The first response I get when I tell people I see something of myself in alt-right, American Nazis is rightful confusion. I am their antithesis in every way, ideologically and simply logically i.e. I am an empathetic Jewish man who uses empirical fact to understand history and circumstance. However, beneath the constant bigoted anger of these White men, I see a cry for help familiar from my teenage years. I see where their paths and mine diverted, and how they were corrupted into hateful, petty man-children who ruined the United States in attempts to steal it (back) for themselves. Still, despite my friends’ shock, my morbid, patient intrigue does not falter. I believe the key to eliminating the cancer of American bigotry lies in a mindful, comprehensive approach rather than simply drawing lines in the sand. This is one of my most prized lessons from Torah.

In Shmot (Exodus) G-d warns Moshe (Moses), “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart” throughout the fight for liberation. This is not some kind of cruelty; some torturous, sadistic G-d. This is a reassurance of the true nature of G-d and all things encapsulated in that idea. It is the true nature of existence. G-d is everything and within everything — even the people or things we fear and hate the most. At the very base level, as one entity relates to another in sheer existence, be it a person, a place, or a thing, our fundamental holiness is equality. Human struggle can be summed up as the constant protection, straying, and return to that innate sense of equality.

To see G-d, to hear G-d, to know G-d, to fear G-d, to love G-d — these are all different forms of the same ability to tap into life’s framework and the truths that bind it. This is not a statement of uniformity. Differences exist between people, and our layers of compounded choices and traits are what make us unique beings with actions of varying morality. Free will flows within the overall blanket of existence — a great symbiotic balance. One’s Free will is part of G-d and the cognisance of G-d, and one’s ability to channel that presence, is dependent on how one decides to live their life.

The Pharaoh, as a man, is powerful, greedy, and cruel. He questions nothing and thinks only of himself (rasha). Moshe is his foil, altruistic and multidimensional. Pharaoh is merely a man, just like the people he has enslaved, in denial of that fact. While Pharaoh, who does not believe in the “god of the Hebrews,” sees his underlings as subhuman, G-d forces Moshe to recognize that his cause does not disqualify the humanity of the Egyptians, no matter how inhumane they have become. The lesson here, is bring your enemy to their knees if you must, but never forget that G-d exists in your enemy as well. Pharaoh's failure to realize this defines his cruelty and illustrates the magnitude of his detachment from all life, which destined him to fall. Moshe’s embrace of it was the key to victory.

Human struggle can be summed up as the constant protection, straying, and return to that innate sense of equality.

When we face challenges in our lives, anger and anguish obscure the familiarity of our enemies. Treat your enemy as an “other” in order to make domination justifiable. Such absolutism, which throughout history proves to be acutely successful at best, is the antithesis to deep thought, comprehensive problem solving, and longstanding harmony. The world is not black and white, no matter how much it feels that way. It seems we have forgotten that “Evil” people still have the capacity for good, while “Good” people often have numerous shortcomings. Outright Utopianism is a creation of European idealism, whereas Torah (and numerous other religious texts) embrace life’s imperfections. There is a severe lack of this thinking in Western thought today.

To forget that one’s enemy is another, equal entity in this giant, beautifully ugly and horrifically beautiful splattering of atoms and emotions is easy for those who do not like to think on a grand scale. It is understandably difficult for someone who has encountered or suffered abuse and despair to imagine one has anything in common with the culprit of such acts. However, as a victim or advocate, we are truly lost when we forget that our tormentor is still human, even if all evidence seems to prove otherwise.

No cause is ever truly championed when the enemy is fully daemonized, or worse, innocent humans are daemonized for no reason at all. Now, I do not mean to trivialize scapegoating with genuine grievance, but at the very core the same dehumanization does take place. This is G-d‘s true message to Moshe. Moshe must realize and accept the destructive magnitude of the plagues of which he is the harbinger before he delivers them. He must truly believe in his mission and embrace its overall cost.

The symbiotic relationship of G-d and Human as two intertwined cognitive energies is emphasised in Torah throughout. When a Human wishes to annihilate, G-d (their subconscious) forces them to question this or recognise the error in such absolute bloodshed. When Levi and Shimon avenge Dinah’s rape, they are demoted in the tribal hierarchy (until Moshe and his siblings redeem Levi). Meanwhile, when G-d wishes to destroy Sdom and Gamorah, Avraham challenges this and begs to find any good people within the selfish city’s walls to save all its inhabitants. These power-checks between G-d and Human are crucial, timeless lessons on critical thought and the necessity of self-reflection. Inner conflict is sacred.

We are truly lost when we forget that our tormentor is still human, even if all evidence seems to prove otherwise.

I have too many friends and peers that claim that my desire to understand my enemies — American Nazis, White Supremacists, Homophobes, and exploitative Capitalists — is “too nice” and “too forgiving.” If not Torah than South Africa’s post-Apartheid Truth and Reconciliation process is proof enough that ruling out the inherent humanity of the inhumane is a grave mistake. South Africa was doomed to destruction and ethnic violence by all counts. Yet, through the fortitude of strong, critically thinking problem solvers from all walks of life, from Nelson Mandela to Archbishop Desmond Tutu to the numerous judges and social workers that pushed to give everyone testimony before outright punishment, South Africa was reborn and rejuvenated.

For America to solve its problems it must first remember the shared humanity of all its citizens, which is admittedly challenging with such a divided culture and a new Pharaoh currently in the Oval Office. Think though: How differently might you tackle the social issues you care about if you reminded yourself at every rant, post, tweet, or rebuke that even when you “win” the losers don’t go anywhere? Will you just continue to batter them down to the point where you become the new villain, restarting the cycle again?

This is no call for hand-holding or even compromise. This is a reminder that every action has an equal reaction, that isolation and apathy achieves nothing, and that rage without compassion to mediate it throws the world into imbalanced chaos. Know thy enemy, don’t just fight them, and when you do, fight with presence of mind and body. When the dust settles, recognise the shared humanity of thy enemy. That is the first step to educating, edifying, and creating a new, brighter future.

At the end of the day, who am I to tell you what to believe in and what to fight for? I am not you, but we are both still human. This is inarguable scientific fact, religious truth, and philosophical assertion. We have a lot more in common at the base level than we like to admit and it is tapping into that wondrous connection, that reminder of the parallel presence of G-d to our free will, and the unity of existing together that provides the mindfulness that moves society forward, ends abject pain and suffering, and restores balance where there is strife.