Scientific attempts to define happiness often rely on external indicators such as high average income, low unemployment, economic freedom, and an open labor market. Yet, despite these seemingly favorable conditions, true happiness remains elusive. Even generous social welfare benefits and…
Experiencing suffering from wars or natural disasters does not grant us the ultimate choice that we need to make: free choice. In such cases, we simply submit to the blows, which is no free choice. Nature is specifically interested in…
For suffering to have a purpose, it must lead to a result. Otherwise, we will simply channel it into literature, music, or other creative expressions. Many great works of art are born from suffering, but beyond artistic expression, suffering forces…
Baal HaSulam, the greatest and most renowned Kabbalist of the 20th century, wrote about the possibility of a Third and even a Fourth World War. For instance, in his “Writings of the Last Generation,” he wrote: “There are two ways…
Imagine being able to control the storyline of your own life, just like in a movie that adapts based on audience reactions. Many might find this idea fascinating, but only an extremely egoistic person would think about controlling the world…
The formula for human progress is very simple: negative experiences push us toward positive transformation. If we feel something is truly obstructing us, then we make a shift toward something better. It is the law of negation: we move forward…
Throughout history, the Jewish people have never truly listened to the call for unity. Time and again, sages and great scholars arose in every generation, urging the people to unite. Yet, they did not listen. But the sages never gave…
Indeed, in today’s world it seems that we become happy by making others less happy. This is the nature of our ego, our desire to enjoy at the expense of others. It measures our happiness in comparison to others. We…
A study was conducted to examine whether revenge in humans is an innate tendency. Researchers tested 330 children aged four to eight years old through a two-phase game. In the first phase, four other “players” (actually computer-controlled avatars) received stickers, and one…
If we feel totally broken, that we are on our knees, so to speak, how can we rise from this state? We should think about who we are, what we are, what we live for, who governs us, and what…
The root of suffering is actually quite foolish: it is that we reject suffering, that we believe that the pain we experience and endure is somehow not meant for us. If we were to accept the suffering we receive, we…
Humanity holds an innate expectation toward the people of Israel, that the people of Israel need to bring a certain “something” to the world, even though they cannot place their finger on exactly what that is. On one hand, this…