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“How Can We Stomp Out Anti-Semitism In The United States?” (Quora)

Dr. Michael LaitmanMichael Laitman, On Quora: How can we stomp out Anti-Semitism in the United States?

The way to eliminate anti-Semitism in the United States is the same as how to solve anti-Semitism anywhere in the world: to raise awareness of the root cause of anti-Semitism in order to invert hatred into love.

Kabbalistic sources explain both such a cause and solution to anti-Semitism. It is because Kabbalists perceive developmental processes unfolding in our world, and can both warn people of oncoming threats, as well as offer a remedy to prevent such threats from materializing.

For instance, Kabbalist Rav Yehuda Ashlag (Baal HaSulam), the most renowned Kabbalist of the 20th Century, tried convincing European Jews in the 1930s to leave Europe because he foresaw the oncoming disaster. Both following his example, as well as taking heed to the alerting recent rise in anti-Semitism worldwide, I also feel the need to communicate the message about the root cause of anti-Semitism and its solution both to Jews and non-Jews, and I extensively
write and speak on the topic with the hope that, at the very least, a future mass tragedy can be prevented.

In relation to the United States, I have lectured to Jewish communities in the United States at various intervals over the last 20 years. During the 2000s, I was laughed at when I mentioned that anti-Semitism was going to become a growing issue in America. Now, in the 2010s, after anti-Semitism’s immense exponential growth, both in the amounts of anti-Semitic crimes and threats, as well as in anti-Semitic sentiment, I am saying that the all signs are pointing to the next Holocaust emerging in America.

However, as much as I write and speak about this topic, I see little response to this message from the Jewish people. It is written about us, that we are a stiff-necked people, i.e., we have a tough skin that makes it very hard to penetrate such awareness into our perception.

In any case, in order to prevent a future dystopian scenario for the Jewish people in the United States, as well as elsewhere, the message is the same for all Jews: we need to unite, according to the tenet “love your friend as yourself,” in order to become “a light unto the nations,” i.e., a conduit that passes the positive unifying force dwelling in nature to the world. If the message doesn’t become accepted through education and promotion, then anti-Semitic blows and suffering will rise, “softening our stiff necks,” undesirably increasing our ability to absorb such a message.

That is the state we first reached some 3,800 years ago in ancient Babylon, under Abraham’s guidance, which granted us the name, “the people of Israel” (“Israel” from the words, “Yashar Kel,” which means “straight to God” [“God” being the same as “Nature” according to Kabbalah, i.e., a positive force that connects between all elements of reality]). Also, according to the same unifying tendency, we were later named “Jews,” from the word for “unity” (the Hebrew word for “Jew” [Yehudi] comes from the word for “united” [yihudi]).

We are gradually reaching new heights of anti-Semitism that the world has never seen, since today’s world is more globally-integrated than ever before. Due to anti-Semitism emerging as a natural phenomenon in non-Jews, toward a subconscious expectation for the Jews to pioneer a process toward more positive human connection, then we can expect a future where everyone other than a few Jews will be anti-Semitic.

Therefore, we Jews first and foremost need to show everyone how unity above the growing hostile divisions in society is not only a possibility, but that there is a method of connection to guide our every step of the way. By implementing such a method on ourselves, we sends positive unifying ripples throughout humanity’s consciousness, and invite an opposite attitude from anti-Semitism upon ourselves in return. In other words, by witnessing increasing positive connection, and subsequent rises in happiness, support and confidence in society at large, the general attitude toward a unified Jewish people would become favorable and encouraging.

However, if the Jewish people will continue rejecting, ignoring or remaining unaware of the message of the need to unite, then instead of seeing unity form in society’s mainstream, we can expect unity to form more and more in society’s fringes, i.e., as Nazi and fascist unity. Such unity is dangerous, since it is built on uniting around the hatred of the other, and it becomes the infrastructure that can lead to the manifestation of horrific events, as exemplified by the Holocaust.

Therefore, I hope that Jews in general, and especially American Jews, will start noticing that the ball is in our court, and that we need to play the game properly: to prioritize our unity in order to spread unity onward. If we do so, we’ll be in a better general state in America and around the world. However, if we fail to realize what the wisdom of Kabbalah is saying on this pressing issue, then the state will become much worse.

It All Depends On Perception

laitman_559Question: Critics of Kabbalah say that Kabbalists consider this methodology the only path to spirituality, although in fact, there are thousands of spiritual practices of all kinds. Why do Kabbalists think so?

Answer: This is unsubstantiated. I can’t prove anything, and I don’t intend to.

The fact is that a person engages in yoga or not just physical but spiritual development, is in some special exalted state, and seems to him that he has revealed something indispensable, true for himself. How can I dissuade him from this? At his level he perceives it that way.

He is like a small child who plays with his toy car, and if you show him something else, bigger, electromechanical, he will not be interested in it, he needs his toy. He can’t absorb more than that. Just like a mother offers her little daughter to play with her little brother instead of a doll and the daughter does not understand: for the little girl it is all about her doll and for the mother the baby.
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From KabTV’s “Fundamentals of Kabbalah,” 1/29/19

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The Wisdom Of Kabbalah
Look For Answers On Your Own

Blitz Of Kabbalah Tips – 9/7/19, Part 3

Laitman_138Question: How do the four phases of the development of nature (inanimate, vegetative, animate, and human) correspond to the physical age of a person? At what age does he become a man (Adam)?

Answer: There is no correspondence with this. The created being can become a man (Adam) at any age. The spiritual experience does not depend on age.

Question: There were such cases when the sages prayed to forget all their knowledge and to start from scratch. How is it possible to advance without comparative analysis? By what parameters can a person compare the revelation of one’s feelings or any change?

Answer: The more a person can forget so that there will be nothing left in both the brain and the soul, the faster and better one can advance.

Question: What are the stages of development of the Creator in the ten?

Answer: These states are called conception, nine months of development, birth, two years of suckling, upbringing to the age of six, then from 13 to 20, 70, and to 120 years. These are the phases of the development of the soul.

Question: You said that thought is primary, above the flesh. What does it mean?

Answer: Naturally, thought is the most important thing in our world, even in the egoistic one. Therefore, above thought there is only the next level—the Creator. However, thought does not exist on its own. Thought is the expression of the heart, expression of the desire.

Question: How can we ask the Creator correctly when there is a split in the ten?

Answer: Ask Him to bring you together. Imagine that you had nothing except a plate and suddenly it shattered. You could receive everything on it. How would you ask the Creator to assemble this plate for you? Otherwise, there will be nothing.
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From Lesson 4, World Kabbalah Convention in Moldova 9/7/19, Rejoice in What We Lack/Work in Concealment

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Spiritual Geography, Part 6

Laitman_004The Place Abandoned by Spiritual Force

Question: Did you ever go to Jerusalem and the Dead Sea with your teacher Rabash?

Answer: We went to Jerusalem. However, Rabash did not particularly respect it or the Wailing Wall because, as the Kabbalists write, once Jerusalem was destroyed, the spiritual force abandoned it and it can only be restored if the people of Israel revive their good attitude toward each other.

Therefore, as Kabbalists suggest, although Jerusalem is a very high point today, it is high in the negative, not the positive way.

Question: Yet, still, Jerusalem and the Dead Sea are closer to creation. Why didn’t you go there? They are Zeir Anpin and Malchut?

Answer: Indeed, we never went to the Dead Sea and we only went to Jerusalem a few times. However, these were special trips in order to meet with family or friends or to do something.

Question: Does it mean that it is impossible to draw spiritual forces from there?

Answer: No, I did not see that Rabash received any energy, nourishment, or connection with the upper world in Jerusalem. We were there with his relatives and friends, and went to all sorts of events. We were only at the Wailing Wall once and just for a few moments.

So, except for Mount Meron and the grave of Rashbi, we did not go to any other places, including Hermon and the Cave of Machpelah.

Remark: It is strange because Hermon is considered the highest point, the quality of the Creator. It would seem that it is from there we should draw spiritual forces.

My Comment: No, we practically never went above Tiberias. Tiberias and Mount Meron were the places of our trips, on one hand. And on the other hand, we went to parks, quiet places with no people where we could sit peacefully, speak, and study.
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From KabTV’s “Fundamentals of Kabbalah,” 1/28/19

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Spiritual Geography, Part 5
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Daily Kabbalah Lesson – 12/15/19

Lesson Preparation

[media 1] [media 2]

Lesson on the Topic “The Conditions for Raising Oneself Above One’s Circle”

[media 3] [media 4]

Writings of Baal HaSulam, “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee),” Item 23

[media 5] [media 6]

Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah,” Item 142

[media 7] [media 8]