Answer To An American Jew

Comment: American Jews are watching the news from Israel. One of the reactions to your post, “Do American Jews Need Israel?” caused disagreement about what you say regarding their attitude toward Israel. A writer claims that in America that many Jews differentiate between the nation of Israel and the land of Israel. In their opinion, the land of Israel has a special spiritual mission for all of us, which unfortunately cannot be said about the country. It would be doubtful to justify putting all the Jews with a liberal outlook into one “boat,” just as it is doubtful that it would be worthwhile for all Jews to immigrate recklessly to the State of Israel in this stage.

Answer: In general, globally I agree that it is impossible to heap humanity into one pile. Indeed, there is a difference between the land of Israel and the State  of Israel. I do not encourage anyone to immigrate to the country, but what I mean is that since we are the Jews who are evaluated in the world according to our spiritual root, which is the land of Israel, in which the State of Israel exists today, we need to strengthen this nation.

Even if many Jews in the world, and in particular in America, think that it would be better for them if the State of Israel ceased to exist, the land of Israel would not cease to exist and would always be called this.

It was called this even in the period of the British Mandate, the Ottoman administration, and even three thousand years ago when ancient peoples lived here. So we must not think that the land of Israel could change. It is eternal and has expanded much beyond its present national borders.

These borders were designed by the upper force, which outlines this territory called the “Conquests of King David” (“Davidic Conquest”), from the remaining areas of the Earth. This area is large and extends to Babylon on one side, to the Nile on another side, and also north and south.There is no question that it cannot be.

This is the history that is connected not only to the past, but also to the higher forces that cooperate among them mutually and have an influence on the area of the entire Earth in that they emphasize its different parts. Understandably, the nation of Israel of today is completely incompatible with the land of Israel because Jews can live in it only to the extent that there are friendly and loving relationships between them.

Friendship means that they are not treating each other badly and wish each other well. Love is an even higher level, meaning that they are ready to give everything to each other, as one would to loved one. When a mutual relationship like this exists between us, we merge with the land of Israel, with that upper force that illuminates us and appears in one common general structure. That is what we must long for and reach.

Certainly the national structure of the nation of Israel today is absolutely not like this. It takes its cue from the western example and wants to be like the rest of the nations of the world, something that cannot be among the Jews. The Jews temporarily continue to exist here by protecting themselves with all their might. Yet, this existence cannot continue forever. I don’t even call the Jews a “people” because the meaning of a people is that there is a common denominator; whereas, among the Jews there is nothing in common. This is a “gathering of exiles,” a gathering of people who have come from all the ends of the Earth, and nothing more than this.

If the Jews were to build from themselves a single people by longing for unity, rising above their ego, eliminating their mutual hatred, competitiveness, and so forth, they would be able to continue to live in the land of Israel and the land would be good for them. The upper force would begin to work on them for the better and would shield them from all troubles.

If this doesn’t happen, military preparations, neither its force or weapons, will not help us, not even the help of presidents of the United States or the nations of the world. In any case, we will reach a situation in which, as Baal HaSulam wrote, we will be forced to leave the land of Israel and among that small number who would remain, some of them would be annihilated and the others would drown in the “sea” of the Arab population that would fill this land. So we have no choice, we must reach a state in which we clearly understand our destiny, our future, and our obligation to show the whole world an example of unity. Then the world would stop hating us and would see our benefit, the reason for our eternal existence which is meant to bring the world to unity. We would truly become a “Light unto the nations” (Isaiah 42:6).

Question: The author of this response believes that your attitude toward American Jews is too biting. Why do you relate to them like this? What do you hear from American Jews?

Answer: What I hear from them is that all of the problems of Israel are Israel’s fault. I completely agree with them, except for one thing. Even though Israel is like this, we must not abandon it; we need to support it. When they place themselves beside those who want to annihilate it, they are not only slandering Israel, but are helping to annihilate it. This is not at all irrelevant to the problems of the Jewish people, for if the State of Israel were to disappear, the next thing that would follow would be a new Holocaust.

The State of Israel is like a member of the family. In any case, we cannot “throw” it out of the family circle; we must correct it. The American Jews could do this if they were to behave wisely and weren’t trying to ignore the current situation.

Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of American Jews are indifferent toward the State of Israel because they are included in American life to such a degree that Israel doesn’t affect them in any way, and therefore, they don’t want to hear about it. What is important to them is their own good and what might happen to Israel is not important to them. That is not how to treat a family member because even if it would be better for you, you cannot get rid of him, you must think about him.

So American Jews must unite and think about how through external pressure they can force the nation of Israel to move forward in the right direction, to become more pluralistic, and not to succumb to external and internal coercion.

Israel must build a nation for itself that is based upon relationships of friendship and love, on the foundation of the principle of Judaism, “And you shall love your friend as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18), and not on all kinds of factionalism, religious movements, disputes, and wars.
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From KabTV’s “News with Michael Laitman” 9/7/16