Tuesday, December 1, 2009

"If five billion people cry out in prayer, or if one little child prays, they are heard equally"


"It is a basic mathematical fact that compared to infinity, every other number is zero, and every other size is equal.

One million, or two thou­sand quadrillion, when compared to infinity, are both ex­actly zero.

Theologically, saying that God is infinite means that all the details become equally insignificant, regardless of their size.

In that sense, a galaxy, with all the gigantic stars it contains, is exactly equal to the small­est particles of an atom.

Therefore, if it makes any sense for God to care about what happens to a galaxy, it makes exactly the same amount of sense for God to care about what happens to a blade of grass.

Compared to God, they are of exactly the same magnitude.

If God cares for the whole universe (which, however big it may be, is still limited), then all its little parts are of equal importance in God's eyes.

If one thousand people, a hundred thousand people, or five bil­lion people cry out in prayer, or if one little child prays, they are heard equally.

The number does not make any dif­ference.

When the stars sing, or a little bird sings, they are all heard equally."

--Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz


From
Simple Words by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz