Listen to an Audio Version of the Blog
Download: MP3 Audio

Filed under: Audio Version of the Blog - No Comments →

In the News (Ynet): “An upcoming report from the World Obesity Federation (WOF) has shown that over half a million Israeli children are overweight. Compared to European countries, the group in which the Jewish state is categorized, Israel is in first place for overweight persons and in second place compared with Europe and third place globally when children are included. …

“The report maps the state of children’s health in different countries and states that 28.8 percent of Israeli children under the age of 18 are overweight. The forecast for the future is worrying: The report states that within eight years, that datum is likely to jump 50 percent, and the number of obese and overweight children in the country is expected to reach 740,000, an unprecedented number by any measure. …

“Israel is in first place in the European group for obesity, with 12.6 percent of its children being considered obesity by this index. Globally, Israeli children are only behind their US counterparts, 12.9 percent of whom are obese. The European average is 7.4 percent for children. If children with BMIs of 25–30 are included, that figure increases to 23 percent of European children. …

“‘The parents need to teach their children how to behave correctly and to choose the right food amidst the jungle of advertisements for harmful food,’ concluded Dubnov-Raz. ‘Like a parent teaches their child how to act safely on a bicycle in the urban jungle—that’s how it needs to be with food. Otherwise, we’ll wake up in a few years, and we won’t understand how we got ourselves in this situation.'”

My Comment: The food products in Israel are of relatively high quality and we usually don’t indulge in high-calorie foods, but we still consume large amounts of foods.

The main reason is that we are a high-tech nation in which very few people have manual jobs where they engage in hard physical work. In fact, we are a high-tech nation in agriculture, computers, and military technologies, so it is only natural that people, including young people, sit for many hours and move very little.

How should we handle this process? We need to produce low-calorie food, and of course launch a campaign promoting participation in sports.

I believe that sports should become an integral part of our social frameworks since otherwise we will end up with a huge “army” of people who are sick and weak and have to be taken care of. It is of course better to invest a little in sports, in promoting participation in physical activities, than to invest in healing sick people. A person has to live a healthy life and die healthy.
[197129]
From KabTV’s “News with Michael Laitman” 11/2/16

Related Material:
Obesity Is Invincible
The Problem Of Obesity In The US
What Are We Wasting Our Life On?

Filed under: Children, Education, Health, News - No Comments →

Question: When we ask you about the soul, you say that it doesn’t exist. Is there a soul or not? What is the soul?

Answer: If this is talking about ordinary people, then there is no soul in anyone. But if we are talking about people who unite to some degree in a particular way, then the connection that is created by them above their egoism is called the Kli of the soul. In a case like this, a unique filling enters into the Kli, which is called the Light of the Soul.

In other words, the attempt to rise above our egoism creates a state that is called a soul, but it happens only in the connection between people, while for an individual there is no soul. The individual form of the soul amounts to being included within the singular collective soul, and the moment that a person moves away from that, it will immediately disappear.

For a person, there is nothing other than the beastly state. If he connects to others with a general and good mutual connection, then the soul appears with him. If he is disconnected, there is no soul. The goal of the connection is to give yourself over to the general unity, and that is the soul.
[197009]
From KabTV’s “News with Michael Laitman” 10/31/16

Related Material:
Who Has A Soul?
Once Again About The Soul
Once More About The Soul…

Filed under: Body and Soul - No Comments →

Question: Are women able to love others just as they love themselves, without the help of men? Do women unite in order to put pressure on the men?

Answer: Women are totally equal to men according to the opportunities they are given, and there is no point in looking for what they are special in. Each one must simply do her best according to her capabilities in order to receive the outcome, a spiritual reward.
[196193]

Related Material:
Does A Woman Need A Group?
The Ideal Women’s Unity
In Spirituality Everyone Is Equal

Filed under: Q&A, Women's Spirituality - No Comments →

Question: You always emphasize the importance of prayer. I think that there isn’t a person who doesn’t pray in one way or another. Humanity has been praying for ages. What is a true prayer?

Answer: This is something we should learn. A prayer should include:

• your current state, the expected future state, and the way to fulfill it;
• turning to a power source, thanks to which you fulfill your request, your prayer, your dream; the One you turn to; and
• how you receive this force, how you fulfill it in practice, and what you will do in order to achieve your goal; what you pray for.

If you don’t follow these steps, you are just like a child crying “I want!” and that’s all. Who will pay attention to that?

If you want to receive the power, the reason, and an accurate wise plan of your development, of attaining the goal, which will not just lead you anywhere, you must plan all of this internally and in advance, and then it will really turn into a prayer. This means that a great deal of work is required before entering a state called prayer.

Question: They say that even a cow mooing in the field is praying.

Answer: Yes, she is praying. Being in a beastly state, she understands what she needs, so she moos strongly since, after all, her udder is full and she needs to be milked. She is suffering.

Question: And what if a person suffers?

Answer: A person should understand what he needs and what he must do in order to get it.

He should understand his next state. We don’t know that. A cow knows exactly what she needs because she is on the animate level and has instinctive desires, while we can feel that only on the level of attainment.

So, in order to discover the right future state and from whom we can demand its fulfillment, we must study the wisdom of Kabbalah.
[196806]
From KabTV’s “News with Michael Laitman” 10/31/16

Related Material:
Prayer As A Manifestation Of Human Desires
Prayer As A Systematic Action
A Simple General Rule

Filed under: Prayer and Intention, Q&A - 1 Comment →

In the News (ria): “The victory of Donald Trump in the US presidential election came as a shock to most European politicians, for the political leadership of the European Union is thoroughly drenched in neo-liberal values.

“Major European media continue to vilify Trump. The subtitle of the German Der Spiegel says: ‘Victory of the destroyer.’ Another German magazine, the Stern, stated that the election of Trump caused ‘surprising, anxiety and panic in Germany.’

“German Defense Minister Ursula von der Lyayen stated that ‘deep shock is felt,’ Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel described the Trump victory as ‘a warning to all of us (Europeans).’

“French ambassador to Washington Gerard Araud called the election result a catastrophe. According to him, ‘we are witnessing the world being destroyed.’ French President Francois Hollande also expressed disappointment with the Trump victory that ‘opens a period of uncertainty.’ Under these conditions, Hollande said, Europe must be united.”

My Comment: I don’t think that the election of Trump will push the European Union to unite. Their “song is sung.” The liberals must leave; their time has passed. It is necessary to shake off the illusions and stop building them at the expense of the people.

The European Union, as well as the United States, must reorganize! Without a doubt, we see a movement in the EU toward more sober-minded policies, an understanding of the new times. The main task of Europe is to educate its citizens toward the union of the continent, like that of the United States.
[196838]

Related Material:
A World In Which Evil Is Found Everywhere
New Life #790 – Trump, The Big Surprise
When God Expands Your Boundary

Filed under: Crisis, Globalization, News - 1 Comment →

New Life 790 – Trump, The Big Surprise
Dr. Michael Laitman in conversation with Oren Levi and Tal Mandelbaum ben Moshe

Trump’s success in the elections is not surprising. Only those who don’t know the plan of the evolution of the world were surprised.

• Many Americans feel that the US is controlled by foreigners.
• Obama filled the government offices with radical Muslim officials.
• Different people can connect only when they are properly educated, and so without education, the immigrants are ruining the countries to which they arrive.
• First we have to restore social order so that every individual finds his place in society, and then we have to teach the public how to connect.
• The world has to advance toward connection between everyone above all the differences since we are one family.
• The crisis we are undergoing these days in different aspects of life is meant to push us towards the recognition of how essential the connection is.
• Trump wants to help the lower classes. He has a socialist orientation and he is surrounded by many sensible, serious, and experienced people.
• It makes no difference whether the left wing or the right wing lead, what’s important is that the plan of creation is fulfilled, involving as little suffering as possible.
  [196883]
  From KabTV’s “New Life 790 – Trump, The Big Surprise,” 11/10/16

Video: Play Now | Download

Audio: Play Now | Download

Filed under: Crisis, Globalization, New Life - No Comments →

Preparation for the Lesson

Talmud Eser Sefirot, Vol. 1, Part 2, “Histaklut Pnimit,” Chapter 2, Item 19

Lesson on the Topic: “The Center of the Group,” Part 1

Lesson on the Topic: “The Center of the Group,” Part 2

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson - No Comments →