Turning The Land Of Canaan Into The Land Of Israel

Dr. Michael LaitmanThe Torah, “Leviticus”, 14; 33-35: And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, “When ye are come into the land of Canaan, which I give to you for a possession, and I put the plague of leprosy in a house of the land of your possession; then he that owneth the house shall come and tell the priest, saying: ‘There seemeth to me to be as it were a plague in the house.'”

Question: I know that people can be infected by leprosy, but I have never heard that it is related to the home. What is the meaning of a home being infected?

Answer: This is only about desires. There are only desires and forces that surround us. If a force is egoistic it appears in the form of different problems like leprosy for example.

A person’s external spiritual desires are called a home, a yard, a field, and a desert. The soul is in the body and the body is in the home, the home is in the yard, and the yard is in an open place in the desert. These five levels: the soul, the body, the home, the yard, and the desert are the same five Sefirot. First they are all egoistic, and so we have to correct them.

First we speak about the correction of the body and now about a totally different level, about the correction of the home, that is about a level called the land of Canaan. A person is a mobile system while a home is connected to the land. This means that a person and his yard seemingly don’t touch one another and there is a home between them. Therefore we have to examine the level of the home now.

Canaan is the land or the desire (“land – Eretz” stems from the word “desire – Ratzon” in Hebrew) that needs to be corrected. Then the land of Canaan becomes the land of Israel. Israel is Yashar-El (straight to the Creator), in order to bestow, whereas Canaan is not that yet.

Question: There are no such attainments in modern Israel yet, so where are we living in the land of Canaan or in the land of Israel?

Answer: Only in the land of Canaan.

Everything that can be corrected on the level of the land is called Canaan. This is already a level, but a level that needs to be corrected. And there are other parts that are still very far from them since besides the land of Canaan, there is Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Babel, and the rest of the world. This is how the land gradually decreases in holiness and grows further away from love and bestowal.

The growth of the opposite attribute, the ego, begins from Egypt, where they used to embalm people. This means that they attributed godly attributes to the human body and tried to immortalize it.

If we speak about holiness, then Israel with its center in Jerusalem is the source where the upper force is revealed to the greatest extent and then it spreads to the lands that I mentioned previously.

Now these states cause the greatest problems because there are the same egoistic forces in them as there are here. Does the positive force stem from Jerusalem today? It is only terrible egoism! This of course, spreads from it, like from the center, and moves in circles to the neighboring countries.

This is the reason that Baal HaSulam said that Jerusalem is the foundation, the source of all the impure forces, and that we must correct it first and foremost. Now this demand comes from all the neighboring countries in the form of their pressure that is meant for us to correct the source of our holiness. Then everything will be fine in these countries too.

We believe that it isn’t our fault that there are wars in Syria, Lebanon, and in other places, but in fact we are to blame for everything that is happening in the world, since we are not the source of the positive force. The nations of the world are absolutely right about that, but we have to work on that. We have already seen that the pressure will not help us. On the contrary, we should all begin to approach this matter independently and work on the correction that the rest of the world expects of us so much.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 2/25/14

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How Can This Be Done?

From the brochure “The Only Way Out.”

The human being cannot live without an idea. Arabs cannot live without an idea, neither can the world, and we cannot, or rather cannot succeed in living without an idea.

The ideas of hatred towards others in all sorts of guises march across the entire planet. Not just brotherly countries, but just brothers wage war against each other.

The scary thing is that we are not able to stop this unfounded hatred. Why? Because hatred can be stopped only by love. Perhaps they are lofty words, but there is no alternative.

The only question is how, in what way to turn the message of hatred into the idea of love. We know that this is impossible. Everyone knows this. But still, there is one historical precedent. Its author is the Jewish people. The Jews are the people created initially on the idea. The idea of love.

It is clear that conventional education cannot achieve this. We all know that very well. However, there is a special technique that allowed and allows achieving these results. This technique has not been known to the world until now. It is called the wisdom of Kabbalah.

The world knows about Kabbalah as mysticism, esotericism, religion, etc. We are talking about the science on the basis of which it is possible to make the idea of “love your neighbor as yourself” a reality.

It turns out that when humankind achieves its goal, with respect to the success of the bodies, by bringing them to the degree of complete love of others, all the bodies in the world will unite into a single body and a single heart, … Only then will all the happiness intended for humanity become revealed in all its glory.” Baal HaSulam – Rav Yehuda Ashlag (1884–1954), Kabbalist, author of commentaries to The Book of Zohar.
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The Way To Perfection

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: It is known that to fulfill our egoistic desires, we use only 3% of our brain’s capacity. In which case would we take advantage of the entire 100%?

Answer: When we begin to include greater desires, then the other capacities of the brain will be used. If we begin to mutually operate the attribute of bestowal between us, the brain will begin to enlarge and activate areas that previously worked in a neutral mode.

But in this case, we are no longer speaking of the physical brain, because when we enter the spiritual world, we stop identifying ourselves with the body. We are not partners with it. Therefore a person who maintains his physical body (and for this there are special laws and instructions), the majority of the focus of life moves to the other side, the side of the spiritual.

For any of our attainment, each stage begins with the body, as from zero, when a person has absolutely no spiritual attainment, similar to how a newborn gradually develops, and thus we develop on each level.

The body needs to be ill, to suffer, to die, and to decompose. Everything takes place according to the spiritual levels, until we go to such a level that it already fully acts in bestowal, and thus there no longer remains opposing forces in him and the possibility of death disappears.

This state of our desires is called eternal, perfect. When we reach this state, our body disappears from our sensations. And in the end, all of this world will enter into a new state, a new dimension.

Question: This means that instead of two forces only one force will exist?

Answer: No. Two forces will remain, but the second force, as well as the first, will work for the sake of bestowal.

All the negative forces have the right to exist and a person’s main problem is to understand that when he enters the system of correction, in attaining the soul, in revealing the Creator, he only needs to change and invert the negative forces into positive ones. This is because they are the most effective and productive, giving the desired fruit.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 2/20/14

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Daily Kabbalah Lesson – 08.22.14

Workshop

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Writings of Baal HaSulam “Igrot,” Letter 10 

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Writings of Baal HaSulam  “Igrot,” Lesson 14

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Writings of Baal HaSulam  “Introduction to the Study of  the Ten Sefirot,” Item 16

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Writings of Baal HaSulam “One Commandment” 

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Lesson on Topic: “Importance of Distribution” 

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Audio Version Of The Blog – 08.21.14

Listen to an Audio Version of the Blog
Download: MP3 Audio
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What Is Happening To Us?

Dr. Michael LaitmanToday, people need to know what is happening to them, for whatever reason it happens, and how they can change the situation.

We see from day to day the hastening of the events that bring us closer to new states more quickly. We can only detect this sequence in which a punishing imperative is seemingly inherent.

Throughout the world, we are witnessing growing anti-Semitism, outbreaks of hatred towards Jews, antagonism against the State of Israel, and all kinds of demonstrations. Various media are trying to distort the facts, creating news and daily analysis in an anti-Israel light.

We see that the whole world as if discovers in this a common force, one spirit that permeates the atmosphere with hatred towards the Jews and Israel.

When the human being recognizes this general trend that is sweeping the world in a manner of weeks, one naturally asks oneself: How is this possible that there is such a powerful reaction to this small war, in comparison with the hundreds of thousands who are being killed in Syria, Iraq, Ukraine, Africa, Afghanistan, etc.?

Here indeed lies the ultimate destiny, and only the secret wisdom, the science of Kabbalah is able to explain what is happening to us and how to act correctly in this situation.
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The Essential Secret Of The Jews, Part 28

From the book: The Essential Secret of the Jews, M. Brushtein.

“Fundamental Principles of the Integral Theory”

The universe hints that it has the mind and feelings.

Nature is a unified force.

Nature is composed of two forces: giving and receiving.

The still, vegetative, and animate nature develops due to an internal program.

The force of bestowal and reception are being developed together.
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The Donkey Rides On A Man

Dr. Michael LaitmanWe are beginning to be disappointed by modern science. No matter how many discoveries science has made, ultimately we discover that we are not supported by it.

Science has given us a multitude of medicines, but on the other hand, medicine has become a global industry that doesn’t always set the healing of the sick as its goal.

Science has made it possible for us to produce an abundance of food, but in spite of all this, half of the world is malnourished.

Science has created a whole army of machines that are ready to replace a person in just about all areas of life, but millions of miserable people are forced to invest hours at work, sometimes for pennies, and the unemployed, in contrast, are left lacking everything and are gradually drop out of life.

We are not okay. In fact, all of the current achievements are concluding some kind of historical cycle. And today, at the beginning of the 21st century, it will become clear that this cycle was only so that we would discover and understand that it is not through science, technology, nor the modern philosophy of life that we reach a good and successful life.

I have no chance for a good life, and most importantly, we stop looking sanctimoniously at our own end. But` I don’t just want to disappear at the end of my life, rather I would like to discover eternal life for myself. But no. The best that I can do is to be less distressed at the current moment, using different “bait.” That is all of our lives.

Today humanity is doing some soul-searching: Why is all of this here and for what? And so the time has arrived to reveal the wisdom of Kabbalah. After all, only knowledge of the general system, and only this science that speaks about the general plan and about the method for realizing it, only this wisdom is truly worthwhile. And without the wisdom of Kabbalah, we will not find the real answer to any question.

Scrutiny of the way through which we have gone brings us to this. Since Adam, 5,774 years have passed. The human species has existed for hundreds of thousands of years. And what’s next? What have we attained with our human development? Have people become happier, more secure? Are we living a better life in this world? Do we know at all what we are living for, or do we simply exist to hold onto this beastly biological life, so that the body will suffer less?

How miserable a person is under the dominance of his “beast,” under his corporeal needs, serving them all the time: Now I let it lie down to sleep, now I feed it, now I wash it, and so on. This means that throughout all his life he is concerned about his “beast,” which in spite of it all, will finally die.

Is this what we are living for? Are all of our wisdoms and personal resources going to this? Is the Adam (man) in me living for this, to placate the “beast?”

And so now, a person has the opportunity to discover the wisdom of Kabbalah, and then he will understand what he has acquired.
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From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/18/14, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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On The Threshold Of A Grand Event

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What do we do when the feeling of unity begins to subside?

Answer: I advise everyone to seriously engage in even greater unity. Moreover, it should be distinctly aimed at creating one single desire directed at connection where the Creator will appear.

You must develop this thought in you, seek it constantly, analyze, collect, process, and refine it. It should constantly churn inside of you and you need to “suck” it like hard candy.

Strive to support each other and treat each other with great sensitivity. Do not distract one another from thinking about spirituality. Reread what Kabbalists write about the conditions of uniting at Mount Sinai in order to “be as one man with one heart.” These are the conditions for revelation of the Creator.

The entire world group stands at the threshold of this event. What is required in order to come to it? Find materials about standing at Mount Sinai and read them, trying not to perceive the language of the sources as religious.

Constantly remain in an increasingly more precise, pointed, common, mutual, and intertwining intention so that all your intentions will connect between you and create one single whole through which the Creator will be revealed. You can achieve this.

Do not confuse this most important goal with going out to the broad public. Going out among the people is meant only to “tighten” you a little more, to give you additional spiritual needs.
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From the Convention In Sochi “Day Two” 7/14/14, Lesson 6

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The Strongest Idea

Dr. Michael LaitmanFrom the brochure “The Only Way Out”:

The Jewish people have repeatedly proven that it is possible to love one’s neighbor as oneself. Yes, it was short-lived. Yes, brief periods of brotherly love were replaced by long years of mutual hatred. But even if it were possible for only one month, even for one day once in a thousand years, it is worth giving up everything.

Humanity unconsciously feels the need to comply with this ethical principle. Judge for yourself. The principle which is in fact, impossible to follow, is the foundation of our civilization!

Love thy neighbor as thyself (the Golden Rule) in the Abrahamic religions, Confucianism, ancient philosophy, and a number of other world religions is a fundamental ethical principle. “The Golden Rule,” Wikipedia:“The Golden Rule or ethic of reciprocity is a maxim, ethical code or morality that essentially states either of the following: One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself. One should not treat others in ways that one would not like to be treated.”  

And what about anti-Semitism? It’s simple. The nations of the world need an example, and not a short-lived example, not from somewhere in the past, but ongoing and right now. To follow this principle, it is not enough to know about it second hand . One must personally see it in front of oneself.

Who must set such an example? Of course, it must be those who brought this principle to the world. And what happens if they do not show this example? If they do not know they have to set this example? If they do not know how to accomplish this? Then comes anti-Semitism.
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