Audio Version Of The Blog – 9/2/20

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“From Left To Right, We’ve Tried Every Regime, But We’ve Never Tried Caring”

Dr. Michael LaitmanFrom My Facebook Page Michael Laitman 9/2/20

The previous century was fraught with social experiments, which cost us heavily. Twice humanity became embroiled in world wars, tens of millions of lives were lost, as hundreds of millions lost their loved ones and their livelihood. In the second decade of the previous century, we tilted to the extreme left, with communist Russia. Some two decades later, much of Europe took a sharp turn to the right, with the emergence of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy.

In the middle of the century, after two world wars proved that neither extreme works, we went for capitalism and the United States became the world leader. With capitalism, we thought we’d found the answer. It basically ignored ideologies and allowed both democratic America and communist China to become capitalist superpowers. Instead of consecrating ideologies, it venerated money. And since everyone loves money, we learned to work together.

Yet, now even capitalism is failing us. The gaps between the haves and the have nots, and people’s inability to climb out of poverty have made capitalism yet another kind of tyranny: a tyranny of moguls rather than of rulers.

Today’s social tensions in America and elsewhere in the world, particularly in Europe, signify that capitalism too has run its course. We have no more options for government; we’ve tried everything. Now, either we introduce a new ingredient to mitigate the severity of the situation, or everything will collapse.

If we try to pinpoint the missing element in all the past regimes, we will see that it is caring, simple human caring for one another. All the previous ideologies tried to find the best social structure in a reality where people do not care for one another and exploit one another. In short, the previous ideologies tried to find a way to rein in the obscene, self-centered human nature. But since those who ran the countries were themselves products of human nature, their efforts were bound to fail. Now, for the first time in history, we are realizing that it isn’t society we need to change, but the people who make it.

If we teach ourselves to care for one another, it will not matter what form of governance we have over our heads. Our society will be good regardless of the government since we will care for one another. If human nature is the sore, we cannot bandage it or restrain it with a cast; we have to heal it.

And the first thing we need to learn is that diversity does not weaken. On the contrary, it not only strengthens, but enables life and evolution. Imagine what would happen to us if an organ in our body tried to force out or eliminate any organ that wasn’t like it. This is kind of what we’re trying to do every time we exclude another person, faith, or ideology. If we acknowledge the natural fact that diversity enriches and strengthens, we will find that even the most extreme ideas have merit, as long as they do not lead people to physically exterminate one another. Ideas, even the most extreme, lead people to question their own beliefs, polish their thoughts, and learn more about themselves. Without differences, we would be robots.

Granted, there is a lot to learn here, but if we start by agreeing that we are all parts of one, human family, then we will learn how to embrace the different, how to learn from one another and grow stronger, wiser, healthier, and richer together.

“Covid-19 – Humanity’s Whip”

Dr. Michael LaitmanFrom My Facebook Page Michael Laitman 9/2/20

The virus didn’t come to correct us. It came to show us that we have to correct ourselves. However, it will not do our work for us. We have yet to accept that we can’t win the hide-and-seek we play with Covid, where each time contagion levels drop, we ease restrictions and go wild until the virus “sees” that we came out of our hideaways and returns more contagious and violent than before. Recklessly, we are playing with the lives of our loved ones, and not just the elderly and sick among us, but also with those of our children.

Just as jockeys whip their horses to make them run faster, nature whips us using Covid-19 to impel us to start working on our relations with each other. We have already made some progress, and most governments acknowledge that they cannot simply let people starve for lack of jobs. But these rescue packages are few and far between. Even worse, they miss out on the main problem: our indifference toward each other. If we were less careless and more caring for our fellow people, we could easily overcome any trials that nature sends us. If we don’t begin to implement programs that teach us how to care for one another, alongside the monetary aid, we will end up in social breakdown and bloodshed.

The simple truth that Covid is showing us is that all we think about is our own profit, and that if we can gain at someone else’s expense, so much the better. To our defense, we could argue that this is human nature, that nature has created us egoistic so we can’t be blamed for being so. While this is true, it is also true that nature does not leave its creations self-centered. It does the opposite, weaving them into a network of reciprocal connections, so the unity among them becomes their ultimate source of strength. If we insist on being egoistic, we will end up destroying one another; we will put each other to death in the most literal sense of the word. It’s just a matter of time, and not a long time from today.

Nothing is still in nature; everything evolves at its own pace toward the inexorable result of complete merger. Humanity, like all other natural elements, evolves in that direction, too. If we look at human societies throughout history, we can easily identify this trajectory. We moved from clans to villages, from villages to towns, from towns to countries until we finally became a global village.

However, we did that only on the social level. Emotionally, we are as separated now as we always have been. In fact, in many ways, we are more separated now than ever, since our individualism is constantly challenged by our forced interdependence. We cannot do anything for ourselves: We can’t make our own food, our own clothes, or our own homes. But we hate this fact even if we’re unaware of it; we want to feel as unique, special individuals. The clash between the two creates the myriad disruptions our society displays, from violence to substance abuse, to suicide, escapism of all sorts, fanaticism, mental and emotional disorders, and all the other signals of distress that people are sending.

But nature will not leave us alone; it will bring us ever closer to each other, which will make us feel ever farther from each other in our hearts. There are only two ways that this can end: a complete breakdown of society, or the joining of humanity with nature’s trajectory toward union. This is why it is imperative that governments and authorities set up educational programs that inform us about the direction of development and help us join it.

People don’t know why they feel more hateful, why they are more suspicious toward others, and why people are so mean to one another. If they knew, they could choose to unite and end their misery. But because they are oblivious to nature’s inexorable progress, they have no choice but to protect themselves and their families as best they can until it all falls to pieces, which will happen soon.

The only difference between humanity and the rest of reality is that the evolutionary process that happens instinctively in all other creatures must happen consciously in us. We are indeed the apex of creation, but we can conduct ourselves accordingly only if we understand creation. This is why humanity will get no allowances; we will have to learn how everything works, and we will have to pay our dues. But the quicker we learn, the lower will be the dues.

The Perfect Formula For Life

508.2Mutual guarantee is the general law of the correct connection of all creation, and therefore, by fulfilling it, we will correct all problems.

If we will take care of the mutual guarantee between us, we will affect all particles of matter on the physical and chemical levels, which will connect correctly as well. By doing this we will neutralize all microbes, stop all epidemics, and disarm all our enemies, from people to small insects.

The mutual guarantee will protect us from everything: from harmful radiation, from extreme heat and cold. The Earth is ready to explode from climate changes, but we can calm all nature by tying all its parts with mutual guarantee. It all depends only on how we implement this law ourselves.

The law of mutual guarantee is the perfect formula for connecting all parts of nature, on all levels: inanimate, vegetative, animate, and human. We have nothing else to worry about.

We will not have to go deep into the study of all the subtleties of nature, its ecological, zoological, biological, and physical laws. There is no need to descend to the quantum level because from our human level we influence all the lower layers of nature.

Besides, we influence the higher nature from our level. We are between two worlds: the higher world and the lower world. If we reach mutual guarantee, we begin to live in both worlds.

The entire universe is one system. Therefore, by our attitude, we influence all of nature. Through our attitude, we can blow up stars, evoke wars, and establish peace. It all depends only on our attitude to the unity between us. If we want the world to feel good, we need to establish good relationships between us. The closer we get to each other, the better the world will become.

The world is not at fault, it acts according to the laws instituted into it by the Creator. But we can bring these laws to the correct connection by inserting our resistance between plus and minus: restriction, screen, and reflected light. Then there will be no confrontation and short-circuit between the positive and negative poles, between the right and left, between all conflicting sides. After all, we will put a buffer between them, the correct adapter.

Everything depends on us; only we can connect all pluses and minuses on all levels for peace to prevail in the world. That is why, first of all, we have to achieve mutual guarantee with the intention to help the whole world and thereby bring contentment to the Creator.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/21/20, Writings of Baal HaSulam, “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee)”

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Inside The Law Of Mutual Guarantee

624.04We are inside the law of mutual guarantee and moving forward in accordance with it. Our whole life depends on the fulfillment of this law whether we want it or not, whether we understand it or not. All of humanity is moving in the direction of mutual guarantee.

Even if you look back only three months ago, an insignificant period in comparison with human life, you will see how our ideas about our development, about the present and future have changed. We have made a huge leap forward.

Until three months ago, we thought that the coronavirus pandemic would end quickly and allow us to return to our previous lives. But no one thinks that way today.

Look what a revolution is taking place in all of humanity, in billions of people, and how their attitude to life is changing. They begin to realize that they are in some kind of a mandatory process from which they cannot be freed. They are not in charge of their lives but life controls them and pulls them and not toward the goal they have set for themselves.

Life will not be the same again. We are in a process where in a very short time we can see dramatic changes between the past, present, and future. It turns out that everyone has made very important discoveries about their lives: they realized that today will not be like yesterday, and tomorrow will not be like today. Thus, nature, the Creator, raises us to another level of perception of reality.

We are becoming partners with the Creator, participating with Him in the same process, although only passively for the time being. Nature makes changes, and we are in this process watching it as it unfolds before us.

We already see that we do not control the world, and we cannot change it. Even if the future appears black, we still understand that there is no choice and that what should happen will happen. And then the question arises: is it possible to change something?

We are more and more ready to accept the conditions the Creator sets for us if we want to change the future. We may still be passive, but we are already participants in the process unfolding in front of us. This is noticeable in the media, in people, and in families throughout our lives, and this is a huge achievement.

Everyone gradually bows their head and is no longer as confident and sure of himself as before. We understand that we are inside a flow that is designated by nature. Nature has established for us the law of mutual guarantee and it will become clearer every day that only through the right connection can we organize our lives and that only the lack of a good connection between us is the cause of all our misfortunes.

All this will soon become clear to everyone and we will understand that the law of mutual guarantee is binding and there is no choice but to follow it. It is better if we strive for it ourselves, hasten time, and bring it closer and closer in order to fulfill it before it overtakes us and compels us to fulfill it by force. We want to fulfill it voluntarily, at our own will.

Day by day, humanity is moving closer to mutual guarantee, opening its eyes more and more.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/25/20, Writings of Baal HaSulam, “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee)”

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“The Sharp Message Of Demonstrators To Bezos” (Medium)

Medium published my new article “The Sharp Message of Demonstrators to Bezos

This week, demonstrators constructed a guillotine outside Jeff Bezos’ mansion in Washington, DC, and demanded a raise. Indeed, when you have a crooked economic system, you have crooked wage gaps. If the rules allow and support the creation of such unjust social structures, then it’s not the people who use it that you should change; it’s the system itself that needs changing.

Instead of waiting for a breakdown to happen, we must set up a line of courses that inform people about the situation we are all in. People must know that destroying the wealthy will not be helpful to anyone, since we are in an era where everyone is responsible for everyone else.

When the system is built to create inequality, you cannot blame those who are smart enough to exploit it, since each of us, and each of the demonstrators, would exploit it just as readily if we had Bezos’ guts, resourcefulness, and wit. Nevertheless, the super rich must know that unless they develop a pro-social attitude, the mob will get to them regardless of the rules. We’ve seen it happen elsewhere, and it can easily happen in America.

It’s true that the whole system is rigged, and crony capitalism is the basis of politics everywhere, including in America. If that’s the case, why shouldn’t people like Jeff Bezos take advantage of their clout to bend the rules in their favor? After all, he truly built his empire with his own two hands; he is the epitome of the realization of the American Dream, so why shouldn’t he enjoy it?

While this is the truth, people can no longer accept it. We have entered an era where injustice and inequality are unacceptable even in a country that puts personal success on a pedestal. People on both sides of the political map are becoming more socially aware and demand social accountability from leaders and from powerful individuals. People are beginning to feel that they are truly one system, one society, and therefore any kind of inequality is unjust, be it racial or financial. Without proper treatment of this growing intolerance, it will lead to violence, and eventually to social breakdown. We can already see it happening in many places in America, but it is still reversible.

Instead of waiting for a breakdown to happen, we must set up a line of courses that inform people about the situation we are all in. People must know that destroying the wealthy will not be helpful to anyone, since we are in an era where everyone is responsible for everyone else. In such a time, there must be mutual support, and destruction of the rich without building a just and sustainable system will only exacerbate the problems. After all, the rich are also the job providers. There needs to be justice, but there also needs to be common sense.

The current atmosphere in most places in America is toxic; people hate and suspect anyone who isn’t from their “side.” This is an extremely dangerous situation. People must become aware that destroying one side will only lead to their own destruction too, since everyone is mutually dependent. If people aren’t aware of it, they will seek to destroy anyone they disagree with, and the road to mayhem is paved and quick.

Today’s foremost task for the rich is to establish the line of courses that teaches this, as this is the only road for America to save itself and its citizens from harm’s way, including the wealthy. The famous playwright Anton Chekhov wrote that if a gun appears in the first act of a play, it will shoot in the final act. We are clearly in the first act of the demonstrations, and already, a guillotine appeared. I think it is unwise to ignore the message.

“Fall Is Here, And So Is Covid” (Medium)

Medium published my new article “Fall Is Here, and So Is Covid

August is over, fall is here, and so is Covid, stronger than ever. The coronavirus has become an inseparable part of our lives. Not so much the disease as the changes it brings with it. Gradually, we are acknowledging that it is here to stay. While we are afraid of catching Covid, the impact of the virus goes far beyond our health; it has affected every aspect of our lives.

The virus will teach us that we are dependent on each other and will make us think of one another. But when we learn it, we will uncover the joy and strength in unity, in having a solid community.

The public sphere has been transformed. Cafes look different, movie theatres, shopping centers, schools, everything is different, odd. Many people are working from home; many are not working at all, and for those who have kept their old jobs, the jobs themselves seem different. And underneath those changes, a transformation is happening; we are changing our relations to each other and to all of reality. We are changing our relation to life.

We still want to return to the old “normal,” to make plans for a Covid-free future, but nature has said its piece, and we must comply. We must accept that life has changed for good.

The approach of fall will prompt us to change our attitude to life, to society, to everything. However, in the end, it will be a positive change that will make it easier for us to understand one another, feel one another, and grow closer in our hearts, if not yet in our bodies. Gradually, we will become more aware that things have changed radically. There will be no, or virtually no physical attendance at schools or universities, many parents will have to stay home with their kids, and people will become more “sedentary” than ever.

If we can overcome the aggressiveness that has taken society by a storm in recent months, we will discover that in fact, we are all in the same boat. The differences between people are much smaller than we think because in the end, we all want the same simple things: food and shelter, health, and a good environment for our kids. The virus will teach us that we are dependent on each other and will make us think of one another. But when we learn it, we will uncover the joy and strength in unity, in having a solid community.

When we develop mutual responsibility and consideration, we will conduct ourselves in ways that do not put others at risk of contagion. And when we do that, we will find that the virus has left. Without vaccination and without medication, it will simply be gone when we look out for each other. When we are clear of the virus, we will need no (anti)social distancing, no masks that hide our smiles, or alcohol gel to disinfect our hands after we hug. Then, and only then will we realize why Covid came, to teach us how to care.

When People Remember You…

961.1Question: There are people who died and no one will ever remember them. And there are people who we study, remember, even commemorate the dates of their birth and death. Does this have any meaning?

Answer: No. I would not say that it is better when people remember you. Who remembers you? Little egoists. Perhaps famous scientists or writers did something for humanity, but nothing for the correction of souls.

Comment: Yet, people constantly talk about them and study them.

My Response: So what? Does it make modern people who study them feel better? Do they correct nature and themselves through this? This is the main thing. And what they write are purely stories.
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From KabTV’s “The Post-Coronavirus Era” 5/14/20

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What Is The Embryo Of The Soul?

527.03Question: If there is an embryo of the soul in me, why can’t I feel it like all the other parts of the body?

Answer: The yearning to attain the upper world,  the highest destiny, to reveal the Creator, to feel: “Who am I? What am I? What am I living for?” This is the embryo of the soul. And we feel it.

It all stems from the point in the heart. The heart is egoism, and the point in it is the embryo of our spiritual vessel.
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From KabTV’s “Fundamentals of Kabbalah” 10/7/18

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Modern Society And The Family

531.02Question: Today, people don’t want to feel bound. They want to move freely around the world, to satisfy their monetary desires. The development of technology allows the artificial creation of children, so there is no need for marriage. Everyone can satisfy their economic and sexual needs outside of the family.

Can it be that the family as the basic foundation for the development of relations between people will disappear? Or will a person be forced to look for some additional values to support the family?

Answer: The fact is that in all generations the family has been based on necessity. In order to provide a person with a normal retirement, he had to have a family, children, so that later, when he became sick, a feeble old man, they would take care of him until death. This was what kept the family together since a person could not survive alone.

And with the emergence of such a high-tech, developed society as today, we seem to have no need for this. I can provide myself with anything, everything, and I need nothing. Therefore, I do not care about having a family, but about being able to buy all the necessary services. This is what we came to in the twentieth century.

Of course, this is not a good thing because it does not replace good relations with each other. But little remains of the past good relationships because we are busy developing our egoism.

This has affected the relationship between spouses and parents with children. Nursing homes and kindergartens appeared, anything to throw off the yoke of caring for children, parents, and the elderly.

Remark: Unfortunately, society does not teach us the correct relationships in the family, does not explain the difference between the sexes, or the purpose of the family. Therefore, it is very difficult to keep the family from falling apart.

My Comment: As a result, society gets back what it could not give in the upbringing of the young. We have entered a state where our egoism is in urgent need of reformation.
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From KabTV’s “The Post-Coronavirus Era” 5/21/20

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