This week’s sedra begins with the halachos of tumas mes. The pasuk reads, “And the pure one shall sprinkle on the impure one on the third day and on the seventh day...” (Bamidbar 19:19). Rav Yehoshua ben Kafsai learned from ‘Oztroseha shel Yavneh’ that a single tohar individual can even sprinkle on many tomei individuals.
What happened in Yavneh? At the time of the destruction of the second Beis HaMikdosh, Rabbi Yochanon ben Zakkai asked Vespasian for “Yavneh and her Sages.” This yeshiva preserved Torah for future generations. The Torah that we learn here today is the result of the few talmiday chachomim left in Yavneh who literally saved the world of Torah.
We see from the “Otzros of Yavneh” the power of one individual. One person—and certainly a few good people—can make a difference, can save the world! Consider Rav Meir Shapiro himself. It is mind-boggling to think of the zechus Rav Meir Shapiro has for coming up with the idea of daf hayomi! Thousands and thousands of people worldwide learn daf hayomi because of one man's idea.