Audio Version Of The Blog – 3/26/21

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“What Is The Spiritual Significance Of The Passover?” (Quora)

Dr. Michael LaitmanMichael Laitman, On Quora: What is the spiritual significance of the Passover?

Passover signifies a transition from exiting the control of our corporeal, egoistic and divisive world, and entering the control of the spiritual, altruistic and harmoniously-connected world.

Such a transition requires the emergence and development of a spiritual desire. In other words, Passover relates to the spiritual process that any person can undergo, on condition that they develop their desire to give, love and positively connect with others above their egoistic drives.

The transition is marked by the exodus from Egypt, i.e., the exit from the human ego. The time in Egypt of the people of Israel (i.e. people who have a desire for spirituality, “Israel” from “Yashar Kel” [“straight to God”]) signifies a stage of growing egoistic desires that do not let the people of Israel unite.

Pharaoh signifies the ego’s control. He is ready and willing to supply for every egoistic fulfillment we could wish for. However, Moses, which marks the desire to connect above the ego, drives the people of Israel’s desire to discover the Creator, i.e., the quality of love and bestowal, in their connection. When we find that we cannot connect, we feel that we are in the darkness of Egypt. In that state, we become ready to do just about anything in order to free ourselves from the control of the ego. That state is the escape from Egypt.

In relation to a person on the spiritual path, it describes a stage where a person becomes ready to do anything just to break free from the ego, to rise above it and reach the Creator’s quality, i.e., love and bestowal. We throw ourselves into the sea, which parts, and we cross it, i.e., we cut ourselves off from the ego, and by doing so, by being above the ego, we become ready to work with it and transform it into altruism.

This is the exodus from Egypt that we celebrate at Passover.

Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

New Life 1301 – Communication Barriers

New Life 1301 – Communication Barriers
Dr. Michael Laitman in conversation with Oren Levi and Nitzah Mazoz

The root of communication barriers between us is the desire to enjoy, which makes each one think about how to make things better for himself. If I am not sure that I can get something by connecting to others, I feel blocked. The more we develop, the more the communication barriers grow. We are unable to understand each other since each one of us has a different goal. In order to overcome communication barriers, each party needs to increase the importance of the other person and become integrated with the other.
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From KabTV’s “New Life 1301 – Communication Barriers,” 3/14/21

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“What Is The Key To Success In Life?” (Quora)

Dr. Michael LaitmanMichael Laitman, On Quora: What is the key to success in life?

The key to success in life is in building a society around ourselves that focuses on creating a balanced life for us all, a society that makes us happy, calms us, and that gives us a sense of meaning.

Based on the above video “Kabbalist’s View” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman and Oren Levi. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

“What Does It Mean To Be Environmentally Friendly?” (Quora)

Dr. Michael LaitmanMichael Laitman, On Quora: What does it mean to be environmentally friendly?

What does it mean to be environmentally friendly? Does it mean protecting the ozone layer, not polluting, and/or replacing fossil fuels with renewable energies, or are we missing something in such acts?

We have to care about nature on all levels, from the still, through the vegetative, animate, and of course, humans. It is forbidden to harm any level, and especially the human.

How does our attitude to each other affect nature? If we would prioritize positive human connection, we would then relate positively to nature’s other levels. We would then likewise see how nature reacts positively to us.

According to the wisdom of Kabbalah, hatred among people has negative rippling effects throughout nature. It is the cause of negative phenomena in nature toward us. Nature is constantly communicating to us, and the sooner we wake up to its message, then the sooner we would see how it requires first and foremost that we relate positively to each other. Even the slightest movement in that direction would positively impact nature, and we would bear witness to a harmonious reaction from nature boomeranging back to us.

Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

Photo by Tim Marshall on Unsplash.

“Are Luxury Clothes Overrated?” (Quora)

Dr. Michael LaitmanMichael Laitman, On Quora: Are luxury clothes overrated?

More and more people lose interest in luxury clothing the more we develop a need for things closer to spirit.

The desire for luxury clothing today is due to its value in the eyes of some societies. That is, by being in a society that values such garments, then our own value increases just by owning and wearing them. It is currently a status symbol: People respect and desire wealth, and so by wearing such clothing, it suggests that we are wealthy, which demands respect from society.

However, the more we develop, the more we lose the importance of wealth and such status symbols. For instance, if we compare the way we relate to world leaders and celebrities today as opposed to the past, then we see how today we have a lot less respect for their status and their money.

The more we lose respect for wealth, the more we will also view wealth as repulsive. We will see how wealth—that which buys us luxury clothing, expensive cars, yachts and frequent international travel—just confuses us. Therefore, as we further develop, we will find ourselves buying less luxury clothing simply because wealth and its status symbols will lose their worth in society.

Moreover, together with our loss of interest in wealth and its status symbols, we will increasingly respect that which can bring people closer together, as we will grow in our understanding of how positive human connection truly makes us happy, successful, confident and prosperous.

Instead of looking up to wealth and its status symbols, we will look up to the idea or method that elevates us from this corporeal level of problems, pains and confusions, to a level where we understand and feel the meaning and purpose of life.

Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

Photo by Dima Pechurin on Unsplash.

“Is The International Criminal Court’s Decision To Investigate Israel’s Alleged War Crimes An Anti-Semitic Farce?” (Quora)

Dr. Michael LaitmanMichael Laitman, On Quora: Is the International Criminal Court’s decision to investigate Israel’s alleged war crimes an anti-Semitic farce?

What is ultimately behind the attitude of the International Criminal Court in The Hague toward Israel?

The International Criminal Court in The Hague gave a green light to investigate Israel for war crimes. As a result of this decision, government officials, army commanders and soldiers might face criminal proceedings or even international warrant arrests. Taking it a step further, the UN might decide to place economic sanctions on Israel, or even apply military force.

The action that the Jewish people will now take is what matters now. Do they have the inner strength and a consent within the nation that they have to positively connect among themselves, to the nation and to the world? If they knew how to correctly organize themselves as a positive unifying example to the world, then of course, they would not have to mind the UN and other such organizations.

What awaits the state of Israel and its complicated relationship with the UN? The criticism on the state of Israel works to Israel’s benefit as it gives hope that the people of Israel might learn how much they have to change and become more responsible for what happens with them and the rest of the world.

The international pressure on Israel urges them to pull themselves together and understand what is their role in the world, and why the world treats them negatively.

Antisemitism is due to the people of Israel not realizing their role. The wisdom of Kabbalah defines the role of the people of Israel as uniting (“love your friend as yourself”) in order to be “a light unto the nations,” as it writes in the Torah.

If the Jewish people would prioritize positive connection in order to spread the inclination to unite among humanity, then they would see lessening pressure against them, and in its place, honors and praise for a people bringing a positive unifying force to the world.

Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

Egyptian Plagues—Locust Infestation

592.01Question: The eighth Egyptian plague is the invasion of locust. Locusts are often mentioned in the Torah because they represent a special egoistic level of man that can be corrected. Interestingly, it is forbidden to eat insects except for locusts. What are locusts inside a person? What is this level of desire?

Answer: This is a very serious blow. Indeed, the Torah says that you can eat locusts. We know the restrictions that exist in using some desires, spiritual properties, but the property of the locust is allowed to be used at the human level.

The locust personifies the level that feeds the animate level of man. That is, it is a transitional step from animate to human. Therefore, it can be used for food to nurture the next level.

Question: In principle, locusts destroy everything. How do Kabbalists explain this? They must have seen the root and branch. We know that in egoism there is a state where man works, then his ego takes everything, and he sees that there is nothing left for him.

Answer: But he benefits from it. This is the best help because thanks to it man advances. He gets the opportunity to turn to the Creator.
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From KabTV’s “Spiritual States” 1/30/20

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In The Embrace Of Happiness And Misery

207Question: How should we relate to negative thoughts and emotions?

Answer: We should try to rise above them. We must never extinguish them. We need to use them creatively.

In our world, no scientific or technological achievements, let alone creative achievements, are possible without worries, without upheavals. Nothing remarkable would be born in our world if there were no crises, strong inner trials, detachments, disappointments, tears, dramas, and tragedies.

See what Shakespeare’s dramas, Tolstoy’s novels, and other literary masterpieces are filled with. Everything stems only from the struggle between opposites, from sufferings, etc.

It is the same in the spiritual world, but at the same time, there is a wonderful transformation of these states: they complement each other, coexist together, and do not cancel each other in any way.

They are connected to each other in an embrace of happiness and misery, tears and joy, and the middle state is achieved, which brings us closer to the Creator.
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From KabTV’s “Fundamentals of Kabbalah” 1/20/19

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What You Need To Think About Every Minute

204Question: A student wrote: “I saw the video on YouTube ‘How to overcome shame?’ Tell me, please, what should I do? Due to the coronavirus, I lost my business and have huge debts to banks; I have a rented apartment and a young child. How can I not to lose the human in myself? With stress, depression, panic attacks, and insomnia, how does one deal with a temporary difficult life situation? You have accurately described my state of mind.”

Answer: I advise you to turn off your brain and nerves, to act absolutely mechanically, rationally. What life requires of me today, I must do, without paying attention to what will happen the day after tomorrow and even, maybe, tomorrow. The main thing is today! Understand me correctly, and then you will understand how our world should be realized.

We should not think about tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we should not make any plans for huge changes. We should just think about how at every moment we can be useful to ourselves and to our loved ones, and if we have the correct understanding of the future world, maybe somehow share this with others.

Without overly reasonable and philosophical fabrications, keep it as simple as possible.

And you will see such a new path, along which you can safely walk, like in a park, and no one will bother you. And if, as it seems to you, they bother you, delve deeper into this path. You will see how everything will resolve and make room for your simple life. And so you will get out of all these problems.

The main thing is to live uncomplicated in our time, in this pandemic. And this attitude will lead you to the wisest thoughts and actions.
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From KabTV’s “News with Michael Laitman” 2/1/21

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