Jewish tradition grapples with this very idea – the seeming imbalance between what we offer God and what God offers us.
The passage in Bamidbar Rabbah 21, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Numbers, dives right into this. It starts with the verse, "Command the children of Israel, and say to them: My offering, My food, for My fires" (Numbers 28:2). But then it throws a curveball, quoting Job: "The Almighty, we do not find Him exalting in power" (Job 37:23) and "Behold, God is exalted in His power; who is a teacher like Him?" (Job 36:22).
How do we reconcile these seemingly contradictory ideas?
Bamidbar Rabbah offers a beautiful explanation: When God gives, He gives according to His power. But when He asks of us, He asks only according to our power. It’s a matter of divine generosity versus human limitation.
Think about the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. "You shall make the Tabernacle of ten sheets" (Exodus 26:1). A manageable task. But, the text continues, the Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to craft for each and every righteous person a canopy of clouds of glory in the World to Come. As it says in Isaiah 4:5, "The Lord will create over the assembled of Mount Zion and over all its environs a cloud by day and smoke, and a glow of fire by night; for over all the glory will be a canopy."
Now, this canopy isn’t just any canopy! It's a reflection of our actions and intentions in this world. The text gets quite vivid here, explaining that if someone is "oshenot," raging and jealous of scholars, their canopy in the World to Come will be filled with "ashan," smoke. A rather poetic consequence, wouldn’t you say? And, if one righteous person is superior to another, their canopy might even singe the canopy of the one below! It’s a fascinating image of spiritual hierarchy and the impact we have on each other.
The passage goes on, contrasting what we offer with what we receive. We are asked to bring "pure virgin olive oil for the light, to kindle a lamp continually" (Exodus 27:20). A small, consistent offering. But when God illuminates for us, He does so according to His power: "The Lord was going before them by day […and by night in a pillar of fire, to illuminate for them]" (Exodus 13:21). And in the future, as Isaiah promises (60:1-3), "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has shined upon you…nations will walk by your light, and kings by the glow of your shine." The light of the moon will be like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold (Isaiah 30:26)!
Similarly, we offer the "choicest first fruits of your land" (Exodus 23:19). A symbolic gesture of gratitude. But God's bounty is limitless: "Along the stream, upon its bank on this side and on that side, will grow every food tree; its leaf will not wither, and its fruit will not fail; each month it will yield new fruit" (Ezekiel 47:12). According to the Midrash, each tree will renew different first fruits each and every month. The first fruit of this month is unlike the first fruit of that month!
We are asked to take "the fruit of a pleasant tree" (Leviticus 23:40). A single, specific offering. But God gives cedar, acacia, myrtle and pine trees in the wilderness (Isaiah 41:19); instead of the thorn, a juniper will rise (Isaiah 55:13).
What does all this mean?
Perhaps it's a reminder that our efforts, however small they may seem, are valued. That God doesn't expect us to be God. But also, that God's generosity is boundless, exceeding our comprehension. It's a humbling and inspiring thought, isn't it? It invites us to give what we can, knowing that what we receive will always be more than we could ever imagine.