Audio Version Of The Blog – 05.02.17

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Israel Independence Day

Dr. Michael LaitmanI am very happy that the majority of my life was spent here, in Israel.

I am happy that after thousands of years of exile, my people exists as a nation and as citizens in their own country.

I am happy that we are becoming stronger with each passing year, and that for the envy of everyone and for the anger of our enemies, we are building a country that keeps getting better and better.

I hope that we will be able to overcome many more problems that exist in our nation, which mostly have to do with unifying the nation into one whole.

I very much hope that next year, the year of our country’s seventieth anniversary, we will reach a state when we will really become “as one man with one heart,” which was mentioned at the birth of our nation 3000 years ago.

Let’s make sure that this commitment is fulfilled.

Good luck! And Happy Birthday!
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Haaretz: “What’s Next for France?“

In my regular column in Haaretz, my new article: “What’s Next for France?

Rifts in French society are growing harder to overcome. Unless treated as opportunities to boost connection, the growing weight will crush them.

The ever-present threat of terrorism and the rifts in French society concerning immigration, economy, Frexit, and other weighty issues are making the current French elections exceptionally tense. The result of the runoff will impact not only France, but all of Europe as the teetering European Union struggles to survive. Despite the tensions from the EU, in order to succeed, the newly elected president will have to give preference to France’s home affairs and achieve what currently seems impossible: the unity of the French people.

The new president will undoubtedly face fierce opposition, perhaps similar to that which Donald Trump is facing in the US. But even if, unlike in America, the election is decided by a wide majority, the new president will still need to deal with swarms of immigrants inundating France and taking over Paris. Besides posing a major security risk and a political and humanitarian challenge, the question of relations with the immigrants will continue to divide the French people and disrupt their lives.

Albert Einstein once said, “The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.” Indeed, in order to solve France’s problems, the French president and the French people will have to rise to a new level of thinking: a comprehensive, all-inclusive level where all people matter and all views are included under an umbrella of unity.

The new level of thinking means that people stop trying pointlessly to persuade everyone that only they are right and everyone else is wrong. Instead, people will unite above their differences. In simple terms, uniting above differences means that we accept that we all have different views, but we also accept that the unity of our country (in this case France) is more important than the predominance of my personal view. Therefore, each of us says to him or herself, “I believe what I believe but other people believe differently. Now, let us take all those different views and utilize them for the benefit of the whole of society.”

Just like the different organs in our body, we are different in every way. In the body, this diversity guarantees our health and our existence. For example, the lungs and the liver both deal with the blood that flows through them. Yet, if they dealt with the blood in the same way, we would not have oxygen or we would have blood full of toxins. Either way, we would not survive. It may not be that obvious, but human society functions much like our bodies, and each person in it is like a unique organ. If a person compels another person to act or think the same as another, it stops the oppressed person from performing according to his or her unique role in humanity and inflicts damage on the entire human society.

In his essay, “The Freedom,” the great commentator on The Book of Zohar, Rav Yehuda Ashlag, wrote, “Anyone who eradicates a tendency from an individual and uproots it causes the loss of that sublime and wondrous concept from the world… From this we learn what a terrible wrong inflict those nations that force their reign on minorities, depriving them of freedom without allowing them to live their lives by the tendencies they have inherited from their ancestors. They are regarded as no less than murderers.”

The formidable challenge of the next French president will be to galvanize the starkly different parts of the French society into working for the benefit of the entire nation, just as different organs work for the benefit of the entire body. If successful, France will become a mighty nation, as its diversity will translate into agility, creativity, flexibility, and ultimately prosperity. If the new president fails to unite the French people, the country and its society will collapse. All they need to do is look to their ally on the west shore of the Atlantic to see how hard it is for a president to succeed when half the nation opposes him.

Treat Problems the Way Athletes Treat Weights

The human body is not the only example of complementary differences. All of nature consists of opposites that complement one another: light and dark, hot and cold, male and female, life and death. The same principle should apply to a healthy social life. The book, Likutey Halachot (Assorted Rules) writes, “The essence of vitality, existence, and correction is creation in achieved by people of differing opinions mingling together in love, unity, and peace.” The growing chasms in today’s societies indicate that we must intensify our work on unity accordingly.

Indeed, problems are not meant to be solved; they are meant to be levers for greater social cohesion. In his book Letters of the Raiah, Rav Kook wrote, “The great rule about the war of views, when each view comes to contradict another, is that we need not contradict it, but rather build above it, and thereby ascend.”

The French need not conceal the chasms in the French society. Instead, they should preserve and cherish the various factions in society, and use what each of them has to offer for the benefit of the entire country. The differences among the French people enrich and vitalize the French society and add color to the country.

France’s future leader will have to maintain two opposite levels one atop the other—rifts and differences to the point of hatred, at the bottom, and atop it, a layer of solidarity and mutual responsibility. Social tensions will not vanish. On the contrary, they will grow and thereby enable and compel the French to build stronger bridges among them. In this way, the differences between the factions will not be revoked or suppressed, but rather embraced as contributors to the diversity and strength of a united French society.

In order to build their muscles, athletes force themselves to lift incrementally heavier weights. Likewise, the rifts within the French society are growing incrementally harder to overcome. If the French treat their rifts as opportunities to work harder on their (muscles of) connection, they will have a robust and powerful society. If they give up and do not try to lift the growing weight, it will undoubtedly crush them.
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The Terrorist Attack In England

Laitman_155Question: Recently, there was a serious terrorist attack in England, which scared almost everyone in London and all over England. Khalid Masud, who was born in England and seems to be an Englishman, committed the attack. He killed three and wounded a lot of people.

Perhaps because of this, Britain has suddenly changed its attitude toward Israel for the better?

Answer: Nothing will change the attitude to Israel! Hatred remains hatred. Externally, it can manifest itself more or less, but it is the law of nature, and therefore, cannot be changed.

Comment: But this terrorist was born there, he practically became English…

Answer: Even if he converted to Christianity, it wouldn’t matter. His nature with respect to Jews remained purely hateful, anti-Semitic.

Comment: But in principle, he didn’t kill Jews. He killed the citizens of the country…

Answer: Of course. Because Islam must conquer the entire world and repaint it green.
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From KabTV’s “News with Michael Laitman” 04/27/17

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Love From Kabbalah Point Of View

laitman_594Question: Are there any signs of qualitative spiritual work?

Answer: The quality of work depends on what kind of Light I receive from my equivalence to the Creator: Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, Chaya, or Yechida.

We must go through 125 spiritual degrees to complete similarity with the Creator. The similarity lies in my love for others. It turns out that I must achieve precisely the exit from myself in the unanswered, unselfish, and absolutely unearthly love of others, meaning in caring for others.

Love in Kabbalah is a state where I feel the desires of another person and want to fulfill them completely, as if they are my biggest and most important desires.

All my nature, my whole essence, and all my inner self I dedicate to the service of other people’s desires. Therefore, this condition is called spiritual slavery.
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From the Kabbalah Lesson in Russian 12/18/16

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Marriage For The Sake Of Children

Laitman_632_3Question: If a man is in civil marriage, is he considered married?

Answer: It is not that significant today. Everything depends on how much the couple considers themselves a husband and wife.

However, as a rule, a marriage is defined by (the presence of) children. I believe that the marriage is sacred if there are children in it. One has no right to divorce and is obligated to raise children under any given conditions. Children are better with any father than without him!
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From the Lesson in Russian, 12/4/16

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New Life 843 – Is Judaism Racist?

New Life 843 – Is Judaism Racist?
Dr. Michael Laitman in conversation with Oren Levi and Yael Leshed-Harel

The values of love and equality are the spirit of Judaism and the root of our original religion that has developed during the time of exile.

Judaism is based on the principle of “love thy friend as thyself,” which is the principle we have to bring to all of humanity.
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From KabTV’s “New Life 843 – Is Judaism Racist?” 3/21/17

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Women’s Spiritual Purpose

laitman_281_02Question: Are the Kabbalistic friendship, love, and mutual responsibility possible between women? Or is such a depth of mutual spiritual inclusion more typical of men?

Answer: Yes, it is more typical of men. It is much harder for women to become friends. They can unite among themselves only in order to help the men. This is their purpose and this is how they should behave.

It is practically impossible for one woman to be a true friend of another woman. Yet, to achieve the upper goal, to help the men and to connect with the Creator, they can unite with each other because they have a specific goal that isn’t between them, but above them.

Question: Who is more egoistic, men or women?

Answer: They have different type of egoism. Therefore, I can’t say who is more egoistic. It is easier for men to be connected with each other, and for women it is easier to be directed to the goal.
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From KabTV’s Lesson in Russian 11/12/16

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Convention in Mexico “Day One” – 05.02.17

Convention in Mexico, “We are all one 2017” in America, “Each Shall Help His Friend,” Lesson 11

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Convention in Mexico, “We are all one 2017” in America, “Annulment,” Lesson 12

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Convention in Mexico, “We are all one 2017” in America, “The Greatness of the Friends,” Lesson 13

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