Is Hashem Big or Small? 5 Parables for Thought

Is Hashem Big or Small?

One morning, a child approached his father and asked, "Dad, is Hashem big or small?"

His father replied, "That's a great question. Come with me, and I'll answer you."

He took him to the airport and said, "Look at the sky. Do you see a plane on the horizon?" "Yes," his son answered. "Tell me, is that plane small or large?" asked the father.

His son replied, "The plane is really small, Dad."

Ten minutes later, the father pointed out the same plane again and asked his son, "Son, is this plane small or large?"

"It's much bigger now," his son replied.

After ten more minutes, the plane landed in front of them. The father asked, "Is the plane small or large?"

"Dad, this plane is huge!"

His father said, "Here lies the answer to your question about whether Hashem is big or small. The answer depends entirely on you, my son! If you are far from the Creator of the Universe, He seems small to you. If you get closer to Him, stick by Him, you will understand and see how immense He is..."

Expressing Appreciation

A young man enters a neighborhood store and asks the shop owner if he can use the phone. The shop owner nods in agreement, and he can't help but overhear the young man's conversation.

The young man calls someone and asks if they need a gardener.

On the other end of the line, the answer is apparently that they already have a gardener and do not need another one at the moment.

The young man persists by asking, "Is your gardener professional enough for your taste?"

Apparently, he receives a positive response, as the shop owner hears the young man continue to "nag" the caller, "Would you consider replacing him in the future?"

Apparently, he receives a negative answer. He politely thanks them and ends the call.

The shop owner's heart goes out to the young man and his persistent, yet unsuccessful attempts. He turns to him and says, "Look here, young man, I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. I'm sorry about the negative response you received, but listen to a piece of advice from someone older: You seem like a determined and ambitious person. Be confident that you will have better days and plenty of work."

The young man looks at him and smiles: "Thank you for your concern, but I was actually very pleased with that phone call. I am the gardener for the family I just spoke with. This is my way of ensuring that they are satisfied with me and that I'm doing my job faithfully..."

Friends, in order to improve and create better relationships, it's good for all of us to occasionally ask those close to us - am I okay? Am I treating you properly? But equally important is to express your appreciation directly to those close to you, so they don't have to guess what you think and search for it through secondary sources...

(Photo: shutterstock)

Just a Little Dot?...

Here is a "question for the rabbi" that was posed rather provocatively, but the rabbi's answer is so on point that we couldn't resist sharing it with you.

The question: Why is Judaism so concerned with small, seemingly irrelevant details, like how much matzah to eat on Pesach, which utensils are dairy and which are meat, or how to tie shoelaces?

To me, it seems as if Judaism is neglecting the essential by focusing on pettiness. Do Jews call this spirituality? (I sent you this question a week ago but did not receive an answer. Perhaps you finally received a question that has no answer?!)

The rabbi's answer: The truth is, when I received your question, I immediately answered you, and the fact that you didn't receive my reply - is the answer to your question.

See, I did respond to you, but when I typed your email address, I didn't add a dot before the word Com.

I assumed you would receive the email anyway, as it was only missing one small dot. I mean, it's not like I misspelled your name or used an incorrect word or something drastic. It would be very petty not to realize that gmailcom and gmail.com are the same.

Isn't it ridiculous that you didn't receive my reply just because of the absence of a small, seemingly irrelevant dot?

No, it's not ridiculous!

Because the dot is more than just a dot; it represents something. That dot has much more significance than a few pixels on a screen.

To me, it seems utterly irrelevant, but that's only due to my lack of knowledge about the internet. All I know is that with the dot, my email reaches its destination, but without it - who knows where it goes.

Similarly, with mitzvot, there is immense depth. Every detail contains a world of meanings, constructing the complete picture. When a mitzvah is fulfilled with completeness and precision, a spiritual wave is sent from us to the universe, reaching the "inbox" of Hashem.

If you want to understand the significance of the dot on the internet, study how the network operates. To understand the meaning of Jewish mitzvot, study Torah...

All That Hashem Does is For the Best

Once there was a king who had a counselor constantly saying "everything is for the best."

One day, the king went hunting in the forest, deciding to take only this counselor with him. As the king shot arrows, suddenly one arrow released prematurely and accidentally hit the king's leg... The leg bled, but the king, knowledgeable in many fields, bandaged his leg. While bandaging it, he heard his counselor whisper, "Everything is for the best... it's all for the best..."

The king, already irritated, told the counselor: "Now dig a hole!" The counselor started digging, and when he finished, the king said: "Now get into the hole and stay here, and let it be for the best!..."

The counselor obeyed the king's command, and the king went on his way. As he walked, he was captured by a group of cannibals. Naturally, they immediately caught him, tied him up, and even lit the grill...

But before they skewered him, they noticed the bleeding wound on his leg. Fearing infection, they were reluctant to eat him, as they only consumed the healthy... So they released him.

The king then realized that his injury was indeed for the best, and when he returned to the hole, he found the counselor dancing with joy and singing loudly: "Everything is for the best! Everything is for the best!"

He recounted the entire story to the counselor and said, "Know that my injury was indeed for the best, as otherwise, the cannibals would have eaten me. But why do you think your being in the hole was for the best?"

The counselor replied, "Because if I had been with you, they would have eaten my flesh..."

People have many questions throughout their lives. They go through many events and don't understand why these things happen to them. They complain, get angry, sink into despair, and are unwilling to accept the difficulties they're experiencing...

If you stop for a moment, take a breath, and realize there is a guiding hand, a hand that wraps you in love, a hand that watches over you at every step of your life, a hand that only seeks your good in every situation - you will no longer have questions. You will understand that every difficulty you face, every unusual event that occurs is simply for your benefit!

Respecting the Opinions of Others

One person laid flowers on his wife's grave when suddenly he saw a Chinese man placing a bowl of rice on the adjacent grave.

He asked the Chinese man, "Do you really think the deceased will come out of the grave to eat the rice?"

The Chinese man replied, "Yes, when your wife comes out to smell the flowers."

Respecting others, respecting their opinions, is one of the best qualities a person can have. We must remember that people are different from one another, and so they act and think differently. Do not judge, just try to understand, and if you cannot understand – respect, and do not belittle.

As our sages said: "Just as their faces are different, so are their opinions" (Berakhot 58a). Hashem created humans with different faces to make us recognize that each person is a unique being, with a character and opinions special to them. Just as we accept the fact that their face is different from ours, so too we must accept that their opinions differ from ours.