You can believe in one Creator and still not feel the meaning of that belief.
The Shema teaches the mind what to notice so the nervous system can begin to feel awe, pleasure, and love.
What does belief in one Creator mean?
“Listen, Israel: G-d [The Creator] is our Lord, G-d is one.”
According to Chassidus, belief in one Creator means more than believing that one Being created the universe.
It means that all of reality is an expression of one Divine Source.
This includes mystery, but every way of understanding reality includes mystery.
Believing that countless connected patterns of wisdom come from one infinite Wisdom is more reasonable than believing they appeared without a source.
That means the many parts of reality are not disconnected accidents.
They are different expressions of one wisdom behind them.
The world contains countless people, objects, forces, emotions, and experiences.
Each has its own form, character, and purpose, but they are not expressions of separate sources.
They are different expressions of one Creator.
No created form contains or defines the Creator Himself.
He is beyond every form, limit, and description.
Yet His wisdom, goodness, and desire can be recognized through the patterns of creation.
The One beyond everything is the same One we discover within everything.
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How does the mind open the way to spiritual pleasure?
But an expression can remain unnoticed.
The mind opens the way to spiritual pleasure because we can only feel the meaning of what we are willing to notice.
Meaning is not only an idea we understand.
It can become a real emotional experience: the sense that life is connected, guided, and part of something greater than us.
That felt sense of meaning is pleasurable.
The mind recognizes the connection, and the nervous system begins to feel that connection as real.
The Creator’s wisdom and goodness can be expressed throughout life, but we feel the pleasure of recognizing them only when we are willing to notice them, think about them, and take them seriously.
Deep thinking trains the mind to recognize the wisdom, goodness, and purpose being expressed through nature, Torah, relationships, meaningful events, unexpected help, and the unique design of each part of life.
The more we allow ourselves to notice, the more these patterns begin to connect.
**Meaning becomes pleasurable when the mind notices a deeper connection and the nervous system begins to feel that connection as real.**
As meaning becomes emotionally felt, recognizing the Creator stops being only a belief.
It becomes a source of pleasure, awe, and relationship.
This allows us to recognize two patterns of pleasure.
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What is the pleasure of Divine goodness taking form?
The first is the pleasure of Divine goodness taking form.
We experience this pleasure when the mind notices connected patterns of wisdom, goodness, and purpose, and their meaning becomes emotionally felt.
This can happen through nature, beauty, relationships, Torah, unexpected help, and the unique way each part of life has been designed.
When these patterns appear deeper, more connected, and more filled with purpose than we can fully understand, we begin to sense infinite wisdom being expressed through creation.
That awareness awakens awe.
We realize that the Infinite Creator is here right now, that His wisdom is greater than our understanding, and that our choices matter before Him.
Awe begins a relationship because the Creator is no longer only an explanation for why the universe exists.
His presence becomes personally important to the way we live.
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What is the pleasure of the Creator beyond every form?
The second pattern is the pleasure of recognizing that the Creator is infinitely beyond every form through which He is expressed.
No amount of wisdom, beauty, love, or goodness within creation can contain His true greatness.
There is pleasure in what can be understood.
There is also pleasure in recognizing that its Source will always be greater than anything the mind can understand.
The mind recognizes both the wisdom it can understand and the mystery that points beyond understanding.
The nervous system can then feel wonder, humility, and pleasure before a greatness that cannot be contained by thought.
At first, these can feel like two different pleasures.
One is the pleasure of recognizing the Creator through the forms and patterns of life.
The other is the pleasure of recognizing the unlimited Creator beyond every form and pattern.
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How does “G-d is one” lead from awe to love?
But the Shema says, “G-d is one.”
The wisdom expressed within creation and the infinite wisdom beyond creation are not two separate realities.
They are two patterns through which we experience one deeper pleasure: the pleasure of recognizing the one Creator.
That is why the next verse says, “And you shall love G-d.”
Awe tells us that the Creator is here, that He is infinitely greater than us, and that our choices matter before Him.
When we also recognize that His infinite wisdom expresses goodness and a desire for relationship, awe begins to awaken love.
The Creator is not only beyond everything.
He is also expressing His wisdom and goodness within the life we are living.
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Why does love include sadness and longing?
That love includes joy in the goodness already revealed.
That intimacy also includes sadness and longing because His goodness can always become more deeply revealed within us, within our relationships, and throughout the world.
The sadness does not oppose the love.
It can enhance the love.
Love appreciates the goodness already expressed, while longing desires to see that goodness expressed more openly and completely.
The more deeply we recognize His infinite wisdom and goodness, the more pleasure we feel in what is already expressed, and the more we desire to see His goodness revealed more openly.
Related guides:
Why is there so much suffering in the world if the Creator needs us and what is light a metaphor for? What happens in the world of souls? What does it mean the Creator has pleasure through creation?Questions people ask
What does “G-d is one” mean in the Shema?
According to Chassidus, it means more than believing that one Being created the universe. It means that all of reality is an expression of one Divine Source. The many parts of reality are not disconnected accidents. They are different expressions of one Creator, and the One beyond everything is the same One we discover within everything.
Why can I believe in G-d and still not feel it?
Because an expression of the Creator can remain unnoticed. We can only feel the meaning of what we are willing to notice, think about, and take seriously. This kind of noticing is an emotional skill. When the mind notices a deeper connection, the nervous system begins to feel that connection as real, and meaning becomes pleasurable.
How do awe and love for the Creator grow?
They grow through the emotional skills of deep thinking and noticing patterns. The mind learns to recognize wisdom, goodness, and purpose in nature, Torah, relationships, and unexpected help. When these patterns look deeper than we can fully understand, that awareness awakens awe. When we also recognize the Creator’s goodness and desire for relationship, awe begins to awaken love.
Can you love G-d and still feel sadness?
Yes. That love includes joy in the goodness already revealed. It also includes sadness and longing, because His goodness can always become more deeply revealed within us, within our relationships, and throughout the world. The sadness does not oppose the love. It can enhance the love, because longing desires to see that goodness expressed more openly.
Explore the NextSelf Blog. Start with this post explaining the world of souls. And my Youtube.
The blog lists all the difference patterns to study, understanding patterns is how one can develop 'Daas' [felt knowing].
Update: As awe, trust, and love deepen, they can allow greater openness and intimacy with the Creator. That intimacy can include sadness when you notice how much more of His goodness can be revealed.