עקידת יצחק — מקץ שבע שנים / הקהל את העם

Q — Why gather the entire nation — men, women, and even small children — once in seven years to hear the Torah read? What do infants gain who cannot understand? Why tie it to Sukkos of the post-Shemittah year?

A — Hakhel is designed to renew kabbalas haTorah and yiras Shamayim in the heart of the whole people, re-enacting the assembly at Sinai. The men come to learn, the women to hear, and the little ones so that those who bring them receive reward and the children absorb the awe of the moment — the scene itself imprints reverence before comprehension. Held after the Shemittah year, when the people are unburdened and gathered, it periodically re-founds the nation's covenant, ensuring the Sinai experience is never a memory only but a recurring, living acceptance.