דניאל, פרק ד׳, פסוק ל״א

As the decreed seven-year period of punishment reaches its end, the narrative shifts back to a first-person perspective, capturing the dramatic moment of the king's awakening and his renewed recognition of God [ביאור שטיינזלץ, רש״י, מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם]. Throughout those years, he had lived entirely as a beast, devoid of human intellect and completely unaware of his own identity. Only now does he begin to recognize himself once more [מצודת דוד]. As long as he perceived himself to be an animal, his gaze had been fixed downward upon the earth. Standing upright at last, he lifts his eyes to the heavens [רש״י, מלבי״ם]. This upward gaze is a silent plea for divine help [מצודת דוד] and an acknowledgment that both his severe affliction and his ultimate healing originate from God alone [אלשיך]. Mystical tradition places profound value on this gesture, noting that the very act of looking toward the heavens carries immense spiritual benefit [חומת אנך].

With his eyes raised, his mind and understanding are restored in a gradual process of sobering realization [רש״י, מצודת דוד]. Initially, basic human consciousness returns; he realizes he is no longer a beast, recalling his human form and the punishment he endured, even if the memory of his royal status remains elusive [מלבי״ם]. Following this, his full identity returns, and he recognizes himself completely as the king [אלשיך]. Finally, he regains the higher spiritual awareness he had previously forfeited to his own arrogance, fully grasping that God exercises absolute control over the realm of humanity [אלשיך].

In response to this awakening, he blesses the Supreme One and offers praise to the One who lives forever, titles that reflect a profound shift in his theology. In the past, he believed God was merely the supreme First Cause of creation, a distant deity who delegated the actual management of the world to lesser forces and celestial beings. Now, however, he understands that God is the animating force of the universe, directly supervising and guiding all of reality just as a soul gives life to a body. Consequently, God is worthy not merely of abstract philosophical praise, but of direct blessing for the tangible abundance He provides [מלבי״ם]. He blesses the Supreme One for the intellect restored to him from above, and he praises the eternal God for the difficult lessons learned through his intense suffering [אלשיך].

This transformation culminates in a deep understanding of God's eternal dominion and unending kingdom. He realizes that God's rule is not just a demonstration of superiority over mortal monarchs, but that true sovereignty belongs exclusively to Him, enduring forever even as human generations rise and fade away [יוסף אבן יחיא, אלשיך]. Furthermore, he recognizes a distinction between two forms of divine leadership: the natural laws established at the dawn of creation, and the miraculous interventions that override the natural order. He now understands that both systems of governance—the natural and the miraculous—are eternal and constant, actively applied in every single generation in direct response to the merits and actions of humanity [מלבי״ם].