You're not alone. And this insatiable desire? It might just be what makes us uniquely human.
The great Kabbalist Baal HaSulam, in his introduction to the Zohar (a foundational text of Kabbalah), delves into this very notion. He draws a fascinating distinction between the desires of animals and the desires of humans. It all boils down to the nature of our desires, specifically the third and fourth "elements" of our ratzon l'kabel (desire to receive).
Animals, Baal HaSulam explains, possess a "third element" of this desire. Their needs are limited, specific, tied to their immediate survival. A lion hunts because it's hungry. A bird builds a nest to protect its young. Their desires are… practical. They lack something we humans possess: empathy.
Think about that for a moment. Empathy. It’s the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within their frame of reference, that is, the capacity to place oneself in another's position.
And that's where the "fourth element" comes in, the element that defines us as human. We can feel the lack in others. We can covet what they possess. We are not limited to our own immediate needs; we can imagine and desire on a much grander scale.
As Baal HaSulam puts it, "If a person has one hundred, he wants two hundred. His wants and needs grow to the point that he wants to grab the entire universe." Pretty intense, right?
It’s not just about physical possessions, either. It's about status, recognition, power. We see someone else’s success and we want it too. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, mind you. This drive, this ambition, can be a powerful motivator. It can fuel innovation, creativity, and progress.
But here's the catch: unchecked, this desire can become destructive. Jealousy, greed, and a relentless pursuit of "more" can lead us down a dark path.
So, what's the answer? Is there a way to harness this uniquely human desire without letting it consume us? Kabbalah suggests that the key lies in directing our desires outward, toward connection and giving rather than inward, toward accumulation and taking. Easier said than done, of course.
But the awareness of this difference – the understanding that our desires are inherently different from those of the animal kingdom – is the first step. To understand that we are capable of feeling another’s lack and that we can be extremely jealous of that which another has, is the first step in correcting that imbalance. It invites us to examine our motivations, to question our insatiable hunger, and to consider what truly matters. Perhaps, just perhaps, true fulfillment lies not in grabbing the universe, but in sharing it.