The island of Iceland is, in essence, one great erupting mountain. The porous stone making up the face of the northern island absorbs huge quantities of rain each year, which reach to the depths of the still-active smoldering volcanoes. There the waters get heated and remain in a state of extreme pressure, somewhere between liquid and steam.

Now engineers have proposed an ambitious project, to drill 3.2 kilometers below the earth and bring those waters to the surface. If this project is successful, Icelanders will have access to an endless source of clean, renewable energy, which has the potential to save the collapsing economy of the country, as well as to set a precedent for similar projects around the world.

Our sages depict the human being as a "small universe," since anything that can be found in the world at large exists in microcosm within each of us. Like the sources of geothermal energy buried deep under the ground, each of us has soul powers of unlimited potential, and we are not even aware of this energy hidden deep within us. The prophet Malachi (3:12) compares the Jewish people to the earth, and refers to us as the "desired land" of G-d--because of these "buried treasures."

Like the geothermal energy, which until recently has been untapped since there was no feasible way of bringing it to the surface--our hidden soul powers have not been put to use. Now and then they would burst forth in an inspiring tale of self-sacrifice. However, it was not known how to use them in an ordinary sense, applied to the everyday life of the ordinary person.

The scientific and technological advances of our day have made it possible to finally use these sources of hidden energy. The same is true in the spiritual world--in recent generations, new dimensions of Torah have been revealed, which put us in touch with our infinite, hidden soul powers. These powers derive from our essential bond with the Infinite, G-d almighty.

This inner dimension of Torah, as explained in the teachings of Chabad Chassidism, particularly in the teachings of the Rebbe, forges for us a smooth path to achieve a life of deep spiritual satisfaction and meaning. It enables us to access our inner powers of the soul to improve our own lives as well as to influence others in a positive way.

The Rebbe refers to this process as "lights of tohu in vessels of tikkun." In other words, to take the most potent spiritual energies and express them in our daily lives. One who is successful in living this way brings Redemption in a practical sense, to himself and to the whole world.

Prof. Yirmiyahu Branover is chairman of the Center of Magnetohydrodynamic Studies and Training at Ben-Gurion University.