Kabbalah is certainly not the only science ever to research Nature’s hidden forces that operate our world behind the scenes. According to The Encyclopedia Britannica, “Newton’s theory of mechanics, known as classical mechanics, accurately represented the effects of forces under all conditions known in his time. …the theory has since been modified and expanded by the theories of quantum mechanics and relativity.” [16] In other words, to make a gross generalization, in the 20th century science was no longer satisfied with Newton’s theory because it was insufficient to explain all of Nature’s observed phenomena.
In the second half of the 20th century, scientists realized that the new theories, too, fell short of explaining all of Nature’s phenomena. This prompted a search for a Grand Unified Theory (GUT). “The dream of theorists [in physics],” according to The Encyclopedia Britannica, “Is to find a totally unified theory—a theory of everything, or TOE.” [17]
In what seems like a parallel to the quest for the TOE, many prominent theoretical physicists have begun to posit that at the most fundamental level, we—and all parts of reality—are actually one. Pioneering theoretical physicist Werner Heisenberg said, “There is a fundamental error in separating the parts from the whole, the mistake of atomizing what should not be atomized. Unity and complementarity constitute reality.” [18]
Heisenberg’s contemporary and fellow founder of quantum physics, Erwin Schrödinger, stated in his essay “The Mystic Vision,” “The plurality that we perceive is only an appearance; it is not real.” [19] Even the great Albert Einstein, in a letter dated 1950, declared, “A human being is part of the whole called by us universe. ...We experience ourselves, our thoughts, and feelings as something separate from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of consciousness.” [20]
Yet, proving that all parts of reality are manifestations of a single whole, or developing a TOE that applies to all parts of reality, would require a paradigm that works on all levels of life—physical, mental, and intellectual. And here, physicists are out of their purview. Even the most cutting edge theoretical physicists cannot explain all of Nature’s observed phenomena.
In particular, a complete explanation of the phenomenon called “consciousness” eludes scientists of all fields. However, consciousness is not only present, but invariably affects the results of scientific experiments. In that regard, Dr. Johnston Laurance, former director at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, published the following statement in an online essay titled, “Objective Science: an Inherent Oxymoron”: “All scientific observation—even at the most fundamental level—is affected by the observer’s consciousness. In this regard, the statement ‘I’ll see it when I believe it,’ is more apropos than its commonly stated converse. Numerous studies have shown that consciousness exerts a significant influence on many different endpoints, ranging from bacterial growth to the outcomes of heart patients.” [21]
In that essay, Dr. Laurance quoted several other scientists and thinkers who share that view, such as 19th century neurologist Jean Martin Charcot, considered the founder of modern neurology: “In the last analysis, we see only what we are ready to see, what we have been taught to see. We eliminate and ignore everything that is not part of our prejudices.”
Thus, if scientific observation affects, distorts, or altogether eliminates the phenomenon being observed, how can science ever be considered 100 percent accurate? Moreover, can any phenomenon be fully understood if at least one key factor of influence—consciousness—is not subject to study and observation?
This is where philosophy steps in to complement science and fill in the gaps of uncertainty. Many great thinkers have done this by expressing the concept of “the oneness of reality.” Zeno of Citium, the great 4th century BC Greek philosopher, stated, “ All things are parts of one single system, which is called Nature.” [22]
Similarly, German philosopher and mathematician, W.G. Leibniz, expressed himself thus in The Philosophical Writings of Leibnitz: “Reality cannot be found except in One single source, because of the interconnection of all things with one another.” [23]
Certainly, it would be very nice to believe in this perfect picture of oneness, unity, and interconnection among all things. But as eloquent as philosophers may be, a genuine seeker of truth would hardly accept an idea merely because it “sounds” beautiful or true. At the end of the day, the only truly valid test for a theory or concept is one’s personal experience.
After all, what seems valid and true for one may seem completely false to another. If you project a ray of light through a prism, it will separate the light into all the colors of the rainbow. But if the person you show it to is a monochromat (totally colorblind), it will make no difference what names you give to those shades of gray that he or she will see. To that person, they will all be grays. Similarly, as right as physicists and philosophers may be in their observations on the oneness and indivisibility of reality, to accept this oneness as fact, people must experience it for themselves.
While experiencing the oneness of reality may sound mystical to many, the above quotes prove that many proponents of this view are revered scientists, some even Nobel laureates. In fact, the need for a more complete and uniform picture of reality did not arise with the advent of quantum physics, or even with Einstein. Back in 1879, English chemist and physicist, William Crookes, declared, “We have actually touched the borderland where matter and force seem to merge into one another ... I venture to think that the greatest scientific problems of the future will find their solution in this borderland, and even beyond; here, it seems to me, lie ultimate realities, subtle, far-reaching, wonderful.” [24]
Indeed, through my search in science in general, and in Kabbalah in particular, I discovered that Crookes’ intuition was dead on, because as I explained above, Kabbalah observes the end goal first, and from there explains the structure. And because reality is the vehicle by which to achieve this goal, Kabbalah is inherently a Grand Unified Theory, a Theory of Everything, allowing us to both understand the full scope of reality and to actually experience its oneness.
The Harbinger from Babylon
Before we delve into the principles of this Grand (and indeed) Unified Theory called Kabbalah, we should first understand how it originated and give due credit to its “progenitor.” Let us, for a moment, journey back through time to ancient Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilization. Roughly four thousand years ago, situated within a vast and fertile stretch of land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in what today is Iraq, a city-state called Babel played host to a flourishing civilization. Bustling with life and action, it was the trade center of the entire ancient world.
Babel, the heart of the dynamic civilization we now call “ancient Babylon,” was a melting pot and the ideal setting for numerous belief systems and teachings. Its people practiced idol worship of many kinds, and among the most revered people in Babel was a priest named Abraham, who was a local authority in the practice of idol worship, as was his father, Terah.
However, Abraham had a very special quality: he was unusually perceptive, and like all great scientists, he had a zeal for the truth. The great 12th century scholar, Maimonides (also known as the RAMBAM), described Abraham's determination and efforts to discover life’s truths in his book, The Mighty Hand: “Ever since this firm one was weaned, he began to wonder. ...He began to ponder day and night, and he wondered how it was possible for this wheel to always turn without a driver? Who is turning it, for it cannot turn itself? And he had neither a teacher nor a tutor. Instead, he was wedged in Ur of the Chaldeans among illiterate idol worshippers, with his mother and father and all the people worshipping stars, and he—worshipping with them.” [25]
In his quest, Abraham learned what lies beyond the borderland that Crookes described so many centuries later. He found the unity, the oneness of reality that Heisenberg, Schrödinger, Einstein, Leibniz, and others intuitively sensed. In Maimonides’ words, “He [Abraham] attained the path of truth and understood the line of justice with his own correct wisdom. And he knew that there is one God there who leads…, and that He has created everything, and that in all that there is, there is no other God but Him.” [26]
(To interpret these excerpts correctly, it is important to note that when Kabbalists speak of God, they do not mean it in the religious sense of the word—as an almighty being that you must worship, please, and appease, which in return rewards devout believers with health, wealth, long life, or all of the above. Instead, Kabbalists identify God with Nature, the whole of Nature. The most unequivocal statements on the meaning of the term, “God,” were made by Baal HaSulam, whose writings explain that God is synonymous with Nature.
For example, in his essay, “The Peace,” he writes (in a slightly edited excerpt), “To avoid having to use both tongues from now on—Nature and a Supervisor—between which, as I have shown, there is no difference…it is best for us to…accept the words of the Kabbalists that HaTeva (The Nature) is the same…as Elokim (God). Then, I will be able to call the laws of God ‘Nature’s commandments,’ and vice-versa, for they are one and the same, and we need not discuss it further.”) [27]
“At forty years of age,” writes Maimonides, “Abraham came to know his Maker,” the single law of Nature, which creates all things. But Abraham did not keep it to himself: “he began to provide answers to the people of Ur of the Chaldeans and to converse with them and to tell them that the path on which they were walking was not the path of truth.” [28] Alas, like Galileo after him, and many other great forerunners throughout history, Abraham was confronted by the establishment, which in his case was Nimrod, king of Babel.
Midrash Rabbah, an ancient text written by Hebrew sages in the 5th century C.E., presents a vivid description of Abraham's confrontation with Nimrod, as well as an amusing peek into Abraham's fervor. “Terah [Abraham's father] was an idol worshipper [who also made his living building and selling statues at the family shop]. Once, he went to a certain place and told Abraham to sit in for him. A man walked in and wanted to buy a statue. He [Abraham] asked him, ‘How old are you?’ And the man replied, ‘Fifty or Sixty.’ Abraham told him: ‘Woe unto he who is sixty and must worship a day-old statue.’ The man was ashamed and left.
“Another time, a woman came in with a bowl of semolina. She told him, ‘Here, sacrifice before the statues.’ Abraham rose, took a hammer, broke all the statues, and placed the hammer in the hands of the biggest one. When his father came, he asked him, ‘Who did this to them?’ He [Abraham] replied, ‘A woman came and brought them a bowl of semolina, and told me to sacrifice before them. I sacrificed, and one said, ‘I will eat first,’ and the other said, ‘I will eat first.’ The bigger one rose, took the hammer, and broke them.’ His father said, ‘Are you fooling me? What do they know?’ And Abraham replied, ‘Do your ears hear what your mouth is saying?’” [29]
At that point, Terah felt that he could no longer discipline his impertinent son. “He [Terah] took him [Abraham] and handed him over to Nimrod [who was not only king of Babel, but also proficient in the local practices and beliefs]. He [Nimrod] told him, ‘Worship the fire.’ Abraham responded, ‘Should I worship the water, which quenches the fire?’ Nimrod replied, ‘Worship the water!’ He told him: ‘Then, should I worship the cloud, which carries the water?’ He told him, ‘Worship the cloud!’
“He [Abraham] told him: ‘In that case, should I worship the wind, which disperses the clouds?’ He told him, ‘Worship the wind!’ He [Abraham] told him, ‘And should we worship man, who suffers the wind?’ He [Nimrod] told him: ‘You speak too much; I worship only the fire. I will throw you in it, and let the God that you worship come and save you from it!
“Haran [Abraham's brother] stood there. He said, ‘In any case, if Abraham wins, I will say that I agree with Abraham, and if Nimrod wins, I will say that I agree with Nimrod.’ Since Abraham descended to the furnace and was saved, they told him [Haran], ‘Whom are you with?’ He told them: ‘I am with Abraham.’ They took him and threw him in the fire, and he died in the presence of his father. Thus it was said, ‘And Haran died in the presence of his father Terah.’” [30]
Thus, Abraham successfully withstood Nimrod, but was expelled from Babylon and left for the land of Haran (pronounced Charan, to distinguish it from Haran, Terah’s son). But Abraham, the harbinger from Babylon, did not stop circulating his discovery just because he was exiled from Babylon. Maimonides’ elaborate descriptions tell us, “He began to call out to the whole world, to alert them that there is one God to the whole world... He was calling out, wandering from town to town and from kingdom to kingdom, until he arrived in the land of Canaan…
“And since they [people in the places he wandered to] gathered around him and asked him about his words, he taught everyone… until he brought them back to the path of truth. Finally, tens of thousands assembled around him, and they are the people of the house of Abraham. He planted this tenet in their hearts, composed books on it, and taught his son, Isaac. And Isaac sat and taught and warned, and informed Jacob and appointed him a teacher, to sit and teach... And Jacob the Patriarch taught all his sons, and separated Levi and appointed him as the head, and had him sit and learn the way of God…” [31]
To guarantee that the truth would carry through the generations, Abraham “commanded his sons not to stop appointing appointee after appointee from among the sons of Levi, so the knowledge would not be forgotten. This continued and expanded in the children of Jacob and in those accompanying them.” [32]
The astounding result of Abraham's efforts was the birth of a nation that knew the deepest laws of life, the ultimate Theory of Everything: “And a nation that knows the Creator was made in the world.” [33]
Indeed, Israel is not merely a name of a people. In Hebrew, the word, Israel (Ysrael) consists of two words: Yashar (straight), and El (God). Israel designates a mindset of wanting to discover life’s law, the Creator. Put differently, Israel is not a genetic ascription or attribution; it is rather the name, or direction of the desire that drove Abraham to his discoveries. Genetically, the first Israelites were mostly Babylonians, as well as members of other nations who joined Abraham's group. This was obvious to the ancient Israelites. As Maimonides wrote, they had their teachers, the Levis, and they were taught to follow life’s essential laws.
Today, however, we are unaware of the fact that “Israel” refers to the desire to know life’s basic law, the Creator, and not to a genetic lineage. Nearly 2,000 years of concealment of the truth, since the ruin of the Second Temple, has practically obliterated the truth that Kabbalah—the science that teaches Nature’s (God’s) unity—is for all the people in the world, just as Abraham intended it for all the people in Babel, and later “Began to call out to the whole world,” as described by Maimonides.
Through the years, only Kabbalists kept this truth alive. Kabbalists such as Elimelech of Lizhensk [34], Shlomo Ephraim Luntschitz [35], Chaim ibn Attar [36], Baruch Ashlag [37] and many other great Kabbalists wrote in plain words: Ysrael means Yashar El (Israel means straight to God).
Moreover, the need to discover this force, which we will describe in the following chapters, is as pertinent today as ever. Nothing has changed in Nature since Abraham's time, and the law of unity and oneness is still the one force that creates, governs, and sustains life.
In fact, today, our need to know it is more pertinent than ever because in Abraham's time, humanity had numerous roads from which to disperse, and ample land to inhabit. Today, however, we have a global community, and every crisis is on a global scale. The mistakes we make take their toll on the whole world. Abraham's discovery helps us add life’s force into our calculations and plans, which makes it paramount, life-saving information.
The force that Abraham discovered and described to his students is the very force that drove Napoleon to conquer more than he could rule, and which is still driving China to globalize, instead of isolate. Yet, this force is also behind the voices that hail protectionism and separation. In a global world, protectionism could spell the end of our civilization. Our only hope is to unite, because unity is the direction of the force that drives all of life. Our challenge, therefore, is to learn how to unite. It is possible and plausible, but in a time of crisis, it will require recognizing life’s force and generating a mutual effort to cooperate and collaborate, to live by this law’s dictates.