BS’D
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch explains the verse “This One will be my G-d (Zeh Keli)”. As here in this moment I see and understand that my fate and my inner life has been directed by this G-d alone and so I will place the whole of my internal and external life at His disposal and allow my whole life to be directed by the Divine.
This G-d will be mine, keli, literally “The Director of my movements.” V’anvehu, and so I will offer myself to be a Divine home. My whole existence and life will be a sanctuary for Hashem’s glorification, the home of Divine revelation; this is the natural consequence of declaring zeh keli, this is my G-d.
Neveh designates a place which offers a refuge. Hence, neveh is a place that herds or flocks are supplied all that they require—where they can remain permanently without having to seek pasture elsewhere. Thus, v’anvehu literally means, “I will be a place for G-d” or “by my whole life I will prepare a place for Hashem of which He will proudly declare, ‘I now dwell amongst you.’” (Hirsch, Commentary on the Torah: Exodus, 189).
While our particular verse has often been understood as the basis for the concept of hiddur mitzvah (lit. beautifying a mitzvah, often through the use of beautiful Judaica artifacts) Hirsch offers a very different reading. Far from “buying in” to the notion of anvehu meaning “I will glorify Him,” Hirsch latches on to the root of the word—connecting it to nun-vav-hey, meaning a resting place, oasis, or home.
For Hirsch, B’nai Yisrael declare that they are dedicating their whole selves to becoming refuges of the Divine. At the moment that Hashem provides tangible salvation for B’nai Yisrael rescuing them from slavery, each one of them declares in his or her own personal voice that he will become a loyal holy servant.
How different would our lives be if we could live in the spirit of Hirsch’s explanation of this verse! If we could aim to devote and build our lives according to the Divine blueprint—to create, as a response to the greatness of Hashem’s presence in the world, both a refuge for humanity and a true home for Him to dwell amongst us.
Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Yona Menucha bas Leah Chana. She is a young lady in her upper teens who had heart surgery when she was in 9th grade and now has reoccurring problems and was rushed to the hospital. May Hashem shower her with rachamei Shamyim amongst all of Klal Yisrael who are sick and suffering b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen.
