By Rabbi Dovid Markel
This week’s parsha begins (Devarim 32:1) “Listen, O heavens, and I will speak! And let the earth hear the words of my mouth!” The Sifri on this points out the difference this statement and Yeshaya’s (1:2) statement: “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord has spoken.”
Moshe says “listen heavens” as he was close to heavens, Yeshaya said “Hear heavens” as he was close to earth, and close to heavens. Being that Moshe was more spiritually inclined he employed a language of closeness to heavens.
Being though that everything in the Torah is a lesson, it is understood that there must be a lesson in our lives as well.
However, the lesson is clear, though it seems impossible, in our lives there are certain aspects that we must be close to heaven.
The attitude of being close to heaven is expressed in the Chassidic idiom that “worlds should be theoretical and G-dliness should be obvious.” Through the study of Chassidus and actively working on our prayer, we can indeed have a taste of such a feeling.
It is indeed apropos that we read this Torah section before the commencement of the holiday of sukkot. For, indeed when we sit in the suka enveloped in G-dliness we are indeed close to heaven and far from the earth.
May we merit to be completely enveloped in G-dliness with the coming of Moshiach – Now!
