That’s the question at the heart of Midrash Tehillim 19, a beautiful exploration of how all of creation sings God's praises, even in silence.
The text begins by offering an alternative understanding of the phrase "kol pe'ul Hashem" – usually translated as "the voice of God's actions." Here, it's interpreted as "to His perfection." In other words, everything praises God because everything testifies to His perfect actions. But it goes further than that. Rabbi Berechiah, in the name of Rabbi Shimon, offers a radical thought: "One who has no head among people has a head before the Holy One, Blessed be He." What does this mean?
The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) beautifully illustrates this point. The sea has no hands, yet it acts before God. The earth has no ears, yet Jeremiah cries out, "O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord!" (Jeremiah 22:29). The earth has no mouth, yet we read, "And the earth opened its mouth" (Numbers 16:32). Heaven has no heart, but it resonates with God's presence, stretching "from one end of the heavens to the other" (Deuteronomy 4:32). And the heavens? The heavens themselves "declare the glory of God" (Psalms 19:2). Even things that seem incomplete or lacking in our human perception are complete and expressive before the Divine. The Zohar tells us of layers of reality, that we cannot begin to fathom the depth of the Divine presence.
This leads to a powerful realization: Our attempts to praise God might actually fall short. As Rabbi Abbahu says, "If a person tried to express the praise of the Holy One, Blessed be He, more than is necessary, the world would not be sufficient to contain it." David himself asks, "Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?" (Psalms 106:2). Are we doomed to silence, then? Are our prayers meaningless?
Not at all. The Midrash then recounts a story about Rabbi Chanina and Rabbi Yonatan, who politely corrected a chazzan (cantor) for adding too many adjectives to his prayer. Rav Huna, citing Rav, reminds us, "We have not found any fault with God's strength," alluding to (Job 37:23). Sometimes, less is more. The story emphasizes the importance of balance and humility in our expressions of praise.
This idea culminates in Rav Avin's interpretation of (Psalms 65:2), citing Jacob of Kfar Teveria who translated the verse as, "Silence is praise to You." This isn't just about being quiet; it's about recognizing the immensity of God, understanding that our words can only scratch the surface. The entire universe, the Midrash suggests, is silent before the hem of God's garment, because any praise we offer will always be inadequate.
But there’s more nuance here. Rabbi Pinchas HaKohen (a priest) Bar Chama points out how different leaders adjusted the prayer based on the historical circumstances. Moses established the original order, Jeremiah modified it after the Temple's destruction, and Daniel adapted it further. Eventually, the Men of the Great Assembly restored the original blessing. Why? Because they understood that true praise isn't about empty flattery. As Rabbi Yaakov, son of Rabbi Elazar, said, "They know that their God is true and do not flatter Him."
The Midrash concludes with a powerful analogy. Imagine a king with many kingdoms. Each kingdom boasts about the king's wealth and power. But only the kingdom where the king actually resides truly knows his glory. Similarly, we, as finite beings, can only glimpse God's glory. It’s when "the horn of Israel is exalted," when God's presence is manifest in the world, that we can truly begin to understand and express praise, as it says, “Praise the Lord from the earth” (Psalms 148:7).
So, what does this all mean for us? Perhaps it's an invitation to be more mindful in our prayers, to recognize the limitations of our words, and to appreciate the silent symphony of praise that emanates from all of creation. It’s a reminder that even in our inadequacy, in our silence, we can still connect with the Divine. And maybe, just maybe, that silence speaks louder than any words ever could.
Another explanation of "kol pe'ul Hashem" is "to His perfection," as everyone praises Him for His actions and all His actions testify to His perfection. Rabbi Berechiah said in the name of Rabbi Shimon, "One who has no head among people has a head before the Holy One, Blessed be He," as it is said, "And the tops of the mountains shall be His" (Proverbs 8:26). The sea has no hands but has them before the Almighty, as it is said, "The sea is His, and He made it" (Psalms 95:5). The earth has no ears but has them before the Almighty, as it is said, "O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord" (Jeremiah 22:29). The earth has no depth, but it has before the Almighty, as it is said, "Who sits upon the circle of the earth" (Isaiah 40:22). Heaven has no heart, but it has before the Almighty, as it is said, "From one end of the heavens to the other" (Deuteronomy 4:32). The earth has no mouth, but it has before the Almighty, as it is said, "And the earth opened its mouth" (Numbers 16:32). The earth has no legs or thighs, but it has them before the Almighty, as it is said, "And I will gather them from the ends of the earth" (Jeremiah 31:8). The heavens are counted as it is said, "The heavens declare the glory of God" (Psalms 19:2). This is what the verse means, "Shall it be told Him that I speak?" (Job 37:20). Rabbi Abbahu said, "If a person tried to express the praise of the Holy One, Blessed be He, more than is necessary, the world would not be sufficient to contain it." Thus David said, "Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?" (Psalms 106:2). Rabbi Chanina and Rabbi Yonatan went to the city of Kiryat D'Roma to attend to some matters. They entered a synagogue and saw the chazzan reciting the prayer, "God, the great, mighty, courageous, and powerful." They remained silent. The chazzan said to them, "You are not allowed to add to the prescribed blessings of the sages." They asked him, "From where did you learn this?" Rav Huna, citing Rav, said, "We have not found any fault with God's strength," as it says in Job 37:23. Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman said, "Who can relate the mighty acts of God, as I and my companions?" And Rav Avin said that Jacob, a man from Kfar Teveria, in Tzur translated the verse in Psalms 65:2 as, "Silence is praise to You." The entire universe is silent before the hem of God's garment, for anything that you praise Him for falls short of His glory. Rabbi Pinchas HaKohen Bar Chama said: "Moses established the order of prayer, as it says, 'For the Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords' (Deuteronomy 10:17). After the destruction of the Temple, Jeremiah said, 'O great and mighty God' (Jeremiah 32:18). He did not say 'fearful' because fear only applied to the Temple, as it says, 'God is feared in His holy abode' (Psalms 68:36). But where is His fear now that His enemies entered His house and were not afraid? And why did Jeremiah say 'mighty'? It is appropriate to call Him 'mighty' because He sees the destruction of His house and remains silent. However, Daniel said, 'O great and awesome God' (Daniel 9:4). He did not say 'mighty.' Why did he say 'awesome'? It is appropriate to call Him 'awesome' because of the awesome things He did for us in the fiery furnace. When the members of the Great Assembly stood up, they restored the original blessing as it says, 'Now, our God, the great, mighty, and awesome God' (Nehemiah 9:32). Why is He exalted for every blessing and praise, and for every insult hurled at Him by people? This is why they were called the Men of the Great Assembly who restored the original blessing. Rabbi Yaakov, son of Rabbi Elazar, said: "They know that their God is true and do not flatter Him." Isaiah said, 'Sing praises, O heavens, for the Lord has done it' (Isaiah 44:23) They told him, "We too praise God and count His glory. This can be likened to a king who had many kingdoms, and each one would say, 'The king has such and such amount of gold, such and such precious stones, and such and such servants and maidservants.' One wise man asked them, 'How do you know all of this, since you are far from him? Rather, only the kingdom where he resides is able to say, "He has ten and such praises and such and such glory."' Thus, David said, 'All the earth and everything in it cannot express the praise of the Holy One, blessed be He.' So who can say, 'The heavens count the glory of God'? This is only when the horn of Israel is exalted, as it says, 'Praise the Lord from the earth' (Psalms 148:7), and when 'He exalts the horn of His people' (Psalms 148:14)."
