The foundation of Judaism and the basis of all true religion is the existence of G-d. He is the Creator of all existence, physical and spiritual. The first verse of the Torah states this: “In the beginning, G-d created the Heavens and the Earth...” (Genesis 1:1). It is also written: “I am the Eternal, who creates all things” (Isaiah 44:24).

As Creator of all worlds and everything in them, G‑d is different from His creation. Therefore, Judaism categorically rejects the philosophy of pantheism. Furthermore, as Creator of the Universe, G-d's existence preceded and is independent of his creations.

Since G‑d is the Creator of all that is matter, obviously He is not matter. The Midrash and other sacred works refer to G‑d as HaMakom, “The Place”, because He is the place of the world, but the world is not His place. Likewise, the concepts of time and space and their attributes – body, form and feature – are creations of G-d and do not apply to Him. G-d is infinite and, therefore, incorporeal. The Torah states: “And you will guard your souls greatly, because you did not see any image on the day that the Lord spoke to you in Horeb…” (Deuteronomy 4:15). In several passages, the Torah refers to G-d as if He had a human body, using anthropomorphic language, as in “the hand of G-d” (Exodus 9:15), and “the eyes of G-d.” (Deuteronomy 11:12). However, the Torah is not stating, in any way, that G-d has a body, form or feature. He only uses metaphors to express G-d's relationship with his creation. Likewise, when the Torah states that G‑d created man in His image (Genesis 1:27), it is not implying that G‑d resembles man. What it means is that man shares the same attributes – the Sefirot intellectual and emotional – which G-d employs when interacting with the world. It is totally forbidden to compare Gd to any of his creatures, even to the highest of angels. The prophet Isaiah declared: “To whom then can you compare the Eternal? Or to whom can you liken Him?” (Isaiah 40:18).

Even though all existence is permeated by Divinity, G‑d cannot be associated with any of His creations. Furthermore, Judaism rejects any definition of G‑d as an abstract concept, regardless of how high or noble it may be. Therefore, G-d cannot be defined as Love, Truth, Justice or Goodness, despite these being some of His attributes. As Creator of all earthly and heavenly things, G-d is on a higher plane than all of His Work. We therefore refer to Him as the Supreme Being or the “Most High”. He is infinitely superior and incomparable to anything or being that exists. G-d is beyond any definition.

Although G-d cannot be defined and no creature – not even the purest of angels – can truly know His Essence, the Torah, which is His Wisdom and His Will, allows man to capture something of the Divine. For example, the Torah teaches us that G‑d is One and that He is the most perfect and absolute Unity. As it is written: “Listen, Israel! The Eternal is our G-d, the Eternal is One!” (Deuteronomy 6:4). The absolute oneness and unity of G-d is a central tenet of Judaism, which emphatically rejects any concept of plurality as it relates to the Divine.

As Creator of the Universe, G-d's power is unlimited. We then say that G-d is omnipotent and we refer to Him in our prayers as “King of the Universe”. However, we do not attribute to G‑d the possibility of Him duplicating, annihilating, or changing Himself in any way. Judaism expressly rejects the idea that G‑d can assume any physical form – human or otherwise. Any of these tasks would involve a change on the part of the Divine – something that cannot occur – because change is a product of time, and G-d, as Creator of space and time, exists outside of both. G-d is Eternal: time does not apply to Him, only to His Creation. Therefore, G-d has no beginning, age or end, as these concepts imply a time structure. He is immutable and unalterable. And so he declares: “For I, the Eternal, do not change” (Malachi 3:6). As the Creator of time, G-d can make use of it without getting involved in it: He causes change in the world without changing Himself. G-d is therefore called the “Unmoved Mover”.

There are statements in the Torah that perhaps seem to suggest that G‑d changes himself. For example, certain passages speak of G‑d being angry or rejoicing. Such descriptions are not to be taken literally: the Torah uses metaphorical language to describe Divine interaction with the world in a way that is understandable to all. G‑d, Almighty, never changes. When the Torah states that G‑d was angry, it means that He is emanating His light through the Sefirah de Gevurah (Restriction, Severity). Likewise, when the Torah tells us that He rejoiced, it means that He is interacting with the world through Sefirah de Chessed (Kindness, Benevolence). None of this implies any change in G-d.

The understanding that the Most High is timeless is the answer to the paradoxical question: can G-d create a stone that He Himself cannot lift? This question is misleading, because it employs human – that is, limited – logic to try to understand an unlimited G-d, who is incomprehensible. And it is also useless, because it would be the same thing to ask whether G-d can commit suicide or limit His own powers. As we have seen, G‑d is omnipotent, but he is also timeless and therefore not subject to change. This means that Divine existence, essence and omnipotence are immutable. However, for those who are not satisfied with this answer and continue to be intrigued by the paradox, the answer is this: As G‑d is omnipotent, He can create a stone that He Himself cannot lift, and as He is omnipotent, He can lift the stone. If such a paradox serves anything, it is to teach us that man's finite mind cannot and will never be able to capture the Infinite Creator.

Despite our inability to understand the Divine, we know that G-d's relationship with this world is twofold, that is, He is immanent and also transcendental. Thus, He fills and also encompasses all of His creation. This concept is expressed in the songs of the angels and in the Kedusha that we recite, morning and afternoon, during the repetition of the prayer of Amide. Daily the angels in Heaven and the Jews on Earth recite: “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Eternal of hosts, the whole world is filled with His Glory” (Isaiah 6: 3). This indicates that G-d is immanent, and fills all creation. However, the celestial beings also proclaim, as we do in Kedusha, “Blessed be the glory of the Eternal from His place” (Ezekiel 3:12). This verse speaks of G-d in His transcendental sense, where not even angels can understand His “place”. A warning, however: this apparent duality in G-d's relationship with the world – being immanent and transcendental – is only due to our limited and imperfect knowledge of G-d, which also belongs to the angels, as He Himself is the most absolute.

Divine immanence implies that there is no place in all creation devoid of His Presence. He is omnipresent. As the Torah teaches us: “The whole earth is full of His Glory” (Numbers 14:21). And it is also written: “His Glory extends beyond the Heavens and the Earth” (Psalm 148:13). In some of its passages, the Torah speaks of G‑d as being in a certain place at a certain time. This does not mean that G-d is in this place and not in others. But rather, that G‑d wishes to confer special honor and attention on that place, or that his actions are particularly visible there. Thus, G‑d is said to “inhabit” the mishkan, the Tabernacle, and the Holy Temple of Jerusalem because He gave special honor and attention to such buildings. They also teach us that G-d “dwells” in the Land of Israel, Eretz Israel, and in Jerusalem. Similarly, the Torah tells us that G‑d led the Jews during the Exodus. This means that His Presence and His Providence were especially visible to them at these times.

It is not only the Divine Presence, but also His Will, which permeates all of Creation. One of the fundamental teachings of Kabbalah is that nothing can exist that G‑d does not desire. The existence of all creation continually depends on the Divine Will and His creative power. Were this power removed from creation for even an instant, all things would instantly cease to exist. In our morning prayers, we say: “In His goodness, He renews, daily, the act of Creation.”

The Creation of the Universe, therefore, was not a single event, but a continuous and unceasing process. G‑d is continually recreating – and therefore sustaining – the entire Universe. His attention is uninterruptedly directed to His Creation. If He lost interest in His Creation, even for a fraction of a second, everything would return to non-existence. The notion that G‑d created the Universe and then abandoned it is an abomination to Judaism.

It is ironic that although the Divine Presence fills all worlds and He is solely responsible for the Creation and continued existence of all creatures and beings, His very existence is undetectable to most people and even denied by some. The prophet Isaiah said to G‑d: “Truly, You are a G‑d who hides Yourself, O G‑d of Israel” (Isaiah 45:15). One of the reasons why Gd does not reveal Himself is that if He did, all of Creation would be nullified before Him. Just as the light of a candle would be nullified and would lose its value if it were lit in sunlight, so too the existence of the Universe would cease to exist if G‑d explicitly revealed His Infinite Light. Furthermore, G-d cannot be seen, as there is no place devoid of His Presence. There is an analogy that helps us understand this concept: air cannot be seen, but it is an integral part of the environment that surrounds us, and the only time we are aware of its presence is when the wind blows. This is even more true when it comes to G-d. The reason we cannot see G-d is not due to His transcendence, but to His immanence, that is, the fact that He contains within Himself His beginning and His end. Similarly, we only have knowledge of the Divine Presence when He acts to manifest His Presence.

The Torah teaches us that Divine knowledge is identical with His Infinite Essence, and therefore also infinite. As it is written: “Great is our G-d, immense is His power, and His wisdom is infinite” (Psalm 147:5). G-d knows what is happening to each of the atoms in the Universe, at every moment. Regardless of how large the number of simultaneous events is, it is nothing compared to Infinite Divine Wisdom.

It is important to emphasize that although the Torah gives man a glimpse of the Divine, G-d is so far above us that it is impossible to understand Him in His fullness. As Kabbalah teaches: “There is no thought that can fully understand Him” (Tikunei Zohar, 17a). And as Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi wrote, the Baal HaTanya: “Just as an abstract thought cannot be grasped by the hand, neither can the Essence of G-d be grasped even by thought” (Likutei Amarim, Shaar HaYichud VeHaEmuná). Not even the greatest sages and prophets and the highest spiritual beings can capture the true Divine Essence.

Therefore, every name and every description that we can attribute to G-d only applies to His relationship with His Creation. Even the Tetragrammaton, the Four-Letter Name of G‑d, which we are forbidden to pronounce, merely denotes His highest emanation in Creation. G-d is incomprehensible, nameless and anonymous. There are no words that can describe Him or extol all His praises.

Divine Providence

As we saw above, the nature of G-d is beyond anything that can be conceived or grasped by human beings: the distance between human perception and the Divine is infinite. Therefore, we are only aware of the impossibility of describing Him. How then can we claim that the Almighty, who is so supremely exalted, will “lower Himself” to the point of taking care of the smallest details of the lives of His creatures, no matter how noble and correct they may be? Many philosophers, including numerous Jewish thinkers, argued that only those who are truly devoted to G-d are worthy of Divine Providence, while all other human beings and creatures are only cared for, in a generalized way, by a Divine Will, which can lead their existence, but does not get involved with the smallest details of their lives. These philosophical notions and beliefs, despite arising from a recognition of Divine greatness, are far from the Kabbalistic notion of Divine Providence. Kabbalah offers a different kind of insight into the connection between G‑d and the world.

Philosophy defines G-d as the “Supreme Intellect” – the Divine Mind, which, as Maimonides repeatedly teaches, is in no way comparable to the limited and finite human mind. However, even this concept is limited. O Maharal of Prague, Rabbi Yehudah Lowe, famous for creating the Golem, insisted that the Divine cannot be defined or confined in any way. Our Sages refer to the Almighty as “The Holy One, Blessed is His Name”. As Judaism defines holiness as distinction, this denomination means that the Divine is beyond definitions or limitations, whatever they may be. Therefore, in relation to the Divine, the highest spirituality is in no way superior to the physical or material. Compared to the Divine Light, even what seems pure and elevated to us is finite and minute.

This understanding of the Divine does not deny the existence of Divine Providence on an individual level. On the contrary, it leads to a heightened awareness of how personal this Providence is. When we understand that the greatness of G-d goes beyond the limits of the spiritual and the physical, and that these concepts are empty compared to Him, we can no longer claim that Divine Providence is confined to just a few – the great and elevated. For indeed, who and what is high and great compared to G‑d? Compared to Infinity, what is the difference between the greatest sage or prophet and the smallest insect? Compared to the Infinite Light, everything is equally insignificant. Thus, Divine Providence extends both towards the greatest human beings, who devote every moment of their life to G-d, and towards the most inferior organisms that can barely subsist.

As we saw above, G-d is not limited by time or space. Understanding this concept leads us to the conclusion that His Providence is comprehensive, for, from His point of view, the great and the small, the greatest generalization and the smallest detail, are all equal in their infinite distance and total insignificance compared to Divine infinity. At the same time, they are equally close to Him as recipients of the all-encompassing Divine love. That is, everyone and everything is equally distant and close to G-d. In practical terms, this means that G-d is aware of and also deeply involved in everything that concerns His Creation and interested even in the details of each of our lives. Many make the theological error of assuming that because G‑d is so great – because He dwells on High – He is not interested in what we eat – whether it is kosher or not – or if we did the beracha before eating a piece of chocolate. The answer to such theological and similar questions – whether G‑d cares about our material and spiritual needs and whether He has knowledge of and interest in all the details of our everyday lives – is that G‑d cares about everything or nothing. . In the face of Infinity, there is no such thing as big or small. Either everything is important to G-d or nothing is.

Does G-d care about everything or nothing? It is true that Divine infinity is not restricted to the physical world, but goes beyond all spiritual worlds and all intellectual concepts. However, if G‑d created the world and continues to sustain it, it is evident that He cares about it. Therefore, the Kabbalistic answer to this question is that G‑d cares about everything – every minute detail of His entire Creation.

This, therefore, is the basis of the Chassidic teaching that Divine Providence applies to everyone and everything. G-d not only “determines the steps of man” (Psalm 37:23), but also provides for each of the creatures in the world, directing them to the goal predetermined for each of them.

The Baal Shem Tov, founder of the Chassidic Movement, taught that every object in this world – even a grain of sand – is under the wings of Divine Providence: it is linked to the Divine Will, which determines its place and role in the world. Denying the role of Divine Providence over the most insignificant details of life is the same as denying the idea of ​​Divine Providence as a whole. Recognizing the role of Divine Providence over individuals and small details attests to the greatness of G-d and the depth and intensity of human beings' belief in Him. The Baal Shem Tov illustrated this point with the following example: a huge storm breaks out in a forest, breaking branches and uprooting saplings. This is a product of Divine Providence: G-d wanted this to happen for a certain purpose. Perhaps this purpose was to bring a leaf closer to the mouth of a certain worm in the forest. Divine Providence takes care of all the needs of each creature, even primitive ones like earthworms – which, in the perfect plan of Creation, have their place and a role to fulfill.

The Commandments: Physicality and spirituality

Understanding some fundamental concepts about G-d and Divine Providence allows us a deeper and more meaningful understanding of His Commandments.

Compliance with the commandments of the Torah has traditionally been conceived as a double imperative: on the one hand, the contemplation and appreciation of the content and intrinsic meaning of the commandments; on the other, its physical expression. Jewish writings dealt extensively with the issues resulting from this duality, weighing the value of action against that of intention and seeking the relationship between the two. For example, given the option, it would be preferable to put Tefillin even if the person is not intellectually and emotionally involved with this commandment, or would it be better to meditate on G-d and encourage love and reverence for Him? Such questions have been pondered over time by many wise men and thinkers. On the one hand, it can be argued that the important thing is the intention: what is the point of fulfilling a Divine Commandment if the person does it without intention or feeling? On the other hand, while an action without intention is like a body without a soul, intention without action is also imperfect. It is like a fleeting apparition, which exists but has no substance. For a person truly committed to the Divine Commandments, there can be no action without intention, but neither can there be intention without action.

This discussion about action or intention is paramount as a product of differences in religious point of view. To resolve such dilemmas, it is necessary to have an adequate understanding of the relationship between G-d and man and the essence of Divinity.

Although an in-depth philosophical discussion of theology is beyond the scope of this article, it is relevant to understand the essence of Divinity as it is perceived by most people. Let's look at the following relationship: paint, leather, box; idea, dream, love. In what category should G-d be placed? Concrete objects – paint, leather, box – or abstract concepts – idea, dream, love? Most people, religious or not, would probably place G‑d in the abstract or spiritual category. Such a classification has far-reaching significance. Certainly, nothing even remotely physical can be attributed to G-d. However, if Divinity is an abstraction – an idea without substance – one can question the degree of G-d's reality and question His very existence. The G-d of these people is a shadow whose existence is sometimes subject to uncertainty. It is an intellectual or emotionally experienced Divinity. If G‑d is conceived in this way, certain religious consequences are inevitable. If Gd is a spiritual concept, like Love and Justice, it makes perfect sense that He is worshiped with ideas, silent prayers, meditations and good intentions. For, if G‑d is an abstract spiritual Being, it may be a contradiction to serve Him through concrete physical actions.

However, all Jewish thinkers and philosophers reject the idea that G‑d is a spiritual Being. They emphasize that just as G-d is infinitely above the physical universe, He is also infinitely distant from the spiritual – even in its highest forms. It is, therefore, as much a sacrilege to attribute spiritual qualities to G‑d as it is to attribute physical qualities to Him.

The question then naturally arises: if G‑d is neither physicality nor spirituality, what is He? The answer is that man cannot even begin to know the essence of G‑d. He can only long to experience the reality of his existence. Such an experience of Divinity cannot come from a logical or inferential analysis of aspects of His existence. Rather, it is based on the actual experience of His Presence. G-d, then, is a reality and there is no reality outside of His existence.

The understanding that G‑d is neither a physical nor a spiritual being explains the problem of the preference of intention over action. Man's spiritual intentions, no matter how pure, noble or true, are not necessarily closer to the Divine Will than the most concrete physical actions. Since the qualities of physicality and spirituality do not apply to G‑d in any way, He is as close to or distant from the spiritual as He is from the physical. What matters is G-d's Will, regardless of how a person fulfills it. Therefore, a simple, physical commandment has as much religious relevance as a spiritual one. The essence of this conception is the perception that as G-d fills His world, for Him there is no dichotomy between the physical and the spiritual. The Divine Will is found both in the physical fulfillment of a commandment and in the thoughts and emotions with which it is fulfilled. When the man ties the straps of his Tefillin in his arm, he must be as jealous of fulfilling the Divine Will as when he strives spiritually to direct his thoughts and his heart to G-d: “...to love the Eternal your G-d with all your heart, with with all your soul, and with all your strength.” The Jew who acts in this way is in true harmony with the Divine Will.

The commandments of the Torah, both physical and spiritual, therefore, can be compared to a bridge created by G-d, which allows man to connect with Him. The Divine commandments, which are fulfilled physically and spiritually, are the means by which finite creatures can experience the Holy, Blessed is His Name.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Rabbi Steinsaltz, Adin (Even Israel),
Deed and Intention, The Mystery of You, Hybrid Publishers
Rabbi Steinsaltz, Adin (Even Israel), Divine Providence and Faith,
The Mystery of You, Hybrid Publishers
Rabbi Kaplan, Aryeh, The Handbook
of Jewish Thought, volume 2,
Moznaim Publishers
Rabbi Shneur Zalman m'Liad,
Shaar HaYichud VeHaEmunah