The mystics of old grappled with this feeling on a cosmic scale. How did the universe, and everything within it, come into being? What allows it to continue existing, moment by moment? It's a question that delves into the very heart of Jewish thought.
The text we're exploring today, from Da'at Tevunot, a work of profound Jewish philosophy, offers a powerful and surprisingly intimate answer. It all boils down to the Divine will.
The core idea is that everything that exists, everything "innovated" from God, is sustained only by His direct will. It’s a radical thought, isn’t it? That existence itself isn't some inherent property, but rather a continuous act of Divine intention. Da'at Tevunot emphasizes that God's will and decree are the very "place" for all that exists. Without that will, there would be no place, no possibility of existence at all.
Think of it like this: imagine a potter and his clay. The clay has no inherent form until the potter wills it, shapes it, and gives it purpose. Similarly, creation has no inherent existence until God wills it into being.
This leads to a crucial distinction. God, may His name be blessed, is undeniably pre-existent. He precedes all creation. But, and this is important, His creation is not pre-existent. Why is this distinction so vital? Because it refutes the heretical notion (as the text delicately puts it) that if God is eternal, then the universe must also be eternal. The text is pushing against the idea that the universe is some kind of automatic consequence of God’s existence.
Until God willed and decreed creation, there was simply no "place" for it to exist. According to His existence, the creations have no argument (against Him). They are not according to the engraved rule of the nature of man; rather, He alone must exist out of necessity and nothing other than Him. This is straightforward.
It’s a subtle but profound point. Creation isn't some logical necessity flowing from God's being. It's an act of pure, unadulterated will. HE WILLED IT. And because He willed it, creation has a place. Not otherwise.
We find that when He decreed this, He gave a place for all of the constructions that He made after that.
So, what does this mean for us, here and now? If existence is rooted in Divine will, then perhaps our own sense of belonging, our own sense of having a "place" in the world, is also tied to aligning ourselves with that will. It's a call to consider our purpose, our intentions, and the ways in which we contribute to the ongoing act of creation.
Perhaps, just perhaps, finding our place in the cosmos means recognizing that it was always, and will always be, a gift—a gift born from the boundless will of the Divine.