How the Small Held the Great in Israel's History

Another interpretation: It is the way of the world that a person empties a full vessel into an empty vessel; does one ever empty into a full vessel? So the whole world was water within water, yet you say "to one place"? Rather, from here we learn that the little holds the much. And similarly: "And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock" (Numbers 20:10) — it was [only] as large as the opening of a small sieve, yet all Israel stood there; rather, from here we learn that the little holds the much. And similarly: "Take for yourselves handfuls" (Exodus 9:8) — now does the cupped hands [chofen] of Moses hold eight fistfuls [kemitzin]? The one who fills two cupped hands is not like the one who takes a single fistful, for the one who scoops with two hands holds double the one who takes one fistful; and it is written, "and Moses sprinkled it [threw it]" (Exodus 9:10). It turns out that the cupped hands of Moses held eight fistfuls — rather, from here we learn that the little held the much. And similarly: "And Joshua said: Come here and hear the words of the LORD" (Joshua 3:9) — he stood them between the two staves of the Ark.