Even those who believe that God is One know that we are not God and that, as individuals, we are far from being one. We are not internally unified or individually coherent. Here on this precious planet disparity is our lot, multiplicity our fate. We’re not going to “get it all together,” much as we might wish or hard as we might try.
One of the profound gifts of Kabbalah is the example of reducing multiplicity to polarities, thereby making them manageable. This acceptance of duality has helped me remain engaged and energized over the decades. Two examples will illustrate.
Heaven and earth is a duality that for me has had immense symbolic value. Listening to Bach’s “Goldberg Variations,” to almost anything of Mozart, and to much of Beethoven, it is clear to me that I inhabit heaven. How else can I explain the joy of these...
