10 Nissan 5783 – 1 april 2023
ר֣וּמָה עַל־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם אֱלֹהִ֑ים עַ֖ל כׇּל־הָאָ֣רֶץ כְּבוֹדֶֽךָ׃
Hashem, Your Glory will be exalted upon the heavens when You demonstrate Your power by saving me; all the earth will be filled with Your glory.
Hashem has been keeping Israel throughout history and upon her return to her own land, more and more people from the nations are recognising Hashem’s hand in this. This recognition is the beginning of the earth becoming full of His glory.
We can also read the verse on a very personal level.
“Exalted upon the heavens” can be interpreted as Hashem stripping that which is not in accordance with His will of its vitality, causing it to die. That can apply to all things in our hearts that are not in line with His will. When we immerse ourselves in the Torah and learn His will, and recognize that we want to do things differently, and express it to Him in prayer, He will save us.
Then the whole world will be filled with His glory. Now that may seem a bit over the top at first. Because of this the whole world is filled with His glory? The Mishnah teaches that man should see himself as the whole world, the whole world was created for your sake!
At first, that makes you thankful to Hashem, wow…a whole world just for me. On the other hand, it also awakens the sense of responsibility, I am responsible for the world. But how can I bear that responsibility, it is not in my power to change the whole world!
Everything we think, say or do has a direct effect on our personal world (i.e. on yourself). But also the world as a whole. Either it is filled with Glory of Hashem, or if our thoughts, words and deeds are not pure, chas ve-shalom, with the opposite.
Let us therefor learn through Torah study what Hashem requires of us, through prayer ask Him for support to help us act according to His Will. So that we may be the ones to help fill the world with His Glory.
By Angelique Sijbolts
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