In the deeper insights of Kabbala and Chassidism, there is a teaching that stands our perception on its head. It states, "The stone at the top of the wall falls farthest from the wall." The higher you are, the lower you fall.

We are taught that the human is a "co-creator" of the universe. In partnership with G-d, we have the awesome obligation of completing the unfinished symphony called Creation. We were provided with G-d-like aptitudes of higher consciousness and mindpower. But these came at a price - responsibility and discipline. Gifted as we are, if we act irresponsibly and without discipline, we "fall." The Kabbala tells us that in future incarnations, we can fall to the vegetational life of trees or even the inanimate life of stones.

Why the "punishment?" Because we haven't lived up to our extra responsibility. Kabbala teaches that things at every level of existence possess souls - even stones. However, the soul essences cannot express themselves as effectively in stones as in human beings because the "body" facility of a stone is far more limiting than that of a plant, animal or human.

The price of true progress is gentleness, compassion and purpose. For most of us, these are not innately given traits or insights. Discipline and endeavor are necessary for us to become reflections of the Divine

Such is the radical conclusion of Chassidic teachings: while the human soul arrives from a lower spiritual source, the soul of the stone - the "lowest" spiritual source - must originate from a higher source in order to "descend" to such a level that it expresses itself as a stone. Or in other words, "the stone at the top of the wall falls farthest from the wall."

We learn in our mystical literature that a time will come when the "stones will testify" against human beings, bearing witness to our time spent "walking upon the stone." The inner essence of the stone will express itself, despite its "body's" limitation. Our actions - our creative purpose or lack thereof - will be "judged" by the stone, due to its innate spiritual superiority.

This is why we are taught to treat all levels of existence with reverence and due care. Everything possesses a presence of inner holiness. The test put to human beings is to learn the art of being gentle and caring for the whole ecological system.

But our experience seems to say otherwise. Why do we go around as if we are the masters and lords over the lower orders of existence? It is because we do not recognize that true responsibility is coupled with humility. The Torah informs us that the human being was created in two stages - matter and then life-form: "And G-d breathed life in the (human) nostril." We were imbued with the G-d-like capacity to lord over the other types of creation.

The price of true progress is gentleness, compassion and purpose. For most of us, these are not innately given traits or insights. Discipline and endeavor are necessary for us to become reflections of the Divine. We must keep ourselves humble by remembering that each one of us is just one more stone in the wall.