It is the word people use for the Creator of the universe, the One Cause behind all existence.
“If everything that exists were dependent on something else for existence, nothing would ever exist.” — Maimonides
But the belief is deeper than a title.
Is the Creator a cold force or a conscious Giver?
According to Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov, the Creator is not a cold force, an abstract energy, or an unconscious source.
He has intelligence, free choice, and a desire that giving should happen.
That is why the physical world matters.
Healthy giving in this world gives Him pleasure, while Chassidus explains that His pleasure does not create change in Him, because the Creator is beyond change.
From the side of creation, our goodness matters to Him.
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How does awe begin a relationship with the Creator?
The Alter Rebbe explains that relationship with the Creator begins when a person feels awe.
Awe causes love to be felt when you trust He is good and that intimacy can include sadness because His goodness can always be more revealed,
Awe includes fear before His greatness as it means our choices matter, humility, and wonder that the Infinite Creator chooses to relate to a physical world.
That is the emotional depth of kingship.
Not that the Creator is limited to being King.
Kingship is how a person psychologically stands in relationship with Him.
You’ve got to think about His greatness to feel awe, like how we are each a unique character in His endless story and have free choice, our choices decide how much others will trust us and how much intimacy we experience.
Deeper joy and love is felt after awe.
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Why is the Creator beyond every description?
Chabad Chassidus, as explained by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, teaches that the Creator is not trapped inside the descriptions we use for Him.
He is not limited to kingship, wisdom, or understanding.
Those are ways He relates to creation.
They are not what He is.
The Creator is beyond every description, and still chooses to be in relationship with the world He creates.
And that people should demand more revealed goodness from Him while developing the mindset that “I’m here to be a channel for goodness.”
Opposite powers peacefully coexisting through free choice hint to a deeper reality: The Creator is One.
That’s how the lowest world describes the Creators Essence.
When people learn to relate through compassionate boundaries and humility, differences no longer have to create division.
They become expressions of a deeper Oneness.
The Lord be One, and His Name One from a human perspective.
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Why does appreciation help your nervous system?
“Awe and love deepen when you express appreciation.” – Based on King Davids Book of Psalms
It’s healthy for the nervous system to express appreciation to the infinite Creator if you trust He is good.
Life feels more meaningful when you feel deeper awe, that’s healthy for the mind and body.
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Can the Infinite Creator be felt in the physical world?
The Baal Shem Tov’s life was not only remembered through books.
Towns in Ukraine still carry stories of his miracles through physical landmarks, like wellsprings.
Chassidus does not teach that the Creator is far from the physical world.
It teaches that the Infinite Creator can be felt here too, in the physical world becoming a place where His goodness is revealed.
Many people think they are choosing physical pleasure over spirituality. Often they are choosing the only form of comfort they can still feel.
Trauma built into creation caused intense numbness for everyone.
The Baal Shem Tov taught: The fact a person remains alive by the end of a prayer is a miracle.
When one feels: “when i’m with you, i desire nothing on earth’, the soul should leave the body in divine ecstasy.
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Did your soul agree to its mission before this world?
A lot of Chassidus is built on foundations discussed by Rabbeinu Bachya ibn Pakuda.
He teaches that every soul agreed to its mission before entering this world.
Life is not random; each soul arrives with a purpose.
“The word “God” became so familiar that people forget it is only a description.”
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Related guides:
Adam and Eve revealed the emotional work humanity was created to finish: Humanity becomes a co-partner in creation
Why the Jewish faith beliefs through Chabad Chassidus are healthier for the nervous system then all other belief structures, including Atheism and Buddhism
: Beliefs are not only an idea in your mind
Rav Shach misguided more than 100k orthodox jewish people: Rav Shach and Chabad Chassidus
Psychology of prayer explained
: Emotional numbness is often not emptiness
Psychology of free choice explained
: Free will is not what people think it is
Why is suffering built into creation? Psychology explained
: The Infinite Creator wants creation to be full of revealed goodness
Healthy spirituality helps you feel that your personality matters, which gives you more inner strength to practice compassion, boundaries, and self-forgiveness.
And trusting The Creator is good, means physical suffering is not the deepest reality.
In the world of souls, there is no physical suffering; you feel emotions, you continue as the personality you built here, some souls (your consciousness) have shame and loneliness to face, and some feel more connected, you move through thought. – Based on Chabad Chassidus
The 6th Chabad Rebbe said you can’t tell how ‘frum’ someone is, [how much awe they feel,] by how they look.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe ‘basically’ said his 70k+ pages of original teachings were all a commentary on the teachings of the 6th Rebbe who is the leader for the generation before the Messianic era because his teachings guide us on how to better our personalities.
Questions people ask
Why does awe come before love in a relationship with G-d?
The Alter Rebbe explains that relationship with the Creator begins when a person feels awe. Awe includes fear before His greatness, humility, and wonder that the Infinite Creator relates to a physical world. The emotional skill is attention: you think about His greatness, and deeper joy and love are felt after awe.
Does the Creator change when we do good in this world?
Chassidus explains that His pleasure does not create change in Him, because the Creator is beyond change. Still, from the side of creation, our goodness matters to Him, and healthy giving gives Him pleasure. That is why the physical world matters and why the emotional skill of generous giving is practiced here.
Why do people choose physical pleasure over spirituality?
Many people think they are choosing physical pleasure over spirituality. Often they are choosing the only form of comfort they can still feel, because trauma built into creation caused intense numbness for everyone. The emotional skill this calls for is compassion, the same inner strength the article says helps people practice self-forgiveness.
How can differences between people stop creating division?
When people learn to relate through compassionate boundaries and humility, differences no longer have to create division. They become expressions of a deeper Oneness. Opposite powers peacefully coexisting through free choice hint that the Creator is One, so boundaries and humility are the emotional skills this asks of us.
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.