אות - עז

The world is full of strife.

There are wars between the great world powers. There are conflicts within different localities.

There are feuds among families. There is discord between neighbors. There is friction within a household, between man and wife, between parents and children.

Life is short. People die every day. The day that has passed will never return, and death comes closer every day. But people still fight and never once remember their goal in life.

All strife is identical.

The friction within a family is a counterpart of the wars between nations.

Each person in a household is the counterpart of a world power, and their quarrels are the wars between those powers.

The traits of each nation are also reflected in these individuals. Some nations are known for anger, others for bloodthirstiness. Each one has its particular trait. The counterparts of these traits are found in each household.

You may wish to live in peace. You have no desire for strife. Still, you are forced into dispute and conflict.

Nations are the same. A nation may desire peace and make many concessions to achieve it. But no matter how much it tries to remain neutral, it can still be caught up in war. Two opposing sides can demand its allegiance until it is drawn into war against its will.

The same is true in a household.

Man is a miniature world ( Zohar III, 33b; Tikkuney Zohar #69, 100b) . His essence contains the world and everything in it. A man and his family contain the nations of the world, including all their battles.

A man living in isolation can become insane.

Within him are all the warring nations. His personality at a particular time is that of the victorious nation. Each time a different nation is victorious, he must change since he plays the roles of all the nations, and this can drive him insane. He is alone and cannot express the war within him.

But when one lives with others, these battles are expressed through his family and friends.

There may be strife in the household of a tzaddik. This too is a war between nations.

It is also the war between the twelve tribes, such as between Ephraim and Judah (Isaiah 11:13; Ezekiel 37:16) .

When the Mashiach comes, all wars will be abolished. 118 The Rebbe once added that war will be abolished someday, just as many foolish idolatrous practices were. He also ridiculed the “wise men” who use their wisdom to invent weapons of destruction ( Tzaddik #546). The world will have eternal peace, as it is written, “They will neither hurt nor destroy” (Isaiah 11:9) .