A Spiritual Connection: Our Divine Essence

We live in a tangible, physical world, and it is the very nature of our surroundings that creates challenging obstacles in connecting with HaShem. The ways in which we are pulled into material reality are endless. We are constantly distanced from the holy and spiritual, drawn into the everyday and mundane. From the urgent sound of the alarm clock to the first taste of food in the morning, our senses keep us rooted in our immediate needs.

But this quandary—being in the material world while sensing a deeper urge for a connection beyond it—is inherent in the design of human beings. We must make choices of our own free will to connect with the Higher Essence of the Universe. Every moment presents us with a choice.

The biggest hurdle to overcome is our own mind. We are trained to think logically, rationally, and practically, with science as a strong foundation. This leaves little room for what we don’t see or experience with our senses. However, we don’t have to sacrifice any of that to accept that there might be a greater One who brings everything else into existence. This recognition is often subtle, manifesting as a faint feeling.

Many of us recognize (perhaps most of you reading this) that there is a deeper spiritual reality that connects and underlies all things. We sense that there is a unifying force for the very fabric of life, beyond what is physically perceptible and even beyond our imagination.

This is why we are seekers and learners.

Kabbalistic thought identifies this feeling as a “second recognition”—a part of our inner soul that was once connected to HaShem. The first recognition, so it goes, was lost when we were born into this world. This sense lies at the core of the idea that every person is created B’tzelem Elokim—in God’s shadow, so to speak. (B’tzelem Elokim is usually translated as “in the Image of God,” but the word tzelem also means “shadow.”) In this sense, we are a part of the whole.

Do you remember when you first learned about the magic of a hologram? It was an amazing technology. You can remove the tiniest piece of a hologram, and it will still represent the entire whole. (The word hologram originates from the Greek holos, meaning “whole,” since it contains the total information of the object.)

Our souls are like a part of a hologram—separate and disconnected yet containing the essence of a larger whole. We bear an imprint of the whole, the One, B’tzelem Elokim. That is precisely why we yearn to connect with the larger whole, the greater part of all existence.

When you think about it, isn’t that how all of life is created? Seeds remain seeds unless given the proper environment to grow into their full potential—a whole new tree. Yet each seed contains all the “DNA” to make it a tree. Each cell in the human body contains all the DNA for the entire person. Yet each cell does not become a person; it turns into cells for eyes, toes, hands, and all the organs. It is truly amazing, spectacular, and miraculous. And so are we.

We can think of ourselves in this way—as vibrant parts of creation, deeply connected to our Source. We can make the conscious choice to connect, to be aware of who we are at our essence, at our core. This is the way of all life.