יודו שמך גדול ונורא קדוש הוא
Yodu Shimcha gadol v’nora Kadosh hu
They will gratefully praise Your Name, Great and Awesome, it is holy!
Moshe Rabbeinu revealed Hashem’s Name to Klal Yisrael when he spoke to them in Egypt. He described Hashem as gadol v’nora, Great and Awesome, two terms whose meaning in describing Hashem is beyond us, but terms to which we can relate. These are mundane terms which imply that Hashem is involved with our lives, but He is so Great and Awesome that it is beyond our ability to understand. The Alshich explains that the gentile world refers to Hashem as Kadosh, Holy, a term which implies aloofness and separation. According to their misguided beliefs, the Almighty is Above the details of human life. We once again see the dichotomy between our perspective on holiness, which means to sanctify the mundane, to elevate and infuse our worldly, secular affairs with kedushah. They view holiness as separation from anything mundane. Thus, their priests do not marry, and they live a life which is isolated from the common folk. It is easier to seclude oneself than to infuse and elevate others.
