GOD & THE SOUL

A Kabbalistic Approach To Life

By Rabbi Eliyahu Yaakov

Waking up to a new day has its set of challenges.  For some it’s the memory of yesterday.  For others it’s the dread of today.  For some it’s the rut.  And for others, it’s just plain getting out of bed. 

 

Similarly, we often times find ourselves sleeping our way through life.  We don’t know if we’re coming or if we’re going.  We feel acted upon by our surroundings – our bosses, our parents, and all the other manipulating forces that aught to be in the background.

 

This personal sleep can start with a perceived bad day, event, or decision, and we end up sleeping our way through years.

 

Every Rosh HaShonah we have a macro wakeup call from our slumber we refer to as the call of the shofar.  The shofar delivers us the same message as our alarm clock does daily – get up and do something with your life.[1] 

 

The next question is, of course, what is it that I should do with my life?  What is life all about?

 

Our answer to this question of life’s meaning can be summed up in two misunderstood words: Divine Service.

 

Let’s try and build a deeper approach to this unappealing phrase.

 

From Nothing Nothing Comes

If we were to have a look at anything in our world – whether viewable by the naked eye or via a microscope – you would not need a scientist to figure out that it had to have something that created it.  This is because anything in the finite is, by its nature, limited within time and space, and therefore requires something else to have brought it into existence.  If we were to take this chain of cause and effect all the way back, we would have to conclude that there is no rationale alternative other than the fact that at the beginning of this process exists an entity that does not operate under the limitations of this finite arena and is responsible for bringing the finite – time and space – into existence in the first place.  This is what we refer to as the Infinite and what we call God.

 

It follows, that the Infinite, not being limited to time and space, is not only the creator of all there is, but is in essence all there is.  After all, any other suggestion would be limiting the unlimitable.

 

This leaves us with three questions:

 

1) If the Infinite is beyond all limits, doesn’t that imply that He should be able to limit Himself if He chooses?  After all, if He “can’t” limit Himself, is that not in itself a limitation?  

 

2) If the Infinite is all there is, then what am I?

 

3) How can I talk about doing a Divine Service – a service for One who is beyond all limits?  What possible service can I offer the Infinite? 

 

 

In an attempt to address these questions, we must first acknowledge the fact that, of course, there is nothing God needs from us, and there is nothing I can do that would make a change in God’s essence.  Infinite + 1 still equals Infinite.

 

So then why would God create us in the first place?

 

The Parent Paradigm

In Judaism, the main goal when raising a child is to help that child to actualize his potential and grow into his true self.  I find that a healthy approach to foster this process is to put before a child the opportunity to do something that I don’t need the child to do, but I can benefit from.  For example, if I’m cooking dinner, there are plenty of things my five-year-old daughter can do to help me out, but I am prepared to do those things even if she is not going to assist me.  She can cut the vegetables, spice the food, or even mix drinks.  When she makes a contribution in this manner, she gains a sense of self-worth and slowly develops a feeling of responsibility without feeling the entire burden on her shoulders.

 

By giving my child the opportunity to make a real contribution in a context in which I am not dependant on the child creates the healthy scenario needed to facilitate growth in children.

 

After all, let’s look at the alternatives.

 

What if I were to put the entire responsibility of something I need done on my child?  What if I were to rely on her to the point that I would be lacking and aversely effected if she were not to fulfill my request?

 

Obviously, this is not a healthy scenario for a child to be placed in.

 

Most likely, if a child were to get the sense that a parent was indeed acting as a dependant, the child would disregard the mission completely and feel that the parent is no parent nor all that respectable.  Barring a miracle, such a child would grow up without the proper sense of security, irrational fears, and unwilling to take on responsibility since the proper healthy secure environment was never set up for this child to struggle, develop, and grow. 

 

Alternatively, say the parent were not to put on the child any responsibility.  Let’s say the child were to grow up with a live-in maid that ran around cleaning up after the child, getting the child dressed, making the child a sandwich whenever he whimmed it – what would happen to this child?  Obviously, barring a miracle this child would grow up finding it severely difficult to do anything for himself – let alone for anyone else.  He would severely struggle when anything does not go his way, and would feel paralyzed when it comes to proactively.  This, most likely, would lead the child to a strong sense of depression since his surroundings have all but programmed him for inactivity and given over the message, “You are not needed for anything – it’s all paid for.”

 

The only healthy middle road is to set up a situation in which the child can be proactively contributing but not essentially relied upon.  This creates the healthy balance between contextual security and personal responsibility.

 

Similar is the nature of our Divine Service.

 

When we talk about the Infinite, we think about God being beyond the finite – beyond time and space, and, of course, that is indeed what we mean.  But there is another level of beyond.  When we say that God is beyond, our intention is that God is so beyond that He can be within yet not limited to being within; He can be within, yet beyond. 

 

Let’s understand this deeper. 

 

Living the American Dream

For us human beings, our portrait of accomplishment is the American Dream – the guy who is poor but turns it all around, builds himself up against all odds, and gains wealth and prestige.  For us, this is tremendous.  This is the underdog we all love to root for.  That is to say, for us created beings “down here” in this world, a move from the bottom to the top is going to be the story we will pay money to see.  It is the saga they will make the movie about. 

 

But what about God? 

 

Our simplest perception of God tends to be with the ‘Beyond’ perspective – the idea that God is the King of all kings – above and beyond us mere mortals.  But what if we could perceive God even in the little things – even “down here”, in ourselves, in others, and in our surroundings?  Whereas man is naturally “low” and accomplishes by movin’ on up, it would seem to us that God is naturally “high” and accomplishes by moving down to the nitty-gritty.[2]  God’s American Dream would be to gain repute in a “place” in which He was previously unknown.  If we were to come to see God not just as Beyond, but ‘Within’ our lives, our world, and our issues, we would have the eternal God-film.  For God, a move down to the specifics of our world is a move up in terms of His being perceived and experienced.

 

This is a glimpse into what we mean by Divine Service. 

 

Divine Service does not mean I am effecting a change in God’s essence – God is infinitely ‘Beyond’, independent of my actions and perception.  However, Divine Service does mean that to the extent that I act in a Godly manner here in this world, in my struggles and within the mundane, I radiate Godly traits even here in the limited material realm, where it is otherwise difficult to perceive God.   When I persevere in dealing with my deficiencies, and conduct myself with humility when dealing with my strengths, I radiate God in an arena in which God is otherwise unknown.

 

In matter of fact, the more difficult the hurdle the more Godliness I embody when I overcome it.  If I have a particularly strong inclination towards anger yet manage to overcome that anger with overwhelming compassion, I manifest the Godly trait of compassion in a stronger manner than one whose anger is not as potent.[3]

 

The Role of the Soul

Our essential Godliness that we bring forth in this world of struggle is what we mean by soul.  The soul is described in Kabbalistic works as a spark of divinity here in this seemingly imperfect world.

 

This is who we are.

 

Each of us plays an important part in this script of God’s American Dream.  We each, with our own deficiencies and gifts, act as unique irreplaceable characters reflecting God in a realm in which it was possible to choose an alternative path.  So it is not simply that there is a ‘Within’ perspective of God, but I am the ‘Within’ perspective of God.  When I choose to go with my Godly soul-side even in this world of dilemma, there is no greater manifestation of God-clarity.  After all, how good would God really be if He did not have the choice to opt for an alternative to that which is the ultimate good? 

 

That means to say that there are two “sides” to the Infinite.  The ‘Beyond’ perspective – God is perfect and beyond all possibility of being anything other than perfect.  And there is the ‘Within’ perspective – God is so perfectly beyond that He can be within the seeming imperfections of this world, yet not limited to being within them.

 

The difference between these two perspectives is in the fact that the ‘Within’ perspective requires there be a perception in which it seems there is something “other” than God for God to be within.  The advantage of the ‘Within’ perspective is that there exists an appearance of an alternative to God, resulting in potential conflict and possibility for choice.   This, according to Kabbalah, is why God created the world.  God sets up the arena by which an aspect of Himself (the soul) can choose an alternative to Godliness in order that when this aspect of Himself does choose Godliness there will be an unparalleled manifestation of God.  Similar to a candle shining brighter in a dark room than next to the sun, the manifestation of God is greater when the God-path is chosen, with a lack of clarity at the outset of the journey. 

 

The ‘Within’ perspective is realized to the extent the ‘Within’ acts as the ideal that is ‘Beyond’ despite the ‘Within’s initial state of confusion. 

 

Similar is the aforementioned path the healthy parent takes in raising the healthy child.  The parent does not depend on the child for its essence, but provides the child with the opportunity to make a significant contribution – a service of worth by which the child asserts itself as a real player in the family dynamic.  To the extent the child chooses towards the parent’s intent, the parent’s true objective materializes and the greatness of the parent is seen through the actions and development of the child.  As the child – who is acting “within” a situation in which it is quite feasible it will choose a destructive path – chooses the ideal path of action the parent would have chosen (since the parent is “beyond” such a scenario having an effect on him), the child ascends a bit to the level of the parent and the parent’s glory is seen through the accomplishment of the child. 

 

It turns out that the struggle of the child is ultimately a service to the parent – through the child’s triumph in the arena set up for it by the parent, not only does the child gain who he really is, but the child causes a manifestation of glory for the parent that – although not needed by the parent nor effecting a change in the parent – would not have been there had the child not capitalized on the opportunity presented by his own struggle. 

 

Perfectly Imperfect

Just as a child is the seed of the parent, we are each a spark of the Infinite.  We each have Godly genetics yet are presented with struggles and dilemmas.  To the extent we act Divine, we bring out our true selves and manifest God-clarity in an otherwise unclear world.

 

In a sense, this whole world is a movie set producing God’s American Dream – it is precisely this realm of conflict and struggle that sets the stage for God’s glory to become apparent.  And we each play a role in this film.  Without our innate imperfections and our struggles to become more perfect, this ‘Within’ perspective of God would not exist.

 

This is our Divine Service – through struggling to manifest the Divine within us, we perform this service for the Divine. 

 

Waking Up To A Clear Day

While sleeping I lose sight of all this.  While asleep, I become as one who has amnesia.  I may be physically at home, but I am lost.  I may be sitting with my dearest friend who knows me better than anyone else, but I am in another world.

 

How can I be involved in this Divine dynamic if I am unaware of it?  How can I actualize my infinite potential if I am spiritually asleep?

 

The most effective way out of this numbed state is to hear the spiritual alarm clock and answer the call of the shofar – to reawaken clarity of who I am.  Once I regain consciousness and refocus, I contemplate and meditate on my true self and what I am doing here.  I am empowered by the Divinity within and I have it in front of me always because this is the essence of who and what I am. 

 

From that point on, whatever happens to me in my day is equally good and equally God – arranged by God for God – of which I am a part.  There is no longer the illusion of a conflict of interests between me and God because all that comes my way is an opportunity for me to express my Godliness in the unique way that only I can in the unique circumstances I have been dealt.  I recognize my infinite value in the fact that there is a manifestation of God-clarity I can bring out into the world that has no other expression other than through me.

 

By waking up in a strong way and not hitting the snooze button, I make the statement that just as God is beyond the limits of time, I, too, can stretch those limits by assuming the attitude that I am not going to be “pushed around” by time.  Rather, I will act with fervor in my day’s dealings as if to say that while I may be stuck in the thick of time, I am not going to be engrossed by it.

 

Instead, I am going to wakeup like a lion – with ferocious strength. 

 

Personal Power

Kabbalisticly, strength implies strength over one’s self.  The Jewish concept is that the true measure of a person’s strength is not in their outer power, but in their inner power.  For one person to beat another person in a duel of brut force, involving no other skill whatsoever, says nothing about who they are.  In a sense, such a duel is determined before the duel ever begins – whoever has bigger muscles wins.  However, were someone to have the opportunity to exercise his will over another in an inappropriate manner, yet manages to overcome that temptation, such an exercising of inner power is our assessment of one’s true level of strength.  The exterior power is already determined – it tells us nothing about who the person is.  It is the interior power that gets our attention and respect.  This is true personal power.

 

In that sense, the call of the shofar is to wakeup like a lion.[4]  Realize what you are and who you could be, then take your life into your hands.  Exercise will and inner strength and act with a zeal for life.  Humbly thank God for the opportunity of a new day and for His having faith in you as a unique aspect of Himself. 

 

Faithfully Yours

People think Judaism is all about you having faith in God, but it is equally about God’s having faith in you.  In Western culture, they have mis-defined faith.  They have defined it to mean something you think or hope is true yet you may be right and you may be wrong.  What Judaism means by faith, however, is that once there is something that is true, to the extent one conducts one’s self in accordance with that truth, that is the extent that they have faith; to the extent one is faithful to what is, that is their level of faith.  So, faith has nothing to do with the question of whether or not something is true – that has already been determined.  The only question of faith is how much you are living with that truth in a real way.

 

Therefore, when we wake up in the morning and say thanks to God for having faith in us to give us another day, we are not saying that God has “blind faith” in our ability to exemplify excellence and maybe He is right for having that faith or maybe He is wrong.  Rather, we are saying that the truth is that we are the potential that God sees in us and God is acting in good faith with this truth by giving us new life and new opportunities for Divine Service on this new day.

 

Rabbi Eliyahu Yaakov is a lecturer on Jewish Philosophy and Kabbalah who is noted for his plethora of parallels and explanatory precision. He is the author of the books “Shabbos Insights of the Maharal”, “Identity, Direction, Integration: A Kabbalistic Path To Personal Growth”, “The Trees In The Forest: Jewish Living In The Context Of Kabbalah”.

For more from Rabbi Eliyahu Yaakov, go to: www.lightuntoournation.com.

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