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Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz: “Where is God?”

The story is told about Rabbi Yitzhak Meir Rotenberg-Alter from Gur, known as the author of Hiddushei HaRim, who asked his hasidim:

“Where is God?”

His hasidim expressed surprise.

“What’s the question? God is everywhere!” they said.

The Hiddushei HaRim replied, “That is not correct. God is found wherever a person allows Him to enter.”

God is found in all places equally, but the question that relates to us of whether God is found with us depends on the recipient; the amount of God’s eternal, unchanging existence is present for him in the way that he thinks of Him, recognizes and understands His greatness, and senses and feels love and fear of Him.

All this depends first of all on the individual, on the degree to which he opens his mind and heart, making space for his awareness of and feelings toward the Divine Presence.

Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz