The Perfect Society Of Abraham, Part 4

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Let’s go back to the stages of how people get closer to each other internally. How does this happen?

Answer: The first step is when I do not want to use a stranger, another person, any friend of my people, i.e., in the group with which we go to the spiritual ideal, to the principle of “Love thy neighbor as thyself.”

When I ascend to this degree, I feel I do not want to do anything bad to another; I do not have bad thoughts about him. I can overcome my egoism, restrain myself in all its forms, and all my energy is focused on being absolutely neutral to people, desiring to be connected with them, wanting to be with them. That is, I do not think and do not take care of myself in spite of all the rest.

This is called the “restriction” of one’s egoistic desires and is seemingly a neutral state: Do not wish for and do not do to your neighbor what you would not wish for yourself.

And the next stage is “love thy neighbor as thyself.” That is not neutrality but a positive action. Because originally a person discovers that all his actions are directed only at his own benefit, and he cannot do good to others, except for his own profit.

Thus, we are talking about three stages:

  • First, there is recognition of egoism;
  • Then, its neutralization;
  • And then, its correction, implementing it for the benefit of others.

And this final action is the essence of love.

Question: Can we say that Abraham built a perfect society?

Answer: Yes, of course. Abraham built a perfect society of those people from Babylon that he took with him.

But here we consider, in general, not the people but their desires! This also applies to the followers of the work of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Yes, they are his direct descendants, but all in all, his followers are called “sons,” disciples. Hence, there are such concepts as the “house of Abraham,” “house of Isaac,” and “house of Jacob.” The “house” means the community of people who continued to grow and develop.

They grow in a physical sense as well, but the main thing is they grew spiritually until they united fully in their mutual aspirations, in connection with each other on the first spiritual degree, which is called “Jacob.” This first spiritual degree is already considered the degree of “Israel,” with a hint of the future land of Israel, which will be reached. Although there is no land yet!

After all, “Israel” means “directed to the Creator.” That is, when you are in some place and aspire to the goal, then you are called “Israel,” “straight to the goal.” To reach this goal means to enter the land of Israel.

What are you lacking for this? For this you are lacking egoism, which you will correct and turn into the land of Israel. That is why they later had to come down to Egypt.

Question: So the group was already called Israel, and it still had to go through a century of descent before it would acquire the land of Israel, the desire, aimed at the goal?

Answer: Therefore, it is said that Jacob knew about the future and wanted to tell his sons, but he was not given…
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From KabTV’s “Babylon, Yesterday and Today” 8/27/14

Related Material:
The Perfect Society Of Abraham, Part 3
The Perfect Society Of Abraham, Part 2
The Perfect Society Of Abraham, Part 1

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