Violation of the First Commandment

«The universe is one,» I begin, and as it constantly expands, it continues to maintain unity, meaning that, on the finest level, it remains a single point.

The fact that the universe expands and inflates indicates new portions of time, space, and matter flowing from the First Cause. We receive this energy, and it transforms within us on different levels.

However, the system of priorities must be preserved. First, one must care for the roots, then the trunk and branches, and finally, the leaves. If the roots are severed, the tree may remain green and blooming for a time, but it is doomed. If the trunk is cut, the old tree will no longer exist, though a new one may grow in its place.

The roots, then, are unity with God and the unbroken feeling of love for Him. If this unity is lost, any wealth a person may possess is doomed to decay.

The soul degenerates, as do consciousness and the body. The commandments outlined in the Torah have a primary purpose: to preserve unity with God.

Now imagine this: a person studies the rules of the road, which are essential for driving a car. They memorize all the rules and learn to drive well.

And yet, while remembering hundreds of rules and guidelines, they commit just one violation — just one! They drive into oncoming traffic. After that, none of the other rules will matter.

In Judaism, there are 613 commandments, and there are ten from which they all originate. Since the world is one, all ten commandments must derive from one main commandment. If we do not observe the First Commandment, we will inevitably violate the others.

«Tell me,» I ask the audience, «what is the difference between a sin and a crime?»

After a brief pause, I continue:

«A sin is a future crime. First, a person loses their connection with God; then they begin to sin, commit crimes, fall ill, and die. Sin is a crime against God.

The commandments delivered through Moses allow everyone who follows them to secure their future. Let us examine the Ten Commandments from this perspective. Please, recite them for me.»

After a brief pause, the slow process of recollection begins...

«Interesting,» I think, «neither in Russia, nor in Ukraine, nor in Israel can people properly recall the main commandments. So what is religion for? Just to mindlessly attend church and beg God for various blessings?»

«And so, the First Commandment,» I say, «states that God is one. How does it help a person survive in the future?»

The room falls silent.

Look at what happened in India. The first and most powerful impulse comes — Indian philosophy speaks of the Absolute First Cause.

Time passes, the impulse weakens, and several incarnations of the One God emerge: the Creator God, the Destroyer God, the God who sustains the universe in balance, and so on.

Some more time passes, energy diminishes, and an even greater number of various gods appear. Today, Hinduism has over 300 million pagan gods, while the country's population is about a billion.

When we sense that the Creator is absolutely one, to resemble Him, we must compress the entire universe into a single point. Unity with the Creator is the goal of every being’s development.

Can one run simultaneously toward multiple goals? No! You will simply stop at once. Paganism does not allow for attaining a high level of energy. A pagan cannot access the highest energies of the Creator and, therefore, has no future.

Remember the Bible:

If you forget the Lord your God and follow other gods, serve them, and worship them, I testify against you today that you shall surely perish. Like the nations which the Lord destroys before you, so shall you perish because you would not be obedient to the voice of the Lord your God (Deut. 8:19–20).

A people who worship pagan gods lose the strategic perspective of survival because higher energies are inaccessible to them.

Today we see an atheistic China thriving and a rapidly developing pagan India. But we do not see how little is left of their old potential, which is being realized in the present.

The idea of the degradation of a being that has lost the sense of monotheism is well articulated in the Old Testament, in the story of the fallen angel — that is, Satan or the devil.

«Tell me, please, which commandment the devil violated?» I ask and, after listening, nod in agreement. «Correct, the first and the second. As soon as the angel imagined himself to be above God, it implied there were now two gods, thus breaking the principle of unity.

Violating the First Commandment automatically led to the violation of the second: the angel idolized himself, his energy, his abilities, and his intellect.

What feelings do you think the angel experienced before becoming the devil?»

After hearing responses, I nod again: Precisely: a sense of superiority, security, and a loss of the awareness that everything is one in God.

Thus, as soon as we lose the sense of absolute unity of all existence in the First Cause, which we call God, we develop a sense of self-importance and superiority, and we unknowingly lose the highest energy of love.

I explained to the audience how violating the First Commandment inevitably leads to violating the others. The first five commandments warn us against what is called sin, and failing to observe them results in crime. We break the main commandments not so much through actions as through our internal state.

One who cannot retain love in the face of humiliation or any human suffering violates the first and second commandments.

One who worships material wealth becomes greedy and unable to sacrifice.

One who worships spiritual well-being becomes dogmatic, judgmental, and always feels righteous.

One who worships the human soul and higher feelings cannot endure emotional pain, betrayal, or unfair treatment.

Without the feeling of love, any pain becomes unbearable. Therefore, losing the feeling of love in the soul is the greatest violation, which leads to disregarding all commandments and losing the future in every form.

«I wonder what will happen to us in the next fifteen to twenty years,» I think. «What depends on us, and what doesn’t? Will we be able to embrace the new future? All of this lies ahead, but for now, we must take the first step.»

S. N. Lazarev, «The Man of the Future: The First Step into the Future»