Deuteronomy 1:10 states, "The Lord your God has multiplied you, and, behold, you are today as the stars [of the heavens in abundance larov]." Seems straightforward, right? God has made the Israelites numerous, like the stars. But the Rabbis, in Devarim Rabbah, see something deeper here. They suggest that this "larov," this abundance, isn't just about numbers. It's a hint of something more profound that awaits us.
The text goes on to say that in the future, larov, you are destined to be similar to your Master, lerabkhem. What does that even mean? How can finite humans be similar to the infinite Divine? The key, it seems, lies in transformation, in mirroring the qualities we admire in God.
Think about it: Deuteronomy 4:24 tells us, "For the Lord your God is a consuming fire." Sounds a little scary, maybe. But Isaiah 10:17 offers a parallel: "And the light of Israel will be a fire and its Holy One a flame." So, just as God is a fire, so too will Israel embody that fiery spirit – a spirit of passion, of justice, of unwavering faith.
Rabbi Levi bar Ḥama takes this idea even further. He draws a comparison from the opposite side of the spiritual spectrum. If someone worships an idol, they become like it, as Psalm 115:8 says: "Those who craft them, all who place their trust in them, will become like them." So, if worshipping a lifeless object can transform you, how much more so will worshipping the living God shape you in His image? As Jeremiah 17:7 proclaims, "Blessed is the man who places his trust in the Lord…" — implying a closeness, a mirroring.
It’s a powerful concept: that our devotion, our trust, actively molds us. We are not just passive recipients of divine grace, but active participants in our own spiritual development.
Rabbi Abba offers another mind-blowing vision: that in the world to come, the righteous will be even closer to the Divine Presence than the ministering angels. Wow! He imagines the angels asking the righteous, "What halakhot, what new laws or teachings, did the Holy One introduce today?" (Think about that—the angels are asking us!)
Rabbi Levi bar Ḥanina bolsters this idea by pointing to the story of Ḥananya, Mishael, and Azarya, who were thrown into the fiery furnace in the book of Daniel. Remember that? Daniel 3:25 says, "I see four men…and the fourth resembles a son of the gods." This "son of the gods," often interpreted as an angel, was behind them, yet still able to extinguish the fire before they even felt it. It implies that their righteousness, their unwavering faith, placed them in a position even closer to divine protection than the angel himself. Some commentaries even suggest they protected the angel from the flames.
So, what does this all mean for us today? It's an invitation to reflect on what we worship, what we dedicate our lives to. Are we striving to become more like the Divine, embodying qualities of compassion, justice, and unwavering faith? Or are we, perhaps unknowingly, shaping ourselves in the image of something less worthy? The choice, it seems, is ours. And the potential for transformation? Limitless, like the stars.