While they were walking along, he said to them: Let me tell you something in passing. The lamplighter carries fire before the deputy, the deputy before the duke, the duke before the governor, the governor before the commander. Does the commander carry fire before the common people? They said to him: No. He said to them: The Holy One, blessed be He, carries fire before Israel, as it is written: "And the LORD went before them by day" (Exodus 13:21). They all converted.
God's Lantern
Avodah Zarah 11a
כִּי הֲווֹ שָׁקְלִי וְאָזְלִי, אֲמַר לְהוּ אֵימָא לְכוּ מִילְּתָא בְּעָלְמָא: נִיפְיוֹרָא נָקֵט נוּרָא קַמֵּי אַפִּיפְיוֹרָא, אַפִּיפְיוֹרָא לְדוּכָּסָא, דּוּכָּסָא לְהֶגְמוֹנָא, הַגְמוֹנָא לְקוֹמָא, קוֹמָא מִי נָקֵט נוּרָא מִקַּמֵּי אִינָשֵׁי? אָמְרִי לֵיהּ: לָא. אֲמַר לְהוּ: הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא נְקַט נוּרָא קַמֵּי יִשְׂרָאֵל, דִּכְתִיב: ״וַה׳ הֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵיהֶם יוֹמָם וְגוֹ׳״. אִיגַּיּוּר כּוּלְּהוּ.
Themes
Original Sources
- B. Avodah Zarah 11a
- Exodus Rabbah 15:17
- Mekhilta de-Rabbi Ishmael be-Shallah 1:215-225
- Rashi on Exodus 13:21