Many people who hear the word “God” imagine a distant being somewhere beyond the world, watching over human affairs. However, the wisdom of Kabbalah describes God very differently. God is not a figure outside of reality. God is the general force of nature itself, a force of love, bestowal, and connection that sustains and governs existence.
The Hebrew word for God, which is “Elokim,” has the same numerical value as the word for nature, “HaTeva.” Kabbalists use this as an example to teach us that God is the same as nature—the universal force and law of love and bestowal that operates throughout reality. Everything exists in this force. It surrounds us, fills us, and directs the entire process of creation.
Yet there is one element in nature that feels separate from this force: the human being. We are born with an egoistic desire to enjoy for self-benefit alone, which makes us constantly think about ourselves. Instead of naturally caring about others, we measure everything according to personal benefit. This quality separates us from the force of nature and prevents us from feeling the harmony that exists throughout creation.
The purpose of human development is to bridge this gap.
We thus learn about what Rabbi Akiva calls “the great rule” of “Love your neighbor as yourself” as a principle that guides our increasing resemblance to God or Nature. As we learn how to rise above our innate self-concern and develop genuine concern for others, we gradually acquire the same quality of love and bestowal that dwells in nature. This process is called “spiritual correction.” Undergoing this process of correction leads us to discover a harmonious and peaceful sense of connection, mutual responsibility, eternity, and perfection. God—or, Nature—constantly acts on us, urging our development to that state. When we reach it, we attain what is called “adhesion with the Creator,” or “balance with nature.”
When we begin building relationships based on mutual care, we discover that in the connection between us, we begin to sense the force that was always present but hidden. God—or, Nature—does not become revealed beyond the world. On the contrary, the revelation of this higher force is in the the corrected relationships between people, in positive connections of love and bestowal.
This is why the future of humanity depends not on technology, politics, or economics, but on our ability to learn how to positively connect above our differences. By doing so, we reveal the force of love that fills reality, and discover the meaning and purpose of our lives.
Based on “New Life 157 – On the Topic of God” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.