Vayikra Rabbah turns to Aaron's Investiture and the Bull Arranged Like a Hill.
The midrash doesn't stop there. It moves on to (Leviticus 8:3): "Assemble the entire congregation at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting." Now, Rabbi Elazar raises a crucial question: All of Israel? Six hundred thousand people? At the entrance of the Tent of Meeting? That seems..impossible.
Rabbi Elazar suggests this is "one of the places where the lesser contained the greater." Makom she’hamuat me’at machzik harbeh. A place where a small space holds a vast multitude.
This idea, this "lesser containing the greater," becomes a recurring theme. It's not just about physical space, but about the boundless nature of the Divine and its ability to manifest even in seemingly limited circumstances.
The midrash then offers a series of examples. Think about (Genesis 1:9), "Let the water under the heavens be gathered to one place." The entire world was full of water! How could it all gather in "one place"? Again, the answer: the lesser contained the greater.
Or consider the story of the plagues in Egypt. In (Exodus 9:8), Moses and Aaron are instructed to take "cupped handfuls of soot of a furnace." Rav Huna points out that a cupped handful is twice the size of a clenched handful. So, four cupped handfuls are like eight clenched ones. But Moses is supposed to throw it "heavenward" with one hand! How is that possible? The Holy One, blessed be He, provided the ability! The lesser contained the greater.
The passage continues, piling on examples: the dimensions of the courtyard in (Exodus 27:18), the rock from which water flowed in (Numbers 20:10), Joshua gathering the Israelites in (Joshua 3:9). In each case, the same principle applies: a limited space somehow accommodates the infinite.
Rav Hanin even describes the rock in Numbers as being the size of a sieve! Impossible for all of Israel to stand before it. Unless... the lesser contains the greater.
One particularly striking interpretation comes from Rav Huna. He suggests Joshua stood all the Israelites "erect between the two staves of the Ark." Rava says he "crowded them" there. Can you imagine? It sounds absurd, yet it leads to a powerful statement from Joshua: "With this you will know that the living God is in your midst" (Joshua 3:10). Because the staves of the Ark contained them all, they knew of the Divine Presence.
The passage concludes with a vision of the future. (Jeremiah 3:17) promises that "all the nations will be gathered" to Jerusalem, which will be called "the Throne of the Lord." But how can Jerusalem contain all the nations?
Rabbi Yoḥanan asks Rabbi Ḥanina this very question, and Rabbi Ḥanina answers with verses from Isaiah: "Expand the place of your tent…for you will spread right and left" (Isaiah 54:2-3). The idea, again, is that the seemingly limited can expand to encompass the infinite.
So, what does all this mean for us? Perhaps it's a reminder that the Divine can be found even in the most unexpected places, even in the smallest of containers. Maybe it's an invitation to see beyond the limitations of our physical world and to recognize the boundless possibilities that exist within. And maybe, just maybe, it’s a comforting thought that even when we feel cramped and confined, there's always room for something greater.
“And the bull of the sin offering, and the two rams” (Leviticus 8:2), Rav Huna said in the name of Rabbi Abba bar Kahana: He fashioned a hill of sorts; a ram on one side, a ram on the other side, and a bull in the middle.29The different heights of the animals produced the effect of a hill. This symbolized the fact that Aaron and his sons were becoming exalted through the process of investiture on these days (Etz Yosef). “Assemble the entire congregation at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting” (Leviticus 8:3). “Assemble the entire congregation at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.” Rabbi Elazar said: All of Israel was six hundred thousand, and you say: “At the entrance of the Tent of Meeting”? Rather, this is one of the places where the lesser contained the greater.30A large number of people were able to gather in a relatively small area. Similarly, “Let the water under the heavens be gathered to one place” (Genesis 1:9). The way of the world is that a person empties a full vessel into an empty vessel. Or, is it, perhaps, a full vessel into a full vessel? The entire world was full of water, and you say: “Let the water…be gathered”? Rather, this is one of the places where the lesser contained the greater. Similarly, “take for yourselves cupped handfuls of soot of a furnace” (Exodus 9:8). Rav Huna said: This cupped handful and this clenched handful are not comparable. The cupped handful is twice the clenched handful. Four cupped handfuls are eight clenched handfuls. The outcome is that the cupped hand of Moses holds eight clenched handfuls.31Two handfuls for Moses and two handfuls for Aaron are altogether four cupped handfuls. But it says that “Moses shall throw it heavenward.” In order to do so powerfully, he must use one hand. Rather, it teaches that the Holy One blessed be He provided the ability. [Moses and] Aaron took cupped handfuls, and Moses threw them. And you say: “Moses threw then heavenward” (Exodus 9:8) all at once. Rather, this is one of the places where the lesser contained the greater. Similarly, “The length of the courtyard shall be one hundred cubits and the width shall be fifty on each side” (Exodus 27:18). Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥalafta said: The length of the courtyard was one hundred cubits and all of Israel was standing inside it? Rather, this is one of the places where the lesser contained the greater. Similarly, “Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock” (Numbers 20:10). Rav Ḥanin said: It was the size of a sieve and all of Israel was standing before it? Rather, this is one of the places where the lesser contained the greater. Similarly, “Joshua said to the children of Israel: Come here” (Joshua 3:9). Rav Huna said: He stood them all erect between the two staves of the Ark. Rabbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina said: He arranged them between the two staves of the Ark. Rava said: He crowded them between the two staves of the Ark. That is what is written: “Joshua said: With this you will know that the living God is in your midst” (Joshua 3:10). He said to them: Because the two staves of the Ark contained you, I know that His Divine Presence is in your midst. This occurred in the Temple, too, as we learned: They would stand crowded and prostrate themselves spaced.32Mishna Avot 5:5. Rabbi Shmuel bar Ivya said in the name of Rabbi Aḥa: There were four cubits between each and every one, and a cubit on each side so that none of them would hear the voice of another praying. This will occur in the future, too, as it is stated: “At that time, they will call Jerusalem the Throne of the Lord, and all the nations will be gathered to it” (Jeremiah 3:17). Rabbi Yoḥanan ascended to inquire after the wellbeing of Rabbi Ḥanina and found him engaged in this verse: “At that time, they will call Jerusalem the Throne of the Lord, and all the nations will be gathered to it.” He said to him: ‘Will it [Jerusalem] contain them?’ He said to him: ‘The verse says: “Expand the place of your tent” (Isaiah 54:2) “for you will spread right and left”’ (Isaiah 54:3).
