Audio Version Of The Blog – 10/10/21
Posted on October 10th, 2021
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Kabbalists write that the Creator reveals Himself in the connection between us, in the center of the group. And everything that happens between us in the center of our group is perceived at the degree above us, which is called the Creator.
We are on a spiritual ladder that we need to climb up to the next degree above us, and then another, and yet another even higher. And we always receive instructions, lights, signals, and awakenings from the upper degree.
Therefore, it is necessary to strive to establish a connection with the upper degree and to become incorporated in it. This connection is achieved thanks to the greatness of the upper degree.
The upper degree relative to the lower is always considered as the Creator relative to creation. We have descended these degrees from the world of infinity through the Partzufim of Galgalta, AB, SAG to the degree of this world through five worlds, with five Partzufim in each world, and five Sefirot in each Partzuf, which makes a total of 5 x 5 x 5 = 125 degrees.
We climb back up the same degrees. And the upper degree relative to the lower one is always called the Creator. First of all, this is so because it really gave birth to the lower degree when descending from top to bottom. And also because we can ascend back through it and attain it, “Come and see” the Creator, Bo-Re. And we will be able to climb even higher from it and move forward.
For every ten there is a thread extended from the world of infinity. And by this thread we must ascend to the world of infinity, to the end of correction. If we follow the advice of Kabbalists, then every time we rise from degree to degree from Malchut to Bina and again from Malchut to Bina.
The lower degree is called Malchut in relation to the higher degree called Bina. The elevating force is called faith above reason, the force of bestowal, the force of Bina, above the force of Malchut, the desire to receive. If we prefer the desire to bestow and connection with friends, then we can rise from Malchut to Bina, from the lower to the highest degree.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/7/21, Shamati #14 “What Is the Exaltedness of the Creator”
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My new article on Linkedin “The Pandora Papers Will Not Make the World a Better Place”
A few days ago, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) released what it defined as “An offshore data tsunami.” The nearly 3 terabytes of “data trove,” as the authors put it, “exposes the offshore secrets of wealthy elites from more than 200 countries and territories. These are people who use tax and secrecy havens to buy property and hide assets; many avoid taxes and worse. They include more than 330 politicians and 130 Forbes billionaires, as well as celebrities, fraudsters, drug dealers, royal family members and leaders of religious groups around the world.”
The goal of the ICIJ is admirable, and so are its efforts. Regrettably, even such successes as this exposure will not make the world a better place.
For all its size, this “trove” is a drop in an ocean of illegal and fraudulent money movements happening around the world. Today, when the ego is running amok, we cannot know what lurks underneath the surface.
The desire to possess is the worst, and wildest expression of the ego, but it is human nature and we should not judge those people until we are in their shoes. If we could amass millions of dollars with no effort and without being detected, would we be able to resist the temptation? And if we did, for how long would we resist it?
Despite its material manifestation, greed is actually a spiritual desire. It makes you want more and more until you give up on it altogether. But until then, it is insatiable. Our sages wrote about this in the Midrash (Kohelet Rabbah): “One does not leave the world with half one’s wishes in one’s hand, for one who has one hundred wants two hundred; one who has two hundred wants four hundred.” So precisely because it is insatiable, greed brings on itself its own end.
When we give up on satisfying ourselves, we will realize that happiness cannot be found in accumulating wealth and possessions. You cannot take with you any of it when you die, and you’re never satisfied with what you have since once you have it, you want twice as much.
Even so, humanity must go through this stage of excessive greed and lust for power, and no “data trove” will stop it. The only thing that will change the world for the better is when we realize that chasing wealth and power does not produce happiness, but rather more hunger: spiritual hunger for the rich, and physical hunger for the poor that they abuse.
From the look of it, we have more learning to do before humanity is ready to move to a higher and more humane stage in its development.
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My new article on Linkedin “Germany-Israel Relations after Merkel”
After her 16-year term as Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel’s farewell visit to Israel on Sunday could mark a change in the friendly relationship between the two countries. Whether that change will be positive or negative depends solely on the Jewish nation. Our unity determines the state of the world, its fate, and the way we are treated by others.
Olaf Scholz, the leader of the center-left Social Democratic Party, narrowly won the majority of votes against the ruling center-right Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU). It appears that he will soon be able to form a coalition with the Greens and liberals to replace Merkel.
The new government’s foreign policy towards Israel remains to be seen, but its most immediate headache is to deal with matters at home. Police registered 2,351 cases of antisemitic offenses last year, an increase of 15% compared to the previous year, the highest number on record since 2001. Most recently, German authorities thwarted a potential terrorist attack on a synagogue in the town of Hagen. Just days ago, another incident caused an international uproar. A German Jewish musician claims he was denied check-in service at a Leipzig hotel unless he concealed his necklace bearing a Star of David.
So what change can we expect in the near future? For a positive answer to that question, we can only look to the people of Israel to understand that it dictates the course of history and to carry out this responsibility correctly.
Whether aware or not, the ball is in our court. Through our unity, we allow unity in the world as we stream into it the positive uniting force it so desperately needs. Conversely, our separation denies humanity this power and invokes within it hatred toward Jews.
In the words of Rav Kook, “The genuine movement of the Israeli soul at its grandest is expressed only by its sacred, eternal force, which flaws within its spirit. It is that which has made it, is making it, and will make it still a nation that stands as a light unto nations, as redemption and salvation to the entire world for its own specific purpose, and for the global purposes, which are interlinked.” (Letters of the RAAIAH 3)
Today’s hostility toward Jews must remind us of our task. Only if we rekindle the brotherly love we cultivated centuries ago and share the method for achieving this with all, will we be able to stop antisemitism.
Which way the scales tip is in our hands. In his essay Mutual Guarantee, Baal HaSulam writes, “The Israeli nation was established as a conduit to the extent that they purify themselves [from egoism], they pass on their power to the rest of the nations.” Jewish unity tips the scales toward pleasant relations and the power of peace flows into the world. Conversely, our separation blocks this flow to humanity and invokes hatred of Jews with its absence.
Therefore, neither Chancellor Angela Merkel nor her successor will determine the acceptance or rejection of the people of Israel. Neither will any other determine whether, God forbid, Germany will eventually be governed by a tyrant like Hitler. No political figure can determine our fate. Everything depends on how we Jews behave toward one another, on our capacity to connect, thus unleashing the positive force of nature upon us and all humanity. Then we will fear nothing, no electoral outcome or other occurrence in any part of the world because hatred will be replaced by peace and quiet for everyone.
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My new article on Linkedin “The “Opinion” of Kamala Harris Isn’t Really Hers”
A couple of weeks ago, Vice President Kamala Harris visited George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, to speak about the importance of voting. During her lecture, a student commented that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians, to which VP Harris nodded in apparent agreement and said that the student should not suppress “her truth.” The next day, Harris apologized and said she does not believe Israel is committing genocide. It was too late; the impact of her nod had already gone viral and created backlash. The question is not whether Harris is or is not antisemitic, but rather to what extent her gesture represents the position of her party and country. The answer, in my opinion, is that her nod represents them quite sincerely. It is her apology that’s spurious, not her gesture to the student.
A government does only what serves the interest of its country, or at least its ruling party. There are no friends in politics. In Israel, we used to think of America as our greatest friend and ally. But that was only our perspective, not the perspective of America. In truth, Israel matters to no one. The world would readily be rid of us if it only could.
For example, look at what is happening with the Labour Party in the UK. A day before Harris’ talk with the students at George Mason, UK’s Labour Party passed a motion that defined Israel as an “apartheid state.” Here, too, the Labour adopted a position that serves its interest. The UK is flooded with Arabs, the influence of Arab countries is very dominant in the UK, and the Labour Party needs the Arab constituency. Therefore, it is in its interest to declare that Israel is an apartheid state.
Not only countries, but even worldwide Jewry is turning against Israel. Among young American Jews, about half, if not more, would prefer that Israel would not exist, and the number of anti-Israel Jews is only growing.
But things will not change in Israel’s favor before we, in Israel, change ourselves for the better. People will not like us before we like each other; it’s just how it works.
The reason that the people of Israel have survived for millennia is that there is a purpose to our existence. Our nation consists of members of countless nations who formed a nation that believed in a revolutionary ideology. Thousands of years ago, those representatives joined Abraham’s group because they believed in his message of mercy and unity of all people above differences. German-Israeli historian Yitzhak Baer wrote in his book A History of the Jews in Christian Spain, that “Inwardly, Israelite society was founded upon the fundamental qualities of simplicity, brotherhood, and love.”
Because our nation consists of “representatives” of other nations, the world feels it has a “stake” in us, that it has a right to tell us what to do and demand of us to set a good example, which it does not demand of any other nation. This “double standard,” which is the principal indicator for “detecting” antisemites, is engrained in the core of every non-Jew on Earth.
This is why as long as we cannot tolerate each other, the world will not tolerate us. Since our hatred for each other has been intensifying for decades, so has the world’s hatred for us. Abraham Foxman, former national director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), aptly defined Israel as “the Jew among the nations.” Accordingly, the nations will relate to us as humanity relates to Jews: When we are united, there is affection and appreciation for Israel. When we are divided, the world despises us and wants to do away with us.
Because our ancestors come from many nations, when we detest each other, we unwittingly infuse this hatred in all those nations of our ancestors. This is why the nations blame us for spreading hatred, causing war, and why they demonize us. However, if we relate to one another positively, it percolates to the rest of the world. In that case, as much as they despise and hate us now, they will appreciate and love us then.
Therefore, we should not expect non-Jews, including Vice President Harris, not to hate us as long as we are hateful toward each other. They cannot help it. Through our love or hate for one another, we determine how humanity feels toward us, and through our love or hate for one another, we determine whether love and peace, or hatred and war, prevail around the world.
Question: There is a letter from a person close to you and me. He writes: “My wife and I lived for many long and happy years, then she got cancer and fought for life for two years. At some point we thought we had won, but cancer is such an insidious disease, it lurked and then struck with renewed force. My wife was no longer moving after chemotherapy, she kept asking, ‘Do I deserve this?’ And I want to ask you, dear Michael Laitman: why did He create us to be such sentient creations? Why didn’t He give us power over our feelings?”
Answer: He has given us power over feelings, but only if we gain this power for a purpose higher than just feeling. This is when you will rise above your feelings and control them, not turning them off with painkillers or drugs, but when you can use your feelings in the right way. Fear and pain and all other unpleasant sensations are given to us for this purpose.
Question: And we need to go through these states that he went through when he saw how his wife was suffering?
Answer: And this also needs to be passed. And we will still, unfortunately, observe all this on everyone around us, and we will be among them ourselves.
We will not be able to turn off our feelings in any way, we just have to learn how to manage them properly.
Now humanity is slowly approaching the state when it will see global cataclysms that are coming closer and ready to crash on us and are already falling on a part of humanity. And those who have not yet fallen under this wave see what is happening and have to change themselves quickly, to become in complete harmony with nature, that is, to rise above their egoism, to get closer to others, and just “love your neighbor as yourself.”
Question: You are practically saying what humanity is going to face. And I want to ask: at that moment when a loved one is suffering in front of me?
Answer: It is too late. We still have to do something, try to still fight this wave of grief, illness, pain, and so on and so forth. But in principle, we need to act prior to all of this happening.
At least, bow your head down and do everything based on the fact that it comes from above, and you, in general, agree with this upper judgment.
Comment: That the loved one has been taken away from you? It is not easy.
My Response: This is a tragedy! This is a disaster! Especially people who have lived together and lived for many years. It is incredible! It is easier to die yourself!
Comment: Yes, that is the feeling he had: “I would prefer so that it would have come to me! Why did she have to suffer?!”
My Response: Yes. But it won’t help. This is the easiest solution.
Question: What is the main solution at this moment?
Answer: Bow your head down and do whatever you need to do. Fully agree with the upper force that does this to us, and try to annul yourself in this state so much that you agree to accept everything.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 8/12/21
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Baal HaSulam, “Peace in the World”: Thus, we should scrutinize and examine those four properties in order to thoroughly understand what we have been given thus far, and by them know what aid we should hope to get from them in the future.
Here is where mutual work takes place. On one hand it involves our attempts to identify the properties of mercy, truth, justice, and peace inside us, to develop them, and then start to compare them.
On the other hand, through our work with them, we need to see in what way they are helping us. How can we use mercy, truth, justice, peace, and their opposite counterparts in order to connect?
Today the world is going through a state of complete collapse and everyone is distancing from each other. People understand that they cannot be together in the family. Countries cannot keep their citizens inside the country. Countries themselves are disintegrating, scattering to no one knows where. That is, the entire world is moving away from each other in all possible degrees of freedom.
As a result, we gradually come to realize that what we lack is the correct connection between us, that is, the correct use of the categories of mercy, truth, justice, and peace. After all, only in this case will we reach the absolute perfect state.
Then we will not simply have peace on Earth, good relations in the family, and so on, on the contrary, if we advance correctly, then nature, the Creator, will be pushing us further to negative qualities, showing us even greater deficiencies.
As, for example, an adult compared to a child, it seems to the child that if he is holding a toy in his hands, the world is perfect and he does not need anything else. An adult, however, needs more and more. So do we.
Therefore, we should not assume that negative qualities that life presents to us are something negative. They are forces guiding us to the purpose of creation. If we work with them correctly, we will move very quickly and correctly to the goal.
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From KabTV’s “Fundamentals of Kabbalah” 7/28/19
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Question: There was a man who took great pride in his beautiful lawn. One day, he saw dandelions growing in the grass. No matter how hard he tried to fight it, to his dismay the dandelions continued their rapid growth. He turned to a sage and asked: “How can you help me clear the field of dandelions?” “You need to start loving them,” said the sage.
We want to see a certain kind of field, a certain kind of life, but life is full of dandelions. We keep fighting them, but the struggle never leads to anything. Do we have to love them in order for them to disappear?
Answer: Of course not.
Question: What will happen?
Answer: There will be not only dandelions, but all sorts of weeds and thorns. And you will realize that this is what should exist in this field. But you will find yourself in the correct interaction with them. You will see a new life, a new world, in their manifestations toward you.
Question: So my task is not to clear the field of weeds?
Answer: Not to do anything. What appears before us should be appearing exactly as it is. We only take out of it what we need for our existence and leave everything else as is. It will change depending on our inner changes.
Question: So I never destroy anything?
Answer: You should never destroy anything!
Question: What if I encounter evil, all sorts of troubles, haters?
Answer: Do nothing! You cannot destroy anything. You cannot do anything about either good or evil. You cannot even understand what is evil and what is good. This is possible only when we behave correctly, and then through our internal balance between all our bad and good qualities, each within himself and between us, we cause changes in the surrounding nature: animate, vegetative, and inanimate, as well as changes in their balance.
Question: How do I act correctly regarding what I see?
Answer: I must work at the level of “love your neighbor as yourself” and perceive everything around me as a manifestation of the Creator. I should excel at loving all of nature without trying to see something good or bad in it, which I see through my egoism when something seems good or bad to me based on some criteria of taste, or smell, or its usefulness, while something else does not.
I must accept everything as the upper force and try to shape myself as the correct component of this force, to be in harmony with it, and then everything will fall in its place. My views will change: whatever has to leave will leave, and what needs to stay will remain. If necessary, dinosaurs will reappear, but they will be friendly.
Question: So, I am always trying to break this connection with nature. Is this my main issue?
Answer: Not break it, I am trying to cripple it.
Question: And it responds with weeds, each time bigger and bigger?
Answer: Yes.
Question: And if I try to find a connection with it, to resonate with it, then I will practically not notice the weeds?
Answer: I will simply not criticize it. If I need something, I will take very carefully from it, but never harm it.
It all depends on the attitude. Attitude is not a physical action. It happens afterward. It is the feeling of love for everything around me because it comes from the Creator.
I look at everything as nasty, dirty, as cruelty among animals and so on, and I see that it is all nature, coming from the Creator.
And the reason for it being this way is also explained to me in the Torah. If man were kind, then all other parts of nature under him would also be kind to each other. And naturally, the lion would lie down with the lamb, and the little child would play with them, and everything would be fine. It depends only on the attitude of people toward nature. I think we will see this. It is pretty close.
Question: By nature you mean virtually the whole universe?
Answer: The entire universe including our world and all interactions in it. Up to the point that we can change our relationship to nature in such a way that with our good attitude, we will never get a negative reaction from it. On the contrary, if you need to take something from nature—like water or bread—you are welcome to. Everything will grow and bloom beautifully and there will be enough for everyone! All we need to do is to correct our relations.
This is not a fairy tale. I think people will start to understand this. And then they will curtail all their grand plans like flying to Mars or others. They will not need any of it.
The most important thing is to make our life on Earth self-sufficient, beautiful, and to engage in inner contemplation. Not through physical external expansion. We will achieve nothing by it. We will only burn ourselves and exhaust all our resources. But on the contrary: by inner deep scrutiny into nature, we will begin to attain its eternity, infinity, and its altogether different structure. This is where everything is.
I think that people will now go through a certain stage of realizing the uselessness of their scientific and technological development and become convinced of its futility.
We see today that all these years of progress have amounted to nothing. It allowed us to grow to eight billion people instead of two billion in the course of 100 years. But what good is it? Who among these people who were born and grew up are happy or satisfied? What good are they doing for themselves or the world? Perhaps it would have been better not to bring them into the world or develop them but let them exist in a different form, not developing, not being born.
Question: Is it possible to exist without being born?
Answer: Of course. What good is there in them coming to this world? It says so in the Torah, the sages sat and discussed: who is happy—one who was born or one who was not born? And they decided, happy, of course, is one who was not born, but if you were born, you must behave correctly.
Question: So you should still choose the goal of life correctly?
Answer: Yes. But the one who was not born is happier. And what does he do then? He has a different life we know nothing of in a non-physical form.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 2/15/21
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The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is a large, very beautiful bird that has recently been declared extinct. Why did this happen? Why are whole species of animals and birds disappearing?
There are no conditions for their existence, and therefore they disappear like dinosaurs became extinct. Each historical period has its own birds, animals, and people. And just as our life is assigned a certain period, so the species of animals exist for a limited time.
Therefore we need to regret only one thing when we leave this world: Have we used the life given to us correctly? You need to agree with what is given to you and try to do everything that is still possible to do.
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From KabTV’s “Look from the Inside”
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Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered, and spoke to the heads of the thousands of Israel.
“God, God, the Lord, God, God, the Lord, He knows, and Israel, he shall know; if it be in rebellion, or if in transgression against the Lord, save us not this day.
If we have built us an altar to turn away from following the Lord, or if to offer upon it burnt-offering or meal-offering, or if to offer peace-offerings upon it, let the Lord Himself require it (Joshua, 22:21-22:23).
Question: Before starting the war in Trans-Jordan, ambassadors were sent there to find out the intentions of the two and a half tribes of Israel, who went beyond the Jordan and built an altar there.
The tribes of Manasseh, Gad and Reuben explained their actions by the fact that years would pass and Jordan would become a border and divide the people. Therefore they were afraid that the ten tribes remaining on the other side of the Jordan would want to deprive them of the opportunity to pray and serve God in a single temple. And just to show that they are one people, they built an altar.
Why were they afraid of what others would think?
Answer: We are talking about the internal connections between all the desires of the broken soul of Adam. For the sons of Israel, the main thing is that they be together, because only then does the personal correction of each affect everyone else—all common desires.
They do not think about themselves, but about the general correction. Everything is only for the sake of correcting one common soul. Therefore any separation and estrangement is terrible for them.
Comment: You also constantly say the only thing the people should do is to wish to reach unity.
My Response: Yes, the most important thing is to come to a common opinion, thoughts, to the Creator, under which everyone can unite and destroy any partitions separating us, so that there is nothing that would separate a person from a person. Only mutual striving for a single goal. Everyone, based on their soul, should try to do this as efficiently as possible for everyone. This is called “one altar,” “one temple.”
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 8/23/21
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