I want to share an insight in the Parasha from R’ Shalomi Eldar, who spoke to us via Zoom from Israel last Yom HaZikaron. It’s especially relevant as we turn toward Rosh Hashana and the other Fall Chagim. The Haftarot between Tisha B’Av and Rosh Hashana link the two, and our gaze will soon turn expectantly to the New Year.
There are two verses in the Parasha whose juxtaposition is called out in the Talmud for special mention.
For Hashem your Lord is Lord supreme and Master supreme, the great, the mighty, and the awesome G-d, who shows no favor and takes no bribe, but upholds the cause of the orphan and the widow, and loves the convert, providing him with food and clothing.
The two verses show off a coupling which is so central to understanding Hashem that the Talmud in Megilla says that it was repeated -- for emphasis -- here, in the Prophets (Yishiyahu, 57:15) and in the Writings (Tehillim 68:6). The recurring theme is that wherever you see an especially florid description of Hashem’s greatness you will always find it matched with a description of what is called His “humility.”
In the 19th century, R’ Baruch Epstein in the Torah Temima asked two questions about this statement: 1) What’s the big deal -- anyone can take care of a convert or a widow; and 2) how does that show the trait of humility?
His answer came based on a Gemora in Pesachim (118a). The Gemora points out there that it is more difficult for Hashem to provide sustenance for mankind than it is to bring the Redemption. How do we know that? Because when we sing children to sleep, we say “Hamalach HaGoel Otee” (Bereshit 48:16), that is, an angel redeems me, but the verse that precedes that verse says, “Hashem grazed (shepherded) me.” Hashem can delegate the Redemption to an angel but He himself has to take care of sustenance.
Why can’t an angel be in charge of sustenance? Because it is too mundane. Which should, of course, make it even less interesting to Hashem. If a holy angel can’t be bothered, then surely Hashem too should be preoccupied with more exalted things.
But that is the whole point. Hashem deigns to take care of daily sustenance because He makes it His business to care for such quotidian matters. Yes, the rigid angels cannot be bothered. But Hashem extends Himself to matters at all levels of need, even to the ignored widow and convert. It is not a question of providing -- true, anyone can do that. It is instead a question of caring, which despite Hashem’s glorious social station, He does. Most people think of the humble as meek. That’s not the type of humility in this Gemora -- this is the humility that disdains social station. That’s why it is called out by juxtaposing a passage extolling Hashem’s greatness with His care for the lowly. R’ Eldar points out that whenever we learn about a positive trait of Hashem, we have a Mitzva to emulate it. That means this kind of humility is supposed to be something we strive for as well. It means we cannot allow the preoccupations created by the pandemic to allow us to become rigid. To reach out to others -- to our friends, even to strangers, to our community -- we must at times do no less than will ourselves to care. That’s the humility we are striving to emulate.
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