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Spiritual Signs

Laitman_509Torah, Deuteronomy 11:18: …and bind them for a sign upon your hand…

The left hand is receiving and right hand giving. The hand that Tefillin is worn on is the weak left hand in order to tame egoism. It symbolizes the correction that a person should have on his upper spiritual degree.

This is a very high level in the world of Atzilut – Arich Anpin. There are Tefillin Jacob, Tefillin Rachel, Tefillin Leah, and Tefillin Israel.

Torah, Deuteronomy 11:18: …and they shall be for ornaments between your eyes…

Eyes are the quality of the level of Hochma in the head part of the world of Atzilut, meaning they are very high corrections. To reach such states we must do serious work on ourselves.

But there are also support programs that help implement a common program. It is like recording a new program on our desires. After all, nothing was created in the universe apart from desire. And the Upper Light gradually, like a laser, records the new program on our previous program without canceling the previous one.

In other words, all our egoism remains and just begins to work according to the different program. Therefore Tefillin, Tallit, and all other attributes symbolize the spiritual connections that we must restore between us over our shattered desire.

Question: Do these material attributes help us?

Answer: Unfortunately they just distract us. The fact is that by realizing commandments on the material level, a person thinks that he does everything required. However, it is good if along with performing physical actions that explanations are given: why, what for, and what is behind them, so they remind a person about his inner abilities of implementing the correction.

And it is bad if he thinks that by tying the Tefillin boxes he already fulfills the commandments.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 6/15/16

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Answer To An American Jew

Laitman_408Comment: American Jews are watching the news from Israel. One of the reactions to your post, “Do American Jews Need Israel?” caused disagreement about what you say regarding their attitude toward Israel. A writer claims that in America many Jews differentiate between the nation of Israel and the land of Israel. In their opinion, the land of Israel has a special spiritual mission for all of us, which unfortunately cannot be said about the country. It would be doubtful to justify putting all the Jews with a liberal outlook into one “boat,” just as it is doubtful that it would be worthwhile for all Jews to immigrate recklessly to the State of Israel in this stage.

Answer: In general, globally I agree that it is impossible to heap humanity into one pile. Indeed, there is a difference between the land of Israel and the State of Israel. I do not encourage anyone to immigrate to the country, but what I mean is that since we are the Jews who are evaluated in the world according to our spiritual root, which is the land of Israel, in which the State of Israel exists today, we need to strengthen this nation.

Even if many Jews in the world, and in particular in America, think that it would be better for them if the State of Israel ceased to exist, the land of Israel would not cease to exist and would always be called this.

It was called this even in the period of the British Mandate, the Ottoman administration, and even three thousand years ago when ancient peoples lived here. So we must not think that the land of Israel could change. It is eternal and has expanded much beyond its present national borders.

These borders were designed by the upper force, which outlines this territory called the “Conquests of King David” (“Davidic Conquest”), from the remaining areas of the Earth. This area is large and extends to Babylon on one side, to the Nile on another side, and also north and south.There is no question that it cannot be.

This is the history that is connected not only to the past, but also to the higher forces that cooperate among them mutually and have an influence on the area of the entire Earth in that they emphasize its different parts. Understandably, the nation of Israel of today is completely incompatible with the land of Israel because Jews can live in it only to the extent that there are friendly and loving relationships between them.

Friendship means that they are not treating each other badly and wish each other well. Love is an even higher level, meaning that they are ready to give everything to each other, as one would to loved one. When a mutual relationship like this exists between us, we merge with the land of Israel, with that upper force that illuminates us and appears in one common general structure. That is what we must long for and reach.

Certainly the national structure of the nation of Israel today is absolutely not like this. It takes its cue from the western example and wants to be like the rest of the nations of the world, something that cannot be among the Jews. The Jews temporarily continue to exist here by protecting themselves with all their might. Yet, this existence cannot continue forever. I don’t even call the Jews a “people” because the meaning of a people is that there is a common denominator; whereas, among the Jews there is nothing in common. This is a “gathering of exiles,” a gathering of people who have come from all the ends of the Earth, and nothing more than this.

If the Jews were to build from themselves a single people by longing for unity, rising above their ego, eliminating their mutual hatred, competitiveness, and so forth, they would be able to continue to live in the land of Israel and the land would be good for them. The upper force would begin to work on them for the better and would shield them from all troubles.

If this doesn’t happen, military preparations, neither its force or weapons, will not help us, not even the help of presidents of the United States or the nations of the world. In any case, we will reach a situation in which, as Baal HaSulam wrote, we will be forced to leave the land of Israel and among that small number who would remain, some of them would be annihilated and the others would drown in the “sea” of the Arab population that would fill this land. So we have no choice, we must reach a state in which we clearly understand our destiny, our future, and our obligation to show the whole world an example of unity. Then the world would stop hating us and would see our benefit, the reason for our eternal existence which is meant to bring the world to unity. We would truly become a “Light unto the nations” (Isaiah 42:6).

Question: The author of this response believes that your attitude toward American Jews is too biting. Why do you relate to them like this? What do you hear from American Jews?

Answer: What I hear from them is that all of the problems of Israel are Israel’s fault. I completely agree with them, except for one thing. Even though Israel is like this, we must not abandon it; we need to support it. When they place themselves beside those who want to annihilate it, they are not only slandering Israel, but are helping to annihilate it. This is not at all irrelevant to the problems of the Jewish people, for if the State of Israel were to disappear, the next thing that would follow would be a new Holocaust.

The State of Israel is like a member of the family. In any case, we cannot “throw” it out of the family circle; we must correct it. The American Jews could do this if they were to behave wisely and weren’t trying to ignore the current situation.

Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of American Jews are indifferent toward the State of Israel because they are included in American life to such a degree that Israel doesn’t affect them in any way, and therefore, they don’t want to hear about it. What is important to them is their own good and what might happen to Israel is not important to them. That is not how to treat a family member because even if it would be better for you, you cannot get rid of him, you must think about him.

So American Jews must unite and think about how through external pressure they can force the nation of Israel to move forward in the right direction, to become more pluralistic, and not to succumb to external and internal coercion.

Israel must build a nation for itself that is based upon relationships of friendship and love, on the foundation of the principle of Judaism, “And you shall love your friend as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18), and not on all kinds of factionalism, religious movements, disputes, and wars.
[193692]
From KabTV’s “News with Michael Laitman” 9/7/16

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American Jews Are In Favor Of Immigrants

Laitman_421_01In the News (Israel Today): 184 Jewish communities and synagogues in the United States have signed a letter for the protection of the immigrants from the Middle East and Africa seeking refuge on American soil, which promised to provide assistance to these people. …

“These representatives of American Jewry are ready to provide refugees with its services in education, legal protection and financial assistance.

“‘American Jews react to this greatest immigrant crisis in history, as if the victims were our countrymen’ – quotes words of the Vice-President of HIAS Jenny Rosen in the website of the newspaper The Jerusalem Post.”

My Comment: I have no objection to helping other peoples if the right basis for this exists. But, after all, you cannot provide a place next to you for a person who will rape your daughters, murder your parents tomorrow, and hang you. There already have been incidents like these, and we see where it leads.

Question: In principle, do you think that could be?

Answer: I am sure of it if we judge this according to the development of egoism in humanity, and Jews are not providing an example of the correct connection between people, are not restoring the integral system called Adam, and are causing an opposite result through this type of action.

This has happened before. There is nothing new or unexpected here. At one time, Jews were helping young Hitler. There is a lot of documentation on this subject. So history repeats itself.

I believe that the current state of society clearly shows any person, and humanity as a whole, that we have no idea about what is happening to us.

So, we cannot resolve, especially in advance, and in particular issues such as a solution to immigration, as long as it is not clear where we are going, where the world is heading, what we want from life, what will happen over time to the entering community and to those Jewish or Christian communities that accept them. We don’t know what their natural tendencies are and how they will coexist.

If this were sorted out, we would realize the first thing to be done is precise work on correctly understanding what it means to be a society: it must be connected to the manner in which people can get closer to each other despite different religions and currents.

Then, they wouldn’t just open their gates to the immigrants. Rather, first and foremost, they would move them through a very serious educational system to adapt them to the conditions provided to them. However, today, they simply are granting the immigrants aid and the ability to exist as they like.

In this case, Islam will develop in its most distorted form because the Islamic preachers are on the alert and do their best to establish militant Islamic centers in these nations. First, they will behave quietly until they become established. Then, after at least one generation, the “game” will be conducted on a serious level on all fronts.

The goal of Islam is to conquer the entire world. It is written on its flag: “There is no god but Allah, Mohammed—his prophet.”

Question: What is the goal of the Jews?

Answer: The wisdom of Kabbalah explains that we, the Jews, must reveal the method for connecting people. It is up to us to reveal this to the entire world that needs it so much.

But Jews don’t know this, so the method of connection and unity safely remains on hold, as it has been. When will it be revealed? This depends on many factors. When Jews begin to become interested in the reason that others are preparing to strike them, they may become interested and start exploring this: “What are we guilty of?” Then, they will find the answer with the Kabbalists. In the meantime, this question remains rhetorical.
[193972]
From KabTV’s “News with Michael Laitman” 9/14/16

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New Life 440 – The Sukkah In The Heart

New Life 440 – The Sukkah In The Heart
Dr. Michael Laitman in conversation with Oren Levi and Tal Mandelbaum ben Moshe

What does the Sukkah and its special structure symbolize? What is the meaning of the lights and shadows that are typical of this holiday, and what does it mean to build the Sukkah in the heart?

The Creator is the general force of all of reality and He is absolute love and bestowal. Every natural phenomenon is felt only after a person prepares the right sense for it. The Creator is the force of love and bestowal. If there is a little bit of love and bestowal in me, I will feel Him. The wisdom of Kabbalah is the wisdom of absorption and of how to tune ourselves to the same wavelength as the Creator.

The covering of the Sukkah symbolizes the Masach (screen), meaning that I don’t want to receive this illumination for my own pleasure but for the correction. The soul is not in the Sukkah that we build in the yard, of course, but it is our desire that is aimed at bestowal. How can we aim our desire at bestowal unto others? By the Lights, the forces of correction, called Ushpizin.

The four varieties (used in Sukkot) represent the four parts of the soul, י-ה-ו-ה – Yod – Hey – Vav – Hey. The etrog (citron) is very important since it represents the Sefira of Malchut, the foundation of our creation. We hold the four varieties together and move them from side to side. Other than the external custom, we also have to move the soul from side to side.

In addition to the custom of building a Sukkah in the yard, we also have to build a Sukkah around our heart. That’s the main thing.

Developing our love and bestowal, just like the Creator’s, is called building a Sukkah around my soul. Seven Sefirot separate me from my next state. Sefirot are the levels of the correction of the soul. The covering of the Sukkah symbolizes the fact that I don’t want to receive the abundance for my own pleasure but so that it will correct me. After Sukkot, Simchat Torah, and Chanukah comes Purim, the end of correction, when everything is permitted.

Building a Sukkah in the heart is establishing the conditions for our desire and our intention to be corrected to love and bestowal.
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From KabTV’s “New Life 440 – The Sukkah In The Heart,“ 10/2/14

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