Despite the diminutive stature of the children of Israel, Moshe nevertheless describes them in strikingly hyperbolic terms:
“For what great nation is there that has a god so close at hand as is the Lord our God whenever we call upon Him?” (Deuteronomy 4:7)
Moshe’s portrayal presents the sages with both a practical and a theological question: What is the nature of this intimate relationship between God and Israel?
A sixth- or seventh-century midrash offers an answer by focusing on one of the most prominent passages in the parashah – the Shema, the closest thing in Jewish tradition to a creedal declaration:
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord is one.” (Deuteronomy 6:4)
Liturgically, this verse is anomalous. Although it is an essential part of the daily prayer service, it does not itself read as a prayer. Moreover, while in Shaharit (the morning service) it is surrounded by blessings, it remains distinct from the central prayer of Jewish worship—the Amidah (or Shemoneh Esreh). The following midrash seeks to explain the relationship between these two foundational elements of Jewish prayer:
“For what great nation is there that has God so near to it as is the Lord our God whenever we call upon Him” (Deuteronomy 4:7).
“For what great nation…”—a halakhic question: If an Israelite recites the Shema, may he pause before reciting the Amidah? The Sages taught that there are three actions that must follow immediately one upon another: the laying on of hands upon a sacrificial animal must be followed immediately by its slaughter; redemption (geulah) must be followed immediately by prayer; and the washing of hands must be followed immediately by the blessing. What is the reward for observing the principle [of reciting the Amidah immediately after the geulah blessing]? Rabba bar Abahu said: If one recites the Shema and immediately begins the Amidah, he may be certain that his prayer will be heard.
Rabbi Yehudah ben Rabbi Simon continued:
Idols may appear near, yet they are far away, whereas the Holy One, blessed be He, may appear distant, yet is truly near. How are idols near? An idolater fashions an idol and places it in his home; it is physically close. Yet it is distant, as Scripture states: “Even if one cries out to it, it will not answer…” (Isaiah 46:7). The Holy One, blessed be He, by contrast, appears distant—for the distance from earth to heaven is said to be a journey of five hundred years. Yet He is near, for when a person stands in prayer and meditates within the heart, the Holy One, blessed be He, hears that prayer, as it is written: “O You who hear prayer, to You shall all flesh come” (Psalms 65:3).
David said before the Holy One, blessed be He: “Master of the universe, when the nations of the world come before You in prayer, do not answer them, for they do not approach You wholeheartedly. They first turn to their idols, and only when those idols fail them do they come to You. But when Israel calls upon You, answer immediately, as it is written: ‘When I call, answer me, O God of my righteousness’ (Psalms 4:2).”
The Holy One replied: “You ask that I answer when you call? By your life, I will answer even before you call, as it is written: ‘Before they call, I will answer’ (Isaiah 65:24), for I have no other nation but you.” Thus, the verse declares: “For what great nation is there…” (Devarim Rabbah, Va’ethanan 2:10).
The midrash answers its initial question by pointing to the halakhic requirement that the Amidah immediately follow the final blessing of the Shema, Ga’al Yisrael, in which God is praised as the Redeemer of Israel. The midrash then contrasts Israel’s God with the powerless gods of idolatry, emphasizing that the God of Israel is uniquely responsive to human prayer.
Yet this explanation leaves a deeper religious question unanswered: Why does the movement from the Shema to the Amidah create a unique moment of divine-human intimacy? What is it about affirming God’s oneness that prepares a person to stand before God in prayer?
Centuries later, the Sefat Emet. Rabbi Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter of Ger (1847–1905), the second Gerer Rebbe, addressed precisely this spiritual dimension. For the Sefat Emet, the Shema is not merely a declaration about God; it is an act of inner transformation. Through proclaiming God’s oneness, a person recognizes that God is not only transcendent but also the life-force that sustains all existence. This awareness uncovers the hidden divine presence within oneself and within the world.
It is for this reason, he explains, that the Amidah follows immediately after the Shema. Having testified to God’s unity and having awakened awareness of the divine presence within all things, a person can now stand before God in genuine intimacy. Prayer becomes more than a request directed toward a distant deity; it becomes a meeting with the Infinite One (Ein Sof), the source of all being. Through this revelation, the worshipper becomes capable of receiving divine response, because the hidden divine point within the human soul has been awakened.
The remembrance of the Exodus, which concludes the blessings before the Amidah, reinforces this insight: even moments when God appears hidden are themselves part of the divine reality. The redemption from Egypt teaches that divine concealment is never divine absence. Thus, the sequence of the Shema, Ga’al Yisrael, and the Amidah becomes a spiritual journey—from recognizing God’s unity, to discovering God’s hidden presence, to entering into a personal encounter with the Infinite God through prayer. (See Sefat Emet Vaethanan 5631, Or Etzion ed. pp. 41-42)
Moshe’s words now take on a deeper meaning. Israel’s greatness is not found in its size or power, but in its unique ability to experience God as both transcendent and near. The Shema affirms God’s unity; the Amidah transforms that awareness into an intimate encounter. Prayer does not bring God closer; it awakens us to the divine presence that is already near. In this lies the true meaning of Moshe’s declaration: “For what great nation is there that has a God so close at hand?” |
