טבע (Teva) is the Hebrew word for nature, which signifies a reality where the Divine life-force and the continuous miracles of creation are submerged or concealed, presenting a facade of independent, natural existence.
Etymology
The Hebrew word for nature, טבע (teva), has several related meanings based on its root (ט-ב-ע).
One meaning is "to be submerged," as in the verse tub’u bayam(טובעו בים), "submerged in the sea."[1] The analogy is that the Divine radiance and life become garbed and concealed by the physicality of the world, just as a stone is covered by water without any change occurring to the stone itself.[2]
A second meaning is derived from the word for a coin (מטבע, matbe'a) or the act of stamping (טוֹבֵע, tove'a). The Mishnah states that "the supreme King of kings... stamped (טָבַע) all people with the seal of Adam the first man."[3] In this sense, 'nature' refers to the Divine life that is stamped upon and controls the world.
A third meaning, explained in the Tanya, is that 'nature' is an applied term for how the Creator endowed (hit-bi-a, הטביע) the universe with the ability to come into being ex nihilo.[4] This refers primarily to the Divine life-force (Chayus HaEloki) that is embedded within creation to keep it alive.
Definition
From Judaism’s perspective, reality’s true nature is hidden, and one must "dive in" to appreciate the wondrous world concealed beneath its surface. This leads people to take nature at face value, without looking beyond its facade to ascertain its deeper substance and significance.
Concealment in Creation
In order to create the world, the Creator contracted and hid His presence in a process known as צמצום(Tzimtzum). This created a virtual veil of separation between the Creator and creation, allowing the universe to experience itself as possessing an independent existence. This concealment is compared to a great sage who must limit and conceal the depth of an idea to communicate it to a student of a far lesser intellectual level.[5]
The Divine force of concealment that makes space for the natural order is referred to by the name אלקים (Elokim). The numerical value of the Hebrew letters in the word Elokim (eighty-six) is the same as the letters that make up the word הטבע (hateva, "the nature").[6] The role of Elokim is to simultaneously channel and camouflage the miraculous undercurrents that bring reality into existence.
A Series of Miracles
Jewish mysticism views nature not as a static system, but as a series of miracles that are perpetually recreated at every moment, yet never exactly the same as before. Many Jewish prayers and practices, such as reciting a prayer upon waking, are designed to sensitize a person to see beneath the veneer of nature and into its miraculous depths.
Teachings of the Rebbeim
The Alter Rebbe explains that the essential creative force for all existence is the name Havayah. However, the light of Havayah passes through the medium of the name Elokim so that it can bring into being an entity which conceives of itself as a יש (yesh, an independent being).[7]
The name Havayah has several aspects in relation to nature:
- As Mehaveh (מהוה, "He who brings into being"), it manifests through the title Elokim (אלקים), which corresponds to the natural order (HaTeva).
- As Hoveh v’Hayah v’Yihiyeh ("He is, He was, and He will be as one"), it transcends the natural order, and from this aspect, miracles are drawn forth. As Shem HaEtzem (שם העצם, "the Name of His Essential Self"), it transcends both the natural and the supernatural, allowing for miracles to occur within the natural order itself. An example is the miracle of Purim, which was "garbed in the natural order."[8]
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