Kundalini Yoga ~ Elli Malki

My new occupation as a consultant to nonprofits gives me the opportunity to meet many social activists. These people come from all backgrounds: ideologically secular people and ultra religious, Jews and Arabs, leftists and rightists. They are usually very dedicated to the mission they chose for themselves, and sometimes even over righteous. They also do not ask much for themselves, and tend to settle for a lower paycheck in return to the satisfaction that they derive from their work.

But the question that I always ask myself is whether the whole thing is possible. Can social activism really change society? Obviously I am not an authority in this filed, I only help them to manage their affairs more efficiently and economically. However, I have not yet seen a real change happening within the political system, on which they try to influence. I have seen many good people who are using their best efforts to help other people, and that by itself is a blessed thing. But it seems to me that real change can occur only on the individual level. If the same effort that is put to change society will be used to change ourselves, I think that the results will be much more substantial.

My new occupation as a consultant to nonprofits gives me the opportunity to meet many social activists. These people come from all backgrounds: ideologically secular people and ultra religious, Jews and Arabs, leftists and rightists. They are usually very dedicated to the mission they chose for themselves, and sometimes even overly righteous. They also do not ask much for themselves, and tend to settle for a lower paycheck in return to the satisfaction that they derive from their work.
But the question that I always ask myself is whether the whole thing is possible. Can social activism really change society? Obviously I am not an authority in this field, I only help them to manage their affairs more efficiently and economically. However, I have not yet seen a real change happening within the political system, on which they try to influence. I have seen many good people who are using their best efforts to help other people, and that by itself is a blessed thing. But it seems to me that real change can occur only on the individual level. If the same effort that is put to change society will be used to change ourselves, I think that the results will be much more substantial.

Next week comes the Jewish holiday of Pesach (Passover).  For more than 2,000 years Pesach was celebrated as the holiday of freedom. It marks the liberation of the Children of Israel from their enslavement in Egypt. This biblical story about the slaves that became a free nation is the cornerstone of many liberation movements – starting from the Zionist movement, but also the Afro American liberation movement (note Bob Marley’s famous song – Exodus) and others. In spite of the story’s profound impact it’s historical foundation is shaky. Most scholars believe that it never took place and it is probably a myth and not history. Nevertheless the Exodus story has a more profound layer that may be the reason for its popularity for so many years. In a nutshell the story describes how the Children of Israel who were slaves in Egypt escaped from their prison and became a free nation after 40 difficult years in the desert. While in the desert, God was revealed to them and gave them guidance on how to live their lives.

The word Israel in Hebrew means a person who lives in the presence of God – a term that will probably be translated in our language as a spiritual master. The term the Children of Israel can thus be translated as the spiritual seekers. The word Egypt comes from Greek and is a distortion of the Egyptian name of the city of Memphis. However the Hebrew word for Egypt actually means strait or distress.

Thus, a different reading of the story of Exodus can be: the spiritual seekers were enslaved by their tensions (distress) and they became free by taking a long and difficult journey in (their own) wilderness, and in the process they gained spiritual enlightenment.
That to my opinion is the universal (and the more interesting) meaning of the story of Exodus – it describes the path to freedom which is open for every human being.

TTwo weeks ago I took some friends and family members on a trip in the old city of Jerusalem.crucifixion which is a center for Christian pilgrims from all over the Two weeks ago I took some friends and family members on a trip in the old Two weeks ago I took some friends and family members on a trip in the old city of Jerusalem. After wandering in the colorful alleys we went to the church of crucifixion which is a center for Christian pilgrims from all over the world. The large courtyard of the church is bustling with people from all nations and colors. But in the corner of this courtyard there is a small door leading to a modest Ethiopian church which is rarely visited by tourists. city of Jerusalem. After wandering in the colorful alleys we went to the church of crucifixion which is a center for Christian pilgrims from all over the world. The large courtyard of the church is bustling with people from all nations and colors. But in the corner of this courtyard there is a small door leading to a modest Ethiopian church which is rarely visited by tourists. world. The large courtyard of the church is bustling with people from all nations and colors. But in the corner of this courtyard there is a small door leading to a modest Ethiopian church which is rarely visited by tourists.
wo weeks ago I took some friends and family members on a trip in the old city of Jerusalem. After wandering in the colorful alleys we went to the church of crucifixion which is a center for Christian pilgrims from all over the world. The large courtyard of the church is bustling with people from all nations and colors. But in the corner of this courtyard there is a small door leading to a modest Ethiopian church which is rarely visited by tourists.

Two weeks ago I took some friends and family members on a trip in the old city of Jerusalem. After wandering in the colorful alleys we went to the church of crucifixion which is a center for Christian pilgrims from all over the world. The large courtyard of the church is bustling with people from all nations and colors. But in the corner of this courtyard there is a small door leading to a modest Ethiopian church which is rarely visited by tourists.

The Ethiopian Priest

The church is not larger than a medium living room.  On one of its walls there is a beautiful painting depicting the Queen of Sheba visiting King Solomon. While we were looking at the picture, an Ethiopian priest saw our interest in it.  He asked us to sit with him in the church. In broken Hebrew, he exposed to us the Ethiopian tradition of this biblical story. After her visit to Jerusalem the queen went back to Sheba pregnant. Unlike their pious followers, the bible and similar ancient traditions do not conceal the sex life of their heroes. The son of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon – Melenik – was the founder of the Ethiopian monarchy. He returned to Jerusalem at the age of 21 to meet his father.  When he returned to Africa he brought with him the spiritual tradition of the Hebrews.

When I think over this fascinating story I wonder why people can’t see the simple truth that emanates from it – that all the people in the world belong to the same family. Our world is torn between the believers of different religions and faiths. This dogmatic conflict, combined with nuclear weapons, may destroy the entire world. However, at the source of all these faiths lies the simple truth that all humanity is actually one big family. 

Our teacher Stuart says that “the spiritual process is a day-by-day, step-by-step unfolding of consciousness” (A Deeper Sense of Surrender, The Spiritual Process, page 57). In my daily life I find sometimes such instances of the unfolding of consciousness.

May 9^th is celebrated around the world as the date of victory over the Nazi regime and its allies, and the end of WWII – one of the darkest periods in human history. For me WWII is not just history, it also has a personal aspect since my mother (who passed away a few years ago) was a holocaust survivor. When the German army invaded Butchach – a small Ukrainian town where she was born – she was only 11 years old.  Her parents were taken to a death camp in Poland while she and her older sister hid in the forests. Then they were allowed to stay in a Ukrainian farm, where they worked as slaves and waited for the horror to be over. Towards the end of the war, while the German army was retreating, a group of Ukrainians came to the farm looking for the few Jews who were still alive. They shot everybody in the farm, including my mother and her sister, and they threw the bodies to the ditch without noticing that my mother was still alive. At night several Jews from a nearby village came to look for survivors and found my mother between the corpses. The one thing that she never forgot and always kept telling me was that the first person who treated her was a German doctor. He was part of a German army unit that was passing by while retreating westward. He obviously was not aware of the atrocities that were done by the Nazis since he kept murmuring to himself: “Look what these Ukrainian pigs did to her”.

I always remember this story since it shows me that even in the darkest times there are still glimpses of humanity.

Newspapers’ articles rarely provide profound words of wisdom, all the more so in the business sections. However there are some exceptions, like an article that I found recently in the business section of an Israeli newspaper.  This was a profile story about Imad Talhami – the founder and the CEO of a company named Babcom (in Arabic – your gate). Imad is a unique figure in the Israeli business arena since he is a Christian Arab. He is part of the non-Jewish minority in Israel which consists of mostly Moslem Arabs, but also small groups of Christian Arabs, Druze and a few other minorities. He grew up in a Druze village in which a Christian Arab family was an exception.

 ”I am a minority within a minority within a minority and that is my strength.”  He said in the interview.

He started his career in 1981 as a young engineer in a textile factory in Israel. In his first day at work he was surprised to find out that the labor union had organized a strike as a protest against the management’s decision to take an Arab employee. However, he didn’t give up and stayed on in spite of the difficulties.

“I managed to deal with the situation by constantly reminding myself that this was not personal; the people who organized the strike did not know me. When I left the factory, a few years after that, they were already my best friends and almost organized a strike to prevent me from leaving. This was a profound lesson for me that I took with me wherever I went afterwards.”

When I read the words of Imad I was deeply touched. This man used the difficulties of his life’s circumstances as a source of strength and developed a profound insight on human nature. Instead of becoming embittered by the prejudice that he suffered from, he realized that it is not personal and the way to deal with it is by opening the heart and becoming more human.

This week is a holiday in Israel – the Passover holiday which commemorates the exodus of the Children of Israel from Egypt. Most Israelis are on vacation and they flock to the parks to enjoy the short spring season. Thus, I also went this Friday with my family to a park nearby Jerusalem. This particular park, which is called Ein Feshha, is a charming oasis in the middle of the Judean desert. The cold spring water and the tropical vegetation are a beautiful contrast to the magnificent brown mountains that surround the Dead Sea.

Friday is also the resting day for the Moslems, and they also like to go to the parks in their weekends. So in this particular Friday the Ein Feshha oasis hosted both Israeli and Palestinian families who came to enjoy the beauty and serenity of the place. Side by side they sat – Jewish families and Palestinian families – while the smoke from their Bar-B-Qs intermingled as if it was an Indian peace pipe ceremony. In the large pool, where I tried to teach my daughter to swim, a group of Palestinians and Israelis were having fun together, splashing water at each other and screaming like children. In this peaceful afternoon, in a charming oasis in the middle of the Judean desert, the Israeli – Palestinian conflict was entirely forgotten and people were just sharing and enjoying the beauty of nature.

באחד הפרקים הראשונים של ספר בראשית מציג המקרא משל נפלא, שהוא גם אחד האהובים עלי:

“ויקח יהוה אלהים את האדם וינחהו בגן עדן לעבדה ולשמרה. ויצו יהוה אלהים על האדם לאמר מכל עץ הגן אכל תאכל ומעץ הדעת טוב ורע לא תאכל ממנו כי ביום אכלך ממנו מות תמות.”

המקרא ממשיך ומספר לנו שהאדם איננו שומע בקולו של אלהים, אוכל מפריו של “עץ הדעת טוב ורע” ומגורש מגן עדן לחיי סבל על פני האדמה.

כשאני מסתכל על הסכסוך העקוב מדם בארצי, נראה לי שהלקח ממשל קדום זה נשכח דווקא כאן במקום הולדתו. למסתכל מהצד קצת קשה להבין מדוע הסכסוך הישראלי פלסטיני לא הגיע עדיין לסיומו. אחרי הכל בסכסוך שאופיו הוא טריטוריאלי ישנן שתי אפשרויות לפתרון: או שמחלקים את השטח או שחיים בו בצורה כזאת או אחרת של שיתוף. אבל שורש הבעיה לדעתי הוא אחר: כל צד משוכנע שהוא הצודק ואילו טענותיו של הצד השני אינן מוצדקות. אני זוכר שבתקופת לימודי בביה”ס קראתי ספרים שהסבירו בפירוט רב מדוע הצדק הוא לצידנו ולכן אנחנו הצד ה”טוב” בסכסוך, בעוד שהצד השני שאיננו צודק הוא כמובן ה”רע”. מאוחר יותר למדתי שבצד הפלסטיני קיימים בדיוק אותם ספרים, אבל עם נימוקים הפוכים.

נראה לי ששני הצדדים לסכסוך, שרואים את עצמם כצאצאיו הישירים של אברהם המקראי, שכחו את הלקח מהסיפור של עץ הדעת טוב ורע. כאשר אנחנו מאמינים שאנחנו הצד הצודק והטוב ואילו הצד השני איננו צודק ולכן מרושע, אנו מגורשים מגן עדן ונדונים לחיי סבל. למיטב הבנתי, ככל שהויכוח על מי צודק נמשך אין שום סיכוי לפתור את הסכסוך.

ישנה בדיחה חסידית ידועה על רב שהתבקש לשפוט בסכסוך בין שני אנשים. הוא הזמין את האדם הראשון לביתו ושמע את טיעוניו בסבלנות. לאחר שהאיש סיים, אמר לו הרב: “שכנעת אותי; אתה צודק!” לאחר מכן הוא הזמין את האדם השני לביתו והקשיב גם לו בסבלנות. בתום דבריו אמר לו הרב: “השתכנעתי; אתה צודק!” אשתו, שהקשיבה לטיעוניהם של שני הצדדים הייתה מבולבלת: “כיצד יכולת לומר לשני הצדדים ששניהם צודקים? היא שאלה. הרב התבונן בה ואמר: “גם את שכנעת אותי; את גם צודקת.”

סיפור הומוריסטי זה מתמצת את כל העניין: שני הצדדים יכולים להיות גם צודקים וגם טועים. “טוב ורע”, “צודק ולא צודק” הם בסך הכל מושגים של המחשבה שלנו שאיננה מסוגלת להבין דברים בצורה אחרת. אולם, אם באמת רוצים להביא את הסכסוך לסיומו שני הצדדים צריכים להפסיק לשפוט אחד את השני במושגים של “טוב ורע”.

הסכסוך המתמשך בארצי הוא תזכורת עבורי למה שקורה כשלא עושים זאת.

And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying: ‘Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.’

It seems to me that this ancient teaching is manifested now in its place of birth— the Holy Land. It is difficult to figure out why the Israelis and the Palestinians cannot resolve their conflict. Territorial conflicts can be reasonably resolved, either by sharing the territory, or by dividing it. But the core of the problem, to my opinion, is different: Each side is convinced that it is “right” while the other side is “wrong”. As a kid at school I remember that we used to have books that explained in details why we are “right” and the “good”, while the other side is obviously “wrong” and “evil”. Years later I learnt that the same kind of books exist also in the Palestinian side, but with the opposite arguments.

And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying: ‘Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.’

It seems to me that this ancient teaching is manifested now in its place of birth— the Holy Land. It is difficult to figure out why the Israelis and the Palestinians cannot resolve their conflict. Territorial conflicts can be reasonably resolved, either by sharing the territory, or by dividing it. But the core of the problem, to my opinion, is different: Each side is convinced that it is “right” while the other side is “wrong”. As a kid at school I remember that we used to have books that explained in details why we are “right” and the “good”, while the other side is obviously “wrong” and “evil”. Years later I learnt that the same kind of books exist also in the Palestinian side, but with the opposite arguments.