At the very beginning, Abraham’s worldview was that all of nature is whole, circular, and unified. A single general force operates throughout it, called “nature” or “God.” Human beings exist within the system of nature, and it is worthwhile for them to understand the universal laws according to which it functions.
From that point onward, all Jewish education was aimed at this goal. Its purpose was to create harmony between the general laws of nature and the way human beings live, thereby bringing them to the safest and most balanced state possible, in relation to themselves, to society, and to the world.
In this developmental process, every person was expected to become a judge, examiner, investigator, critic, and corrector, first and foremost toward themselves. Since every individual is connected to others, each person was also expected to help, participate, and provide an example to those around them regarding what should and should not be done, so that at every moment the most beneficial form of mutual connection could be achieved.
It should be remembered that “the inclination of man’s heart is evil from his youth.” Human beings are highly egoistic and aggressive creatures. Add to this the famously sharp Jewish intellect, and you have a guaranteed recipe for chaos. Therefore, we, more than others, have always needed a strong educational system that would shape us and place us into positive relationships with each other under all circumstances. This process began with parents and family members, and it continues through preschools and schools, and extends further. On the outer circles of society, institutions such as courts and law enforcement systems were established.
To administer true justice, judges were required to develop to a level at which they deeply understood the laws of the general system of nature, which are integral laws, as well as human nature and the direction of human development. Reality as a whole needed to be laid out before them from beginning to end so they could consider every aspect of the matter before them, identify where imbalance had arisen, and determine how to restore harmony by correcting the deficiency that had been revealed.
The role of the judicial system was to extend the balance that exists throughout nature into the realm of human relationships. The general principle was: “Do not do to your fellow what you hate,” and beyond that, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” The sages of the Talmud took these foundational principles and elaborated on how they should be applied in a wide variety of situations.
Unlike human systems of morality, which change from society to society, generation to generation, and year to year, the integral laws derived from the system of nature are constant. The still, vegetative, animate, and human levels of existence are all parts of one mechanism of nature. Our laws were designed to create harmonious relationships and maintain balance among all of nature’s levels, and especially among human beings. This is because the nature of human relationships has the strongest influence on all other levels of nature, bringing either balance or imbalance to the system.
Today, if we wish to survive the 21st century, we need to take into account that the world has become highly interconnected and interdependent, whether we like it or not. Yet human relationships are not adapted to this reality. We are all sitting in the same boat, but we are unable to accept this fact. The powerful ego does not let us take others into consideration, even when our actions will ultimately cause our own downfall as well.
Increasing enforcement and imposing harsher punishments will not help. Reality also demonstrates that prisons do not generally return corrected individuals to society. All that can prevent rapid deterioration is addressing the problem at its root, to apply the remedy before the disease worsens.
Practically speaking, we need a broad educational and cultural effort, one that is deep, comprehensive, and far-reaching, and which will give each of us an understanding and a feeling of the system in which we exist. We need to understand where evolution is leading us and what an integral society, aligned with the integrality of nature itself, should look like. Humanity is part of nature, and the more we adapt ourselves to the forces and laws that operate in it, the more we will benefit.
Our hearts and minds are also part of the great system of nature. This means that even if a person does not actually harm another, but merely desires to do so, that desire already introduces a negative charge into the general network of connections. Every thought is recorded in the general repository of information, in nature’s supercomputer, so to speak.
Accordingly, future research and development should focus increasingly on the relationship between the individual and society. Each person should develop a broader perspective, judge themselves, and seek to understand how to fulfill their unique role within the puzzle of creation. I wish us all great success in this endeavor.
Based on “New Life 183 – Justice And Law” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.