“Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.”

— Winston Churchill

Prior to the October 7th massacre, the main issue dividing Israelis (as well as Jews in the Diaspora) concerned the scope of power of the Supreme Court. Then, there were heated debates over how to fight the war in Gaza and free the hostages. Each side believed they were saving the country by holding their particular view. Many of these disputes persist because the different factions in Israel have never agreed on a constitution. From the establishment of the modern state on May 14, 1948, to this day, Israel has managed to remain a vibrant democracy without one. However, a brief reflection on Jewish wisdom reveals that a constitution does indeed exist. It consists of three words in Hebrew, five in English: ואהבת לרעך כמוך, “love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18).

The historical and spiritual mandate of the Jewish people is to implement a model society based upon goodness toward others. The genius of this biblical rule is profound; within it lies the secret to fulfilling the purpose of Creation. Concern for others is not just a nice way to conduct ourselves in daily life but the means by which to gradually change our modus operandi from self-serving and egotistic to caring and altruistic. Our laws do not come from man’s fallible ideas; they are derived from the fundamental laws of nature. As our sages teach us, HaTeva—nature in Hebrew—is the same gematria (numerical equivalent of Hebrew letters) as Elokim—God. In other words, it is a different way of understanding the same thing. All of nature is an integral system powered by one force. The goal of Creation is to achieve Dvekut (adhesion) by balancing our flawed qualities with that force’s comprehensive traits of love, bestowal and positive connection.

Today’s Israel is a beacon of freedom within a sea of tyranny in the Middle East, but democracy itself starts to become untenable when the egotism of citizens grows exponentially. As the Torah states, “the inclination of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Genesis 8:21). Since the natural evolution of human nature consists of a growing self-centeredness, none of us can easily tolerate dissenting opinions. Furthermore, political disagreements have become a game of each side trying to impose their will on the other side. If citizens only believe that the country is democratic when their side is in power, they do not actually believe in democracy. We are an obstinate, “stiff-necked people” (Exodus 32:9) who are passionate about all sorts of areas of life, but when those issues become ends to themselves, everything falls apart.

It is only a matter of time before opposing sides pull so far away from each other that some form of civil war might ensue (God forbid). In such a case, we will all lose. Whatever one’s personal opinion is on hot-button issues such as judicial reform or how to fight a war and release hostages, one thing is clear based upon Jewish history: divisiveness and hatred among us is perilous. The same is true for any society, but especially among the Jewish people given our role to be a microcosm of world peace. It is dangerous for us internally, as it destroys any spiritual connection we may seek, and it is dangerous externally, as our enemies are always watching and ready to pounce at a moment of weakness. In fact, the IDF obtained Hamas documents that mentioned the internal strife in Israel as a sign the Jews were vulnerable and it was time to attack (the same pattern we see from genocidal antisemites throughout history).

So what is the solution to all these intramural squabbles that inevitably arise from time to time? Striving to connect above the division is the only answer. In so doing, either a novel solution will naturally appear or we will not even consider the past arguments so important given the newfound love and connection above it all. As The Book of Zohar states, “All the wars in the Torah are for peace and love” (Beshalach). The disagreements themselves are not the problem, as strange as that may sound. God is actually providing us the substance over which to unite. We just have to recognize the evil of our inborn egotistical nature and sincerely desire its correction. Our sages have taught us that there is no other way out. We can prevent so much unnecessary suffering if we take this to heart.

Jews are a people on a mission, although we are a messenger who has forgotten the message. Israel is not supposed to be like any other country on earth. The holiest land will only allow its inhabitants to live in peace when they are congruent with what it represents—a positive connection with God through a positive connection with others. The more we try to escape that calling, the more the nations of the world will push us back to it against our will. Throughout history, a plethora of nations set out to conquer the world in order to stamp out differences. Our ancestors set out to correct the world in order to unite people above differences. Therefore, when we try to defeat each other, antisemitism rears its ugly head so that we change course. When we try to mend our relationships, antisemitism calms down or is even transformed into philosemitism.

The remedy to every one of our crises is the same: recognizing the growing hatred among us and striving for love above it. It may seem utopian at first, but it will always be this way because the laws of nature are inexorable. Or, put another way, “For I the Lord do not change” (Malachi 3:6). We will receive a positive response from Above if we follow these natural laws and focus on the correct interaction between all factions in Israel. Taming the inclination to subjugate ideological opponents will not just save democracy but also our entire nation. We simply have to be aware of our ancestral method and seek its implementation. Then, as King David writes, “God will finish it for [us]” (Psalms 138:8) and unite the Jewish people. Feeling superior to others over a personal opinion is corporeal and temporary; experiencing unity with others is spiritual and eternal.