Above and Below

The sky is above us, the earth is below.

To children, parents are above them, while younger siblings are below them.

To parents, children are below, while the parents’ parents are above.

Same for employers and employees, leaders of countries and citizens, etc. Sometmes we are below others, sometimes above.

When we give someone a gift, or we help them, we may feel above. And the receiver may feel below.
But perhaps the receiver is above, since the receiver gives the giver the opportunity to give.

Are we above? Are we below?

There is an expression of the Baal Shem Tov: A person is where their thoughts are.

In the morning prayers we praise G-d: “You are the Lord G-d in heaven and earth, and in the highest heavens above. Truly You are the first, and You are the last, and there is no G-d besides You … You made the heaven and the earth, the sea and everything in it, and who, of all your creations above and below, can tell You what to do.”

Ultimately, whether one considers oneself above or below, there is comfort in knowing that everything happens by Divine Providence. And that by fulfilling His will, we serve the true Ruler.

Maimonides says, that a person should always view oneself, and the entire world, evenly balanced. And by doing one good deed, one can tip the scale and bring salvation to the entire world.

These days, Canada and parts of the U.S. are getting a sense of how everything is connected. The sky above Toronto and New York City is hazy, because of wildfires in Quebec.

And when we do good things, when we serve the true Sovereign, we affect everything beneficially.

By fulfilling the Torah, the Jewish people become a light to the nations.
And when all nations fulfill the seven Noahide laws that G-d told Moses at Mount Sinai, it brings peace to the entire world.