One of my earliest memories, from when I was perhaps five or six years old, is of my mother leading what was called, “Junior Congregation,” I think. It was basically a davening (prayer) program for children, and in our then “very out-of-town” city of Waterbury, Connecticut, many of the children didn’t have the strongest backgrounds in Judaism.
Mom had to teach the basics, and in this case, I remember her discussing the Kedushah Prayer. She spoke about how when we say the words, “Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh,” referring to Hashem (God)’s holiness and uniqueness, we stand on our tip-toes to get closer to Him.
Quite often, the things we learn as children stick with us as we become adults, but often our understanding doesn’t grow. We come to relate to stories in Chumash as we did when we were in elementary school, without giving them too much more thought. However, there is so much more beneath the surface and it behooves us to delve deeper.
In this case, this custom is, in fact, mentioned by the Beit Yosef based on a Midrash – that we should lift our heels when we say the Kedushah Prayer, just as we lift our eyes Heavenward (though there is no source for jumping or springing up when doing so).
Small Steps, Lofty Goals
But recently, I thought about it. Do we really think we’re going to reach Hashem by lifting our heels and standing on tiptoes? We will come back down to earth a moment later anyway. What’s the point?
Well, as the Midrash says, it’s like raising our eyes to Heaven. We know we won’t get there by looking up, but it helps focus on where we want to be. Tiptoes or baby steps don’t get us very far by themselves, but when they all add up, we can reach great heights.
I’m reminded of a mashal, a parable (I know, if you don’t know what a mashal is, the word “parable” may not be much better, sort of like telling someone, “These are my phylacteries.” You can say “Tefillin” and it will make just as much or as little sense). I heard it, I believe, in the name of Rabbi Mordechai Gifter zt”l.
There was a king who set up a huge ladder to a mountaintop. It was so tall, it reached into the clouds. He asked people to climb it. Some began, but after a number of steps they stopped and climbed back down. Some people didn’t even bother starting, because they knew it was an impossible task.
One fellow remained undeterred. “If the King gave us this ladder and told us to climb it,” he said, “there must be a way to do so.” With that, he began climbing. Up and up he went, rung after rung, sometimes pausing to catch his breath, other times pausing to regain his strength. But he continued climbing. As he reached the line where he was almost out of sight of the ground, he suddenly felt the ladder moving!
Ropes on the top of the ladder were being hoisted and the fellow felt himself lifted to the top of the mountain. The King greeted him up there and congratulated him on not giving up.
You CAN reach great heights!
The nimshal (moral) is that Hashem gives us missions in life. He tells us to keep and enjoy His Torah and Mitzvot but it seems like an insurmountable task. The Torah is so vast and the mitzvos so nuanced. Who can possibly achieve all this? But the answer is that we just need to try our best, and Hashem will assist us.
This, I believe is why we lift our eyes and bodies to Heaven as we recite the Kedushah. We are showing our intent to do what Hashem wants from us, and waiting and hoping for Him to gather us in and bring us up to Him. We may not be able to make it on our own, but we will do what we can.
To end, I’d like to share a poem I wrote many years ago. It’s perhaps not the most elegant or graceful poem you’ll ever read, but I find it powerful and empowering. Feel free to clip it out and save for yourself to read when you need a lift.
The Occupation of Man
The man who thinks to sail the sea, cannot a sailor claim to be. Nor he who dreams of endless sky, can ever say that he can fly. And called a farmer he is not, the man who never tills his plot. But he who reaches for the heights, and strains for where he sets his sights; Although he never leaves the ground, and by earthly chains is bound, So long as lofty goals are his, that man – a mountain climber is.
By Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz
Rabbi Gewirtz (Operation Inspiration) welcomes comments and feedback. Write to him at info@JewishSpeechWriter.com to share your thoughts. You never know when you may be the lamp that enlightens someone else.
