Guest Columnists
In The Beginning...

First there was G‑d.

And nothing else.

All of reality was filled with the Divine Presence.

Purely and wholly.

Then, with a burst of creative energy, everything changed.

In the beginning…….the simple Oneness, the unbroken serenity, was eclipsed by complexity, diversity and multiplicity.

Welcome to our world.

G‑d is no longer the only Face of reality.

The world is a jumble of competing and seemingly disconnected forces. So many distractions, so much static.

On its face, our world shouts that global oneness can't really exist; the implied message: "Just look out for 'Number One,' and the world will take care of itself."

Reality was turned upside down; from oneness to multiplicity, from wholeness to fracture.

Simple Oneness, unbroken serenity, was eclipsed by complexity, diversity and multiplicity.But beneath the façade, the oneness reality has never changed; it has simply receded, waiting to return to prominence.

We, conscious human beings, can re-activate the oneness reality. That is our destiny. Our privilege. And our duty.

When we look to the Torah and lead meaningful lives, we bring a clear and palpable oneness to the world; we show harmony within the multiplicity.

In a way, the world and its many objects are like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. The Torah is like the box top, showing us a picture of how a harmonious, connected world should look.

Every object I engage is another puzzle-piece. When I pick up that piece, I need to find its proper place in my life and in my world; I need to ascertain the meaning to be found in its existence, and give it the correct context.

That's how the world becomes one meaningful whole. Again.

'Wholeness' is a clear Torah objective; in Maimonides' words: The entire Torah was given to bring peace (wholeness) to the world.

Connectedness.