This evening a relative related an incident that occurred to him at an evening shiur he attends regularly. It was right after Sukkot and the shiur was poorly attended, as some people were still returning from their Sukkot vacations. The rabbi mentioned that he would like to start a new Gemara but would wait a couple of days until more people were in attendance. In the meantime, he would deliver a shiur on a different topic.
My relative told the rabbi "Im ani kan hakol kan - If I am here everyone is here." The rabbi looked at him for a moment, probably thinking about the display of arrogance this person was exhibiting. But then recognition dawned and he told my relative, "Oh, you are quoting Hillel's words."
Curious to understand in what context Hillel uttered those words, I googled the above phrase and came upon a beautiful Torah thought by Rabbi Norman Lamm. The devar Torah is about Sukkot but better late than never.
To access Rabbi Lamm's Indispensability: Myth and Fact, click here.
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