For Jews living in the Diaspora, things are somewhat simpler. First, there is no battle over government budgets, and second, they are surrounded by antisemites who remind them that they are all Jews. Here in Israel, however, we are consumed by internal Jewish conflicts. There is only one chance to save ourselves from a third collapse: to find the common denominator that unites us all. It lies in the ancient, original Israeli root.
About 3,800 years ago, Abraham the Babylonian, a man of kindness, discovered that all of nature is unified. He sought to bring unity and peace among all created beings and taught, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” The thousands who connected to his idea eventually became the people of Israel, as Maimonides describes in The Book of Knowledge. Until the ruin of the Temple, the nation tried to uphold this supreme principle, with many ups and downs, of course, but then unfounded hatred finally shattered the mutual bond.
If we wish to rebuild ourselves as the original Israeli nation, we must return to that same code of relationships. “Do not do to your friend what is hateful to you,” said Hillel the Elder when he summarized the entire Torah in a single sentence. All Israel are companions, responsible for one another; we are all brothers and sisters. True, there are many differences among us in our worldviews, lifestyles, and beliefs, but love can build bridges. As it is written, “Love covers all transgressions,” and in our context, those “transgressions” are all the differences and disagreements between us.
We behave one way, you behave another. Some think left, others think right. If we were children in the same family, how would we relate to one another? Would hatred grow in our hearts to the point of threatening civil war?
In a healthy family, diversity enriches life. Each person is given love and encouraged to develop according to their own nature. “Teach a child according to his way.” Family members might be different, but what unites them is the feeling that they belong together, that they do not hate one another, that they care about maintaining connection, and that they try to think about the good of the family as a whole.
What is happening in the country today is the exact opposite. Everyone tries to take as much as possible for themselves at the expense of others, and the ego grows bigger and bigger by the moment. This seeps into every level of life and becomes evident in every relationship.
That is why we need a major cultural, educational, and social process that will bring about a revolution in perception. It should be a process that takes each person out of their private shell and helps them feel that everyone around them is a beloved brother or sister. The more we advance in this direction, the more we will see things begin to fall into place in every area of life.
This involves building a new kind of human being, one capable of rising above the egoistic nature, above the tendency to place our own needs above everyone else’s, to use others for personal fulfillment, and to enjoy power and superiority, where each tries to become stronger, more successful, and smarter than others.
Our overall approach to development must be integral. For example, in children’s education, all learning should emerge from cultivating positive connections with others. Everything would be done together, as a group. We would sit in circles in the classroom, listen together, review the material together, raise questions as a group, solve problems as a group, carry out joint assignments, and work on common projects. Gradually, each individual would absorb the perspectives of others and grow through them. The loving attitude of the group would help each person discover and develop their unique contribution and add it to the collective understanding.
In the spiritual sense of the term, a “Jew” is someone drawn to connection, to unity among created beings and with the universal force of nature. Through developing love for others, such a person becomes internally connected to everyone, includes them within themselves, feels them, acquires their perceptions, and begins to experience reality through them. This transforms them into a rich and multifaceted human being who understands and feels the world on an entirely different level.
Our ancestors discovered a complete wisdom and a practical method for connecting human beings. It leads a person beyond the boundaries of egoistic perception into a perception of reality through connection with others, granting the ability to feel the singular inner force that operates throughout nature. A person then begins to sense a new dimension, beyond time, motion, and space. Endless opportunities open up for inspiration, wonder, insight, and extraordinary experiences that cannot even be imagined beforehand.
The great sages who have already undergone this developmental process explain that evolutionary forces are pushing humanity to this integral level. The problems we see today in Israel and throughout the world stem from the contradiction between the narrow egoism developing within each individual and the network of connections that places all humanity in the same boat, whether we like it or not. Because we do not know how to get along with each other, the situation has become highly volatile and dangerous.
In the greater puzzle of humanity, the people of Israel have been assigned a special role in research and development. Today, we are required to bring forth a new method of human connection. To do so, we must first study and implement it among ourselves, and then bring this technology to the world. Being “a light unto the nations” is not a badge of honor, it is a mission statement. Until we fulfill it, hatred toward us will continue to grow.
So instead of deepening the divide between secular and religious Jews, it would be better for us to learn more deeply what it means to be Jewish and help each other internalize that only by connecting like cells in a single body will we have the strength to face every challenge and demonstrate to the world how exalted, timeless, and unique the principle of universal unity truly is.
Based on “New Life 149 – Mending the Religious-Secular Split, Part 1” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.
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