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Barely discernable at the bottom right is a simple flower bulb, growing by night, hidden under the earth. Similar in shape and color to a common onion, yet it contains within its cells an invisible blueprint for a flower of amazing geometrical symetry and exotic color.
A small bud soon appears above the ground, tightly closed yet protecting within it a perfectly formed flower, unseen as yet by man. It opens in daylight, revealing a multi-hued amarylis hidden inside.
In the same manner each person is formed by G-d in the womb, an amazing complexity of physical systems and organs housing a divine soul. A new, unique person, unlike any other that lived before, takes shape in darkness, and emerges into the light fully formed.
Behind the amarylis emerge the words of Psalm 139, where King David marvels how that which is hidden to man by darkness is revealed as light to the eyes of G-d.
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Where can I hide from your
spirit And how can I escape from your presence
? If I ascend to the heavens, You are
there, If in the grave I make my bed, You are
present. I shall ride away on the wings of
dawn I will dwell in the deepest
sea Even there your hand will guide
me And your right arm will hold
me Said I: Then darkness will cover
me And the night shall be my
light But even darkness hides nothing from
You And night shines as day As light so is the darkness Psalms 139 |
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King David explains how even when man, through his own choices, dwells in a place of darkness, devoid of spiritually, even then G-d reaches out his hand to bring each person closer to Him.
The psalm describes three types of people who try to hide from G-d:
The person who is in a state of hopelessness , symbolized by the grave, from which there is seemingly no hope of return. Yet in that pit of deepest despair, he finds that G-d is present, He is a source of hope and encouragment which enables man to rise above his despair.
The second is the person who has willfully sinned again and again, he has “made his bed” in places where G-d’s commandments are mocked, he has fallen so low that it seems his soul is beyond redemption. Even then, as we say in the prayers of Yom Kippur, G-d does not desire the death of the sinner, he desires that the sinner shoould return to Him and merit life.
The third is the man or woman who may be a good, kind and helping person, yet denies the existence of G-d, and flees as far as he can from any evidence that may cause him to question his accepted world view and acknowledge G-d ‘s presence in the world. Even though this person has intentionally blinded himself, G-d’s unseen hand will reach out to him from beyond his spiritual darkness, and guide him, step by step, toward knowledge.
The psalm ends on a note of hope, describing how night will shine as day when we realize the futility of trying to hide from the One who has created us or run away from His presence.