In Search of Ourselves

Searches for the answer to the question "Why do I feel sad?" broke all records with a 10% jump from the previous year in the rankings of the most popular Google searches for 2021. Searches on topics such as: anxiety, stress, sadness, grief and methods to cope with them increased incomparably.?

The year 2021 has been a year of discovering great inadequacies in the relationships in human society, a revelation of so much ugliness of the selfishness that dominates the human race and drives it to fight, harm and destroy. We must see this exposure of our nature as an opportunity and the foundation for building a new social structure.

I can understand why people feel that way and I feel sorry for them. Even more difficult for me is to see that this suffering is not producing any results. It is as if the pain were not big enough to bring them out into the streets to demand global change.?

Obviously we need to get to a level where the suffering is already coming from multiple directions and is felt by everyone. Only then will we begin to understand that across all the worries and problems, we need to connect with each other, to unite to influence leaders, to drive out the blight, to bring down inflation and to eliminate sadness.?

I see this clearly: all human suffering stems from a lack of connection between us. We do not have good, friendly and amicable relations. Yet, simultaneously we are interdependent of each other and our happiness is dependent on the happiness of others, but we refuse to accept this reality.

I see this clearly: all human suffering stems from a lack of connection between us. We do not have good, friendly and amicable relations. Yet, simultaneously we are interdependent of each other and our happiness is dependent on the happiness of others, but we refuse to accept this reality.

Instead, we do not care that we cause harm to others, we do not curb our egoism, our relentless penchant for self-benefit, that drives us to commit harm and to be indifferent.

When suffering inevitably increases (Google searches show suffering is trending upward worldwide), then collectively we can recognize the problem and its solution, but when will that happen? How many more blows and of what magnitude will we have to endure? We are like heedless, stubborn children who do not want to hear anything. We do not want to acknowledge that we live by the laws of the ego. So, through blows and catastrophes nature will compel us to realize we have no choice but to submit to and abide by its laws since we are surrounded by and enclosed within the inescapable force of nature.?

The inanimate, vegetative, and animal levels in creation practice mutuality based on their interdependence, and therefore the general natural system preserves them and provides the balance between them. Only the human race acts contrary to this system and shows no tendency to reciprocity; it singularly disrupts this equilibrium. We receive only for ourselves according to the laws of egoism and are unwilling to give according to the laws of nature. Thus, we disturb the balance not only between us, but also in all the other levels of nature, and they, like a mighty boomerang, smack us right back.?

The year 2021 has been a year of discovering great inadequacies in the relationships in human society, a revelation of so much ugliness of the selfishness that dominates the human race and drives it to fight, harm and destroy. We must see this exposure of our nature as an opportunity and the foundation for building a new social structure.

We will rise from the crisis in the right way if we direct our efforts toward connection and cooperation. In this way, by the end of next year, our most pressing questions in life, such as "Why am I sad?" "Why am I suffering?" will be answered and put back in order.

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Jewish Unity Against Extinction

"I can see very strong antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment, and it's beginning to be 'okay,'" said Professor Israel Aumann, 2005 Nobel Laureate in Economics, in a recent interview with local newspaper Israel Hayom. I share his concern and "great sorrow, it is spreading within streams that are considered the bon ton of global society." We have the diagnosis, but it is extremely urgent to begin intensive treatment to cure Jew hatred before it is too late. The cure is in our hands and in the hands of no one else, we just need to recognize it.

If the alienation between us continues, we will completely lose our identity as a people and as a society. And if we lose ourselves and disappear as a people, we cease to provide the world with its spiritual oxygen, we cease to function as a "light unto the nations." Consequentially, instead of helping humanity we hinder it. In response, humanity rises up and shows intense hatred for us from all sides of the political spectrum, blaming us for all the evil in the world.

"There has always been antisemitism of the extreme Right in the world. But the extreme Right doesn't lead the world and doesn't set the tone. Those who really have influence are the progressives and the moderate Left in America and Europe," Aumann added. That's an accurate reflection, but whether the hate comes from the Right or the Left, it's still hate, it's still dangerous. Therefore, we should look at its source and not stop to ask why the Jews and the State of Israel are being attacked so violently. We need to examine how to neutralize all kinds of hatred against us and achieve a good life.

Already 14 years ago, in September 2007, when I met with Prof. Aumann at a round table discussion, he pointed out that relations in Israeli society have changed for the worse, as people only care about their small private slit. "Something has been lost here, and I think that is the reason for all the difficult problems that are overtaking us, including in the area of security," he told me at the time.

"In my opinion, we will not be able to exist here much longer on the basis of post-Zionist ideals, which in reality are not ideals, but lacking ideals. First, because we are still surrounded by enemies, and second, because today there are elements within the state that do not want the State of Israel to continue to exist as a Jewish state.

"Then there may or may not be physical destruction, but if we continue on the current path, we will lose our identity completely, and I find that very unfortunate and disturbing," he said.

In fact, the situation has only worsened because of the increased selfishness of Israel's society which has permeated into many facets of our daily life. In the world, too, the same ego that grew from generation to generation and propelled humanity to development and prosperity in all spheres reached its peak at the end of the twentieth century, until all the boundaries we knew in the past were broken. And so today we all find that we are in a small global village and yet simultaneously there is vociferous hatred between people.

This hostility threatens the very existence of humanity and especially the people of Israel. The selfishness that has erupted in Israel over the last sixty years has led to a drastic alienation between us. The value of "love your neighbor as yourself" that bound us together as a people before the destruction of the Temple has completely disappeared. We have sunk to an unprecedented low, and as Prof. Aumann said, this poses an existential threat to us.

If the alienation between us continues, we will completely lose our identity as a people and as a society. And if we lose ourselves and disappear as a people, we cease to provide the world with its spiritual oxygen, we cease to function as a "light unto the nations." Consequentially, instead of helping humanity we hinder it. In response, humanity rises up and shows intense hatred for us from all sides of the political spectrum, blaming us for all the evil in the world.

In order to contain the growing threat of antisemitism and preserve the existence of our people and our state, we must return to the principle of "love your neighbor as yourself." That is the only solution; the cure for hate is love.

In order to contain the growing threat of antisemitism and preserve the existence of our people and our state, we must return to the principle of "love your neighbor as yourself." That is the only solution; the cure for hate is love. Therefore, we must first agree that the realization of the value of love between us is the foundation and basis for our existence as a people. Without this love, we do not have the right to be called "one people"; we are just a collection of people living on a common piece of land with nothing to bind us.

In our lives, everything depends on education, on changing human attitudes, on rising above our differences and strengthening the mutual guarantee and consideration between us. It will lead us back to fulfilling our role as a Jewish nation, which Rav Kook clearly stated, namely, "to unite the whole world in one family." Only when we begin to internalize the importance and value of loving others can we save our people, our country and the entire world.

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Boycotting Beijing 2022 Games Proves We’ve Gone Backwards

The US, Canada, Australia, the UK, and other countries have announced that they will diplomatically boycott the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing over China's alleged abuse of human rights. In the past, the world viewed mixing sports and politics in a very negative light. This is no longer the case. The odium among countries has intensified to the point where any means of showing disapproval is legitimate. The ancient Greeks had what was known as the "Olympic Truce," when all fighting ceased before and during the Olympic Games to ensure that the host city-state (Elis) was not attacked and athletes and spectators could travel safely to the games and return peacefully to their respective countries.

When we compete for the sake of winning, we are not focusing on improving ourselves, but mainly on outperforming others. In this case, it makes no difference whether you achieved your goal by improving yourself or by affecting others. Therefore, we have no concern about hurting others. On the contrary, it is easier and more enjoyable to hurt others than to improve yourself.

So much has changed since the days of ancient Greece. People had ideals then; we have none. We often think of people in antiquity as barbaric and of ourselves as civilized. In many ways we are the barbarians, and the Olympics are an example of that. We have gone backwards. We can no longer unite around anything. The selfish urge for self-assertion makes us impulsively and staunchly oppose any view of another person simply because it is the view of another person and I want my view to dominate, not anyone else's.

Then again, the ego keeps growing, and we are growing constantly more hateful of each other, so it is better if the ego demonstrates its nature. At least now we can see who we are and not fantasize that we are somehow more humane or civilized than our ancestors, but quite the contrary. Since recognizing a flaw is inevitably the starting point for correcting it, now that we have come to it, we can start building ourselves better.

If we are still not sure who we are, we should consider the amount of drugs and other illegal and unfair advantages that countries encourage, and sometimes force their athletes to use and employ in order to get on the Olympic podium. It is a war, and in a war it does not matter how you won as long as you won.

If it were sports, all that would matter was how you played and not how you won or if you won at all. In Greece, they played for sport. We play to win.

Competition should bring out the best in us, make us improve ourselves. It should not make us better than others, but better than our former selves. The fact that we compete to create an incentive to improve ourselves is welcome because it makes us push our limits. However, when we compete for the sake of winning, we are not focusing on improving ourselves, but mainly on outperforming others. In this case, it makes no difference whether you achieved your goal by improving yourself or by affecting others. Therefore, we have no concern about hurting others. On the contrary, it is easier and more enjoyable to hurt others than to improve yourself.

In the current form of the Olympics, they have no use other than to show us how far we have strayed from their original intent. The real gold medal should go to those who improve others. That is the true spirit of sportsmanship.

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Write Down Your Goals

A friend reminded me that I always say that if you want to achieve your goals, you need to write them down, not type them into your computer, but write with a pen and paper. People say it is anachronistic, but it works. In fact, I would say more than that: It would be even better if you took a hammer and a chisel and carved your goals in stone. The sweat you'd break would make it work.

My goal is to see all my students bonded together in a group of people from around the world, connected to each other, and forming a conduit of love and unity above all differences to all of humanity.

Writing your thoughts down helps you express them more clearly and explicitly. For a plan to succeed, you need to invest yourself in it. When you see it on paper, you can really contemplate it, process it, and the original plan will always remain before you. It is easy to delete what you type on a computer screen, but it is a different story when you write it on paper with a pen.

There is even a saying that what is written with a pen cannot be cut out with an axe. Writing is like carving within yourself; it cannot be undone.

Even if your goal changes, and it probably will, its essence will remain the same.

As for me, my goal is to see all my students bonded together in a group of people from around the world, connected to each other, and forming a conduit of love and unity above all differences to all of humanity. This is the goal I would carve in stone.