Michael Laitman, On Quora: “Are cities the future?“
Thanks to technological development, humanity will not be concentrated in big cities, but just the opposite, it will expand outwardly. People will be able to work at home, and they will also have consumer products delivered to their homes. The house will be the bedroom as well as the workplace, and generally the place where we spend the greater part of our lives. The notions of “the city center” and “downtown” will disappear from the world, and our cities will acquire an expansive and balanced form.

Also, I very much hope that as soon as humanity understands that human interrelationships need to be altruistic and mutually considerate, then correspondingly, cities will also reform: everything will be for the person’s benefit, in order for the person to take care of society, and for society to take care of each person. This will lead to very big changes in city structures.

Based on a Q&A with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on September 9, 2006. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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My new article on Linkedin “The Hidden Purpose of Online Antisemitism”

The Internet and social media in particular have rapidly become the most widespread and visceral field for antisemites. The five major social networking platforms in the world—Facebook, Twitter, Tik Tok, Instagram, and YouTube—ignored 84% of reports submitted to them about antisemitic posts, according to a new study by the Center for Countering Digital Hate, a British-American monitoring organization.

But the creators of the study turned everything from head to toe. These networks have never tried to address anti-Jewish content on their platforms. On the contrary, this type of posts are good for them, they evoke a response from the audience. Antisemitic materials get feedback; create lively engagement and debates around them. They generate a chain reaction of public interest. So antisemitic content is given a free pass; anyone can go ahead and write whatever they want to stimulate hateful dialogue.

Contrary to how it may seem, antisemitic posts work for us as an auxiliary force against us. Antisemites help Zionists. One might ask how is that possible? I can attest myself that if I had not felt in my own skin anti-Jewish rejection and animosity in Russia, I would not have immigrated to Israel. That is why I thank the antisemites. I owe them.

When I was a young student scientist and began working at a medical institute, I could not progress anywhere in the field and facility only because I was Jewish. Whenever I forgot my identity, antisemites made sure to remind me of it and told me straight to my face, “It’s not for you! We cannot give you permission to work in this lab because it is secret.” In this way I was repeatedly taught that Russia was not my place, and this pushed me to emigrate to the land of Israel.

Social networks are a great arena for development. Not in them, but with their help. Instead of fighting hatred against Jews on social media like Don Quixote following an impossible quest and struggling to fix what has no fix in that way, we must accept the antisemitic pressure as a gift that propels us forward to wake up and be the way Jews should be. What does that mean?

As Jews we need to remember that we are not the weakest link in humanity. On the contrary, we are the strongest of all because we received the wisdom of connection to fulfill a specific spiritual role for the sake of the whole world. Our role is to pass on this wisdom to the entire human race.

In ancient times we brought spiritual social laws to all of mankind. All the nations of the world drew from these laws for their well-being, and now we must strive to return to that status. If we hold on to the original principles of the Israeli nation, those based on the laws of the Supreme Power, rules of good and complementary connection between people over instinctive egoism, we will be able to provide the medicine to cure our sick society in general.

But if we insist on holding to shreds of mixed ideas of Communism, Socialism, Marxism and other “isms,” which have no power to lift humanity above the egoism inherent in it, then we will continue to get confused and drift away from our source. We need to bring love into the world—not fleeting love as we know it, which has no roots, not artificial love like in pop culture—but true love from the heart, one capable of overcoming our evil instinct.

The Supreme Power is behind everything in reality, including antisemitism. So we have nothing to address directly to those who write against Jews, nor should we admire the abusers and promoters of offensive content. We need to admit to the existence of and admire the force at work in reality; we must take the tenets of the people of Israel like “Love will cover all crimes” and “love your neighbor as yourself” and implement them between us and begin to present them to the world, introduce them to everyone. When this treasure becomes public domain and is at everyone’s disposal, antisemitism on the Web and everywhere else will cease.
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All the elements of a Kabbalistic meal are specifically created so as not to detach a person from thoughts about his spiritual purpose so that he understands where and with whom he is, why in this way he is attuned to the upper world, to the Creator, and why he should not break away from it.

All the blessings, conventions, and laws are necessary only for a person to constantly feel in every action and every thought that he is in the field of the Creator. When he begins to feel this field, then he will do it all in a natural way.

The work itself, the efforts themselves, should show a person that with their help he can come closer to the Creator all the time.

No one forces him to do them. As a person begins to understand their meaning, he chooses for himself one or another level of observing these blessings.
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From KabTV’s “Spiritual States” 7/9/21

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Question: What did the mixing of the properties of the Creator and creation lead to?

Answer: At a certain stage of development, the creation only received, and then there was a mixing of the altruistic properties of the Creator with the egoistic properties of the creation, which caused the breaking.

That is, the desire that received for the sake of others to pass through itself all the highest pleasure, began to receive for itself without passing it to others.

In our world, the breaking is manifested in the fact that today any person can not only receive, but also give only with an egoistic intention.

But thanks to this, there is a connection between us. If everyone only received, there would be no connection between people at all, like between small children who do not understand, do not feel each other. In order to take something or give something, you need to feel the others.
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From KabTV’s “Spiritual States” 7/23/21

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Comment: Our viewer Galina Azaria writes: “Michael Laitman, I am very grateful for your instructive, informative programs. I am interested in one question, and no one else will answer it except you. Who is the Messiah? Will the Messiah come soon? If he comes, will there be changes on our planet? Why are so many people waiting for him? Who is he?”

My Response: The Messiah is not a person. It is a special force of nature that pulls us out. Therefore, it is called “Messiah” from the word “Moshech” (to pull out). It pulls us out of our egoism and thus brings us closer to each other and helps us create a better atmosphere, a better society, better families, and so on.

This positive force acts even now, but in a very small capacity. However, we are getting closer to the state when all of us will think and hope that this force will be manifested more.

Question: Despite the fact that we are egoists? This is a bit contradictory. He pulls us out of egoism, and egoists suddenly think “Let the Messiah come.” Why do they think that?

Answer: In principle, we theoretically agree to exit egoism, and no one wants to admit that he is an egoist. Therefore, if the Messiah pulls us out, it will be like the current pandemic. Some kind of a virus comes into the world and annoys us until we wish to free ourselves from this egoism.

He must show us that this is necessary. No one in the world feels that this is what hinders them.

Question: He must demonstrate to us that this is evil. Will he then pull us out according to our request?

Answer: Gradually, according to our consent, he will pull us out.

Question: What is above this line?

Answer: There is the same life there, only not egoistic; instead you live for the other, and everyone lives for the other. This is a completely different system of relationships, connections, and values. Then everything is fine.

Question: What kind of system of values? Does the concept of “love” exist there?

Answer: There is nothing else besides providing service to the other. A person feels his freedom, his destiny in this.

Question: Does it mean that you do not even think to grab everything for yourself?

Answer: The thought is there. However, if a person rises above this, he has great pleasure. If there is no thought to grab, then what will be the pleasure from bestowal and love? Therefore, “to grab” remains.

Question: Does ascent above your nature bring great pleasure? Is this what a person will want to come to?

Answer: Yes.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 7/8/21

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And Joshua rent his clothing and fell to the earth upon his face before the Ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel, and they put dust upon their heads.

And Joshua said, Woe, O Lord God, why have You at all brought this people over the Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to cause us to perish? Would that we had been content and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan! (Prophets, Joshua, 7:6-7:7)

Joshua sees his mission is impossible. He cannot do anything. Therefore, he says to the Creator: “You have given us all the opportunities, but they are impossible to implement.”

So similarly the children of Israel complained earlier: “It would have been better if we had stayed in Egypt!” Or as Moses said: “Why did You give me such a people?”
The same thing is repeated all the time.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 7/12/21

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The Spiritual Basis of Man

But attaining its emanator is a deficiency toward itself, and this is its being. (Baal HaSulam, A Sage’s Fruit Volume 2, “From My Flesh I Shall See God”)

The attainment of the Creator is originally embedded in the soul. A person yearns not for comprehending itself in life, but for attaining the root of life, the Creator.

There is a record of spiritual information inside us called Reshimo, which is revealed from time to time and demands its fulfillment. This is man’s spiritual basis. This is the reason we feel the urge to know everything: Who am I? What am I living for? Where am I headed, etc.?

A person cannot remain indifferent to these questions because if he does, then who is he and what is he living for? It is very important for him to discover his origin and destiny, at least the starting and ending point of his earthly existence. Otherwise, we simply live as beasts and even worse than beasts because they do not have all these questions.

The question is how to realize our internal impulses and find answers to them.

Here, the wisdom of Kabbalah comes to our aid and explains everything very clearly. Later, if we wish to achieve revelation, we have to make serious efforts.

That is, it feels itself as an emanated being. All its events aim toward it, and this is the deficiency that it feels— that it will be able to attain its emanator.

The higher the soul, the more strongly it yearns for that.

Even from the people who come to us to study one can see how strong, stable, and consistent their yearning is or, on the other hand, how inconsistent they are and can easily leave everything and go. This is the first point.

Second, a person is tested by being given all kinds of obstacles in life and he shows to himself and to the upper forces that develop him the extent to which he is ready to stay on track, to keep developing, and has no intention of giving in to or to follow any corporeal interruptions.
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From KabTV’s “Fundamentals of Kabbalah” 6/23/19

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Zohar for All, Chayei Sarah, Item 74: All the deeds of wicked Balaam were from the side of impurity.

All the villains: Balaam, Balak, Pharaoh, Haman, and others are the result of the serpent. The serpent is their common property, and they are all partial manifestations of it.

In the beginning of his deeds he took a serpent from among the serpents and tied it before him. He split the head of the serpent and took out its tongue. Then he took certain herbs and burned them all and made a single incense out of them. Then he took the head of that serpent and split it into four sides and turned it into a single incense (Item 77).

Making incense is making the most of your egoism.

Balaam is a property that pulls us to be so selfish that we do not even know what it is. Only as we climb the spiritual levels do we begin to feel it.

In fact, everything that is written in The Book of Zohar talks about people who are already spiritually ascending and feeling these problems.

Around it, he drew a single circle and would say things and do other deeds until he drew upon himself the spirits of impurity, which informed him what was needed. And he acted by their words, according to what they knew from the side of that serpent of the firmament (Item 78).

The task of Balaam is the same as that of the snake. All the negative characters in the Bible are intended only to continue the same work, that is, to come to a person at the right time and sting him with their egoism.

The fall of a person into egoism shakes him up. From this state, he begins to see a distant goal and to rush toward it. Therefore, he needs such a shaking, what is called the awareness of evil.
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From KabTV’s “The Power of The Book of Zohar” #16

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Preparation to the Lesson

Lesson on the Topic “Annulment as a Preparation for Ibur (Impregnation)” 

Writings of Baal HaSulam, “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee)”

Selected Highlights

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