In Koheles, King Shlomo describes G-d as, “a lone and solitary man who has neither son nor brother.” On this level, the Jewish people cannot be compared to children, who have distinct significance to their parents, as on this level, the entire universe is entirely insignificant.
Though the Jewish people cannot be called children in this perception, they still are referred to as G-d’s sheep. This idea that the Jewish people are referred to as sheep, even on a level which transcends the world, imparts a remarkable notion. Even at a level where G-d has “neither son nor brother” and all of existence is completely nullified before Him, the Jewish people are still precious to Him.
What endears us to G-d on this level is the trait that we possess similar to the sheep. It is not our personal identity or the greatness that we are able to achieve on our own which brings about His affinity, but the fact that we are like sheep. The nature of sheep is that they are submissive and do not possess a strong self-identity. It is this lack of individuality though, that G-d finds precious.
This notion demonstrates, that if we completely submit to the Almighty, we can relate to Him in a deeper way than would be possible, through our personal qualities. When we are children, we relate to G-d as He relates to the world. When we are akin to sheep, we relate to Him in the manner in which He rises above it.
The prophet Yeshaya aptly expresses this idea:
Text 6
For thus said the exalted and uplifted One, Who abides forever and Whose name is holy: “I abide in exaltedness and holiness, but I am with the crushed and humbled spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the crushed.”
Yeshaya 57:15
When G-d is portrayed as being “high and exalted,” it is not greatness that He finds desirable—as who can be great compared to Him? It is the humility of those of a “crushed and humbled spirit” that He holds dear. It is specifically in humility where the “I” of G-d can be found.
This is expressed in the likening of the Jewish people to sheep. It describes the way that they completely submit to G-d, and are therefore connected to Him on the deepest of levels.
Two ways of serving G-d
Though humility is a tremendous trait which G-d finds endearing, we are told that we should be like children and like sheep. We are not to only have the character of submissive sheep, and also not merely have the character of a child who is loved by his parent for who he is. G-d wants us to employ both of these methods of service.
The manner of serving G-d as a son, is expressed in the way that we connect to Him through learning Torah. Studying Torah is about understanding what one learns through his rational mind. Hence, by its very definition, when one learns Torah, they are, in a sense, trapped in the confines of their personal identity—as the only way for a person to understand something is through doing so in their own paradigm.
Although one’s learning must be accomplished by means of understanding, it must also be prefaced by humility towards the Almighty. For, if one is not humble before G-d, he will not properly understand the Torah that he is learning.
We see this idea expressed at the end of the silent prayer that is recited thrice daily. There, we ask G-d to open our hearts to Torah, but we also ask for humility. The Talmud tells us,
Text 7
Mar the son of Ravina, on concluding his prayer added the following: “My G-d, keep my tongue from evil and my lips from speaking guile. May my soul be silent to them that curse me and may my soul be as the dust to all. Open my heart in Your Torah, and may my soul pursue Your commandments.”
Talmud, Brachos 17a
While we must learn using our own minds, in order for us to merit to come to the truth of G-d’s Torah—which transcends mortal intellect—we must first be nullified before Him. Only then is it possible to properly comprehend G-d’s wisdom.
Ultimate humility
This however, is not the true aspect of sheep, as the purpose of this humility is as a means—for the study of Torah—and not an end to itself. The true spiritual significance of sheep is when one’s humility is not aimed towards another goal, but is the ultimate objective, in and of itself.
The aspect of sheep indicates that one serves the Almighty in a way in which he transcends his personal identity and serves the Holy One, blessed be He—not for individual gain, but for G-d Himself. This idea is demonstrated when a person leaves their Torah study and goes out into the world to make it a dwelling place for the Almighty.
Doing so, he leaves his self-identity, and steps down a level to involve himself with the world around him. He does this not for his own greatness, but because he submits to G-d’s will of turning the world into His G-dly abode. It is when a person leaves Torah to serve G-d in worldly things that a Jew is called a sheep—as it is at that point when his humility, as an end to itself, comes to the fore.
The word for sheep in Hebrew is “tzon,” which is etymologically related to the word “la-tzeit,” meaning, to go out. This is expressive of the above idea: leaving the confines of the spiritual and involving oneself with the physical world in order to transform it.
It is in this state where a Jew connects to G-d in the deepest of ways, as he is utterly and completely humbled. This is where he leaves his identity and is truly serving G-d for G-d’s sake.
