Audio Version Of The Blog – 01.01.15

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

[audio:http://files.kabbalahmedia.info/download/audio/eng_o_rav_2015-01-01_declamation_blog-rav_full.mp3 title=’1.1.15′]

Incentives Of The New Society

laitman_229Today when the traditional models of human development only increase social inequality, it’s time to form a new society based on a system of integral education, where people will obtain a new system of priorities.

Question: What do you call this social economic model?

Answer: “United Society.” In this society each one contributes to and cares for the common interests.

Question: What kind of incentive motivates a person?

Answer: Honor and recognition from others.

Today we use these incentives in their egoistic, negative form: man flaunts his superiority, his advantages over others. Successful people are measured according to wealth.

But the new society lives differently, and the spirit in this society forms the correct relation in everyone.

And besides, realizing oneself in such a way, a person feels that he is advancing to the revelation of the Creator, toward a degree of the next world that is revealed here and now in this life.

Of course we can’t get along without the system of integral education, say an hour and a half of study in the morning and evening. This is not just a class, it’s a change of life values and priorities, a reorientation, a new direction, and a new criteria. Now people are not valued by their dollars, not by their bank accounts, but according to their investment in society.

Where do you take strength for socially useful actions? From the connection with the next degree of development: A person that invests efforts for the benefit of society, progresses and comes closer to the upper force until he reveals it.

In other words, here and now he begins to feel that he is in upper reality. It’s endless, exists above time, and man does not need to wait for death in order to reach paradise (or hell) that someone promises him. It fills him and compensates him beyond all the efforts that he invested.

Such a feeling appears in man during the revelation of the upper force, at the time of attaining the upper reality that is above the borders of this world and our current life. Man reveals the system that manages us and identifies with it. He lives in another degree, above the beastly existence of his body.

And for this compensation he is willing to work day and night.

Before he was boasting about earning more than his neighbor, and now about helping society, a society that receives and values his investment.

And man receives strength by coming closer to the Creator and revealing Him.

Without this developing cause, we will not be able to build a new society.

Question: What is this upper force, the Creator?

Answer: It is a force that acts in all of reality and manages our lives, including now.

It is concealed from us, but if man acts for the benefit of society, then he reveals it.
[150433]
From KabTV’s “A New Life” 12/23/14

Related Material:
Different But Equal
For This It Is Possible To Give Everything
Ten Kilograms Of Effort

Hugs Can Fight Infections

 Dr. Michael LaitmanIn the News (Association for Psychological Science): “If you’re worried about catching a cold, there’s a simple act that may protect you against the virus and help you feel better right away: hug someone.

“Hugging can help prevent a cold virus or lessen symptoms in people who are already sick, according to a recent study published in Psychological Science.

“’We’re told to avoid sweaty, germy handshakes during cold and flu season, but the warm embrace of a close friend or loved one may actually improve immune system functioning,’ says Sheldon Cohen, a professor of psychology at Carnegie Mellon University and lead author of the study.

“Stress lowers the body’s defenses against viruses and other pathogens, research has shown.

“People who were stressed —but got hugs —were less likely to become infected with the virus. Hugs made no difference among those who weren’t stressed in terms of developing an infection.

“Those who did develop an infection with the virus were less likely to feel sick if they’d been hugged in the prior two-week period. The more days someone was hugged, the lower the risk of infection (among those who were stressed). Similarly, the more days someone was hugged, the less likely they would experience cold symptoms when infected with the virus.”

My Comment: The laws of nature are true at all levels. Therefore, convergence is always for the good, and it can cure all human ills!
[150742]

Related Material:
Hugging A Loved One Strengthens Health
Tactile Sensations In Integral Upbringing
Lonely People, Join Us!

The Contingencies Of Personal Development

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: In school we get all kinds of information, but they don’t teach us the main thing: who we are. Why is it important for every person to discover, to know, and to understand himself?

Answer: If I want to realize myself, I must know who I am and what sources of personal and intellectual powers are found within me. If I don’t have them, where can I go to get outside help in order to obtain them? In what am I weak and in what am I strong? For what occupation do I have an aptitude, for what lifestyle? In general, who am I?

Some people are found to have self-destructive tendencies, whereas others are constantly concerned about their life and health. There are those who attract an audience, others that reject it, and so forth. To discover and come to know yourself means that you discover and know the sources of success.

We see that kittens and puppies become independent creatures in two or three weeks. Whereas for a person, years of suffering are required for development, and ultimately his ability to absorb from the environment puts him on his feet.

An infant comes out of his mother’s womb clean and pure with no bacteria or viruses on him, nothing. Within a few hours he is covered with billions of bacteria, up to 30,000 per square centimeter of skin. In turn, the moment that he begins to breathe, sweat, and produce antibodies, he begins to influence his environment.

When it comes to the education of the young person, one is immediately offered a multitude of choices in terms of advice: the newborn must listen to music, you must speak with him, and you must smile at him. They say that the music of Mozart influences brain cells and improves mathematical abilities. Without a doubt, all of this is good.

In truth, if a child up to the age of two hears several languages spoken regularly, they become the mother tongue for him. There exist various studies on this subject, but in fact, we know very little about ourselves, and our knowledge is completely experiential (empirical).

A person’s dependence on the environment is the main thing that must be taken into account. I was born in a particular family, at a particular time, under particular conditions; in all of this I must see the hand of fate. But there is also another side to the coin.

One mother can have five completely different children. For example, I have a brother who is a few years younger than I am, and he took completely opposite qualities from society than I did. This is to say, it is not just the environment, but exactly what a person will absorb from the environment also depends upon the person himself.
[150590]
From KabTV’s “A New Life” 11/7/14

Related Material:
How To Develop One’s Inclinations?
Lessons About A New World: Whom Do You Give Yourself To?
For Each The Right Environment

The Departure Of 2014

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What are we leaving behind in 2014, and have we advanced during this past year towards building a more just society in Israel?

Answer: I think that good changes took place in Israel. People finally began to realize that we cannot expect positive changes from anyone but from ourselves.

If we begin to get closer to each other to better understand each other and unite, in this we will find the key to salvation, greater strength and greater justice.

After all, by uniting we can solve practically all problems, even up to the level of security problems. Everyone was talking about this for several months after the operation “Protective Edge.”

I feel that this year was something special. Even the people of Israel are beginning to say that unity is power.

And today, when the people of Israel are preparing for elections, I see that what prevails are not questions of security and finance, but questions of people’s unity. Although the politicians try to raise these questions in order to direct people at what is beneficial to them, instead the people ask, “What is happening to us, why are we today still in a fragmented state?”

Who Should We Elect?

Question: Which events of the past year could you define as the most joyful and the most terrible?

Answer: I judge a little differently than everyone else because I look at what is happening in terms of the system that manages this world. I think that it was a pretty good year. Peoples’ minds started to change radically. People began to understand that they cannot expect any favors from anywhere.

Question: Even from the politicians who are faced with new elections? How do you relate to them?

Answer: In no way. I know that it is not in their power to do something good for their people, and people rely on them because they do not understand that to be a politician means to be the greatest egoist. Indeed, our entire society is purely egoistical.

And those who reach such a height, by using others as stepping stones, are the greatest egoists. Therefore, we cannot expect anything from them. Maybe before the election, they will remember the people, but in principle, they think only about those who support them in order for them to remain in power longer. So, I do not see anything new in their flirting with the people before the election.

I see the results of the departing year not in terms of the politicians’ actions, but in how much we were able to explain to people what the wisdom of Kabbalah is, what it says, how it sees the future of humanity, and how through it, we can truly manage the world.

Indeed, politicians rule over nothing and no one. It was even said in the Torah that the hearts of the rulers of the world are in the hands of the Creator. Therefore, it is unreasonable to link our future with them.

But the people, to the extent of the connection between them, can really change their destiny. But it depends on their unity.

Anti-Semitism Forces Us to Listen

Question: During this year, how much did you manage to do for the unity of the people? What goals do you consider fulfilled and which are not?

Answer: This year we achieved good relations with Jewish organizations around the world. Since anti-Semitism put serious pressure on the Jews living abroad, many Jewish communities began to listen to us.

Previously, this had not happened. But due to increased anti-Semitism, they changed their attitude towards us because they saw how effectively we work with the masses.

In September of this year, we visited the American Jewish Congress. Prior to that, I appeared on several US television channels, had an interview with Larry King, the main subject of which was anti-Semitism. This is a very sore subject, especially for him.

It comes down to the role of Jews in the world: how they will be able to play a positive role in it and protect themselves from growing anti-Semitism.

Also this year, prestigious newspapers in England, France, Germany, Italy, the US, Canada, and other leading countries of the world published my article “Who Are You, People of Israel?”

This is also a breakthrough, after which it is much easier for us to speak to the press. Now, Time magazine is waiting for our next article and other publishing houses have offered space for our publications in their newspapers.

What Does the Well-being of the World Depend On?

Question: Why did the interest of the world’s key publications in your materials appear this year?

Answer: In principle, the world is in a state of deadlock and no one has a plan of action. We see that governments of all countries do not know what to do.

They are trying to find some reasonable path in the world and humanity’s existence. But neither philosophy nor science gives an answer. Everything humans are engaged in is in a strange state of crisis.

The crisis is a very interesting phenomenon. At first, it appeared to be more or less clear, but now it is not. The problem is that humanity has not risen above its egoism, and here a manifestation of the crisis occurs at different levels: in the collapse of the family, the falling birth rate, unemployment, and in the general decline in all spheres of human activity.

There are no happy countries. On the contrary, everything is disintegrating and gradually crumbling like a house of cards. The well-being of the world depends on how well we start to interact with each other and with nature. This is what the wisdom of Kabbalah tells us.
[150603]
From KabTV’s “The New Year” 12/25/14

Related Material:
Elections Where Everyone Wins
In The New York Times: “Who Are You, People Of Israel?”
Fate Has Brought Us Together And It Is Irreversible

About Elections And The Great Benefit Of Unity

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Naturally there are many political parties and many opinions in every country, but the constant struggle between them over power harms society. How can people who have different opinions be united so that they can work together?

Answer: Unity is possible only among people who have a common goal, such as the wellbeing of society or the actual existence of the country, which is stronger than any disagreements and self-interests. If we are under an enemy attack and there is an external threat, we all unite, thus forgetting the hatred we felt towards one another previously. It is because the external threat extinguishes all our differences and we all fight against a common enemy.

But the moment the war is over and we have managed to defeat the enemy and remove the threat, our ego wakes up and once again we begin to fight with one another.

Question: How is it possible to unite in the absence of an external threat, in peacetime, despite the differences between us and the disputes over different opinions and interests.

Answer: This is possible if we see such a great advantage in unity that without it, our lives would be doomed to absolute failure just like when facing a ruthless enemy. In that case, we will be able to unite all the political parties into one.

We can either be saved from one of two things: either to be saved from a common disaster or looking forward to a great benefit that is perceived to be greater than our lives otherwise it would be impossible to unite. This means that people will fight for what is most crucial for them, and will see it as the greatest success in his life.

People should realize that without unity, everything will be ruined. However, this is currently possible only when there is an external threat in the time of war. If one of the major parties wins an election, like in America, for example, where there are Democrats and Republicans, the victory of one party means that the other party has lost, and they can only unite in order to defeat a common enemy.

But such unity can be sustained only on one condition. The moment it is clear that the enemy has been defeated, the struggle between them would immediately restart. In order for them to unite not under the fear of an external threat, they must be shown that there is a lot to gain, a bright future that promises unity and the end of a destructive struggle.

It is due to their overcoming their quarrel and coming to mutual agreement that they can reach a special level of life, pleasure, honor, power, profit, and the greatest gains.

A person must see a great advantage in unity. He will agree to it only if he worries about his existence in the face of an enemy or in expecting a huge gain through unity.

Therefore, people must be introduced to integral education so that they will see that by behaving in a certain manner, by suppressing the ego and uniting with others in order to work together, they will all receive an amazing infinite gain.
[150473]
From KabTV’s “A New Life” 12/23/14

Related Material:
The Constant Struggle Of Life
Elections Where Everyone Wins
The Right to Choose, Part 1

A Required Occupation That Is Controlled By Destiny

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Some people get tattoos of the three-letter holy names because they suppose that each name has its own unique power. Is this effective? Has the person written a “recipe” for success for himself?

Answer: How will it help your life if you write a recipe with three ingredients on yourself, for example: ten grams of salt, five grams of pepper, and a liter of water? You have to bake the cake and not just write the recipe.

This recipe must be made by taking powers from the soul, finding out what water, salt, spices, flour, and yeast are—all the ingredients needed for preparing a cake. They must be found inside, joined correctly, and thoroughly blended.

And while you are preparing this concoction, you don’t see anything good in it since you need to put it in the oven, and this is not simple process! Only after you put this unpretentious concoction in the oven will it begin to rise to a beautiful cake. And then you can cover with honey or whipped cream.

Question: Have I understood correctly, that this is not just talking about a tattoo, but about ritualistic ornaments and pictures on the wall? If I don’t prepare my cake myself, then none of the various magical accessories will help me? But didn’t they come from the wisdom of Kabbalah?

Answer: It is constructed in people’s perception this way. It is like buying someone else’s diploma. A friend finishes school, he gets a diploma, and you photograph it, write your name on it, and hang it on the wall. Will this help you?

You cannot go to a university and become an expert with this diploma. You are only deceiving yourself that you have something.

Question: How can Kabbalah truly help me to change my destiny?

Answer: First of all, if you want to change your destiny, it is up to you to learn. No unique skills are required for this. It is written: “It is not the wise who learns.” This is for everyone. If is his destiny, he must study Kabbalah!

We have reached a situation in this generation where everyone must learn to change their destiny. It is impossible to escape from this. If you flee, then you will get caught by the ear, with the help of the police and the courts, and you will be sat down at the study table.
[150364]
From KabTV’s “A New Life” 12/21/14

Related Material:
The 72 Recipes For A Wonderful Fate
Tattoos Are A Sign Of A Passing Reality
A Generation Of Sages

The War To Attain The Light

Dr. Michael LaitmanFrom Rabash, Volume 1, “The Miracle of Chanukah”: The Greek domination is opposite from the Jewish way. The matter of the Greeks means that they work only within reason, which means in the heart and the mind. Clearly at a time when the nation of Israel wanted to work above reason and disregard what the external mind obliges us to do, they couldn’t do so.

This is called the Greeks’ war, which is when the real work begins, which means that the nation of Israel wants to get on the track that leads to adhesion with the Creator. This path is called faith above reason. The Greeks, however, want to control the body, so that it would not give up anything if the mind doesn’t agree to it.

Indeed there are many materials in the wisdom of Kabbalah that are consistent with reason, logic, and a rational approach. Take Baal HaSulam’s articles about nature for example, about the upper Providence and the system of the upper worlds.

When we explain that to scientists and intelligent science lovers they are thrilled and immediately declare that it isn’t about religion but first-class science. Science is based on intelligent understanding, rational analysis, and facts. Science offers the opportunity for debates, research, and data analysis. How does that go along with faith above reason?

According to our current logic, the scientific approach is right and justified. But when we want to transcend the boundaries of the human mind and feelings, to expand them to greater dimensions above time, motion, space and above the sciences of this world, which are based on corporeal thoughts and feelings, there is no one with whom we can argue in our rational search for the truth.

In order to ascend, we must first connect new vessels of perception to our natural vessels. Expanding the mind requires special actions on our part, and here we should listen to the advice of Kabbalists who achieved this themselves and tell us how we should act.

If I want to enter a new dimension, above my human mind and feelings and to acquire new vessels of perception, I have to work against my nature. After all, I aspire for the “space” of the desire to bestow, and so I have to develop vessels of bestowal, which I don’t have.

The whole Torah, which means the Kabbalistic method, is meant for that. It is only in these new vessels that I will be able to perceive the upper reality, to understand and attain the forces, plans, programs, and reasons for everything that also happens in my world.

I discover these new attributes and everything that takes place in them according to my advancement in formatting the vessels that operate in order to bestow and not in order to receive. Thus I learn the actions of the upper force, which we call the Creator, since this force created my corporeal world.

I live in the corporeal world and at the same time develop additional vessels of bestowal that operate in an opposite manner. In this way, I discover the upper world and advance towards a perfect, eternal reality. I fight so as not to stay on the corporeal level but to ascend to the human level, to resemble the Creator.

I have to acquire vessels on the way, the attributes and discernments that are totally in bestowal, which means that they resemble the Creator. All the wars fought in order to ascend and to format ourselves on the new level that resembles the Creator are called God’s wars and we conduct them in order to get closer to the Creator and adhere to Him.

Some of these wars are Maccabean wars when a person concentrates his powers and tries to adhere to the Upper Light by connecting to other people who want to reach the same goal, despite his ego. This connection is so strong that the attribute of bestowal is revealed within it. The connection between them is ignited by itself and burns like the burning bush that burned before Moses’ eyes.

This is a totally internal war and its only goal is to transcend the forces of separation and to reach connection in which we will discover the Light for the first time. In other words, using the terminology of Chanukah, we will find the jug of oil for the candles and it will bring us the Light.
[149912]
From the Lesson “The Importance of Chanukah” 12/18/14

Related Material:
Live According To The Mind Or According To Love
Chanukah Is In A Person
The Maccabean Wars

Daily Kabbalah Lesson – 01.01.15

Writings of Rabash, “Shlavei HaSulam,” Article 4

[media 1] [media 2]

The Book of Zohar — Selected Excerpts, “Good and Evil,” Item 453

[media 3] [media 4]

Talmud Eser Sefirot Vol. 6, Part 16, Item 84

[media 5] [media 6]

Talmud Eser Sefirot Vol. 1, Part 1, Chapter 1, Item 3

[media 7] [media 8]