The Atom and the Soul of the Inanimate (continued)

In light of what we now know about the atomic structure of matter, an obvious question arises: Who or what determines the unique structure of each object in the universe? What causes the atoms to connect in a specific way in one object and in a completely different way in another? And even more - what determines the division of the cells to create the unique shape of our bodies?

Addressing these questions is a major step on the way towards a deeper understanding of the spiritual essence that exists within each part of the animal, mineral and vegetable kingdom. As previously explained, the animating soul connects the different parts of matter and grants each object its substantial form, whatever it might be. These spiritual essences are the foundation stones of the universe and cannot be destroyed.

This further explains how a single cell can divide into two identical cells, both containing the entire genetic information about the developing organism, and how these cells can continue to divide until they differentiate into different organs and tissues. This differentiation follows an underlying spiritual structure, which is the true nature of the thing, with the physicality serving merely as an outer covering. Early Kabbalistic works often used the terms "substance and form" when referring to the creation. "Substance" is the material substance of the world, while "form" is a spiritual entity that impresses itself upon it, giving it its unique properties.

This further explains why in Hebrew, the word davar means both "a thing" and "a word." As the Torah states that the physical universe was created by the spoken word of Hashem: "By the word of the L-rd the heavens were made; and all their host by the breath of His mouth" (Psalms 33:6). Hashem's speech is the true essence of everything that exists in creation, and gives all things their unique forms.

Recently, some scientists have also suggested that hidden, spiritual forces exist that shape and direct the formation of matter." However, their work is still in the most rudimentary stages and lacks the tools and technology necessary to validate these claims. The Sages of Torah, on the other hand, have been aware of these forces for millennia and have even developed methods for manipulating them (according to the rules
of Torah). This is part of the amazing wisdom that Hashem invested in the Torah.

The Torah is so much more than just scriptural text. It is so mystical that it truly is beyond our comprehension; but, with constant study and delving into the mysteries of the Torah, each of us comes closer to Hashem and His absolute truth about everything.

The Atom and the Soul of the Inanimate

According to the Kabbalah - the Jewish mystical tradition - all matter in the universe merely serves as an outer shell for an inner spiritual essence.  This spiritual substance, or "soul," is what holds together the different particles of matter and makes physical existence possible.  In other words, not only do living things (including animals) have souls, but so do plants' and inanimate objects as well.  The differences between them lie only in the level of soul, and its potential for movement and expression.  The soul of fauna (animal life) has the power of agglomeration (the act or process of gathering into a mass) - to hold the particles of matter together - and of growth and volitional movement.  Because of these properties, the material body housing the soul can develop and move from place to place.  The soul in flora (plant life) also has the power of agglomeration and growth, whereas the inanimate soul can do nothing more than unite its various parts and maintain its own unchanging existence.

The great Kabbalist, Rabbi Chayim Vital, stated the following:"

"The soul of inanimate objects, such as metals, stones, etc ... is called the nefesh (the animating soul), which connects [the pieces], and allows them to exist without modification of their original form, because this soul has but one power."

The Sages of Kabbalah teach us another important point.  As opposed to casual observation, which can lead us to think that the universe exists as an independent entity, they state that at every moment, each detail of the creation receives a spiritual energy from the Hashem that creates and maintains it ("energy" being used here in scientific terms – to describe an activating force).  This force makes the reality of creation possible.  This can be compared to a mechanism that requires a constant flow of electricity to maintain its operation.  If the spiritual bounty at the root of creation were to cease, the reality of the universe itself would be nullified, to utterly disappear.

This concept is expressed in one of the blessings made in the traditional Jewish prayer service:

"... in His goodness, He renews daily, perpetually, the work of creation."

Since the creation is already in existence, why does this blessing speak of its perpetual renewal?  The answer is that the creation continually receives a spiritual outflow that maintains it.  Without this constantly replenished energy from the Creator, the reality of the world would be extinguished.

From the above Kabbalistic teachings, we can derive the following conclusions:

1. Even inanimate objects have some form of soul.

2. One of the functions of the soul is to connect and unite particles, although we have yet to understand exactly what is connected by the soul in a metal shard or a pebble.

3. There is a constant energy emanating from Hashem that maintains the universe's existence.

By looking at some of the revolutionary discoveries made in physics in recent generations, we can find good examples of how to understand these statements of the Torah, whose author is the Creator of physical reality itself.

One of the most important and well-known discoveries in the last one hundred years is the fact that all matter is comprised of atoms, from the ancient Greek word for "indivisible."  That is, the atom is the most indivisible part of an object (though science has succeeded in dividing the atom as well).

Every atom is composed of a nucleus, which contains neutrons and protons.  The first lacks any electrical charge, while the latter contain positive electrical charges.  Electrons, which are negatively charged, orbit the nucleus at very high speeds, creating the atom's familiar appearance.  (In much the same way that a rapidly spinning fan appears to be a single, solid surface, so the electrons, which circle the atomic nucleus billions of times within a millionth of a second, do not appear as individual objects, but give the atom the appearance of a closed, impenetrable ball.)  The fact that every substance, whether stone, metal or anything else, is comprised of innumerable, densely packed atoms, is what gives it its sense of solidity.

Another important piece of information: The quantity of matter in an atom (which includes the protons, neutrons and electrons) is so small that the relative distance between the nucleus and the electrons is comparable to the distance between the Earth and the Sun.

This means that all the matter in the universe is composed primarily of empty space.  As we explained earlier, it is only the endless movement of electrons at very high speeds that creates the impression of solid reality, when in actuality, the matter that we see is nothing more than an optical illusion.

The conclusion we can draw is that if for some reason, the mysterious energy that drives the electrons around in their orbit were to cease, the universe as a whole would vanish, because each atom is comprised mostly of empty space. The material component in an atom is so small that it cannot be seen or touched.  It is only the immense speed of the electrons' orbits and the denseness of myriad atoms pressed together that allows us to perceive objects as being solid. These discoveries shed light on the Torah conclusions drawn above:

1. Despite the outward appearance of inert matter, there is constant internal movement, similar to the world of living creatures.  In other words, even inanimate material is animated.  This basic life-force is called the nefesh, or animating soul.

2. The interconnectedness of atoms allows us to feel the solidity of an object.  As Rabbi Chayim Vital stated: "the nefesh connects the pieces."

3. If the constant energy that comes from the Creator were to stop driving the electrons round in their orbits, the universe would vanish.  This is reflected in the line from the prayers, also cited in the comment of Rabbi Chayim Vital, that Hashem "renews daily, perpetually, the work of creation."  Two conclusions can be drawn from the above:

• Only the Creator of the universe, who knows the mysteries of His creation down to the finest detail of the nature of matter, could have revealed this incredible information in the Torah, which He gave to the Jewish people over 3,000 years ago.

• The ancient Sages possessed a deep and inexplicable wisdom.  Indeed, how would we have related to their comments on the true nature of reality before these recent scientific discoveries substantiated their words?

It says in Kohelet (the Book of Ecclesiastes): There is nothing new under the sun."  What the sages knew thousands of years ago by reading the Handbook of the Universe, scientists had to find out by trial and error within the past couple of hundred years.  How blessed we are to have the handbook version of reality – it saves a lot of time and takes away the guesswork.

What should I study?

I have mentioned numerous times how important it is to study Scriptures.  I have been asked the question "what should I study?"  What's interesting about the question is that I asked the exact same thing years ago.  When I first arrived in Israel I met a very prominent Rabbi and asked for his help in setting up a study program.

The question of what I should study resulted in two basic answers.  One was to learn the details of my daily activities; in other words, studying everything that I do in a day to make sure that I develop good habits in serving Hashem.  Improving everything I do to serve Hashem is so important since it serves to meet my goals in life and my eternity and makes my goals more achievable and joyful.  This advice holds true even for someone who is observant from birth.  We tend to think that what we do every day is good enough and will get us the best possible Olam Habah (the World to Come).  But, by never being satisfied with our observance and wanting to improve every day, has a great impact on the outcome and brings an even greater sense of accomplishment.  I always found it lacking that Yeshivahs study very important subjects that need studying but ignore the basics.  Most observant Jews believe they are doing things correctly, out of habit, and that it is good enough.  Am I going to tell someone who has been praying everyday for the last 30, 40, 50 years that he needs to improve his praying ability?  The question that I like to ask is "are all your prayers fulfilled – do you get positive results with everything that you pray for?  If the answer is:  well, not everything, then I will be glad to tell that person (in a very nice way, of course), your performance is lacking and you have room for improvement.  This is just one example but it holds true for everything we do in a day.  Are the results exactly what we wanted?  If not, how many of us ask the question: "what should I do to improve – what should I study that can help achieve better results?  I thought I knew it all but, obviously, I am lacking something?  When we can be that honest with ourselves, we are on our way to maximizing this experience called "Life."  This goes hand in hand with my previous discussions on positive attitude and good habits.  They should be a high priority area of study and improvement, daily.

The other subject area that the Rabbi suggested was to study: what I enjoy the most.  Study of the Scriptures must be done with complete joy.  If I spend my time being fascinated by what I learn, my time is pleasant.

A very big consideration was my age.  I knew that I would not have the time to do everything.  When I was in the states I was involved with a study group that we covered two chapters of the Talmud in about 2 1/2 years.  We were not learning the Talmud; we were learning how to learn Talmud.  The time was well spent and was very enjoyable.  When we had a Siyum (which means "completion" and results in a celebratory get-together) at the conclusion of the two paragraphs, I gave a speech and stated that at this rate we should cover all of Talmud in about 375 years.

When I arrived in Israel I decided to join a group that studies Daf Hayomi.  Daf Hayomi is a program that was started in the 1920s where the study group covers one page (daf) of Talmud a day (yom).  In a 7 1/2 years cycle, the 2711 pages (5422 sides) of the Talmud are covered (This is not the entire Talmud since there are other Mishnahs that are not included).  This is not really learning the Talmud but gives a great overview of its contents.  After my first 7 1/2 year cycle, I had a very general overview of all of the Talmud and a great feeling of satisfaction that I have reviewed the Oral Torah.  Continuing with another 7 1/2 years cycle has allowed me to get even deeper into the material.  At my age this is a perfect way to get an overview of the oral Torah and feel a sense of accomplishment.  There are presently 100's of thousands of men worldwide doing this program.  Imagine that someone in South Africa and someone in the United States are working on the same exact page of Talmud every day.  Our present 7 1/2 year cycle will be completed next month and there will be a worldwide Siyum celebration in stadiums and theaters around the world to commemorate the occasion.  It is exiting and it gives Hashem lots of nachas (Yiddish for a high level of joy or blessings, pride especially from ones children – and we are Hashem's children).

The Daf Hayomi generally only takes about an hour a day.  The rest of my study includes the self improvement mentioned above and the fun portion of my learning – the subjects that I enjoy the most.  As you can see my background pointed towards interest in such subjects as Torah codes, numerology, the Holy Tongue and, of course my favorite, science versus scriptures.  I presently have a library of over 600 books many of which are dealing with these subjects.  It has been and continues to be a fascinating area of discovery for me.  Since it includes so many areas of discovery, I think I will need the 375 years that I mentioned above to exhaust the topics.  The most important accomplishment is bringing myself closer to Hashem everyday doing something that I love.

Some additional notes on my daily self-improvement routine.  It is not just studying the proper way to pray (which has been extremely successful in giving me a wonderful life); but, also improving my performance of the mitzvot, better and more effective repentance and any other subject that I need to improve my life in the service of Hashem.  I devote much time to learning the best ways to help my fellow Jews which includes passing on this information to them as well.  Teaching is a very rewarding endeavor and is what Hashem wants from us.  I have always known that when one person teaches, two people learn.  This is why the popular method in Yeshivahs and study groups is for two to work together in learning.  Teachers learn from their students and this blog has been just that for me.  I have said it before and I will say it again, I have been very impressed with the level of intelligence of my readers and, B"H, have learned from you.  The research that I put into this blog and the answering of your questions that you send me, has been a very important and enjoyable part of my daily learning experience.  Thank you.

Some references that I suggest for learning.  I have mentioned the Mishnah Berurah which is probably the best compendium in the world for the laws, observance and customs of Judaism.  There are thousands of reference books available but they are not on the same level.  The great Rabbis of today should always be the source of what is best and what is of lesser quality.  Proper books have the endorsement of the Rabbis (always at the beginning of the book).  These endorsement letters should give you the confidence in the quality of the book and how much it is the word of Hashem.  The true test of reference material is to know that the author is giving a compilation of Torah and scriptural sources and not personal opinion.

Another suggestion that I have used is the Guidelines series from Rabbi Elozor Barclay and Rabbi Yitzchok Jaeger.  They wrote books in a question and answer format that is easy reading, clear presentation and totally accurate (mostly from Mishnah Berurah and the Shulchan Arach).  They cover a variety of subjects and are very usable for the newly observant as well as the seasoned observant Jew.  My list of references is extensive but, here again, it depends on the level of observance that you personally possess.


One additional suggestion is for women.  As I am typing this post, my wife is in our dining room with about 15 women and a very learned Rebbetzin who teaches a weekly class.  There are several excellent classes given weekly but the best learning that my wife has enjoyed has been with a study partner.  Whatever the method (including reading on one's own), women should not miss the learning opportunity.  The mitzvot that pertain to women are so important to the family and the Jewish community that Jewish women should realize that their learning is vital and has been for the survival of the Jewish people.

The greatest part of my study program has been developing the attitude that I have a lot more to learn.  I look forward every day to my learning and treat it as an opportunity to improve.  I will never want to have the feeling that I have achieved my goal.  There is always more to learn and more to improve and that keeps my level of excitement at a high level.  I also know that the right attitude towards serving Hashem invites His help with everything that I do.  That is evident to me every day and keeps a smile on my face.  I joke with my fellow Jew when they point out to me how happy an individual I am.  I tell them that "if I didn't know any better, I would think this is Olam Habah."  Imagine how great it will be when I get to the real place (I can't imagine).

Are Alien Life-forms Mentioned in the Zohar?

The First step in weighing the large amount of evidence that suggests that we have been visited by alien life-forms is to sift out all the lies and fantasies, such as cases in which a supposed UFO was actually a secret American military plane.  Many past and future sightings may also be dismissed in similar ways.  Still, even after all the sifting, we are left with an impressive body of evidence.  Are there any sources in the Torah that can explain these manifestations, without resource to flying saucers?

In a number of places in the Zohar and Talmud, the Sages tell us about the existence of strange creatures, usually invisible, which are similar to human beings in several ways and similar to angels in other.  They are called shedim (often translated as "demons'), and are made from a turbid spirituality, somewhat insubstantial (Derech Hashem, part 1, chapter 5 – Luzzatto).  They can change their shape and appearance and can appear to human beings in a variety of forms.

Is it possible that these shedim are the "aliens" of modern times?  This is a particularly apt question since some people swear that they have seen aliens looking like those portrayed in science fiction films.  Could these films be a reflection of real life?  Or perhaps, real life reflects what is seen in the movies.  Perhaps those people saw shedim, who resembled, in their eyes, creatures from outer space.  Most people have not seen aliens and only have the imagination of books, TV and movies as their guide – that becomes our reality.

The Zohar provides us with other explanations of this subject; it speaks about alien life-forms that exist beneath our world.  While the Zohar may not intend its comments to be taken literally, at face value, they arc a clear statement of the existence of creatures beneath our world, of which we are unaware.

The Zohar (1:10a, 1:40a, 1:41a) explains that there are seven lands in the lower world: Eretz, Adama,  Arka, Gia, Neshia, Tzia and Tevel, which envelop each other like the skins of an onion.  The highest and largest of these, Tevel, is the land upon which we live.  The Zohar adds that there are very small creatures in all these places, humanoid in form; which also have an awareness of Hashem; though one far inferior to our own.  Some of these creatures wear clothing while others are covered by layers (or perhaps armor), that may be red, black, white or al mixture of colors.  Many live no longer than ten years.  The Zohar (1:157a) tells the story about Rabbi Chiva and Rabbi Yossi who were on a journey together and stopped to rest alongside a cracked rock.  Suddenly, one of the inhabitants of Arka appeared before them and told them that in his land, there are inhabitants who look different than him.  Commenting on Genesis 8:14, the Zohar (1:154b) explains that when Cain was banished "from the face of the earth," he was accepted by the inhabitants of Arka, a lower land.

This information, which is surely distant from the world of research, deals with alien creatures which may exist in the inner layers of our world, in places not yet investigated by modern science.  Are the' aliens from outer space in fact the creatures already known to Torah Sages 2,000 years ago?  The Sages knew of many mysterious things that exist on our tiny planet, which is still so unknown.

Important to remember: The Torah was written 2,000 years before the creation of the universe.  Nothing predates the Torah!!!!!!  Everything that exists is from the Torah – whether on Earth or in the universe.  Everything that exists is to satisfy and serve the will of Hashem.  Whatever we perceive as aliens or UFOs can only be for Hashem's purpose, all else is totally unimportant and does not exist.  Science can research all they want – if it has no spiritual purpose, it is nonsense and purely the imagination of the human beings who perceive them.  That is the Absolute Truth.