CLOUDS ARE HIGH BUT MOUNTAINS ARE HIGHER
Pictured: Venezuela’s Mount Roraima Rising High Above the Clouds
The Malbim (Tehillim 34:4) notes that while many nations recognize Ha-Shem as the Creator, nevertheless He is ‘rum’; He is high up and out of reach of Man. The nations see HaShem as being detached from this world. For this reason they see no purpose in serving Him or obeying Him. He is so high up and removed that His Presence is not felt in this world.
It is only we, His cherished people, who recognize HaShem as ‘gadol’. Ha-Shem is big and great. Gadol reflects the absolute Greatness of HaShem and it places Him on Earth. Just as the greatness of the mountains is felt on Earth but reaches up to the heavens, so does ‘gadol’ reflect HaShem’s Greatness as being felt in this world but reaches to the very great heights of the heavens. The picture is similar to the ladder in Yaakov’s dream whose feet were grounded on Earth but reached up to the highest heavens. Just as Yishayahu (66:1) describes this image as the Heavens being HaShem’s seat and the Earth as His footstool.
We serve HaShem because we recognize HaShem is directly involved in and is concerned with what goes on here on Earth. We recognize that there are no other powers or entities that have any influence on what occurs here on Earth – there is only One Decision Maker.
Can we blame the nations for their limited understanding? A serious consideration of their point of view might be justified. The genius of the creation is truly astounding. Nature is so perfect and all the laws of physics and chemistry work with such incredible synchronization. It is impossible to consider the Creator any-body less than HaShem. However, how do we see the Presence of HaShem interacting with this world? If He were involved with running the world would we not ex-pect to see good things happening to good people and bad things to others? Any study of history from the rise and fall of great empires to the rise and fall of the stock market does not indicate any rhyme or reason. The predictability and trustworthiness of nature is certainly not found in the running of the world.
There is however, one resounding proclamation which world history itself proclaims to all who are willing to listen, and that is that HaShem is directly guiding every step of world history and that there is no other guiding force.
When Paul Johnson, the author of A History of the Jews, began studying history he was fascinated by the unending continuity of our people. “The Jews created a separate and specific identity earlier than almost any other people which still survives. They have maintained it, amid appalling adversities, right up to the present”
“No people has ever insisted more firmly than the Jews that history has a purpose and humanity a destiny.”
Beginning with HaShem’s relationship with our people making us the center of the world’s destiny He became ‘gadol’, HaShem’s Presence entered the role of directing history through His people with the objective to bring the world to its destiny. Through us, HaShem’s interaction with Man became apparent.
Shabbos HaGadol commemorates the day on which our ancestors performed their first mitzvah of HaShem with each family taking a sheep for their korban Pesach. Perhaps it is called Shabbos HaGadol because beginning this day forward HaShem became Gadol, His intervention in this world became evident.
Have a wonderful Shabbos HaGadol.
Paysach Diskind