ירמיהו, פרק ל״ב, פסוק י״ז

Jeremiah pours out his heart in a moment of deep distress and confusion. Standing on the brink of Jerusalem's destruction, he receives a divine command to purchase a field. His prayer begins with a cry of wailing, pain, and deep sadness over this bewildering instruction [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. He turns to God, fully aware that the Creator of heaven and earth is all-knowing and all-powerful. This understanding only deepens his puzzle: since the upcoming exile of the people is entirely clear and known to God, what is the purpose of buying land now? [רש"י, מצודת דוד]. The prophet holds onto a sliver of hope, wondering if perhaps God's kindness and the merit of the forefathers have finally calmed His anger, meaning the city might not fall to the Chaldeans after all [רד"ק].

To frame his plea, Jeremiah reflects on the perfection of the world's creation and God's ongoing supervision over it. The act of creation is understood in two distinct layers. First, God's immense power is responsible for bringing the universe into existence from nothing and establishing the initial laws of nature. Second, His constant reach represents His active, ongoing involvement in sustaining the world. God renews the act of creation at every single moment. Without His constant involvement, all of reality would instantly cease to exist [מלבי"ם].

Because God is the ultimate Creator and Sustainer, Jeremiah declares that absolutely nothing is beyond Him. The primary approach among commentators is to understand this in terms of divine knowledge. Since God made everything, no event in heaven or on earth is hidden, concealed, or lost from His sight [רש"י, רד"ק, מצודת דוד ומצודת ציון]. Every single matter, without exception, is fully known to Him [מצודת ציון]. Conversely, another perspective views this declaration as a statement of God's limitless ability, emphasizing that nothing is beyond His power to accomplish [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Because He actively sustains nature at every moment, it is no difficulty for Him to alter or even destroy the laws of nature. Doing so would simply require the withdrawal of His sustaining force [מלבי"ם].