The Astonishing Proof of Hashem Through a Glass of Water

Everyone knows that without water, life could not exist. However, few are aware that from a chemical perspective, water is arguably the universe's most remarkable and peculiar substance, and its very existence is a perpetual miracle that testifies to the reality of the Creator.

This creation is so astonishing because water operates according to its own special rules in each of its different states. Let's start with the fact that under normal conditions, water is a liquid, which facilitates the movement of living creatures and the transportation and disposal of materials within living cells. When the temperature drops below 4 degrees Celsius, water expands instead of contracting—when it drops below zero, water molecules bond into hexagonal shapes, forming ice crystals. In contrast, at 100 degrees Celsius, water turns into a gas that's lighter than air, allowing steam to drift as clouds in the sky.

These impressive movements of water create Earth's water cycle, but each one of them is a wonder in its own right—a miracle tied to this mysterious and marvelous material that functions and transforms as if by magic, with profound implications for life as we know it.

Let's begin with an explanation on the microscopic level: All substances are made of fundamental units known as molecules. Water molecules consist of one oxygen atom (O - short for Oxygen) flanked by two hydrogen atoms (H - short for Hydrogen), so the chemical formula for water is H2O.

This substance alone should not behave particularly uniquely, just as Lego blocks do not align themselves into neat rows. However, there are "laws of nature" in the universe that consistently arrange the fundamental units of water into different structures depending on the temperature they are exposed to.

The Wonder of Water Fluidity:

The most astonishing characteristic of water is the fact that it is liquid. In other words, it can flow. Researchers find this phenomenon most mysterious; in other substances, molecules are pushed randomly without special connections between them. However, when water flows, some molecules connect regularly to form clusters. These clusters within the water break apart and new ones form, while some water molecules roam freely between the clusters. With such a composition, one would expect water to be viscous or thick like dissolved sugar, but instead, it moves freely, with molecules "sliding" over each other rapidly.

This is a chemical phenomenon unparalleled, a scientific enigma. Imagine a magician showing you an array of balls floating in the air and rolling consistently around each other—a spectacle like no other happening seemingly by itself. A chemist looks under a microscope and sees such a juggling act unfolding before their eyes as if in the spirit of "renewing His goodness daily throughout the act of creation".

The fact that water is fluid is fundamental to the existence of life since it allows the movement—the transport and intake of materials into different body cells (the intracellular fluid is known as "cytoplasm") and between the internal organs of the human body through blood, which is largely composed of water, as well as the movement of muscles and external organs. Water is also used for bodily cleansing and sweating. Most of our body's mass is essentially made of water, which permits its movement and all associated processes. Without them, the body would be as still as a stone without a mover.

Also noteworthy is the fact that water is predominantly transparent, allowing light waves to pass through almost unhindered. If not for this, all sea creatures would be blind, and humidity in the air would obscure our vision.

[In this context, some may ask why the sea is blue. The answer is, for the same reason the skies are blue—because the sea reflects the color of the skies. The Creator decided that light refracted in the atmosphere would mainly scatter the pleasant blue-cyan color to our eyes, and since water is transparent, it reflects the color of the skies. When the skies are cloudy and dark, the sea appears gray. The "Black Sea" located south of Turkey is famous for its darkness, caused by frequent fog that dims the sea.]

Not only is the substance of water essential to our existence, but so is its quantity critical for the sustainability of life in our world. Maimonides draws our attention to this important fact—that the amount of materials on Earth matches our needs:

"You should reflect on our situation in reality... As the less necessary something is, the rarer and more expensive it is. For what is essential to man, for instance, air, water, and food. But air is the most necessary... and air is more abundant and accessible to everyone... and the necessity of water is greater than the necessity of food... In every city, there is an abundance of water, more so than food. The same is true for food: the more necessary it is, the more present and less expensive it is than what is not necessary. In this, the kindness of Hashem and his goodness towards his creation are revealed."

Water is a miraculous and invaluable substance beyond any other in the universe, far more so than gold and diamonds, yet abundantly available in our world. Therefore, next time we drink a glass of water, perhaps we should bless with a little more intention: "Blessed are You, Hashem, our God, King of the universe, by Whose word everything came to be".

In the next article, we will delve, with Hashem's help, into the miracle of water and its wondrous secrets in its frozen state.