Space, time and consciousness. Each of these can be grasped at its surface, from within, or at its essence.

At its surface, each place is its own place, each moment its own moment, each person their own person.

Within, each place is a facet of all of space, each moment a snapshot of all time, each person another face to humanity. For the whole is reflected in each of its parts.

But there is also an essence to each thing, its essential life.

At the essence there is no distinction between the whole and the part. When you touch the essence of a thing, you find this place is space, this moment is time, this person is humankind.

Our minds can reach beyond the surface, deep inside a thing. To reach its essence, however, that essence must speak to us of its own.

That is Torah. In Torah, the essence of all things speaks to us.