The Torah’s all-encompassing nature is clear testimony that it is not the work of man. We received the Torah at Mount Sinai, with all its general rules and its detailed directives, from Hashem Himself, the manager of all of our affairs. And through Divine inspiration, Hashem taught the Sages of the Mishnah and the Talmud the finer details of the Torah’s dictates, making sure their every word was correct. Whenever any person has a doubt about what to do, he can go to a Torah scholar and find out.

The Torah’s all-encompassing nature is reflected in the fact that it addresses even remote possibilities. For example, Mishnah Ohalos 11:7 considers a case where a dog ate an olive-size piece of a human corpse and then died and came to lie on the threshold of a house, and discusses the conditions under which ritual defilement is propagated into the house. And Mishnah Sukkah 2:3 discusses whether a sukkah built on the branches of a tree or the back of an animal is kosher. The Torah deals with tens of thousands of different scenarios, including very remote ones such as these. The scope of the written and oral Torah embraces every man and woman, every place, and every period across the expanse of time. As the Gemara puts it (Taanis 9a): “There is nothing that is not hinted at in the Torah.”

We see a similar degree of breadth in the words of the prophets. At the surface level, the prophets deal with specific nations, specific people, and specific periods of time. But at the same time, they phrased their words in such a way that they convey messages that are relevant to every place and time. These messages are what Shlomo HaMelech is referring to when he speaks of “proverb and expression, the words of the wise and their riddles” (Mishlei 1:6). As Mishnah Avos 5:22 teaches: “Turn it over and turn it over again, for everything is included in it.”

And in a similar way, David HaMelech constructed Sefer Tehillim in such a way that it can serve to bandage every broken heart. Every possible plea is reflected in Sefer Tehillim. When a person recites the appropriate chapter it is as if the words are coming from his own heart. Shlomo HaMelech wrote books of wisdom and moral counsel, containing admonitions against every human failing: crookedness, irrational behavior, drunkenness, cheating, and so on. Each of the Books of the Prophets and the Writings is filled with teachings addressing a wide spectrum of issues.

This is the idea behind the statement we recite in our prayers, that the Torah is נכון – prepared. The Torah provides direction in advance to all seekers. May Hashem enlighten our eyes to see the great good that the Torah holds in store, and allow us to behold the wonders embedded in its pure words.

The Midrash states (Shir HaShirim Rabbah 1:11):

In all the songs [of the Bible, aside from the Shir HaShirim], either He [Hashem] praises them [the Jewish People] or they praise Him. In Moshe’s [first] song [at the Sea of Reeds], they praise Him and say (Shemos 15:2): “This is my God and I shall glorify Him.” And in Moshe’s [last] song [just before his death], He praises them (Devarim 32:13): “He would make them ride on the high places of the earth.” But here [in Shir HaShirim], they praise Him and He praises them. He praises them (Shir HaShirim 1:15): “Behold, you are beautiful, My beloved.” And they praise Him (ibid. 1:16): “Behold, You are handsome, my Beloved, and also pleasant (אף נעים).”

This Midrash contrasts Shir HaShirim with the other songs in the Bible. The root of the difference is that all the other songs relate to the past, whereas Shir HaShirim relates to the future.

In all the situations that arise over the course of time, Hashem and the Jewish People always have opposite perspectives: Either Hashem praises the Jewish People, or they praise Him, but not both at the same time. Sometimes Hashem shows anger toward the Jews and makes them poor and downtrodden, in order to chastise them. In such times He praises them, for the afflictions cause them to mend their ways. But they do not praise Him, for He is not granting the prosperity and comfort that they want. At other times, Hashem shows the Jewish People a smiling face and grants them an abundance of blessings. In such times they praise Him for these blessings, but He does not praise them, for the blessings cause them to fall from their ideal level.

Shir HaShirim, though, relates to the golden era of the future, when the Jewish People’s fear of Hashem will rise to perfection. Then they will be able to receive abundant blessing without suffering spiritual harm. At present they are like sick people, who cannot handle rich foods, but instead must take bitter medicines to fortify their ailing bodies. But in the future, they will be like a completely healthy person who can eat anything without risk of harm. And so Hashem and the Jewish People will praise each other simultaneously: Hashem will praise the Jewish People for their righteousness, and the Jewish People will praise Hashem for His bounty.

Later in Shir HaShirim it is written (verse 7:7): “How beautiful and how pleasant you are, O love laden with delights!” This verse refers specifically to the future. At present, Hashem chastises those whom He loves. Thus, Hashem’s love is accompanied not by delights, but rather by rebukes and afflictions. But in the end of days, Hashem’s love will be accompanied by delights: Out of His love for us, Hashem will grant us long life, blessing, and success – and these blessings will not divert us from serving Him properly.

Our present situation is reflected in Shlomo HaMelech’s saying (Koheles 7:3): “Anger is better than geniality.” On this saying, our Sages make the following well-known remark (Shabbos 30b): “The anger that the Holy One Blessed Be He shows the righteous in this world is better than the geniality that the Holy One Blessed Be He shows the wicked in this world.” Hashem’s anger toward the righteous is indeed good, for it keeps them on the proper path. But it is not pleasant – it is harsh and bitter. It is a mode of guidance that we find uncomfortable, for we would rather receive Hashem’s beneficence than face His anger.

At the end of days, however, the situation will be completely different. Then we will no longer need to face Hashem’s anger. On the contrary, it will be Hashem’s blessing that will elevate our souls – increased blessing will enhance our fear of Hashem and our holiness. This mode of guidance will be a delight. And so we will be able to exalt Hashem’s way of treating us with a double praise: It will be not only handsome, but also pleasant (אף נעים). Hashem’s anger (אף) will be replaced by a pleasant (נעים) mentorship as the means of guiding us along the path of His commandments.

We continue with our analysis of the blessing that follows the morning Shema:

True and certain, established and enduring, right and steadfast, beloved and cherished, delightful and pleasant, awesome and mighty, correct and accepted, good and beautiful is this word unto us forever and ever.

We examine now the term established (נכון). The word נכון is related to the word מוכן, meaning ready or prepared, and can also bear this meaning [as in Nechemia 8:10, “send portions to those who do not have anything prepared (אין נכון לו)]. We will consider how the word prepared applies to the Torah.

In Bereishis Rabbah 11:7, the Sages teach: “Everything in creation needs preparation: Mustard needs sweetening, lupines need sweetening, and wheat needs be to be ground.” And given that these creations of Hashem need preparation, it is all the more so with man-made things. Thus it is, in particular, with man-made codes of social behavior. A large contingent of men with great minds is required to develop such a code, even though it is to apply over a limited domain for a limited time. They need to consider what should be done and how it should be done. And they need to consider the various circumstances that can arise and the different factors that can come into play, such as the place, the time, and the nature of the people for whom the code is intended. Consequently, each enactment must be spelled out with thousands of details, corresponding to the thousands of cases that can arise.

Now, a social code relates only to how people deal with each other, in monetary matters and the like. It is aimed only at promoting mutual respect among people and establishing order in commercial affairs. It deals with mundane matters, and is not aimed at addressing the fundamental aspects of human existence. Nonetheless, in a short time numerous questions will arise regarding the application of the rules, including questions that the legislators themselves are unsure how to answer.

Let us now compare our precious Torah to man-made social codes. The Torah was given to us by the Creator and Master of the universe. All the affairs of our lives are dictated by the Torah. We depend on the Torah like a suckling depends on his mother. In addition, the reasons behind many of the Torah’s laws are hidden from us. We do not know why the Torah forbids us to eat certain things, such as the meat of certain animals, fish, and birds, insects and the like, or leavened bread during Pesach. Neither do we know the reasons behind the laws dealing with people experiencing certain bodily discharges, or the reasons behind the laws dealing with the disease of tzaraas. We do not fully understand why the Torah forbids us to be jealous of others, or take revenge, or to bear a grudge. And the Torah does not spell out all the reasons why we must fear and love Hashem and Torah scholars. But although the reasons may be hidden, the Torah dictates how we should act in every area of life.

The Torah applies equally to all sectors of the Jewish People – young and old, healthy and ill, poor and rich, lofty and lowly, Kohanim and prophets. It governs us for all generations; it is an eternal decree that will not change. Undoubtedly, given the myriads of situations that can arise, with the various time periods, places, and people involved, myriads of questions arise about how to act in various circumstances. Nonetheless, Hashem foresaw all the possible situations that can arise and gave us a Torah through which we can determine exactly how to fulfill each mitzvah in any set of circumstances. Our conduct is determined by the finest distinctions; as the Sages put it, the words of the Torah are “like mountains suspended on a hair” (Sifrei 235 on Devarim 32:46). For example, in regard to the laws of Shabbos, we have the Talmudic tractates Shabbos and Eiruvin and the works of the great Torah masters that explicate in the finest detail what these laws dictate in every situation.

In connection with Tehillim 92, the psalm for Shabbos, the Midrash expounds (Yalkut Shimoni, Nach 843):

It is written (Tehillim 92:5): “For You have gladdened me, Hashem, with Your works.” Who led us to feel this joy? It came to us through the merit of the faith that our forefathers maintained regarding this world, that it is completely dark like the night. This it is written (ibid. 92:3): “To recount Your kindnesses in the dawn and Your trustability in the nights.”

We may ask: What does this have to do with Shabbos? We can answer as follows. It is indeed hard to observe Shabbos with its many laws. Nonetheless, since Hashem commanded us to do so, it must be within our ability. For it is written (Devarim 30:11): “For this commandment which I command you this day, it is not too hard for you, nor is it far off.” And likewise, Hashem declares (Michah 6:3): “O My people, what have I done to you, and how have I wearied you? Answer me!” However, to make himself amenable to observing Shabbos, a person must gain a firm grasp of two basic principles.

First, he must realize that wealth and possessions do not come to him through own efforts, but rather they are a kindness that Hashem bestows on him. And nothing prevents Hashem from bringing us salvation, irrespective of how much or little effort we invest toward this goal. When a person instills within himself a firm awareness of this fact, he will readily choose repose over labor. For will know that if Hashem wishes that he be successful, He can grant him blessing even without effort on his part. In Mishlei 10:22 it is written: “Hashem’s blessing brings wealth, and toil adds nothing thereto.” And the Midrash in Bereishis Rabbah 11:1 links this statement to Shabbos. For Shabbos brings blessing to one who observes it properly. But if a person does not recognize that Hashem is the source of all blessing, he cannot be serene on Shabbos, for he thinks that acquiring worldly assets depend on his own effort, and on Shabbos he must refrain from work.

Second, a person must realize that worldly assets and pleasures are vain, with no real substance. A person gains nothing of lasting value through worldly pursuits. Thus Iyov declares (Iyov 1:21): “Naked did I emerge from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return there.” When a person instills this principle in his heart, he will attain the level of the Jews who left Egypt, for whom the booty they acquired there was like a burden to them – the Gemara in Berachos 9b teaches that they collected this booty against their will. And then he will be pleased with Shabbos: He will enjoy the repose and yearn for the future day that is all Shabbos, and his rest will be the consummate rest that Hashem desires [cf. the Minchah Amidah of Shabbos].

This is the idea behind the psalm for Shabbos. The psalmist declares (Tehillim 92:2-3):

It is good to thank Hashem and sing praise to Your Name, O Exalted One. To recount Your “To recount Your kindnesses in the dawn and Your trustability in the nights.”

Even though it seems far removed from us to sing and find joy in the cessation from work on Shabbos, nonetheless it is fitting to thank Hashem and sing praise to His Name on account of His having legislated for us this day of rest. And in order for us to appreciate Shabbos, we need only bear in mind two concepts: (1) Hashem’ kindness – that everything we have comes to us only through His kindness, and (2) Hashem’s trustability regarding the fact that our world that is, as the Midrash says, completely dark like the night – it is a world filled with empty vanities. David HaMelech declares (Tehillim 19:8): “The testimony of Hashem is trustworthy, making the simple wise.” Initially, we must accept on faith the teaching of our Torah leaders that this world is vain, even before our intellect brings us to this conclusion. If we do so, then afterward our hearts will also grasp it. But if we have no faith at the start, in the end we will have no understanding.

Said Moshe to the People of Israel: “Remove this evil inclination from your hearts, and let all of you have a single-minded fear of God and a unified agenda to serve before the All-Present One. Just as He is the sole power in the world, so, too, let your efforts be directly solely toward Him. … If you do so, Hashem’s glory will appear among you.

Previously we have presented two selections from the Maggid’s commentary on this Midrash [1] [2]. Here we present another selection.

The Midrash says (Bereishis Rabbah 67:8): “With the wicked, their hearts rule over them [examples: Eisav, Yeravam, Haman]; with the righteous, they rule over their hearts [examples: Chanah, David, Daniel].” Those who serve Hashem do not allow themselves to be led astray by passions of the heart such as desire or anger. Rather, from youth to old age, their conduct is driven solely by the intellect, and their intellect is guided by the laws of the Torah. They follow a single path their entire lives.

In Shir HaShirim 6:9 it is written: “My dove, My perfect one, is but one – she is but one unto her mother, she is the choice one of the one that bore her.” Hashem is speaking of the Jewish People. The statement “she is but one” refers to their inborn inclination, while the statement “she is the choice one of the one who bore her” refers to the pattern of conduct inculcated into them by their families. The righteous among the Jewish People all conduct themselves according to the will of Hashem as expressed in His precious Torah. Just as the individual person’s thought and conduct is directed by a single code, so, too, it is with the group as a whole. Although they vary in their physical characteristics, they are unified and bound to each other in their noble goal. And not only are the righteous Jews of a given generation bound to each other, but rather all righteous Jews of all generations are bound to each other. The wisdom and teachings of past generations, as recorded in our holy books, continue today to enlighten our eyes.

With the wicked, however, there is no such consistency. A wicked man’s conduct fluctuates from one day to the next. Yesterday we saw him happy and smiling, today he is upset and enraged, with his tongue lashing out like fire to those around him. One day he gorges himself, another day he gets drunk, and still another day he forsakes his family in the pursuit of honor. All the more so are two wicked people uncoordinated in their behavior, and even more so with a group of wicked people. On top of that, they have no memory of the acts of those of past generations; all is forgotten, like a lump of lead that has sunk in a raging sea. Today the righteous speak of “the God of Avraham, the God of Yitzchak, and the God of Yaakov,” but no one speaks of the God of Nimrod.

Hashem’s glory is shown by the righteous among the Jewish People because of their noble conduct. Just as Hashem is one, so, too, they are one, for they follow the path of Torah and service to Hashem. But no Divine glory is reflected from those who are ruled over by their passions.

Everything we have said is encompassed in Moshe’s statement: “This is the thing that Hashem has commanded you to do, so that Hashem’s glory will appear among you.” Moshe is saying that the way the Jewish People will show Hashem’s glory is through the uprightness they will exhibit constantly in their conduct – in the way they all will subordinate themselves to Hashem’s will. If we follow Hashem’s command, we will be united – although there are many types of people among us, we will all be in harmony with each other, and it will be as if we all are one being.

As the Gemara teaches (Berachos 6a): “The Holy One Blessed Be, said to the People of Yisrael: ‘You have made me a single entity in the world, and I will make you a single entity in the world.’” The Midrash we began with tells us how we can achieve this state – by removing the evil inclination from our hearts.

We continue with our analysis of the blessing that follows the morning Shema:

True and certain, established and enduring, right and steadfast, beloved and cherished, delightful and pleasant, awesome and mighty, correct and accepted, good and beautiful is this word unto us forever and ever.

We examine now the term certain (יציב), which we can also render as authoritative. This term is related to the term נצבים that appears in Shmuel Beis 8:14: “He [David HaMelech] appointed authorities (נצבים) in Edom.” The term points to the rule of Torah, service to Hashem, and fear of Hashem over our bodies and souls. All our desires must give way to the Torah. We see that the observance of some mitzvos runs counter to human desire: Circumcision, cessation of work on Shabbos, avoidance of forbidden unions, avoidance of nonkosher foods, and the like. It would be impossible for us to harness ourselves and adhere to these requirements, were it not for the fact that they are imprinted upon us from birth, inculcated in us generation after generation – fathers handing down the Torah tradition to their sons, and the sons conforming to their fathers’ teachings, with the chain stretching all the way back to generation of Jews who stood at Mount Sinai and heard the word of Hashem Himself.

We see how hard it is for a person who wishes to accept a prohibition upon himself to refrain from what he has been accustomed to do. Yet the Torah imposes upon us a wide range of prohibitions, and dictates our daily conduct in the way a master dictates orders to his servant. We do not eat, drink, smell, speak, or perform any deed, great or small, except within the bounds the Torah sets for us. We see the extensive array of rules the Torah dictates in the area of eating. Not only does the Torah forbid us from eating the meat of certain animals and fowl, but even in connection with the foods the Torah permits it imposes rules: kosher slaughter, salting meat to remove blood, avoiding eating meat and milk together, and specification of various defects that renders an animal’s meat unfit for eating. In the area of clothing as well, the Torah lays down rules: placing fringes (tzitzis) on the corners of four-cornered garments and not wearing clothes made of a mixture of wool and linen (shaatnez). The Torah also lays down rules in a range of other areas: what we may and may not say, what we may look at, what we may listen to, and what we may indicate through gestures. It commands us to curb our desires and to avoid jealousy and hatred, and it imposes rules on our patterns of thought.

In the end, there is no moment of time, no location on earth, and no entity in our world that the Torah’s laws do not reach. We are not allowed to move any limb, to say any word, or engage in any thinking in a manner that runs counter to what the Torah dictates. And we may not break off from serving Hashem. Although the Torah permits us to tend to our physical needs, and earn a livelihood by engaging in labor or business, Shlomo HaMelech exhorts us (Mishlei 3:7): “In all your ways, know Him.” Thus, the activities we engage in to tend to our physical needs also come within the scope of service to Hashem. The relationship we have with Hashem is not like the relationship a person has with a neighbor or friend, whose home he may visit occasionally, and with whom he may break off relations, either because of some offense that triggered anger, or simply because he has had enough of his company. The relationship we have with Hashem is the relationship of a created being to his Creator.

The Torah does not show favoritism, neither to young nor to the old. It constantly demands of us more and more. Thus, the Gemara in Bava Metzia 31b teaches that in the case of a Torah scholar, unintentional lapses are regarded as intentional sins. In this vein, Shlomo HaMelech declares (Koheles 1:18): “For with great wisdom comes great torment, and one who increases his knowledge increases his grief.”

What we have discussed above gives us a deeper understanding of the term ויציב. There are three terms in Hebrew that signify standing: עמידה, קימה, and הצבה. These terms reflect three progressively greater levels of stature. The term עמידה signifies simply standing, with no special power. The term קימה signifies elevation. The term הצבה signifies rulership and dominion. The different shades of meaning in the latter two terms is reflected in Yosef’s dream about the sheaves (Bereishis 37:7): “Behold! My sheaf arose (קם) and stood (נצבה), and – behold – your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf.” In a similar vein, our holy Torah arises and stands high. No one rules over the Torah except Hashem Himself.

We, the Jewish People, have been through over three thousand years. During this period, people of tremendous wisdom have arisen, but they have not been able to change the Torah one iota, to permit what the Torah has forbidden. The Torah forbids a Jewish king to have many wives, lest he stray. Shlomo HaMelech tried to circumvent this law, saying “I will have many wives and not stray” (Sanhedrin 21b). In the end, he wound up saying (Koheles 1:18): “For with great wisdom comes great torment, and one who increases his knowledge increases his grief.” And he declared further (ibid 2:12): “What can man who comes after the King do? It has already been done.” We also are not allowed to set down additional prohibitions beyond those in the Torah, except as “fences” to keep us from violating the Torah’s prohibitions.

The word ויציב is in the future tense, signifying continuing rulership. This usage reflects the great preciousness the Torah has in the eyes of those who learn and support it – to the extent that in every generation substantial new stringencies are introduced, on account of a lack of complete understanding on our part of what the Torah dictates. We see this in the stringencies observed in determining whether the meat of a particular animal is fit to eat, those observed in the area of marital relations, those observed in regard to reciting blessings, and those observed in many other areas. We observe these stringencies out of concern that our understanding of the Torah’s laws may be imperfect; we prohibit some things that the Torah permits, as a “fence” distancing us from prohibited areas, so that we do not slide into them. And we accept all these stringencies upon ourselves gladly and with love, because of the Torah’s great sweetness.

The Midrash in Bereishis Rabbah 20:4 relates that a certain Roman philosopher sought to determine the length of the gestation period of a snake. He found snakes mating, put the females in a barrel, and fed them until they gave birth. When some Torah scholars came to visit Rome, the philosopher asked Rabban Gamliel how long the gestation period is, and Rabban Gamliel could not answer. Later that day Rabban Gamliel encountered R. Yehoshua and told him what happened, and R. Yehoshua told him that the answer was seven years. R. Yehoshua explained: “The dog is a nonkosher roaming animal and its gestation period is fifty days. A nonkosher farm animal’s gestation period is twelve months. Now, regarding the snake, it is written (Bereishis 3:14): ‘Accursed are you beyond all the farm animals and beyond all beasts of the field.’ Just as the farm animals are cursed seven times more than the beasts of the field, so, too, the snake is cursed seven times more than the farm animals.” Towards evening Rabban Gamliel returned to the philosopher and gave him the answer. The philosopher banged his head on the wall and exclaimed: “What took me seven years of toil to determine, this fellow conveys to me with the ease of passing a reed.”

Similarly, in Koheles 1:13, Shlomo HaMelech declares that he set his heart “to survey (לָתוּר) and probe with wisdom all that is done beneath the heavens,” and in Shir HaShirim Rabbah 1:7, the Midrash expounds:

What does it mean “to survey” (לָתוּר)? It means to be a scout for wisdom. As it is written (Bamidbar 13:2): “And they scouted (וְיָתֻרוּ) the land of Canaan.” Whoever was well-versed in Scripture, he [Shlomo] would go to him; whoever was well-versed in Mishnah, he would go to him. … And not only for Torah teachings was Shlomo a scout, but rather for everything that takes place under the sun, such as how mustard and lupines are prepared. Said the Holy One Blessed Be He to him: “You went searching for Torah teachings? By your life, I will not deprive you of your reward. Behold, I am going to infuse you with Divine inspiration.”

Now we can ask, how did Shlomo permit himself to investigate such things as how to prepare mustard and lupines, and thereby interrupt his Torah study? A Jew is obligated to study Torah at all times. Thus, The Gemara in Menachos 99b relates:

Ben Damah the son of R. Ishmael’s sister once asked R. Yishmael, “May one such as I who has studied the whole of the Torah learn Greek wisdom?” R. Yishmael read him the following verse (Yehoshua 1:8): This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, and you shall meditate upon it day and night.” Go then and find a time that is neither day nor night and then learn Greek wisdom.

The reason Shlomo permitted himself to investigate such things as how to prepare mustard and lupines is that he set his heart to determine these things from the words of the Torah. We can compare the matter to a merchant who can find out what his inventory is without examining the merchandise, simply by reading his records. The Torah is a record book that contains information on everything beneath the heavens.

In Avos 5:22 the Mishnah states: “Probe it [the Torah] again and again, for everything is in it. Set your gaze upon it; grow old and gray over it, and do not budge from it, for you have no better portion than this.” A person can live far from a settled area and not observe anything, and still, by attaching himself among Torah scholars, gain the knowledge and understanding to give advice on anything a person might ask. He will have intimate knowledge of what results from any action, at any place and at any time. Look in the Torah and see the curses listed for sinning, and take note of how everything the Torah spoke of has come to pass. Shlomo spoke well when he said (Mishlei 23:26): “My child, give your heart to me, and your eyes will desire my ways.”

Now, given what we have discussed, what need do we have for proofs of the truth of the Torah. Anyone who beholds its glorious wisdom will recognize its truth. The truth speaks for itself!

We said that no wisdom can exist without having been transmitted by a Primal Intellect. It is the fortunate lot of the Jewish People to have received from Hashem an abundance of wisdom. We are a great and exalted people, to whom Hashem has granted an inborn capacity for understanding. The Jewish People has a natural proficiency in all areas of intellectual inquiry. We see for ourselves how our youths display wondrous wisdom. Because of our astuteness, we have a critical eye, and when we are presented with a claim, it is hard to convince us all to believe it. At the same time, when we encounter a self-evident truth, we accept it readily, for Hashem has implanted in our hearts a natural tendency to recognize truth.

Thus, the belief in Hashem and His servant Moshe is universal among all classes of our people: the young and the old, the common people and the elite, and so on. Even among young Jewish children, who cannot yet tell good from bad, we find many who are God-fearing and continually engaged in Torah and mitzvos; fear of Hashem can be seen on their faces as part of their nature.

Let us consider how our commentators explain Tehillim Chapter 19. The chapter begins by saying that “the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament tells of His handiwork.” After elaborating on this statement, the chapter goes on to speak of the Torah: “The Torah of Hashem is perfect, restoring the soul. The testimony of Hashem is trustworthy, making the simple one wise.” The chapter begins by praising the sun, and then proceeds to praise the Torah. The sun and the Torah are our steadfast luminaries. Just as the sun was created to shine light on the earth for the benefit of our bodies, so, too, the precious Torah was given to us to shine light on our souls and open the eyes of our intellect. And just as our physical eyes are receptive to light, so, too, our intellect is geared to absorb wisdom. And the Torah is the fountain of wisdom, from which we draw counsel for dealing with all the various challenges of life. One who safeguards the Torah and observes its dictates will proceed through life securely, without stumbling. We find wise counsel in great measure in the homiletical teachings of the Sages, which provide guidance in dealing with all kinds of illnesses and difficulties.

Moreover, the Torah contains comprehensive information on nature of all creatures: how they are conceived and born, how they move from place to place, what agitates them and what calms them, and so on. Some of this information is presented in Scriptural passages devoted to these topics, while some is presented incidentally in metaphorical statements. One example of the second type is found in Tehillim 42:2: “As the deer longs for brooks of water, so my soul longs for you, my God.” Another example is found in Mishlei 17:12: “Better for a man to encounter a bear bereft of its offspring than a fool in his foolishness.” Likewise, the Torah contains information on all other creations, both those under the sun and those above it, without exception. Regarding every creation, the Torah provides information about its nature and behavior, its beginning, middle, and end, its genesis and its purpose, what benefits it and what damages it, its source, its appointed time, and where it is from and where it is going.

We now explain the blessing that follows the morning Shema:

True and certain, established and enduring, right and steadfast, beloved and cherished, delightful and pleasant, awesome and mighty, correct and accepted, good and beautiful is this word unto us forever and ever.

The term true denotes a fact whose truth is self-evident, without need of proof. An example is given by the Gemara in Sotah 9b:

It is written (Shoftim 16:18): “And Delilah saw that he [Shimshon] had told her all that was in his heart.” How did she know? Said R. Chanin in the name of Rav: “From here we see that words of truth are recognizable [meaning, according to Rashi, that they sit well with the listener].”

Now, Shimshon was an established liar in his dealings with Delilah, having lied to her three times. Thus, in view of the one making the statement, it was more likely to be false than true. Nonetheless, the statement itself was recognizable as true.

We see from this, and we must know and firmly believe, that a person has a natural sense, which Hashem implanted in him, whereby he can recognize the truth without any proof. We can draw an analogy with seeing. One way to determine the nature of an object is through an identifying mark. Another way is through the object having previously made an impression on the eye, even it has no identifying mark. Thus, in a discussion of returning lost objects in Bava Metzia 24a, our Sages taught, in their pure wisdom, that recognition by sight based on a prior impression on the eye is better than an identifying mark. The same holds with the sense of hearing: In some cases, a person believes what he hears because of compelling evidence or a compelling logical proof, while in other cases he believes something without any proof, just because his heart tells him it is true.

Now, the law stated in Bava Metzia that a lost object can be returned solely on the basis of a prior impression on the eye applies only to a Torah scholar, who is able to see things clearly. Similarly, the fact that a person believes something does not mean it is true unless the person has clear mental perception. A person’s belief cannot be trusted if the person is a fool who believes anything, today believing one thing and tomorrow its opposite. It is different with a person who has a skeptical nature, and does not tend to believe what he hears. With such a person, if he believes some proposition, this is reliable testimony that the proposition is self-evidently true.

Yirmiyah 10:10 states: “Hashem, God, is true.” In connection with this statement, the Rambam in Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah 1:4 states that Hashem alone is absolutely true – nothing else is true in the way He is true. In order to us to be able to conceive of any entity that may or may not exist, we must first have firm knowledge of the One who necessarily must exist. There must not remain in our minds any doubt of Hashem’s existence and His unity – that there is no power aside from Him.

This is the meaning of the word true at the beginning of the blessing that follows the morning Shema. It is self-evident that no entity can exist in this world without having had a Creator, and no wisdom can exist without having been transmitted, out of graciousness, by a Primal Intellect.

The Gemara in Shabbos 88a-b relates the following episode:

A certain Sadducee saw Rava engrossed in his studies while the finger[s] of his hand were under his feet, and he ground them down, so that his fingers spurted blood. “You rash people,” he exclaimed, “who gave precedence to your mouth over your ears [by accepting the Torah with the words “we will do and we will hear” (Shemos 24:7)]– you still persist in your rashness. First you should have listened, and if within your powers, accept; if not, you should not have accepted.” Said he to him, “We who walked with wholeheartedness, of us it is written (Mishlei 11:3): ‘The wholeheartedness of the upright shall guide them.’ But of others, who walked in crookedness, it is written (ibid.): ‘But the crookedness of the treacherous shall destroy them.’”

The Maggid sets out to explain how Rava’s reply was substantive and not merely rhetorical.The starting point is the fact noted above that the Jewish People, although susceptible to being led astray by the evil inclination, have a natural inclination toward good. The Jewish People’s natural goodness can be seen strikingly by way they accepted the Torah. Why did the Jewish People accept the Torah right away without worrying at all that the evil inclination inside them would keep them from observing it, while other nations that Hashem approached were afraid to accept it?

The Maggid answers this question by analyzing an episode that took place during the Jewish People’s sojourn in the wilderness. The Torah relates (Bamidbar 11:4-6): “The rabble that was among them craved a craving, and the Children of Yisrael also cried again and said, “Who will feed us meat? …” Let us explain what took place here. The Jews, like the Egyptian rabble that tagged along with them, experienced a craving for meat and other foods. But while doing so they cried, lamenting in their hearts the fact that the evil inclination was swelling up within them and leading them to feel this craving. If someone had approached the Jews and offer to cure them of this craving, they would have accepted eagerly, for they recognized that physical pleasures are vain, and they craved these pleasures only because they were overcome by their evil inclination. But in regard to the rabble, the Torah says that they “craved a craving” – they chose willingly to cultivate a craving. Had someone offered to cure them of the craving, they would have declined.

Now, a person may size up his evil inclination and think that he does not have the capabilty to hold it at bay, but in truth he does have this capability. As our Sages teach in Kiddushin 30b, Hashem tells us: “I created the evil inclination, and I created the Torah as an antidote.” If a person immerses himself in Torah, its light will lead him back to the right path. It is for this reason that the Jews accepted the Torah even though they knew that the evil inclination would urge them to stray from it. They had faith that by engaging in Torah study their evil inclination would be subdued and the flame of desire would die out. But the Torah’s power to subdue physical desires is relevant only to one who wants to rid himself of these desires. Those who craved a craving did not want the Torah – they were not interested in its curative powers. They took the view that it is better to revel in worldly pleasures.

With this background, the Maggid says, we can understand well Rava’s reply to the Sadducee. The Maggid brings out the point with a parable. Two blind men went from city to city together, going door to door to collect alms. One of them was a good person, while the other was wicked. The first one was very upset about having to wander from place to place and experience the embarrassment of begging, but his dire circumstances forced him to do so. The second one, by contrast, enjoyed the wandering and the freedom from responsibility. Once they came to a city where there was an expert eye doctor. The first blind man invested great effort in arranging to visit the doctor and get cured of his blindness. The second one was not interested; he said that his blindness was the cornerstone for his making a living through begging and it made no sense to cast it aside. The doctor heard about these two men. To the one who was seeking to get cured, he said: “May Hashem grant you a better way of making a living than begging, so that you and your descendants may live in wealth and honor, as is your wish. To the other one he said: “May it be that you remain forever in poverty, for this is what you have chosen.”

The Jews who remain loyal to the Torah tradition are like the first beggar, while the heretical Sadducees are like the second one. When the Sadducee cast at Rava his critical remark, Rava replied: “We who walked with wholeheartedness, of us it is written: ‘The wholeheartedness of the upright shall guide them.’ But of others, who walked in crookedness, it is written: ‘But the crookedness of the treacherous shall destroy them.’” Rava was saying: “We have firmly rejected the path of wallowing in empty worldly pleasures. Our only desire is to purify ourselves and bring our souls to a state of redemption. It is merely incidental that occasionally our evil inclination overtakes us. Our main focus is on doing good. Our wholeheartness will lead us to our redemption. But you have chosen to embrace worldly pleasures and have rejected the upright and good. Because of this choice, you are headed for poverty and destruction.”

We now explain the nature of the time a person spends in this world. As we discussed earlier, a person’s body has a defined extent and composition. It has a beginning and an end. It is composed of organs and limbs, joints, muscles and tendons, and bones. And all of these components are essential for a person to exist in a complete state. Each has its unique function. Similarly, the time a person spends in this world has a defined extent and composition. Regarding the extent of a person’s lifetime in this world, it is written (Tehillim 90:10): “The days of our years among them are seventy years, and if with strength, eighty years.” Likewise, the masters of deeper Torah wisdom teach that a complete lifetime in this world consists of seventy years. In addition, a person’s lifetime is divided into different stages, each with its own character.

Thus, the Mishnah in Avos 5:21 teaches: a five-year-old is involved in Scripture, a ten-year-old is involved in Mishnah, a thirteen-year-old begins observing mitzvos, a fifteen-year-old is involved in Gemara, an eighteen-year-old goes to the marriage canopy, a twenty-year-old is involved in pursuit of a livelihood, a thirty-year-old attains full strength, a forty-year-old attains understanding, a fifty-year-old is fit to give counsel, a sixty-year-old attains seniority, a seventy-year-old attains ripeness of age, an eighty-year-old exhibits strength ….” Here, in their wisdom, the Sages incisively analyzed the course of a person’s lifetime in this world, listed its stages, and identified the unique function of each stage.

Further, we see that time is made up of different units. A day is made up of 24 hours, seven days make up a week, four weeks make up a month, twelve months make up a year, seven years make up a shmittah cycles, and seven shmittah cycles make up a yovel. The division of time into units, each with a special name, reflects the differing functions of the different units, as is known to the masters of deeper Torah wisdom.

But one must not think that the function of each segment of time will come about automatically, without any effort on our part to bring our lives to completion. It is not so, my brother! Just as we must exert effort to maintain our physical existence, so, too, we must exert effort in order for the stages of life to lead us to a fitting spiritual level. We have to infuse our lives with fear of Hashem and serve Hashem appropriately every day and every year. We have to make sure not to leave anything out. If we exert the proper effort, then will we reach our proper station. We will be infused with knowledge, understanding, and discernment, and each stage of life will lift us higher and higher, until we are even able to attain Divine inspiration (and prophesy, during the time of the prophets).

Moreover, if we exert the proper effort Hashem will assist us and adorn us with a crown of splendor. In all our activities we will see success, without any anguish, all in a proper and straight manner. We will enjoy constant success until the time comes for Hashem to take us from this world, to bring us into the world to come, the world that is pure good, to revel in its delights. There as well our time will rise with us as a pleasing fragrance to Hashem and we will be clothed in a robe of glory. The Zohar describes this process. Regarding Avraham, the Torah says (Bereishis 24:1): “And Avraham was old, he had come to days.” Expounding on this statement, the Zohar teaches:

Come and behold: Avraham came close to Hashem. All his days, this was his desire. But Avraham did not come close in one day or at one time. His good deeds brought him closer every day and he rose level by level, until he reached a lofty level. When he got old, he entered the supernal levels as befit him.

But if you betray Hashem and do not observe what He commanded you in every segment of time, then the foreigner within you – the evil inclination – will rise up over you. Your time will be infused with abounding insanity and blindness, until you end up striving vainly to find the door to regret. For just as the successive segments of time bring a righteous man to increasingly higher levels, so, too, they push a wicked man lower and lower. Thus the Gemara in Shabbos 152a teaches: “With elder Torah scholars, the more they grow older the more wisdom they acquire … but with elder ignoramuses, the more they grow order the more foolish they become.” Similarly, the Gemara in Sukkah 52a teaches: “Regarding the evil inclination, initially it seems like a strand of a spider’s web, but in the end it becomes like a wagon’s ropes.”

A person has the choice, if he wishes, to uproot and destroy. Initially, Hashem holds back from subjecting a sinner to the judgments his evil deeds generate, but when he becomes a full-fledged scoundrel, He will subject him to full judgment. Testimony will be brought of all his evil deeds and thoughts. As the Gemara teaches (Chaggigah 5b): “Even about the excessive conversation between a man and his wife will testimony be brought on the day of judgment.” He will be surrounded by enemies. Attacks will be hurled against him like arrows shot at a target. In the words of the prophet (Yeshayah 33:1): “When you finish pillaging you will be pillaged; when you end your treachery, they will be treacherous with you.”

We know that the human body is not a simple unit, but rather is made up of many components. The Creator fashioned the body from the four basic physical elements: fire, air, water, and earth. The body is made up of different organs and limbs, and each organ and limb is made up of different parts, each with a unique name, unique capabilities, and a unique function. And each part’s existence is maintained through means specific to that particular part. The body is complete only when all its various parts are complete. If some part is missing or compromised, the impairment causes the person distress and dissatisfaction. There are many organs that are so critical that without them a person would be dead. And there are organs without which a person lacks protection from the various hazards constantly present in his environment. With some people, the lack of a certain organ or even a deficiency in its function can cause them to go insane, so that they are worse off than an animal. Furthermore, just as a person’s continued existence depends on his body being complete with all its parts, his continued existence depends on the outside world being complete with all its parts. In addition, the world is filled with things which, if they come upon a person, can kill him or make him severely ill, and no organ is free of such risks. The Sages teach in Devarim Rabbah 9:3 that every organ is susceptible to some kind of defect that can lead to a person’s death. If we ponder all this, we realize that nothing is as difficult as keeping a person alive. And nothing can occur more easily than a person’s departure from this world due to the absence of one of the conditions necessary for his continued existence. What, then, is man and what is his glory?

Now, my soul, when I see all this, how can I have confidence in your strength and your continued existence? I see you as so very fleeting, like the gourd in the Book of Yonah, which in one night emerged and in one night withered. How can you take pride in your existence when the specter of your disintegration and departure from the world constantly hovers over you? If you neglect to pay attention to the things you must take care of to maintain your own existence, you will grow weaker and weaker, to the point of death. Ponder how many things you need to do constantly to stay alive: eat and drink, rest and sleep, relieve yourself of bodily wastes, and on and on. You have to fight to stave off the deterioration and death that would come upon you naturally, by itself, if you took no action. If you let up for a moment from the countless tasks you need to perform to keep yourself going, you would be no more.

This being so, you can see clearly that your existence is not a natural phenomenon, but rather is the result of kindnesses Hashem does for you to keep you alive, through the mechanisms which He, in His wisdom, put into place. Hashem created all the elements of which you are composed, and all the elements of which the world around you is composed, and of which you need to avail yourself to stay alive. You receive your life force moment by moment. At any given moment you have no guarantee that you will live to the next moment. You are entirely in Hashem’s hands, and you have to look toward Him and hope He will grant you your next moment of life. As it is written (Tehillim 123:2): “Behold, like the eyes of servants unto the hand of their master, and like the eyes of a maid unto the hand of her mistress, so are our eyes unto Hashem our God, until He extends to us His graciousness.”

You must guard yourself, and make sure not to forget these things, lest you lose sight of them and regard your existence as secure and perpetual. Do not think you need nothing outside of yourself to continue in existence. Do not forget that you are mortal. View yourself as a being that lives only a brief moment. Consider yourself very lowly, for the past is gone, and you may not make it into the future. Do not take your mind off the fact that if nature took its course, you would be gone. View your existence not as a certainty, but rather as something that only might be, if Hashem shows you favor. You understand the difference between something that whose existence is a certainty and something whose existence is a mere possibility. So do not put your faith in what is but a thin reed, and do not rely on it for support. Rather, place your hope constantly in Hashem.

“Hear, O My People, and I shall speak” (Tehillim 50:7). How did you merit to be called “My People”? From “I shall speak” – because you spoke before Me at Sinai and said: “All that Hashem has spoken we shall do and we shall listen.”

This Midrash seems to take the verse from Tehillim far beyond its plain meaning, which is simply a call from God to the Jewish People to listen to what He is going to say to them. Also, the Midrash seems to make quite a stretch in reading the phrase “I shall speak” as “because you spoke.” But the Maggid, in his commentary on Megillas Rus, shows that the Midrash fits perfectly with the plain meaning of the verse.

The Gemara in Shabbos 88a relates that when the Jewish People said “we shall do and we shall listen,” a Heavenly voice cried out:

Who revealed this secret to My children? This is the expression that the ministering angels use! As it is written (Tehillim 103:20): “Bless Hashem, O His angels – the mighty ones who do His bidding and listen to the voice of His word.” First they mention doing, and afterwards listening.

The Maggid explains this teaching as follows. The Torah is divided into two parts: revealed Torah and hidden Torah. The revealed Torah is freely available to all. Anyone who wishes can take a full helping of it and understand what he has learned. The hidden Torah, however, can be grasped only by a select few: those who, through their exemplary deeds, serve God out of deep love. Only when a person reaches this exalted level does God open his eyes and allow him to behold the wonders of His Torah. As it is written (ibid. 25:14): “Hashem’s secrets are for those who fear Him.”

Now Moshe came before the Jewish People only to present the side of Torah and mitzvos that is revealed to all. Just before the Giving of the Torah at Sinai, Moses brought the Jewish People the following message from God (Shemos 19:5): “Now, if you hearken well to My voice and uphold My covenant, then you shall be unto Me a special treasure among all the nations, for the whole Earth is Mine.” This declaration indicates that what was put before the people was only the revealed part of the Torah that is readily understood when heard. Nonetheless, the people discerned that there was another, hidden side to Torah that contained even greater wisdom. Moreover, the people realized that one who observes the revealed Torah properly eventually gains access to the hidden Torah, just as one who tends a tree properly eventually enjoys its fruit. This is what they meant when they said: “We shall do and we shall listen.” They declared that they would faithfully keep the revealed Torah, and thereby proceed – having attained the necessary capacity – to hear and digest the secrets of the hidden Torah.

We can now easily understand the Heavenly cry: “Who revealed this secret to My children?” Underlying this cry is the question: “How did the Jewish People know that there is another, hidden part to the Torah, beyond the revealed part that I am putting before them now? How did they know to commit themselves to listen to another message that I will convey later?”

With this, we can explain the Midrash that we quoted at the outset. There remains just one more point to bring out. If a person habitually makes all his purchases at a certain store, he will naturally refer to the manager of this store as “my storekeeper.” Similarly, if a person always uses a certain tailor or handyman, he will speak of “my tailor” or “my handyman.” Now, a person who uses a certain tailor once will not automatically refer to this tailor as “my tailor.” However, if the tailor makes an arrangement with him after the first time to do all his tailoring work from then on, then he can refer to the tailor as “my tailor” even after just one job.

The same idea applies to the relationship between God and the Jewish People. The fact that we accepted God’s word on one occasion would not in itself give us the right to have God call us “My People.” We gained this title only because we pledged on that occasion to listen to God regularly from that point on, whenever God would speak to us through His faithful prophets and men of wisdom. When we declared at Sinai “We shall do and we shall listen,” we made a covenant for the future that binds us to heed God’s word at all times.

This is the message behind the verse from Tehillim: “Hear, O My People, and I shall speak.” God is telling us why we are obligated to listen to Him when He speaks. God says to us: “How did you gain the right to be called ‘My People’? Not because you listened to Me on one occasion. Rather, because on that occasion you spoke before Me and said: ‘We shall do and we shall listen.’ With these words, you promised that whenever ‘I shall speak,’ you will listen. And so you are duty-bound to listen to what I shall speak to you now.”

The Maggid explains the matter of the transformed visage with the aid of a parable. In a certain kingdom, the king had a chief minister whom he regarded very highly, so much so that the king always consulted him before taking any major action. The king also had an only son – a young, tender boy. The king loved his son very much, and pampered him greatly. But whenever he needed to consult with his chief minister, he would tell his son to step outside, so that he could discuss affairs of state with due secrecy. The chief minister would boast about this to all the other royal ministers, saying: “See, the king regards me even more highly than his own son. On account of me, he sends his dear son out, and makes time to meet with me privately in his inner chamber. There he tells me everything that is on his mind.”

When the king’s son got word of what this minister was saying, he became depressed. He was pained at the thought that his father had so much more regard for this minister than for him. He fell into such a deep depression that he became bedridden. The doctors came to examine him, and they saw that the boy’s illness was due to depression. They said that the only way to cure the boy was to cheer him up him with uproarious merry-making – this was what was needed to enable the boy to shake off his depression.

The king called in a large group of musicians to play rollicking music for his son, but this had no effect, because the son was already used to such music. So then the king called in his advisors to see if they, in their great wisdom, could suggest a novel way to cheer up his son – something that the boy had never seen before. They responded: “The king should issue a special order to all his ministers and officers: each day one of them must dress up as some animal – a bear, a lion, and so on – and parade in that costume in front of the boy. No doubt your son knows all your ministers and officers. When he sees these dignitaries frolicking before him in animal suits, he will burst out laughing, and after a few days of this he will recover.”

Word of this order reached the chief minister. Having no choice, he dressed up as some animal, and went frolicking and prancing in front of the king’s son. The boy recognized the minister, and was filled with laughter and tremendous joy. When the chief minister left the boy’s room, the king’s other officers and confidantes approached him and said: “Now you can see clearly that the king loves no one like he loves his son. When the boy got sick, the king pulled out all the stops. He even went so far as to order you to dress up in an outlandish costume, although this obviously was very degrading to you. All this was to cheer up his dear son in order to cure him.”

The parallel is as follows. The lofty ministering angels on high felt that there was no comparison between them and corporeal man. For they are exalted beings, stationed in Heaven at God’s service, while man is a lowly being, stationed on Earth. Hence they exclaimed with outrage: “What is a man born of a woman doing among us? … Set Your glory within the Heavens!” God, in His wisdom, responded with an ingenious demonstration to make it crystal-clear to the angels that He cherishes man much more than he cherishes them.

God recast Moshe’s visage into the form of Avraham’s visage, and challenged the angels: “Are you not embarrassed before him? Is this not the one to whom you went down and in whose house you ate?” When Avraham was saddened because no guests were coming to him, God told the angels to come down to Earth in the guise of men, to eat in Avraham’s house. This was a degrading act for the angels, who are purely spiritual beings, elevated above the physical world. Nonetheless, out of love for Avraham, God ordered the angels to act contrary to their nature and eat. Upon pondering this past event, the angels would now see how dearly God cherishes man and treats him like a son – for man is the centerpiece of all creation.

The starting point is a basic rule: Hashem generally does not perform supernatural miracles for people in distress if there still remain natural steps that they can take to deal with their situation. Only when all natural means have been completely exhausted does Hashem step in and perform a miracle. Accordingly, a person is obligated to make a steadfast effort to continue employing natural means as long as such means are still available. The Gemara in Berachos 32b lists four areas that need bolstering. One of these areas is prayer, regarding which it is written (Tehillim 27:14): “Hope to Hashem; strengthen yourself and let your heart take courage, and hope to Hashem.” Hashem does not need to make any preparations to rescue someone; He can bring salvation in an instant. So it is incumbent on a person to press on with his efforts and his prayers up to the very last moment.

The Maggid introduces a parable to bring out the message. A rich man had an only son, whom he cared for consummately. The father decided he should accustom his son to doing business so that later he would be able to support himself and his family. The father said to his son: “Go out each week and do business until you make $1,000. Bring the $1,000 to me at the end of the week and I’ll give you another $4,000, so that you’ll have $5,000. But be aware that until you bring me the $1,000 that you made, I won’t give you a thing.” This arrangement operated for several weeks. One week the son got together $999 and he figured it wasn’t worth making an effort to gain an additional $1, so he just went to his father with the money he had and asked his father to give him the sum needed to reach $5,000. The father told the son to count the money he had brought, and the son counted out $999. The father told him: “You think that the missing $1 is too minor to be of any importance, and it should not hold me back from giving you an additional $4,000 as usual. But you should know that the $1 is more significant than the $4,000. For me, the $4,000 is minor, because I have the money at hand. You should have made every effort possible to get the remaining $1. The $1 was important, for you needed to have it in order to get the $4,000.”

The parallel is as follows. The Jews had traveled a considerable distance to arrive at the shore of the sea. They did not want to go on further until Hashem split the sea. But on account of the missing additional step, Hashem held back from performing the miracle. It is as we explained above – Hashem does not perform a miracle a second earlier than necessary. The Jews felt, upon arriving at the shore of the sea, that they had done everything in their power and it was now time for Hashem to step in and perform a miracle to save them. When they saw the sea remaining in its usual state, they cried out to Hashem to perform the miracle. But in truth there was more they could do: They could continue going forward a few more steps until the water reached up to their noses. We might think that the few additional steps’ distance was too minor to hold back the miracle. But Hashem exclaimed: “Why are you crying out to Me?” He was saying: “Why are you crying out for Me to do My part? My doing a miracle is minor. Your taking a few more steps is important, because this is what is needed to bring on the miracle. All you have to do is just go forward.” The Midrash in Shemos Rabbah 21:8 expounds further, describing Hashem saying to Moshe: “You are under My dominion, and the sea is under My dominion, and I have already made you a superintendent over it.” All that was needed was for the Jews to take those few additional steps.

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Thus it is written (Tehillim 33:12): “Well established is the nation that Hashem is their God.” When the Holy One Blessed Be He chose His world, He established within it firsts of the months and the years, and when He chose Yaakov and his sons, He established [the month of Nisan] as the first of months in regard to redemption. In this month, the Jewish People were redeemed from Egypt and in this month they will experience the final redemption, as it is written (Micah 7:15): “As in the days of your going out from Egypt I will show you wonders.” In this month Yitzchak was born and in this month he was bound [upon the altar]. In this month Yaakov received the blessings [from Yitzchak], and Hashem indicated to the Jewish People that this month is first unto them for salvation, as it is written: “It shall be first unto you of the months of the year.”

The Maggid offers two interpretations of this Midrash, which we present below.

1. The Torah’s declaration that “this month shall be unto you the chief of the months” indicates a new development was taking place. The added phrase “unto you” is meant to stress that it was a new development specifically for the Jewish People, but not for Hashem.

To understand the import of this, consider a nation that is accepting a king to rule it. The new king is entering a new role as king, and the nation is entering a new role as the king’s subjects. Now, in the Nisan of the exodus, the Jewish People entered a new role as a nation under Hashem’s rule. But for Hashem the role of king was not new, for He already held this role. Hashem was King of the Universe from its very beginning – indeed, in the Adon Olam prayer we describe Hashem as the “Eternal Lord, who reigned before any being was created.” And Hashem was king over our forefathers, and He brought about many wonders for them, especially in the month of Nisan. The new development was that the Jewish People was entering the role of being Hashem’s nation, for whom He would also bring out wonders. When the Midrash quotes the verse in Tehillim stating that “well established is the nation that Hashem is their God,” the Midrash is highlighting the fact that our God is Hashem, the Eternal One, who was, is, and always will be, and that the exodus marks a new beginning for us but not for Him.

2. In Tehillim 94:14 it is written: “For Hashem shall not cast off His people, and His heritage He shall not abandon.” Similarly, in Yeshayah 54:10 it is written: “‘For the mountains may be moved and the hills may falter, but My kindness shall not be removed from you and My covenant of peace shall not falter,’ says Hashem, the One who shows you compassion.” The Midrash in Bereishis Rabbah 44:5 records the following exchange between Avraham and Hashem after Avraham’s victory against the kings:

Avraham said before the Holy One Blessed Be He, “Master of the Universe! You made a covenant with Noach that You would not wipe out his descendants. I arose and amassed more mitzvos and good deeds that he, and the covenant with me pushed aside the covenant with him. Perhaps someone else will come and amass more mitzvos and good deeds than I, and the covenant with me will be pushed aside by the covenant with him.” Replied the Holy One Blessed Be He: “From Noach’s descendants I did not bring forth righteous people as defenders, but from your descendants I will bring forth righteous people as defenders.”

We might think that Hashem’s love for us stems primarily from the day we received the Torah and accepted the yoke of His kingship. And we might therefore think that if we lapse in observing the Torah, Hashem will, far be it, nullify the covenant with us just as He nullified the covenant with Noach when Avraham came on the scene, as the Midrash describes. This notion is false, and indeed the prophet Hoshea was punished for suggesting to Hashem that He exchange us for another nation. In order to dispel this false notion, the Midrash we quoted from Shemos Rabbah presents a clear proof that we our relationship with Hashem will continue forever. The Midrash tells us that when Hashem chose Yaakov and his sons, He established the month of Nisan as the first of months in regard to redemption, and designated this month, in which we were redeemed from Egypt, as the month in which we will experience the final redemption. From this we see that our existence as a nation and Hashem’s connection with us will endure for all time.

What is the sign that a person is truly humble? A truly humble person has minimal expectations. He does not hanker for any pleasure. He seeks only what is absolutely necessary to stay alive. And even this he does not expect to come to him easily. He does not demand what he needs as if he is entitled to it. Rather, he regards fulfillment of his needs as a gracious kindness.

A teaching in Sukkah 52b reflects this idea. The Gemara relates that Hashem will approach Moshiach ben David and say (Tehillim 2:8): “Ask of Me and I will make nations your inheritance.” Having seen that Moshiach ben Yosef was killed, Moshiach ben David will respond: “I ask nothing of You except for life.” Let us ponder this exchange. Hashem is telling Moshiach ben David that he could ask for anything; He is saying (Tehillim 81:11): “Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.” It is as if all the good things of this world are laid before him for him to take. Yet he does not dare ask for great blessing. All the more so should we take a modest stance. A person should understand that he might not deserve his daily bread.

Let us consider our forefather Avraham. Who among us is as great as he? Yet when he approached Hashem to pray for Sodom – pleading not for himself but for others – he appealed to Hashem for grace. “May Hashem please not be angered” (Bereishis 18:30). “Behold, now, I wish to speak to my Lord, although I am but dust and ashes” (ibid. 18:27). The same humble stance is taken by countless other saintly people. Let us follow their example. Let us not wish for anything. Let us not forget our lowly stature. How can we possibly wish for pleasures? Let us be satisfied that we are alive. Let us view life as so precious to us that we count every moment. Let us imagine that we were sentenced to death, and someone came forward and declared himself ready to plead on our behalf. Imagine how much we would embrace him! Imagine how we would beg him to rescue us quickly!

Let us in this way recognize the preciousness of life. Let us realize that life is not a given. We have no guarantee that tomorrow we will still be alive. Our eyes are lifted upward to Hashem, the One grants life, the one who – in the words of Birkas HaGomel – bestows good things upon the guilty, and we hope He will sustain us, little by little. Let us not be foolish and lose what we are given. Let us accept at every moment the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven. Let us give thanks for what we have received in the past, and plead for our needs in the future.

In summary, let us keep an arrow shot’s distance from the garb of Hashem, our Master and King, to whom alone belongs pride and greatness, splendor and glory, ascendancy and dominion. Let us flee far from the trappings of grandeur, for they do not befit us. Let us remember that Hashem created us out of nothingness. Let us realize that it behooves us to be humble and submissive, and love our Creator, who maintains our existence moment by moment. Let us keep Him at the forefront of our minds and thank Him for His kindness toward us, and then we will succeed in life.

How can a person possibly exalt himself? Initially he was absent from this world, and eventually he will depart it. And even during his sojourn in this world, he is in a precarious state. He consists of a combination of components that would fall apart if not constantly watched over. He has no power to maintain his existence. Rather, his existence is a gracious gift from Hashem, the One who apportions life to every living being.

Wake up and contemplate the celestial beings! Despite their great loftiness, they humble themselves before their Creator, for they understand that their existence is not something that necessarily has to be. Thus it is written (Nechemiah 9:6): “And you sustain them all, and the celestial hosts bow down to you.” All the more so should you, a much lowlier being, humble yourself. Indeed, given that you have violated Hashem’s word many times, how could you possibly not feel abashed?

The Gemara in Megillah 15b teaches that a person should consider himself as unimportant as the leftovers from a meal. Certainly a person must not regard himself as the man of house whose presence is a matter of right. A person must realize that he is only a guest in this world. And he must take care not to regard himself as an eminent guest whose presence is an honor and a source of pleasure to his host. Rather, he should regard himself as a lowly pauper whom the man of the house has brought in despite having no need for him, simply out of pity. Just as the pauper sits at the host’s table in a state of extreme humility, so, too, we should conduct ourselves with extreme humility before Hashem. For indeed, Hashem – the Master of the Universe – has no need for us, neither to get our help nor to gain honor through our presence. It is only out of kindness that Hashem maintains our existence. In approaching Hashem, we must always bear in mind that, as we say in the Selichos prayers, “like the poor and the needy we knock at Your door.”

There are two factors that impede a person from recognizing the God of his father and maintaining firm faith in Him. The first factor is a person’s background from the early stages of life. From the time a person is born, he grows up surrounded by physical entities that can be detected by the physical senses. And during his early years, he finds that the greater significance a physical entity has, the stronger impression it makes on his senses. A person grows accustomed to the notion that his environment consists of physical entities. In addition, he grows accustomed to the pattern of entities initially not existing and then coming into existence. Hashem’s nature, however, is beyond all human comprehension, and we cannot detect His presence with our physical senses. He transcends all physicality and all limits of time. Consequently, it is hard for a person to develop faith in Hashem, just as it is hard for a person to accept anything that is completely new to him and far removed from his range of experience.

The second factor is haughtiness. A person develops the idea that his existence is something that has to be, and that he operates in a domain that is under his control. These misconceptions cloak a person’s heart and cause him to develop a feeling of dominance, which hardens his heart. As a result, it becomes difficult for him to develop faith and to turn away from the myriad fleeting worldly pleasures that dangle before him, lure him, and ruin his human splendor.

By way of analogy, in order for an animal hide to become fit as parchment that can be used in writing a Torah scroll, it must be tanned to soften it from its natural hardness. Otherwise, the writing will come out distorted. Similarly, it is impossible to inscribe any deep truth onto a person’s heart until it has been softened from the stubbornness that develops from the feeling of power and dominance that resides within him from his early years. Without this softening, the truths are not properly absorbed into a person’s heart; indeed, the tablet of his heart becomes riddled with distortions caused by the strange thoughts that arise within him. The effect of haughtiness is all the more harmful given that, as our Sages informed us, Hashem distances Himself from a haughty person. The Sages liken a haughty person to one who, so to speak, pushes away the feet of the Divine Presence (Berachos 43b, Kiddushin 31a). Hashem declares that He cannot dwell together with a haughty person (Sotah 5a).

Accordingly, so long has a person has not taken upon himself to soften his heart of stone and humble himself to the greatest possible degree, holiness cannot settle upon him and lofty spiritual truths cannot penetrate into his heart. Even if he declares with his mouth that he believes, it is if he declared that he does not believe. If you ponder what we have explained, you will see that it is true.

Thus, at the outset you must adopt the proper attitude, size yourself up correctly, and ponder your existence and the way you came into being. What are you doing here? Who brought you here? You must realize that your existence is a gracious gift from the One who brings everything into being, may He be blessed. No creation in this world, neither the lowest nor the loftiest, has any entitlement to its existence. To gain proper perspective, you must look upon all of Hashem’s works and reflect on the fact that Hashem created everything you see. He created the heavens and placed within them the sun and the moon, and a countless number of stars. When you reflect on this, you will view yourself as lowly and you will say to yourself: “What grounds do I have for climbing up to the rooftops and angling for greatness? What reason do I have for feeling pride and taking a stance of dominance? Behold, in this world I am only like a pauper standing on the doorstep and seeking aid from someone who owes me nothing, hoping that he will take pity on me and give me a donation, with my life hanging in the balance before my eyes.” A person depends on Hashem’s compassion moment after moment, for each and every breath (see Bereishis Rabbah 14:11, expounding on Tehillim 150:6). You must humble yourself and pray for your life and all your needs, for you cannot obtain them on your own.

The Midrash in Bereishis Rabbah 95:1, building on Yeshayah 11:6-9 and 65:25, teaches that in the end of days Hashem will heal the wild animals of their violent nature. The Midrash concludes:

All will be healed, but the one who brought a plague on all the rest of them will not be healed. Rather (concluding in Yeshayah 65:25), “a serpent’s food will be dirt.” [That is, the curse that Hashem cast upon the serpent, “dust shall you eat all the days of your life” (Bereishis 3:14) will remain in force.] Why? Because it brought the other creatures down to the dirt.

The Maggid analyzes why the serpent will not be healed. His starting point is the following teaching (Taanis 8a):

In the end of days, all the animals will gather together and come to the serpent and say: “The lion pounces and eats, the wolf kills and eats, but what benefit do you gain through your attacks?”

To bring out the idea behind this teaching, the Maggid expounds on the episode of Adam and Chavah’s eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. After Adam eats from the fruit, Hashem approaches him, and the following discussion ensues (Bereishis 3:9-13):

And Hashem God called to the man and said to him: “Where are you?” And he said: “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” And He said: “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?” And the man said: “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” And Hashem God said to the woman: “What is this that you have done?” And the woman said: “The serpent beguiled me, and I ate.” And Hashem God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, accursed are you ….”

The Midrash remarks (Bereishis Rabbah 20:2): “With Adam Hashem entered into a discussion, and with Chavah He entered into a discussion, but with the serpent He did not enter into a discussion.”

The Maggid asks what purpose Hashem had in entering into a discussion with Adam and Chavah. He answers that Hashem wanted to explore what intent they had in eating from the tree. In regard to mitzvos, the observance is at the highest level when it is done purely for the sake of giving Hashem satisfaction, without desire for reward. Similarly, in regard to sins, the offense is at the worst level, and hence most difficult to correct, when it is done with intent to rebel against Hashem. Regarding rebels, it is written (Yeshayah 66:24): “They [all mankind] will go out and see the corpses of the men who rebelled against Me, for their worm will not cease and their fire will not be extinguished, and they will lie in disgrace before all mankind.” A person who sins only in order to satisfy an urge for some pleasure is treated more leniently, to the degree Hashem deems appropriate, and Hashem will not sentence him to utter destruction.

It is written (ibid. 1:28): “Destruction awaits the rebellious sinners (פשעים) and the transgressors (חטאים) together, and those who forsake Hashem will perish.” The Maggid remarks that this statement calls for examination, for it is farfetched to say that those who transgress inadvertently or out of negligence or weakness in the face of temptation will be treated the same as rebellious sinners. He suggests the following explanation. The Hebrew term חטא is associated with lack and damage, as in Mishlei 8:36: “One who sins against Me despoils his soul.” A sin has two potential negative features: damage to the person’s soul and a show of some degree of rebellion against Hashem. The first negative feature is חטא and the second is פשע. When a person sins in order to satisfy an urge, the main feature of his act is חטא, with violation of Hashem’s command being just an incidental result of doing what it takes to satisfy the urge. By contrast, when a person sins in order to anger Hashem, חטא and פשע come together hand in hand on an equal footing. And because of the rebellious intent, the person is destined for destruction. We can thus render the verse in Yeshayah as follows: “Destruction awaits those who commit acts that are both rebellious sins and blows to their souls.”

In the process of subjecting Sodom and Gemorrah to judgment, Hashem said (Bereishis 18:12): “I will go down now and see: If they have acted according to its outcry that his come up to Me – then destruction! And if not, I will know.” The idea behind this statement, the Maggid says, is as follows.  The Adversarial Angel raised before Hashem an indictment against the people of Sodom and Gemorrah and argued that they were rebelling against Him. Hashem responded by saying that He would go down and examine the intent behind their acts. If it was as reflected by the outcry that was heard in the heavens – that is, if the peoples’ intent was to rebel against Him – then He would mete out to them the punishment befitting those who rebel – destruction. And if not, then not.

The Maggid returns now to the episode of Adam and Chavah. Hashem asked Adam: “Have you eaten from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?” He was asking him whether the reason he ate from the tree was because He had forbidden it and he wished to rebel against Him by acting contrary to His command. If this were the case, there would be no hope for him. Adam replied by saying: “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” He was telling Hashem that his eating from the tree was not motivated by a wish to anger Him. Afterward, Hashem turned to Chavah and asked: “What is this that you have done?” Again, Hashem was asking whether the violation of His command was motivated by a wish to rebel. Chavah responded by saying that she did not wish to rebel, but the serpent had beguiled her. But the serpent’s intent in urging Chavah to eat from the tree was to anger Hashem. Both the intent behind the act and the act itself constituted a rebellion against Hashem. Hence Hashem told the serpent: “Because you have done this, accursed are you ….” The Midrash in Bereishis Rabbah 20:4 explains that Hashem was telling the serpent that He knew that what he had done was solely on account of “this” – which the Maggid understands to refer to an intent to rebel against Hashem. Accordingly, Hashem subjected the serpent to a curse. In this vein, the Midrash in Bereishis Rabbah 20:1 states: “It is written (Tehillim 40:12): ‘A slanderer will not be firmly settled upon the earth’ – this statement alludes to the serpent, who slandered his Creator.”

We can now appreciate well the chastisement that the Gemara in Taanis says the animals will cast at the serpent in the end of days: “The lion pounces and eats, the wolf kills and eats, but what benefit do you gain through your attacks?” Other animals attack, but solely to satisfy their urge to eat, with no evil intent. But the serpent’s attacks are motivated by a wish to cause harm simply for sake of causing harm, even when no benefit is gained.  We see this from the fact that the serpent’s food is dirt. It gains no pleasure from eating; even when it eats meat, the food has the taste of dirt. Thus, there will be no cure for the serpent in the end of days when all the other animals are cured of their violent nature. Hashem will arrange alternate food for the animals; for example, as Yeshayah 65:25 states, the lion, like the cattle, will eat straw. And the serpent will continue as before, eating dirt. As the Midrash in Bereishis Rabbah 95:1 states, the serpent will have no cure because it brought the other creatures down to the earth, out of sheer malice.