The first part of this book explored both global and personal crises, their causes, and their resolutions. However, we cannot overlook some of the special issues of the state of Israel and the lives of each of its citizens. It is always surprising to see that such a tiny state attracts so much attention worldwide, and is continually at the center of colossal struggles.
Israelis are finding that, in their own homeland, personal and national safety are becoming fading dreams, growing dimmer with each passing year. Today, life in Israel is accompanied by constant fear: there is a bomb shelter around every corner, each apartment must, by law, have a “safe room” made of reinforced concrete, and security personnel search us at the entrance to every public place. In fact, throughout its lifetime, Israel has always been at war. Only its frontiers change their nature.
Today, in the era of weapons of mass destruction, accompanied by our neighbors’ growing desire to destroy us, our very existence is at stake. The people are at the height of nervous tension. According to a survey published on the eve of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), 2006, “More than 50% of the residents of Israel are anxious about the very existence of the state. Two-thirds think it is plausible that a surprise attack on Israel will occur, as it did on Yom Kippur, 1973, and 70% do not trust the present political and military leaderships.”
Moreover, we are not only failing to get along with the world, we seem to be torn and divided from within more than any other nation. We are split into sects that are hostile to one another.
Why is this so? Is there something special about us? Are we doomed to always suffer more than everybody else? Why are we not allowed to live our lives in peace? Why are the eyes of the world always on us? In this part of the book, we will clarify Israel’s place on the “human map” and see if there is a way out of this bleak and ominous state. To do that, we will turn for assistance to the authentic wisdom of Kabbalah. Therefore, before we begin, let us study the origin of this wisdom, what it deals with, and how it relates to today’s reality.