Why Is the Universe So Vast? A Reflection on Creation

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In the previous article, Rachel asked: "There are billions of stars in space, some larger than our entire solar system, which makes us seem very small... Why did Hashem create such a large and bewildering universe?"

We learned about human complexity, which makes us the crown of creation, but we must also consider the greatness of the Creator, as the vastness of the universe reflects His glory.

It seems this verse answers the question:

"The heavens belong to Hashem, but the earth He gave to humanity" (Psalms 115).

The sages said in Pirkei Avot (6, 11): "Everything that the Holy One, blessed be He, created in His world, He created only for His glory, as it is said (Isaiah 43:7) 'Everyone who is called by My name, whom I created for My glory, I have formed, even made,' and further it says (Exodus 15:18) 'Hashem will reign forever and ever.'"

Maimonides, in Guide for the Perplexed (Part 3, Chapter 14), expanded on this and explained that the many stars in the universe were created for a divine reason, for a divine purpose beyond human understanding.

I saw quoted in the name of the esteemed Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, of blessed memory, the idea that this essentially forms the foundation of the statements of Beit Shamai, who interpreted that "the heavens were created first" (Chagigah 12a), meaning that celestial bodies have a purpose and an objective in themselves.

And what might this purpose be, if not to express the power and greatness of the blessed Creator?

King David teaches us to marvel at the fact that only Hashem is capable of counting all the stars and even naming each one: "He counts the number of stars; He calls them all by their names" (Psalms 147:4)

The prophet Isaiah also says: "Lift up your eyes on high and see who created these, who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name" (Isaiah 40:26).

The immense size of the universe, with all its stars, was created because the blessed Creator is mighty and infinite; it is inconceivable that such a mighty and infinite Creator would create only one star, or even just a thousand or a million stars.

An infinite spiritual Creator naturally creates the largest material universe imaginable, or rather, unimaginable, as the number of stars is beyond human comprehension. It testifies to the intellect of Hashem: "He counts the number of stars; He calls them all by their names. Our Lord is great and mighty in power, His understanding is infinite."

Astronomers can offer a mathematical estimate of the universe's size, but no human can capture this number in their intellect or imagination.

The Creator is infinite, present in every place and every time, therefore only He alone can comprehend the vastness of reality and notice every detail—count all the stars, name each one, and simultaneously control both the small and the great.

Reality reflects its Creator: Since the boundaries of the Creator are unfathomable, as He has no limits, so too the vastness of the universe He created is beyond comprehension due to its size.

If the universe were smaller, it would not be able to adequately express and testify to the infinite Creator behind it.

The sages said that all creation was for His glory. As is known, a person's honor is reflected in their clothing (Shabbat 113a), a garment should reflect as much as possible the status of the wearer.

The honor of the Creator is clothed in creation, by reflecting His power—as much as creation can contain His power:

"God created, not said Hashem created, because initially, He thought to create it with the attribute of justice, and saw that the world could not sustain itself, so He preceded it with the attribute of mercy and associated it with justice, as it is written, 'on the day that Hashem made earth and heaven'" (Rashi, Genesis 1:1).

King David described the universe as the garment of the Creator: "Before, the earth You have founded, and the work of Your hands, the heavens. They will perish, but You will remain; they will all wear out like a garment; You will change them like clothing, and they will pass, but You are the same, and Your years will have no end, the children of Your servants will dwell securely, and their offspring will be established before You" (Psalms 102:26).

The universe we live in is the largest material universe imaginable, proof that the Creator behind it—who created it all, governs it, and manages all its components—is the greatest Creator there is. There is no entity greater than Him, neither angel nor seraph, but He is the cause of causes and the beginning of all beginnings, the infinite, the one true God with none beside Him.

Thus says the prophet in Hashem's name: "Listen to me, Jacob, and Israel, whom I called: I am He; I am the first, also I am the last. My hand also laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand has spanned the heavens" (Isaiah 48:12). The verse reminds us that Hashem is the only God, and there is none besides Him, because only He could have created the heavens and the earth.

"You are Hashem alone. You made the heavens, the highest heavens with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all of them, and the heavenly host bows down to You" (Nehemiah 9:10).

The greatest Creator there is—created the greatest universe there is, it's that simple.

No other explanation is needed for the size of the universe and its immense number of stars.