School Instead Of Prison

Question: When we look at the problems that are ripping modern society apart, how is it possible to believe that there is any chance of reaching mutual Arvut (mutual guarantee)?

Answer: In society, what happens is what the Creator arranges for us from above, even the most negative things. Believe me, everything is sealed by the Creator Himself and not by any Prime Minister, President, head of the American Congress or the European Union. Everything, down to the last atom, is managed from Above.

Question: Even if there is a feeling that half of the nation should be in prison?

Answer: Not half of the nation, rather the entire nation. Half of the nation are thieves and the other half are to blame for the first half being thieves. So everyone should be in prison, including the police.

If all of us must be in mutual mutual guarantee, then each is responsible for the other. But because we don’t influence the others as is needed, they don’t receive enough influence. So what can be demanded from us?

Only on the condition that we influence others correctly and are concerned that our influence will succeed, can we rest assured that we will see the right response from the others. But if in the meantime, their response is incorrect, then our influence is incorrect.

So the Torah has a completely different approach to punishments in comparison to what is accepted in this world. The punishment must be correction, first and foremost through the environment.

Indeed, a person is a product of his environment. The legal system must be part of the educational system, but punishment must lead to correction. In contrast to this, our prisons are universities for training criminals.

Question: What does this mean: “After all, in your eyes all of Israel are guarantors for each other, both on the positive and negative side?”

Answer: This means that the influence of the environment completely determines human behavior, both positively and negatively. It follows that if the citizens of a nation behave inappropriately, this says that the nation is in a crisis of education. Other than education, nothing else is needed.

The only thing that a nation needs, besides the ministries of defense and health, is the ministry of education. And if the educational system is correct, then we don’t need the military or medicine.

If a nation were to function according to the laws of mutual Arvut, it would not need the military or the police—nothing. They would organize everything that is necessary for material existence for themselves, and they would direct everything else towards spiritual development.

Besides education, nothing is necessary. This stems from the law of mutual Arvut,which means that you are responsible for every resident of the nation and for his behavior as a person. And if he does something that is not good, this means that you have not influenced him positively, you have not given the feeling of love.

Indeed, if he were to feel the love of everyone, this would silence his evil inclination. He wouldn’t need anything and he would feel like a fetus in his mother’s womb, that he has everything: “A lamp is lit above his head, and he looks and sees from one end of the world to the other; and they teach him the entire Torah.”

This is truly an amazing state. Indeed, we are all connected in a single network and this is now being revealed more and more. If you think about the other and influence him, whatever your influence is, this is what will be in him. And as much as your good influence is lacking, you will see this according to his behavior.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/28/14, Writing of Baal HaSulam