A question I received: The article “Brain Scanners Can See Your Decisions Before You Make Them” states that, according to a research that was performed, “researchers using brain scanners could predict people’s decisions seven seconds before the test subjects were even aware of making them.” So my question regarding this is simply, do we have freedom of choice?

My Answer: A person doesn’t realize that his inner system of desires has already made all the calculations and put out the result. Such studies prove what Kabbalah has been saying all along: everything depends on our desire, and not on our external, philosophical reasoning. Thus, only the Upper Light can correct us; we cannot correct ourselves on our own.

Filed under: Perception - 1 Comment →

A question I received: How can you empirically prove that this faith (Emuna) is the right one? For example, you know that the sun exists because you see it up in the sky.

My Answer: You’re confusing faith as it’s understood by people in our world with faith as defined by Kabbalists. Faith (Emuna) is the quality of bestowal, which enables you to see a different world. It’s a different sense of perception, where you perceive outside of yourself, above your personal calculations. This is the reason why people who have faith change completely.

On the other hand, you are defining faith as believing in something somebody said. In other words, you believe that what you heard is a fact. Since it is a science, Kabbalah denies such an approach. In Kabbalah, you accept something in order to test it yourself. To acquire faith means to acquire a screen, the ability to feel, define, and measure sensations that are tuned to bestowal and love.

Filed under: Perception - No Comments →

News Opinion Column: Mark Steyn: Guns and God? Hell, yes

“According to a global survey on optimism: 61 percent of Americans were optimistic about the future, 29 percent of the French, 15 percent of Germans.” The article’s author thinks that this is because Americans believe in God and are allowed to carry weapons.

My Response: Americans haven’t gone through everything Europe has. They are a young nation that still has the inertia of the consumer society and the cult of the dollar. The public doesn’t yet fully comprehend phenomena like the modern crisis, because it still has faith in its society and democracy.

Bernard Shaw wrote: “Democracy substitutes election by the incompetent many [like in America] for appointment by the corrupt few [like in Russia].”

We learn from the collapse of the system of the spiritual worlds (Shvirat Olam HaNekudim), that the higher a level (Malach) is, the lower it falls when it breaks. But this action takes longer than on lower levels due to the level’s height and reserve power, and hence its inability to recognize and predict the forthcoming developments that threaten it…

Similarly, faith in God and the feeling of safety one gets from carrying weapons delay one’s recognition of the forthcoming crisis. If society continues developing egoistically, the crisis will be devastating to all.

Nevertheless, we can already see the influence of Kabbalah’s dissemination. I don’t mean its mechanical dissemination, the fact that people know about Kabbalah. Rather, I’m talking about the fact that little by little, people are starting to think in Kabbalistic notions, even without being aware of it. Most of the dissemination happens through thought, through the Upper field of forces, and I hope that it will bring about recognition and a change in people’s attitude to the world, God and weapons.

Filed under: World - No Comments →

The Allegory of the Lost Friends in the Desert

There is an allegory about friends who were lost in the desert. One of them had found a settlement and remembered his poor brothers, but he was so far away from them that he didn’t know where they were. He began to shout; perhaps they would hear him and approach the abundant settlement.

It is similar with the issue before us. We, too, have been lost in the terrible desert, along with the whole of humanity, but now we have found a wonderful treasure—the Kabbalah books that nourish our souls. But the memory of our lost friends who are still in the desert does not give us rest.

We are very far and our words are not heard. This is why we have written these texts, so our brothers may hear and approach, and be as happy as we.

Know, our brothers, that the wisdom of Kabbalah is knowledge of how the world has descended from its highest point to our lowliness. Hence, in Kabbalah we can easily find all the corrections on our way henceforth, from the worlds that preceded us.

We evolve by suffering that pushes us from behind, which seems unavoidable. Yet, here before you is a book in which all the wisdom of statesmanship is written, and all the arrangements of public and private life that will prevail at the end of days, presented in the books of Kabbalah. Open these books and you will find all the good conducts that will appear at the end of days. From those you will learn how to properly arrange matters today, since we can learn from history how to correct the future.

I have seen all that, and I cannot restrain myself any longer. Hence, I have decided to disclose the ways of correction. I shall call upon the people of the world with this Shofar (symbolic horn), which I think should suffice to gather all those who will begin to delve in the books and determine themselves and the whole world to a scale of merit.

Egoism and Altruism

There are two kinds of people: egoists and altruists.

Egoists are those who do everything for their own benefit. If they do something to benefit others, they need a worthwhile reward, such as money or honor. [Read more →]

Filed under: Spirituality - No Comments →

Russia is planning to close down Protestant, Jewish, and other organizations. The Report: The Russian Federal Registration Service has gone public with a list of organizations to be liquidated. It includes Muslim, Evangelical, and Jewish organizations, the Missionary Academy, the Russian National Cathedral, the Association Against Racism, Xenophobia and anti-Semitism, and about 30 others.

My Response: That’s too bad. The more organizations there are, and the more diverse they are, the quicker people will realize that none of them can help in any way, and that help can come only from above – that it lies in changing one’s egoistic nature, which is the cause of all evils.

Hector Protector was dressed all in green,
Hector Protector was sent to the Queen.
The Queen did not like him, nor more did the King,
So Hector Protector was sent back again.
(a nursery rhyme)

Filed under: World - No Comments →

The 14th issue of the Kabbalah Today publication is now available.

* View eVersion
* Download PDF Version
* Download Word Version

Editor’s Note
Fulfillment – Not Compensation
Read Article >>>

The Untold Story of: a Consumer Nation
Stuff. It fills our closets, our garages, and our lives. We gauge success in life by the stuff we own, and spend incredible amounts of time shopping for it. A new documentary, The Story of Stuff, shows how our entire lives have been taken over by “stuff.” And the wisdom of Kabbalah shows what we can do about it
Read Article >>>

Generation I
In our generation – generation “I” – every person is unique. But the true art is knowing how to be unique
Read Article >>>

Man, Woman, and the Snake Between Them
For centuries, the story of Adam and Eve has captured the imagination of children and adults alike. It’s time to know the true meaning of the story, who that cunning little snake was, and of course, how all this relates to the fact that 50% of American couples today are getting divorced
Read Article >>>

Obesity: A Lack of Spiritual Food?
Everyone today is counting their calories – but the obesity problem only keeps growing. Kabbalah explains that this epidemic is yet another symptom that the modern human being is not getting his “spiritual food”
Read Article >>>

Sneak-a-Peek @ the book Path of Kabbalah
Exodus – the Worldwide, 21st Century Version
The dramatic story of the exodus from Egypt is much more than a milestone on he Hebrew calendar. According to Kabbalah, it describes the liberation from egoism, and the whole of humanity is about to experience it
Read Article >>>

We Are All in Deep (Drinking) Water
According to the latest research, we can start thinking of our water faucets, and even store bought bottled water, as an all-purpose pharmacy. Whether it’s anti-depressants or antibiotics, prescription or over the counter – if others are taking it, so are you
Read Article >>>

Filed under: Notices - No Comments →

News Story: Number of Muslims ahead of Catholics, says Vatican

“The number of Muslims has overtaken that of Roman Catholics for the first time, the Vatican said yesterday.

Muslims account for 19.2% of the world’s population, while Catholics make up 17.4%, according to the Vatican’s new statistics yearbook, which is based on figures for 2006.”

My Comment: If anything, the Roman Pope should be concerned about this, not us. Egoism is growing faster, and it will force everyone to become brothers.

Filed under: World - 1 Comment →

News Story: Missouri Governor Calls For Capital Punishment For Child Rapists

“Missouri Governor Matt Blunt demanded child rapists face capital punishment, at a news conference outside the St. Louis County Courthouse Monday. Hours later, lawmakers moved to make Missouri the 7th state to expand the death penalty for crimes beyond first degree murder.”

My Comment: The world is becoming more and more egoistic, and things aren’t getting any better. We keep looking for an answer in our egoism, our current situation, and this is pointless. Violence as a method of controlling violence is doomed to fail! I’m reading news stories everyday on how punishments are becoming more severe all the time. Violence is simply the stupidest means for correcting society, and only allows more and more dirt to fill it. The only way to save ourselves from any kind of violence is to rise above egoism, period.

Filed under: World - 2 Comments →

A question I received: What should I do if my wife is completely against Kabbalah and constantly blames all of our disagreements on Kabbalah? I’m totally dedicated to Kabbalah and I only want spirituality. I’m actually considering leaving my family, even though it’ll cause me and my children pain. Why is the Creator arranging things like this? Should I leave her and start a new family? I was into mysticism when I first met her, but that’s all behind me now and I’m only involved in Kabbalah.

My Answer: I would talk to her, just like I did with my wife thirty-five years ago. I’d tell her that I’ll always search for my purpose in life, and for life’s purpose in general, because I’m empty without it. I’m not obliging her to do anything, but this is who I am and I cannot change myself. I can leave or I can stay – you decide. The answer will either be positive or yet another argument, but things cannot stay like this anymore.

Another question I received: Sometimes my wife and I argue. But I understand that this is a result of a growing ego. This makes me suffer, but I justify the Creator and keep going. What do I do with my wife, who sees this as something very different, as something personal? My Answer: In addition to justifying the Creator, justify your wife.

Filed under: Women - 4 Comments →

News Story: Lawmakers Press for Bans on Occult Ads

“Fearing for the ’health of the nation,’ lawmakers are trying to curb the amount of occult advertising in the media. A new bill slated for its first hearing in May hopes to ban advertising for healers, witches and anyone offering occult services without proper registration.

‘People are going to these healers who don’t have a license, who don’t have any right to practice,’ Petr Polonitsky, an aide to Duma deputy Vladimir Medinsky, one of the lawmakers behind the initiative, told The Moscow News ’We warn people that this is fraud, but they still go.’”

My Comment: On the one hand, this new bill calls for an applause, but on the other hand, it would be better if such advertisements were everywhere, so people would realize sooner that nothing will help them and that all problems stem from our egoistic nature. We will then start referring to our egoistic desires as Yetzer ha Ra (evil inclinations), because they make us feel bad. Moreover, we’ll want to replace them with desires that make us feel good, Yetzer ha Tov – desires to love and bestow. We’ll reach such an understanding either through suffering or through Ohr Makif – the Light (Ohr is Hebrew for “Light”) that descends while studying Kabbalah.

Related Materials:
* Myths About Kabbalah – Kabbalah is commonly associated with red strings, meditation, magic and many other things. This page aims to clear up commonly associated myths about Kabbalah.

Filed under: World - No Comments →