After herding sheep about 12,000 times in 40 years, a burning thorn-bush in the desert shocked Moses as much as a Californian is shocked by wildfires in July.
Not distracted by taking selfies with the sheep, or paying bills on the phone, Moshe explores this marvelous monotony he observes. “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” (Ex. 3:3)
The word “great sight” that kindled Moshe’s curiosity is [gadol]. Often “…the most common Hebrew words are the most difficult to translate.” As an author in The Times of Israel confesses.
This superlative [gadol] tries to express the magnitude of something great. Greater than great. The Mozart of music. The Einstein of science. The Harry Potter of writings. The Baby Yoda of cuteness.
Obsessed with speed and productivity, we pass by the gadol things in our mundane. Even in our trials.
A month ago we sighed at the news that my husband has a blood clot in his heart. It was Monday. Nurses and doctors were saying goodbye to the front-desk lady as the Tully’s were spreading out comfortably as if in their living room. “Bella, what kind of tea do you want?” Mina explored the freebies in the waiting room of Emerald Clinic.
What’s one more MRI after countless ultrasounds, EKGs, Holters, pharmacies, ER trips? The hospitals are as familiar to us, as the Midian desert to Moses. What’s gadol about that?
Call us weird, but we were fascinated alongside the doctor to see that the blood clot had a perfect heart-shape on the MRI scan. “Someone up there is watching out for you.” Marveled the cardiologist.
Indeed.
The same week the blood clot was discovered, my husband wanted to renew his gym membership. He stalled because a new gym was opening soon near our house. That’s gadol. Greater than great that Jesus spared his life. Again.
His heart attack, 9 years ago, was neatly placed between two trips; the New Years visit to Moldova (Would I call the morgue, or the ambulance…?), and the 11-hour flight over the Ocean to Chicago. That’s gadol. It makes me have a Moses-like-quote “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush blood clot has not consumed my husband’s life.”
From microscope to telescope, we should be more shocked that our body doesn’t break down more often, and our blue-dot planet doesn’t bounce off the orbit. (What makes us think we’re in control of climate-change, if we have “nada” control with our little bodies?)
Only after Moshe “turned aside”, Yahweh spoke. “When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush “Moshe. Moshe.”
Hurry oxidizes opportunities to notice the gadol sights tucked in our marvelous mundane. It’s only when we slow down and show a little interest that we might hear him call us by name. (Maybe not literally…)
“…ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent.” Psalm 4:4b
“And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, there were camels coming.” Genesis 24:63
Today I will choose to ponder upon the gadol‘s sprinkled in my day.
As I drive. I will marvel at how not more accidents happen in a day. That’s gadol!
As I eat. I will marvel at how our gastric juice can break down our food, and is so toxic it could destroy our organs, if not for the stomach lining. That’s gadol!
As I make a video call. I will marvel at how I can see someone hundreds, and thousands of miles away from me via “a device by which sound is converted into electrical impulses and transmitted (as by wire or radio waves) to one or more specific receivers.” That’s gadol!
As I read the Scriptures. I will marvel at how we have access to the mind of God, our Creator and Savior. Oh how the prophets wished to own what we have. That’s gadol!
“But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;
8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
or let the fish in the sea inform you.
9 Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?” (Job 12:7-9)