Kaisipang Hudyo sa Mga Awit 135:6: Duties, Akeidat Yitzchak & Guide for the Perplexed

Since the Creator has free will in whatever He does, is not forced, needs nothing and is not forced by any nature, therefore He created things diverse, according as His wisdom each time dictated; so that the variety shall point to His unity and His free-will in whatever He does, as it is said "Whatsoever the L-ord pleased, has He done in heaven and on earth" (Tehilim 135:6).

"Behold the Heavens, and the Heavens of the Heavens, belong to the Lord, the earth and all there is therein." (10,14) This points out the difference between G'd and any other deities. Since the latter, not even laying claim to own the universe, cannot inspire "fear" as we have defined it, they are also unable to elevate man. G'd, by reason of His ownership of the universe, can claim obedience of all creatures. Should we ask that since He owns it all, what difference can one nation's claim to consideration by G'd make?, the answer given is "He only took a liking to your ancestors, to love them and their seed after them." (10,15) Even though the Jewish people are far from perfect, "like the lily amongst the thorns," G'd chose Israel because of its relative merit. By the time you have realised and appreciated the meaning of your national history, says Moses, you will have arrived at the stage of love for G'd. At that point performance of the mitzvot will no longer be an act of obedience, but an expression of your love for G'd the Lawgiver. Reviewing the whole chapter, one is forced to conclude that far from making impossible demands upon us, G'd is in fact granting us privileges. The etnachta, tone sign under the words "from you" in verse twelve, as well as under the word "today" in verse thirteen, supports our view that the lines between have to be read as if in parenthesis. The verse then reads "and now Israel what is it that the Lord asks of you this day; in order that you will be well off?..except to..." After all that, the passage describing the land of Israel as one that needs rainfall, as distinct from Egypt, is a reminder that even after attaining their reward and successful takeover of the land of Canaan, Divine help will continue to be needed. The land will only deliver its bounty to Israel when such Divine help is forthcoming. The second paragraph of the keriyat shema which follows, spells out the conditions for such Divine help, and the consequences should Israel fail to meet these conditions.

On the verse "anything the Lord wants, He does, in the heavens and on earth," (Psalms 135,6) Shemot Rabbah 12, comments as follows. This statement is to be understood by means of a parable. A king decreed that his Roman subjects were not to travel to Syria, whereas his Syrian subjects were not to travel to Rome. There came a time when the king wished to marry a lady from Syria. He therefore cancelled the decree, and said "henceforth Romans may travel to Syria and Syrians may travel to Rome. I myself will be the first to set the example." Similarly, when G-d created the universe at first, He decreed that "the heavens belong to the Lord, the earth to mankind." When He became ready to give Israel the Torah, He said that henceforth the inhabitants of the lower regions may ascend towards heaven, and heavenly beings will be permitted to move towards earth. G-d Himself would be the first to descend. Thus we find it written "the Lord descended on Mount Sinai." (Exodus 19,20) To Moses G-d said "come up to G-d, you, Aaron, Nadav and Avihu and seventy of the elders of Israel." This is the meaning of "whatever G-d likes to do, He does, both in heaven and on earth."