20th Century Jewish Religious Thought: Original Essays on Critical Concepts, Movements, and Beliefs

Existence

Existence Richard L. Rubenstein E tymologically, the term existence derives from the Latin verb ex(s)istere, "to stand out," that is, to be perceptible and hence to have a place in the domain of reality. The related term being has as its principal meaning "existence, the fact of belonging to the universe of things material or immaterial."1 By virtue of its character as that which stands out, existence is often thought to be that which stands out of nonbeing, nothingness, or the divine ground of being.2 In mystical theology, the divine ground of being is often regarded as the originating nothingness (Ein Sof) out of which that which exists stands.3 Whereas things in the world of actuality are divisible and limited, the divine ground is beyond both limit and division. Consequently, the divine ground is not a thing and can properly be said to be nothing. An important corollary of this type of religious thought is the assertion that God cannot be said to exist, for existence can be affirmed only of finite entities that come into being and pass away.4 The paradoxical implications of this insight have often been softened by ascribing to God alone necessary existence, which is identical with his essence. God's existence is, so to speak, thus absolutely, qualita- 228 EXISTENCE tively distinct from the contingent existence of finite entities (Guide 1:57). Of course, when the divine nothingness is contrasted with contingent, finite existenc.e, God alone is thought to be truly real, albeit in an ineffable sense. All else partakes of privation and imperfection.5 There are basically two views within Judaism of how the cosmos came into existence, the mystical and the biblical.6 In spite of all attempts at reconciling them, the two perspectives remain fundamentally in conflict. The mystical view is epitomized by the affirmation that "all proceeds from the One and returns to the One.,,7 Creation is thought of as an act of divine emanation (Solomon ibn Gabirol), self-limitation, or self-estrangement (Isaac Luria). Originally, God was the perfectly self-contained, seamlessly undivided unity of all that is. Somehow, the divine ground overflowed, divided, or estranged itself, the overflowed or estranged component eventually becoming the basis of the created order. Insofar as there is an eschatological element in these views, the ultimate goal of existence is to return to the undivided unity of the primordial divine ground. For mystical theology , existence is divinity in alienation or otherness. For those who affirm a mystical view, existence is likely to have an enchanted character insofar as some elements of divinity continue to inhere in the separated ingredients of what was originally a single, primordial divine ground. Within the mystical cosmos, the human agent will be unable to deal with the objective world solely by means of the rational calculation of ends and means. Instead, he or she will feel constrained to seek the favor of the mysterious forces within things. Alternatively, he or she will seek ways of liberating the divine sparks from the malevolent forces that hold them in thrall. Moreover, the mystical view of creation is not inconsistent with practical polytheism. Insofar as divine sparks subsist within the domain of finite existence , some are likely to assume the character of minor divinities coexisting with a high god. Finding favor with them will tend to become as important as the rational calculation of ends and means. In any event, within the mystic 's universe the boundaries between the human, the natural, and the divine are relative rather than absolute and are destined to be obliterated when all existence returns to its originating divine ground. A radically different view of existence is to be found in the biblical world. There does not appear to be a biblical word whose usage corresponds to existence as denoting all that has a place in the domain of reality. Nor is there anything corresponding to systematic philosophic reflection on such concepts as essence, necessary existence, and contingent existence. Instead, one finds references to the act of creation (Gen. 1:1~ 1:27~ 2:3~ EXISTENCE 229 Deut. 4:32; Isa. 40:26) and to that which is created. Fundamental to the biblical view, which is accepted by the rabbinic mainstream, is the notion that existence constitutes a created order wholly dependent upon the unique, sovereign, and transcendent creator of the universe. Although the creation stories in...