What is God?

 

The Oneness of God in Judaism: A Vision of Ultimate Unity

Deuteronomy 6:4 proclaims one of the most central tenets of Judaism: "Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad." ("Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord is One.") This declaration is more than a simple assertion of monotheism. It reveals a profound understanding of God’s absolute oneness and the fundamental truth that there is nothing that exists apart from God. In the Jewish mystical tradition of Kabbalah, this concept is deepened, illustrating that God is not just one in number, but is all that there is, and that everything else is an extension or manifestation of God’s infinite light and will.

The Oneness of God: He is Existence Itself

In Deuteronomy 6:4, the statement that “God is one” (Echad) is often interpreted in Jewish philosophy to mean that God is a unity that transcends all divisions. This is not just numerical oneness, but a unity that pervades everything. God is not one being among many or a separate entity within the universe. Instead, God is existence itself, the underlying reality that sustains all things. This concept resonates with the Jewish teaching that God’s name, YHVH, relates to the Hebrew verb for "being" or "existence," meaning that God is the source of all being and existence itself.

In this view, nothing truly exists outside of God. Everything that appears to exist—whether the material world, spiritual realities, or even human perception—is but a manifestation of God’s presence and will. Everything is an expression of God’s oneness, and all separateness is, in a sense, an illusion.

This idea leads to a radical monism, where there is no real distinction between God and creation. Creation is not something outside of God but rather a revelation of God's infinite power and will. The diversity and multiplicity of the world are not separations from God but different facets of His one, undivided essence.

Ein Sof: The Infinite Light of The Creator

In the Jewish mystical tradition of Kabbalah, God is referred to as the Ein Sof—meaning “without end” or “infinite.” The term represents God as an infinite, unknowable, and transcendent being. According to Kabbalistic teaching, the world as we perceive it emerged from the infinite light of the Ein Sof through a process of emanation. Before any creation, there was only this endless light, which was in a state of perfect unity, without division, differentiation, or separation.

From this infinite light, God initiated creation through a process of tzimtzum (contraction), withdrawing His infinite light to create the space where finite reality could emerge. However, even after this process, the light of the Ein Sof remains present in all things, subtly sustaining their existence. Everything that exists—whether physical or spiritual—is merely a differentiated form of this infinite light. Thus, even the apparent multiplicity in the world is united in the oneness of God’s light, and all creation is part of God’s infinite essence.

The Illusion of Separateness: Expressions of God's Will

In Kabbalistic thought, the multiplicity and diversity we see in the world—the existence of separate beings, objects, and even the experience of time and space—are ultimately expressions of God’s will. They are not truly separate from Him but are reflections or projections of His infinite light.

This leads to a crucial realization: the separateness we experience is, in a sense, an illusion, for nothing can exist independently of God. The world is a dynamic revelation of God’s will, and everything in existence is sustained by His constant hashgacha (divine providence). The world may appear fragmented, but at its core, it is perfectly unified within God’s oneness.

Evil as Part of God’s Plan: Humanity and Free Will

One of the most challenging aspects of this concept of oneness is the existence of evil. If God is all that exists and is the source of all, how can evil exist? In Jewish thought, evil is not a force outside of God or in opposition to Him. Rather, evil itself is a manifestation of God’s will—albeit one that is necessary for the fulfillment of the divine plan.

Kabbalah teaches that the presence of evil is necessary for free will and moral growth. The existence of evil allows for the possibility of human beings to choose between good and evil, and thus participate in the divine process of tikkun olam (repairing the world). In this way, even evil serves a divine purpose: it creates the contrast necessary for goodness to be recognized and chosen. Through overcoming evil, humanity can reaffirm the unity and kingship of God over all existence.

Evil, then, is not a true contradiction to God’s oneness. It exists as part of the grand design, meant to challenge humanity and elevate creation. When humans work together with God, overcoming evil through acts of goodness, justice, and love, they are actively restoring the perception of divine unity in the world. This process not only repairs the world but also expresses God’s sovereignty, as His will is manifested even through what seems like opposition.

The Sovereignty of God’s Will: Oneness and Kingship

The oneness of God is not just a metaphysical reality but also a theological one. It expresses God’s sovereignty over all creation. Because everything that exists is a manifestation of God’s will, God is sovereign over all things—nothing can occur outside His divine plan. His will permeates the entire universe, and even the forces that seem to oppose goodness and order are ultimately subject to His authority.

The Jewish concept of malkhut (kingship) symbolizes God’s rule over the universe, but it also signifies the process by which God’s unity is revealed in the world. The existence of diversity, multiplicity, and even evil does not detract from God’s oneness but rather serves as the means through which God’s kingship is expressed. God’s oneness manifests through His complete dominion over every aspect of reality, and through human actions aligned with divine will, the fragmented world can be restored to a full recognition of its essential unity in God.

Conclusion: Unity, Oneness, and the Kingdom of God

The fundamental Jewish belief in the oneness of God, as expressed in Deuteronomy 6:4, encapsulates a vision of ultimate reality in which there is no existence outside of God. All of creation is an extension or expression of God's will, emanating from the infinite light of the Ein Sof, and though we experience the world as fragmented, it is united in God’s essence. Which is ultimately on the path to perfect unity of all illusionary fragmentations. The illusion of separateness being overcome little by little by a continual revelation of God’s Oneness.  

Even the existence of evil and suffering plays a role in this divine plan, providing the opportunity for humanity to participate in the restoration of divine unity through acts of righteousness (repairing the world). The oneness of God manifests not only in His existence as the source of all things but also in His sovereignty and kingship over every aspect of creation, including the forces that seem opposed to Him. By working with God to overcome evil and repair the world (Tikkun Olam), humanity plays a role in expressing and revealing the ultimate oneness and kingship of God over all. And in this we come to realize that God, as existence itself, is all that there is. In this process humanity ultimately “Crowns God as King” over our lives and our free wills. This realization and submission of our will brings about the Kingdom of God.