Perhaps more than in any other sense, the Jewish people have historically been identified by our belief system. Our belief system and our values are woven together in an indivisible braid of identity.
Our sage Maimonides famously identifies thirteen principles of faith that together encompass the very foundation of Jewish belief. These principles express in a clear and concise manner the Jewish understanding of the nature of our Creator and His influence in the world. Prominent among them is the belief in Divine Providence.
But how are we to understand “Divine Providence”? What does it mean? This week’s parsha gives us an insight into the concept of Divine Providence as well its unique application to the Jewish people.
For many the highlight of this week’s parsha is the iconic image of Jacob’s ladder. Few visions, biblical or otherwise, have generated as much art and poetry. Jacob’s dream contains within it, a fascinating picture of the Almighty.
“And Jacob … dreamed, and behold! A ladder set up on the ground and its top reached to heaven; and behold, angels of God were ascending and descending upon it. And behold, the Lord was standing over him, and He said, "I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac; the land upon which you are lying to you I will give it and to your seed…..” Geneses 28:10-12
Jacob receives this message from G-d not through a disembodied voice, but rather with the Lord “standing over him.” It is a remarkable image. Nachmanides [dec. 1270] explains the symbolism of G-d standing over the ladder in the dream.
G-d was informing Jacob that his fate would not be in the hands of the angels, rather, he would be in the “portion of Hashem.” G-d would always be with him. It is said of them, “I am with you, and I will guard you wherever you go.” This is because Jacob’s standing was higher than that of other people, whom G-d cares for through angels, as it is said of them, “He will charge His angles over you to guard you in you all your ways” (Psalms 91:11).
Nachmanides expresses an interesting notion here. He suggests that G-d interacts with people in diverse ways. G-d’s personal message to Jacob was that He would take care of him in a very direct fashion. He is delineating two separate, but related points of theology. We will elaborate on both.
The first theological point is, “G-d interacts with people in diverse ways.” The commentaries explain that G-d created the world in a specific manner. The universe possesses a tiered structure, with a higher world, inhabited by angles, and a lower world, inhabited by humans. G-d created an “olam haEmtzai” a level of space that exists between Him and the lower world. He uses various agents and mediums that enact His will. The lower world is governed by mazalot. Mazalot are the constellations. Astrology’s ideas are rooted in this concept. Astrologers believe that certain constellations portend good things while others less desirable tidings. Medieval commentators explain that this is indeed accurate. However, it is an inexact science about which no human has much knowledge. Luzzato [Italy 1800’s] in chapter seven of “The Way of G-d,” describes how stars and planets serve as “pipelines,” bringing influences from Heaven into the physical world. In chapter five Luzzato has a lengthy elaboration of these principles and explains how each entity in the tiered structure is a means for expressing G-d’s will in the lower world. He describes how specific agents of providence perform specialized functions. This is not to suggest that Judaism believes in astrology as a science or as a reality. The horoscopes in the newspapers do not take on any significance. The Sefer haKuzari explains that the constellations’ physical forms are “dictated by the celestial bodies’ Leader and mover, the One who made them into instruments to propagate all that He desires within the physical realm. We cannot, however, fathom the details of the system. The astrologer, on the other hand, claims to know each detail and to understand the system. We dispute this and argue that no mortal can comprehend it.”
In order to better understand these principles, as well as the long term effect of G-d’s promise to Jacob, let us study the Ibn Ezra’s commentary on the Ten Commandments. In describing the way in which G-d interacts with the world, and in particular with how G-d enacted the Exodus from Egypt, Ibn Ezra [Exodus 20:2] explains that the Jews, according to their “lot,” should have remained slaves, lacked the “mazal” to be emancipated. Nonetheless, G-d intervened and changed the elements so that their destiny changed. As a consequence of His love for the Patriarchs, He generated signs and miracles in Egypt, and, through his prophet Moshe, ultimately lead the Jews out of slavery. As Moshe taught the people in Deuteronomy [4:34], “Has any god performed miracles to come and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, with trials, with signs, and with wonders, and with war and with a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great awesome deeds, as all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?”
G-d removed the Jewish people from the influence of the mazalot and took over their direct care and existence. This is what meant when it is said that they are G-d’s inherited people, the chosen nation. Thus, the Talmud [Shabbat 156a] teaches that as a general principle, “AynMazelliYisroel” Israel is not bound by mazel. This is the second theological point mentioned earlier. G-d acted directly with Jacob, just as He would with Jacob’s progeny four generations later.
With this we can now understand Nachmanides’ intent: “G-d’s personal message to Jacob was that He would take care of him in a very direct fashion.” G-d was telling him, “I will take care of you. I will act with Divine Providence and protect you from everything and everyone. I will not abandon you to chance, fate or luck. I will not let anyone else or any of the other heavenly spheres impact your life.”
These esoteric ideas actually have relevant implications. The Talmud [Berachos 35a] teaches that when someone fails to make a blessing on food, he is stealing from G-d. This is a difficult concept to understand, as it is not possible to steal from the Almighty—G-d does not have possessions. Rashi explains that the Talmud is teaching us that the perpetrator is stealing G-d’s blessing from the world. Rabbeinu Bachye [born in Spain in 1255] understands that the purpose of making blessings is not in order to bless G-d. G-d does not require our blessings; after all, G-d is the source of all blessing. Rather, what is happening when we bless G-d is that we are admitting and testifying that G-d runs the world and orchestrates it as He sees fit. He provides sustenance for His creations in order that they sustain their lives. In the merit of this recognition G-d funnels His goodness towards the lower world so that people may benefit from it. Someone who enjoys the fruits of this world and does so without recognizing where it comes from steals a certain amount of His providence from the rest of the world. This puts the world in a poor position vis-a-vis G-d, for it causes Him to remove Himself from the lower realms. It causes G-d to remove His blessing from us.
May we all, like our forefather Jacob, merit G-d’s protection over us. May we merit a life of Divine Providence. And may we merit living lives full of blessing.
