War, Justice, and Why Unity Comes First

Episode 42 · January 18, 2024

War and national crisis

The Truth Hurts · Episode 42 · audio in Hebrew

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The conversation

You declare war on the extra pound, on the glass of Coke, on the neighbor who gets on your nerves, and you find that it only gets stronger. That's no accident. The way Gili sees it, the moment you define something as an enemy you're in a battle with it, and you get exactly what you focused on: another war. Even the declared war on drugs and alcohol has only grown, with billions of dollars poured into it, because even negative attention feeds the very thing it's fighting. The question that stays with you is where you're still choosing to resist at home instead of letting go.

The truth

  • Anything you declare war on becomes an enemy and gets attention that only makes it bigger, like trying to quit Coke and ending up running to the corner store.

  • Declared wars like the one on drugs and alcohol have only grown over the years, despite billions invested, because the resistance itself feeds the thing it fights.

  • Ecclesiastes said it long ago: a time for peace and a time for war. There are moments that call for clear boundaries, but most of our battles are pointless ones.

  • "Everything is for the good" is an inner intention, not a slogan. Someone who really means it means it in the hardest moment too, not only when it's convenient.

  • The real war doesn't start with an enemy out there. It starts at home, with the neighbor, with your partner and with the children, before you ever get outside.

  • The question worth asking yourself is where you're still pushing back with force instead of simply letting go.

Questions and answers

What is "war" outside of a battlefield, and why does it feel like that inside when I'm trying to quit something?

War is anything you declare yourself against, whether that's a war on your weight, on an addiction or on another person. The moment you define something as an enemy, you're in a battle with it instead of letting it go, and you get exactly what you were expecting: a war.

What is smallness, and why do we fall into it?

Smallness (*katnut*) is a state in which a person is cut off from the light of the Creator, and out of that disconnection they go through unpleasant experiences and negative emotions: anger, envy, begrudging other people and irritability. When you're in smallness you're raw, and you're not connected to anything bigger than you.

What will bring our anxiety down, personally and generally, and lead us forward?

The answer is giving, and only giving: endless giving, with no judgment, no criticism and no conditions, which is the divine nature inside every one of us. You reach it when you stop judging and criticizing yourself, and from there you can bring it out into the world too.

Gili's original episode description

In this episode, Gili and Tal focus on a subject that gives you plenty to think about: war.

They offer a perspective of their own, in which war is not only something that happens out there but also reflects the private, inner world of each of us.

The discussion takes up questions like how we create crises and use them to grow closer and unite with other people, and then often turn around and kick the very people we clung to. Gili and Tal stress how important it is to understand that the real power is in unity, and that we have to get past the cyclical life pattern of catastrophe and rebirth.

They also look at how the human mind thinks in terms of justice, while making it clear that unity will always be preferable to justice and division. Gili and Tal invite listeners to take in how much real self-love and unity matter, including in hard times, and to show compassion and understanding toward another person, even in a case like the driver who just cut you off on the road.

In Gili's tips segment you'll find deep insights and tools for dealing with the way we experience and handle personal and social wars.

About the podcast

Listening to The Truth Hurts feels like sitting in on a healing session.

The truth can hurt. It’s right there in the name. But we’re not here to cause pain. Quite the opposite.

In each episode, two women sit down for an honest conversation: an Emotional Healer and her client.

We talk about healing and consciousness, faith and science, the body and soul, personal growth, energy, and different approaches to healing. Above all, we face the truth no one says out loud: everything around us is upside down.

Is this podcast for you?

  • You want to hear the truth, and you’re ready to face it. (Yes, those are two different things.)
  • You want to gain insight and improve your quality of life.
  • You want to make a change.
  • You want a deeper understanding of the laws of the universe.
  • You want to live a healthy life in body and soul.
  • You want to take away something you can carry with you for life.

You don’t need any prior knowledge. You only need the desire to explore a wide range of ideas and discover practical guidance for living.

Listen and get in touch

Gili Man Wolner, Emotional Healer. Helping you heal and grow through Jewish wisdom.

Have a question about an episode? Send a WhatsApp message to +972 50-681-0611 (messages only).

Listen to The Truth Hurts (in Hebrew).

Tal Eckerling, co-host: Website · Facebook · Instagram