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War, as we understand it, is a conflict between opposing forces, driven by desires for dominance, power, and control. However, from a spiritual perspective, war takes on an entirely different meaning. In the wisdom of Kabbalah, we view war as the internal struggle between egoism and altruism—the battle between the self-serving nature we are born with and the higher nature of love, bestowal, and connection that we aim to attain.
This is an internal struggle at the level of our thoughts, desires, and attitudes to each other and to the Creator, the upper force of love, bestowal, and connection that created and sustains reality. Humanity exists in a system of nature that constantly evolves us to a corrected state where we exist in harmonious, peaceful, and happy relations among one another and with nature. We are designed to evolve from a state of division and hatred to one of unity and love. If we fail to do so willingly, nature exerts pressure upon us, forcing us to recognize that we are in an incorrect state. Over time, through suffering and crises, we gradually become fed up with our egoistic ways and seek a higher, more connected existence.
In Kabbalistic sources, this battle is described through the concepts of good and evil, light and darkness. These forces are not external enemies but inner qualities that we must confront within ourselves. The Torah, for example, speaks of wars against nations, but these should not be interpreted literally. Instead, they represent wars we must wage within our own nature, wars to transform our egoistic intentions into altruistic ones.
When the Torah speaks of conquering nations or annihilating enemies, it refers to the spiritual work of overcoming internal desires that obstruct our connection with the Creator. These so-called enemies are the egoistic qualities of self-aimed fulfillment that must be subdued and redirected toward bestowal upon others and nature. The Land of Israel, in this context, is not a physical location but a spiritual state, a level of existence where we attain unity with the upper bestowing force.
Throughout history, humanity has engaged in myriad physical wars, justifying them with ideological, religious, and national interests. However, all such external conflicts are merely reflections of our inner, unresolved struggles. The Greeks, Romans, and other historical forces that clashed with Israel symbolize different stages of human development, some inclining toward spiritual progress and others seeking to suppress it.
Spiritual correction, i.e., the transformation of egoism—with its divisiveness, hatred, and self-serving desires—to altruism—with its qualities of unity, love, and bestowal upon others and nature—cannot be achieved through physical war. It requires a fundamental change in each person. The world today continues to suffer from conflict because we have not yet recognized the nature of our battles. We seek to dominate externally rather than correct ourselves internally. That is why wars persist and peace remains elusive.
If we engage in spiritual progress, we understand that fighting external enemies is futile. Instead, to spiritually progress, we focus on uniting with others, overcoming our egoistic nature, and strive for a state of mutual bestowal. When we align ourselves with the laws of nature, laws of love, bestowal, and connection, there is no need for physical conflict. The force of nature itself supports those who apply themselves to attain a state of love and bestowal in their connections and attitudes to each other.
However, when we resist this process, suffering increases. Humanity is given a choice: either progress by applying yourselves to realize your mutual responsibility to one another, or be forced to change through suffering and destruction. The more we delay this realization, the more intense the external pressures become.
The wisdom of Kabbalah teaches that all wars are ultimately wars for unity. The ultimate battle is not between any nations, ideologies, or political systems but within the heart of every person. Our ego, the desire to enjoy at the expense of others, fights against the force of love and bestowal, and this struggle manifests as war in the external world. If we wish to bring an end to war, we must first win the inner battle.
When humanity collectively shifts from egoism to altruism, placing the value of positive human connection above personal gain, then external conflicts will cease. When we apply the learning of how to transform our egoistic nature to its altruistic opposite, learning how to unite above division, we will then reach a state of complete love and bestowal in our relations with each other and nature as a whole. Such a lofty achievement will render wars unnecessary, as they will no longer serve any purpose in our development.
Until then, we would be wise to focus on our internal correction, recognizing that every conflict we see in the world is a call for a war at a more internal level, to rise above our egoistic divisive drives and to achieve a state of love, bestowal, and positive connection with others and nature. The wars of the past, present, and future all point us to this ultimate goal: the revelation of the upper force of love, bestowal, and connection through the unity of humanity.
Based on the video “The Wars of the Jews – Spiritual States with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.” Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.
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