How Our Very Essence Is Counterintuitive to Peace

At least we have a really good excuse for not getting along.

The following is based on the morning lesson by Michael Laitman, which is live streamed from Israel every day between 3:00-6:00am, and translated simultaneously to a dozen languages. This part of the lesson is called Building A Future Society.

It is a must for every nation to be strongly united within, so all the individuals within it are attached to one another by instinctive love. Moreover, each individual should feel that the happiness of the nation is one’s own happiness, and the nation’s decadence is one’s own decadence. One should be willing to give one’s all for the nation whenever needed. Otherwise, their right to exist as a nation in the world is doomed from the start. This does not mean that all the people in the nation, without exception, must be so. It means that the people of that nation, who sense that harmony, are those makIng up the nation, and the measure of happiness of the nation and sustainability are measured by their quality. After a sufficient sum of individuals to the existence of the nation has been found, there can be a certain measure of loose limbs, which are not connected to the body of the nation in the above-mentioned measure, since the basis is already secured without them.” Baal Hasulam. Newspaper “The Nation

Unlike Israel which holds the method of connection, each and every nation can guarantee its good future, only on the condition that a certain number of people are bonded together correctly – meaning internally. To the extent that they are not connected, the forces of separation increase accordingly.

We can see how all the nations and societies are on the verge of coming apart at the seams. This is because there is no inner harmony or connection.

To be connected we must establish a connection network. Otherwise we will not be able to exist. The ‘will to receive’ is growing, and if we can’t get closer to one another, then we can’t even preserve what we had yesterday. The disintegration and distance between the members of the nation is growing.

The nations of the world have a natural connection because it is a biological and genetic connection. They came from a certain mother and father who existed in a tribe at some point, and felt close to one another in a natural way.

In Israel that natural feeling of closeness does not exist. This is because we are made up of the different nations that existed in the time of Babylon. Therefore, there is no  connection between us. Just the opposite, there is rejection. We are together and have nothing in common. When no pressure is applied from the outside, if we’re not pressured like nuts in a sack, we don’t feel any obligation to do something here together. We would rather organize our life somewhere else in the world.

A few years ago I took part in an IAC conference, where Israelis spoke about their integration into American society. They were very pleased with how they had managed to escape to all these faraway places, and actually disappear. They were sharing tips on how to assimilate as quickly as possible.

Here in Israel we have a different problem. We don’t feel close to one another. If it wasn’t for our spiritual root we would feel downright hatred to one another, just as all the nations feel toward one another. Because our corporeal root is the only thing connecting us, and we have very diverse backgrounds. Then suddenly baseless hatred becomes revealed, which doesn’t exist in other nations. In no other nation do you have a phenomenon where one person hates another for no reason. But in Israel, we do.

This is because the relations between us here in Israel are like the relations between the nations. As one nation stands opposite another, this is how one person is opposite to another here. So how can such a nation exist, if it wasn’t for the spiritual root connecting us? There is no other connection. The only thing that holds us together is an external threat. If it wasn’t for this constant external threat we would have dispersed long ago.

If I was one of Israel’s neighbors. I would behave differently.  I would be all about peace, and not demand anything from Israel: “Please – don’t feel any pressure from us to do something. We are not pressuring you in any manner. We are breaking up the army, and you can do whatever you want.” You would see how quickly, nothing would remain of Israel. Truly, because this is our nature.

Every nation somehow remains within its own borders – of course they disperse in the world according to the natural plan that we must all integrate in some manner. But here in Israel – in a few years, you will see everyone with their bags packed.

The Connection Between ‘Israel’ and the ‘Nations of the World’

Who are the nations of the world? Where are they? They are inside of you. All your uncorrected attributes are called the nations of the world. People who study the wisdom of Kabbalah, call themselves Yashar-El (Straight to God). And there must be some connection between the two.

How will this connection come to be? Whoever wants to connect, in order to attain a good life in this and the next world – is called ‘Israel’. Whoever is not interested in that, or even against this, is called the ‘nations of the world’. It doesn’t matter whether they are part of the nation of Israel and residing in Israel, are Jews in America, or part of nations anywhere else in the world.

How can the people who want to correct themselves and those that don’t want to correct themselves connect? Whether they like it or not they are already connected on Earth. The connection between the two groups can only be through dissemination. When Israel goes out to the nations of the world and explains how they can also attain good in life, the need for the method of connection, and that it exists in Israel.

In every nation the people feel a connection, based on their instinctive affiliation to that nation. Where does it come from? That they all come from the same place, and descended from a certain family. It’s an internal mentality. This is how their brain is organized, how they think, and perceive reality. They have an internal and external agreement that upholds the connection, which they don’t have with another nation. This is how we are all designed. So the ‘70 nations of the world’ may have become blurred by our modern life, but it still exists. Leaders of these nations pull their people together by talking about overcoming challenges together.

All these differences that exist between the nations, exist in a less pronounced way in Israel.  However, here in Israel, we are only brothers in times of trouble, and we only help others out of a sense of self-preservation. Until the trouble comes we are all calm, and are only concerned for others out of self-concern. This is what is going on externally.

Internally, there is nothing to tie us together. Nothing can connect us except the wisdom of Kabbalah that helps develop these relations, and cover all transgressions with love. Above the rejections, hatred and distance, we must build relations between us based on, ‘all transgressions will be covered with love’. No other nation has this ability.

Therefore in the gap between hatred and love, on those two levels; on the one hand ‘all transgressions will be covered with love”, and on the other, revelation – we attain spirituality. There is love and hate on the one hand – and on the other – revelation of the Creator. This is the only way we can be saved, and it was all set up this way to help us reach revelation of the Creator.

How did Abraham connect the people that came to study with him who felt rejection for one another? On the basis of what did he connect them? On the basis of love between them. Abraham had a similar situation to today. Israel’s Knesset is really like Babylon, where no one understands each other. But he connected them above the rejection and transgressions, and taught them how to connect with Love. Abraham taught them how all the transgression can be covered with love. He taught them that there are two levels: on the first level, we have no choice because nothing can be done. But on the second level, we can build love toward the first level. And that will hold. Between the two levels, between negative and positive, we reveal the Creator. This is the method of connection, and they needed Abraham to teach it to them.

What was special about Abraham that enabled him to teach the method? Abraham had revealed the Creator. Why? Because he smashed statues. He believed in the whole ‘will to receive’ lifestyle and modern development, and then smashed them when he realized that there must be a spiritual root to go along with corporeality. What was so special about Abraham that allowed him to reveal it alone? The spiritual root of his soul.

Most of the Jews were in Europe before Israel was formed. Was there no unity before the country was founded? What unity? No one went into the other’s courtyard. It is always like that with the Jews. They build a few synagogues so they don’t have to connect. Even during the Holocaust in Europe, why didn’t the Jews connect? That is our nature, that we are opposite to one another. Only by going according to the method of Abraham, and that is the wisdom of Kabbalah: ‘all transgressions will be covered with love’, ‘love thy neighbor as yourself’. Even here in Israel – show me one organization that would like to see this implemented.

Was there ever connection between the Jews? Only for a brief time: from the time of Abraham, until the beginning of the destruction of the First Temple. And finally Rabbi Akiva yelled that we have to overcome baseless hatred. That was also a very challenging period in our history.