Greater Than the Sum of Our Parts

Whenever I am with a group of people, an individual or posting on a social media site the conversation seems to eventually turn to current events and the human condition. One of the most frequently asked questions during these sessions is “Why can’t we humans seem to get our act together and learn to get along with one another?” It seems like a relatively simple question that should have a relatively simple answer.

Human beings have been the dominant species on planet earth for hundreds of thousands of years and beginning since the post-deluge Biblical period have organized ourselves into various levels of civilization for at least 6000 years or more. It would seem that by the 21st Century CE we should have at least learned to stop this petty bickering that ends up leading to minor conflicts or major wars. Alas, the truth is we have become either more sophisticated in our means of destruction, or on the other end of the scale, we are willing to have “peace” at any price.

What is the cause of this dilemma? How can we, once and for all, escape this merry-go-round? The answer to the question may not be comforting to some, but when viewed from the perspective I will be setting forth in my following mind-musings, I believe it to be enlightening, needed and truthful.

This 3-dimensional plane of existence and the planet we call Earth is a training ground of experiences for the spirit. To the futurists and Star Trek enthusiasts who think otherwise, my apologizes, but this planet and all who dwell on it will always be experiencing some kind of upheaval and change until Mashiach comes to it and establishes forever the rule of HaShem. It is built into the very fabric of this particular physical universe we presently inhabit. Since all of what we know as humanity derives its physical substance from this universe, then it is inevitable that, it too, will experience varying degrees of upheaval and change.

The key is in understanding where our true identity lies. It is in this knowledge that the freedom and empowerment we long for can be found. The chaos may continue but we can be less affected by it when an understanding of our true selves is embraced. The age-old question has gone something like this, “are we nothing more than the cohesion and mystical workings of the millions of cells that compose our physical bodies, sending thousands of electrical charges pulsating through the synapses of the human brain? Or, perhaps we are what we feel, the emotions and impulses that pull us in many different directions?” Either one of these explanations would certainly explain the constant shift in human events. Or, would it?

I propose that we are neither of these two limited options. We are something far greater than the sum of our parts. We are eternal spirits created in the image and likeness of Adonai Eloheynu with limitless possibilities for experiencing growth and good. How can we "tap into" that unlimited possibilities? HaShem has provided the key; meditating on His Torah day and night, following the commandments found in this eternal life-changing blessing from Adonai while giving Him all the praise and glory for his unfailing mercy and love to us.

The problem is not with what we are but with what, or who, we believe ourselves to be.