We go about our lives, making plans, building things, assuming that everything will just… keep being. But what if it wasn't so automatic? What if the whole shebang, from the smallest grain of sand to the most distant galaxy, was constantly being willed into existence?
That's what Da'at Tevunot, a profound work of Jewish thought, invites us to consider. It tells us, in no uncertain terms, that "all these matters are all dependent exclusively on His will, may He be blessed." Everything. All of it.
Think about that for a moment.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that the world operates on some kind of cosmic autopilot, right? Like a giant machine that was set in motion a long, long time ago and is now just chugging along. But that's not the picture being painted here.
According to Da'at Tevunot, absolutely nothing has "existence or being and continued presence at all except through His will." It’s not a one-time act of creation; it’s an ongoing, moment-by-moment decision. A continuous outpouring of divine energy.
It brings to mind the verse, “He spoke and it came into being, He commands and they continue to stand.” (Psalm 33:9). It’s not just about the initial creation. It's about the constant renewal, the perpetual sustaining of all things.
This means that the power of His will, may He be blessed, is present in everything. He "alone causes them continued existence in all of their matters, in all their parts and details."
The implications are mind-boggling, aren't they?
It means that everything, down to the tiniest detail, is a direct expression of the Divine will. It means that the very qualities that we perceive in the world around us, all that is within them, owes its existence to this continuous act of Divine willing.
Why is this important?
Because it changes everything. It reframes our understanding of reality. It challenges us to see the world not as a self-sustaining entity, but as a manifestation of the Divine will.
Da'at Tevunot is adamant: "they and nothing within them has any matter of existence without Him." There's no independent existence. No autonomy. Everything is utterly dependent.
So, where does this leave us?
Perhaps with a renewed sense of awe and wonder. With a deeper appreciation for the fragility and the beauty of existence. And maybe, just maybe, with a greater awareness of the constant, underlying presence of the Divine in every single moment. It invites us to move beyond the surface of things, to look deeper, and to recognize the profound truth that everything is connected, everything is sustained, by the will of the One.
What if we lived each day remembering that? How might that change our actions, our perspectives, our very lives?