A Statement: The Chief Rabbi of Great Britain, Jonathan Sacks, wrote a book on “How to Avoid the Clash of Civilizations.” According to Rabbi Sacks, all religions should be recognized as genuine. Of course, fundamentalists anathematized the book, and charged Rabbi Sacks with heresy.

My Opinion: All this happens because people consider religions to be “genuine,” possessing absolute higher knowledge, instead of an expression of culture and peoples’ way of life. Religions were invented by people. There’s no reason to credit them as being anything more than clubs, which people turn to for psychological help in our unstable lives. There’s good in them, but nothing divine or genuine!

Article by Baal HaSulam, “The Essence of Religion and Its Purpose” (note that in this article, when Baal HaSulam says “religion,” he means Kabbalah)

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Question for ML: People identify themselves with their body. Take a human body and an apple. The person eats the apple. The matter of the apple is transferred to the person, and he calls it his “I.” But we see that it’s no more than particles moving through space.

There are an invariable amount of particles in the world that continuously change location, thereby creating an illusion of time progression. Oxygen particles enter my lungs, my blood, my cells – does that make them part of my “I”? The same particles that just yesterday I called “air”?

Where do we start and where do we end?

My Answer: Everything you’re saying doesn’t exist. There is only my desire, a component that senses itself. Within my desire, I feel constant changes. They depict a picture for me, which I call “world.” Within this picture, I sense the existence of what is similar to me, and what is “other”: matter, vegetation, animals… That’s what my desires sense; that’s what I sense.

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Question for ML: The Bible is one of the most mysterious books in the world, and people have always looked to find hidden meaning in it. Many believe that the texts of the Old Testament contain hidden information about the entire history of humankind. And supposedly, they find evidence to back up this belief. But if the Sacred Writings really do contain forecasts for the future, is it then inevitable?

My Answer: I wouldn’t say that secrets don’t exist, because they do! However, they exist only for those who are able to discover them ON THEIR OWN. There are no other secrets or tricks of any kind! Nothing just suddenly gets revealed. It has been preplanned for you to discover through your own efforts.

I’ve already talked about some of these discoveries. For instance, in a printed book of Kabbalah, one suddenly starts seeing additional words printed between the words and lines. They weren’t actually printed, but appeared because the reader prepared himself for their revelation. Moreover, they became revealed only to that particular reader… Another instance is that one starts seeing, seemingly with one’s eyes, not a person, but the essence of a person in a form on the animate or vegetative level… Or, instead of seeing people and other objects, like everyone else, you see only the forces controlling them.

Nothing written there is absolute. It simply explains what the future will be like if we don’t interfere with, and moderate, the compelling forces of nature. This is why prophecies seem so frightening. However, through our actions, we can fundamentally change their materialization in our world.

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Question: Michael! As far as I understand, God’s decree to come to know yourselves only applies to the people of Israel? Here’s the quote: “This means that every man from the nation of Israel is guaranteed to ultimately acquire all the wonderful attainments with which the Creator intended to please every creature in the Thought of Creation.” Why then are you preaching Kabbalah around the world? Am I missing something?

Answer: After the exile from the spiritual level (which happened in the beginning of our era), when Kabbalists attained the Light and mixed with the nations of the world over a period of two thousand years, the sparks of that Light, which was present only in the souls of Kabbalists, have also spread into the souls of the nations of the world, as it is said: “Israel has gone into exile so as to unite with the souls of the nations of the world.” This mixing takes place through existence on the egoistic level, which is common for all nations, and not through mixed marriage as some may think.

Today, this mixing of egoism and the sparks has been completed, and all that’s left for us to do is correct the egoism of every person who has a spark of Light, and ascend to the level of the Creator. This happens gradually, in those who already ask themselves the question about the meaning of life. These are the ones called “Israel,” which stems from the words “Yashar” – straight, and “El” – the Creator, that is, “Straight to the Creator,” according to their aspiration. Obviously this no longer has anything to do with nationality.

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Question for ML: Does sexual pleasure slow down one’s spiritual development? Should one reject sexual pleasure? Do these rejections lead to questions of “who” and “what”? I know that the Light that returns one to the source does everything, but do these kinds of games help with advancement in any way?

My Answer: The WHO and WHAT questions stem from egoism and are directed toward the Creator: who are you and what is this work you have given me? It is said that only the Light corrects, and it only corrects to the extent of the intention. All other restrictions only get one confused. Concentrate on intentions, on analyzing your desires, and not on physical actions. This is with the exception of moments when you are no longer able to think and direct yourself, in which case physical actions (such as singing, dancing, meals with friends) can pull you out of such lifeless states.

A Hassidic proverb (back when Hassidic Jews were still Kabbalists): Once when Rabbi Elimelech from Lizhensk said that fasting was no longer a service, he was asked: “Didn’t Baal Shem Tov fast often?” Rabbi Elimelech answered: “When Baal Shem Tov was young, he would usually take six breads and a pitcher of water at the conclusion of Shabbat and retire for the entire week. On Friday, when he was preparing to go home, he would lift his bag and, as he noticed its weight, he would open it and find all six breads untouched. It would always surprise him. Only this type of fasting can be considered real fasting!”

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A question I received: Michael, are you waiting for the Messiah? Do you believe that He will come during your corporeal life?

My Answer: Humankind will soon learn that the Messiah is an Upper Force that evokes qualities of love and bestowal in us. If we’re talking about the same Messiah, then I’m with you all the way. Let’s wait for Him together.

Article “Messiah’s Horn”
Lesson on the article “Messiah’s Horn” – Watch | Listen

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Question for ML: While in exile, Kabbalists kept the secrets of Kabbalah hidden on the account of society not being ready for them. As a result, upshots of egoism generated religion within society, in order to save the nation. I have been studying with you for two years via the Internet and books, and the more I study, the more I understand, especially when I repeat.

Why did Kabbalists lead humanity to a way of thinking that is opposite to Kabbalah? As a religious person, I live by the principles of faith, physical commandments, and putting my soul into this work, and I suddenly come to understand that all our definitions are based on egoism? Is that not deceit? I feel myself cheated and betrayed. I don’t want to write too much, I hope that my question is clear…

My Answer: The purpose of creation is to create the ego and grow it to an unbearable limit, at which moment we realize the need to rise above our ego, and build new relationships of bestowal and love by OURSELVES (in ourselves and our surroundings). Kabbalists look painfully (the suffering of Shechina) upon humanity’s suffering, and help as much as they can without interfering in the independence of correction. In general, Kabbalists needed to wait until humanity matured, in our era, to disclose Kabbalah to everyone. Today, anyone can learn about the purpose of creation, the reason for our present situation, and about our final, already-existing goal. We have free will only from toward onward, and our free will lies in choosing one of two paths (either allowing suffering to push us against our will, or through a conscious desire) to reach the purpose of creation – equivalence with the Creator.

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Kabbalah divides everything in existence into pleasure and the desire to receive that pleasure. Nothing else exists in nature. Objects in nature consist only of the desire to receive pleasure and its fulfillment, and they differ only by the degree of their desire to receive pleasure.

The desire divides into the following levels:
1. Still
2. Vegetative
3. Animate
4. Human (Spiritual)

Desires 1-3 are desires to receive pleasure for oneself (at someone or something else’s expense). These desires are natural, i.e. nature gives them to us. When the body dies, the sensation of life disappears. Desire 4 is the desire to please others (and receive pleasure by doing so). Nature doesn’t give us such a desire. It appears under the influence of the Upper Force, which is attracted through the study of Kabbalah. Since this desire is independent of the body, whoever acquires it comes to feel his existence as eternal.

Everything in our world – including love – is determined by the egoistic desire to receive pleasure. Both humans and animals buy and exchange love, as with any other type of pleasure or fulfillment. This shows, yet again, that our desires stay within the limits of the animate level.

Monkeys also pay for sex. Michael Gumert (Nanyang Technological University, Singapore) discovered this fact while researching 50 macaques. On average, female macaques have intercourse 1.5 times per hour. But if a male grooms a female, that number increases to 3.5 times per hour. The macaques grooming is done by picking fleas off each other. If there are many females around, then the “cost” of sex drops – a male can “buy” a female for eight minutes of flea picking. If, however, there are few females, then the male has to groom her for sixteen minutes before she gives her consent. According to Ronald Noe of Strasburg University, the same kind of socio-sexual interaction also takes place universally among human beings.

My Current Mood: okay

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Take a look at the future we’re preparing for ourselves and our children with the avalanche of divorces around the world!

According to statistics, children raised without a father are:

* 4.6 times more likely to commit suicide
* 6.6 times more likely to become teenage mothers
* 24.3 times more likely to run away
* 15.3 times more likely to have behavioral disorders
* 6.3 times more likely to be in a state-operated institution
* 10.8 times more likely to commit rape
* 6.6 times more likely to drop out of school
* 15.3 times more likely to end up in prison in their teenage years

In our times, you can get two modern egoists living together in peace and harmony only if by doing so, they see that they can achieve a special reward: an eternal, perfect existence of complete fulfillment. It is written: “Husband and wife – Shechina (the presence of the Creator) between them.” Only when this combination exists can today’s family be preserved. Kabbalah can create these conditions for you!

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News Story: Leviev: Zionism is bankrupt because of ‘new American religion’

Businessman Lev Leviev, one of the world’s most notable diamond dealers who recently moved to London from Israel, declared that Zionism has gone bankrupt. In an interview with the newspaper Haaretz, Leviev stated that life in today’s Israel is losing its Jewish substance. Leviev, who also owns a chain of private schools in Israel and abroad, also came forward with his criticism of secular Israeli education.

My Response: This is all true. Zionism’s bankruptcy was predetermined long before it began, just like how all of humanity’s endeavors have been carried out without understanding history’s plan. The Jews were given the right to return to the land of Israel on condition (from Above) that they return to their spiritual root (the spiritual land of Israel), to the qualities of bestowal and love, like it was before the ruin of the Second Temple and the exile. As Baal HaSulam writes, in the article, “A Speech in Celebration of the Conclusion of The Zohar”: “The Creator gave us this land, but this only gives us the opportunity to receive it through purifying ourselves (from egoism).”

If the Jews don’t use this opportunity to ascend spiritually, but instead wish to simply exist in Israel, on “the holy land,” like all other nations, then “the land will reject you.” Moreover, there’s not much time left for us to either begin the correction or be expelled from here once again.

Unfortunately, many people don’t understand the Creator’s plan, thinking that a modern religious upbringing is sufficient, that it educates the Jewish nation and provides the knowledge necessary to fulfill its Creator-given mission.

Baal HaSulam writes, in the article, “The Revelation of Godliness (Matan Torah)”: “‘Love thy neighbor as thyself’ – Rabbi Akiva says: ‘it is a great rule in the Torah.’” This is what the main goal of education should be. Knowledge of the nation’s customs and culture should be secondary. The sages say: “Why should God mind whether one slaughters at the throat or at the neck?” After all, the commandments were given to cleanse people. “Cleansing” means cleansing our desires from egoism – this is the goal of performing commandments. Egoistic desires comprise a person’s whole life, and such desires are what make people opposite from the Creator, whose nature is absolute altruism. Moreover, it is decreed that we need to attain adhesion with the Creator, that is, complete equivalence with Him.

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