The portal Breaking Israel News published my new article “Passover 2019: The Exodus from Israel – A Record-Breaking 1.5 Million Israelis Travel Overseas for the Passover Season“

“Why is this night different from all other nights?” Passover Haggadah.

You won’t see this in any other nation. Paradoxically, during the Passover holiday, which celebrates the exodus of Jews from Egypt and entrance into the land of Israel, there are a record-breaking 1.5 million Israelis doing just the opposite—exiting Israel and flying abroad—a number 11% higher than one year earlier in 2018.

Why are so many Israelis choosing to leave their country for the holiday season?

Many say that Israelis themselves have made it cheaper to holiday abroad than to stay in Israel. But why would we do that? Why would we let such a situation materialize where we make it more expensive to go on vacation in Israel than to scatter elsewhere for the holidays?

Don’t get me wrong, it’s perfectly fine to take a vacation. But when nearly a fifth of a country’s population leaves during a holiday that marks the entrance of its people into its land, it’s bound to raise eyebrows.

Cheaper overseas holiday costs aside, what can be clearly stated about today’s Israel is that it is very different to the nation that once exited Egypt to enter the land of Israel. It is not a nation bonded by a common will to unite above its divisions in order to realize its spiritual potential. On the contrary, today’s Israel looks more like a loose collection of individuals each out for earthly satisfaction.

This also explains Israel’s significant “brain drain” problem, where hordes of Israeli scientists, academics and intellectuals choose to leave Israel and live abroad: When material gain is the guiding star of our lives, then offer us more money, honor or power somewhere else and we’re on the next plane out of here. Without any inclination to unite, and with our sights set no higher than on individual gratification, there is nothing ultimately tying us to our homeland.

What is the big deal then? Is there any reason why Jews should stay in Israel?

Call it destiny. Here in the land of Israel, we are meant to reveal what our ancestors once revealed: the light of unity. We are fated for our role, which is to unite (“love your neighbor as yourself”) and to spread that unity to the world (to be “a light unto nations”). Fulfilling our ultimate spiritual potential is the single reason for us to remain in the land of Israel. Embedded in our genetic makeup, stemming from our ancestral heritage, is a tiny desire for uniting above all the surface materialistic desires. This is the point we must awaken in each other while we are here.

Moreover, when we discover the immense joy and happiness available in the attainment of the light of unity, our need to look for greener pastures will disappear. Kabbalists describe the intensity of such spiritual pleasure to be like the size of the universe compared to the size of a grain of sand found in material pleasures. After feeling such perfection in unification, the desire for other fulfillments will wane and we will also feel less of a need to travel in pursuit of pleasure.

After the 1.5 million Israelis return from their overseas holidays this Passover season, I’d recommend that they each ask themselves “What did we gain from this holiday?” And to the expected answer, “We had a great time!” probe deeper with the question from the Passover Haggadah itself, “Why is this night different from all other nights?” In other words, did anything really change in our lives? Also, what’s next? Are we just going to continue to bounce from one pleasure from the next, one fun holiday after another until we die? Or, can we start advancing toward a much more qualitative pleasure, one that doesn’t fade but which constantly grows—the eternal, spiritual pleasure discovered by the people of Israel when we entered the land of Israel long ago?

We have everything we need right here at home. We have each other. We just need to learn how to correctly connect, and we’ll discover the ability to travel far beyond anywhere in our entire world—to an eternal world of harmony and perfection.
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In English:

Medium:

“Is Macron the European Moses?“

BlogActiv:

“Is Macron the European Moses?“

The Times of Israel:

“An Open Letter to Jared Kushner: Unity, the Ultimate Peace Deal ”
“Is Macron the European Moses?”
“Why is Purim Important Today?“

Thrive Global:

“International Women’s Day 2019: Nature’s Recipe for Gender-Balance“

Breaking Israel News:

“How Trump Can Help the Chosen People“

Jewish Boston:

“The Significance of Purim for Jews Today“

Noteworthy. The Journal Blog:

“International Women’s Day 2019: Nature’s Recipe for Gender-Balance“

Linkedin Article:

“Kabbalah Is Open Source Code for Rebooting Society“

In French:

The Times of Israel:

“8 mars : Les femmes sont à l’honneur“

In Spanish:

Huffington Post Spain:

“Lista: Nave espacial a la luna, un Oscar y antisemitismo“

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The Times of Israel published my new article “We Shall Not Forget The Holocaust, Nor Why We Are Here”

The Holocaust has been overblown. This is a blunt and worrying belief expressed by one third of Americans according to a new study released by a Jewish organization ahead of Holocaust Remembrance Day next month. Minimizing the impact of such an atrocity is not only attributed to the masses, but also to some leaders such as Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro who recently said on this subject, “We can forgive, but we cannot forget.” Beyond the headlines, the current situation reminds us that if we want to avoid history repeating itself, we should not forget our role: to unite and spread this example of unity to the rest of the world.

Lack of awareness about the murder of six million Jews under the Third Reich is growing. Sixty-six percent of US millennials have no idea what Auschwitz was and represents based on this report. Humanity has a short-term memory. Consequently, anti-Semitism keeps reappearing, constantly mutating in Europe and America, from the right and from the left. It is manifested not only through hate speech but also as physical attacks, swastikas drawn on Jewish homes, and vandalism in cemeteries and Jewish shops. Violence against Jews is at an all-time high in major cities like New York, Berlin, and Paris. It is only a matter of time before the next painful incident erupts.

According to Kabbalah, anti-Semitism is a law of nature. When we, the Jews, are separated and distant from one another, we create a negative force in the world, which transforms itself in anti-Semitic expressions and actions. On the other hand, when we unite over conflicts and differences of opinion, a positive force spreads in the world that can do wonders.

Therefore, the irrational hatred that is getting stronger today reminds us the hard way that we have a role we cannot ignore: to unite and spread this example of unity to the rest of the world. Even though we would be happy to avoid this task, it is impossible. It is our destiny; we have been chosen to illuminate unity among the nations through our unity as a people. As it is written, “If a person takes a bundle of reeds, he cannot break them all at once. But taken one at a time, even an infant will break them. Just so, Israel will not be redeemed until they are all one bundle” (Midrash Tanhuma, Nitzavim, Chapter 1).

It is thus no coincidence that we thrived against all odds to fulfill a specific role. We are a nation that carries within itself the ideal of love for all people of the world. We became a nation based on the rule of “Love your neighbor as yourself,” and only the return to the realization of this principle can eradicate the bigotry and hatred toward us. As Rav Yehuda Ashlag (Baal HaSulam) wrote, “the Israeli nation was to be a ‘transition’ … they pass their power on to the rest of the nations” (“The Love for the Creator and Love for the Created Beings”). Attaining unity and passing it on to humanity is what world leaders and people everywhere expect and demand from us. We shall not forget.
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My article in Newsmax: “Is Basel III a Gold Standard for Human Relations?”

It’s very likely that you are not familiar with the term “Basel III.”

But for those involved in the financial system, Basel III is a phrase that represents the disillusionment that followed the trauma we all experienced in the global economic crisis of 2008.

Basel III is a binding standard determined by the central bank of all central banks, which located in Basel, Switzerland, away from the public eye. Since 2011, banks around the world have implemented the Basel III standard as part of a plan to strengthen their stability against financial crises and challenges.

This month, a new section of Basel III came into effect: the status of the gold that is held in the balance sheets of the banking system has received an upgrade.

Gold is now considered a first-class safe asset and will be worth 100 percent of its market value, as opposed to 50 percent so far. In other words, gold has risen in its financial value at the expense of bonds and securities of various kinds, behind which there is no tangible asset.

Today’s analysts are debating whether the world is once again approaching the “gold standard,” a policy whereby every dollar is pegged to and backed by actual gold that sits in the basement of central banks.

Leading banks have begun to increase their gold inventories, and some argue that the price of gold is expected to rise significantly.

But even after the Basel III gold reform, the economic system will remain egoistic as it used to be. It will continue to reward those who manage to best exploit the other players, and increasingly concentrate power in their hands.

At the same time, the gold reform is an important link in the chain towards changing the socio-economic order: it is the recognition that the economic relationship between people must be anchored in the tangible and limited resources of nature.

The disengagement from the gold standard allowed for the unrestrained thriving of a mostly financial economy, debt-based and high-risk, volatile and prone to frequent crises.

The possibility of reintroducing the gold standard indicates the need to return to sanity; to take the air out of the artificial and inflated economy, and restore stability to the entire system.

This is a significant step towards establishing a new, balanced, and realistic economy. An economy that serves the individual as well as our social and personal development; an economy that will serve us instead of having us serve it; an economy that will focus on our growth as human beings, rather than the growth of GDPs and stock markets.

In fact, we can look at upgrading the status of gold as a kind of exercise that prepares us for a new and more truthful order.

In the future, Kabbalah explains, the nature of human development will lead us to a reality in which the spirit transcends matter. If today’s world is immersed in materialism where the chase for money has become our “spiritual fulfillment,” in the future we will strive for higher and loftier satisfactions than those that our current money can buy.

Spiritual satisfactions that result from the healthy participation in a more advanced human society whose members feel connected to each other in mutual care.

And what is the future of matter in such a society? It will serve our social and spiritual development, and will be well anchored with two feet on the ground.

The future society will cover all of the individual’s physical and material needs, and the individual will receive supreme spiritual satisfaction through his contribution to society. That will be the true gold standard.

The preeminent Kabbalist of the previous century, Yehuda Ashlag, had elaborated on the conduct of such a society in his “Last Generation” articles.

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The Times of Israel published my new article “South Korea’s Love-Hate Relationship Toward Jews”

Extreme Jew-hating and Jew-loving sentiments are prevalent in South Korea, a land where most of the people have never even met a Jewish person. How can this strange paradox be explained? It shows that the phenomenon of anti-Semitism is beyond all logical reasoning. The concealed explanation behind anti-Semitism lies in a deep internal sensation within humanity that Jews hold the key for fulfillment in life, a secret that they are not revealing and are thereby blocking the path to success and happiness for all. This potent secret is the source behind both admiration of Jews and anti-Semitism.

Rampant anti-Semitism in Europe and America is no surprise where, right or wrong, Jewish influence is perceived in basically every field in society. In fact, people significantly overestimate the number of Jews in their respective countries as a corollary to their sense of notorious Jewish power, one of the most commonly-stated reasons for animosity toward Jews. This is true in the case of South Korea with its microscopically small Jewish community and yet wildly rampant anti-Semitism. According to monitoring groups, it is one of the most anti-Semitic places in the world with 53% of its population bearing Jew-hating attitudes.

On the other hand, a fascination among Koreans with delving into Jewish tradition is popular in schools and homes. As evidence, the Korean government announced recently that a Korean translation of the Mishnah, the Oral Torah, will be ready next year for everyone’s access. In addition, Talmud study methods have already been adopted as part of their educational training, a phenomenon rarely seen to such an extent in other countries.

An ongoing quest to identify Jewish techniques to achieve fulfillment and prosperity in life is particularly prominent in South Korea due to their profound social problems. Despite its economic progress, South Korea is one of the most unhappy countries in Asia and is ranked among the most unsatisfied nations worldwide, according to recent surveys. Koreans feel there is something they need to learn and implement from the Jews to flip their current situation. They are trying to unlock what they consider to be the secret power of the Jewish people to thrive and survive.

The wisdom of Kabbalah explains that anti-Semitism is imprinted within the nations of the world. Anti-Semites in Korea accurately detect a “negative dependence” on the Jews. They instinctively feel that Jews are somehow responsible for evil in the world. This impression, however, is not unique to Koreans. It lies in the heart of every person to a greater or lesser extent.

What is the reason for the so-called “negative dependence” on Jews, the instinctive feeling that Jews are behind the evil in the world?

It comes from the network that connects all of us together in a single system, where each lives as an indispensable integral part and each has a crucial role to play. The role of Jews in this system is to exemplify a method for creating positive relationships between people. The keys to this ancient method of connection are found in the authentic wisdom of Kabbalah, and Jews have the duty to pass it on to humanity.

As long as Jews deny the world this important knowledge, people suffer. And as long as this distress continues, humankind will continue subconsciously sensing the source of their deprivation in the Jews.

Unfortunately, most Jews are unaware of their inherent power, of the potent program in their cultural possession that can correct imbalances at all levels, and they too suffer from anti-Semitism without understanding why. It must be made crystal clear that the moment the Jews spread their method of connection to all nations, peace, security, and happiness will be achievable by all, suffering will end, and anti-Semitism will vanish from Korea and all the peoples of the world.

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From My Facebook Page Michael Laitman 4/11/19

“If I see that the rising anti-Semitism in the U.S. is correcting the Jews of America, that they begin to move from the Democratic side to the Republican side, then we truly have hope to get through all these states in a relatively positive manner. And I truly hope that will happen – that they realize they are in a very negative and threatening state.

If they don’t get this and remain on the Democratic side – I don’t see a good future. I think they will suffer greatly, as massive Nazi parties will emerge in the U.S. and they will reach places of power, along with Islamic fundamentalists, and they will turn the U.S. against Israel, and then there won’t be any country left in the world that will support us.”

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The Times of Israel published my new article “An Open Letter to Secretary Pompeo about Fighting Anti-Semitism“

Dear Secretary Pompeo,

I appreciate that your office is allocating funds to fight anti-Semitism around the world. As we saw at the recent AIPAC gathering, anti-Semitism appears to be the only issue that truly unifies the Jewish people above the bipartisanship that is tearing society apart.

In the week before AIPAC, the European Jewish Congress hosted a conference focused on improving security and fighting anti-Semitism. The experts discussed numerous issues related to law enforcement, crisis management, security awareness, technology, legislative and political issues, hate crimes and reporting acts of anti-Semitism.

There is a vast amount of resources, time and energy being invested in such gatherings of Jewish leaders, while anti-Semitism continues to escalate on both sides of the Atlantic, and shows no signs of slowing down.

In November 2014, I was interviewed by Larry King about the rise in anti-Semitism. From Los Angeles, I headed to Washington to attend the Israeli-American Council (IAC) conference. In my speech there, I explained how anti-Semitism would spread from Europe to America in the coming years. Not only did the distinguished members of the Jewish community disagree with me, they did not want to even hear of such a potential scenario. “That will never happen in the U.S.,” I was told.

Yet sadly, here we are five years later, and anti-Semitism is spreading quickly in North America. It is spreading wherever there are big Jewish communities, in schools and on campuses – suddenly everyone is talking about anti-Semitism.

For the last two decades, I have been at the helm of a nonprofit educational organization that has been dedicating considerable resources to spreading information about how to fight anti-Semitism in a new and unconventional way.

In my view, the whole premise of how we are trying to fight anti-Semitism is wrong. We are looking for ways to silence the hatred, rather than understanding where it emanates from. Without understanding and treating the root of the problem, hatred of Jews will continue to bubble under the surface, and erupt on the face of it.

The ancient wisdom of Kabbalah uncovers the little-known root of anti-Semitism: It explains that the Jewish people is a group that was created in a unique turning point in human evolution, some 3,800 years ago.

Following the evolution of the human ego, Abraham gathered around him representatives from the various groups and clans who lived in ancient Mesopotamia, and built them into a group capable of enhancing human connection over the growing ego, so as to discover nature’s higher force of oneness.

The group found itself growing in dissonance with the rest of human society, and ultimately, they abandoned Mesopotamia. From that point onward, the Jewish people and the other nations separated and continued to evolve on two parallel axes, and at that point, anti-Semitism was born.

Anti-Semitism has never disappeared ever since. It only morphed and mutated throughout history like a virus that never goes away. Jews continue to evoke a unique, negative sentiment throughout thousands of years of their existence, since they carry a method that the whole of society needs in order to rise to a higher level of connection.

Today, both Jews and anti-Semites do not recognize the natural dynamic that activates them. This is why this explanation is so vital. Only the understanding and awareness of these natural foundations can serve as a basis for solving the problem of anti-Semitism. As soon as the explanation permeates the public discourse, the anti-Semitic flames will subside.

In response to your announcement to increase awareness and law enforcement training, I offer a special training that would educate both Jews and non-Jews alike on the root cause of anti- Semitism. This can be implemented immediately in the U.S. and Europe.

Finally, I leave you with an important message for the future: our world is becoming increasingly interdependent, and very soon, everything will depend on the quality of human connections. The authentic wisdom of Kabbalah, which was at the foundation of the Jewish people, holds the key to bring about a new level of unity among people, and thus help usher in a new era for humanity.

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The largest portal Breaking Israel News published my new article “How Trump Can Help the Chosen People“:

“He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them.” (Daniel 2:21)

At the time when the pro-Israel AIPAC lobby is making headlines, there are other players whose influence is no less important in safeguarding the interests of the Jewish nation: namely, the Evangelicals. How do they impact US foreign policy and what role should Jews play in this context?

The Evangelical population in the US represents approximately one quarter of the American electorate, according to recent studies. Among them, more than 70% approve Trump’s presidency, according to yet another significant survey conducted at the end of last year. The import of Trump’s actions respecting Israel will not be overlooked by this demographic group, which holds a strong conviction that Israel has a special role to carry out in human history, and must therefore be protected from menace. The move of the US embassy to Jerusalem and the official US recognition of Israeli sovereignty of the Golan Heights enacted by president Trump are certain to be remembered by these Israel supporters for generations to come.

The commitment of the current US administration toward Israel was expressed in a TV interview with Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, who “certainly believes” that President Trump may have been sent by God to help save the Jewish people from Iran. The godsend flows in two directions. As is it written, those who support Israel will also receive blessings in return:

“I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you, and in you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3)

Israel and the Jewish people indeed do have a special task within humanity. As Jewish sages have stated, “love your neighbor as yourself” is the seminal law of the Torah that was received by the Jews at Sinai. They were directed to implement this law firstly among themselves, and then to shine as an example of unity for the rest of the world. It is written about Israel’s unique responsibility to stand as a spiritual superpower:

“The genuine movement of the Israeli soul at its grandest is expressed only by its sacred, eternal force, which flows within its spirit. It is that which has made it, is making it, and will make it still a nation that stands as a light unto nations.” Rav Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook (Letters of the RAAIAH, 3)

In a nutshell, Jews hold the keys to a better world, keys that can open the gates to a bright future for all humanity through a positive force Jews draw when united “as one man with one heart.”

Therefore, we Jews cannot afford to rest on our laurels now. After the recent AIPAC conference applause for the Jewish nation by Israeli leaders, American Jewish figures, and politicians begins to quiet, and the warm embrace of Evangelicals manifested through their continuous support is fully relished, we must get to our work of solidifying our unity as a Jewish people in fulfillment of our charge. We need to set aside the accolades for a moment and face up to the broader landscape surrounding us—the multi-layered challenges facing Israel on the eve of the upcoming elections, the delicate relations between Israelis and Jews of the Diaspora, and the threat of anti-Semitism in American mainstream politics from both Right and Left.

In such a complex scenario, the support of our friends is warmly welcomed, but such help does not exempt us from our role as Jews to draw closer to each other with the aim of connecting in brotherhood above whatever divides us as a people. This is indeed the only foolproof insurance we have for prevailing against any and all threats we may face. The truth is that the task that we have been chosen for is to unite, and by so doing, become “a light unto the nations.”

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The Times of Israel published my new article “Is Macron the European Moses?”

Stability and safety are not synonyms of today’s Europe. A possible terror motive behind the tram attack in the Netherlands where three people died; a Brussels “bomb threat” that was a false alarm but increased the tension near the European Union’s headquarters, forcing evacuation of the building; rampant anti-Semitism and Neo-Nazism across Europe—these are headlines of the European reality these days.

What kind of leadership is needed to fix the continent’s burning problems?

On the socio-political spectrum, after the Gilets Jaunes’ (Yellow Vests’) protest disintegrated France’s capital into a state of anarchy, authorities threatened that such demonstrations could be banned if they turn violent again. As a result of the ongoing turbulence and the failure to contain it, Paris police chief headquarters have been sacked. Within the four months since the movement started opposing fuel tax rises, protests against what is considered the elitist policies of President Emmanuel Macron have already degenerated into riots and vandalism.

Most likely in an effort to try to flip the mounting pressure he is experiencing, President Macron aims at positioning himself as Europe’s leader by advancing the ideal of a unified continent under the catchphrase of the “European Renaissance.” His proposal on how to achieve this lofty goal was recently published in 28 leading newspapers across Europe.

In an open letter to Europeans, he writes that “never since the second world war has Europe been so essential. Yet never has Europe been in such danger.” He suggests the establishment of a European agency to protect democracy in order to combat the phenomenon of fascism on the continent, and a border police force and joint refugee agency for all EU countries in order to improve citizens’ social rights and to facilitate trade among EU members. In addition to these measures, and as part of the push toward unification, Macron criticizes Britain’s Brexit decision to leave the EU.

I happen to differ with the position Macron has taken. Misconstruing the desire for resistance against the social disintegration of Europe as an awakening renaissance of a united Europe, is likely to do more harm than good. Why? It is because, as the sages of Kabbalah have said, “The dispersion of the wicked is good for them and good for the world.” Mishna (Sanhedrin 71b.) The wicked, according to the wisdom of Kabbalah, are actually a group of people who let the egoistic nature controlling them to continue separating them. In other words, the European Union is only a cover for a false unity.

As long as the Europeans do not first restrain and balance their egoism—individual benefit at expense of others—it will be impossible for them to live together in peace, as the hundreds of bloody battles and wars that have plagued them throughout history attest. Without powerful countries like Russia and the United States, and the continents of Africa and the Middle East to put pressure on the European continent from every direction, Europeans would have devoured each other long ago. Those external challenges somehow have forced them into some form of loose unity.

However, Macron’s call for unification amounts to no more than a ploy for economic and political gain. Within this call, I fail to see any modern-day Moses on the verge of leading his people to a stable and safe social order. On the contrary, egoism, as the force behind all of society’s imbalances, increasingly grows among leaders and people in general, not only in Europe but all over the world. At the same time, human society emerges as a global and integral system binding together nations, economies and cultures. Consequently, problems in Europe, America and Asia hold the same common root: narrow and cruel egoism. The solution also remains the same: a method to transcend this egoism through a form of education made to solve specifically this problem. Macron doesn’t possess this.

Until such an educational plan is implemented, those European voices that insist on toughening the laws against criminals who endanger internal European security are correct. Moreover, anyone showing hatred, incitement or violence toward others should be expelled. The liberal approach, which believes that it is possible to assimilate every immigrant through broad-mindedness, is perceived by many immigrants as a weakness that can be taken advantage of. The growing collection of immigrants from diverse nations and cultures is a recipe for increasing agitation unless a proper absorption process is found.

An effective integration process would not necessitate erasing each immigrant’s cultural uniqueness. Instead, each new arrival and European citizen alike would be taught how to unite on a common ground above their differences.

How can the EU be turned into a truly unified block? It can be achieved first of all through a shift of perspective. “Europe As One Family” should be the slogan emblazoned upon the continental flag. This is the spirit of progress that needs to blow in a truly united Europe. If Macron and world leaders want to gain great respect and leave a lasting legacy, they must establish an educational system that will unify all European citizens. They must inculcate such a spirit of unity that would lift everyone up to the feeling that there is no difference between a German or a Spaniard; a Christian or a Muslim; a native or an immigrant. We are all born naked and buried naked, so it is our common humanity that should unite us above all else.

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The Times of Israel published my new article “Why Is Purim Important Today?”

The Purim holiday is especially relevant in today’s world. In the theater of our current reality, the curtain rises and the performance begins with entry of the full cast of characters, the heroes and villains, and the intricate plot unfolds. Just like the Purim story’s scenario in Shushan, the Jewish people today face special times when great forces of separation operate to tear us apart. The events described in The Scroll of Esther hint at the corrections we have to go through as a people to overcome the threats looming over us. Our own survival depends on the realization of these corrections.

Let’s look at the characters behind the costumes:

Haman is represented by the resurgence of Nazism, hatred from the left toward Jews and Israel, and extreme voices from both sides of the spectrum that call for our destruction.

Mordechai is the story’s representative of good. However, try as he might to be a positive force, he’s powerless to do so by himself. He needs to first gather and unite the far-flung Jews, and by doing so, Mordechai invalidates the decree of the wicked Haman, to eradicate all the Jews. “There is a certain people, scattered and dispersed,” Haman says to King Ahasuerus, contending that the Jews failed to uphold the king’s laws, which discredited their purpose for existence in the king’s eyes.

At this point, a question arises: Why did Haman connect the Jews’ dispersion to their disobeying the king’s laws? Haman understood that the principle by which the Jewish nation came into being was unity. Such a state of unity was achieved through the correction of egoism—exploitation of others for our own sake—to a state of love and bestowal. Purim symbolizes the end of this process of correction.

The Jews became sanctioned as a nation when they agreed to unite “as one man with one heart.” Their dispersion was synonymous with their disunity, which meant that they failed to live up to what established them as a nation to begin with. This is what Haman emphasized to King Ahasuerus.

While “dispersed,” Queen Esther could be of no service to the Jews because they were breaching the king’s law. When they united, however, they reestablished themselves as a nation, exactly as King Ahasuerus commanded, making Haman’s claim fall short. For this reason, Esther relays to Mordechai: “You want me to go to the king and beg for your lives? Don’t just sit there at the king’s gate; go, gather the Jews!”

Purim provides us with the happy-ending example where the Jewish people understand their role and purpose, and take responsibility to realize the king’s law: uniting above their differences and thereby securing their survival. The opposite end was clearly exemplified by the tragic events in the middle of last century that revealed what an escalation of Jewish hatred coupled with Jewish denial of that hatred and failure to do anything about it could lead to.

What is the unity we Jews must reach now? It does not mean that we need to physically gather in Israel or anywhere else, just as the Jews in the Purim story didn’t need to leave the 127 provinces in which they lived to physically unite in Shushan.

Uniting means that we must mentally and emotionally support each other in seeking a common agreement to be there for each other, “as one man with one heart,” above any differences between us. Moreover, uniting also means that, by our efforts to find our common unifying point, we will become conduits of unity to the rest of humanity, as is written, to become “a light unto nations.”

In other words, the dispersion and disunity between our hearts spreads dispersion and disunity to the world, and its opposite is also true—our unification spreads unification. Unity is the unfulfilled expectation that humanity currently has of the Jews. While it is difficult for both non-Jews and Jews to pinpoint or verbalize this feeling, it lurks behind all anti-Semitic sentiment.

From the doubt and fear in the face of utter destruction to the elation and euphoria after everything works out in the end, the story and meaning of Purim encompasses one of the greatest ever resolution of opposites.

We Jews hold the keys to both possible outcomes: the choice to remain disunited, which has devastating consequences, or the choice to unite, which brings about the elated state Purim symbolizes.

Every time that we Jews were threatened with extermination, it was our commitment to unity that allowed us to prevail and survive. Today, Jews must remember this history and set a positive example for everyone. This is the very action that will bring our people and the whole world closer to peace, balance and boundless joy.

Happy Purim to all!

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