In the Multitude of the People Is the Glory of the King

(Proverbs 14:28): "In the multitude of the people is the glory of the king, but in the lack of a nation is the ruin of a prince" - Rabbi Chama bar Chanina said: Come and see the praise and greatness of the Holy One, blessed be He, for even though there are before Him a thousand thousands of thousands and myriads of myriads of companies of ministering angels to serve Him and praise Him, He does not desire the praise of all of them, but rather the praise of Israel, as it is said, "In the multitude of the people is the glory of the king," and "people" is nothing other than Israel, as it is said (Isaiah 43:21): "This people I formed for Myself, they shall declare My praise," so that they would proclaim My praise in the world. And so it says (Psalms 47:10): "The nobles of the peoples are gathered, the people of the God of Abraham, for the shields of the earth belong to God, He is greatly exalted." Rabbi Simon said: When is the Holy One, blessed be He, exalted in His world? At the time when Israel gather in synagogues and study houses and give praise and adoration before their Creator. Rabbi Ishmael says: At the time when Israel gather in study houses and hear aggadah from the mouth of a sage, and afterward answer, "May His great name be blessed," at that time the Holy One, blessed be He, rejoices and is exalted in His world, and says to the ministering angels, "Come and see this people that I formed in My world, how greatly they praise Me." At that time they clothe Him in majesty and splendor, therefore it is said, "In the multitude of the people is the glory of the king." "But in the lack of a nation is the ruin of a prince" - if they cease for themselves from words of Torah, I too will cease from them words of Torah. (Proverbs 14:33): "In the heart of the understanding rests wisdom" - Rav Huna said: this is a scholar son of a scholar; "but in the midst of fools it is made known" - this is a scholar son of an unlearned man.