The following is a brief summary of a thought said over by R' Frand in his shiur this evening. I have attempted to reproduce this vort to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.
The first pasuk of Parshas Nitzavim (Devarim 29:9) begins in unique fashion as Moshe tells the Jews "Atem Nitzavim Hayom Culchem" - You are standing today, all of you. Rabbi Frand then asked his audience if they knew the only four pesukim in Tanach which begin with the word "Atem" (Pesukim which begin V'Atem do not count).
Rabbi Frand then said over in the name of the Ba'al Haturim that the other three pesukim are (1) Shemos 5:11 wherein Pharaoh tells the Jews they must go and find straw on their own to make bricks (Atem l'chu k'chu lachem teven); (2) Shemos 19:4 where Hashem tells the Jews - you have seen what I did to Egypt (Atem r'eesem asher asisi l'mitzrayim) and a pasuk in Isaiah (I don' t have the cite) - you are My witnesses (Atem eidai n'eum Hashem).
But what is the connection between the pesukim? Rabbi Frand answered by making reference to a vort from the Reisha Rav (grandfather of noted constitutional lawyer - Nat Lewin) who wrote in his sefer Hadrash V'Haiyun that the Jews noticed a change - in the beginning in Egypt they saw public miracles. However, later in Jewish history the miracles appeared to be hidden or even non existent. The Reisha Rav said that this perception is incorrect - the miracle of today is even greater - the fact that there still is a Jewish people is a great open miracle.
Rabbi Frand then quoted R' Yaakov Emden in the Ya'avetz that if we think about the fact that there are Jews today, despite the generations and generations where people rose up and tried to wipe out the Jews, we would understand that the continuation of the Jewish people is a greater miracle than leaving Egypt.
Indeed, when Fredrick the Great asked his Court to prove that G-d existed, they responded - just look at the Jews - the fact that they still remain proves that G-d exists.
The Reisha Rav wrote that the Jews in Egypt were despondent when they had to look for straw to make bricks and they wondered whether they would continue as a people. However, Hashem took us out of Egypt amidst great miracles and as a result the Jews are told - you have seen what I did to Egypt.
Similarly, while Jews may ask now where are the public miracles - the answer is the first pasuk of this week's parsha - you (the Jews) are still in existence standing here. You (making reference to the pasuk from Isaiah) are My (Hashem's) witnesses and prove that He is in the heavens and controlling what occurs on earth.
Rabbi Frand then made reference to a set of pesukim in Vayelech (Devarim 31:20-21) where Hashem tells Moshe that after Moshe dies and the Jews are in Israel the Jews will turn to other gods and Hashem will get angry towards them and punish them, but the Torah will speak before it that it has not been forgotten (V'ansa hashirah hazoas lefanav l'eid ki lo tishcach mipi zaro).
Rabbi Frand told a story about the Ponovich Rav who came to Israel in 1941 and started a yeshiva. People thought that he was crazy since at the time Rommel was rampaging through North Africa and he was only a few hundred miles away.
Not long after the war, a boy came to the Yeshiva and asked to be admitted to learn. The boy was brought to the Rav who asked him his story. The boy said that he had been in Yeshiva but was captured and interred in the concentration camps. The Rav asked him - do you remember anything that you learned before you were in the camps. The boy replied that he remembered learning a gemara in Eilu Tereifos.
The Ponovich Rav gave the boy a kiss and then immediately grabbed the boy and began to run through the streets of Bnei Berak stopping people and telling them - "this boy was in the camps and he still remembers Eilu Tereifos."
The Rav then stopped at the home of the Chazon Ish and brought the boy in to meet him. The Chazon Ish said - this boy proves the pasuk in Vayeilech - the Torah will be a witness that it will not be forgotten.
Just another nes which demonstrates the greatness of Hashem and our continued existence despite all those who seek to destroy the Jews.
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