Closer Than We Think
Jul 01, 2026One of the most expressed challenges in Yiddishkeit is that of making our relationship with Hashem feel real. We believe that Hashem knows everything. We say it in davening. We teach it to our children. Yet it is easy for that knowledge to remain abstract, existing more as a theological principle than as a lived reality.
The Alter Rebbe, in the Likutei Amarim section of the Tanya (sourced below), offers a mashal that helps bridge that gap.
Chazal tell us to remember that there is an "Eye that sees and an Ear that hears." Of course, Hashem doesn’t possess physical eyes or ears. So what does this mean?
The Tanya explains that when we attribute seeing or hearing to Hashem, we are not describing physical faculties. We are describing awareness. In fact, Hashem's awareness is infinitely greater than any human seeing or hearing because it is not limited by distance, darkness, obstruction, or any of the constraints that accompany physical perception. The difference between a faculty and an awareness doesn’t seem like a big deal, but when we really understand this, it can make a huge difference in perception.
To help us grasp this idea, he offers an analogy.
Imagine touching a hot hair iron. The moment your finger is burned, you know it. You do not need to look at your hand to verify that it happened, you do not need someone to report it to you. You don’t require your eyes or ears to gather that information. You know because the finger is part of you.
Not only do you know what happened to your finger, but you are aware of the finger itself. Its existence, its condition, and its experience are all immediately present within your awareness. And if that isn’t enough- simultaneously, you can also be aware of a faint headache and a feeling of hunger in your stomach (it’s been that type of day).
The Alter Rebbe says that this is a subtle illustration of how Hashem relates to creation.
Everything exists because it is receiving life from Him at every moment. Therefore, nothing is hidden from Him. Not because He is watching from a distance and gathering information, but because all existence is continuously sustained by Him. Everything is a part of Him.
Many people imagine Hashem as being "up there" observing events that unfold "down here".The Tanya presents something far more intimate. Hashem's knowledge of us is not like the knowledge of an observer watching from afar. It is more akin to the way a person knows what is happening within his own body.
Every thought and struggle. Every victory and disappointment. Every private moment that no one else sees.
None of it is external to His awareness.
There is another side to this teaching that I find equally powerful.
When we hear that Hashem knows everything, it is easy to imagine a feeling of scrutiny or judgment. Yet the mashal the Alter Rebbe chooses is not that of a king inspecting his subjects. It is the relationship between a person and his own limbs.
The message is not merely that Hashem knows- it is that He is profoundly connected.
The person sitting in shul feeling distracted during davening, the mother trying to remain patient at the end of a long day, the woman wrestling with a middah she has been trying to improve for years. The individual who feels stuck, uninspired, or spiritually distant.
None of these experiences are invisible. None of them are happening outside of His awareness.
(The Tanya is careful to add that the analogy is imperfect. Unlike the human soul, which is affected by the body, Hashem is not changed by creation. The world does not impact Him, diminish Him, or alter His absolute unity in any way).
I find that sometimes we search for dramatic spiritual experiences to feel connected to Hashem. We imagine that connection happening during moments of inspiration, clarity, or elevation.
The Tanya reminds us that the connection is already there, always. Equally in the mundane and the sublime.
A person does not need to look at his finger to know that it hurts.
And Hashem does not need to "look" at us in order to know exactly where we are.
There is no moment of our lives that is hidden from Him, and there is no moment of our lives that falls outside His awareness, His knowledge, or His care, because we are One.
How amazing is that?
Perhaps that is why tefillah is so transformative. Tefillah is not primarily about informing Hashem of something He does not know. It is about helping us become more aware of a relationship that already exists.
We'll be exploring that idea and many others in this summer's Tefillah Summer Series, as we work on developing a more meaningful, authentic, and personal connection to davening.
Something to think about in the (hopefully) slower-paced days of summer,
Mrs. Aliza Feder
转谞讬讗, 讞诇拽 专讗砖讜谉; 诇讬拽讜讟讬 讗诪专讬诐 诪状讘
讜旨讻职诪址讗植诪址专 专址讘旨讜止转值讬谞讜旨志讝执讻职专讜止谞指诐志诇执讘职专指讻指讛: 状讛执住职转址旨讻值旨诇 讘执旨砖讈职诇止砖讈指讛 讚职讘指专执讬诐 讻讜旨壮, 注址讬执谉 专讜止讗指讛 讜职讗讜止讝侄谉 砖讈讜止诪址注址转 讻讜旨壮状.
讜职讙址诐 讻执旨讬 讗值讬谉 诇讜止 讚职诪讜旨转 讛址讙旨讜旨祝, 讛植专值讬 讗址讚旨职专址讘指旨讛 – 讛址讻止旨诇 讙旨指诇讜旨讬 讜职讬指讚讜旨注址 诇职驻指谞指讬讜, 讘职旨讬侄转侄专 砖讉职讗值转 诇职讗值讬谉 拽值抓 诪值专职讗执讬旨址讬转 讛指注址讬执谉 讜旨砖讈职诪执讬注址转 讛指讗止讝侄谉 注址诇 讚旨侄专侄讱职 诪指砖讈指诇, 专址拽 讛讜旨讗 注址诇 讚旨侄专侄讱职 诪指砖讈指诇, 讻职旨诪讜止 讗指讚指诐 讛址讬旨讜止讚值注址 讜旨诪址专职讙旨执讬砖讈 讘职旨注址爪职诪讜止 讻指旨诇 诪址讛 砖旨讈侄谞旨址注植砖讉侄讛 讜职谞执驻职注指诇 讘职旨讗侄讞指讚 诪执讻指旨诇 专址诪址状讞 讗值讬讘指专指讬讜, 讻职旨诪讜止 拽讜止专 讗讜止 讞讜止诐, 讜址讗植驻执讬诇讜旨 讞讜止诐 砖讈侄讘职旨爪执驻旨指专职谞值讬 专址讙职诇指讬讜 注址诇 讚旨侄专侄讱职 诪指砖讈指诇 – 讗执诐 谞执讻职讜指讛 讘指旨讗讜旨专, 讜职讻值谉 诪址讛讜旨转指诐 讜职注址爪职诪讜旨转指诐 讜职讻指诇 诪址讛 砖旨讈侄诪旨执转职驻旨指注值诇 讘指旨讛侄诐, 讬讜止讚值注址 讜旨诪址专职讙旨执讬砖讈 讘职旨诪讜止讞讜止.
讜旨讻职注值讬谉 讬职讚执讬注指讛 讝讜止 注址诇 讚旨侄专侄讱职 诪指砖讈指诇, 讬讜止讚值注址 讛址拽旨指讚讜止砖讈志讘指旨专讜旨讱职志讛讜旨讗 讻指旨诇 讛址谞执旨驻职注指诇 讘职旨讻指诇 讛址谞执旨讘职专指讗执讬诐, 注侄诇职讬讜止谞执讬诐 讜职转址讞职转旨讜止谞执讬诐, 诇执讛职讬讜止转 讻旨讜旨诇指旨诐 诪讜旨砖讈职驻旨指注执讬诐 诪执诪旨侄谞旨讜旨 讬执转职讘指旨专值讱职, 讻职旨诪讜止 砖讈侄讻指旨转讜旨讘: 状讻执旨讬 诪执诪旨职讱指 讛址讻止旨诇状, 讜职讝侄讛讜旨 砖讈侄讗讜止诪职专执讬诐: 状讜职讙址诐 讻指旨诇 讛址讬职爪讜旨专 诇止讗 谞执讻职讞指讚 诪执诪旨侄讱指旨状, 讜旨讻职诪讜止 砖讈侄讻指旨转址讘 讛指专址诪职讘址旨状诐, [讜职讛执住职讻执旨讬诪讜旨 诇指讝侄讛 讞址讻职诪值讬 讛址拽旨址讘指旨诇指讛, 讻职旨诪讜止 砖讈侄讻指旨转址讘 讛指专址诪址状拽 讘址旨驻旨址专职讚旨值状住] 砖讈侄讘执旨讬讚执讬注址转 注址爪职诪讜止 讻执旨讘职讬指讻讜止诇, 讬讜止讚值注址 讻指旨诇 讛址谞执旨讘职专指讗执讬诐 讛址谞执旨诪职爪指讗执讬诐 诪值讗植诪执讬转址旨转 讛执诪旨指爪职讗讜止 讜职讻讜旨壮.
专址拽 砖讈侄诪旨指砖讈指诇 讝侄讛, 讗值讬谞讜止 讗侄诇指旨讗 诇职砖讈址讻值旨讱职 讗侄转 讛指讗止讝侄谉, 讗植讘指诇 讘侄旨讗直诪侄转, 讗值讬谉 讛址诪旨指砖讈指诇 讚旨讜止诪侄讛 诇址谞执旨诪职砖讈指诇 讻职旨诇指诇, 讻执旨讬 谞侄驻侄砖讈 讛指讗指讚指诐, 讗植驻执讬诇讜旨 讛址砖旨讉执讻职诇执讬转 讜职讛指讗直诇止讛执讬转, 讛执讬讗 诪执转职驻旨指注侄诇侄转 诪执诪旨职讗讜止专职注值讬 讛址讙旨讜旨祝 讜职爪址注植专讜止, 诪值讞植诪址转 讛执转职诇址讘职旨砖讈讜旨转指讛旨 诪址诪旨指砖讈 讘址旨谞旨侄驻侄砖讈 讛址讞执讬旨讜旨谞执讬转 讛址诪职诇讜旨讘侄旨砖讈侄转 讘址旨讙旨讜旨祝 诪址诪旨指砖讈.
讗植讘指诇 讛址拽旨指讚讜止砖讈志讘指旨专讜旨讱职志讛讜旨讗, 讗值讬谞讜止 诪执转职驻旨指注值诇 讞址住 讜职砖讈指诇讜止诐 诪执诪旨职讗讜止专职注值讬 讛指注讜止诇指诐 讜职砖讈执讬谞旨讜旨讬指讬讜, 讜职诇止讗 诪值讛指注讜止诇指诐 注址爪职诪讜止, 砖讈侄讻旨讜旨诇指旨诐, 讗值讬谞指谉 驻旨讜止注植诇执讬诐 讘旨讜止 砖讈讜旨诐 砖讈执讬谞旨讜旨讬 讞址住 讜职砖讈指诇讜止诐. 讜职讛执谞旨值讛, 讻职旨讚值讬 诇职讛址砖讉职讻执旨讬诇 讝侄讛 讛值讬讟值讘 讘职旨砖讉执讻职诇值谞讜旨, 讻职旨讘指专 讛侄讗直专执讬讻讜旨 讞址讻职诪值讬 讛指讗直诪侄转 讘职旨住执驻职专值讬讛侄诐, 讗址讱职 讻指旨诇 讬执砖讉职专指讗值诇 诪址讗植诪执讬谞执讬诐 讘职旨谞值讬 诪址讗植诪执讬谞执讬诐 讘职旨诇执讬 砖讈讜旨诐 讞植拽执讬专址转 砖讉值讻侄诇 讗直谞讜止砖讈执讬, 讜职讗讜止诪职专执讬诐: 状讗址转指旨讛 讛讜旨讗 注址讚 砖讈侄诇止旨讗 谞执讘职专指讗 讛指注讜止诇指诐 讜职讻讜旨壮状, 讻址旨谞执旨讝职讻指旨专 诇职注值讬诇 驻旨侄专侄拽 讻壮:
讜职讛执谞旨值讛, 讻指旨诇 讗指讚指诐 诪执讬旨执砖讉职专指讗值诇, 讬执讛职讬侄讛 诪执讬 砖讈侄讬旨执讛职讬侄讛, 讻职旨砖讈侄讬旨执转职讘旨讜止谞值谉 讘指旨讝侄讛 砖讈指注指讛 讙职讚讜止诇指讛 讘职旨讻指诇 讬讜止诐, 讗值讬讱职 砖讈侄讛址拽旨指讚讜止砖讈志讘指旨专讜旨讱职志讛讜旨讗 诪指诇值讗 诪址诪旨指砖讈 讗侄转 讛指注侄诇职讬讜止谞执讬诐 讜职讗侄转 讛址转址旨讞职转旨讜止谞执讬诐, 讜职讗侄转 讛址砖旨讈指诪址讬执诐 讜职讗侄转 讛指讗指专侄抓 诪址诪旨指砖讈, 状诪职诇止讗 讻指诇 讛指讗指专侄抓 讻职旨讘讜止讚讜止状 诪址诪旨指砖讈, 讜职爪讜止驻侄讛 讜旨诪址讘执旨讬讟 讜旨讘讜止讞值谉 讻执旨诇职讬讜止转指讬讜 讜职诇执讘旨讜止 讜职讻指诇 诪址注植砖讉指讬讜 讜职讚执讬讘旨讜旨专指讬讜, 讜职讻指诇 爪职注指讚指讬讜 讬执住职驻旨讜止专, 讗植讝址讬, 转执旨拽旨指讘址注 讘职旨诇执讘旨讜止 讛址讬旨执专职讗指讛 诇职讻指诇 讛址讬旨讜止诐 讻旨讜旨诇旨讜止, 讻职旨砖讈侄讬旨址讞植讝讜止专 讜职讬执转职讘旨讜止谞值谉 讘指旨讝侄讛 讗植驻执讬诇讜旨 讘职旨讛执转职讘旨讜止谞职谞讜旨转 拽址诇指旨讛, 讘职旨讻指诇 注值转 讜旨讘职讻指诇 砖讈指注指讛 – 讬执讛职讬侄讛 状住讜旨专 诪值专指注 讜址注植砖讉值讛 讟讜止讘状 讘职旨诪址讞植砖讈指讘指讛 讚旨执讘旨讜旨专 讜旨诪址注植砖讉侄讛, 砖讈侄诇止旨讗 诇址诪职专讜止转 讞址住 讜职砖讈指诇讜止诐 注值讬谞值讬 讻职讘讜止讚讜止, 讗植砖讈侄专 诪指诇值讗 讻指诇 讛指讗指专侄抓, 讜旨讻职诪址讗植诪址专 专址讘指旨谉 讬讜止讞指谞指谉 讘侄旨谉 讝址讻址旨讗讬 诇职转址诇职诪执讬讚指讬讜 讻址旨谞执旨讝职讻指旨专 诇职注值讬诇.
