We continue with our pasuk that says that Nothing prevents Hashem from saving, whether big or small.
The Chatam Sofer quotes the following story from the Navi Shoftim perek ז where Gidon was preparing for war:
Hashem told Gidon that there were many people, and maybe the Jewish people would become proud and think their own hand would save them. So Hashem instructed Gidon to make an announcement that anyone who was scared should go home.
22,000 people went back, and only 10,000 remained. But Hashem said that there were still too many people, so He explained to Gidon how to weed them out with a certain system. Eventually, they were left with 300 people, and Hashem told Gidon that was enough to succeed.
So Gidon went to war- he, his lad and the 300 men, and they won the war.
The Chatam Sofer says that is what the Torah tells us about going to war. First they send home all of the people who had recently built a house or a vineyard, or were recently married.
As other people notice that some were going home, there is an announcement that if anybody is scared, they could go home too. They’d be left with a small amount of people, and they would win.
A story is told over by Rav Baruch Ber:
When Rav Chaim Soloveitchik was the Rabbi of Brisk, there was a group of Jews known as Enlightened Jews, who organized a satire play, the subject of which was a Jewish army of old. In the satire, before they set out to war, the commander announces, “Is there anyone who has built a new house but has not yet dedicated it? Let him go back to his home lest he die in battle and never dedicate it.” Immediately, 1000 soldiers leave the battle field.
A second man stands up and announces, “Is there anyone who has planted a vineyard and has not yet harvested it? Let him go back to his home lest he die on the battlefield not having have harvested.” Another few thousand leave.
Then a third announcement goes out, “Is there anyone who just got married? And again a few thousand leave.
A fourth commands goes out, “Is there anyone afraid or disheartened? If so, let him go back home.” And another few thousand leave.
On the stage, there remained only two people. The two men stood there with signs on them. One said “Gaon of Vilna,” and the other said, “Shaagat Aryeh.”
In other words, only the two great rabbis of the generation were not afraid.
Then these two characters went back-and-forth in a halachic discussion about battling the army.
Finally, the curtain falls, the play is over, and everybody laughs at the mockery of the Jews.
People were upset at this, and they came to Rav Chaim Soloveitchik to tell him what happened. He told him that everything that happened in the play was correct. The only thing that they left out was that the two old men won the war!
That is our story. God can save, regardless of the numbers of people. And it’s not just in Jewish wars. It’s in every thing in life.
The Chatam Sofer says that this story is a lesson for us in Bitachon in general.
Let us take these lessons to heart. No matter how many people you are, or what the enemy is up to, Hashem can save you, with a little or a lot.
Have a wonderful day.