Proofs of Spiritual Existence in Humans - From Within

Roy asks: "Hello. I am returning to faith and had an argument with a friend who believes that the only reality we know is the natural world. Do you have examples of spiritual concepts that we know for certain exist, despite being invisible? Thank you."

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Hello and blessings Roy, and thank you for your question.

There are many spiritual concepts whose existence is certain to us, even though we cannot touch or see them, as they are not part of the material world. Furthermore, it is understood that the most important things in our lives are not tangible at all:

1. Love. As known, nature is built on the concept of survival. Love, in contrast, is a spiritual concept that contradicts nature, as people are willing to sacrifice their lives for their loved ones. It is a deep and invaluable feeling that cannot be explained physically, yet the world would be given for it!

2. Compassion. A cat walking down the street and seeing another cat hit by a car wouldn’t pay any attention. The actions of animals in nature are built on utility without the ability to choose good. The concept of compassion transcends natural dimensions, allowing us to feel for others and want to help them, even without personal gain. It is explicitly stated: "And He will give you compassion and be compassionate to you." (Deuteronomy 13:18). Humans are given compassion by the Creator, the source of compassion. This concept is above nature.

3. Justice. We are willing to do a great deal for justice, for values that cannot be seen or touched. Nations fight for social values, for which millions are ready to battle. But in nature, there is no concept of "justice", only the triumph of the strong over the weak. Justice and values are spiritual concepts and as such, have no basis in the physical world. There is no "molecule" of compassion or "atom" of justice in nature.

4. Free Will. All animals operate according to instincts (innate characteristics) and lack free will. The ant is industrious by nature, the dog loyal, and the cat indifferent by nature. The same cat that would sacrifice her life for her kittens can fight them over food months later (because maternal instincts in animals activate and deactivate spontaneously, and do not arise from consciousness). Animals are bound to their nature and can thus be trained. However, humans are the only creatures capable of choosing between good and bad and can resist their nature (overcome anger, lust, envy, etc.). Yet the very existence of free will contradicts all material concepts. For in matter, only lawful conduct exists, and freedom of action cannot exist, as it would contradict the laws of nature. The fact of human free will actually indicates the existence of the soul operating within, capable of contradicting nature through its actions.

5. Disgust for Material. Every natural creature finds full contentment in nature. A dog can enjoy the same meal its entire life, wagging its tail enthusiastically each time. The complete satisfaction of animals is found in the material world, and they have no spiritual aspirations. However, this is not the same for humans. Humans feel a perpetual lack that they strive to fulfill - but no material achievement can satiate it. Humans cannot enjoy the same delicious meal or great pleasure their whole life. Someone might toil for years to acquire a lavish car only to get used to it in just a few months and find themselves chasing after the next item. A person can chase wealth, desires, physical beauty, success, honor, fame, luxury, and even upon achieving these, will return to feel the same emptiness from this world. A person’s innermost nature doesn’t allow them to truly enjoy material life. As explained by the sages: "No one dies having fulfilled even half their desires: if they have one hundred, they seek two hundred; if they have two hundred, they seek four hundred." (Kohelet Rabbah, Parasha A, 32).

Reading the personal lives of the wealthiest and most famous actors and singers, we wouldn’t find them happier than the average person, and quite the contrary, they often appear more miserable - because they reached the peak of material success and found that the emperor has no clothes. It’s a fact that wise people like most elders, come to disdain material life in this world, seeking spiritual aspirations - acquiring wisdom, spiritual acts like charity or social concern, and greatest of all, connection to the Divine. The disillusionment and dissatisfaction with materiality is undeniable evidence of a spiritual reality within humans that strive for a source beyond this world.

6. Faith. The overwhelming majority of people in the world believe in Hashem. Even if some people define it as trust in fate or a higher power, they feel their lives are directed by a divine plan, not by chance. Faith cannot be demonstrated to someone who hasn’t experienced it themselves, yet it is deeply ingrained in us, not just an explanation for phenomena or coincidences, but a very profound feeling of existence. It is a state of consciousness that we experience, accompanying us everywhere. The experience of Hashem being in all things, overseeing everything and always with us. This is the feeling that Hashem fills the entire world, a unity alongside infinite undefined by human terms. We cannot describe faith in Hashem just as we cannot describe colors to a blind person, yet it is a fact that billions feel His magnificent presence more tangibly than visual sight. It can be called a sixth sense or, perhaps, the sense of faith.

Let me add a quote from another article I wrote: "How can one explain faith and trust to someone unfamiliar? It is a powerful sensation greater than the universe, which no material description can convey in words, just as we cannot explain colors to a blind person or music to a deaf person. The feeling of faith and trust is stronger than sight or sound; it’s a connection that transcends the body and seeks something beyond this world, to the Creator who fills the entire universe from the smallest atom to the largest galaxy. There is no place without Him. Those fortunate enough to feel faith see Hashem’s specific providence and live with Hashem. This spirituality is attested to by billions and cannot be taken from the faithful."

7. Love for Its Own Sake. It is a fact that there is no stronger emotion in a person than the religious feeling, for which one is willing to sacrifice their life, family, and friends (as occurred in the Crusades and Masada). It is the strongest spiritual emotion in humans, more potent than any other familiar emotion. It is also the highest level to aspire to, as the holy Torah demands: "And you shall love Hashem your G-d with all your heart, all your soul, and all your might" (Deuteronomy 6:5). Rabbi Akiva says: "With all your soul - even if He takes your soul." (Berachot 61b). This trait transcends natural concepts because it is greater than the natural desire for reward or fear of punishment. As the Rambam explains the highest level: "He who serves out of love involves himself in Torah and commandments and walks in the paths of wisdom, not because of anything in the world, not for fear of harm, nor to inherit goodness, but because he does truth, because it is truth; and the end of goodness comes along... The early sages said, perhaps a person will say, 'I will learn Torah to be affluent, to be called Rabbi, to receive reward in the World to Come,' therefore we learn: "To love Hashem" (Deuteronomy 11:13) - all you do must be out of love... They also said: "His commandments are greatly desired" (Psalms 112:1) - "His commandments" and not the rewards for His commandments. Thus did the great sages instruct their insightful and discerning followers explicitly: Do not be like servants serving the master for the sake of a reward, but be like servants who serve the master without any reward, because he is the master, worthy of being served: namely, being worked out of love" (Laws of Repentance, Chapter 10, 3-6).

Choosing to serve Hashem in any situation, not to receive a reward in this world or the next, is a selfless devotion not dependent on anything. No material creature in the entire world could be expected to fulfill a commandment for its own sake. A creature that is fundamentally material couldn't even understand such a strange demand that contradicts their entire natural essence (for if one does something, they always do it to receive some compensation, immediate or deferred, but always to receive). Yet here the demand exists to dedicate yourself completely to Hashem without any intention of receiving a reward, out of genuine sanctification of Hashem. What greater proof of the soul’s existence could there be than the fact that one is capable of dedicating themselves to something above and beyond all material, with devotion that contradicts any natural desire in this world? This is the soul connecting to its true source maker. This is the greatest love that exists, and it is an unparalleled proof of the existence of spirit in humans.