It’s about a relationship with the One who is completely and utterly in charge.
That’s what we’re diving into today, drawing from the text Da'at Tevunot, a foundational work of Jewish thought. It grapples with the idea of Yichud HaShem, the absolute singularity of God. It's not just about saying God is one; it's understanding what that means.
The text states that anyone who truly believes in God’s singularity must also believe that God is completely alone in His sovereignty. There's no one "who prevents or withholds him at all in any aspect or side, rather he alone rules over all." Think about that. No cosmic board of directors. No celestial veto power. Just God.
And it gets even more radical. It's not just that there's no opposing force, but that God created both good and negative forces. As Isaiah 45:7 puts it, "The maker of light and creator of darkness, maker of peace and creator of negative, I am HaShem them maker of all these." It’s a mind-bending concept – that even what we perceive as negative ultimately originates from the One. The text emphasizes there is no "officer or second power," a pointed critique of idol worship, which posits intermediaries.
But here’s the truly mind-blowing part: this singular God isn’t some detached, uninvolved cosmic clockmaker. According to Da'at Tevunot, He is the "supervisor of all his creations with individual supervision." Nothing happens by accident. Nothing is left to chance. It's not about "happenstance," "nature," or "luck," but direct divine will. Every single thing that happens – "is born into the world except from his will and from his hand." He's the Judge, decreeing what happens "in the high places and below."
So, if God is so in control, does that mean we're just puppets? Are we bound by immutable laws?
Here's where it gets even more interesting. The text says that even the laws God Himself decreed are dependent on His will! He isn't compelled by them. He can choose to set them aside. We see hints of this throughout Jewish tradition.
The Talmud, in Avot 3:15, teaches, "And all is according to the majority of the action…" suggesting that our actions influence divine judgment. But then, the text quotes God Himself, from Brachot 7a, telling Moses, "And I give grace to whom I give grace - even though they are not deserving." It’s a stark reminder that divine grace isn’t always earned.
The Book of Job (35:6) asks, "If you sin what action does it have on him, and if your transgressions multiply what does it do to him?" And Jeremiah 50:20 offers a glimmer of hope: "...the sin of Israel shall be sought and there will be none and the sins of Judah and they will not be found for I will forgive those whom I permit to remain." Isaiah (48:11, 43:25) echoes this sentiment: "For myself for myself I shall do for me, for how shall it be profaned…" and "It is I, It is I who erases your transgressions for my own sake and your sins shall I not remember." Zechariah 3:9 even speaks of a day when God will "remove the sin of this land in one day."
What does all of this mean?
The text concludes that this is our "comfort." God won't necessarily hold us accountable for every single action, nor will He wait for us to earn His favor. Rather, because of the covenant with our ancestors, He will save us when the time comes. Even "if there were no merit in Israel - When them set time arrives, the day blocked in his heart, behold in any event he will certainly save us, for he is the master of all and can do so if he wants."
It's a powerful reminder that even when we feel lost, adrift in a world that seems chaotic, there's a deeper current at play. A current driven by a singular, all-powerful, and ultimately merciful God. So, maybe, just maybe, we're not as alone as we think.