This idea of "servant" comes up in Sifrei Devarim, that's the book of Deuteronomy, and it got me thinking.
The verse we're looking at is (Deuteronomy 3:24), where Moses is pleading with God, saying, "to show Your servant." Now, the Sifrei Devarim takes this simple phrase and unpacks it, revealing something truly profound about our relationship with the Divine.
It points out that there are those who call themselves "servants" whom God also calls "servants." Makes sense. Abraham is a prime example. He humbly refers to himself as a servant, saying in (Genesis 18:3), "Do not now pass away from Your servant." And what does God call him? A servant! As we see in (Genesis 26:24), "for the sake of Abraham, My servant." Jacob, Moses, David, and Isaiah all follow this same pattern: they acknowledge their service, and God affirms it.
But then, things get interesting. The text highlights those who call themselves "servants" but whom God doesn’t call "servants." Samuel, Shimshon (that's Samson), and Solomon fall into this category. Shimshon cries out to God in (Judges 15:18) “You have given into the hand of Your servant…” but God doesn’t refer to him as such. Solomon asks for an understanding heart to serve, as we see in (1 Kings 3:9), “Give Your servant an understanding heart,” and yet, God's blessing is tied to David, Solomon’s father, not to Solomon’s own merit as a servant. "For the sake of David, My servant," it says in (1 (Kings 15:1)3).
What does this tell us? Is it simply about humility? Or is there something more at play?
And then there's the third category: those who don’t call themselves "servants," but whom God does call "servants." Iyyov (Job), Joshua, Calev, Elyakim, Zerubavel, Daniel, and even Chananiah, Mishael, and Azaryah (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego in their Babylonian names) all fit here. Iyyov never proclaims himself a servant, yet God asks, in Iyyov 2:3, "Have you given heart to My servant, Iyyov?" Similarly, we never see Joshua calling himself a servant, but Scripture does. (Joshua 24:29) says, "and Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the L-rd, died."
Even the early prophets, as (Amos 3:7) reminds us, were called servants of God, even if they didn't explicitly use that title for themselves. "…but He revealed His secret to His servants, the prophets."
So, what are we to make of all this?
Perhaps it suggests that true service isn’t about the titles we claim, but about the actions we take and the relationship we cultivate with the Divine. It's about aligning our will with God's, whether we verbalize it or not. It’s almost as if, according to this teaching, the quality of our service speaks louder than any declaration.
Maybe true service isn’t something we declare, but something that is recognized – both by ourselves and by God. It's a quiet dedication, a consistent striving to do what is right, to live a life of meaning and purpose. And sometimes, it’s recognized even when we don't consciously label ourselves as servants. Think about the ways you serve, the ways you strive to be better, to contribute to the world. Maybe, just maybe, you're already a servant in the eyes of the One Above, whether you realize it or not.
(Devarim 3:24) "to show Your servant": There are those who call themselves "servants," whom the Holy One Blessed be He calls "servants." And there are those who call themselves "servants," whom the Holy One Blessed be He does not call "servants." And there are those who do not call themselves "servants," whom the Holy One Blessed be He calls "servants." Abraham called himself a "servant," viz. (Bereshith 12:3) "Do not now pass away from Your servant," and the Holy One Blessed be He called him a "servant," viz. (Ibid. 26:24) "for the sake of Abraham, My servant." Jacob called himself a "servant," viz. (Ibid. 32:11) "I am too small for all of the lovingkindnesses and all of the truth that You have done with Your servant," and the Holy One Blessed be He called him a "servant," viz. (Isaiah 41:8) "But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob, etc." Moses called himself a "servant, viz. "to show Your "servant," and the Holy One Blessed be He called him a "servant," viz. (Joshua 1:2) "Moses My servant is dead." David called himself a "servant," viz. (Psalms 116:16) "Heed, O L-rd, for I am Your servant," and the Holy One Blessed be He called him a "servant," viz. ( II Kings 19:34) "for the sake of David, My servant." Isaiah called himself a "servant," viz. (Isaiah 49:5) "… who formed me from the womb to be a servant to Him," and the Holy One Blessed be He called him a "servant," viz. (Ibid. 20:3) "Isaiah, My servant." Samuel called himself a "servant," but the Holy One Blessed be He did not call him a "servant." Shimshon called himself a "servant," viz. (Judges 15:18) "You have given unto the hand of Your servant, etc.", but the Holy One Blessed be He did not call him a servant. Solomon called himself a "servant," viz. (I Kings 3:9) "Give Your servant an understanding heart," and the Holy One Blessed be He did not call him a "servant," but wrought for his father's sake, viz. (I Kings 15:13) "for the sake of David, My servant." Iyyov did not call himself a "servant," but the Holy One Blessed be He called him a "servant," (viz. Iyyov 2:3) "Have you given heart to My servant, Iyyov"? Joshua did not call himself a "servant," but Scripture called him a "servant," viz. (Joshua 24:29) "and Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the L-rd, died." Calev did not call himself a "servant," but the Holy One Blessed be He called him a "servant," viz. (Bamidbar 14:24) "But My servant Calev, etc." Elyakim did not call himself a "servant," but the Holy One Blessed be he called him a "servant," viz. (Isaiah 22:20) "And I will call My servant Elyakim, etc." Zerubavel did not call himself a "servant," but the Holy One Blessed be He called him a "servant," viz. (Chaggai 2:23) "Zerubavel ben Shaltiel, My servant." Daniel did not call himself a "servant," but Scripture called him a "servant," viz. (Daniel 6:21) "The king spoke and said to Daniel: Daniel, servant of the living G-d." Chananiah, Mishael, and Azaryah did not call themselves "servants," but the Holy One Blessed be He called them "servants," viz. (Daniel 6:23) "Shadrach, Meshach and Aved-nego, servants of the exalted G-d." The early prophets did not call themselves "servants," but the Holy One Blessed be He called them "servants," viz. (Amos 3:7) " … but He revealed His secret to His servants, the prophets."
