With Rosh Hashonoh fast approaching, everyone searches for
ways to better fulfill the obligations of this awesome day.
The concept of Malchuyos (Majesty) is certainly a
paramount topic of Rosh Hashonoh as emphasized by Chazal.
Although much has been written on this area, certain
developments in recent years have caused many to realize to a
much greater extent the awesome scope of Hashem's
Malchus. These lines are an attempt to partially
unveil a glimpse of the mind-boggling proportions of the
Malchus Shomayim.
Chazal, in Midrash Rabba, parshas VaYeitze, relate the
question asked by a wealthy matron: What is Hashem occupied
with since Creation? The answer was "matchmaking." Claiming
that she was capable of doing this with ease, she matched a
thousand of her manservants with a thousand woman-servants.
She thought she had proved her point until many of the
couples came to her the next day with black eyes, broken arms
and legs, and complaining that they could not stay with their
assigned mate. She then admitted the superiority of Hashem's
ability.
Two questions come to mind. First, how can it be that He who
created the entire world in six days and who can judge all of
humanity in one day, should need so much time for match-
making? Second, what about all the other areas of the world -
- who takes care of them?
In order to understand Chazal's message, let us examine what
is involved in achieving a successful shidduch. Each
one, the boy and the girl, has grown up in very different
surroundings, with different parents and siblings, different
friends, schools, teachers, etc., all of which influenced
them differently. They have different natures, personalities,
and character traits. They have received different training,
and experienced different events. In short, the resultant
personalities from such varied backgrounds would seem to
guarantee the impossibility of their being compatible. But we
know it happens over and over again, year after year,
countless times.
How?
Through an Infinite Wisdom which sees to it that the two
backgrounds, as different as they are, should nevertheless,
produce in their personalities, outlooks, that which will
make them compatible. And what a colossal accomplishment that
is. First, the parents and grandparents, and previous
generations had to develop so that they would be the type of
people who would raise such compatible children. They had to
live in suitable locations, with suitable surroundings,
people, schools, and so on, to nurture the couple, to cause
them to meet and to want to marry. All of this means going
back many generations in preparation, perhaps in many lands,
involving thousands of people directly, who in turn were
influenced suitably by many more thousands of people.
Certainly, a vast and complex social undertaking.
And while all of this was going on for one future couple,
similar arrangements were transpiring for all the millions of
other couples who are meant to wed. This means that at any
given moment, millions upon millions of events and factors
are transpiring under the direct control and guidance of
Hashem to see to it that millions of shidduchim will
succeed. Every minute of every day this stupendous
accomplishment is taking place!
This, perhaps, is what Chazal meant when they said that
Hashem is forever occupied with matchmaking. And this could
be the meaning of the comparison to the difficulty of
Krias Yam Suf. Not that anything is actually difficult
for Him, but that it was a very complex task, requiring a
multitude of social, economic, and environmental factors,
stretching over many generations and locations.
The Red Sea had to be produced and developed in the right
place and time, which went back to Creation. It had to be of
suitable proportions to allow the entire Egyptian army to be
located within its banks, so it could be destroyed all at
once. This meant that for many generations before, this body
of water played a major role in the social and economic life
of millions of people in a very large region of the world.
And many environmental factors over a large area had to be
arranged to produce the great winds to split the sea,
freezing conditions to freeze the water, drying conditions to
make the sea bed dry for passage. Also there were the myriad
factors necessary so that every Egyptian soldier would be
prepared to behave as necessary and should be deserving of
the exact punishment meted out to each one.
The main difference between matchmaking and Krias Yam
Suf is that, in the former, the complex arrangements
culminate in a seemingly natural conclusion, while in the
latter they culminate in a miraculous conclusion.
After examining the stupendous achievements involved in match-
making and Krias Yam Suf, it is very easy to discern
similar patterns in all other aspects of life. Chazal gave
matchmaking as an example because it so clearly demonstrates
the enormously complex task required. They certainly expect
us to extend this understanding into other areas.
Choosing a source of parnossoh, for example, involves
the person's personality, which is influenced by his family,
education, acquaintances, and everything else. And once he
has embarked, the degree of success depends on economic
conditions locally and nationally, and even globally. It also
depends on the personalities and general situation of
potential customers, patients, employers, and the like, all
of which touch on thousands of people and factors, in current
and in previous generations.
Health, physical and mental, is also a complex area,
involving many, many factors. The tremendously complex
working of the human body, how it functions in good health
and in bad is becoming more and more well-known. It is quite
clear that the millions of bodily functions all acting
simultaneously are influenced by many factors, such as
genetic makeup, diet, climate, contact with others,
pollution, behavior, and more. The medical treatment
available is affected by the doctors, nurses, hospitals,
medicines available, the development of medical cures and
techniques, the financial situation of the patient, and
countless other factors.
The world of government and politics is another vast and
complex area which influences, and is influenced by, a myriad
of social, economic and personality factors. The economic
condition of any given place is certainly affected by an
enormous multitude of factors. Social climate and behavior
touch on millions of people, past and present, their
personalities, and behavior. Education, morality, character,
wars, entertainment — are all enormously complex areas
of life. And to think that all of this is being guided and
controlled simultaneously by Hashem is truly mind-
boggling!
Hashem's active role and direction in all areas is succinctly
expressed in the morning prayer before Krias Shema:
"For He alone performs powerful acts, creates new things,
wages wars, sows good deeds, produces salvations, creates
healing, Master of wonders. Who, in His goodness, renews
every day forever acts of Creation."
If anyone needs proof that this is the case in our own time,
he need only read some of the thousands of accounts of clear-
cut Divine Providence which occurred in recent years, as
recorded in the books of R' P. Krohn, R' H. Teller, R' Y.
Zilberstein, to name just a few. If we examine any story, we
will see that in order to bring about the remarkable chain of
events, many people, events, circumstances, and other
factors, had to coalesce in just the right way, time and
place. Since nothing happens in a vacuum, as discussed above,
all of the factors required a myriad of secondary factors.
And while all of this is happening in the development of one
story, so too, at the same time, things are happening in
thousands of other stories of Divine Providence.
The recording and dissemination of so many current, blatant
acts of Divine Providence is perhaps one of the greatest
developments in modern times. Their potential impact to
strengthen our belief and deep awareness of Hashem's active
Presence and control of everything is immeasurable. To see
how He managed to guide and manipulate the almost infinite
array of factors in our lives and in the lives of those
around us, right before our eyes, will undoubtedly inspire
everyone.
Of course we cannot leave out the area of reward and
punishment. We know that all of man's actions are deserving
of reward or punishment, which is meted out by Hashem through
varied means, some of which were touched on above, such as
parnossoh, health, marriage, and children. This means
that the colossal and complex structure described above is
being employed as a means to bring the proper justice to
people for their actions. Hence, not only is Hashem guiding
and arranging all of the mind-boggling factors just to keep
the world functioning, He is also doing it in such a way that
every person should be the recipient of His love and
attention, compassion and wrath, assistance and needed
warnings, and so on. And of course it is being done without
hampering man's free will, and without our being able to see
directly His guiding hand.
In addition, we know that important events that happen in the
world-at-large are somehow meant for the Jewish people and
all events and actions are ultimately leading towards the
fulfillment of the grand design and purpose which Hashem has
set for the world that will be realized at the time of the
Redemption. This means that these goals are also playing an
important role in shaping and guiding everything which is
taking place throughout the history of the world — with
Hashem at the wheel every inch of the way!
All of this is truly breathtaking and mind-boggling. We have
only touched on a few aspects of Hashem's activities and have
already become distinctly aware of the totally overwhelming
scope of His Malchus. While we can speak of Hashem's
infinite wisdom, power, goodness, greatness, and many other
attributes, there does not seem to be a word or expression
which adequately describes this facet of Hashem.
A person, no matter how brilliant he might be, cannot
possibly do a hundred things at once; we cannot even imagine
doing a thousand actions simultaneously. We cannot begin to
contemplate how Hashem can be involved in billions upon
billions of actions every day, day after day, in every part
of the universe. And He has total control of everything,
guiding each molecule, each creature, each raindrop, each
glass splinter in the Twin Towers explosion. Everything is
directed by His invisible hand to carry out His will. This is
His Malchus: total, infinite, colossal, awesome,
beyond our comprehension! HaMelech!
*
It would seem beneficial to point out some of the practical
results of the above:
1) An enhanced intellectual and emotional awareness of
Hashem's involvement in our daily affairs, produces a great
fulfillment of the dictum, "Shivisi Hashem Lenegdi
Somid — I constantly place Hashem in front of
me."
2) Better kavonoh in davening, brochos, and
performance of mitzvos, after being inspired by Hashem's
Malchus.
3) Greater importance attached to our actions, with the
realization that they are an integral part of many Divine
plans. In an unseen manner, our thoughts and deeds are
influencing something or someone.
4) Deeper sense of gratitude to Hashem for the goodness He
bestows on us, when we realize the great multitude of factors
He arranged for this purpose, frequently spanning many years,
places and people.
5) A greater love of Hashem, prompted by the realization that
He is constantly doing an endless number of things for our
protection, success, good health, and benefit in many
ways.
6) A deeper feeling of awe, due to the increased awareness of
His incredible ability to guide and arrange an infinite
number of things simultaneously.
7) A greater trust in Hashem, when we understand that He is
controlling and directing everything that happens, from the
smallest detail to the largest; when we realize that our
being so small and seemingly insignificant in the vast
universe in no way hinders His complete involvement in every
aspect of our lives.
8) And of course, a greater appreciation of Malchus,
which can help us fulfill the duties of Rosh Hashonoh and
thereby, hopefully, merit a, "Kesivoh vechasimah
tovah!"
