Questions for today:
While our understanding of the Creator as ‘thinking’ the world into existence helps us relate to it, it does present a limiting perspective of the Creator. How do we get around that?
Earlier, we used an analogy of human imagery to explain how the whole universe is entirely contained within the Creator's divine existence.
When I think of a forest, every iota of that picture is contained within the image in my head. Similarly, the whole universe is entirely contained within, and brought into being by, G-d's “imagination” of the world.
However, this analogy is flawed because human knowledge has two weaknesses.
Number one: When a person thinks of something small, he must condense his knowledge to that tiny little thing.
Number two: When a person thinks, his imagined thought does not become the reality. For instance, my imagining a lit up firefly does not result in a real firefly lighting up.
Today’s Tanya tells us that the Creator’s knowledge differs from ours in both of the aforementioned ways.
First of all, when the Creator thinks about the specific details of our world, He does not have to change or condense Himself at all.
Second, the concepts that are within the Creator’s knowledge become the physical existence. Everything present within the physical universe exists because it is within G-d’s thoughts.
147 Tanya Iyar 17 ~ m175 Iyar 16
Tanya book 1, ch 48, Pt 4
There is a direct relationship between the infinite creative light and physical existence.
Although it remains above our perception, G-d's "knowledge" of every aspect of existence is unlike our knowledge in that:
- It doesn't become smaller when thinking of the finite details of existence.
- It results in the actual substance of reality.
Study today’s Tanya in full:
https://www.chabadmed.com/dailystudy/tanya.asp?tdate=5/17/2022
See today’s video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHlOhNu9c14&list=PLFZQPK6u-zSBls9Hwx3P5vKIBRnjBvHe&index=146