Question: The very life of a person is a boundary for his I. It has natural limitations, i.e., the circumstances in which we find ourselves, for example, the pandemic that gripped the world today or the beginning of the financial crisis. Also, there are obligations that we as human society pose for ourselves. Kindergarten, school, army, sports, work, family, all these impose certain limits on us. A person is constantly in some kind of life limitations.

Where does the root of a person’s lack of freedom come from?

Answer: How can he be free? How do you imagine a person, and in general, anyone in nature who is free, if nature is an association of forces and laws that work only together based on one single goal from one point?

There is nothing free in nature, starting from the universe to everything existing on Earth.

What does freedom mean? To do what I want? What do I want? Who defines this?

In general, the concept of freedom is very relative. Let’s say I want to achieve freedom. It means that I think about how to do that. I always exist within some boundaries, circumstances, changes that affect me. Of course, in this, I am not free.

If I agree with what affects me and absolutely justify these influences and my reaction to them, then I will not feel their limitations, their pressure on me, and I will feel free.

Remark: It is an interesting approach. It turns out that some circumstances are constantly pressuring me.

My Comment: Billions of various factors! But I agree with them and happily join in their actions, not resisting at all, but on the contrary, each time gladly accepting their influence on me, and therefore I do not feel any resistance on my part. This is called freedom.

Meanwhile, I do not feel any pressure! I am free! But only on the condition that I understand what is happening to me, comprehend, feel, perceive, and absolutely agree with it.
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From KabTV’s “Management Skills” 7/2/20

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Question: Do you think it is correct to criticize your partner for any actions and shortcomings, or should we try to treat them as if from the outside, as a doctor treats a patient?

Answer: Not as a doctor treats a patient, but gently and lovingly show that you expect something a bit different from him. Then it will affect both you and him.

Question: Do you think it is necessary to criticize?

Answer: Criticism is when I express dissatisfaction, disregard, and suppress my partner by this. And when I show him that I want to get something different from him to demonstrate our mutual relationship, then it is not criticism.

Question: Is it worth using such a practice when you can speak frankly with your partner without leaving any secrets? Or is it better to build boundaries, mark them, and not cross them?

Answer: I believe that there should be no boundaries! As a result of the correct interaction between partners, there should be absolutely no secrets because spouses transform into one whole.
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From KabTV’s “The Post-Coronavirus Era” 5/21/20

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Question: In the early 30s of the 18th century, a new movement appeared—Hasidism. What was it?

Answer: In the 16th century, since the appearance in Safed of the school of the great Kabbalist of the Middle Ages, Ari, the spiritual ascent of the Jews began in the Land of Israel, as well as in all the countries of the diaspora, since the ties between the Jews were quite close.

No one doubted that the Ari was a special person. He called the people to unification, spiritual ascent, the development of Kabbalah, the revelation of the Creator, and the fulfillment by the Jews of their spiritual destiny. As a result, groups of Jews appeared in many countries of the world who followed his idea.

This is what led to the emergence of Hasidism. The Ari’s direct follower was the Baal Shem Tov, who lived in Eastern Europe in the 18th century. He preached the teachings of the Ari in a practical way: how Jews in connection with each other can reveal the Creator.

This idea was warmly received by Jews who lived in the southern part of Eastern Europe in lands belonging to Lithuania, Poland, Russia, and the present territory of Belarus. The Jews who inhabited the northern lands, including Germany and the countries of the present Baltic states belonged to the opponents of the Baal Shem Tov. They did not agree that it was necessary to raise the spiritual part of the people.

Their opposition reached the point that they even reported on each other to the tsarist authorities. This is how great problems arose that still exist among the believing masses.

In addition, you need to understand that the resettlement of Jews in Europe, Asia, Russia, and in the world, in general, took place under the influence of higher forces, like the entire movement of man in this world. Therefore, those whose souls were more predisposed to spiritual development settled in Poland, southern Belarus, Ukraine and southern Russia. Opponents of spiritual development, who set as their goal only dry fulfillment of the laws of the Torah, settled in the Baltic States and northern Russia.
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From KabTV’s “Systematic Analysis of the Development of the People of Israel” 12/9/19

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Preparation to the Lesson

Lesson on the Topic of “Work With Faith Above Reason” 

Lesson on the Topic of “The Law of the Arvut (Mutual Guarantee)

Writings of Baal HaSulam, “A Speech for the Completion of The Zohar“

Writings of Baal HaSulam, “A Speech for the Completion of The Zohar“

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Listen to an Audio Version of the Blog
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Even Darwin asserted that it’s not the strongest that survives, but the more adapted. Human history teaches that it’s not the strongest that survive, but those who are friendlier, who do not rule over others. This is true at all degrees of nature and throughout all human history. Cooperation trumps force.

When I have faith above reason, the force of bestowal, I enter it and start to gradually build myself. This is called spirituality: the degree of Bina above the degree of Malchut, when we want to think, feel, understand, and see everything according to the following degree above myself.

All degrees, all states already exist in reality. We have to make efforts in order to enter them. I lead myself to the degree of faith, Bina—and those who are outside of me, the group and the Creator, are more important than myself. I see, feel, and hear what happens in the friends, and not inside of me. This is already a spiritual sensation.

Above reason is to act in the will to bestow, for the sake of unity, according to spiritual definitions. In the material world each person exists on his own—there is no unity, since each one looks out for himself. But through unity and mutual bestowal, I feel reality and through it I look at the whole world.

I want to see everyone with different eyes: not my own, but the eyes of the ten. And the same for sensation, in the heart and mind—in everything I strive to attain the collective perception, in order to see the world not as one person, but as a ten. A ten is a spiritual structure in which the spiritual state is revealed
From Twitter, 9/12/20

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Question: How not to pass suffering on to others? Should suffering be hidden?

Answer: I think that it is advisable not to convey negative feelings to people. To do so because it makes it easier for you is super-egoism. Therefore, we must try, on the contrary, to play in front of people and put on a “good face”.

Question: Is it despite the fact that you are suffering and feel bad yourself?

Answer: Yes. Then you will get out of it quickly because when you show others that you are in a good mood, you will enter it yourself.

Question: Do you kind of get out of your suffering and enter a good mood in order to convey it to others? This in fact is high aerobatics. What about a Kabbalist when he suffers?

Answer: A Kabbalist, suffering, laughs at himself. Really laughs at himself. Because there is no reason for suffering at all! Except for our petty selfishness.

Therefore, if you laugh at it, you can quickly get out of it. I saw it on my teacher. This is, of course, an excellent example of how a person can rise above suffering.

Question: But is the suffering itself felt at this moment?

Answer: Of course. This he cannot remove. He can only try to rise above it. In principle, according to Kabbalah, it is forbidden to destroy suffering, eradicate it, or erase its source, but it is necessary to rise above it.

Question: So there is both suffering and my rise above it?

Answer: Yes. Then, in the difference between them, you begin to feel the greatness of the Creator.
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From KabTV’s “News with Michael Laitman” 5/18/20

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Question: Throughout the history of the Jewish people, there has been a constant confrontation between them.

Even the Zionists were divided between those who believed that Israel should become a spiritual center, and those who argued that it was enough to move here and create a political center here.

At this time, many parties appeared in Russia: the Mensheviks, the Socialist-Revolutionaries, and the Black Hundreds. And in each of them the Jews took an active part. That is, following the religious fragmentation was the political one.

How did the alienation of Jews from religious principles cause such phenomena in nature?

Answer: This is not alienation, but the absence of the right course toward the correction of the people, toward the realization of their historical spiritual mission. The lack of understanding of their own singularity, their purpose, led to the fact that Jews began to engage in politics instead of teaching the people the basics of spiritual engagement.

They lived according to their earthly needs, and went where their earthly soul led them. They were not taught to care for their higher, spiritual, historical purpose, and so many years were wasted.

It was only at the end of the nineteenth century that Baal HaSulam appeared and explained the basis of our existence: why and to what we should advance.

Comment: Having obtained the rights and the opportunity to study, many Russian Jews began to work in the ruling bodies and other organizations. But all this did not last more than 10 to 15 years. Anti-Semitism did not disappear and it began to unite Jews.

My Response: During this period, the Jews began to penetrate into different world currents. And when Anti-Semitism appeared within these currents, the Jews flocked together in one group.

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” 12/28/19

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Question: When the outside world bugs a person through bad influences and events, a person perceives them as negative. What is the correct concrete thing to do? How can we perform our spiritual work and not try to escape the pressure?

Answer: You don’t need to escape the pressure. You just need to balance the negative influence with the positive impact of the group and come to the conclusion that everything stems from the Creator. With your correct attitude to the impact that comes from Him, you turn this impact into a positive one. In practice, it still moves you forward, and you will no longer feel anything negative.
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From KabTV’s “Fundamentals of Kabbalah” 10/14/18

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The Futile Attempts of Baal HaSulam

Question: Before the Holocaust, there was a special discord among Jews of different countries. The revisionists did not get along with the Jewish Agency, neither did the German Jews with the Eastern European Jewry, nor the atheists with the Communists, etc.

Rabbi Meir Simcha Cohen of Dvinsk wrote:”They think that Berlin is Jerusalem…from there will come the storm winds that will uproot them.”

It is known that the great Kabbalist, Baal HaSulam, wanted to take the Jews out of Poland. How did he try to accomplish it?

Answer: As a native of Poland, he traveled there from Israel and spoke to Polish Jews, trying to persuade them to leave the country. But when he realized that this was impossible, he returned. Poland, at that time was a Catholic, anti-Semitic country. Although Polish people understood Jews and had cohabitated for many centuries, it did not matter. In addition, the Polish Jews themselves were not ready to listen to Baal HaSulam.

Moreover, Baal HaSulam tried to bring the Jews out in the 1920s but they boycotted him, and he was forced to leave Poland.

Question: So back in the 1920s, he already knew that Holocaust was nearing?

Answer: Sure. In addition to him, there were several other major religious authorities who called for leaving Europe, but they did not listen to them. Usually a Jew would go to his synagogue and consult with his Rabbi who would calm him down.

For more on this topic, read 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, 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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