The Strong Into The Hands Of The Weak?
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We use weights, measures and numbers to classify objects in this world.
Do blessings come from objects in this world?
“Their idols are silver and gold, the handiwork of man. They have a mouth, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see. The have ears, but cannot hear; they have a nose, but can-not smell…. Those who make them should become like them” (Psalm 115).
Material objects have no power whatsoever, certainly no power to impart blessing to us. But these material objects are weighed, measured and counted. Can you weigh, measure or count God? The idea is ludicrous. Hashem is not material; rather He creates that which is material. How can Hashem be weighed, measured or counted?
When you compare the sizes of two armies, one will be larger, but when you contemplate Hashem, lehavdil, size or number is irrelevant. Hashem is beyond the realm of measurement. But blessings flow only from Hashem. The very idea of blessing flowing from that which can be weighed, measured or counted is impossible.
Hashem is above all creation. If you could count every object in creation, every material object in the universe, would you “outweigh” God? The generation of the Tower of Babel at-tempted to ascend to the highest point imaginable in order to battle God. Obviously, they had to fail. One cannot “reach” God physically, because God is outside the physical realm.
So it is clear why “blessing is not to be found in anything that has been weighed or meas-ured or numbered.”
The unique existence of Am Yisrael has been possible only because we have a direct con-nection with the Creator of the Universe. We do not worship idols, not only because they are nothing, but because they have no power to save. They are useless. Our entire way of life is fo-cused on reaching beyond nature to the Source of Life Itself, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. So Am Yisrael exists forever because Hashem exists forever and we hold on to Him.
Am Yisrael is able to live in a miraculous way because the Source of our existence is be-yond this world.
Yosef haTzaddik could emerge from slavery to become viceroy of Egypt.
Am Yisrael could survive forty years in the desert.
Dovid haMelech could defeat Golius.
The Maccabeans could defeat a vastly more powerful army.
And we, with God’s help, can survive an entire world arrayed against us. Israel can sur-vive all its enemies. We can survive our sojourn in exile.
“If only My people would heed Me, if Israel would walk in My ways. In an instant I would subdue their foes and turn My hand against their tormentors” (Psalm 81).
May we soon see the day when “there is a menorah made entirely of gold with its bowl on its top and its seven lamps…upon it and…seven tubes to each of the lamps that are on its top…and two olive trees…near it, one to the right of the bowl and one to its left.” (Zechariah 4:2-3, Haftara Shabbos Chanukah).
On that day, “a new light [will shine] on Zion” and the strong will be delivered into the hands of the weak.
tell a friendAbout the Author: Roy Neuberger's latest book, “2020 Vision” (Feldheim), is available in English, Hebrew and Spanish, with French and Russian editions in preparation. Roy is also the author of "From Central Park to Sinai: How I Found My Jewish Soul” (available in English, Hebrew and Rus-sian) and "Worldstorm.” Roy and his wife speak publicly on topics related to his books and articles. He can be contacted at roy@tosinai.com or through his websites www.tosinai.com and www.2020visionthebook.com.
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