מַה אָהֵן דִּכְתִיב מִי גּוֹי גָּדוֹל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ אֱלֹהִים קְרוֹבִים אֵלָיו? ...
אָמַר לָהֶן קָרוֹב בְּכָל מִינֵי קְרֵיבוֹת.
דְּאָמַר רִבִּי פִּינְחָס בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי יְהוּדָה בַּר סִימוֹן:
עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה נִרְאֵית קְרוֹבָה וְאֵינָהּ אֶלָּא רְחוֹקָה.
מַה טַעֲמָא?
יִשָּׂאוּהוּ עַל כָּתֵף יִסְבְּלוּהוּ וְגוֹמֵר.
סוּף דָּבָר אֱלוֹהוֹ עִמּוֹ בַבַּיִת וְהוּא צוֹעֵק עַד שֶׁיָּמוּת וְלֹא יִשְׁמַע וְלֹא יוֹשִׁיעַ מִצָּרָתוֹ.
אֲבָל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא נִרְאֶה רָחוֹק וְאֵין קָרוֹב מִמֶּנּוּ.
דְּאָמַר לֵוִי:
מֵהָאָרֶץ וְעַד לָרָקִיעַ מַהֲלָךְ ה̇ מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה.
וּמֵרָקִיעַ לָרָקִיעַ מַהֲלָךְ ת̇ק̇ שָׁנָה.
וְעֹבְיוֹ שֶׁל רָקִיעַ ת̇ק̇ שָׁנָה וְכֵן לְכָל־רָקִיעַ וְרָקִיעַ.
וְאָמַר רִבִּי בְּרֶכְיָה וְרִבִּי חֶלְבּוֹ בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי אַבָּא סְמוּקָה:
אַף טַלְפֵי הַחַיּוֹת מַהֲלָךְ ה̇ מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה וַחֲמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה מִנְייָן י̇ש̇ר̇ה̇.
רְאֵה כַּמָּה הוּא גָבוֹהַּ מֵעוֹלָמוֹ וְאָדָם נִכְנַס לְבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת וְעוֹמֵד אַחוֹרֵי הָעַמּוּד וּמִתְפַּלֵּל בִּלְחִישָׁה וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַאֲזִין אֶת תְּפִילָּתוֹ.
שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְחַנָּה הִיא מְדַבֶּרֶת עַל לִבָּהּ רַק שְׂפָתֶיהָ נָעוֹת וְקוֹלָהּ לֹא יִשָּׁמֵעַ.
וְהֶאֱזִין הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת תְּפִילָּתָהּ.
וְכֵן כָּל־בִּרְיוֹתָיו שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר תְּפִילָּה לֶעָנִי כִּי יַעֲטוֹף.
כְּאָדָם הַמֵּשִׂיחַ בְּאוֹזֶן חֲבֵירוֹ וְהוּא שׁוֹמֵעַ.
וְכִי יֵשׁ לְךָ אֱלוֹהַּ קָרוֹב מִזֶּה. שֶׁהוּא קָרוֹב לְבִרְיוֹתָיו כְּפֶה לָאוֹזֶן?
What is that which is written (Deut. 4:7): “Where is a great people that has ĕlōhīm close to them?” ...
He said to them, he is close in all kinds of closeness,
as Rebbi Phineas said in the name of Rebbi Yehudah bar Simon:
Idolatry seems close but is very far. What is the reason? (Is. 46:7) “They take it on the shoulder, carry it, etc.” Finally, his god is with him in the house and he cries until he dies but that one will not hear and not save him from his distress. But the Holy One, praise to Him, seems to be far away when there is no one closer than Him, as Levi said: From the earth to the (first) heaven is a distance of 500 years’ walk. From one heaven to the next is a distance of 500 years’ walk. The thickness of each heaven is a distance of 500 years’ walk.
And Rebbi Berekhiah and Rebbi Ḥelbo in the name of Red Rebbi Abba said, also the toes of the heavenly Ḥayot are a length of 515 years’ walk, the number YŠRH. See how much higher He is than His world!
But a person enters the synagogue, stands behind a pillar, prays in a whisper, and the Holy One, praise to Him, listens to his prayer, as it has been said (1Sam. 1:13): “Hannah spoke to herself, only her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard.” But the Holy One, praise to Him, listened to her prayer. And so it is with all His creatures, as it has been said (Ps. 102:1): “Prayer of the poor when he wraps himself up,” just like a man whispering into the ear of his friend and the latter understands. Can you have a God who is closer than that to His creatures, from mouth to ear?”
Moses Maimonides (1135-1204) The Guide for the Perplexed, chapter 18
To approach [qarob], to touch [nago~a], to come near [nagosh]. Those three terms, I mean approaching, touching, and coming near, sometimes signify to draw near and approach in space. Elsewhere they signify the union of cognition with what is cognized, which is, as it were, similar to the proximity of one body to another. Examples of the first signification of approaching - that is, approaching in space - are: As he approached the camp (Exod.32:19).; And Pharaoh approached.( Exod. 14: 10.) The first signification of touching is the drawing near of one body to another. Thus: And she caused it to touch his feet (Exod·4: 25); And he caused it to touch my mouth.( Isa.6:7.) The first signification of coming near is the act in which one individual goes and moves toward another individual. Thus: And Judah came near unto him. (Gen. 44: 18.) The second signification of these three terms is union in knowledge and drawing near through apprehension, not in space. Thus Scripture, using the word touching in the sense of union in knowledge, says: For her judgment touches heaven. (Jer. 51 :9) As for approaching, it is said: And the cause that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me (1:17.). Scripture says, as it were, let me know it. The word is thus used to denote the act of letting somebody know a knowable thing. As for coming near, it is said: And Abraham came near and said,( Gen. 18:23. ) while he was in a state of inspiration and prophetic trance, as shall be explained; Forasmuch as this people came near, and with their mouth and with their lips do honor Me. (Isa.29:13)
Every mention of approaching and coming near that you find in the books of prophecy referring to a relation between God, may He be exalted, and a created being has this last meaning. For God, may He be exalted, is not a body, as shall be demonstrated to you in this Treatise. And accordingly He, may He be exalted, does not draw near to or approach a thing,
nor does anything draw near to or approach Him, may He be exalted, inasmuch as the abolition of corporeality entails that space be abolished so that there is no nearness and proximity, and no remoteness, no union and no separation, no contact and no succession. I do not think that you shall grow doubtful or perplexed because Scripture says: The LORD is near to all who call Him (Ps. 145:18.); they seek Me daily, Eager to learn My ways. (Isa.58:2); The nearness of God is my good (Ps.73:28). For in all these verses nearness through cognition, I mean cognitive apprehension, is intended, not nearness in space. The same applies to its dicta: So close at hand (Deut. 4: 7. "For what great nation is there that has a god so close at hand as is our God יהוה whenever we call?") ; You go closer and hear (Deut. 4.24) ;And Moses alone shall come near unto the Lord, but they shall not come near (Exod. 24 :2.). The verse is to be interpreted in this way, unless you wish to consider that the expression shall come near, used with reference to Moses, means that the latter shall approach the place on the mountain upon which the light, I mean the glory of God, has descended. For you are free to do so.
You must, however, hold fast to the doctrinal principle (literally: root) that there is no
difference whether an individual is at the center of the earth, or, supposing that this were possible, in the highest part of the ninth heavenly sphere. For he is not farther off from God in the one case and no nearer to Him in the other. For nearness to Him, may He be exalted, consists in apprehending Him; and remoteness from Him is the lot of him who does not know Him. And there are very many gradations in being near to or far away from Him in this respect.