The Pulitzer Prize winning newspaper the Huffington Post published my article “What Should Israel Hope For after the US Elections? Not Much.”
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We have become accustomed to getting swept away by cultural confrontations, but in reality, when the gaps between us continue to grow to a feeling of a threat, there is a special method for how to maintain each and every opinion, as well as to hold onto a common goal above them.
Israelis love to argue about almost everything. They spar at home, flame on Facebook, and dominate the road, and just about every place possible. Even the hall of the elected public officials in Israel has become an arena for the most prominently reported disputes. The Israeli Knesset is the main meeting place for the culture of debate.
The moment that one “friend” gets up and delivers his speech, immediately his “friend” stands up against him and contradicts him. Constructive criticism for discussion or illuminating issues on our minds is welcome, but much of the discussion that we encounter today is motivated by narrow interests, not from a desire to benefit society.
Ostensibly the polarization and division in Israeli society reflects failure, but the wisdom of Kabbalah holds that a developed society is one that knows how to contain opposites within it, a wide range of diverse opinions (1). Pluralism, differences of opinion, and public discourse, even if they conflict, are important to maintain and even intensify, but above them, it is necessary to build a sort of glue that unites us above the differences, or in the end, we will “devour” each other.
It Is All Mine
Jewish history is interwoven with conflicts and oppositions between different parts of the society in which the peak is represented by the unfounded hatred that developed among the people that later led to the destruction of the Temple (2). Since then, one dominant force has acted among the people of Israel, known in the wisdom of Kabbalah as egoism or the left line; when we use it only in its natural form, it begets hatred and division. We can learn about the intensity of the opposition between us from the proverbial: “Two hold a garment. One of them says, ‘I found it,’ and the other says, ‘I found it.’ One of them says, ‘It is all mine,’ and the other one says, ‘It is all mine.’ Then the one shall swear that his share in it is not less than half, and the other shall swear that his share in it is not less than half…” (3), and they disagree.
The dispute between the two in the end leads to the conclusion that in fact, in all areas all of us hold onto that prayer shawl in the same common destiny that joins us together. However, in order to balance the negative force that causes every person to be concerned only about himself, we need to awaken the positive force that can glue us together and elevate warmth and a sense of family, connecting us above all of the conflicts that divide us. In the wisdom of Kabbalah, this force is called the right line. To awaken it, we must invest effort and connect between us (4).
The Golden Road
The starting point for the first communication between us is the common aspiration for the better future everyone hopes for. A common goal can develop within us the readiness to concede and listen to others. We don’t need to concede our personal positions or our individuality. On the contrary, in the light of the common goal and despite the differences, we try to create connection.
As a result of this, a new point of contact is created between us. This is not a compromise or a temporary bridge, but a middle line that balances between the two opposing lines and complements them (5). The matter is similar to couples who quarrel with each other, but always keep in mind the ideal marital relationship that joins them together. Specifically, the ongoing quarrels and the desire to dominate each other creates the infrastructure that helps the couple rise above the struggle between them and create a new connection.
The Wisdom of Connection
Let’s not allow ourselves to sink into endless social struggles that will cause the nation to deteriorate into terrible corruption and brutality. We must consider all these cases as a sign that expresses the imperative to bring peace among all of the disputants.
It is in the power of the wisdom of connection to bring this unity, without deleting the gaps between us. The magic of the method is that it changes the attitude toward the dispute. Suddenly, the picture seems different in purpose and takes on a new meaning. The opposition is clarified as a unique motive that has been created for us so that we could rise further above the gaps and connect in a system of mutually responsible relationships (6).
If we don’t take action, sooner or later the oppositions are liable to lead to a social short-circuit that would disrupt all the systems in the nation. To prevent this proactively, it is better for us to take responsibility and seriously consider the establishment of a body that intentionally will guide and correctly direct each and every citizen in the nation of Israel, a kind of national social-educational council that regularly would initiate processes and social events to develop the value of unity in the social consciousness. The future of the society is in the hands of every one of us (7).
References:
1. “…drawing the right conclusions depends particularly on the multiplicity of disagreements and separation between opinions. The more contradictions there are between opinions and the more criticism there is, the more the knowledge and wisdom increases…” Rav Yehudah Ashlag (Baal HaSulam), “The Freedom.”
2. “The Temple was destroyed because of unfounded hatred, when their hearts were divided and they were divided and were not worthy of the Temple since it is the unity of Israel.” Rabbi Israel Segal, Netzhah Israel, chapter 4.
3. “Two hold a garment. One of them says, ‘I found it,’ and the other says, ‘I found it.’ One of them says, ‘It is all mine,’ and the other one says, ‘It is all mine.’ Then the one shall swear that his share in it is not less than half, and the other shall swear that his share in it is not less than half…” Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Baba Metzi’a, Chapter I, 2a, Mishnah.
4. “Hatred arouses quarrels, but love covers all transgressions” (Proverbs 10:12).
“…the heart of the vitality, persistence, and correction of the whole of creation, by people of differing views being included together in love, unity and peace.” Rabbi Nathan Sternhertz, Likutey Halachot [Assorted Rules], “Rules of Tefilat Arvit [Evening Prayer],” Rule no. 4.
5. “…this is the middle line, which decides between the two lines—right and left—which are opposite from one another in a way that both shine to the side of holiness” Let There Be Light, VaYetze [And Jacob Went Out], Item 118.
6. “We are not neutral when we claim that for consolidation, there must be consolidation of common responsibility, of mutual responsibility, of mutual influence. We claim that we must not blur the boundaries between the unions, circles and parties, rather a shared recognition of the common reality and a common position in a test of common responsibility. Separation between hearts is a disease that afflicts the peoples in our time and following its cure by way of coerced union is nothing but a mistake. Unity is lacking in the organizational structure. At the moment there is no remedy for this except that there will be people from different circles of opinion who need one another with a pure heart and take the trouble together to discover the common foundation.” Martin Buber, “Education and Examining the World.”
7. “…social unity…can be the source of every joy and success.” Rav Yehudah Ashlag (Baal HaSulam), “The Freedom.”
“We have yet to open our eyes and see that only unity can save us. Only if we all unite … to work in favor of the entire nation, our labor will not be in vain.” Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, “VeOd Musar Lo Lokachnu.”
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From Ynet article 4/6/16
The popular newspaper Huffington Post in French published my article “About consumption, terrorism and human nature.”
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The widely-read newspaper The Jerusalem Post published my article, “Is America heading toward a clash of civilizations?”
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The largest news source for English speaking Jews The Jerusalem Post recently published my article “Britain did itself, and the world, a big favor.”
Read the complete article.
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Jerusalem, the Temple Mount, and the Temple embody within them much more than what comes to mind when we first think about them. Their spiritual meaning leads us to the necessary understanding that the connection between us is not only for our sake, but for the sake of all of humanity.
Forty-nine years ago, paratroopers entered Jerusalem, liberated the Old City, and united it. It seems that there is no city in the world in which every stone within it is steeped in a history so important to the shaping of the human species. The city that gives hope to an entire people is today the focus of outrageous announcements devoid of all logic from UNESCO, that “the Jewish people have no religious connection with the Temple Mount and the Western Wall.”
International organizations are trying to sever the connection between the Jewish people and their heritage. The EU intervenes in every activity in the city, and given the pace of events, don’t be surprised if the enlightened world wakes up tomorrow morning and decides that Jerusalem is not connected to the nation of Israel, and this doesn’t just mean the separation of East Jerusalem.
Tireless efforts and money are invested in creating a false consciousness, which must awaken this question in the heart of each one of us: How can it be that the capital of Israel—an ancient city that encompasses within it the abundant history of the people of Israel, our religion, and our culture, the city in which two Temples were built and, unfortunately, also were destroyed—is liable to be erased from the map of the land of Israel? In general, from where has such a decisive opposition popped up among the nations of the world to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel? What does this say about the negative attitude toward us as a people?
We Have the Key to the Gates
The wisdom of Kabbalah maintains that the reason for this persecution lies in our not having realized our role as a people, a role that is rooted within us from the nature of creation, upon whose basis the people of Israel were established. According to ancient wisdom, humanity is connected by a network of mutual links. Within this network, the people of Israel were intended to be “a light unto the nations[FD1] ,” which is to say, connected so that the positive force that is inherent in nature would stream into the world and function to connect people and nations.
The world subconsciously feels that the source of all evil and the root of the suffering that it is experienced is derived directly from the fact that the people of Israel are not realizing their role. This feeling continues to bubble up more and more, and is crystallizing into an agenda that is expressed in the attempts to boycott the nation of Israel. Voices from the international community are calling for a recognition that the world was mistaken when it allowed the establishment of the Jewish nation in the Middle East and that perhaps the hour has arrived to take back the scepter.
Rav Yehudah Ashlag (Baal HaSulam) writes:
“Judaism must present something new to the nations. This is what they expect from the return of Israel to the land! It is not in other teachings, for in that we never innovated. In them, we have always been their disciples. Rather, it is the wisdom of religion, justice, and peace. In this, most nations are our disciples, and this wisdom is attributed to us alone. …”
“This would certainly prove to the nations the rightness of Israel’s return to their land, even to the Arabs. However, a secular return such as today’s does not impress the nations whatsoever, and we must fear lest they will sell Israel’s independence for their needs, needless to mention returning Jerusalem.” (Rav Yehudah Ashlag (Baal HaSulam), “The Writings of the Last Generation,” Part 1, Section 12, pp. 75-76.).
UNESCO, the UN, the EU, and the rest of the international bodies that protect us are a kind of reflection for us of the lack of fulfillment of our function. In other words, we are determining our fate with our own hands. If the world is exhibiting so much hatred and anti-Semitism toward us that it denies the connection between our people and our home, it depends only upon us. In our hands is the choice to decide the future of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, for better or for worse. All that is up to us to do is to decide to implement an essential change in the interpersonal relationships between us, connecting as “one man in one heart” instead of each person being concerned only about himself. As a result of the positive force that we create among us, we balance the forces of separation and bring to completion the system of connection between people. The forces of connection between us also will permeate the nations of the world and oblige them to begin a similar process as well, to connect and recognize us as the origin of connection and goodness.
“The built-up Jerusalem is like a city that was joined together within itself.” (Psalms 122:3)
According to the wisdom of Kabbalah, there is a parallel and direct connection between the system called the spiritual land of Israel and the state of the physical land of Israel. The desire (Ratzon -רצון) that is in the heart of a person is called Eretz -ארץ, the land of Israel (Eretz Yisrael – ), which has a desire Yashar El (Straight to God), meaning that it has narcissistic desires, but only love for others (The Writings of Rabash). “Jerusalem – ירושלים” comes from the words “Ir Shalem” (Perfect/Whole City) and Irah – יראה (Fear), a city that is built on the fear of separation, representing the sense of necessity in preserving the perfected connection between us.
In the center of the shared fear of Israel, right in the heart of the connection between us, a unique spiritual stratum is revealed that is called the Temple Mount. In it, we build the Temple, a term for a more internal connection between us, a shared desire for love. The moment we stop striving for inner connection, the links begin to unravel, and the people of Israel are expelled. When the roots hidden in the earth are uprooted, this kills the entire tree. That is how the first Temple was destroyed, that is how the second Temple was destroyed, and that is how it has continued until today. And this is not the destruction of a building constructed from wood and stone, but the destruction of the network of love between us that connects into one. This is because “The house [Jerusalem] was ruined because of unfounded hatred” (Rabbi Israel Segal, Netzah Israel, Chapter 4).
The same general rule applies in our day, “According to the connection of the people of Israel and their awakening to love and fear, Jerusalem is built” (Koznitzer Maggid). Jerusalem will be built only when we establish it first in our hearts with corrected relationships of connection and love. Until then, the unfounded hatred will continue, and Jerusalem will remain as a ruined capital until then, as a torn city full of conflict and bloodshed, for instead of a place where love dwells, after the destruction, the power of separation and hatred dominates.
“The Messiah sits in the gate of Jerusalem and waits for people to be worthy of redemption. He is in cuffs and needs complete people to release him from his chains. …now he craves men of truth” (Sayings of Rabbi Menachem Mendel). The wisdom of Kabbalah, the wisdom of truth, is a method that teaches us how to connect and apply the general rule, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18). With the help of the power of connection, we can realize our role as a nation and restore the spiritual concept of Jerusalem to its full glory.
Then, Jerusalem will become the capital of love for all of humanity. As it is written, “In the future, Jerusalem will be like all of Israel, and Israel will be the entire world” (the Yalkut Shimoni). Then the world will understand the words of the prophets: “…for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples” (Isaiah 56:7), and “for they shall all know Me from their smallest to their greatest” (Jeremiah 31:33 ).
What else did the sages of Kabbalah write about Jerusalem?
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From Ynet article 6/2/16
In my column on Ynet, “This Is How the New Book of Citizenship Should Look”
Few read it, but everyone is arguing about its content. The discussion about the new book of citizenship is not a discussion about truth, but about controlling the ability to influence the character of the nation of Israel—Jewish, Democratic, Binational, religious, secular, or devoid of external indicators?
The heated debate about the new civics textbook is important. It is a fundamental debate about the character of the nation, as the duty of every Israeli citizen to participate.
Citizenship is a fundamental and controversial field, in particular when talking about rewriting a textbook whose goal is to instill values for the next generation. If we were to try to define the concept of the nation of Israel, we would get such a wide range of answers that we might be forced to write a citizenship book for every individual.
In the last 26 years, 17 ministers of education have served in Israel! At a time when the world is found in the middle of a multifaceted global crisis and considering the general state of uncertainty, it would be appropriate to base our views on a solid and unchangeable foundation like the laws of nature.
I suggest opening the first chapter in the book of citizenship for the citizens of the nation of Israel with the story of the people of Israel. Begin with explaining our roots, the manner in which the people developed over the years, emphasizing the role of the people of Israel and how to realize it. To be citizens of Israel, we first must recognize our roots.
The Story of the People of Israel
Around 4,000 years ago, a great and developed civilization flourished in Babylon. One of its characteristics was a strongly felt connection to a common fate that was felt by its citizens. However, even among the inhabitants of the Babylonian community, a large ego, the power of separation, was growing, bringing the disruption of relationships and the phenomena of exploitation, abusing and hating others (1).
Relations deteriorated and led to a dead end. In searching for an escape, the Babylonians turned to Abraham, a known Babylonian sage. The essence of his teachings laid before them were: “Remoteness and separation will not solve the problem. In order to escape the crisis, it is up to you to constantly strive for unity, as students, you and I are steadily doing and seeing the blessing of our labor. ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ (Leviticus 19:18) is the fundamental law, the basis for the entire system of relationships. It is true that this is difficult, for the ego divides and separates between us, yet the moment that we try to rise above what separates us and to connect, these efforts will attract the positive influence of the forces concealed in nature.”
When Abraham began to disseminate the method of connection, he gathered a group of thousands of students, who called themselves Israel, Yashar-El (Straight to the Creator), because their desire was to discover the El (Creator), the power of unity in nature. The Babylonians who were not interested in being engaged with this scattered everywhere, and they are considered to be the ancestors of the various peoples from which all of humanity developed (2).
With the departure of the people of Israel from Babylon, they knew a positive and harmonious period for about an additional 2,000 years. Unity was a supreme value then, and the Beit HaMikdash (Temple) that was built was one of the symbols of this. With the end of this period, egoism erupted again and brought a deeper separation. The same group founded by the students of Abraham failed and didn’t succeed in maintaining unity. The legality, according to which the egoistic attitude and separation were revealed among the people of Israel, led to destruction and was preserved at this time. The Beit HaMikdash was ruined, and the people of Israel entered a 2,000 year exile.
Since the period of the destruction of the Temple, the connection between us disintegrated (3). Each division created over the years, accumulated and added to the lack of reciprocity that we have experienced until this very day. Followers and opponents, Ashkenazim and Sephardim, and even Jews and Arabs—they are all right. Yet working with past wrongs or who is right leads nowhere. Instead of trying to rewrite history according to a particular and narrow narrative, it is up to us to open a new shared page, clear of unfinished business.
Israel as the Spiritual Center of the World
Unity is the most solid rock we can hold onto, and should serve as a law. The law of connection, the same law of nature that Abraham discovered, is the foundation of the wisdom of connection, which is the wisdom of Kabbalah (4). Kabbalists are those people who succeeded in realizing the laws of reality that are derived from within nature. “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” is the basis for the legacy of connection that was bequeathed to us, knowing that a harmonious life will lead us toward living according to nature.
In fact, apart from this spiritual inheritance, we do not have much else. The nation of Israel of our day is a collection of tribes or factions inhabiting the same piece of land. They are very far from the role that the assigned to it: a nation whose role is setting an example and leading humanity toward connection, peace, prosperity, and absolute equality between everyone (5).
The group of Abraham of that time was supposed to become a kind of world spiritual center that was open to anyone who would be ready to connect to others according to the general rule, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Otherwise, according to the writings of the Kabbalists, we don’t have the right to exist here. Moreover, when we realize our original mission, the spiritual idea will spread throughout the world (6).
What About Minorities?
No person, minority, group, religion, or sect has a monopoly on the laws of nature. Already in ancient Babylon, the people of Israel included various tribes. According to that principle, even in our day, there is a place for every minority to live in the land of Israel as long as they accept the basic conditions: the value of connection between people will be crowned as the supreme value. Druze, Circassians, Armenians, Muslims, and Christians, without any difference, are part of Israel. Even the migrants from abroad can do this provided they accept the realization of the law of connection upon themselves.
In reality, in which everything grows out of a connection between people, even the set of laws that we enacted in the past will be clothed in a new form in the future. The Law of Return that grants every Jew the right to immigrate to Israel could change its character. Today, it primarily serves the basic purpose that stood before the eyes of the lawmakers, maintaining the security of the nation of Israel. In the new situation described here, there will be no problem in absorbing a person provided that he would become Israel, Yashar-El. In other words, he will aim toward discovering the law of unity in nature.
Unity as a Law of Nature, Regardless of Nationality, Race, or Religion
In this spirit, the revised edition of the book of citizenship for a society that is already engaged with connection would be based upon the message that the nation that exists here will be free of any religious identity, from belonging to any nationality or any other character. Every citizen will live in this principled nation will be equal with the rest of the citizens.
The spiritual idea is above national differences, outlook, origin, socioeconomic status, or any other divisive factor. The citizens will be able to maintain any religious view that they like and to maintain their customs according to the religious culture they draw from, but religion must be separate from the nation. No one will impose on his fellow whatever customs he should or should not keep. Above all the various customs, beliefs, and habits, will be a complete world of values derived from the law of nature that manages reality, the law of connection (7).
This process takes time. Until the moment we all live this way, the pioneers tasked to start with the Mitzvah (Commandment) of establishing a model society are the descendants of Abraham, the only group of Jews that previously implemented such a system of relationships. Moreover, as long as the Jews remain far from realizing their role, a natural feeling of hatred toward the people of Israel will be aroused subconsciously among the national world leaders. The appearance of anti-Semitism, which is continuing to increase in the world, indicates the need for us to realize our role to build a model society here and be “a light unto the nations.” This is the order of the day (8).
An Exemplary International Model
Is this visionary? Utopian? Not really, this is an educational program that we must implement immediately. According to the wisdom of Kabbalah, we are living in a special time, and the window of opportunity that has been given to us is closing. To translate these spiritual ideas effectively, we need to launch an expansive socio-educational process. The process will begin with implementing the idea of connection as a supreme value above all of the differences between us.
The concept of citizenship generally refers to people who dwell in a defined place. Yet, in the global era, we need to redefine and reshape the system of relationships between us, detached from physical boundaries, so that after realizing the process among the descendants of Abraham and the establishment of a model society here, it will be possible and necessary to extend the concept of citizenship to the entire world.
Here, too, I would suggest continuing the path our our forefather Abraham and the way of the great Kabbalists, and stimulating a public discourse around the world about the law of connection. For this, it will be important to harness the international media and the various other media, including social networks, and likewise join forces with international educational and social organizations that are hostile toward us today, such as the United Nations, UNESCO, and the European Union. The idea is simple: together we can spread the message to the world that we must live together as a single global family (9).
The first step is we must lead here in Israel. Here we need to develop social systems based on a spirit of unity, beginning with the various educational institutions to building a healthy community life and training in the workplaces. The world will continue to behave as usual. Each person will continue his private life, but alongside it, we must work for connection between us and see in every failure a wonderful opportunity for Arvut (mutual guarantee) and deepening connection (10). After we apply even a little of this, we can advance toward sharing the writing of the next chapter in the common citizenship book of our lives.
References:
1. “Abraham ben Terah passed by and saw them building the city and the tower, and he cursed them in the name of God. Each person wanted to speak in the language of his friend and they didn’t recognize each other’s language. What they did is that each of them took his sword and fought each other to the death. So half of the world fell there by the sword.” Pirkei de Rabbi Eliezer, Chapter 24.
2. “The intention of creation was that they would all be one association doing the will of the Creator. It is written that Adam HaRishon (The First Man) said to all the creatures, ‘Let’s bow down and submit to the Creator’; but due to the sin, this concept was ruined until even the best of them in those generations had no possibility of gathering together to serve the Creator and remained isolated individuals. The correction began in the Generation of the Dispersion, when a separation was made in the human species. The correction that began was that there was a gathering and association of people to serve the Creator which began with our father Abraham, peace be upon him and his descendants, when a community gathered to serve the Creator. Our father Abraham went out calling in the name of the Creator until a large community gathered around him that became known as the House of Abraham. And this grew until it became the community of Israel. The Completion of Correction will be in the future when everyone will form a single association wholeheartedly doing the will of the Creator.” Shem MiShmuel, Parshat Ha’azinu.
“One who wishes to go by the path of the Creator is called Yashar-El, which is considered Yashar [straight] LaEl [to God], meaning that he wants everything he does to rise straight to the Creator, and does not wish to have any other aim.” Rav Baruch Shalom HaLevi Ashlag (Rabash), The Rungs of the Ladder, article, “One Who Strengthens One’s Heart.” Retrieved from here.
3. “In Israel is the secret to the unity of the world.” Rav Avraham Yitzhak HaCohen Kook (the Raiah), Orot HaKodesh (Lights of Holiness), Vol. 2, p. 415.
“Unfounded hatred existed in the Second Temple because there was a lack of fellowship in Israel.” Shem MiShmuel, Parshat MiKetz.
“But the Second Temple was ruined by unfounded hatred, which revokes their unity, which was their virture in the Second Temple.” Rabbi Yisrael Segal, Netzach Yisrael (The Might of Israel), Chapter 4.
“When unity was removed, this caused unfounded hatred, which weakened the wall around Israel so that the Greeks had the power to break through the walls of Israel.” Shem MiShmuel, Parshat MiKetz.
4. “There has never been such benevolence as there was with Abraham…he brought peace between one person and his fellow, since after all, he was the father of many nations. Because of this, he united and made peace between all creatures.” Gevurot HaShem, Chapter 6.
“’And you shall love your friend as yourself’. You should do everything for your brothers that you want them to do for you…This is the law that our father Abraham legislated, and the way of kindness according to which he acted.” Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Sefer Shofetim, Hilchot Evel, Chapter 14.
“’You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ (Leviticus 19:18) is the supreme commandment in Judaism. The eternal human doctrine of Judaism becomes crystallized according to these words, and all the books on ethics in the world cannot say more than that.” David ben Gurion, The Spiritual Revolution.
“Israel is like a single body and all of Israel are united with each other.” Shem MiShmuel, Parshat Matot.
“We were ordered in each and every generation to strengthen the unity among us.” Sefer HaToda’ah, Chapter 16.
5. “Israel – The essence of the world and its existence.” Ma’arechet HaElokut, Chapter Ten, “The Gate of Man.”
“The children of Israel became guarantors for correction of the entire world with the power of Torah, for everything depends on the children of Israel. When they correct themselves, they will draw all of creation after them.” “Sfat Emet,” Sefer Shemot, Parshat Yitro.
“From Israel, holiness spreads to the entire world.” Zohar for the People, Parshat Emor, section 92.
“…it is upon the Israeli nation to qualify itself and all the people of the world…to develop until they take upon themselves that sublime work of the love of others, which is the ladder to the purpose of Creation, which is Dvekut with Him.” Rav Yehudah Ashlag (Baal HaSulam), “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee),” Item 20).
6. The community of Israel is the essence of all of existence, and in this world this essence is really influenced by the Israeli nation materially and spiritually, through its offspring and faith. And the history of Israel is the ideal summary of history in general. There is no movement in the world, among all peoples, that doesn’t find its example in Israel. Its faith is the summary, the discharge and the origin that influences the best and the ideals of all faiths…bringing them to the level of a clear language, calling them all in the name of the Creator.” Rabbi Avraham Yitzhak HaCohen Kook, “Ohrot“ Item 138.
“Our sages said about the reason for the words: Therefore, the blessing of peace in the whole world precedes the strength, meaning the redemption, because ‘God did not find a vessel to hold the blessing for Israel but peace.’ Thus, as long as self-love and egoism exist among the nations, Israel, too, will not be able to serve the Creator in purity, as bestowal, as it is written in the explanation of the words, ‘And you shall be to me a kingdom of priests,’ in the essay, ‘The Arvut.’ And we see it from experience, for the coming to the land and the building of the Temple could not persist and receive the blessings that God has sworn to our fathers.
And this is why they said, ‘God did not find a vessel to hold the blessing,’ meaning thus far Israel did not have a vessel to hold the blessing of the fathers. Therefore, the oath that we can inherit the land for all eternity has not yet been fulfilled, because world peace is the sole vessel that enables us to receive the blessing of the fathers, as in the prophecy of Isaiah.” Rav Yehudah Ashlag (Baal HaSulam), “The Peace.”
“When the Children of Israel are complemented with the complete knowledge, the fountains of intelligence and knowledge shall flow beyond the boundaries of Israel and water all the nations of the world…” Rav Yehudah Ashlag (Baal HaSulam), “Introduction to the Book, Panim Meirot uMasbirot,” section 4.
7. “The religious form of all the nations should first obligate its members to bestowal upon each other to the extent that (the life of one’s friend will come before one’s own life), as in “Love thy friend as thyself.” One will not take pleasure in society more than a backward friend. This will be the collective religion of all the nations that will come within this framework. However, besides that, each nation may follow its own religion and tradition, and one must not interfere in the other.” Rav Yehudah Ashlag (Baal HaSulam), “Writings of the Last Generation.”
8. “All the commotion in the world…essentially comes only for Israel. They are now calling us to a great and sacred role, fulfilling it willingly and consciously, to build ourselves together with the entire ruined world.” Rav Avraham Yitzhak HaCohen Kook, “Igeret Haraiah”, section 2, page 324.
9. “The purpose of Israel is to unite the entire world into one family.” Rav Avraham Yitzhak HaCohen Kook, “Whisper to me the secret of existence.”
10. “First, there must be a small establishment whose majority are altruists to the above-mentioned extent. It means that they will work as diligently as contract-workers, ten to twelve hours a day and more. Each and every one will work according to his strength and receive according to his needs. It will have all the forms of the government of a state. In this manner, even if the framework of this institution contains the entire world, and the brute-force government will be revoked completely, nothing will need to be changed in governance or work. This institution will be like a global focal point with nations and states surrounding it to the farthest corners of the world. All who enter this framework of communism will have the same agenda and the same leadership as the center. They will be as one nation in profits, losses and results.” Rav Yehudah Ashlag (Baal HaSulam), “Writings of the Last Generation.”
“Certainly one doesn’t need an Israeli certificate to be with the Creator, to perfect the form of the human species, to maintain its character and to elevate it. And since our certificate is a certificate that exists and stands accompanying the certificate of the totality of nature, whose law includes everything that exists, certainly it is up to us to maintain it for our entire life, and for the entire human species and its moral development whose fate depends upon the fate of our reality. And without a doubt the ascendance of its development depends also on the elevation of our entire people according to our general national power.” Rav Avraham Yitzhak Hacohen Kook, “The Israel certificate and its nationality.”
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My article “Passover – a chance to pass over” was published recently in The Jerusalem Post, an English language news source for Jews.
“Passover – A Chance to Pass Over”
Soon, as we do every year, we will be seated once again around the Seder table.
According to the Jewish calendar, Passover is actually the beginning of the year. Officially, the year begins on Rosh Hashanah, but the Jewish calendar also has a deeper, hidden level, which describes our internal, spiritual development.
The Jewish nation is a special one. It was formed not by biological kinship or geographical proximity, but by adherence to an idea—the idea of unity! We became a nation only when we agreed to live “as one man with one heart,” and we were given the task to be “a light unto nations” when we pledged to love our neighbors as ourselves. And Passover is where it all began.
Until Moses was born, the people of Israel were very happy in Egypt. They were prosperous and wealthy, and enjoyed life’s amenities of “pots of meat” and “bread to the full” (Exodus, 16:3). But material contentment can only take us so far. It is human nature that once we have what we want we begin to want something else, something higher. At that point we begin to seek delight in human connection.
That moment of beginning is the birth of Moses—an aspiration for brotherhood and connection. It has existed all along, maturing in the house of Pharaoh and enjoying the material pleasures life has to offer until it had its fill.
At that moment begins the exile in Egypt. Pharaoh, our egoism, cannot surrender to such “lofty” ideas as brotherhood, connection, and mutual responsibility. It loathes and despises them.
And yet, the more the children of Israel developed as individuals and as a society, the more they felt that unity was the next step, a must happen scenario. The children of Israel went through a process similar to the one happening today, where we are realizing that our happiness, health, and general well-being depend on the quality of our social relations. Pharaoh did not want to torture the children of Israel; he simply wanted them to continue to cater to him, namely the ego, rather than to follow Moses, meaning aim for brotherhood and mutual care. And when they wouldn’t go along, he became the vicious king we know from the story.
Our forefathers insisted on their unity and eventually won. They united at the foot of Mt. Sinai and received the law, whose essence the Holy SHLAH expresses by these few words: “Love is the commandment on which the entire Torah stands: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” The children of Israel carefully cleared themselves of hametz [leaven], the self-centeredness within them, and passed over from egoism to brotherhood until they became a nation bound together and united by the vision of love of others.
Today, as we are waking up from the American Dream to the reality that we cannot base our societies on competition and isolation, we are beginning to feel more and more like the children of Israel in exile. Until now Egypt was quite fun, but now it is becoming hostile and feels more and more like exile.
Now is the time to rekindle our brotherhood and love of others and pass over once again. It is the beginning of a new year, a new era in our society. It is time to shift to a new paradigm of relationships.
The “Me, me, me” culture has exhausted itself because we are simply not happy being confined to our separate shells. In order to be happy, we, the descendants of the children of Israel, must move like our forefathers from egoism to brotherhood and mutual responsibility.
Imagine the life we will have when we care for one another. No one will have to struggle through life’s trials because everyone will help out. And likewise, we will enjoy helping others. And as each of us chips in for our neighbors, our ties will strengthen and create a bond that will build a society based on friendship, warmth, and unity. “Love your neighbor as yourself” will stop being a cliché, and will become what it was always meant to be—our reality.
Recently there have been numerous references in the press to the disunity of the Jewish community. It is a good sign. It shows that we are beginning to see fragmentation and alienation as the root of our problems. We will always have diversity, but rather than fear it, we should embrace it! The more diverse we are, the more our brotherhood will grow, as long as we value unity above all else.
And there is another bonus. As we unite above our differences we will present a model of a prosperous community that thrives because of its diversity, rather than despite it. This is something that the world needs desperately today. We can offer it. We had it when we came out of Egypt, and we can reignite it now and share it with the world. In this we can become “a light unto nations,” a beacon of hope for the world.
This Passover, let us pass over from alienation to brotherhood, from indifference to mutual responsibility. In short, let us all come out of Egypt, together.
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In my column in the Pulitzer Prize winning online news aggregator The Huffington Post published my article in English and French.
“On Consumerism, Terror, and Human Nature”
For decades, we have been told that if we only had that coolest, newest car/phone/pair of shoes/you-name-it, we would be happy. But as soon as we get that newest thing that was guaranteed to make us happy, we are told that a new something has just come out and we will never be happy unless we get it… This is how we invented consumerism.
In recent years a new trend has surfaced. It’s called “lowsumerism,” advocating buying only what we really need and being conscious of the impact of our purchases on the planet.
But avoiding over shopping won’t make us any happier. So instead of asking, “How can we stop overconsuming?” we should ask, “Why are we overconsuming in the first place?”
Psychologists, Brickman and Campbell, coined the term “Hedonic Relativism” to roughly describe our propensity to consume perpetually. Nowadays we call it what it is, “Hedonic Treadmill.” But observing a phenomenon and naming it do not explain its cause. To understand why we are so prone to it we have to understand human nature and the course of its development.
Like all other elements in reality, we, humans, consist of positive and negative elements. Inhaling and exhaling allows for breathing, and the heart’s pumping in and pushing out of blood allows for circulation. Without them we would die. Likewise, male and female complement one another so as to allow the continuation of our species, and children’s rest-play cycle allows them to grow up healthy.
On all levels of reality, this balance between the negative and positive is maintained, except for one part of the system—the level of human desires. In my book, Self-Interest vs. Altruism in the Global Era: how society can turn self-interests into mutual benefit, which I published five years ago, I showed how human desires are evolving in such a way that the negative element is taking over and causes us to skid off balance, into a mode that is destroying our planet, our society, and ultimately ourselves. The over-amplification of the negative elements in our desires manifests in excessive self-centeredness, alienation, coupled with a desire to exploit others for personal gain.
The problem is that our natural instinct to stop when we have had enough is overtaken by our need to outdo others—be smarter, stronger, prettier, wealthier, and so on. The more “ers” we can attach to egos, the better we feel about ourselves. Consequently, nothing about us is balanced. And because we are permanently out of balance, we are in constant (though usually unconscious) anxiety, to the point that we confuse relief (from anxiety) with happiness.
But there is a reason why we cannot balance our desires like the rest of nature. We overconsume because we feel disconnected from each other, when in fact we are connected in a web of thoughts and desires that dictates who we are at almost every level. And yet, only if we rise above our self-centeredness we will be able to experience this level of connection positively.
Since we cannot rise above this connectedness, we hate it and resist it in various ways. The more subdued and introvert among us tend to shy away from society and isolate themselves. When they cannot be happy they often sink into depression and escape through drug and alcohol abuse, or even become suicidal. The less inhibited among us take the opposite route, and might express their broken connections to people in violent and aggressive manners.
Take ISIS, for example. There are many devout Muslims who do not become violent. They maintain a strict way of life according their faith, but do not try to force it on others or punish anyone who lives differently.
The Brussels terrorist attacks from March 22 are the opposite example. Beyond the Islamist ideology, it is an outburst of human hatred that has become homicidal misanthropy. Compared to such outbursts, overconsumption seems like a piece of cake to handle. Yet, all these problems stem from the same root: our inability to balance the negative with the positive within us.
We need only watch the news to know that we have reached a tipping point, where we must get a grip on ourselves, on our very nature, and restore the balance. To do that, we must learn to connect in a positive way.
We can educate ourselves into awareness of how our interconnectedness benefits us. Instead of trying to impose lowsumerism on ourselves, we simply learn how to use our desires for the common good. And since we love to be unique, our uniqueness will enrich our communities, societies, and the world we live in. Instead of taking, taking, taking, we will be giving, giving, giving. Yet because it will be the general mode of conduct in society, we will end up receiving infinitely more than we could ever give to ourselves.
In a society where everyone contributes, we will have much more than material abundance. We will enjoy emotional satisfaction from being able to express ourselves creatively, and mental strength and vigor from the constant positive feedback we will get from our social environment.
We have no time to waste. The global society is on the brink of collapse. We, the people, can change it into Heaven, or we can let it become Hell. The choice is ours, and we must make it now.
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Published in my weekly column in Ynet: “It Seems Like Modern Blood Libel.”
The difficult history of the people of Israel has not made us experts in treating the disease of anti-Semitism. Now that the danger is in the doorway but still have the option for action, we must carry out preventative treatment. Rav Dr. Michael Laitman decodes the mechanism that is hidden behind the phenomenon of anti-Semitism of the leaders and politicians against the nation of Israel and challenges us with social experiments to neutralize the hatred against us.
Currently Channel 10 News is airing a documentary series that reveals the scale of the boycott against Israel (BDS) in the academic institutions of the United States. Therefore, it is no longer just the EU or the Swedish Foreign Minister. The venom and hatred against Israel also has permeated the citizens of our best friend, the United States of America. More and more statesmen, political leaders, academics, and key figures in many areas freely and openly express hostile and uncompromising hostility toward Israel.
Leading Experts – Result, None
In order to deal with the wave of virulent hatred, Israel has enlisted a front of information ministers, business executives, and representatives from around the world and has launched high budget Internet campaigns.
However, despite the significant allocation of resources, Israel’s image has not improved and the problem persists. Unfortunately, anti-Semitism is mounting, world public opinion has surrendered to an anti-Israeli perception, and racism against us is intensifying.
(Venom and hatred against Israel have penetrated everywhere) (Photo: citizenside.com)
Anti-Semitism has been our inheritance for years and has never had a logical explanation. The worldwide impression is backed by a strong inner feeling that Israel and the Jews are to blame for all of the troubles and crises in the world. It seems that the urge to condemn Israel, to annihilate and eliminate it, lies in the subconscious of the nations of the world, and in recent times erupts from the mouths of senior officials.
What do they want from us?
Henry Ford, one of the biggest anti-Semites, published a series of booklets entitled, “The International Jew.” Among other things, he wrote, “The Jew has been too long accustomed to think of himself as exclusively the claimant on the humanitarianism of society; society has a large claim against him that he cease his exclusiveness, that he cease exploiting the world, that he cease making Jewish groups the end and all of his gains, and that he begin to fulfill, in a sense his exclusiveness has never yet enabled him to fulfill, the ancient prophecy that through him all the nations of the earth should be blessed.” Ford is one example among many.
According to the wisdom of Kabbalah, there is no reason to be surprised. The age-old hatred of Israel is rooted naturally in every person (1). Moreover, there is a direct connection between the hatred of Israel and the system of relationships among the people of Israel. The source for this has its origin somewhere around 3,500 years ago when we agreed to walk in the footsteps of a Babylonian priest named Abraham. Abraham taught the Babylonians how to hold unity as the highest value despite the divisive ego that leads the people to mutual hatred (2).
Against the force that separates, a force that connects is available. Its function is to link the various parts, connect them, and bring unity. The people of Israel are the first who must realize this process. The connection must begin here between us because we are the initiators of the method of connection called the wisdom of Kabbalah (3). The moment we unite, a positive force will spread through the world that is capable of creating wonders (4).
Uniting Against The Anti-Semitism Within Us
At the foot of Mount Sinai, Israel contended with an additional dilemma when an unequivocal choice was placed before them: mutual responsibility or unfounded hatred, all or nothing. With Titanic effort, they conquered the mountain of hatred and connected “as one heart.” From there, the way to the land of Israel—the building of the Temple, and prosperity—was short until the poison of unfounded hatred swept the people, the Temple was destroyed, and we went into exile (5).
Two thousand years have gone by since then, and even though we have returned to the land, we still behave in it as if we were in exile. Divided tribes and communities alienate each other, engage in self-glorification instead of building commonality, emphasizing and sanctifying difference instead of building what unites, and we actually are detached from our spiritual roots (6). The world expects us to be “a Light of nations” (Isaiah 49:6), providing a good example of a model society in which everyone lives in connection and brotherly love above all differences (7).
Waves of modern anti-Semitism have visited us. They must be used as a reminder to us of the role imposed upon the Jews to make the world unite “as one man with one heart.”
According to Kabbalah, anti-Semitism is a law of nature that can be measured. Let’s challenge ourselves and arrange a nationwide experimental study, a practical tool by means of which we examine on our own flesh the immensity of the power of connection. For a limited time, we will try to create and adopt a warm, sympathetic, and connected social atmosphere in the relationships between us, above the cold feelings, above the alienation and indifference between us, and we will see how a change in attitudes toward others leads to a significant reduction in the hatred toward us (and improves political relations, productive and friendly attitudes toward us in the world) (8).
References:
1. “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.” Rav Yehudah Ashlag (Baal HaSulam). The Writings of the Last Generation, Part One, Section Nine.
2. “There has never been kindness as it was found with Abraham…and he brought peace between a person and his fellow, for he was the father of many nations, for this is the one who unites and makes peace between all creatures.” Gevurot HaShem, Chapter 6.
3. “Also, it is upon the Israeli nation to qualify itself and all the people of the world to develop until they take upon themselves that sublime work of the love of others, which is the ladder to the purpose of Creation, which is Dvekut with Him.” Rav Yehudah Ashlag (Baal HaSulam), “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee),” section 20.
4. “Through the people of Israel, who are more prepared than all the other peoples to approach the Creator, abundance will be bestowed upon the rest of the peoples.” Rav Baruch Shalom HaLevi Ashlag (Rabash), Letters, “Letter 18.”
5. “The house was ruined because of unfounded hatred. Their hearts divided and they were parted and were unfit for a Temple that is the unification of Israel” Rabbi Israel Segal, Netzah Israel, Chapter 4. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-laitman/when-we-are-united-isis-i_b_8717558.html
6. “It is a shame to admit that one of the most precious merits we have lost during the exile, and the most important of them, is the loss of the awareness of the nationality, meaning that natural feeling that connects and sustains each and every nation. The threads of love that connect the nation, which are so natural and primitive in all the nations, have become degenerated and detached from our hearts, and they are gone.” Rav Yehudah Ashlag (Baal HaSulam), The Nation.
7. “Israel brings Light to the world as it is said, (Isaiah 60:3) ‘And nations shall walk at thy light’” Midrash Rabbah, Shir HaShirim, Section 4, Verse 2.
8. “When Israel will be elevated according to its true inner quality, giving the whole world a new and corrected form, then not only Israel will be elevated but the entire world. Then will begin a new era in which there is no mixture of evil filth; wickedness and insurgency will not work against it at all, anger and sadness cannot dominate within it, and worry about the balance of the world will not be able to arise in the heart. Then brute force will be essentially eliminated and the sword will lose its major importance and will become a complete disgrace.” Rav Raiah Kook, Ein Aya, Shabbat 2, Jerusalem 5660, pages 98-99.
9. Ford, H. (1949). The International Jew: the World’s Foremost Problem. Library of Alexandria. Pp. 51-52.
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From Ynet, 4/13/16
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