Rashi writes that this to assemble the entire community into the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, i.e., into the Tabernacle’s courtyard, there had to be a miracle. Thus, this is one of the events in which the lesser space accommodated the many—the entire people of Israel “crowded” together in one small space.
The area of the Tabernacle courtyard was 50 by 100 cubits; each cubit is about 50 centimeters or 1.66 feet. For 600,000 people to stand in such an area would require about 120 people standing on every square cubit, the equivalent of about a quarter of a square meter or 2 and ¾ of a square foot.
When looking at the concept of “the lesser that contains the greater” from the Chasidic perspective, we identify its core with the mystery of the love of Israel. When Jews love one another, they are capable of congregating in a very small space. The Talmud relates a similar idea regarding a man and woman who truly love one and another and can therefore sleep on a bed the width of the blade of a sword.
The mathematical allusion here is truly beautiful. The value of the words, “the entire community, assemble them at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting” (לָכָּדֵעָההֵהְקַהל לֶאֶפּחַתֹאלֶה דֵעֹמו) is identical to “the lesser that contains the greater” (טָמוּע יקִזֲחַמַּה תֶא הֶבֻּרְמַּה), as well as to the well-known, “love of Israel” (תַבֲהַא לֵאָרְׂשִי).
We can now look at Rabbi Akiva’s well-known words, “’Love your fellow as you love yourself’—this is a great principle of Torah,” and see that they too demonstrate the principle of “the small that accommodates the large.” For, a very short commandment—the commandment to love our fellow Jew—totaling only three words in Hebrew (ָךֹכָּמוָלְ רֵ עֲ ך וְאָ הַ בְ תָּ ), this short commandment becomes a great principle that in a sense includes the entire Torah.
Delving deeper, we find that there is “Love of Israel” and “Love of God.” Our love of God is limitless. It is meant to be, “with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might.” Yet, love of Israel seems to be something with limits, since we are meant to love our fellow as we love ourselves, and both we and our fellow are limited. However, in truth, there is something limitless in our fellow—that something is His Divine soul, the Divine within him which is revealed when we love him honestly. When we love in this way, our love reveals the limitless in others and allows for the “smaller to accommodate the larger.”
This meaning is captured in the full phrase that commands us to love our fellows, “Love your fellow as you love yourself; I am Havayah.” God is present within every Jew and when you love him, you love Me, says the Almighty.
Once again, this is beautifully captured in the straightforward numerical equality: “Love your fellow as you love yourself; I am Havayah” (ָתְּבַהָאְוָךֲעֵרְלָךֹמוָכּ יִנֲא י -הוה) is equal to “You shall love Havayah your God” (ָיךֶהֹל-ֱא הוה -י תֵאָתְּבַהָאְו).
