by Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh

Our sages refer to the Divine attribute of "truth" as the "seal" of God in creation. Just as an artist signs his name on a painting, so does God "sign" Himself on every element of reality with the attribute of truth. This Divine "signature" is the eternal impression of God's presence and providence. Truly, God and His providence are omnipresent.

God creates the world with love. He works miracles with mercy. He makes His presence and providence known to creation with truth.

We are taught that Divine providence--the "eyes" of God--watches over and determines the immediate and long-term fate of even the tiniest element of creation. It is Divine providence which gauges and regulates the pulse of life within every living being, endowing life with continuity.

There are two levels of awareness with regard to Divine providence. One is the recognition of God's concern for the fate of each of His creations. The second is the infinitely greater recognition of how the individual fate of each and every creature advances God's universal purpose. Every event in the cosmos--from the microcosm to the macrocosm--is intricately intertwined. They all contribute to the fulfillment of God's ultimate purpose: "to make for Him a dwelling place below." It is only when this--the lowest--level of reality recognizes the transcendent light that permeates the universe, and thus becomes a part of that light, that God's presence can come to "dwell" among us. [see: footnote # 2]

In Psalms we find: "Your judgments reach into the abyss, to man and animal You will bring salvation, God. [see: footnote # 3]

Footnote # 2

This ultimate consciousness of Divine providence is displayed by the tzadik, the righteous one of Israel. In each generation there is one tzadik who, by virtue of his completely rectified state of consciousness, is "the foundation of the world."

The closer one is to the tzadik of the generation, the greater is one's level of consciousness with regard to Divine providence, especially that which is revealed in one?s own life.

With regard to non-Jewish souls without conscious connection to the tzadik (and Israel, in this context, can be seen as the tzadik of the world as a whole), the Divine providence watching over them is hardly visible. In this state, that which they experience as providence "reaches" them only after passing through many intermediate spiritual levels.

Footnote # 3

This verse is understood by our sages as a reference to God's individual providence over all of creation. In Kabbalah it is taught that salvation is brought to the world when "animal" connects to "man." The terms "animal" and "man" are relative. Ultimately, "man" refers to "the tzadik, the foundation of the generation," for his consciousness is complete and "true." All other souls (both Jewish and non-Jewish) are varying levels of "animal."

Just as "man" directs "animal," guiding it to fulfill and actualize its inner potential, so does the tzadik, the "man" of the generation, the one who is consummately conscious of God's purpose in creation, give a sense of direction in life to all those that connect to him. He is God's great "emissary" to the world. It is he who can reveal to every member of his generation his Divinely ordained task in life.

Thus, here again we see that the thirst of the non-Jewish soul for salvation can only be quenched by clinging to the soul of Israel, in particular to "the tzadik, the foundation of the generation." The tzadik is in truth the visible "seal" of God in creation, to whom the eyes of all creatures should be uplifted (in order to witness Divine providence--the "eyes" of God--in all avenues of life).