Absolute Truth

30 Nissan 5782

“You shall be holy, for I, the L‑rd, your G‑d, am holy.” (Vayikra 19:2)

“The Hebrew word for ‘holy’ (kadosh) means ‘separate,’ ‘removed,’ and ‘beyond.’ G‑d is absolutely and infinitely holy, for inasmuch as He created the world, He is beyond it, unlimited by time, space, or any other of its attributes. Thus, by being told that we are to be holy because G‑d is holy, we are being told that we are able to partake of G‑d’s otherness, that the heights of holiness we can reach are infinite, just as G‑d is infinite.

This means that as Jews, we are intended to live with the awareness that the laws of nature pose no contradiction to Divinity. There is no aspect of life that is beyond our capacity to elevate, so long as we are connected to G‑d and act in accordance with His will. Therefore, we can ‘sanctify’ all aspects of our lives, even the most self-understood and commonplace. We should consider everything that we do to be part of our Divine mission, a way of bringing G‑d into the world and making it into His home.” (Daily Wisdom, Lubavitcher Rebbe)

“Even if it appears to him at first sight that this is an illusion, he need not be concerned, because it is intrinsically the absolute truth by virtue of the ‘hidden love’ which his soul possesses for G‑d.” (Lessons in Tanya, Likutei Amarim, middle of Chapter 44)

Even if the above-described way of living seems contrived and ungenuine at first, the Alter Rebbe assures us in this Tanya portion that one “need not be concerned, because it is intrinsically the absolute truth.” Even if at first seeing the individual Divine providence in every aspect of our lives and convincing ourselves that there is no aspect of life that is beyond our capacity to elevate, seems pompous and self-inflating, we are assured that, as long as we act in accordance to His will, we will not go wrong. “Habit will become nature,” and our new mode of living will leave a lasting impact on the very fabric of our being.

“You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.” (Tehillim 145:16)

This most awesome verse of our daily prayer must be said with complete concentration. One must focus intensely on the fact that the entire world and particularly one’s own livelihood and sustenance are completely reliant on G‑d. With this understanding it becomes easier to make the next step, that all the livelihood and sustenance that comes one’s way is intended to and must be used in a way of making a dwelling place for G‑d in this physical world.