12 Mar PEKUDEI: ONE PERSON CAN INFLUENCE THE ENTIRE WORLD

Reb Shlomo Cohen
was a student of the
Chazon Ish, and he
was renowned for his
hasmadah in Torah. At
one point in his life, he
became involved in some
communal activities to
save Yidden from
becoming secular. The
Chazon Ish told him,
“Your strength is in
Torah,” and he tried to
convince him to wean
away from other holy
activities. Reb Shlomo
Cohen explained to him
the dire need for the
activities he was involved in. The Chazon Ish
replied, “You must learn Torah. And with
learning Torah, you are helping Klal Yisrael.
Just being great in Torah shines spirituality to
all your surroundings.”
On another occasion, the Chazon Ish said,
“One person learning Torah can create a
greater spiritual revolution than a thousand
activists can accomplish.”
In a letter (Igros vol.3, 62), the Chazon Ish
discusses the need for people to daven to save
Yidden from becoming irreligious, and the
need for people to take action, and the need for

Torah scholars to be immersed in Torah. Each
person does their part, and together, with
Hashem’s help, they can save Klal Yisrael. He
writes, “Just as eyes are for seeing, ears are for
hearing, and hands do things, etc., so is the
nation like one body made of many people,
and each person must do his part. If bnei Torah
study Torah sincerely, it will save many
children and adults from sinful thoughts and
heresy, etc. The holiness from their Torah
learning will bring forth a spirit of purity into
the world. In the neighborhoods where there
are true bnei Torah, it is clearly noticeable the
great influence they have on many people. If
they tried to accomplish the same thing in any
other way, they would fail. Even the people
who are very distant from Yiddishkeit are
affected positively by their influence, only it
isn’t so noticeable by them because it is
subtle.”
The Chareidim writes, “Since all Bnei Yisrael
are like one person, when one person becomes
righteous it influences all of Klal Yisrael. Also,
when one person sins, it affects all Yidden. So,
rouse yourself sincerely in teshuvah, and when
you do teshuvah, intend that this should bring
all of Bnei Yisrael to teshuvah.”
The Chareidim adds that this is the explanation
of the pasuk (Hoshei’a 14:2-3), Shuva Yisrael
Ad Hashem Elokeichem…K’chu Emachem
Devarim V’shuvu El Hashem “Return Yisrael,

unto Hashem your G-d… Take words with you
and return to Hashem.” The beginning of the
pasuk is talking to one person (Shuva is in
singular tense). The end of the pasuk is
speaking to many people (as it states, K’chu…
V’shuvu). The Chareidim explains that this is
because one person did teshuvah, resulting in
many people doing teshuvah.
The Chareidim continues, “It states (Hoshei’a
14:5), ‘For my anger has turned away from
them.’ The Gemara (Yoma 86:) teaches from
this pasuk, ‘Even if only one person does
teshuvah, Hashem forgives the aveiros of all
the Bnei Yisrael.’ This is because his teshuvah
rouses everyone else to teshuvah.
The Chozeh of Lublin zt’l (quoted in Chinuch
Beis Yehudah) said:
“It is impossible for every person to go around
the streets, giving mussar to people to bring
them back to Torah, because if one does so,
when will he learn Torah? Rather, when a
person studies Torah lishmah – wherever he is
– and he studies B’sheim Klal Yisrael, that it
should be a merit for all of Bnei Yisrael – this
will inspire thoughts of teshuvah in people’s
hearts. It will be as if he gave tochachah (and
taught them to go in Hashem’s ways).”
This can be the translation of the pasuk
(Tehillim 84:6), “Praiseworthy is the man
whose strength is in You, paths in their hearts.”

Strength refers to Torah. The pasuk is saying
that when one studies Torah, even all by
himself, this opens roads in others hearts and
rouses them to teshuvah.
We are discovering the amazing merits a Yid
can attain. A person studying Torah might
think he isn’t accomplishing much. But, in
truth, he is bringing thoughts of teshuvah and
yearning for Torah into the hearts of hundreds,
maybe thousands, or millions of people. We
are all connected, our souls are one, and
therefore each person’s growth affects
everyone else.
People have great aspirations; they want to
accomplish a lot. They want to be mekarev
multitudes of people to Torah and emunah.
As we see, it is indeed possible, each person in
his own way.