The Charlottesville protests have imprinted neo-Nazism and its criticism of Jews onto the modern historical map. The Jewish response has major implications.
It’s the week of the Charlottesville protests. Neo-Nazi anger instantly spreads into global awareness as Vice News exposes the heart of the Charlottesville protests to the world.
A scene of hundreds of torch wielding white nationalists chanting “Jews will not replace us!” “Blood and soil!” “Whose streets? Our streets!” marching in unison, encountering leftist opposition protesters, followed by eruptions of violence, beatings, macings… the opening news coverage of Vice’s “Charlottesville: Race and Terror” plays out like a modern version of what cooked in 1930s Nazi Germany.
That’s right, 1930s Nazi Germany. And we know where that led…
As much as the Jews don’t want to hear about it, this is just the beginning of a neo-Nazi uprising that will repeatedly point the finger at the Jews.
“Jews have been vastly over-represented in the historical left [and] in the left right now. They’re vastly over-represented in what you call ‘the establishment,’ i.e. Ivy League educated people who really determine policy.”
– Richard Spencer, president of the white nationalist organization National Policy Institute that was behind the Charlottesville protests, in an interview on Israel’s Channel 2.
A few days go by and white nationalist criticism of the Jews’ “over-representation” in American politics has carved itself into society’s consciousness. The source of this criticism thus demands examination…
Is Disproportionate Jewish Influence in America Really the Root Cause of the Criticism and Anxiety Towards Jews in America?
According to the wisdom of Kabbalah, no.
“It is a fact that Israel is hated by all the nations, whether for religious, racial, capitalist, communist, or for cosmopolitan reasons, etc. It is so because the hatred precedes all reasons, but each merely resolves its loathing according to its own psychology.”
– Yehuda Leib HaLevi Ashlag, “The Writings of the Last Generation, Part One.”
The cause of this criticism of the Jews extends much deeper: to humanity’s subconscious. It is rooted in nature itself and emerges as part of an evolutionary process that we all, members of humanity, are undergoing.
Humanity is developing toward a final state of complete, harmonious unity. The way towards this final state, however, can take on one of two forms:
1. A negligent process where humanity’s unity will take on egoistic forms like Nazism and fascism, where we will advance to the harmonious outcome with a lot of suffering on the way; or
2. A pro-active learning process to understand our connection to nature and each other, and how to unite above our differences to achieve balance with nature.
Since the mid-1900s, humanity entered the most significant transition period in its history: the end of its egoistic, individualistic development, and the beginning of its development as an interdependent, integral whole. Globally interconnected economies, technologies, trade, transport and communication have developed out of our necessity to survive in our increasingly interdependent global environment, tying us together like a ball of yarn.
However, such external, superficial connections are insufficient to make us feel secure. On the contrary, the more these external connections develop without an attitude shift on our part, the more anxious and threatened we feel, as our private, public and national spaces increasingly become disrupted and compromised.
Therefore, a shift in attitude is required to develop harmoniously toward humanity’s final united state. Our attitudes must match the level of interdependence that we are being naturally pushed toward. By not working on this attitude shift, we continue relating to each other egoistically and individualistically, while nature continues demanding the opposite: altruistic and integral relations. As a result, we feel an array of problems.
The Jewish people, about 4,000 years ago during Abraham’s time, were given the method to pioneer humanity’s process of implementing this shift of attitude and establishment of unity above our differences. As written in the book, Shem Mishmuel:
“The intention of creation was for all to be one bundle… but because of the sin [egoism] the matter was spoiled. The correction began in the generation of Babylon, meaning the correction of gathering and assembling of people which began with Abraham. … And the final correction will be when everyone becomes one bundle.”
If the Jews succeed in initiating the correction on time, then unity will become revealed in its positive form: as unity above our differences.
If, however, the Jews delay their correction, then the unity will be revealed in its negative form, as Nazism: the unity of one people actively opposing and hating others.
What Is the Nature of Neo-Nazism’s Rise?
This developmental process is similar to that of a piece of growing fruit. The fruit just keeps growing and growing. At the moment it reaches its ripeness, if it is not picked and eaten, then it simply continues growing, and starts to spoil. When ripe, the fruit is good for us. But when it rots, it becomes poisonous and harmful.
How does this analogy relate to humanity? Beginning in the mid-1900s, we needed to start using the “fruit” correctly—to shift our relations from egoistically individualistic, to altruistically united—but we didn’t. As a result, today we experience all kinds of mutations.
Nazism is one of these mutations. It unites people—which is partially correct. However, it unites people egoistically and with hatred, which is where it falls short.
The key to everyone’s good future—or alternatively, to everyone’s disastrous future—is in the hands of the Jews. Either we exercise the method we were given and unite in love of one another, above our differences, or we will need to endure the opposite form of unity that’s starting to show its face again: Nazi unity, which binds its proponents with a passionate, common hatred.
Why the Charlottesville Protests Have Historical Significance for the Jews and Neo-Nazism
The Charlottesville protests are a very significant outburst. They have imprinted neo-Nazism and its criticism of the Jews on the modern historical map. From now on, we will have to deal with this finger of blame pointing directly at us.
However, we have the method by which we can change the attitude behind the fingers that point at us: from blame, criticism and hatred, to respect, appreciation and honor.
As far-fetched as it sounds, the outcome depends on whether we realize our role as a Jewish people (the Hebrew word for “Jew” [Yehudi] comes from the word for “united” [yihudi] [Yaarot Devash, Part 2, Drush no. 2]). We must unite above every single crumb of hatred we have for each other in order to “love your friend as yourself” and to be a “light for the nations.”
If we could open our eyes a little to see the vast amount of responsibility and accountability that we hold for both our own and humanity’s fate, and try to understand the nature of the world’s attitude toward us, then we would begin to make steps in the right direction. Until we do, expect neo-Nazism to rise.
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