There is something special about being Jewish. There is a uniqueness about our People which Hashem sought and for which He selected us as His nation. It certainly was not because of our size. Chazal add something in their interpretation of the pasuk that sheds light on this uniqueness. In the Talmud Chullin 89a, they say, “You are the fewest; you are the smallest in numbers” – “You are the ones who hold yourselves small.” Avraham Avinu said, “I am but dust and ashes.” Moshe and Aharon asked, “What are we?” Our People have long realized that the material assets we amass, the riches we possess, are transitory. They have no lasting value unless they are put to good use. We are a people with an attitude – an attitude that declares, “We are nothing by ourselves. Our greatness lies in our relationship with the Almighty.”
Our greatest tzaddikim rose from obscurity, from humble beginnings, from roots that some would scorn. But as Horav Moshe Swift, zl, says, “Is not gold extracted from the earth – not from the skies; do not trees grow from the soil – not from the heavens?” Our distinctiveness lies in our ability to negate ourselves and sublimate ourselves to the Almighty. The greatness of the Jew is not in what he possesses, but in who he is. It is not about size, but about attitude.
