The Times of Israel published my new article “The Legacy of Rav Kook to Jewish Unity“

In the shadow of the skyscrapers in the south of Tel Aviv, the fashionable neighborhood of Neve Tzedek, the first quarter of the city, is bustling with activities. On 21 Ahava Street, in the heart of this neighborhood with its glorious history, stood a small, modest corner house. Behind its ramshackle walls, an enchanted oasis had once served as a meeting place for the most renowned intellectuals and cultural personalities of the Jewish community in Eretz Israel.

S.Y. Agnon, Bialik, the writer Azar, Berl Katznelson, A.D. Gordon and Nahum Gutman were just some of the people who visited the place regularly. They were joined by other visitors such as Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, the undisputed leader of the ultra-Orthodox community in the Old Yishuv (the pre-Zionist Jewish community) in Jerusalem, and many of the most prominent rabbis of the Jewish community in Eretz Israel in the 1920s.

Rav Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook (HaRaAYaH), the first Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi in pre-state Israel, was one of the most prominent personalities in the history of the Jewish people. A brilliant thinker with a poet’s spirit, but above all a great Kabbalist, Rav Kook devoted his life to translating the principles of Kabbalah — first and foremost the love of others—into the language and path that the young people could relate to in their quest for the identity that had crystallized in the country at the turn of the century. Notwithstanding his many writings, the image of Rav Kook remained a mystery.

Rav Kook’s expansive heart was a spiritual junction in which the world of Haskalah (enlightenment) and secular intellect intersected with the spiritual world, the Torah, and the Lithuanian Halakhah.

His warm and intense love for human beings melted the iron barriers and the contradictions between the different factions of the settlers. He saw the secular settlers who came to the Land of Israel and the Haredim as partners in a spiritual, united society that he wished to establish.

In the early years of the Zionist enterprise, it was the division and polarization of the Jewish community that tore his heart to shreds. He devoted his thoughts to one goal only: finding the right way to unify the nation, first and foremost the connection between the two poles, the secular and the religious.

Many derogatory remarks were leveled against him for his “affection” toward the “Zionists,” who were considered secular, as compiled in the book The Spiritual Revolution of Rav Kook. “They build the land,” Rav Kook often said. “And the Land of Israel is an opportunity for us to begin a period of spiritual and material prosperity. We only have to know how to implement it correctly.”

As a direct continuation of the great Kabbalists who worked before him, the Land of Israel was viewed by Rav Kook as a new spiritual step in which the people returning to Zion were required to realize their spiritual role. He believed that the Land of Israel was given to the people of Israel in order to form a spiritual exemplary society, a hotbed for the work in which one must cultivate the desire for inner transcendence, far beyond the territorial aspect.

For Rav Kook, the return to Israel after years of long exile symbolized the beginning of the return of the Jewish people to the realization of the spiritual idea upon which it was founded, a place for the observance of a spiritual life, out of unity that transcends the narrow egoistic existence.

Like Rav Yehuda Ashlag (Baal HaSulam), the most renowned Kabbalist of the 20th Century and friend of Rav Kook, both rabbis warned on many occasions that we should not settle solely for the technical existence of external customs and symbols. From the heights of his spiritual attainment, Rav Kook looked at the Israeli reality and determined that the return to the Land of Israel had indeed ended the period of external exile, but the internal exile was not yet over.

The internal division between the ranks of the people was perceived as the root of all troubles, and he therefore emphasized that the secret of the true strength of the Jewish people is in connection, and that unity and spirituality are equal. More than once, he argued that only when we unite in love of others over the egoistic nature that erodes us, can we rise to the spiritual level and live here in peace and tranquility.

As a man of action, Rav Kook was not satisfied with the flourishing of philosophical ideas and sophistication. In the fall of 1913, he headed a special delegation of ten rabbis to the famous “Masah HaMoshavot” (tour of the agricultural settlements.)

During the dangerous journey, the rabbis rode in a convoy of mule carts, in the train cars of the “Valley Train” (a train from Haifa to the Jordan River), and even on a boat, all in order to have an encounter between the members of the old Yishuv, the moshavim and the kibbutzim. One of the most famous stories that expresses Rav Kook’s worldview occurred in the dining room of Kibbutz Merhavia.

Upon their arrival, the rabbis were received coldly. Their entry into the dining room was accompanied by suspicious looks. One of the settlers rose to his feet and shouted, “Don’t waste your work and speeches. You will not influence anyone here.” Great confusion and astonishment prevailed. Rav Kook broke the tension and turned to him with a warm voice and said softly, “We did not come to influence, we came to be influenced.”

Unlike many of his colleagues, Rav Kook did not look at the pioneers with condescension or arrogance. He saw the pioneers of Merhavia as organic parts of one human fabric, working harmoniously and with significant inner effort to realize the purpose of creation.

“Love” was not an abstract concept in his eyes, but a practical and perfect expression of the sense of deep connection that exists among all “organs of the body” in their corrected state. He reiterated that the destiny of the people of Israel is to be a special organ whose role is to pave the way for the entire body, and to illuminate the ultimate goal for all humanity’s benefit. We must strive to realize this role and spread the principles of the wisdom of truth with all our strength, until the spiritual power inherent in it will emerge from power and be revealed in full bloom.

Eighty-three years have passed since the death of Rav Kook, and in the reality of our divided lives, his enormous absence is felt more than ever. It is precisely the crumbling Israeli society that lives in the Land of Israel that needs the conciliatory spirit of Rav Kook.

It is not surprising that most of Rav Kook’s writings begin with the word “Orot” (“lights”) and are named after the light. The Israeli light still emanates from the windows of his house, gleaming radiantly, full of purity, and inviting us to walk through the front gates and enter his former abode. It seems that the little house is still open and inviting, and its neighbors are part of that united body he saw in his mind that climbs up to the peak of spiritual consciousness.
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The Times of Israel published my new article “A Review of Anti-Semitism in America After the Unite the Right 2 Rally”

Let’s be realistic. The magnitude of racism and anti-Semitism in America cannot be measured by the low attendance at the recent Unite the Right 2 rally, the one-year commemoration of the violent protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, which had resulted in death and violence. Fewer people may have participated this time around, but statistics show that hatred just got reloaded.

At last year’s rally, hundreds of white nationalists brandished torches chanting “Jews will not replace us,” but it was only the tip of the iceberg. According to the Anti-Defamation League, in 2017 and 2018, there were 3,023 extremist or anti-Semitic incidents across the United States.

If we look beneath the surface we will see that this struggle transcends political affiliation and skin color. At the heart of the sentiment of visceral hate is a very specific target group, Jews. University of Chicago historian, David Nirenberg, says that this phenomenon “should not be understood as some archaic or irrational closet in the vast edifices of Western thought. It was rather one of the basic tools with which that edifice was constructed.”

Hatred of Jews requires no justifications. It lies in the collective subconscious of the nations of the world. As Kabbalist Yehuda Ashlag wrote in his essay “The Writings of the Last Generation”: “It is a fact that Israel is hated by all the nations, whether for religious, racial, capitalist, communist, or for cosmopolitan reasons, etc. It is so because the hatred precedes all reasons, but each merely resolves its loathing according to its own psychology.”

An in-depth analysis of the challenges faced by Jews demands a zoomed-out view of the issue in the context of humanity’s development. The wisdom of Kabbalah explains that the human milestones started in mid-1900s, a turning point for humanity, when it finished its egoistic development and transitioned to an interdependent and interconnected existence.

This new reality manifests at all levels of human activity: economy, technology, trade and communication. In order to further develop harmoniously, a new attitude toward positive human connection is required, one that matches the level of interdependence that we see we’ve reached through such systems.

Gradually, people from all walks of life, races, religions, beliefs and nationalities must acquire the skills to positively integrate into an interdependent society, i.e. to create an atmosphere of support, encouragement and friendship above divisive tendencies. Back in ancient Babylon, during the time of Abraham the Patriarch, the Jewish people were given the method of connection that gives every human being the tools to unite with others, above difference. The Jewish people were the first to receive it and are obliged to pass it on to the world becoming a “light unto the nations.”

This special method of connection is the wisdom of Kabbalah. It teaches us how to rise above our ego, the powerful force that tears us apart. By using its roadmap, we create a positive magnetic field, an altruistic force to balance our egoistic inclination and actions.

Therefore, as soon as Jews create a model of society based on solidarity and mutual understanding, they will rise to the same frequency of connection and love that underlies nature. They will harmonize with the positive force, the supreme power that will then permeate reality.

Thus, broken relations between people, manifested as Nazism, racism, and hatred of all kinds will be transformed into a balanced coexistence for humanity as a whole.
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The largest portal Newsmax published my new article “Global Interdependence Means No One Wins a Trade War“

The storm around the rapid deterioration of Turkey’s economy sent shock waves in financial markets — globally.

In light of the worsening relations between Turkey and the U.S., and as a result of President Trump’s declaration of double caps on steel and aluminum, the European banking and financial system could be dragged into an old/new debt crisis.

We are witnessing a world war, albeit different from what we have known in the past.

It’s the modern technological and financial version of warfare.

Numerous fronts indicate a dramatic and global collapse of the free international trade market. The U.S., Europe, China, India, Russia, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Turkey, Iran, Brazil, and other countries are all in the midst of economic battles.

Mutual sanctions, currency attacks, and unprecedented threats are flying acorss international time zones. Leaders are fighting for their dignity — and thrones.

Today we don’t need atomic bombs to cause mass destruction.

Cutting off international ties could cause entire populations to starve for food. From day to day, we find it hard to envision a peaceful future in a single country, without taking all others into account. In today’s world, the links and dependencies between countries and economies cannot be untangled without a great deal of conflict.

The international trade market, which has been a free market for decades, is now practically being shut down. Here is the forecast: China will not be able to continue using its large cash reserves to buy real estate or giant companies around the world, while the technological revolution devalues China’s cheap production lines, which for decades have always been its main economic advantage.

As the Chinese expansion in world trade meets a roadblock, the potential benefits will be distributed among other powers such as the U.S., Europe, Brazil, and others.

Russia, however, finds itself in a pickle, facing stronger and healthier trade partners with a weakened currency that stifles its economy. And the U.S., in complete contrast to the passive policy that characterized it in recent years, is now determined to take the lead.

Regarding global forecasts, the two countries that appear to have the ability to lead in the global trade war are the U.S. and Israel. Both countries have the distinct technological advantage, entrepreneurship, ingenuity, and innovation necessary to generate solid economic results.

The battle no longer plays out on mechanical production lines.

Today, minds own the battlefield.

The first act of this war should reach its peak in October of this year.

Turkey’s huge loan repayments are nearing insolvency. Then, the Turkish Republic will be forced to either take dramatic measures such as debt relief or take very expensive loans from countries and financial institutions.

Could Trump announce victory? Will Israel prosper as a result?

Will world markets spiral into another economic crisis?

In a globally interdependent world, a single winner does not exist. Countries and economies are tied together in an integrated system, one they cannot disengage from. This interdependence — which most players still seem to ignore — means that a zero-sum game in which the winner takes all cannot happen.

Ultimately, we will realize that we can all win — or lose — together.

A third option is not on the table.
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The largest portal Breaking Israel News published my new article “Israel’s Existential Threats And The Nation-State Law“

It looked like a scene playing out in Gaza, but its location was the heart of Tel Aviv: Palestinian flags hoisted at Rabin Square protesting the recently passed Nation-State law. Israel’s democracy is being abused not used. When the intrinsic call is to wipe Israel off the map, there should be no room for freedom of expression. Otherwise, we are shooting ourselves in the foot.

There is a systematic campaign from the Palestinians to undermine Israel’s right to exist. Incendiary kites sent from the Gaza Strip to Israeli farms have cost the country to date almost $2 million in damages. Within just the last few days, more than 200 rockets plummeted into densely populated cities in the south. Security and economic pressure, in addition to inflammatory political demonstrations within our cities, all serve the same purpose: to jeopardize Israel.

No country in the world would let its enemies spread their tentacles in such a way. There should be a limit to the fertile ground we provide our enemies to plant their seeds, taking advantage of our being a free and modern country. Our open-arm peace gestures have not been reciprocated to this very day. Consider the disengagement plan from the Gaza Strip, the Oslo Accords, the peace agreement between Israel and Egypt. Do we live any closer to peace with the Palestinians as a result of any of these? Do we wake up every day feeling safer?

The answer is evident. Why then should we let any faction aim at Israel’s destruction? Taking into consideration just the surface façade that only a small number are against the country while the majority of the Arab population aspires for peace, the alarming underlying truth is ignored: demonstrations like these motivate and ignite radical groups around the world to further incite at the grassroots level.

Anti-Israel agitators have admitted that this is only the beginning, a test to enlist support for a continuous public struggle to also take place at an international level. At the end of the day, it won’t be hard for the enemies of Israel to solicit support from the UN, UNESCO, the European Union and other world bodies to advance their interests. They have historically succeeded in obtaining sympathy from those organizations.

Eventually, even Jews in the Diaspora will join the world’s voices against the Jewish state. The success of these internal and external factions points to one factor as its root cause: our inner weakness. We have forgotten the spiritual foundation of our people, the cornerstone of what it means to be Israel. What is the purpose of the people of Israel? What special contribution does this group have to give to the world? By clarifying the answers to these questions we would no longer be blinded by incongruent external influences, leaving us with the necessary strength to defend our land and society from all threats.

The Jewish people is a collection of peoples from among the nations of the world, gathered in ancient Babylon 3,800 years ago with a single purpose: implementing the ideology of “love your friend as yourself,” and passing it to the rest of the world. The essence of the Jewish people is unity, and our role is to be the conduit of the message of connection and love to all the nations. We were founded and united as a people for the first time around this principle taught by Abraham.

The recently-approved Nation-State law does not resonate with this purpose. It lacks a basic spiritual statement: our unity is our main force. The fact that we have had a historical connection to the land of Israel for thousands of years is an insufficient reason to satisfy the world’s questions about our right of self-determination as a Jewish state. Therefore, we can continue tailoring beautifully written laws and organizing impressive protocolary ceremonies to promote them, but they will all reach a dead end.

As long as the nation fails to realize its identity and has no solid spiritual foundation, no new law can become an insurance policy for stability and progress. It is not surprising how similar the current environment of frictions and division in our days is to those that preceded the ruin of the Temple, when hatred outstripped brotherly love.

We must reverse the current state of affairs and adhere to our role of becoming “a light unto the nations” by providing an example of connection to the world, thus transforming an uncertain future into a bright path of unity.

It seems today that the Jewish people are well-established in their homeland, the land of Israel, but this cannot be taken for granted. “Zionism will be cancelled altogether,” as Baal HaSulam wrote in The Writings of The Last Generation, the great Kabbalist of the 20th century. He described a somber scenario if we do not fulfill our destiny and pass our power of connection to the world. “This country is very poor, and its residents are destined to endure much suffering. Undoubtedly, either they or their children will gradually leave the country, and only an insignificant number will remain, which will ultimately be swallowed among the Arabs.” So, there really will be nowhere to run.

Therefore, the first law that should be legislated now is a law of unity: a law that will rekindle the hidden spark in our hearts and restore the sense of unity that we lack. Also, it should not only be a well-drafted law, beautifully designed as a scroll, but one accompanied by an educational explanation of the entire process.

When the State of Israel would be founded on an authentic Israeli spirit of unity, all its laws would work to strengthen the bonds of love among the people living on its soil. Such a state would neither abolish nor erase political party, tribal, gender, age, or skin color differences, but would set the unity of everyone, without exception, into a single society ruled by the principles of solidarity and cooperation as its supreme goal. This is the true nation-state of the Jews, a state that takes care of unification, while preserving the uniqueness of every individual.

When all the sparks within Jewish hearts come together, no one can act against us. Our connection above differences is our destiny as a people, and all the nations of the world expect us to achieve this. This is the law that is the bedrock of our nation and our spiritual foundation, and it should be the basis for any demonstration that takes place.

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The Times of Israel published my new article “Beyond Israel’s Nation State Law”

Israel’s nation-state law has clearly managed to touch a nerve for many around the world. My article about it drew a slew of both positive and negative comments.

I will refer to one which was characteristic of most comments and also raised an important question: “Perhaps you could provide practical steps to reach unity, or explain what it means to be in unity. I think there are many people ready to move to that stage but they don’t really know how, because after the wonderful article, the comments are full of conflicts and self-justifications…”

In order to understand how social change can take place in Israeli society, we have to reconstruct the unique birth story of the Jewish people. Keep in mind that much more than a piece of history, it describes the global purpose for which Israel was created, extremely relevant to our day and age.

About 3,800 years ago, in Mesopotamia, which is today’s Iraq, the cradle of human civilization existed in natural brotherhood and a sense of shared destiny, as a united universal family. The pagan society of those days didn’t aspire for much more than leading a peaceful life, and fulfilling their basic needs for food and shelter. Instinctively, treating each other like kin, they established a thriving agricultural society.

But then, a radical development of human desires took place in ancient Babylon. Humanity’s “egoism” began to grow and they suddenly demanded to get much more out of life. An outburst of egoistic desires violated the harmony that prevailed among human beings. Their ego began to separate them and urged them to put their personal benefit at the expense of others. Thus, humanity’s first social crisis transpired.

In the midst of the Babylonian crisis, one priest named Abraham was highly aware of what was happening. He began to investigate the reason and purpose for the growth of the human ego, and uncovered the natural system that all human beings are part of, and the natural force that binds them together.

Abraham discovered that in order to balance the negative force of egoism, humans have to make a conscious effort to awaken the positive force of connection inherent in nature. In other words, the common efforts to cultivate unity above the egoistic rejection uncovers a spiritual space between people, where they can sense the wholeness and harmony of nature itself.

Abraham formulated his discovery into a method, and embarked on an extensive campaign to spread it among the Babylonians who would follow him. His method was later to be called “the wisdom of Kabbalah.”

Those who gathered around Abraham were representatives from every nation of ancient Babylon. They were, in effect, a mini-model of humanity. And what brought them together was only their common spiritual desire to rise above their egoistic differences and find a higher level of unity. Abraham’s group would later be called the people of “Israel,” a combination of the words “Yashar” and “El,” which means directly towards the force that governs all of nature.

In today’s Israeli society, and even more so in global society, human relations are more broken and polarized than in ancient Babylon. And just as Abraham assembled the first people who identified with the message of oneness above differences, we, too, must come together and rediscover the concept of “Israel.”

First we have to spread awareness of a higher level of unity as a solution to all our troubles. We have to foster social discourse about our united future. These discussions must be conducted according to rules that maintain positive connections: we should express our opinions freely, we can argue, and we shouldn’t blur our differences, and yet, we have to do it like a warm and loving family that has a common goal: unity above the ego.

From one such discussion to another, we will necessarily begin to sense an awakening of the natural bond between us. This sensation is rooted in our spiritual DNA, but it has to be activated, and only a healthy and thoughtful environment will allow us to do so.

As we become stronger in our unity, we will muster the strength to bring about significant changes in society, and we will also be able to demand that state institutions contribute their part in this socio-educational endeavor.

But the effort to unite is mostly an effort of one’s heart. Alongside social and global stages that will gradually take shape, each and every one of us should relate to our society as a mini-model of the human family.

What happens with Israel radiates to all of humanity. This is how nature created the “people of Israel” and the reason for the gut-level feelings directed at Israel on so many fronts. We have to usher in the next degree of human connection. Anyone who feels it, is welcome to start now.
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The largest portal Breaking Israel News published my new article “Lessons from Hiroshima: From Weapons of Mass Destruction to a Weapon of Mass Connection“:

The 73rd anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where two nuclear weapons killed at least 129,000 people—most of them civilians, with thousands more dying years later due to indirect injuries and radioactive exposure—is a worthy time for introspection, where we should ask ourselves, “What have we learned from such a tragic event?”

Simply put, very little.

We still live in an extremely volatile world. Decades of nuclear standoff may end in a blink of an eye with nuclear powers ready to push the red button at any given provocation, regardless of the global devastation it would inflict. The US is making efforts to limit Iran’s nuclear program, but it’s an uncertain road to peace. According to White House national security adviser, John Bolton, another global threat, North Korea, has not taken the necessary steps to de-nuclearize despite an agreement signed in June.

Back in the 1950s, the great Kabbalist of the twentieth century Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag (Baal HaSulam) wrote about the consequences of nuclear proliferation in his essay “The Writings of the Last Generation”: “If the total ruin that they are destined to bring upon the world is still not evident to the world, they can wait for a third world war, or a fourth one. The bombs will do their thing and the relics that remain after the ruin will have no other choice but to take upon themselves this work, where both individuals and nations will not work for themselves more than is necessary for their sustenance, while everything else they do will be for the good of others.”

The teachings of Baal HaSulam are more relevant now than ever. Mutual hatred overflows within societies, between people and countries, at all levels. Humanity is acting in the opposite direction of nature, which is balanced and harmonious. Instead, we are moving away from each other, immersed in global confrontation and frictions, developing sophisticated weaponry to destroy each other.

The human being is the most harmful force in nature, even more so than a nuclear bomb. The path to destruction is paved by incitement and separation among people. The ever-increasing human ego, the evil inclination that resides in people, manifests itself in self-centered actions at the expense of others. The exponential effect of this division within humanity is what causes wars and global crises. If we fail to implement a change in our self-centered focus, then we will continue heading down a path of prolonged suffering.

There is, however, another path. It is one where we realize the corrupt way we relate to each other, and construct new, positive relations among society—a path of unity.

The more we tread the path of suffering, the more unbearable pressure would eventually make it evident that there must be another way to lessen the pain. Human society would then seek advice on how to survive and escape war and crisis. It will then be up to the generation’s leaders to do whatever possible to guide human society toward peaceful coexistence in an interconnected world.

The current global scenario is urging us to conduct this introspection, and choose a more civilized, enjoyable and wise path: the path of unity. Such a path is derived from nature’s key element—connection—where nature as a whole operates in total balance. We can replicate this harmonious system by replacing our egoistic relations with altruistic ones.

The transition between the two paths—from torturous torment to a fast path of human connection—is what the wisdom of Kabbalah teaches. As threats increase and crises continuously emerge, the wisdom of Kabbalah becomes revealed and accessible to all. It is the strongest weapon against any threat in the world, a powerful, positive, spiritual force that unites people by balancing good and evil. It is the “weapon of mass connection,” the only one we need for a peaceful existence.
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The largest portal Newsmax published my new article “Smartphone Era Demands We Bridge Tech-Generation Gap“

Studies conducted in different countries show dependency on smartphones is growing.

France recently banned the use of smartphones in schools. The decision was made out of concern that students were becoming addicted to mobile-phone use.

Will such restrictive moves solve the problem?

Or, do we need to look deeper in order to deal with the challenges of a cyber-generation?

While the fact that youth is becoming more and more dependent on technology is practically undisputable, it is equally important to face adult addiction to cell-phones and its impact on the behavior of their children and society. A new study conducted in Great Britain reveals a dramatic increase in addiction to technology.

The average person in that country checks a mobile phone every 12 minutes, while one-in-five adults spend more than 40 hours per week online.

If that is the model children are following, how can we complain about their habits if we do not practice what we preach? One of the leading health service providers in Israel recently did an interesting research on parents’ behavior while waiting for, and during, the treatment of their children in the pediatric unit. The result was that 83 percent of the parents were glued to their mobile-phones during the medical visit.

Unsurprisingly, the conclusions recommended parents to turn off their technical appliances in order to spend time with their children.

Also, in America, nearly nine-in-ten people today are online.

Can we ultimately sail against the wind of technological progress?

Or, is it an unstoppable consequence of natural human development?

It’s an undeniable fact that the younger generation has been shaped by the smartphone and by the rise of social media. It’s an integral part of their existence from a very early age.

As part of their environment, they are bound to adapt to new technology and embrace it as a natural element of their upbringing, feeling completely comfortable and fearless about experimenting with new devices, games, and platforms.

We have not created this desire by ourselves, it’s part of nature’s development.

Parents who are themselves addicted to mobile phones cannot blame their children for an excessive use of smartphones or their consequential behavioral problems. Children take the example from us. How then can we complain about their habits?

Our egoistic nature increasingly grows, leading us to be increasingly involved and concerned with ourselves, even at the expense of others, and also even if those others are in our own family.

The amount of face-to-face interaction lessens the more we expand our time online, so how can we expect good communication with our children if we are not ready to give up our compulsive use of electronic devices?

If we were to take away both our own as well as our children’s smartphones in order to improve the communication between us, then would we be “in their shoes,” to understand and fulfill their needs and desires? If we hesitate, even for a fleeting moment, then maybe it would be better if at least we stick to our devices together, in a common place, instead of being totally separated?

We cannot reject change because it will happen anyway.

Wishing to bring back the past is tantamount to yearning to revive the stone age.

Children have grown up with computers and the Internet in schools and at home, they find everything online, music streaming, video-sharing, what to buy, what to wear, where to go, what to do and who to hang out with (virtually, of course.) Technology is to them almost as an extension of their bodies.

Outdoor ventures either in urban or natural sights aren’t as attractive as they used to be. They have been replaced by online activities. If young people go out, then more often it will be to a place where they will be surrounded by others who are immersed in their own digital world.

Our world is experiencing a profound transformation, opening up to a more spiritual and integral reality. Young people are the first ones to embrace changes since they are instinctively always looking for new paths and alternatives. Every new advance is a step forward for them, a natural process even if they are not fully aware of how it happens.

Understanding and implementing this new era requires a restart button that will allow us to use technology and take it one step further, for the sake of true connection, solidarity and care for others.

How can this be accomplished? It can be accomplished by adapting ourselves not only to technological advances but to a renewed era. We now have all the means in our hands to transform the society from chaos to harmony. By using technology in order to benefit and strengthen human relations, we can serve this purpose.

Such a fundamental change can be possible by creating meaningful content to teach both adults and children about how nature and humanity develops, explaining how nature is guiding the world to a state of balance, and how to improve our communication for more balanced and harmonious relations within society.
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The portal Medium published my new article “The Pursuit Of Happiness And The Fading American Dream”

It is embedded in the deepest layers of American society. “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” is the founding creed from the Declaration of Independence that aims at fulfillment in life to all. In reality, however, this ideal does not even scratch the surface of the American society. Despite spending astronomical amounts of money and working very hard to find happiness, the US has the highest rate of antidepressant use in the world. What is the reason and what can be done to invert this phenomenon?

Per-capita income in America has more than doubled since 1972, but its citizens’ well-being is sending unsettling signals of decline. The US is ranked only 18th out of 156 countries measured by the World Happiness Report 2018, significantly below other wealthy nations. The report’s editor, economist Jeffrey Sachs, stated that “the trends are not good, and the comparative position of the US relative to other high-income countries is nothing short of alarming.” He attributes this divergence to obesity, drug abuse and depression, problems associated with dissatisfaction in life.

The pursuit of happiness is constantly motivating people to seek the source of happiness. A well-oiled American industry of self-help products and services that sell the illusion of joy and satisfaction is estimated to be worth more than 10 billion dollars a year. A significant amount is also spent on traveling abroad, around 118 billion dollars, among other astonishing expenditures in leisure and indulgence.

If such exertion is not bearing fruit, is it possible that the problem is how and where people in this pursuit of happiness are seeking it?

How We Measure Happiness

The valuing of hard work to achieve success in life is usually interpreted as the accumulation of materialistic possessions, focusing on things that bring us joy and satisfaction, everything that money appears to buy. Acquiring as much money as possible also provides a sense of self-worth, as the person gaining wealth also gains respect and recognition from others. We live under the impression that being rich is equivalent to being happy, so we are ready to do whatever it takes to get rich.

This aim motivates people to work longer and socialize less, and thus experience the opposite of the desired effect: more loneliness and dissatisfaction due to the overwhelming investment in time and efforts to achieve this goal. The more we focus on the things that bring us pleasure, the faster the feeling fades and loses its importance.

Buying a new car, an impressive house, the ultimate electronic device, getting a prestigious job, will give us short-lived satisfaction. We will eventually adapt to these new acquisitions, thus returning to our starting point and ending up in the same state or even unhappier than we were before. It’s the same old rat race, where we are constantly chasing new sources of pleasure as the old ones expire.

Happiness Depends On Other People

In contrast to the common perception that “wealth = happiness,” various long-term studies have also reached the conclusion that close relationships, not possessions, hold the key to happiness.

When asked to summarize decades of research in the field of positive psychology, renowned psychologist Chris Peterson replied, “other people matter.” One of the world’s longest studies on this subject, of nearly 80 years, has been conducted by Harvard researchers. They have tracked the personal evolution of 268 sophomores to identify factors influencing a healthy and happy life.

The study found that friendship and social connection, more than money and fame, is what makes people happy. Furthermore, those who had warm relationships and belonged to a community not only lived happier lives, but longer ones. As part of the study’s conclusions, its director Robert Waldinger stated that “loneliness kills. It’s as powerful as smoking or alcohol addiction.”

The wisdom of Kabbalah has discussed this principle over thousands of years: true happiness can only be found through positive human connection, in our collective unity, where each person is outwardly-focused toward friends and society. Moreover, Kabbalah states that connection-based happiness is limitless in potential.

But why? What is it about giving and positively connecting with others that can make our happiness unlimited? Also, what limits our happiness?

Self-Concern: The Happiness Limiter

What limits our happiness is our self-concern, when we try to enjoy individually and at the expense of others. According to Kabbalah, human nature is a desire to enjoy. Our every nature-given motivation is to enjoy, feel good and be happy. However, although our every desire is constantly working to make us happy, our problem is that we don’t know how to enjoy. As the above-mentioned examples showed, we interpret this desire to enjoy in terms of desires for gaining wealth and material acquisitions, honor and respect, control and knowledge.

Such corporeal, material forms of enjoyment all share a common denominator: we try to fulfill ourselves individually at the expense of others. The problem with enjoying in this mode is that the desire to enjoy is made in such a way where self-aimed pleasure extinguishes the moment it enters us. Like when we eat, we extinguish our hunger, and by the end of the meal we don’t want to eat anymore, so it is with our other corporeal desires: they all fade away upon their fulfillment. This is the reason for the paradox as to why, although we have built a Western society abundant with material pleasures, depression and loneliness abound.

The founders of the wisdom of Kabbalah realized this problem with human nature, and sought to find a solution. What they found is that when the desire to enjoy is redirected, when we stop aiming to fulfill ourselves individually, and start aiming to fulfill others, although we don’t see any direct benefit from such an inclination, it actually is the key to enjoy and be happy limitlessly. Kabbalists discovered that behind what we envision as happiness, there is a source of happiness, an opposite desire to our own nature, which is a quality of giving, love and connection. When we try to emulate this quality, by trying to give, love and positively connect with others, then it influences us and changes us, bringing us more and more into balance with it. And the more we balance ourselves with nature, the happier we become.

Happiness Science and Positive Psychology Confirming What Kabbalah Has Been Stating for 1,000s of Years

Only recently, in the last 20–30 or so years, happiness science and positive psychology emerged to study what makes us happy, and what stands in the way of people’s happiness. These fields reach the conclusions that the wisdom of Kabbalah stated 5,000 years ago: that giving actually makes us far happier than receiving. The stronger our relationships with others, the happier we are. If our desire is focused outside ourselves, on giving to others, then we will not feel empty all the time.

The expectation of happiness depends solely on us, and only we dictate the scope of our future happiness. It can inflate, expand, and be enjoyed all the time, and thus a person has the potential to enjoy boundlessly. Instead of trying to enjoy detached from others, and finding ourselves empty-handed time after time, we can build ever-increasing happiness through our efforts to positively connect, coming closer and closer to balance with nature. Then, complete fulfillment will be a tangible reality and not only a dream.
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Medium published my new article “‘Survival of the Richest’ Depends on Them Saving Us All”

Have you heard about “the event”?

Turns out “the event” is a codename for the systemic crisis approaching humanity in giant strides, a euphemism used by the world’s ultra-rich. Whether it will be triggered by an economic meltdown and massive social unrest, climate change, nuclear explosion, an epidemic, or cyber warfare, it will result in global catastrophe, and the upper echelon wants to be ready for “Judgment Day.”

To prepare for the inevitable, five tycoons invited media theorist and technology author prof. Douglas Rushkoff to give them some advice for the symbolic fee of half his annual income.

During the meeting, it suddenly dawned on Rushkoff that the super-rich had a completely different reason for investing in technology: all the newly developing cutting edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, 3D printing, CRISPR and even the colonization of Mars, are seen and supported by the world’s elites as means to save themselves from “the event.”

While we see supermarkets without cashiers, autonomous vehicles and robots doing the work for us — the super-wealthy see means of protection against angry mobs and systemic breakdowns in the not-too-distant future.

Indeed, the wealthy and powerful few have a much broader view of global risk than most of human society. And yet, what they can see and predict is only a fragment of the overall picture. The multi-faceted human crisis originates from a completely different cause and happens for an entirely different purpose to what they understand, which is why they think they can evade it.

The actual “event” is a natural turning point in human evolution, and its origins begin no less than approximately 14 billion years ago with the Big Bang.

Through billions of years, the development of matter created gases, dust, stars and planets, and then the biological life of flora and fauna on Earth. But along with the expansion of the universe, nature also works to bring all levels of life into balance: from the inanimate, to plant life, to animal life, to human life. And our turn has just arrived.

Whether we realize it or not, nature is pushing us to come to balance with it. And that means becoming an integral, harmonious part of the natural system, which necessitates the evolution of human society as a collective species around the planet. Gradually, nature is amplifying our sensitivity to our global interdependence, forcing us to recognize the human network that we are all part of, and transform our societies accordingly.

No technology can stop the laws of nature and no bunker can keep anyone unaffected by them. But, we can learn how to go along with the evolutionary pressure, rather than against it.

To avoid becoming victims of an aggressive breakdown of our current culture, we have to acknowledge and prepare ourselves for our inevitably connected future. People have to learn about the laws of nature and how they form an integral system, where every element depends on its balanced connection with the others and how it complements them.

But that’s the just the beginning of humanity’s transformation. It’s no coincidence that in the last few decades there is a growing body of research from multiple fields confirming that positive human connections make us smarter and better in every sense, as well as happier and healthier. Human beings will have to discover and activate their inherent wiring for connection by consciously practicing it.

The more we practice our positive connections — personally, socially and globally — the more we see that we are coming to balance with the laws of nature, and that will become our new source of fulfillment.

Surely, the transformation of human society will require a massive socio-educational endeavor around the planet, using our media and our technologies in a new way and for a new purpose. The irony is that precisely the people like those who met Rushkoff have all the means necessary to make this happen. What they lack is only the understanding that the only way to save themselves from “the event” is to save human society as well.
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The largest portal Newsmax published my new article “When Did Breastfeeding Become a Bargaining Chip?”

It is, and always has been, the best food for babies. There is no controversy about the benefits of breast milk, but its politicization is giving us food for thought.

The New York Times claimed that the U.S. government unsuccessfully threatened nations backing breastfeeding with punitive trade and military cut offs to favor the $70 billion dollar infant formula industry, an accusation fervently denied by the current administration. Beyond the sensational headlines, the key factor is that such an important health related topic for mothers and children has been put back on the table.

Breast milk is rich in nutrients and includes antibodies to fight off viruses and bacteria protecting the baby from infections and allergies. It boosts the immune system, reduces infant mortality, and helps for a quicker recovery from common childhood illnesses. A Harvard study in 2016 estimated that 3,340 premature deaths a year among both mothers and babies could be prevented in the U.S. alone given adequate breastfeeding. It also lowers a mother’s risk of breast and ovarian cancer, and osteoporosis.

Besides the physical benefits and what is shown through laboratory experiments, breastfeeding is one of the best ways of bonding with a baby. In addition to nutrition, it provides comfort and relaxation. It releases oxytocin, which is the hormone responsible for other loving behaviors that make us feel good about a person.

Extended breastfeeding for the first two years of life allows for the child’s proper development, and women express more maternal sensitivity well past the infant and toddler years, according to a study by the American Psychological Association.

Beyond such findings, there is also a natural inner connection between the mother and the child that allows for positive biological and internal development, which starts inside the womb, belonging to an inner layer in nature that our studies and research tools still cannot pinpoint.

Considering the vital role mothers play in each individual’s development from the earliest of ages, it stands to reason that stay-at-home mothers should be given all the support possible to raise the next generation.

However, in practice, this is not the case.

In today’s world, the bulk of the burden falls on the mother, who is usually expected to prioritize her career over her family, juggling tasks and becoming increasingly exhausted and unsatisfied. The so-called advancement of women’s rights to choose is in practice an oxymoron. At the end of the day, women who decide to fulfill a traditional role as stay-at-home mothers do not receive enough recognition, value, and economic support from society, as if raising a new generation were not the most important enterprise of all.

The same way science has been unable to create an artificial uterus that brings an embryo to life, a mother’s role of nurturing and educating the child is irreplaceable. We cannot pretend to be wiser than nature. If we really want to empower and foster women’s self-determination, society should create conditions for a comfortable motherhood.

In most societies women struggle to have a balanced life, considering work as an economic necessity rather than liberation and personal progress. Women get caught in an ever-tightening entanglement of commitments at work and home with very little restitution at any level.

Nowadays, certain governments are considering the distribution of an unconditional basic income sufficient to meet a person’s basic needs. Such programs, if implemented, should benefit women first and foremost, particularly mothers who decide to leave the workplace in order to raise their children.

Mothers should not continue being treated as second-class citizens. Instead, they should be recognized as “society’s CEOs” — the ruling force in creation, the only ones capable of giving birth to and nurturing a whole new generation. Keep in mind that the world is our roof, humanity is our home, and women are the pillar of this structure. Nature is showing us the perfect mechanism of the human body. And motherhood in particular has a crucial role in giving birth to a new humanity.
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