This Is My G-d

In this Torah portion, the Jews made one of history’s most dramatic and romantic statements. When G-d split the Red Sea, they were overcome with emotion. “This is my G-d,” they exclaimed, “and I will beautify Him.” They didn’t say this is G-d or even this is our G-d; they said this is my G-d—a personal G-d who nurtures an individual relationship with each of us.

Our sages tell us that the Jewish children recognized G-d at the Red Sea because He raised them from infancy. Jewish mothers circumvented Pharaoh’s decree to kill all male newborns by having their babies in the fields far from prying eyes. If the newborns were girls, the mothers brought them home with them. If the babies were boys, the mothers left them in the field.

Think of the incredible trust these mothers displayed. Which sane mother abandons her newborn in the fields to fend for himself? In Egypt, our sages tell us, Jewish mothers routinely had sextuplets. Imagine leaving a brood of babies alone in the field. Except these mothers had a personal relationship with G-d. They knew they weren’t leaving their babies alone. They were giving them to and leaving them with G-d.

Indeed, G-d remained with these little infants and raised them. He provided two stones from which they nursed milk and honey. He comforted them when they were anxious, nursed them when ill, cleaned them when dirty, sheltered them from the elements, and protected them from danger. When these children grew older, G-d took them each by the hand and walked them to the home of their parents, where they were welcomed with open arms and a loving embrace. The parents picked up where G-d left off.

When G-d split the Red Sea, holding up the aquatic wall through the night and dropping it on the Egyptians in the morning, these young Jews recognized G-d as the parent that raised them. They didn’t think of G-d as a distant, Almighty being. They thought of him as a loving parent in whose embrace they spent the most vulnerable years of their life. No wonder they exclaimed, “This is my G-d.” It was a loving, beautiful, and personal relationship.

I Will Beautify Him

All relationships are two-way streets. Bonds are forged in the vulnerable spaces that we open for each other. If only one side opens up, the relationship will flounder. The same occurred here. G-d provided for the Jewish children and showed them His love. He made Himself vulnerable when He showed them how much they meant to Him, how happy they could make Him, and how far He would go for them. He wanted to be their G-d. He wanted to belong to them. He wanted to be accepted by each.

They returned the favor and opened themselves to Him. What do I do for a G-d who forged a personal relationship with me and showed me His tender love? I beautify Him. I make Him as beautiful as I can.

Our sages taught us to beautify G-d by performing His commandments as elaborately as possible. Show G-d how much you love Him. When you purchase a citron for Sukkot, get the most beautiful one you can, even if it stretches the bank account. Go the extra mile and show how much you care. When you honor your parents, give them the best you can afford. When building a synagogue, make it the most prominent building in the neighborhood. Make yourself and G-d beautiful by beautifying His Mitzvot.

They tell the story of an elderly grandfather who always enjoyed decorating his Sukkah with his grandchildren before the festival of Sukkot. Every year, they would fashion or purchase new decorations and draperies. However, one decoration remained the same from year to year. It occupied the most prominent spot in the Sukkah, just behind the head table. A beautiful rope was attached to the wall, from which many pink pieces of paper hung.

These were the pink slips the grandfather received when he first arrived in America and was fired every Sunday for not coming to work on Shabbat. He was fired week after week but never abandoned G-d or Shabbat. He continued looking for work until he found a permanent job that allowed him to keep Shabbat. He beautified his Sukkah with his weekly display of love for G-d. The Sukkah is G-d’s embrace of the Jew. The pink slip was his embrace of G-d.

The Home

The Hebrew word for beautification is etymologically similar to the Hebrew word for home. Our sages offered an alternate interpretation of our ancestors’ declaration: “This is my G-d, and I will build a home for Him.” My home will be G-d’s home. How do you make your home a home for G-d?

A home must reflect its occupant. When you enter a house, you should be able to tell who lives there. You will know if it is an athlete by the trophies and paraphernalia on the wall. You will know if it is a musician by the instruments and musical books all over the house. If it is a Jewish household, it should be immediately noticeable. The shelves should be filled with Torah books, the display cases should be filled with Judaica items, and Jewish music should be piped in through the speakers.

Make your home G-d’s home. Make it a place where G-d feels at home. Let everyone in the world know that Judaism lives in your home. They should not need to look through your cookbooks to find out you are Jewish. They should not need to enter your office or bedroom to discover who you are. Don’t hide G-d in the back of the house. Beautify your entire Home with His presence. Place tzedakah boxes all over the home. Even affix tzedakah boxes to your kitchen walls so tzedakah will be an integral part of your home’s physical structure. This is my G-d, and I will beautify my home with Him.

The World Is His Home

It begins with your home, but it doesn’t end there. The entire world is G-d’s home. Your home must become a beacon of light from which Jewish warmth and inspiration spread across the globe. Our sages put it like this: “Beautify and praise G-d before all the peoples of the world.”

If G-d is a big part of your life, he will be on your tongue wherever you go. Around you, the topic of conversation will always turn to faith, reliance, serenity, and G-d. You won’t even need to work to make this happen. If you truly live with G-d, walk with G-d, and think of G-d, conversations around you will revolve around G-d.

Tell the world why you love G-d. Tell them He is not only with you when things are good but also, primarily, when things are tough. When the pain is at its worst, and you want to hide under the covers, G-d is there to hold your hand. He is always there to comfort you. It is fulfilling and reassuring to talk to someone who understands, gets you, doesn’t judge you, always loves you, and who you can love. Someone you want to give back to. A G-d for whom you would do anything.

You only think and speak of G-d this way if G-d is real to you—if you have a personal relationship with Him and see His guiding hand through life. You can only see it if you look for it. Reflecting on your life, you will see that seemingly random choices greatly impacted your trajectory. You will notice G-d’s hand guiding you step by loving step and bringing you to where you are today.

When you realize this, you embrace Him as “my G-d,” and you want to give back. You want to make your life, home, and world as beautiful as possible for G-d.[1]

[1] This essay is based on the Mechilta of Rabbi Yishmael, Tractate Shirah, Chapter Three.