Wednesday, January 10, 2007

On Angels and Men

When we say "Kadosh Kadosh Kadosh ..." in kedusha we are actually echoing the angels. This is the high point of davening - it is there, at the pinnacle of our prayers, that we can really sing G-d's praises with the absolute clarity of a being that basks in His presence constantly. I mean, if these angels were created specifically to praise Hashem, you'd think that they do the best possible job of it! After all, they are tailor-made for the part.

So why introduce the kedusha with our own declaration? "Nekadesh ..." We will sanctify your name in this world ( "BaOlam" with a kamatz - as opposed to in the world " BeOlam" with a sheva na )

This is the difference between us and the malachim. They can sing the praises of G-d in ways we can barely hope to emulate - but their praise is static. The angels can only describe Hashem's majesty and holiness. We can extend it into this world through our actions. As creatures of free will and infinite choice, we can actually spread the mantle of G-d's glory willingly over ourselves and our world... by realizing that in our decisions, there is the opportunity to choose for ourselves or for G-d.

Go on, extend the majesty of Hashem to a corner of the world its never been before - next time you choose to do something right, keep in mind, you are doing it for G-d.

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