Illustration Credit: Rebecca Kerzner
Commentary פַּרְשָׁנוּת
In Ha’azinu, Moshe calls God a “Tzur” a few times, such as here:
הַצּוּר֙ תָּמִ֣ים פׇּֽעֳל֔וֹ
The Tzur, Whose actions are perfect
What does it mean for God to be a “Tzur”?
R. Shimshon Raphael Hirsch (Germany, 150 years ago)
…“tzur” in its ordinary meaning of “rock” offers the natural image of the solid, strong, unchanging, and invincible, and therefore the expression of the strongest and most reliable support and protection…
R. Hirsch unpacks the idea that God is a “Rock.” This is typically how we understand “tzur” when we call God צוּר יִשְׂרָאֵל (Tzur Yisrael, the Rock of Israel) in Shaharit, and when we sing מָעוֹז צוּר (Ma’oz Tzur, Rock of Ages) on Hanukkah.
How does the idea that God is a Rock affect how you might relate to God? In what ways does God protect us and support us? How is God unchanging and invincible?
הַצּוּר - מַשְׁמְעוֹ הַיּוֹצֵר הַכֹּל.
“Tzur” means “the Creator” (yotzer) of everything.
Ha’amek Davar relates “Tzur” to the שֹׁרֶשׁ (shoresh, root) י.צ.ר (to form). This is how we describe God in Shaharit in the berakhah יוֹצֵר אוֹר (Yotzeir Or, the One Who creates light).
- How does the idea that God is a creator affect how you might relate to God?
- Go back to the pasuk. What word there suggests the word Tzur might be about creation?
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