{"id":84942,"date":"2020-12-16T13:11:19","date_gmt":"2020-12-16T11:11:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=84942"},"modified":"2020-12-16T13:11:19","modified_gmt":"2020-12-16T11:11:19","slug":"god-rides-the-clouds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/god-rides-the-clouds\/","title":{"rendered":"God Rides The Clouds\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Psalm 68<\/span><\/a> is a hymn of praise to God\u2019s powerful acts and victories.<\/span> \u201cSing to God, chant hymns to His name. Extol Him who rides the clouds. The Lord is His name. Exult in His presence\u201d (verse 5) features the dramatic image of God riding on the clouds. This basic idea is found already in<\/span> Deut. 33:26<\/span><\/a>, where God is described as \u201criding through the heavens\u2026through the skies in His glory\u201d. Similarly, our psalm describes God as He \u201cwho rides the ancient highest heavens\u201d (verse 34). See also<\/span> Daniel 7:13<\/span><\/a>. It may be recalled that Moses meets with God in a cloud on the summit of Mount Sinai (<\/span>Ex. 24:15-18<\/span><\/a>). Similarly, in the New Testament, Jesus is described as ascending into the clouds (Acts 1:9).<\/span><\/p>\n

Heavenly beings who \u201cride the clouds\u201d are found occasionally even in<\/span> Norse<\/span><\/a> and<\/span> Hindu<\/span><\/a> mythology. However, according to<\/span> Moshe Weinfeld<\/span><\/a>, the depiction of deities riding the clouds was particularly common in the Ancient Near East. This is illustrated most prominently, in Ugaritic texts, in which the god Baal is invoked as \u201cRider of the Clouds\u201d (see for example, <\/span>Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament<\/span><\/em>, 1969, page 130).<\/span><\/p>\n

Bavli Megillah 31a<\/span><\/a> notes that the exaltation of God as He \u201cwho rides the clouds\u201d is immediately followed by describing Him as \u201cthe father of orphans, the champion of widows, God, in His holy habitation\u201d (<\/span>68:6<\/span><\/a>). This suggestive connection between God\u2019s majesty and His care for the needy is formulated as a principle: Where you find mention of God\u2019s powerfulness (<\/span>gevurato<\/span><\/em>), there you also find mention of His humility <\/span>(<\/span><\/i>\u2018anvatanuto<\/span><\/em>). This is illustrated also by examples from Torah (<\/span>Deut. 10:17-18<\/span><\/a>) and from Prophets (<\/span>Isaiah 57:15<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

Midrash Tehilllim 114:1<\/span><\/a> ponders the description of God as He \u201cwho rides the clouds \u2013 <\/span>rokhev ba-\u2018aravot<\/span><\/em>\u201d. This leads to a discussion of how many \u201cheavenly firmaments \u2013 <\/span>reqi\u2019in<\/span><\/em>\u201d there are. First, the number two is suggested on the basis of the repetition of the word \u201cheavens \u2013 <\/span>shamayim<\/span><\/em>\u201d in<\/span> our psalm, verse 34<\/span><\/a>. But the number three is also suggested on the basis of the appearance of the word \u201cheavens\u201d three times in<\/span> I Kings 8:27<\/span><\/a>. Finally, seven is suggested on the basis of seven biblical words for \u201cheaven\u201d (<\/span>vilon, raqia\u2019, shachaq, zevul, ma\u2019on, makhon,\u2018aravot<\/span><\/em>).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But, the Glory of God is in the highest \u201cSeventh Heaven\u201d called <\/span>\u2018aravot<\/span><\/em> — as in the description of God as \u201criding the clouds \u2013 <\/span>rokhev ba-\u2018aravot<\/span><\/em>\u201d in <\/span>68:5<\/span><\/a>. It is then added that when God looks down from <\/span>\u2018<\/span><\/i>aravot<\/span><\/em> and sees the good deeds of the Righteous Ones, it is pleasing (<\/span>\u2018<\/span><\/i>arev<\/span><\/em>) to Him. God then \u201cseeds\u201d <\/span>the clouds with the good deeds of the righteous and \u201cthey produce fruit’\u201d <\/span>as it says: \u201cSay that the righteous shall fare well. He shall eat the fruit of his deeds\u201d (<\/span>Isaiah 3:10<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

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