God lowers Himself, as it were, to the lowly and self-effacing. Through them He is praised and glorified, and He is particularly close to them.

Rav Yosef says: A person should always learn conduct from the wisdom of his Creator, as the Holy One, blessed be He, rejected all the mountains and hills and rested His Divine Presence at the giving of the Torah on [the relatively small] Mount Sinai. [Similarly, when appearing to Moses,] He forsook all the beautiful trees and rested His Divine Presence in the bush….

Rav Avira expounded, and some say it was Rabbi Elazar: Come and see that the manner of the Holy One, blessed be He, is not like the manner of flesh and blood. The manner of flesh and blood is that the exalted sees the exalted, but the exalted does not see the lowly. But the manner of the Holy One, blessed be He, is not like that: He is exalted but He sees the lowly, as it is stated: “Though the Lord is exalted, He sees the lowly” (Psalms 138:6).

Rav Hisda says, and some say it is Mar Ukva: Concerning any person who has arrogance within him, the Holy One, blessed be He, says: He and I cannot dwell together in the world, as it is stated: “I will not tolerate [oto lo ukhal] anyone with a proud demeanor or a lustful heart. [My eyes are on the faithful of the land;] they will dwell with me” (Psalms 101:5–6). Do not read: “Oto [lo ukhal],” but rather: “Itto [lo ukhal].”

Rabbi Alexandri says: If an ordinary person uses broken utensils, it is disgraceful for him. But the utensils of the Holy One, blessed be He, are broken, as it is stated: “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted” (Psalms 34:19); “He heals the brokenhearted” (Psalms 147:3); “For so said the Exalted and Most High…and I will be with the downtrodden and humble” (Isaiah 57:15). (Sota 5a; Vayikra Rabba 7)