Mount Sinai
- In Memoriam of Mr. David
M. Warren (Menachem Dovid ben Harav Yosef Z’L)
G-d revealed himself in front of the whole nation of Israel
with the words, “I am the Lord your G-d who took you out of
Egypt, from the house of slavery.” (Exodus 20:2)
The Kli Yakar (Shlomo Ephraim ben Aaron Luntschitz, Prague
1550 - 1619; 29:2) asks, Why didn't G-d say instead, “I am
the Lord your G-d who created the world.”
The Kli Yakar explains with a famous expression, “If you
want to tell a lie, have your witnesses live far away.” The
Jewish people did not witness creation. G-d declared his
sovereignty with the exodus of Egypt because that is what
the Israelites witnessed.
If the Children of Israel
had just witnessed all the miracles in Egypt and at the Red
Sea, why would that not be sufficient to believe G-d if He
would say, “I created the world.” Furthermore, the Medrash
Rabba (Shemot Rabba 29; compilation of Talmudic Aggada –
homiletic, 400 CE – 600 CE) explains that at Mount Sinai G-d
opened up all the heavens, universes, and galaxies to show
Israel that He was sovereign leader of the world. If so,
Israel would be easily persuaded that He also created the
world?
Even though G-d's
authenticity would have never been questioned, Judaism is
based on knowledge and not faith. G-d proved his sovereignty
based on the knowledge of the eyewitnesses of three million
people. Those three million people only witnessed the Exodus
and not creation. G-d focused on the Exodus, proving his
sovereignty from there because knowledge is ten-fold
stronger than faith. This is true even if the faith comes
directly from G-d.
Shabbat Shalom