Torah for Now
The Big Little Voice

In our haftorah this week we read how a despondent Elijah describes to G‑d the terrible spiritual wasteland of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, home of the Ten Tribes. G‑d brings Elijah back to Mount Sinai, where the Torah was given, and then He appears to Elijah in the following manner:

And He said: "Go out and stand in the mountain before G‑d, Behold! G‑d will pass." And a great and strong wind splitting mountains and shattering boulders before G‑d, but G‑d was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake—not in the earthquake was G‑d. After the earthquake fire, not in the fire was G‑d. And after the fire a still small sound. And as Elijah heard, he wrapped his face in his mantle, and he went out and stood at the entrance to the cave, and behold a voice came to him and said: "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

The return to Sinai happens with little things first...(Click here for the full story and the background events that led to this Sinai rendezvous.)

All of the above – the wind, earthquake and fire – were miraculous and astounding phenomena, so why did G‑d choose to appear in the small voice?

A possible answer is that Elijah was looking for a sudden large-scale transformation of the people of Israel.

G‑d's response was:

"My voice will begin to be heard and effect change in very quiet and small things...

"The return to Sinai happens with little things first...

"Don't look for sudden and total return to G‑d all at once—look for people to hear G‑d's voice in the little things, a mezuzah here and tefillin there, an act of selfless love somewhere or a charity box in a home..."

These are not little things, because the full presence of G‑d speaks through each one of these events.

If we can hear, and get others to hear, the small voice, and respond—we will then be attached to the full power of G‑d, and a full revival will indeed happen.