The Timeless Creator: Understanding the Concept of an Infinite Hashem

Uri Asks:

"Hello, I'm on a journey of spiritual growth. When discussing with distant friends, I often find myself explaining how the universe must have been created by a maker. But I always face questions about the eternal nature of this creator, since in our world, we're used to everything having a beginning. I would appreciate a comprehensive answer that can address their doubts. Thank you!"

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Hello Uri, and thank you for your question.

We must start by explaining that there is a fundamental (not just quantitative) difference between the creator and the creation: Hashem, who made the vast universe we see, is certainly not material. The one who established what matter and time are, is not bound by them. Indeed, He existed before the universe, needing neither space nor time.

To understand this answer, we would need to dive into complex scientific topics like the flow of time and why matter depends on space. However, for your purposes, I'll try to explain the issue in a straightforward logical way.

Ask your friends this key question: How do we know that anything needs a creator? Take, for example, a glass of water on a table; how do we know this glass has a maker?

The logical answer would be: this glass is limited. It has a shape, size, and weight. Its characteristics prove there is a cause behind it—some factor that preceded it in time and determined that this glass would be exactly this shape, this size, and this weight. Each property thus indicates a cause—a limiter.

Similarly, one might ask: Why do I have exactly five fingers and not six or four? The logical question indicates a reason existing before the appearance of humans, determining the number of fingers.

We learn that anything that is limited must have had a limiter that preceded it and shaped its properties; otherwise, it wouldn't exist in precisely that way. The very question "Why is it like this and not another way?" indicates its creator.

The entire universe we live in is limited by quantities and natural laws that shape it. Its properties indicate a creator who preceded the universe and set its boundaries.

Now, the question arises: Why doesn't this question apply to the creator of reality?

The simplest answer to this is: because Hashem has no form.

If Hashem had a form or limitations like other beings, for example, if He had hands and feet, then the logical questions would be "Who created Him?", "Who limited Him to His form and size?", "Who decided He would have exactly two hands and two feet?" and so on.

But Hashem, by definition, is limitless. He has no body or form of a body, no size or quantity, as He is not material. He is the creator of matter, space, and time, fundamentally different from all limited things. He is the true infinite, present everywhere and every time, as the Zohar states: "There is no place empty of Him" (Tikkunei Zohar 122b) - there is no place devoid of Hashem.

Let me offer an analogy to bring this closer to understanding: The universe has been shown to contain "cosmic background radiation" that penetrates all existing materials, just as the invisible force of gravity acts on all objects in the universe. These scientific metaphors help illustrate the concept of Hashem existing without a body everywhere and at all times (though they are still far from the real idea, since they are still ultimately bound to the mass and space of the universe, meaning they have physical boundaries, and therefore a creator that made them). Hashem alone is not dependent on the universe and preceded all material existence.

Because Hashem is not material, He has no limits; and because He is not limited, He does not 'require' a limiter.

He is therefore the infinite, the cause of all causes, through which all other realities exist.

It's also important to correct a common misconception about the concept of Hashem's eternity:

The meaning of the word 'eternal' is not "a very long time," as one might mistakenly imagine. Time is measured by movement and change. Therefore, 'eternal' truly means: unchanging—existing forever in the same state without movement and without change.

Hashem does not age, does not grow or shrink, and does not move from place to place like our universe. Instead, His existence remains and will always remain in a static-eternal state without 'time.' Therefore, He is eternal: living forever without beginning and without end, was, is, and will be.

"Master of the Universe who reigned, before any creature was created... He was, He is, and He will be in glory; and He is one, and there is no other to compare or join Him... without beginning, without end, and to Him belongs the might and dominion. Without value, without likeness, without change or transformation. Without union, without separation, great in power and might. And He is my God, my living Redeemer, and my Rock in time of distress."