The future is in our hands

CYNTHIA RAMSAY

One person can change the world. While the adage may be true, it's not very comforting, since change can be positive or negative. And, looking at the global state of things, it's obviously easier said than done to "heal the world" or "make harmony from chaos," one mitzvah at a time. Hoping to be lifted from such cynicism, we were excited when two new books on tikkun olam arrived in the Jewish Independent office. Unfortunately, though both were interesting, neither was very inspiring

To Heal a Fractured World: The Ethics of Responsibility (Schocken Books) by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of Great Britain and the Commonwealth, provides the religious and philosophical underpinnings of Judaism's imperative that human beings be God's partners in Creation, in making the world a better place. From Chaos to Harmony: The Solution to the Global Crisis According to the Wisdom of Kabbalah (Laitman Kabbalah Publishers) is by Rav Michael Laitman, founder and president of the Ashlag Research Institute (ARI), whose mission is "to cultivate open discourse about kabbalah and science." It argues that the egoism of human beings has grown over the centuries, separating us from Nature (God) and each other, and that the practice of kabbalah can bring us unity and wholeness once more, resulting in peace and fulfilment.

The tone of each book is mainly what detracts from its inspirational potential. Sacks, while no doubt sincere, writes with a certain arrogance. For example, he warns readers more than once that he's discussing complex issues. Especially in a book that extols what each of us can contribute to the world, he should have given us more credit – some of us might be as bright as he is and, if we're not, we don't need to be reminded of that fact. And Laitman, who has a doctorate in philosophy and a master's of science in bio-cybernetics, comes off as a bit loopy. Perhaps it's the grandiose claims for what kabbalah can achieve – it can save the world – or the references to ancient prophecies of current-day events; either way, it makes you think that what he says should be taken with a grain of salt. However, both books do contain valuable insights into Jewish tradition and human behavior.

Sacks has amalgamated countless biblical, talmudic and philosophical references to explain Judaism's unique tenet: human beings are partners with God and we are supposed to use the freedom he gave us to "create in love," to "honor and enhance the freedom of others ... to reach out to the human other." In other words, "Life is God's call to responsibility." And it's not just a call for Jews, but for all people:

"There is no life without a task, no person without a talent, no place without a fragment of God's light waiting to be discovered and redeemed, no situation without its possibility of sanctification, no moment without its call," writes Sacks in one of the book's final chapters. "It may take a lifetime to learn how to find these things, but once we learn, we realize in retrospect that all it ever took was the ability to listen. When God calls ... he whispers our name – and the greatest reply, the reply of Abraham, is simply, 'Hineni': 'Here I am,' ready to heed your call, to mend a fragment of your all-too-broken world."

It is, of course, not God's fault that the world is broken. We are free – and we don't always use our freedom wisely. "Creation was an act of faith on the part of God," writes Sacks, basing the idea on a midrash. "Though human beings inflict suffering on one another, God does not give up on his creation.... Despite the wrong we do, he does not relinquish faith that we will change. However lost, he does not cease to believe that one day we will find our way back to him. For, in his word, he has given us the map, the guide, the way of return. That is the theology of responsibility."

These thoughts coincide with the conclusions of Rabbi Yehuda Leib HaLevi Ashlag, the predecessor of the rabbi with whom Laitman studied kabbalah: regarding freedom, we cannot change our genetic make-up or the laws of nature – "our only free choice is the choice of the right environment." According to Laitman, we must recognize that we are all part of a single system, so the "right" environment is one that fosters altruism. Once we start caring for others and behaving altruistically, "we actually [will] begin to feel Nature's force itself, the unlimited, unbounded perfect force."

While it is our ego that is impeding our pursuit of wholeness, Laitman does not recommend its staunching with yoga, Tai Chi or other meditative methods, as "they lower the human ego from the speaking degree to lower degrees, called 'animate,' 'vegetative' and 'inanimate' degrees within man," he writes. "Therefore, these methods actually pull us back and thus contradict the direction Nature is leading us in: elevating us to a higher level than our present state, to the level of 'corrected speaking.' "

He concludes that, "The egoism that is currently sweeping the world is the egoism of the speaking degree.... The wisdom of kabbalah is the only method that utilizes the full force of the ego, while mending its application. It is surfacing today [in violence, commercialism and spiritual lack] to help all of humanity realize Nature's goal and to rise as one to a new level of existence."

So, like Sacks', Laitman's vision is not only for Jews, but all of humanity - with Judaism as the model. Sacks would like us to be "co-authors with God of the world that ought to be" and Laitman says that, "within us, are powers of thought and will, which, if used correctly, will allow us to change reality instantaneously." In both cases, the future is in our hands.

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