The Land Of Israel: Dispersion And Assimilation, Part 4

Egoism’s Impulses

Comment: During the time of the First Temple, the schism between people gradually intensified. The people, like its spiritual leaders, were constantly faced with a choice: either to live by the method of Moses, which he received at Mt. Sinai, or to adopt the lifestyle of their neighbors.

Interestingly, throughout history Jews have always tried to be like their neighbors.

Answer: To be like means to reject living above one’s ego and existing within egoism, like all other nations. Of course this inclination exists inside each of us because it is a natural internal impulse of one’s egoism. Since egoism keeps growing, it follows that such impulses are constant.

Thus, when we are talking about assimilation, “to be like other nations” means to use egoism for oneself.
From the perspective of Kabbalah, the “nations of the world” are our egoistic desires, while “Israel” is the altruistic desires. As a result of this, there are both kinds of people in the world.

Concerning nationality, any person who begins to correctly balance their egoism can become a Jew.
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From KabTV’s “Systematic Analysis of Development of The People of Israel,” 7/8/19