ANSWER:
Because we have more respect for a man than for a woman. That's the truth. A man is taller than a woman; a woman is much shorter than her husband. A man has more authority, and that's how it should be; you can't have two captains in a house. If you have two captains then you're looking for trouble - it's a mutiny. The wife however is the first mate; she must be respected, there's no question about that. The father of the house is more than the mother of the house - kabeid es avicha v'es imecha. Of course you have to give your mother very great respect too, but the father has to be the leader, and therefore Hashem is the father picture to us.
You have to think of Hashem as an active personal being. If you think of Hashem as something as a force, impersonal, you're edging into the daios of the world, of kefirah, chas v'shalom. In order to feel the great truth of Hakadosh Baruch Hu - He's chai v'kayom, not only is He kayom, He's chai - you have to think of Him as a living person, it's very important to think of Hashem as a living person. It's not considered minus, only you shouldn't believe it. You should picture Hashem as a living person, a monarch, or a chochom zokein yosheiv yeshiva.
One more thing - when you look at the face of your fellow Jew, his face should remind you that Hashem is looking at you. I'm looking at your face - Hashem is looking at me, through your eyes, yes. That's why it says, ki b'tzelem Elokim asa es ha'adam, He made us in the image of Hashem in order that each Jew should remind everyone else: Hashem is looking at you, and behave therefore. Behave!!
Actually Hashem is looking at you without the means of that person's eyes, but utilize that person's eyes to remind you Hashem is looking at you.
Good Shabbos To All
Wishing everyone a K'siva V'chasima Tova
This is transcribed from questions that were posed to Harav Miller by the audience at the Thursday night lectures. To listen to the audio of this Q & A please dial: 201-676-3210
Important Numbers
