The first set of Commandments is carved “by the finger of
God” (Exodus 31:18). The finger of God!
Can it be that God has a finger?
Anthropomorphic images of God abound in the Torah: God breathing the breath of life into Adam,
God walking with Noah, God’s outstretched arm freeing the Israelites. Are we to understand that God has a body?
Rambam, a great sage of the Medieval period, tells us that
the “Torah speaks in human language.” That
is, the Torah employs metaphoric language to convey concepts that
outpace the human mind. Since the Torah
wants us to understand, it uses language we can comprehend.
Language routinely uses simile and metaphor to convey ideas
that are complex or novel. Even young children
understand that it never actually “rains cats and dogs.” Why should the Torah be less subtle than
everyday speech?
What is meant by the image “the finger of God”? That the Torah emanates directly from
God. That God creates the words, and
that they are holy. If the words come
from God, they can certainly hold multiple, simultaneous truths.
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