We are not born with a clean slate

Before we begin with 52,000 years of world economic history, I want to discuss

the first Kabbalistic principle, the desire to receive for the self alone. 

Kabbalah teaches us that we are not born tabula rosa -- with a clean slate. Rather, we are born with a “tape recording” of sorts -- remnants from previous lives.

One of those remnants is the desire to receive.

 

Kabbalah, by the way, literally means 

"to receive." 

We are hardwired with the desire to receive, it is part of our DNA. 

 

 

Touch an infant's cheek and they will turn towards the touch with their mouth open, to receive food. It's called the root reflex.

One of the ways we test to see if a newborn is "normal" is called the Palmar Grasp Reflex. Touch the baby's palm and it grasps your finger.

 

There is nothing wrong with the desire to receive. 

In fact, Kabbalah teaches that receiving is a necessary component of sharing.  

If you have a problem receiving, odds are you have a problem giving. 

BUT when the desire to receive is for the self alone, with no intention of sharing, Kabbalah teaches that chaos is inevitable.  


Keep the concept of "the desire to receive for the self alone" in your mind, as we take our journey through the economic history of the world.