Since Boise is only a short drive away from the path of the total solar eclipse, huge crowds were expected in town. Even greater hordes were projected to arrive in the towns directly within the path of totality.
Billed as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I woke my family before dawn in order to head out to see the eclipse. We drove to a favorite recreational site of ours, just north of Horseshoe Bend. Having read and heard all the dire predictions about traffic and gridlock, we gave ourselves 5 hours of travel time, instead of the 45 minutes it normally takes. We also arrived with enough food and supplies for two days, though we were only planning on staying a few hours. The trip up took about 45 minutes, as it usually does. Turns out, we didn’t need to wake up in middle of the night to get there, but it did ensure us a great spot, ahead of the crowds.
(The return trip took a bit longer. But, it still beat rush hour traffic at the George Washington Bridge on any given day).
It was incredibly special to daven alongside the Payette River as we prepared to partake in the marvels of Hashem’s world. The words, "מה רבו מעשיך ה'" – “How manifold are Your works, O G-d,” took on particular meaning.
I spent considerable time focused on the prayer, “Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His hosts. Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all stars of the night. Praise Him, highest heavens and the water that is above the heavens. They shall praise the name of the L-rd, for He commanded and they were created.”
This paragraph, taken from Tehillim (Psalms Chapter 148), is considered by the Talmud and the Zohar as the fundamental prayer of Pesukei D’Zimra (the Verses of Praise section of the morning prayers).
It is indeed a deeply moving Psalm. But, why is it singled out amongst all the other Psalms and prayers? Is the Az Yashir prayer (the Song at the Sea) any less important and beautiful?
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By Divine Providence, this week’s parsha, Shoftim, also talks about the sun and the moon. The Torah talks about the consequences for someone, “Who will go and worship other gods and prostrate himself before them, or to the sun, the moon, or any of the host of the heavens, which I have not commanded.”
When studying these words this week, I got a bit stuck. Why does G-d need to add the words, “which I have not commanded” at the end of the verse? Obviously, if G-d forbids it, then He has not instructed you to do so. Why does the Torah need to specify that G-d has not commanded us to worship other gods and the sun and the moon? The words seemed superfluous.
Interestingly, just after the warning against idolatry, the Torah instructs the Jewish people to bring their disputes to a Rabbinic court of law. And then, the Torah tells us that it’s a mitzvah to appoint a king. Yes, a monarch.
So, what is the Torah’s message here? We shouldn’t worship the stars above, but we should appoint a king to rule over us?! True, the Torah sets severe limitations on a king’s conduct, but nonetheless authorizes a monarchy. And, puts supreme power in the hands of the Sanhedrin (even over the king in many respects).
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A deeper insight into this verse may shed some light. The words “which I have not commanded,” refer – not to the prohibited worship of the sun and moon, but to the sun and moon themselves; to the fact that the sun and moon have not been commanded by G-d to perform any commandments. Mankind, on the other hand, has been charged with a moral and sacred mission by G-d. Therefore, you should not worship the sun and moon, but you may give authority to human beings. To me, this may be a reason for the juxtaposition of these laws.
The danger of worshipping the sun and moon is precisely because they do not change. Humans have free will and, as a result, we are less prone to falsely assume they possess divine powers. Human frailty helps us remember a Higher Power. But nature has no free will.
And, it all became crystal clear on Monday. As I stood there praying and then marveling at the spectacular blocking of the sun by the moon, I realized the inherent peril therein. Today, we live in a society where science reigns supreme. Scientific research and discovery is a gift from G-d which should be cherished. But, sometimes we humans tend to forget about the Creator Who has gifted us with the planet and world we occupy. We start to look at the sun, the moon and science as an end in and of itself. (Perhaps this is yet another interpretation to the Talmud’s warning that an eclipse is a negative sign).
Torah reminds us that the sun and moon are creations of G-d. Neither of them have “been commanded.” They are “like the ax in the hand of the woodchopper.” Have we forgotten about the woodchopper?
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According to the mystics, Chapter 148 of Psalms is a unique prayer because it blends the praises of Heavenly and Earthly beings. It speaks of angels and of mountains. Of G-d’s hosts and fire and water. It demonstrates how the spiritual and the physical all have one Source.
That’s why it’s considered so central to our prayers.
As I observed the well-deserved hype of the solar eclipse, a deeper interpretation sunk in. “Praise Him, sun and moon.” Not Praise Him Sun. Praise Him Moon.
Rather, the sun and the moon are praising G-d together. When does that ever happen? Usually the sun dominates the day and the moon prevails at night.
This week we were privy to an amazing experience of the sun and moon praising G-d in unison.
That’s a memory worth holding onto.