Exile and Redemption – the Israel Way

On Friday the 15th, Jews all over the world celebrated Passover—the redemption of Israel from the enslavement in Egypt, thirty-three centuries ago. The exodus from Egypt is mentioned not only on the relevant date in the Hebrew calendar. Almost every significant date on the Hebrew calendar contains the words “to remember the exodus from Egypt.” In fact, not only Judaism, but Christians, too, attribute great importance to the deliverance of the Israelites from enslavement. Throughout history, there have been countless cases of enslavement and liberation. Why then is this one so important that we make it a point to remember it? The exodus symbolizes much more than deliverance of one nation from another. It describes the inner process by which one redeems one’s soul from the enslavement of the ego. And since we are all born slaves to our egos, the exodus from Egypt pertains to each and every person on the planet.

Just as the enslavement of the people of Israel in Egypt was really an enslavement to their egos, so we are trapped by our own egos and seek to dominate and oppress others (if we are Pharaoh), or simply hate other people (if we are simple Egyptians). Either way, it is destructive to ourselves, to our society, and to the world we live in.

When the Israelites were in the Sinai desert, they complained to Moses, “We remember the fish that we ate for free in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the greens [vegetables] and the onions and the garlic” (Num. 11:5). On another occasion, they lamented, “Would that we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full” (Ex. 16:3). We see that it was not physical hardships that afflicted the children of Israel in Egypt, but something else tormented them to the point where they could not tolerate remaining there even for another night. That something is the reason that the story of the exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt is still so well remembered.

To understand what that something is, we must remember that the people of Israel are unlike any other nation. Their roots cannot be traced to any one nation or country, clan, or tribe. We attribute the beginning of the nation to Abraham, but he was only the first. On the day he died, the Hebrews were still not a nation. They received their official status, if you will, only at the foot of Mt. Sinai, after they vowed to unite “as one man with one heart.”

Until then, people of countless tribes and nations joined the Hebrews at their own will. The only condition for joining the ancient Hebrews was to agree to the principle of unity above all differences. In other words, the emerging nation consisted of people from many different origins, who joined the group that Abraham had established because they subscribed to the idea by which he established it: unity, care for others, this is all that matters. This is why the fundamental law of Judaism is “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Despite their efforts to unite, the ego of the ancient Hebrews failed them time and time again. Each time they rose above it and united, it intensified and separated them once more. This is why the history of the people of Israel is rife with conflicts and wars.

The story of the exodus from Egypt is a symbolic tale that speaks about one’s efforts to overcome one's ego. Moses, for example, is the quality within us that constantly pulls toward unity. The Hebrew name Moshe [Moses] is similar to the Hebrew word moshech [pulling], namely pulling away from the ego and toward unity and love of others.

The people of Israel are qualities within us that can relate to Moses and follow him, but hesitate to do so. They are tempted by the ego to remain in Egypt, where the ego is king. This is why they constantly question Moses’ leadership and wonder if it would not be better had they stayed in Egypt.

Egypt symbolizes our ego, our hatred of others. Pharaoh is the epitome of the ego. He is not only hatred of others, but a desire to rule over everyone and everything, to oppress all of reality under one’s own governance. This is why Pharaoh says, “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice?” (Ex. 5:2). In other words, Pharaoh bows to no one; it is the core of egoism.

Moses’ struggle to release the people of Israel from the ego was successful. For an individual, it is the redemption of the soul from the shackles of the ego, the king that rules us from birth, as it is written, “The inclination of a man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Gen. 8:21).

As we can see, the story of Israel’s exodus from Egypt is very pertinent. Today’s world, which is mired in egoism, needs redemption from the ego no less than the people of Israel needed it then. We have built a beautiful world, abundant in every possible way. Yet, the enslavement to our narcissistic selves separates us from each other and causes us to destroy every piece of beauty on our planet.

Just as the enslavement of the people of Israel in Egypt was really an enslavement to their egos, so we are trapped by our own egos and seek to dominate and oppress others (if we are Pharaoh), or simply hate other people (if we are simple Egyptians). Either way, it is destructive to ourselves, to our society, and to the world we live in.

May this Passover be the beginning of our redemption from our egos and the beginning of our unity and love of others.

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Are We Blind to Our Own Nature?

Every so often, I am amazed at the willingness of people to blindly follow leaders in the name of some ideology or religion, and believe that it will solve all the world’s problems. I am amazed not because people can become fanatics, but because they somehow still don’t understand that “The inclination of a man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Gen. 8:21). Somehow, despite eons of bad experiences deriving exclusively from our evil nature, we fail to see that there is simply nothing good in us, that “great is the wickedness of man in the earth, and all the inclination of the thoughts of his heart are only evil all day long” (Gen. 6:5).

Once we realize that we are the only selfish beings on the planet, we will begin to change. Gradually, we will become aware of our mutual dependence and learn to act accordingly. What comes naturally to animals, we will gain through our efforts. Yet, our reward will be a deeper understanding and perception of the world than any being can have.

Even when we give, we do it because of some ulterior self-serving motive. Baal HaSulam, the greatest kabbalist and thinker of the previous century, and one of the greatest of all time, articulated the nastiness of our nature in the early 1930 in his essay “Peace in the World”: “In simple words,” he wrote, “we will say that the nature of each and every person is to exploit the lives of all other people in the world for his own benefit, and all that he gives to another is only out of necessity.” “Even then,” he stressed, “there is exploitation of others in it, but it is done cunningly, so his neighbor will not notice it and concede willingly.”

I do not expect leaders to acknowledge that this is who we are. Leaders are fixated on gaining power and control, so they will support any agenda that increases their popularity. But what about us, the people who follow them? Have we not learned yet that every ideology and every religion, even if it begins with the best intentions, ends up being self-serving, patronizing, and therefore wrong?

It is vital that we recognize the truth about human nature because only if we acknowledge it will we genuinely seek to change it. Until then, we will continue to cling to false ideas and dogmas, and we will continue to patronize, admonish, and torture one another through our ignorance. Perhaps this is why Rudyard Kipling wrote, “There is no sin so great as ignorance. Remember this.” Indeed, we seem to be oblivious to it.

If we resolve to change our nature, we will discover that there is indeed an alternative. The reason we perceive every being in our world as selfish and uncaring toward others is that we ourselves are like that. However, this is not at all the truth. If it were, this world would not persist; it would disintegrate before any complex being could come into being.

The truth is that the law that governs our world is not the “winner take all,” but the “law of balance,” of homeostasis. Every scientist and physician knows that were it not for homeostasis, or dynamic equilibrium, nothing would evolve. Yet, unless we recognize that our current perception is flawed, we will not be able to open our eyes and see the truth.

Once we realize that we are the only selfish beings on the planet, we will begin to change. Gradually, we will become aware of our mutual dependence and learn to act accordingly. What comes naturally to animals, we will gain through our efforts. Yet, our reward will be a deeper understanding and perception of the world than any being can have.

Only once we achieve this new perception will we realize that we were created selfish precisely so as to perceive how the world really operates. Had we been made this way from the beginning, we would have followed our instincts and would not have known that there is more than one option for existence. Our ego is our foe, but it is also our impetus for positive transformation. The sooner we use it for that purpose, the sooner we will gain that new perception and discover the truth about our world—that everything is balanced, harmonious, and filled with love.

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The Heavy Price of Feeding Ourselves

Putting food on the table has become a luxury these days. U.S. inflation soars to 8.5%, the highest annual level in 40 years and grocery prices are particularly hit, up to at least 10 percent higher from last year. For many people, not only in America but around the world, the cost of food is out of reach. Are we on the verge of the next global crisis?

The scale and gravity of today's global challenges which have outgrown the present systems' ability to handle them require fresh new thinking. In my view, until we deal with the heart of the problem, which is the egoism in human nature, we will find no remedy to our woes.

“Sharply higher prices for staples and supply shortages are increasing pressure on households worldwide and pushing millions more into poverty.” declared the Heads of the World Bank Group, International Monetary Fund, United Nations World Food Program, and World Trade Organization in a joint statement just released. ??

The World Bank estimates that for each one percentage point increase in food prices, “10 million people are thrown into extreme poverty worldwide.” The Covid-19 pandemic caused disruptions in the world’s food supplies; climate crisis has damaged agricultural crops and threatened the food security of millions of people. Now the war in Ukraine is affecting grain and fertilizers production and exports to the world. Global food prices have reached “a new all-time high,” and the situation is getting worse every day. Starving masses could fuel social tensions, particularly in vulnerable countries.

But besides the aforementioned factors, people’s mindsets and habits trigger food insecurity. As the world evolves, the population has grown as a result of medical developments that allow increasing fertility and life expectancy. In addition to it, we are not only more numerous and live longer but we also consume much more today than in the past. Just a few hundred years ago we stayed home passively and a slice of bread a day was enough, today we live a hectic life and instead of a slice we need a pound of bread a day.?

Compared to nature, we can see that animals behave differently from us in terms of breeding and consuming calories. When animals are not hunting or gathering food, they usually lie down peacefully and save energy. When there is a lack of food in the area, they give birth to fewer offspring. In the past, in times of food shortages, women naturally would also conceive less.?

But as human beings we are no longer as attached to nature as animals, nor do we care to think deeply about our future as human beings and how properly use and balance our resources. We may easily degenerate into a world of famine and consequently, more conflicts will emerge.?

We will be able to prevent hunger and other problems that can cause great suffering and death through a joint international debate. In such a discussion, representatives of countries would consider together what to do with the onerous facts and how to use human capabilities to solve them.?

The problem is that the international organizations that are supposed to deal with it, like the UN, are impractical because they represent the bureaucratic forces of the states and governments, nor are they enthusiastic about dealing with solutions about the future of the world.?It turns out that we have no one to trust and no one to wait for to formulate plans for a good life for us.

The scale and gravity of today's global challenges which have outgrown the present systems' ability to handle them require fresh new thinking. In my view, until we deal with the heart of the problem, which is the egoism in human nature, we will find no remedy to our woes. We all need to finally realize that humanity is a single superorganism in which any disruption affects the whole system and any solution should be integral. In other words, a better future starts with a shift of awareness of what needs to be fixed: we.