(טו) כִּי֩ כֹ֨ה אָמַ֜ר רָ֣ם וְנִשָּׂ֗א שֹׁכֵ֥ן עַד֙ וְקָד֣וֹשׁ שְׁמ֔וֹ מָר֥וֹם וְקָד֖וֹשׁ אֶשְׁכּ֑וֹן וְאֶת־דַּכָּא֙ וּשְׁפַל־ר֔וּחַ לְהַחֲיוֹת֙ ר֣וּחַ שְׁפָלִ֔ים וּֽלְהַחֲי֖וֹת לֵ֥ב נִדְכָּאִֽים׃
(15) For thus said He who high aloft Forever dwells, whose name is holy: I dwell on high, in holiness; Yet with the crushed and the lowly in spirit— Reviving the spirits of the lowly, Reviving the hearts of the pressed.
(ג) לָ֤מָּה צַּ֙מְנוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א רָאִ֔יתָ עִנִּ֥ינוּ נַפְשֵׁ֖נוּ וְלֹ֣א תֵדָ֑ע הֵ֣ן בְּי֤וֹם צֹֽמְכֶם֙ תִּמְצְאוּ־חֵ֔פֶץ וְכָל־עַצְּבֵיכֶ֖ם תִּנְגֹּֽשׂוּ׃... (ז) הֲל֨וֹא פָרֹ֤ס לָֽרָעֵב֙ לַחְמֶ֔ךָ וַעֲנִיִּ֥ים מְרוּדִ֖ים תָּ֣בִיא בָ֑יִת כִּֽי־תִרְאֶ֤ה עָרֹם֙ וְכִסִּית֔וֹ וּמִבְּשָׂרְךָ֖ לֹ֥א תִתְעַלָּֽם׃ (ח) אָ֣ז יִבָּקַ֤ע כַּשַּׁ֙חַר֙ אוֹרֶ֔ךָ וַאֲרֻכָתְךָ֖ מְהֵרָ֣ה תִצְמָ֑ח וְהָלַ֤ךְ לְפָנֶ֙יךָ֙ צִדְקֶ֔ךָ כְּב֥וֹד יקוק יַאַסְפֶֽךָ׃ (ט) אָ֤ז תִּקְרָא֙ וַיקוק יַעֲנֶ֔ה תְּשַׁוַּ֖ע וְיֹאמַ֣ר הִנֵּ֑נִי אִם־תָּסִ֤יר מִתּֽוֹכְךָ֙ מוֹטָ֔ה שְׁלַ֥ח אֶצְבַּ֖ע וְדַבֶּר־אָֽוֶן׃ (י) וְתָפֵ֤ק לָֽרָעֵב֙ נַפְשֶׁ֔ךָ וְנֶ֥פֶשׁ נַעֲנָ֖ה תַּשְׂבִּ֑יעַ וְזָרַ֤ח בַּחֹ֙שֶׁךְ֙ אוֹרֶ֔ךָ וַאֲפֵלָתְךָ֖ כַּֽצָּהֳרָֽיִם׃
(3) “Why, when we fasted, did You not see? When we starved our bodies, did You pay no heed?” Because on your fast day You see to your business And oppress all your laborers! .... (7) It is to share your bread with the hungry, And to take the wretched poor into your home; When you see the naked, to clothe him, And not to ignore your own kin. (8) Then shall your light burst through like the dawn And your healing spring up quickly; Your Vindicator shall march before you, The Presence of the LORD shall be your rear guard. (9) Then, when you call, the LORD will answer; When you cry, He will say: Here I am. If you banish the yoke from your midst, The menacing hand, and evil speech, (10) And you offer your compassion to the hungry And satisfy the famished creature— Then shall your light shine in darkness, And your gloom shall be like noonday.
רבי פינחס בן יאיר אומר זריזות מביאה לידי נקיות נקיות מביאה לידי טהרה טהרה מביאה לידי קדושה קדושה מביאה לידי ענוה ענוה מביאה לידי יראת חטא יראת חטא מביאה לידי חסידות חסידות מביאה לידי רוח הקודש רוח הקודש מביאה לידי תחיית המתים תה"מ מביאה לידי אליהו זכור לטוב. ... קדושה מביאה לידי ענוה דכתיב (ישעיהו נז) כי כה אמר רם ונשא שוכן עד וקדוש שמו מרום וקדוש אשכון ואת דכא ושפל רוח
Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Wherever Tanach references Hashem's might, you also find a reference to His humility. This point is written in the Torah, repeated in the Prophets, and threepeated in the Writings. In the Torah: “For the Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords”, and immediately afterward: “He executes the judgment of the fatherless and widow” (Deut. 10:17-18). It is repeated in the Prophets: “For thus says the High and Lofty One that inhabits eternity, Whose name is sacred”, and immediately afterward: “In the high and holy place I dwell with him that is of a pressed and humble spirit” (Isaiah 57:15). It is stated a third time in the Writings, as it is written: “Extol Him Who rides upon the clouds, Whose name is the Lord”, and immediately afterward: “A father of the fatherless, and a judge of widows” (Psalms 68:5-6).
(א) נִשְׁמַת כָּל חַי תְּבָרֵךְ אֶת שִׁמְךָ יקוק אֱלקֵינוּ.....
מַצִּיל עָנִי מֵחָזָק מִמֶּנּוּ. וְעָנִי וְאֶבְיון מִגּוזְלו. מִי יִדְמֶה לָּךְ. וּמִי יִשְׁוֶה לָּךְ. וּמִי יַעֲרָךְ לָךְ. הָאֵל הַגָּדול הַגִּבּור וְהַנּורָא אֵל עֶלְיון. קונֵה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ: נְהַלֶּלְךָ וּנְשַׁבֵּחֲךָ וּנְפָאֶרְךָ וּנְבָרֵךְ אֶת שֵׁם קָדְשֶׁךָ. כָּאָמוּר, לְדָוִד, בָּרְכִי נַפְשִׁי אֶת יקוק. וְכָל קְרָבַי אֶת שֵׁם קָדְשׁו:
ביום טוב ינגן החזן "האל בתעצומות”:
הָאֵ-ל בְּתַעֲצֻמות עֻזֶּךָ. הַגָּדול בִּכְבוד שְׁמֶךָ. הַגִּבּור לָנֶצַח וְהַנּורָא בְּנורְאותֶיךָ: הַמֶּלֶךְ הַיּושֵׁב עַל כִּסֵּא רָם וְנִשּא:
בשבת מתחיל החזן "שוכן עד”:
שׁוכֵן עַד...מָרום וְקָדושׁ שְׁמו. וְכָתוּב רַנְּנוּ צַדִּיקִים ביקוק. לַיְשָׁרִים נָאוָה תְהִלָּה:
NT, Lukas 4:14-24
14 J____ returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. 16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”[Isaiah 61:1] 20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked. 23 J____ said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’” 24 “Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown."
... רוב הקהלות מקפידים בענין קבלת הרב שלא יהי' מבני העיר ועיי' תשו' שער אפרים שאחר שקבלו רב מחוץ לעיר ונהג רבנות כמה שנים אח"כ התחתן עם בני העיר רצו לדחותו מרבנות שלו בשביל זה ואין אותה תשובה עתה במחיצתי כי אני חוץ לביתי ואיך ידחה הוא הרב המקובל כבר על שאינינו מבני העיר ואחז"ל אין נביא לעירו.
MLK, I Have A Dream (1963)
No, no, we are not satisfied and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream. (Amos 5:24)
...
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. (cf. Isa. 65:25)
...
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.
A.J. Heschel, The Prophets (1962; 1933 dissertation)
- Why were so few voices raised in the ancient world in protest against the ruthlessness of man? Why are human beings so obsequious, ready to kill and ready to die at the call of kings and chieftains? Perhaps it is because they worship might, venerate those who command might, and are convinced that it is by force that man prevails. The splendor and the pride of kings blind the people.
- Vol. 1, p. 159
- "The gods are on the side of the stronger," according to Tacitus. The prophets proclaimed that the heart of God is on the side of the weaker. God's special concern is not for the mighty and the successful, but for the lowly and the downtrodden, for the stranger and the poor, for the widow and the orphan.
- Vol. 1, p. 167