In the story of the Tower of Babel, people wanted to reach the heavens. Indeed, this story still accompanies us today. Hidden in the story are key principles that can save humanity from tearing itself apart.
Let us jump back through the tunnel of time, 3,800 years ago, to ancient Babylon. Two figures emerge at the finish line: Abraham and the regional ruler, Nimrod. Each represented a different approach to life, a different way of dealing with the human ego, which at that time had grown sky-high.
Nimrod’s view was simple: when everyone’s ego grows, there is nothing that can be done about it. To avoid friction that leads nowhere good, it is better to separate. Let each person go their own way, pursue their own ambitions, and build their own tower in life.
Abraham saw things differently: under no circumstances should people distance themselves from one another. On the contrary, when the ego grows and separates people, it is an invitation to elevate the relationship to a new level. The highest place in life, Abraham explained, can be reached only through a common united effort to rise above the ego.
Most people followed Nimrod, but some felt that Abraham was right. They learned from him how to activate the power of connection whenever division appeared among them. They learned mutual responsibility, solidarity, kindness, and “love your neighbor as yourself.” From this ideological foundation, the people of Israel would later emerge.
To spread the idea of unity, Abraham and his wife Sarah set up a tent and opened their table to passersby. What did they discuss there? Only love between people, connection above all differences. They studied human nature, the human ego, and how to deal with it whenever it stirred conflicts among them.
“Love covers all transgressions” served as a guiding principle. Each of us is egoistic and naturally wants to use others for our own benefit. As it is written, “The inclination of man’s heart is evil from his youth.” Therefore, to build a genuine connection, we need a unifying force, a higher force stronger than each person’s ego that can bridge the gaps between us.
This force exists in nature itself. It connects opposing elements and develops life. Abraham taught how to discover this unifying force and truly live in love. When everyone relates to each other in such a way, a unique society emerges, one that lives according to the law of mutual responsibility, “as one man with one heart.”
“Love your neighbor as yourself,” in its fullest sense, means that all of our thoughts and desires are no longer self-centered, but they become centered on others. We replace our perception of reality. We no longer exist within ourselves, but within others. We spread across the whole of reality.
What does this give us emotionally? We feel everyone as one. We feel that all of reality is one. We no longer experience ourselves and reality as two separate things. There is only a single reality. We perceive this reality as a higher force, as the Creator, and we feel eternity and perfection in it.
This is Israel’s new-old start-up, and today it is expected to be in record demand. Why? It is because the towers that we have each built for ourselves no longer deliver the goods. That is, they do not bring true happiness. I wish us all to have a successful launch.
From the Sources
“Man was created to raise the heavens.”
– Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk
“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.”
– Kabbalist Yehuda Ashlag (Baal HaSulam), “Introduction to Panim Meirot uMasbirot.”
“‘Go forth from your land’ means from your own desire… which is self-love. Therefore, Abraham was told to leave self-love behind.”
– Kabbalist Baruch Shalom HaLevi Ashlag (RABASH)
“Let us build a great tower and ascend to the heavens… and make a great name for ourselves in the land… They built it high. If a man fell and died, they paid no attention to him; but if a single brick fell, they sat and wept, saying, ‘Alas for us! When will another replace it?’ Abram son of Terah passed by and saw them building… but they rejected his words… They wanted to speak to one another but could no longer understand each other’s language. What did they do? Each took up his sword, and they fought one another to destruction. Half the world fell there by the sword.”
Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer, Chapter 24.
Based on “New Life 156 – The Vision of One Family and Jewish Roots” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.
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