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Greater And Greater Mutual Guarantee

962.3There is no more important action than the practical implementation of mutual guarantee. In this aspect, it is necessary to consider any state, the entire process we go through and its final result. Every moment of life should be directed toward a single goal: toward more and more approximation to the concept of mutual guarantee.

And if we establish this correctly, we will immediately see how our whole life takes on a completely different color, and all problems, including the crisis caused by the coronavirus, disappear one by one. After all, they come with one purpose: to awaken us to the mutual guarantee.

Therefore, for any breakdown, small or large, there is only one way to fix it—only by strengthening our mutual guarantee. We should try to think about this every day, especially after the last congress where we have already begun to build this mutual guarantee between us and all the inhabitants of this world, and we will continue this path.

The Creator does not exist until we build this concept through our union and mutual guarantee. And then He is revealed and begins to exist for us.

The Creator is what unites us. If I treat the group as one whole in which there is no difference between us, then within this concept I begin to feel the Creator. The Creator is the power of unification that we can generate if we strive for unity and support. There is no Creator without creation. This power is the purpose of our union.

We know in advance that there is such a state in which we are united together in mutual guarantee as one person. We turn to this state with prayer, we want to extract strength from it. This state already exists and lives because it is eternal. We only need to reveal it in practice.

This is the difference between the mutual guarantee, which is still developing and changing between us, and the mutual guarantee that we strive to achieve as a result of our absolute unification.

The mutual guarantee is the general law of the right connection between us. And the concept of the Creator is revealed when we really join each other as one. And then, within this unity, we comprehend the ideal of complete, perfect unification, which is called the Creator.

We cannot achieve this complete connection with one jump, and therefore, there are 125 steps, 125 steps created by the upper light when spreading from top to bottom. Therefore, we have the opportunity, step by step, to achieve an ever greater degree of mutual guarantee between us and, as a generalization of this state, with the Creator.

One can only judge about the Creator within the Kli, and therefore, within the concept of a guarantee; a guarantee with the Creator is attained in a group. This means that all the work goes between us.

A surety is a condition for the flow of life in a common body, metabolism, the flow of forces, lights, desires, a condition for life. And therefore there are no small and large in it.

All nature acts according to the law of universal mutual guarantee, otherwise it could not exist. But this is an unconscious step, to which the natural instinct obliges. Whereas people who are above the inanimate, vegetative, and animate level are obliged to fulfill the law of mutual guarantee at the human level of their choice, through their efforts, prayer, and mutual assistance.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/18/20, Writings of Baal HaSulam, “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee)”

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Love Will Cover All Crimes

239Love will cover all transgressions. This means that day by day we will have to reveal new sins because without this it is impossible to advance. Selfishness is bound to develop more and more. The Creator only gave rise to creation by breaking the common soul of Adam HaRishon. From this, the evil inclination began to unfold, our great desire to receive pleasure, and we need to help this egoism open more and more so that it does not remain at the inanimate, vegetative, or animate level.

But egoism can be revealed only in the opposite form. If we want to accelerate the disclosure of egoism, we must, on the contrary, strive to achieve unity. And if yesterday we did not come to a greater awareness of evil than the day before yesterday, then we did not strive for unity.

Every day we try to unite, and as a result, rejection will open up to us, for which we will ask for the power of correction so that love will cover all transgressions. And so we will continue to advance.

It is necessary to reveal evil and attract good to it in order to cover all crimes with love. Without transgressions, there will be no union, there will be no correction of the Kli. We must open all the cracks, all the breaking, in our union, in the vessel of the common soul of Adam HaRishon. And this is possible only when we strive to unite.

First, we perform artificial actions, trying to achieve unification, but we see that the Creator does not allow us to unite. On the contrary, it reveals hatred and rejection between us. And this is the desired result, because crimes are being disclosed on top of which we can truly unite and cover them with love. But this is already with the help of a prayer to the Creator who will give us the power of unity. And so we come to correction.

This is the work: We strive for good, and the Creator reveals evil to us, but we try to cover evil with good, and we turn to the Creator for help. These are the two actions: back and forth, back and forth, corresponding to the four stages of the Kli.

You can imagine that we are sitting in a boat and rowing together, each with his own oar. Each does work in his own Kli. He is drawn to union and sees that rejection awakens in its place. And then he makes a second movement: He turns to the Creator, asks for help, and sees how the Creator makes a row of paddles for him. He does not leave the Creator until He completes the action, covering all crimes, transgressions, with love.

I do the first row with an oar: I try to connect with my friends and I see that I am not achieving what I want, but I am revealing negative qualities. And then I turn to the Creator and ask Him to correct this negative. And so we row all the time: one-two, one-two. The first one or two are mine, where nothing works for me, and the second one or two is done by the Creator and are already successful. It is said about this: “The Creator will finish this work for me.”

The first time I try to do and reveal the shortcomings, and the second time I turn to the Creator with these shortcomings and see a successful result.

A ten sits in one boat, and each holds his paddle with both hands. The Gabai sits at the stern and cheers on the rowers, while the Shaatz sits at the bow of the boat. And that’s how we all go.

The first paddle movement is to reveal a flaw. I want to connect with my friends, but I reveal that I am not capable of it. That is, the first time I try to do it myself and find out my impotence. But at the same time, I am aware of my failure, that is, I open the Kli. And in the second stroke with the paddle, I already ask the Creator to help me and finish this work for me.

This is the case every time: the first stroke is the revelation of the lack and the second stroke is the Creator’s help. As a result, we advance in our boat, first making efforts to reveal evil, and then turning to the Creator for correction and revelation of the goodness.

First of all, I must be grateful to the Creator and friends. After all, the goal of creation can be achieved only by tuning into the friends with closed eyes, if they want and can accept me. And the Creator must dissolve me in my friends, unite me with everyone without any distinction between us.

Therefore, I am grateful to the Creator and the friends for the fact that they exist and give me the opportunity to join them, lose myself, and be born again, which is called “going through the eye of a needle.” Nothing remains of me except the net desire, which I drag through the eye of a needle, and so I move from world to world.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/17/20, “Love Covers All Transgressions”

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Where Is The Point In The Heart?

610.2Where is the point in the heart? Is it a physical, sensory, or spiritual property?

The point in the heart is a particle of the divine from above, a spark of the Creator’s desire to receive pleasure, embedded into creation’s desire to enjoy.

Our whole heart is an egoistic desire to enjoy, and the point in the heart is the desire to bestow. And both exist by the grace of a higher power.

We need to develop both the heart and the point in the heart, and start working with them so that the whole heart, that is, the desire to enjoy, performs actions according to the instructions of the point in the heart. This is called correction.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/27/20, Writings of Baal HaSulam, “The Freedom”

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New Life 1267 – Leadership In The Coronavirus Era

New Life 1267 – Leadership In The Coronavirus Era
Dr. Michael Laitman in conversation with Oren Levi and Yael Leshed-Harel

World leaders need to learn the wisdom of Kabbalah and tell the public the truth that all of humanity must love one another as one man with one heart. The wisdom of Kabbalah explains how all of nature is a single, global, integral system and how it requires humanity to be in equivalence of form with it, meaning to help each other as interdependent friends. Leaders need to create national education programs that teach everyone how to overcome the mutual rejections that occur between people by rising above egoistic differences and opposing views with the attitude that love covers all crimes. Leaders themselves will need to set an example of how to keep the laws of nature through their own behavior. Both the public and the leadership will learn to work together in mutual understanding and spread peace and tranquility everywhere.
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From KabTV’s “New Life 1267 – Leadership In The Coronavirus Era,” 7/15/20

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“Save Our Home: Planet Earth” (Medium)

Medium published my new article “Save Our Home: Planet Earth

Entire neighborhoods are engulfed in fire; thousands have been evacuated from their homes in California. A historic and unusual summer thunderstorm and rare massive lightning strikes combined with record-breaking heat ignited devastating fires across the Golden State. Death Valley reported temperatures of 130°F in what is believed to be the highest temperature ever measured on Earth, and this is attributed to climate change. Other natural disasters around the globe endanger our very existence. What is nature trying to tell us? Its message is clear. We are unwanted guests on this planet unless we humans change.

Other natural disasters around the globe endanger our very existence. What is nature trying to tell us? Its message is clear. We are unwanted guests on this planet unless we humans change.

Global warming not only causes blazes, agricultural problems, water shortages and puts certain species at risk of extinction; it is also blamed for glaciers melting away in Greenland and other locations to the point of no return, dangerously raising sea levels. It is said that there are actions we can take to tackle global warming, such as reducing gas emissions from the industrial sector, but there are so many economic and personal interests that very little is actually done.

If the ecosystem continues deteriorating at such a fast pace, half of humanity may become extinct, and the half that will survive will have to change its way of life from end to end. Continuing our “business as usual” approach despite Earth’s outcry is extremely dangerous.

Man is a very delicate creature. We need so many conditions to live and so many factors affect us: earthquakes, storms, plagues. The problems we face are global in scope; therefore, solutions require global thinking. Yes, thinking. Everything starts with our thoughts.

People think only of themselves, of what is bothering them today and what may produce big profits. Moreover, international organizations, which are supposed to safeguard our planet, fail the test over and over again. Every country is busy developing weapons and economic power, fighting others in all sorts of arenas and thinking that this is how control will be gained. If an ecological disaster does not affect us directly, we do not care.

We have not realized yet that our planet is our common home and whatever happens within it has an endless chain of reactions which will eventually affect us. Someday, we will have to understand that the problems begin with the selfish nature of man, who operates from an individualistic, me-centered, exploitative and narrow vision that wants to keep everything for himself. Until we transcend individual and national borders and start thinking globally, nothing will help.

Sometimes it’s the turn of certain countries to undergo natural disasters, and then it’s the turn of other countries. But overall, there will be no place on Earth that will not face problems. The coronavirus is the first global disaster, with many others waiting in the wings, if necessary. It is nature’s way of making us feel on our own skin that we are all part of one system.

The Destructive Fires Burn Between Us

Ecological calamities make people believe that nature has gone crazy. This is not the case. It simply behaves according to the laws of cause and effect of the integral system in which we live, a system that ties all the details of reality together. What happens inside the Earth, on its surface, and in the whole universe is linked and interconnected because nature is one.

Humans, for our part, need to comprehend that the state of nature depends on the relationships between human beings, and on the willingness of man to adapt to the integrality of nature — that is, taking only what is necessary for survival and caring for the good functioning of the entire system, instead of considering only egoistic calculations.

How are human relationships and what happens in nature related? There are four levels in nature: inanimate, vegetative, animate, and human. All but man exists in accordance with nature’s laws of reciprocity and balance. The other levels have no free choice in anything; they act instinctively taking only what is needed for their survival. Conversely, the human level is the only one that commits atrocities on Earth and does so intentionally, consciously, for the sake of causing harm. Thus, all the negative reactions we receive from nature are just a consequence of our actions. Simply put, we bring these blows upon ourselves.

As of today, humanity does not have an agreed-upon plan to save the planet, and we are just putting out fires instead. And the truth is that the most destructive fires we must put out are those burning within us, in our mutual relations. The ego of man has nearly reached the flash point burns nature just to exploit everything to his advantage.

If we try to build a harmonious system of human relations, all of nature will calm down. The comprehensive solution to the ecological and social dangers we face lies in efforts toward global connection in which we will feel how dependent we are on everyone. Therefore, we will think twice before engaging in ill-treatment of one another. Thus, only through mutual responsibility will we attain the right frame of mind to save our common home and live safely and happily under one roof: our planet.
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“Progressives And Conservatives – A Reluctant Interdependency” (Newsmax)

My article in Newsmax: “Progressives and Conservatives – A Reluctant Interdependency

From protest to counterprotest, to counter-counterprotest, we’re going nowhere. Nothing will come out of any of them except intensifying hatred to the point of breakdown.

We can keep blaming one another for all our troubles and feel good about ourselves, but righteous indignation never got anyone anywhere good. Unless we acknowledge the simple fact that hatred leads to more hatred, which eventually leads to death, we will end up in bloodshed.

We’ve built a society that doesn’t intend to achieve unity, where each one must sympathize with a certain viewpoint, party, ideology, school, etc., and part of that sympathy is expressed in refuting the other side’s merit at growing intensity. Today, that repudiation has come to a level where each side thinks that the other side is a danger to the nation, a peril to the country, to democracy, to the rule of law, to freedom of speech, and must therefore cease to exist.

When you build a society where merit is on the side with the most strength, the side that’s currently on top, you sentence yourself to live by the sword and die by the sword, or the bullet. The reason for the downfall of every great nation since the dawn of history has been just that: Its rulers deemed only their own perspectives worthy, and denied the merit of any other viewpoint.

But contrary to common belief, when you extinguish your rival, you don’t rest on your laurels, you sentence yourself to extinction.

Each of us thinks that he or she is right. This is our nature: I think so, therefore I am right, to paraphrase Descartes’ words. But we forget that we’re all made of the same stuff. The same program that designed, molded and generated me, designed, molded and generated everyone else.

The program, known as “nature,” designed us all slightly different not so we would fight each other to death, but so we would complete the picture together. Nature needs all its facets, and especially the most extreme opposites, in order to define and express all its subtleties. You wouldn’t be able to define “day” in the absence of “night,” “cold” in the absence of “hot,” “love” in the absence of “hate,” and “life” in the absence of “death.”

Likewise, you wouldn’t be able to define “progressive” in the absence of “conservative,” or “faithful” in the absence of “agnostic.” Our opposites are vital to us because without them, we cannot know who we are or even articulate our thoughts about ourselves.

It turns out that we are dependent on all the ones that we detest, despise and demonize because without them, we ourselves would not exist as human beings. We’re living in a dual system through and through.

But there is a good reason for the perpetual dissent: It forces us to turn our attention to the common program that created us — to nature.

Nature is completeness that’s made of united opposites. When we think of unity, we think of the closeness of hearts and minds. But this is not unity; it is sameness. And just as you don’t unite with your own reflection in the mirror, you don’t unite with someone who resembles you in every way. You feel close to that person, but it’s not because you are united, it’s because you are similar. This may feel good, but it leads to stagnation and eventual decadence. To achieve growth, there must be two opposites that challenge one another.

Therefore, unity is the joint effort of two opposites to bond with one another despite their initial animosity. Their oppositeness cannot, and must not be erased, or it will become sameness. To unite, the two sides must value each other’s existence since without the other party, neither would exist. And that appreciation creates a new kind of closeness that exists alongside the animosity.

Also, the two parties must appreciate their unity more than their inherent animosity or they will revert back to mutual destruction. King Solomon put it succinctly in his immortal words, “Hate stirs strife, and love will cover all crimes” (Prov. 10:12).

It is very easy to fall prey to hate. Hating feels great; there aren’t many emotions more satisfying than self-righteousness. But we must always remember that it is a bait we must not bite into. If we do, we will fall into decadence and disintegrate. If we resist the temptation to hate, and acknowledge that the other side exists so as to turn our attention to the nature that created both of us, we will connect to that nature and realize our full potential as human beings.
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“Cancel Culture Or Learning To Accept One Another” (Medium)

Medium published my new article “Cancel Culture or Learning to Accept One Another

Should we cancel people and their ideas if we do not agree with them? This has become the dilemma of our era. The so-called “cancel culture” which consists in removing support for public figures for their opinions or actions is already a trend invading the Internet. At times when the lives of all revolve around the same struggles and challenges, what we need to cancel are our divisions. Instead, we need to embrace our differences and create an environment of acceptance. Our common destiny is at stake.

Human society continues to deteriorate and we need to understand that our salvation from this situation can only come through learning how to treat each other properly.

Public backlash against celebrities, scholars, scientists, public persons or companies for something they expressed that might be considered offensive — this is the new norm on social media. No one is exempted from such calls to end their careers or to receive other punishments, even to the point of total boycott if their views don’t please certain sectors. Where does the freedom of expression end and freedom to cancel others begin?

We live in a time when our ego — our self-centered vision — breaks every boundary, lacks any restraint or control. The ego does not want to hear others out or consider differing views. It is unwilling to discuss facts or controversial issues in a civilized way. In other words, we have no interest in forming a common idea, meeting halfway (or even a fraction of it) to find common ground. The ego does not give up easily, because what matters to us is our own point of view. This is the only truth.

The abolition of the other has penetrated so deeply into modern society that there is no chance of agreement, of a civilized exchange of ideas, or of a fruitful and enriching discourse. It is very unfortunate to see how far we have drifted from the culture of discussion, how far we are from openness and how close to stubbornness. “I will reign” is the call of the hour.

The tendency to cancel others is also commonly witnessed on TV talk shows and round tables. The guests shriek out their little sound bites as fast as they can because otherwise, others will not let them be heard at all. Expressing opinions louder, sharper, faster than the other is encouraged. Logic no longer matters, and there is no longer any interest in the content of things.

Public Intimidation or Collective Social Vigilance?

Cancel culture promoters see it as a useful tool to preserve acceptable parameters of social justice, but how can society judge based on objective standards if its own perspective is biased and founded on a narrow-minded vision? A balanced dialogue can only be guaranteed when we learn how to communicate and listen to one another — not through intimidation but through receptiveness.

This does not mean that there is a need to undo anything, nor to give up any opinion. All that we need is to learn how to arrange the arguments and confrontations so that they are delivered without grating on nerves. In whatever topic of interest, we need to hold a conversation directed to the benefit of the public and the world instead of a fight. If we speak from the intention to help, we will not bring each other down, but we will look together for the right path. We need to discover within every meeting a path to move forward to a better and more considerate world for all.

Please don’t mistake this for adopting an artificial politeness, because pleasant manners today are no match for the rising egos of tomorrow. The new mode of communication should be based on building our inner abilities to connect with others. This means changing our intention and our way of thinking: for the benefit and progress of others rather than to belittle and exploit them.

Human society continues to deteriorate and we need to understand that our salvation from this situation can only come through learning how to treat each other properly.

In the end, the only behavior we need to cancel is our mutual cancellation; this is all that separates us. When we reach such awareness and exert to come to mutual understanding, our society will be a much more pleasant place to live.
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The Germans Of The Laws Of Moses, Part 1

laitman_430Historical Paradox

Question: In 1871, Germany was unified and Jews were granted rights. Their entry into German society and the establishment of the Second Reich was a new stage in the assimilation of Jews.

One of the most powerful figures of Jewish origin was industrialist Walter Rathenau who became the German Foreign Minister and he organized the war economy that empowered the military of the Third Reich. He proclaimed: “[M]y religion [is] that Germanic faith which is above all religions.”

The more Jews tried to be German, the more it turned against them. After losing World War I in 1918, the Germans came to the conclusion that it was not external forces that had defeated Germany, but the internal treachery of the Communists and Jews.

Why is it that the more Jews try to prove their patriotism, the more they are hated?

Answer: This is natural. This paradox exists at all times because the Jewish nation consists of two roots. Their animal root wants to be in solidarity with and dissolve in all the peoples of the world, and the spiritual root demands to be realized, although they suppress it.

It turns out that Jews exist on two completely different planes. In an effort to physically assimilate with the people in whose midst they live, in this case the German people, they adopted its culture, made a huge contribution to its development, and were unwilling to see how much they were disliked, hated, repelled, and despised.

There were a great number of Jews in the army, science, philosophy, finance, and politics who participated in the revival of Germany.

Moreover, note that Germany, strangely enough, unlike the rest of Western Europe, was divided into separate municipalities and counties that were unfriendly toward each other. Perhaps the question of how much the Jews contributed to the unification of Germanic lands in the 19th century has not yet been fully investigated. As a result, by the end of the 19th century, Germany declared itself unified.

For more on this topic, read my book The Jewish Choice: Unity or Anti-Semitism, Historical facts on anti-Semitism as a reflection of Jewish social discord.
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From KabTV’s “Systematic Analysis of the Development of the People of Israel” 8/12/19

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New Life 1268 – Concern For Social Issues In Israel

New Life 1268 – Concern For Social Issues In Israel
Dr. Michael Laitman in conversation with Oren Levi

Israel is in an existential crisis, with hungry enemies on every side. Security is top priority and has pushed social issues involving the elderly, the ill, and the poor aside. The coronavirus has put social issues back in the forefront of life so Jews have an opportunity to model the principle “love covers all crimes.” The hatred of the nations of the world is what makes Jews unite since we only have the force of connection when we face war, fear, and threats.

Israel is unique in that its destiny is to provide an example of unity and concern for others to the whole world. Unity is the law of nature and Jews determine the relations within the single system between the still, vegetative, and animate levels of reality. We must show the world how to rise above the force of separation with the force of connection into a state of “one man with one heart.”
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From KabTV’s “New Life 1268 – Concern For Social Issues In Israel,” 7/20/20

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