Question: What were Adam and Eve like? Should the relationship between a man and a woman be similar to their relationship?

Answer: Adam and Eve were not people but two communication systems of egoistic desires to receive and desires to bestow. The Torah tells us exactly that. We must come to a state where both systems are fully integrated and one person is created from them.

Basically, Adam is alone. After all, the Torah also says that in the beginning there was only Adam and then God created a woman from his rib. All this needs a long explanation, but in short, the system must come to the point where we connect together and again turn into one single system called Adam. This is not some kind of a biological image and not a person of our world.

We humans descended from monkeys. There are no questions at all regarding this. These species of monkeys gradually developed until increasing egoistic desires appeared in them, which turned them into people.

That is, monkeys are much better than us. In us, in uncorrected people, egoism is much greater. But don’t worry about it, correct it.
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From KabTV’s “Fundamentals of Kabbalah,” 3/8/20

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Question: How does the game mechanism work? Do we attract some energy from it by playing a future more corrected state?

Answer: Of course. We attract upper energy. After all, our thoughts and desires act in the surrounding space.

Question: Does it mean that there is some kind of corrected state where we are in the correct connections?

Answer: Definitely! Up to our most final, best state. And it exists not somewhere up there but within me. I as if unconsciously turn to this state and draw energy and strength from it.

Question: Does a child also play in the same way?

Answer: Absolutely everyone! Even a little bug plays something. This happens at any degree. This is the only way the desire changes. Everyone is affected by the same light to a greater or lesser extent.

Question: Does it mean that the Creator created millions of these states?

Answer: Everything from the beginning to the end is created by one light, one thought.

Question: It is strange that from two to three atoms the universe appeared including people with their entire spectrum of feelings. How is this possible?

Answer: The main thing is the final state. Everything is built from the end and not from the beginning. Therefore it is written, “The end of the action is in its initial thought”

Question: So this is not about a gram of light and a gram of desire, which are enough for everything to develop, but about the program itself. It develops everything. Is the program the Creator?

Answer: It is the thought of creation. And above it there is the force that is called the Creator.

As for a gram of light and a gram of desire, these are two forces, plus and minus, that exist in nature in order to develop the desire so it becomes a suitable equivalent for the light.
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From KabTV’s “Fundamentals of Kabbalah,” 3/25/20

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Comment: Kabbalists write that there is no time, speed, or place in spirituality as in the material world. From the point of view of Kabbalah, time is a change of states.

My Response: Yes, time does not exist in itself since everything that happens is interpreted with respect to the observer who comprehends this. Therefore, everything is relative, as well as according to Einstein.

But how does this happen on its own? We don’t know. There is nothing happening outside of us. Everything is in our sensations only.

Comment: They say that there is no speed in the spiritual world, only acceleration.

My Response: Constant speed means almost no movement. Here we are dealing with a derivative and not with a constant speed. This is also stated in the theory of relativity.

Question: As for space, is it spiritual in a desire?

Answer: Naturally, because again everything is comprehended regarding a person, regarding an observer. The organ with which one perceives everything is a desire.

Therefore, everything happens in the will of a person only. If what is happening in the desire is constant, then one simply ceases to understand this. We feel only changes, and not the impact itself.

Comment: It is interesting that the ancient The Book of Zohar, written in the 2nd century AD, says, “The Zohar doesn’t speak of material events at all, but of higher worlds, where the order of times is not the same as in the material world. Times in the spirituality are revealed through changes in forms and steps that are higher than place and time. ”

My Response: Yes, that is true, there’s nothing that changes by itself, only with respect to the observer.
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From KabTV’s “Fundamentals of Kabbalah,” 6/10/19

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The Book of Zohar—A Technique of Exaltation

Question: Rashbi, the author of The Book of Zohar, lived during the time of the Roman Empire. As an ardent opponent of the Romans, he hid in a Cave in Pkiin for 12 years with his son. After 12 years, they left the cave, gathered eight more people, and wrote The Book of Zohar.

What is so special about this book? Why is it written in an encrypted language? Was it not possible to explain the need for unity of the people in a simpler way?

Answer: No. This book is not about the unity of the people. This is a technique of exaltation of the soul, not an ideological treatise on how to attract people, bring them closer, and explain to them that they need to unite.

Question: What does exaltation of the soul mean? Is this not a union with others?

Answer: Exaltation of the soul occurs when a person, together with other people like him, rush to the Creator, that is, to a single force. So, they unite among themselves.

That is, The Book of Zohar is not intended to educate common people. It describes the comprehension of those who are already in a union.

Question: Can we say that this book is a technique for correcting egoism?

Answer: No. It talks about how, as a result of a gradual, step by step correction of egoism, a person reveals the upper force.

Question: Why, let’s say, are the Mishnah or Talmud intended for the education of the people, but The Book of Zohar is not? What is the difference?

Answer: The Mishnah is written in a completely different language. It does not oblige anything: just teach it and that’s it. We see that people still study the Mishnah, but it does not change the people at their roots.

Question: That is, the Mishnah is written in a simple historical language. Do people understand its stories and parables?

Answer: Yes. It reflects the spiritual world in an allegorical form.

Question: The Book of Zohar speaks of all kinds of abstract phenomena divorced from the life of an ordinary person. The Kabbalistic language describes Sefirot, Partzufim, etc. Was it hidden because of that, and people could not understand it?

Answer: No. It was supposed to be open only when humanity really became worthy to use it for spiritual ascent.
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From KabTV’s “Systematic Analysis of the Development of the People of Israel,” 8/7/19

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Question: You say that someone has great egoism, someone has small egoism, and in accordance with this, different conditions are given for correcting it by the Creator. But how do I know what my egoism is: big or small?

Answer: Why do you need to know this? There is no need. It is what it is. As they say: “The Creator gives a vicious cow no horns.”

Each person has some specific properties, and he works with them. So do not envy anyone. Each has his own set of corporeal and spiritual qualities that will help him reach the root of his soul.
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From KabTV’s “Fundamentals of Kabbalah,” 3/8/20

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Medium published my new article “COVID-19 Has Given Us a Lesson in Humility”

Quite probably, no danger has been downplayed more than the coronavirus. Since case 1, the virus has been described as a type of flu, a negligible threat to health, and basically, a non-issue. Yet, we can already see that this bug has a huge impact on human society. Covertly, COVID-19 has smashed the foundations of human civilization. Within two months, humanity has capitulated to an enemy it cannot see, hear, smell, taste, or touch, and whose noxiousness is questionable.

“We’ve all learned how vulnerable we are, how dependent we are on each other for our most basic needs, from health and food to human compassion.”

Flu or no flu, one by one, governments revoked all public activities, religious and political congregations, professional conventions, sports and entertainment, shopping centers, factories, hi-tech companies, transportation, and recreation. Despite the unimaginable cost, heads of state succumbed in droves to the bug and stopped their nations in their tracks.

Even more extraordinary, now, as governments are trying to restart their countries, people aren’t excited to partake. It’s not only that they’ve had no income during the lockdown, though this is true as well. It is deeper than that: Humanity is losing interest in a civilization that hails people according to their wallets.

Though policy makers and tycoons are urging people to pick up where they left off two months ago, as they stand to gain the most from the recovery, at our expense(s), this will not happen, not this time. People have changed.

Not only tycoons and policy makers have been given a humbling lesson by the virus, we all have. We’ve all learned how vulnerable we are, how dependent we are on each other for our most basic needs, from health and food to human compassion. We have learned that what really makes us happy is warm families and good friendships, not hot trends and smirking colleagues.

We are learning to be equal. We are realizing that it is more rewarding to complete than to compete, that it is so rewarding to share, to care, and to be free at last from our egoistic selves. By submitting our egos, COVID-19 has given us life.

And as every toddler does, we are taking baby-steps. At times we will stumble, at times we will fall, but our goal must be clear all along: We are learning to unite. If we strive to live in unity, life itself will teach us what we must keep from the past, and what we must cast away. We need not make decisions in advance, just try to bond with one another and see what kind of society emerges, how it caters to its members, rewards its champions, and reproaches its foes.

As our values change, so will our causes for joy and for sorrow. Our aspirations will effortlessly adjust themselves to the new environment, and we will thrive when everyone around us thrives.

Since human bonding will be the ultimate goal of society, we will not be afraid for ourselves, for our children, or for others in our care. We will not need to worry about food, housing, health care, education, friends for our children or friends for ourselves. Simply, we will not need to worry. And the only demand of us will be to do the same good for others as they do for us.

We should fear the virus and tend to our health, but we should also be thankful that it came to our aid. It saved us from killing each other and destroying our planet; it gave us a chance to start over. So in all honesty, I am grateful for the lesson in humility that COVID-19 has given us all.
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Medium published my new article “Who’s Afraid of High Unemployment?”

We’re not returning to business as usual. China’s air pollution is back, as the factories are running full steam again, but shoppers will not return to the pre-COVID days. Bankruptcies and higher taxes are in store for America says Larry Fink of BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager; Europe is likely to raise taxes to cover their “grants for post-COVID recovery,” according to Reuters, and the global luxury market is “headed for 18 per cent drop,” writes the South China Morning Post.

“As people learn about the importance of solidarity, mutual responsibility, and other social assets, their self-esteem will grow as they become active members who realize these values in practice.”

So we’re not returning to business as usual. But it’s not only because of higher taxes and unemployment. We are not returning to the way we were because the way we were got us into where we are — coming in and out of lockdowns, anxious about the future, unsure about the present, and generally stumped. Many people simply don’t want to go back to their previous lives; they weren’t that great.

Since unemployment will remain high and many people will be stressed for cash, and since those who are employed will also not jump giddily back to the days before the virus, many businesses will not survive. And if we still have any extra cash, the rising taxes and bankruptcies will stifle the little drive we have left for going out or shopping.

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

Despite all that I just wrote, I am very happy about where we are right now, though I wish we’d gotten here in easier ways. Be that as it may, we have finally come to the inevitable state where the authorities must address the problem. Unemployment benefits and food stamps will not solve anything. Tens of millions of people are permanently out of the job market, and the prediction is that the numbers will only grow.

This requires an overhaul, a complete rethinking of the structure of society. The only way to avoid a total social collapse, eruption of violent riots, installment of martial law, and who knows what other catastrophes, is to do two simple things:

1. Provide every person entitled for government benefits with a scholarship that will replace all other benefits. The scholarship will be sufficient to allow for respectable — though not lavish — living. Food, clothing, housing, health care, education, and some recreation and vacation must be a given for every person. These are basic human needs, not luxuries.

2. In return for reception of the scholarship, each person will attend courses that will provide information about the world we live in, both in terms of governance, basic finance, and other life skills, as well as more inclusive information about the situation of the world today following the coronavirus crisis.

The goal of the studies is not merely to educate people, though that, too, is important. The goal is to help them connect socially and emotionally to one another, to their families, their city, and their country. People who feel that they are where they belong don’t go out and destroy their own cities or countries, especially not if their personal finances are secured.

Over time, graduates of the program will themselves become teachers as more and more people find themselves permanently out of work. But unlike today, where unemployed people often feel degraded and lose self-esteem, the social contribution of the studies program will be so substantial that people will gladly get on board.

As people learn about the importance of solidarity, mutual responsibility, and other social assets, their self-esteem will grow as they become active members who realize these values in practice. Just as today we offer social services and regard it as important, people engaged in these studies will become so connected, so caring, that they will change the whole atmosphere in their neighborhoods and communities. Their immense contribution to the cohesion of society will be so substantial that they will become the pillars of society, the basis for building sustainable and happy communities.

If this bright future seems obscure to us, it is because we haven’t fully grasped the depth of the transformation that COVID-19 has done to all of us. It has changed us forever. When we come out on the other end of the plague, we will be thankful for it, and perhaps regret only that we needed a pandemic to show us the obvious.
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My article in Newsmax: “The Pandemic That Removed Humanity’s Mask”

If there is one visible element that epitomizes the drastic change in our lifestyles due to the pandemic, it is the massive use of masks. Our new, almost faceless society, opens up a whole new perspective on personal interactions, as some studies suggest that the covering of faces may raise suspicion between people. On the other hand, COVID-19 managed to slip through humanity’s mask to reveal our egoistic behavior, giving us an opportunity to rise above the external barriers between us and penetrate deep into each other’s hearts.

Wearing masks to prevent coronavirus contagion is a cultural paradigm strange to us in the Western world so “we may initially become extremely distrustful of one another,” said Francis Dodsworth, U.K. senior criminologist at the University of Kingston, in the current context when scholars around the world debate on how this new social condition will impact interpersonal relationships.

The face, just like the entire body, conveys information that helps us absorb non-verbal communication clues. The face helps us understand the other and know who is the person in front of us, and what are his sentiments and intentions. Therefore, the requirement to wear masks in public places because of the coronavirus has cut down on interpersonal message transmission and obstructed the non-verbal communication between us.

A Blessing in Disguise

I, for one, think that our mask-wearing reality is a good and interesting situation. It is beneficial to understand that we do not know or recognize the person in front of us. It is better to relate to the person as a stranger whom we do not really understand. After all, we do not know another’s desires and intentions — we have no clue or way to know.

Such a foggy situation demands of us to conclude that we simply have to make a big effort to know the person behind the mask. We should reach a level of communication that will activate an internal demand in us so that the person in front of us will open his heart. We should not look for signs in the other’s facial expressions, a smile or twist of the person’s mouth, all this is external. Rather, we should connect to the other person’s heart, and then we will feel certain that they mean well toward us. And if we behave with the same good intention toward others, in mutual responsibility, cooperation, and a positive attitude, we will not need any more masks or disguises because trust will be built.

COVID-19 is very sly. Its actions are not merely a biological matter, but through matter, the virus is operating on us and teaching us how to be human. Nature, as shown by the coronavirus, demands of us to change our interpersonal connections. If we maintain good interactions between us, we will be able to enjoy mutually beneficial relations. If we make no effort to improve the quality of our interactions, we will not be able to come closer to one another in any shape or form. We will be blocked from each other, unable to communicate, with an enormous sense of rejection that we will be unable to bond above, even without a mask and inches away from each other.

In order to reach the correct form of communication between us — which is the solid basis for any relationship — we must change and adapt ourselves to the standardized form of interaction that exists in nature, which is symbiotic and cooperative. Our next stage will be to create something more qualitative than a give-and-take connection, to focus our connections on truly benefiting others through a bond rooted in friendship and closeness of hearts.

Until our hearts are close and we consider ourselves as one society characterized by consideration and good attitude, we will continue to wear masks. In fact, what we need to do right now is pull a curtain over all our selfish desires and communicate heart-to-heart with our fellow people through the cover over our egotistical desires. It means that the intention and thoughts should be for the benefit of others and not at their expense. As we pull the curtain over any egotistical desires that pop up, we will gradually open our hearts to one another, like a channel of positive communication and understanding. Then humanity will put its best face forward.
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My new article on Linkedin “The Surprising Way to Come Out of a Bad Mood”

Many people want to show their pain when they are suffering or in a bad mood, as in, “A sorrow shared is a sorrow halved.” But if you project negative emotions and burden others with your pain because it makes it easier on you, this is simply super selfish. What you should do instead, is put a smile on your face and act as if everything’s fine. If you do that, you will find that you really have come out of your down, since when you put on an act, you become what you’re acting.

For example, think of a mother with her baby. Even under the worst circumstances, she will try to look cheerful for her child. And at the moment she does this, she is emotionally with her child and she really is happy. If she has big problems she will probably fall back down later, but at least for that moment, she came out of herself and felt good precisely because she tried to make someone else feel good.

The only cause of suffering is our ego. Once we rise above it, we do not suffer. My teacher, RABASH, used to laugh at himself when he felt down; he was laughing at his own ego. And once he did that, he was no longer down.

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The Times of Israel published my new article “Anti-Semitism Was on Lockdown; Now It’s Back”

A few days ago, The New York Times wrote in relation to Secretary of State Pompeo’s visit to Israel that there is a “thinly veiled allusion to a bone of contention between Israel and the United States” regarding China. The aftermath of COVID-19 will be horrendous to the Jews and to Israel.

If last year saw a record number of anti-Semitic incidents around the world, this year, the anger and anguish from the stress caused by the pandemic will turn against Israel and the Jews.

It is no coincidence that Israel is finding itself stuck against its will between China and the US and is being asked to choose which side it wants to be on. The two superpowers attribute to Israel power that its people don’t feel they have. Does it really matter what a tiny country like Israel decides? Clearly, it does to China and America.

One way or the other, the pressure on Israel and the Jews the world over will grow—politically, socially, economically, and in the military sense. One way or the other, the only right choice Israel can make is for its own people to unite among themselves.

Currently, when Israelis and Jews alike are setting new records of internal hatred every single day, the world is setting new records of Israel-hatred and Jew-hatred. As I have shown in my books, Like a Bundle of Reeds: Why unity and mutual guarantee are today’s call of the hour, and The Jewish Choice: Unity or Anti-Semitism, there is a clear correlation between internal solidarity, or lack thereof, within the people of Israel, and the intensification or decrease of anti-Semitism.

Unity is the key to solving all of Israel’s problems. Unity is also the key to solving the world’s problems, but the world is looking at Israel for example. Before Israel begins to unite, neither will the world. This is why as long as Israel sets an example of internal bickering and hatred, it will get the exact same attitude from the world. When its people change their attitude toward each other, the world will change its attitude toward them.

American Jewry in Deep Trouble

The state of the Jews in the US has never been worse. Many on both sides of the political map are suspicious of them and blame them for many, if not all of America’s numerous plights.

The coronavirus disease did not help the state of American Jewry, and many Americans blame Jews for either bringing or spreading the pandemic in the country. History is plagued with Jews being blamed for transmitting diseases, and the consequences of these libels have always been catastrophic. Now, it seems, we’re headed for another such libel. But this time, there will be nowhere to run as the pandemic has impacted the entire world, as will the anti-Semitic feelings that it stirs.

In fact, despite the existence of Israel, the state of the Jews today is in many ways worse than it was prior to World War II. Israel is not self-sufficient and can easily be placed on internationally imposed quarantine. The Jews all over the world are feeling the intensification of anti-Semitism in their countries, and there seems to be nowhere to go.

In the late 1930s, the US, Canada, Australia, and Europe were all diplomatic in their disinclination to take in Jewish refugees from Germany and Austria. When the wave we’re seeing now becomes as bad as it was in Germany, these countries will be just as active as the Nazis in their efforts to expel the Jews from their midst.

We may think that there is no connection between COVID-19 and anti-Semitism, but there is indeed. It is not only that anti-Semites blame the plague on the Jews. The virus showed us that we are all in one boat. As NY Governor Andrew Cuomo put it, “An infection anywhere is an infection everywhere.” This means that only joint action can defeat the virus. But instead of sharing resources and information in joint efforts, international tensions are growing as countries vie for anything from PPE to creating a vaccine. And in the end, the Jews will be blamed for creating the virus, spreading it, and cashing in on people’s suffering. It is already happening. When these rumors take root, they can become a cataclysmic point in our history.
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