Our parashah contains a praise of God which the Talmud considers the crowning title of the Deity: “For the Lord Your God is the God of Gods and the Lord of Lords, the God Who is Great, Mighty, and Awesome, who favors no person and will take no bribes” (Deuteronomy 10:17). In the Bible, this refers to God’s complete control of history. However, since Rabbinic Judaism’s understanding of God’s activity in the world is fundamentally different, the Rabbis who placed this description in the Amidah actually reversed the meaning of the biblical words. Exploring this shift can help us understand the remarkable continuity of our covenant mission, combined with the profound transformation in our religious roles and responsibilities over the centuries.

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