whom we have lived for millennia. After that, we will experience a renewed spirit and become an Am Kadosh, a holy nation.

At this time, Eretz Yisrael will flourish once more, overflowing with abundance like Gan Eden. The Navi concludes with a powerful image:

"As Jerusalem is filled with sacrificial sheep during her festivals, so shall the ruined cities be filled with flocks of people. And they shall know that I am Hashem."

Now, you might wonder although this is a beautiful vision of geulah, what does it have to do with the parashah?

My heart tells me that it is entirely connected.

If you count the number of times the word את appears in the detailed description of the elements of the Mishkan in our parashah, you will find that it is mentioned 42 times. The number 42 is a significant number in Judaism. It represents the 42 stops the Jewish people made on their journey to Eretz Yisrael. Furthermore, the sefarim teach that Jewish history itself will unfold in 42 stages leading up to the geulah. In our own lives, we experience 42 steps from conception to the end of life.²

This 42-fold repetition of את highlights its role as the ultimate connector binding each element together.

Sometimes, we hear from those in Chutz La’aretz, and even from some who live here, that they feel disconnected from Eretz Yisrael. These people do not see why one should live in the Holy Land or even think about it. Yes, the nevi’im speak about it. Yes, we pray for it multiple times a day. But they reason that these tefillos refer to a future time—when Mashiach comes, when everything will be different.

Aren’t the signs already clear that geulah is already in process?

Just as the Shechinah entered the Mishkan through the collective contributions of the nation, so too the geulah’s unfolding depends on our unity today.

As I was writing this, I came across an Instagram post that expressed a powerful idea (paraphrased):

"What if he has been here all along, but we just can’t see?
What if we are asleep—saying we want him, yet refusing to wake up?
What if he is waiting for us to allow him to arrive?
What if we need to elevate our consciousness to see him?
What if Mashiach isn’t going to just show up one day, but instead, we need to wake up and realize that he is already here?
What kind of world would we be living in?"³

Every single person is needed, especially those who feel insignificant. They must recognize their role and embrace it.

Before Yetzias Mitzrayim, the signs of geulah were clear and then, in an instant, it arrived. Parashas Parah comes before the month of geulah, Chodesh Nissan. This tells us that we must prepare ourselves for the geulah by becoming tahor and kadosh. We cannot wait for the last moment to jump on the bandwagon when the geulah arrives.

We can accomplish great things and tap into our collective potential when we ask ourselves, What are we doing to bring the geulah? The focus is beyond the individual wave; it is about the entire sea. The geulah will come through a nation unified in purpose.

My father’s rebbe, Rav Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg zt”l, whose yahrzeit falls this coming week on 27 Adar, would often travel to the United States to fundraise for his yeshiva. Our family had the privilege of hosting him during his stays, and the experience left an indelible impression on me in many ways.

One thing that stood out in particular was his Shemoneh Esrei. Every single time he reached the tefillah for Yerushalayim, he would break down in bitter tears. These were not just tears—they were real tears, tears of longing for the geulah and the rebuilding of Yerushalayim.

People often ask me why I live in Eretz Yisrael. There are many reasons, but ultimately, it comes down to those tears of Rav Scheinberg.

Regardless of where we live, we all need to be actively engaged in longing for the geulah and only then will we merit the complete Hashra’as HaShechinah. It requires the all-encompassing את. If you aren’t physically building the land, you can still be part of it. You, too, are within the את.

The geulah is an ongoing process even though it may often feel like a distant dream. Every day, as Eretz Yisrael continues to grow and evolve, we are living in the very reality that many claim will only happen “when Mashiach comes.” If we open our eyes and understand what is unfolding, we see that the very conditions for geulah have already been set in motion.

Those who insist that we must wait for Mashiach—that only then will everything change—are, in effect, overlooking the present miracle. By getting lost in details or waiting passively, they fail to see that we are witnessing prophecy unfold before our eyes. We are the generation with the privilege—and the responsibility—to recognize that Hashem’s blueprint for geulah is being carried out before our eyes.

Remember, we are waves in the sea, with Hashem shining His light down upon us, illuminating our beauty and our contribution. We only need to recognize that what we perceive as insignificant is, in fact, the most significant of all. Just as the sun reflected on every wave, illuminating its unique role in the sea, so too Hashem is shining upon us, waiting for us to recognize our part in the great unfolding of geulah.

1. After writing this, I asked my Rav, Rav Yehoshua Gerzi, if he knew of any sources for this idea. He shared the following references:

• Sha’ar HaYichud VehaEmunah, Sha’ar Aleph – Explores the foundational role of letters in creation.

• Maggid of Mezritch (Ohr Torah, early sections) – States that the Aleph-Beis were created first and that Hashem used them to form all worlds. He (or possibly the Zohar) explains that את (Es) includes everything in creation, as hinted at in Bereishis Bara Elokim Es….

• Ramban – Teaches that the entire Torah consists of Tzirufei Osios.

• Pesachim 68b – States that Hashem looked into the Torah to create the world.

These sources highlight the idea that every detail in creation is an emanation from the 22 letters of the Aleph-Beis, reinforcing the significance of את as all-encompassing.

2. see Midrash Lekach Tov, Shemos

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