A Connection Through the Times

There are two engines on the the “Kennedy” spacecraft, each engine five-feet wide. The spacecraft engineers wanted to make the engines wider, but couldn’t. That’s because the engines were delivered by railroad, and the distance between the rails was only five feet (or rather, four feet 8.5 inches). Why?

It’s because the American-made railroad was modeled after the British model, and in Great Britain the railroad was modeled after the trolleys, and the trolleys were modeled after horse-trams, and the width of the horse-trams was specifically made so the wheels would fall into tracks, and the distance between the tracks in Great Britain is five feet.

And that’s because the roads in Great Britain were paved by the Romans to fit the size of their military chariots, which were five feet wide. And that’s because the chariots were led by two horses and this was the width of two horses’ behinds!

So the size of the spacecraft’s engines depends on the size of a horse’s behind 2,000 years ago!

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Practical Application of “Love Your Neighbor as Yourself”

Physical Qualities Cannot Give You an Advantage In Spiritual DevelopmentA question I received: I am questioning the practical applications of “love your neighbor as yourself” and whether this should be more than being tolerant of your neighbor.

Let me explain. Since everything we see around us is a reflection of what we have inside of ourselves, then our thoughts and desires are just objects that manifest themselves “out there,” but actually they appear within ourselves.

I do not know about others, but I cannot say that I love all the thoughts and desires that arise within me. I am aware of most of them and tolerate them, but I do not really approve of all of them and I pass through them as though they are crowds of people. Is this how we should treat others? I understand the need to be aware of other people, be respectful of others and forgive them. But that does not mean I should love or approve of what others are doing, such as blowing up the Twin Towers in the United States, for example. I can forgive them for this action, but they still need to pay the price for killing thousands of innocent people.

My Answer: Correction starts with man’s recognition that anything correct and good can only come from the Upper Light. Hence the only thing he expects from studying, uniting with a group, and disseminating Kabbalah is the Light’s influence.

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The More You Take, the Less You Have

What Is a True Prayer?Questions I received on where to find strength along the spiritual path:

Question: Rabbi Meir rode in a carriage led by a horse with bad legs and eyes. Along his journey he met a rabbi from Lisa, who had a carriage led by four horses. Rabbi Meir asked: “Why four?” To which the other replied, “So they could pull the carriage out of sludge.” Rabbi Meir then muttered, “My horse can’t pull me out of sludge, he simply goes around it.”

Can you please explain?

My Answer: A person should only take the minimum from this world in order to come out of it. It only seems that the more you take, the stronger you are, but in fact this only holds you back. A person should move forward with humility and anticipation that help will come, rather than with force.

Question: What should one do when the “heaviness of the heart” comes upon him?

My Answer: Read Baal HaSulam’s articles, sing and dance, do sports, and best of all – have a meal with friends.

Question: Can I share this feeling with others?

My Answer: No.

Question: Why not?

My Answer: There’s no need to make their hearts heavy as well!

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Interview with the Future

There Are No Idols In KabbalahThe book Interview with the Future is based on Baal HaSulam’s original manuscripts in our archive that talk about our times and the generations of the future. Among these materials, Baal HaSulam’s newspaper “HaUma” (The Nation) was the first Kabbalistic newspaper in the world; he published it in 1940. (However, it was immediately shut down by the British authorities because of complaints from Kabbalah’s opponents.)

These materials are necessary for understanding the global crisis that’s taking place in the world today.

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