Hashem is IN

2. For the Jew must always focus on the inner intelligence of every matter, and bind himself to the wisdom and inner intelligence that is to be found in each thing. This, so that the intelligence which is in each thing may enlighten him, that he may draw closer to God through that thing. For the inner intelligence is a great light that shines for a person in all his ways. As it is written (Ecclesiastes 8:1), “A person’s wisdom causes his countenance to shine.”

2. Now, one must also know that “[God’s] Glory fills the whole world” (Isaiah 6:3), and there is no place empty of Him (Tikkuney Zohar #57, p.91b). He fills all worlds and surrounds all worlds (Zohar III, 225a). Thus, even someone who does business with non-Jews cannot excuse himself by saying, “It’s impossible to serve God because of the spiritual insensitivity and materialism” to which he always succumbs as a result of his being constantly involved with them.

Our Sages have already revealed to us that Godliness is to be found in all corporeality and in all the languages of the nations. For without His Godliness, they have no life-force or existence whatsoever. As is written, “You keep them all alive” (Nehemiah 9:6). It is just that this life-force and Godliness are there in a very contracted and limited manner: only enough to ensure its existence, to keep it alive and no more. For the Holy One contracted His Godliness through numerous and various contractions—from the very beginning of thought until the center point of the corporeal world, which is the abode of the evil forces. And the more His Godliness descends and the more it contracts, the more it becomes clothed there in many additional garments.

This is as our Sages revealed, opening a way for us so that the discerning will know and understand that all corporeal things have His Godliness and His life-force in them. As our Sages said: Tat in Coptic means two, pat in Afriki means two (Menachot 34b), indicating that every one of the nations’ languages contains His Godliness, which is what gives it life.

This is as is brought in the Jerusalem Talmud (Taanit 1:1): If anyone should ask you, “Where is your God?” answer him, “In the great city of Rome.” As it is said, “One calls to Me from Seir” (Isaiah 21:11).

We see, then, that this person who asked “Where is your God?” is certainly immersed in the abode of the evil forces. For he has disassociated himself from the community and denied God’s existence, saying: “Where is your God?” He supposes that there, where he is, there is no God. Therefore, answer him, “Even where you are! You are immersed in the abode of the evil forces, yet, there too you can find His Godliness.” This is because He gives life to everything, as in, “You keep them all alive.” And from there, you can attach yourself to God and return to Him in complete repentance. For “it is not remote from you” (Deuteronomy 30:11), just that there, where you are, the garments have multiplied.

Yet, the more a person goes from level to level, the more he draws closer to God and can know Him with greater understanding. This is because the higher the level, the fewer the garments and the less the contraction. Then, he is closer to God and can love Him with an exceptional love.

we saw the Nephilim there—the Anakites are part of the Nephilim—and we looked like grasshoppers to ourselves, and so we must have looked to them.”