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Shir ha-Shirim XVI Part Two: Sefirah 21



Rabbi Yosei ben Rabbi Chanina said: it is as if a king was distributing largesse to his soldiers through his generals, officers, and commanders, but when his son came, he gave him with his own hand. (Shir Hashirim Rabbah 1.2: 5, Part Two)

 

Rabbi Yosei not see this as the king personally feeding everyone as in the previous midrash, but as the King supplying his soldiers through the regular system of intermediaries, generals, officers, and commanders, except when it comes to his son.

This is the story of God interacting with the world through intermediaries, whether angels or Transcendental Forces until Sinai. When the children of Israel stood before Him at Mount Sinai, God did not want to deal through intermediaries. He dealt directly with them.

Each time we study Torah we can approach God just as the Children of Israel approached him at Mount Sinai, asking Him to deal directly with us and not through any intermediaries. Torah is our opportunity for God’s direct involvement in our lives.

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