News Report (from Russia Today): The main theme of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s speech to the Association of European Business in Moscow was that Russia is ready for dialogue with the West in virtually every sphere. Lavrov suggested that Russia, the EU and the United States build a “common economic space” based on an equal partnership. … Russia, the EU and the U.S. could do a lot of good together if they focused on combating common threats, the minister said. … Lavrov urged Western nations to forget geopolitical games for a while, as the global economic crisis requires a collective response from all the leading economies.

My Comment: The fact that Lavrov urged nations “to forget geopolitical games” in order to overcome the crisis really goes to show how quickly anger has been replaced with kindness! Of course, this is politics, but everyone must adopt this kind of reasonable attitude to life.

We must forget about the past forever; it can never be brought back. The crisis will not pass and everything will not “go back to normal.” Nature will force not only Mr. Lavrov, but each and every one of us, to urge others to cooperate and work together. However, this shouldn’t just be displayed in the external side of politics, but also felt in our inner freedom and liberalization. We must adopt a policy of collaboration instead of suppression, and thereby become similar to Nature.

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: Video on the Financial Crisis
Laitman.com Post: The Purpose of the Crisis Is to Bring Us to Perfection

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A question I received: Please give an example of the correct economic and social connections, how to begin building them, and how to make the transition. Please give practical suggestions.

My Answer: All of this can be seen using the example of our bodies.

An example from Nature: In our bodies, every molecule, cell, and organ, and the entire organism as a whole, have their own personal interests. When each part of the organism shows others that it’s interested in self benefit, everyone starts to “negotiate” with each other. At every given second, the negotiations taking place in our bodies bring the system to a state of harmony, because the interest of the whole system prevails over the interests of the smaller parts, which it incorporates. Everything is built according to a hierarchy, which includes everyone’s interests. Hence there is a place for the individual benefit of each part within the larger or higher structure.

Imagine the system as one whole. Then you will understand that each level of our system must remain healthy and retain the ability to care for its own interests, but doing so within the framework of the whole organism.

An example from our economy: What if the body behaved the way we conduct the world’s economy? Imagine that we took the heart (the respiratory system – the “industrial” organs), and gave it the power to use the resources of the rest of the body. The other parts would provide all the raw materials into the circulatory system, such as oxygen, and they would cleanse the blood. This way they will produce a useful consumer good: blood. However, the sales department of the circulatory system sets the price of blood in the organism, and provides it to the organs that can afford it. But what if some organs couldn’t afford it? Could our organism stay healthy?

Globalization: This is a natural biological process, aimed at forming one integral human family. We are already seeing this interaction take place in various areas of our lives. Nature has already prepared us to become a global family.

But there’s one problem: Our economy is aggressive, and the display of personal interests on all levels of the integral whole means that the global trade organizations will not be able to tell the local economic systems what is good or bad for them. They will be forced to consider the interests of each local ecosystem and economy. All of this means that we need a world that will be good for everyone. This is our evolutionary task: to create a sustainable global economy and to become a global family.

The transition: The old and the new civilizations must coexist for a period of time. We must create a Forum of the New Civilization, where we can discuss our new connections in order to build the new civilization. We shouldn’t worry about the old system that is dying out. Rather, we should respect the former egoistic civilization, which is now generating a new, global civilization, and we should try to avoid a collapse of the old system before we sufficiently establish our connections in the new civilization.

(Based on materials by Dr. E. Sahtouris, my colleague in the World Wisdom Council.)

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: How Do You Define Globalization?
From Chaos to Harmony: Chapter 3 “Altruism is Life’s Law”
Creating a New Civilization: The 3rd World Wisdom Council meeting
Wisdom In Action: The 3rd World Spirit Forum in Arosa

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News Report (from Internet French Property): A major reform of the French television service has been approved by the French government. The reforms presage the end of advertising on the public service channels. From 5 January 2009 there will be no advertising on these channels between 8:00pm and 6:00am. All advertising will cease by the end of November 2011.

The President [Nicolas Sarkozy] stated that he wished to raise the quality of programming on French television and that the channels should ‘cease to be a slave to audience figures.’

My Comment: What a praiseworthy decision! Now the only thing still missing is for the authorities to understand what they should teach to their citizens, what is the most necessary knowledge for them, what will benefit them? One day they will understand that the most important knowledge is about how to be in balance with Nature, or in other words, how to attain adhesion with the Creator.

Since the Creator is the quality of bestowal and love, the most necessary knowledge is how to observe the condition, “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” Keep up the good work, Nicolas!

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A popular Internet magazine in Spanish has published an article about the global crisis and Kabbalah’s explanation of it.

Related Material:
Kabbalah website in Spanish
My blog in Spanish

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A question I received: How long do you think this conflict between Israel and Palestine will last? Isn’t it possible to come to an agreement?

My Answer: There are two answers:

On the earthly level, this is possible only by changing one’s attitude to life, by changing what’s more important to you: love for your children or hate for your enemy.

In this regard, everything depends on the Arabic side.

On the spiritual level, this is possible only if the people of Israel will correct themselves, as the Torah instructs them to do. You should reread everything the Creator says to his people, for example: If you will listen to Me and observe the condition of “Love your neighbor as yourself” – the main law of the Torah, then there will be peace.

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Recently I had a conversation about power with Oren Levi – the manager of our Hebrew publishing department.

You can now read a transcription of our conversation:

Conversation on Power with Oren Levi

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I had a teleconference about psychological counseling with Moscow Psychologist Anatoly Ulyanov.

He is a certified Geshtalt-therapist of the European Association of Geshtalt Therapists (EAGT), a consultant of the international beauty contests: “Miss Moscow 2008” and “Russian Beauty 2008,” a psychology professor at the School of Aesthetic Education “Russian Beauty” (Moscow), a trainer and instructor at the International Leadership Academy (Saint-Petersburg), and a scientific consultant for the following television programs: “What a Woman Wants” (RTR); “The Great Laundry” (ORT); “House-2” (TNT); “Court is On” (the Home channel); “Our Everything” (NTV) and others.

You can now read the transcription of our conversation:

“Psychological Counseling at the Time of Crisis” – Part 1

“Psychological Counseling at the Time of Crisis” – Part 2

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Two questions I received on the difference between men and women in Kabbalah:

Question: You said at one of the lessons that in addition to loving one’s neighbor as oneself, a person also shouldn’t be an obstacle for his neighbor or cause him harm. How does this law work in regard to women? I know that you said women are freed from the commandment of loving one’s neighbor as oneself, but what about “don’t be an obstacle for your friend,” in regard to women in particular?

My Answer: This commandment pertains to everyone. However, its attainment or implementation differs for men and for women. For men it is done in the group, through love for the friends, whereas for women it is done through working together in dissemination and helping the men.

Question: Does the differentiation between men and women, like when they sit apart while having a meal, have a Kabbalistic meaning or is it a Jewish cultural/religious custom?

My Answer: The rules of our gatherings bear no relation to any other cultures, conventionalities, or etiquettes. Everything is determined only by the goal: for friends to draw closer to each other, which occurs separately for men and for women. All of nature in all the worlds is strictly divided into male and female, and when each part carries out its function, they reach perfection.

Related Material:
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Questions I received on Maaser:

Question: Can we advance spiritually if we don’t pay a tithe (Maaser)?

My Answer: No.

Question cont’d: I bought the book Kabbalah for the Student and printed “The Introduction to The Book Of Zohar” from it myself. Is this considered as a tithe?

My Answer: No.

Question cont’d: With the obligation of paying the tithe, many people will be turned off to Kabbalah and this will not be a solution for them. At first they engage in Kabbalah with all of their desire, and after a while they understand that they have to pay Maaser in order to advance spiritually. I wonder, if a person is already above the Machsom, will he also be obliged to pay Maaser in order to attain the whole goal?

My Answer: Yes.

Question cont’d: Even on the last 125th degree of the ladder?

My Answer: Yes.

Question cont’d: But the poor won’t be able to advance even a millimeter.

My Answer: If they’re poor, their Maaser is also small, accordingly.

Question cont’d: I am very disappointed that one has to pay to attain spirituality. The Maaser has to be removed because it is a limitation to attaining the so called “new civilization.”

My Answer: Maaser is a law of nature, and no one can remove it. You are not paying anyone; you are merely deducting the part of you that is impossible to correct and giving it to the world’s correction through a different method. You are realizing your own Maaser for disseminating Kabbalah around you. You should read about it (you can also look it up on Google.com).

The Maaser is 10% of your desires, which pertain to Malchut and which you are incapable of correcting on your own. You can only separate a tenth of your income, which corresponds to them. Otherwise your soul will not be corrected; however, it’s not corrected by the money, but by your rejection of it. This is why you are able spend this money on all kinds of empty objects, but find it practically impossible to spend it on Maaser!

Question: I understand that we are to pay 10% of our net/gross income as our Maaser. Where do we make the contribution? Are we to do it once a month according to our monthly income or can we do it bi-weekly with our pay cycle? Are you saying that, if we do not participate in the Maaser, we will still advance spiritually, but we will hinder the whole from advancing quicker?

My Answer: You should look for the answer in previous posts on this topic.

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: How to Calculate the Maaser

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A question I received: When a person is intensely involved in correction through the method of Kabbalah, he can’t devote a lot of time to his family, children and their upbringing. So how does a child receive all that’s necessary from his or her father? How can I help my wife overcome her fear and accept that it’s necessary for her husband to dedicate most of his free time to spiritual development rather than the family?

My Answer: In the modern world, one shouldn’t complain about the fact that a Kabbalist can’t devote a lot of time to his wife and family, because he’s working to provide for them materially, and studying to provide for them spiritually. The wife receives her husband’s earnings in both respects.

Those working in the high-tech industry today are just as busy. Besides, children learn from the examples set by the adults, so it doesn’t matter how many hours you spend with them. A child feels what is most important to you in life and this is what he absorbs.

As for your wife, the more time you devote to her, the worse she will feel. You have to understand human nature. Chances are, the problem is that you simply don’t understand the purpose of studying Kabbalah. My advice to you is: instead of resisting it, think about the necessity and the benefit of spiritual studies.

Related Material:
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