Sermon: Ekev: Quoting God Back to God Avot and Gevurot in the Amidah

Written by Writings & Sermons by others — 18 September 2012

A couple of years ago Rabbi Josh here and I had a very public argument.  Enough people witnessed it that it ended up being reported on a full page in the Jewish Chronicle.  We made up afterwards – don’t worry.

 

What we were arguing about is how to read the Avot prayer which you can find on page 140 of our Siddur, Seder HaTefillot.  I wanted to keep up my practice of reading the names of the patriarchs and matriarchs as pairs – Avraham v Sarah, Yitzhak v Rivkah, in order to demonstrate the equal authenticity of men and women’s experience of God down the ages in guiding and teaching us in our day.

 

Josh wanted to go down the columns – Avraham, Yitzhak, v’Yaakov and then Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel and Leah.  Rabbi Laura who was with us in the argument prevaricated and went with Josh in the end – as did the whole congregation.  Josh’s clinching argument was that his suggestion quotes “God back to God” by putting the phrase connecting and also separating Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as part of our prayer straight from Torah.  As Simon Rocker from the JC reported it – Josh, “the more traditional Alyth Rabbi” won the argument.

 

This week’s Torah portion, Ekev, gives me the opportunity to strike back – and since I am giving the D’var Torah, Josh can’t do anything about it!   Let’s go to the next line of the Amidah which talks about the God whom we experience – Ha El, Ha Gadol Ha Gibbor v Hanorah – where does that come from?

 

Well actually it backs up Josh’s argument – it is again quoting God back to God.  In the middle of Ekev in Deuteronomy 10 verse 17 it reads “Ci Adonai Elohechem, Elohei Ha Elohim”  The God of gods – not only the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob – but even any other divine forces who you might possibly and erroneously think exist – God is the God of those gods too!

 

V Adonei ha Adonim – and the Lord over of any potentate whom you might respect.  Then the clincher – Ha’el, Ha Gadol, Ha Gibor, v Ha Nora – God who is great, mighty and awesome – which are of course the words we say every time we say the Amidah.  All based on the way in which your ancestors related to God as it says a few verses beforehand in the Torah and also in the Avot prayer.

 

Ha Gadol, Ha Gibbor v Ha Nora:  Scary God?  Frightening God?  God who you are meant to respect because otherwise you will get smitten?   From the next words of this verse clearly no.  This is a God whose qualities we can and should emulate back to Deuteronomy Chapter 10:  “who shows no favour and takes no bribe, but upholds the cause of the orphan and the widow and befriends the stranger, providing food and clothing.”  Then the clincher again – this is God whom we humans are absolutely bidden to emulate:  “You too must befriend the stranger for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”

 

The God of all gods, and the God of our ancestors simply does what every one of us however rich or poor, however powerful or meek can do.  God is honest, like a decent Olympic judge or a mensch who won’t be persuaded by power or money to do the wrong thing.  God is kind and caring, like anyone who cares about their fellow human beings and extends his care to everyone, the stranger especially.

 

That is what “Ha El ha gadol, ha gibor v honora” means – gadol, great because the potential for God is present everywhere, gibor, because God empowers us to be strong for the right, nora because God stops us from being terrified.

 

In the Talmud Yoma (69b)  the Rabbis noticed something odd from the Tanach. Jeremiah (32:18)  called God “Ha el, ha Gadol v Ha Gibor” – but not Ha nora – God did not protect him from being terrified – why not Because Jeremiah had to witness the destruction of the Temple.  Daniel (9:4) called God “Ha El, ha Gadol v ha Norah” but not ha Gibbor  – God did not empower Daniel to save the Jews of his time even though he himself survived the lion’s den.

 

But then says this Talmud text the Anshei Knesset haGadol, the men of the Great Assembly, put the whole phrase from Deuteronomy into the Amidah – for us to pray.   The Rabbis say that is why they were called great because even in the difficult times when the men of the Great Assembly lived, Roman times, they could see that over the long term God is great, empowering and enables we Jews not to be afraid for we will survive.  I have been crediting the Rabbis with this insight but it’s time now to come clean – this passage in Talmud Yoma is actually in the name of a Talmudic sage called – Rabbi Joshua Ben Levi – well Simon Rocker did say he was traditional!

 

Our Joshua ben Levi is now going to read from Torah – a little later in the portion- from Deuteronomy Chapter 11.  The words that he will read from verse 13 onwards are used liturgically as the second paragraph of the Shema.   They seem to say: If you obey the commandments then you will enjoy rain and fruitfulness in your land.   In our day when we are convinced that human activity has an impact on climate this passage turns into one like the passage about God – Ha Gadol, Ha Gibbor, v Ha Nora.

 

God does not do this by himself.  Our climate at least partly depends on our actions to preserve the world’s and our local environment – we are God’s partners.  Just as the kindness and liveability of our society depends on our actions to preserve the world’s and our local justice and welfare so do the conditions which enable us to live in a natural environment conducive to human happiness and comfort depend upon our care in preserving and stewarding it in accord with the principles of bal tashchit and control of our acquisitive nature.

 

From the last words of the Avot prayer God is the “Melech Ozeir u Moshiah u Magen” – the God who helps saves and shields us if we are subjects who are willing to do God’s will.