Prayer Lesson 43 – Returning the Torah to the Ark

The return of the Torah to the ark evokes the same “pomp and circumstance” as the Torah’s presentation when first taken from the ark. It begins with a command: “Let them praise G-d’s name, for His name alone is exalted.” And it continues with a declaration: “His majesty is above earth and heaven. He is the strength of His nation, the praise of His faithful, of the children of Israel, the people near to Him. Halleluyah!”

Once again it is worth noting that although this is the Torah ceremony, the emphasis is not on the Torah itself but rather on the authority of G-d—of which the Torah is the primary manifestation.

Another aspect of the prayer that is remarkable is the emphasis that is placed on G-d’s relationship to the people of Israel. At the same time that “His majesty is above earth and heaven,” “He is the strength of His nation [Israel].” This combination of the universal and the particular is one of Judaism’s most stunning characteristics. From a philosophical point of view, it reflects the truth that ideas in the abstract lack substance if they do not have a concrete manifestation. Similarly, the profundities of the Torah would be close to meaningless if they did not manifest themselves in mitzvot we actually are supposed to do.

A final note: there is something poignant about this prayer. The Torah, the symbol of G-d’s protective authority, is being put away in the ark. In similar fashion, G-d’s authority on earth is often hidden from view. And when G-d’s authority is hidden from view, bad things happen. So this prayer begins with a command, but not in particular a command to us. “Let them praise G-d’s name.” Who is “them”? If we look at the original context of this verse, Ps. 148, the answer is clear:

Praise the Lord from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,
⁸ lightning and hail, snow and clouds,
stormy winds that do his bidding,
⁹ you mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,
¹⁰ wild animals and all cattle,
small creatures and flying birds,
¹¹ kings of the earth and all nations,
you princes and all rulers on earth,
¹² young men and women,
old men and children.

“Kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth.” Seen in this context, the rest of the prayer is a reminder to us and a warning to them: G-d is the strength of His nation, …Israel, the people near to Him.” The message to us is “Don’t despair.” The message to them is “Don’t mess.”