Audio Version Of The Blog – 11/3/21
Posted on November 3rd, 2021
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A person’s attitude to the Creator is never simple because love and fear are always intertwined in it. On one hand I feel a great difference between our degrees and full control of the upper one over me. Since I am still within my egoism, I naturally try to adhere to Him egoistically.
Even if I change my attitude, I still remain dependent on Him and not free. This is why I feel animal fear. After all, I am His creation; the first word is always His, and the last word is also His. This is such dependence and control that we do not even fully recognize it, like little children who do not notice the control of their parents.
How, with all of this dependence, can I still acquire freedom of choice and freedom of action in order to have the right to say that in my devotion to the Creator I am the first and I am the last? Otherwise this connection cannot be called free if I adhere to Him as a slave to the master.
This is why we are given the Torah, to receive from the Creator strength and definitions in order to form the correct attitude toward Him. We cannot know the very essence of the Creator, but we study our connections and relationships with Him and better and better imagine this upper force that created us. By the actions of the Creator upon us and the whole world, upon the entire human society, we know His mind and feelings, the force that created everything.
Therefore our connection with the Creator consists of two components: the Torah and the work. In this way we build the image of the Creator within ourselves and bring our qualities to an ever-increasing similarity to this upper force that is unknown to us.
We as if collect all the qualities opposite to Him that we have discovered, and transform them into the opposite ones in order to arrange them in the correct form. Since they are shattered, we need to connect them correctly. From the obtained result, we will understand that this is the Creator, His essence, His form, His attitude toward us.
Through correcting the shattering we begin to understand from all its fragments what has shattered here and how to correct it, i.e., to connect, and what connection and dependence should be between all the parts so that they complete each other. In this mutual completing of each other, we reveal the divine wisdom so that in thought one part is connected with the other.
It is enough to look at our universe, how huge and contradictory it is, the shattering that we can see in it, and at the same time the connection, the dependence of one on the other. All this is one integral system in which nothing can be added or subtracted in any fragment, in any atom, or in any action.
At the moment it seems to us fragmented, but if we correct our mind and feelings, we will be able to assemble the entire universe into one system the way it really is: one desire and one force that is inside this desire. Then we will find ourselves in the state that existed before the shattering, which is called “He and His name are one.”
He is the light, the upper force of bestowal and love, that dwells in His name, that is, in the vessel, in the desire created by Him, which acquires the form of light, the quality of the Creator. Although the desire itself is opposite to the Creator, it works in the same direction, in the same inclination for unity as the Creator.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/2/21, Writings of Baal HaSulam, Shamati #45 “Two Discernments in the Torah and in the Work”
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My new article on Linkedin “The Ever-Complacent People”
In his book Israel, the Ever-Dying People, American thinker Simon Rawidowicz writes, “There was hardly a generation in the Diaspora that did not consider itself the final link in Israel’s chain.” Very poignant. At the same time, this statement is just as true: There was hardly a generation that was not complacent until it was too late. Why do we never learn? Why do we always think, “It’s just temporary; it’ll pass”? It never passes, and it never will pass until we realize the meaning of being Jewish and the onus we must carry even if against our will.
On October 25, the American Jewish Committee (AJC) released its annual State of Antisemitism in America report. AJC Managing Director of Public Affairs, Avi Mayer, writes that 90% of American Jews acknowledge that antisemitism is either a very serious problem or somewhat of a problem, and 82% of Jews think it has intensified over the past five years. The report also found that one in four Jews has been a victim of an antisemitic incident in the previous year alone.
What are American Jews doing about the situation? They are doing what Jews have always done—they adapt. According to the report, “Over the past year, many American Jews have changed their behavior, limiting their activities and concealing their Jewishness due to concerns about antisemitism.” Four out of ten American Jews have “avoided posting content online that would reveal their Jewishness or their views on Jewish issues, refrained from publicly wearing, carrying, or displaying items that might enable others to identify them as Jewish, or avoided certain places, events, or situations out of concern for their safety.”
However, keeping a low profile until the storm passes will not help. It never did, and it never will. It did not help us in Spain before the expulsion, it did not help us in Nazi Germany before the Holocaust, and it will not help us in America.
We could suggest that American Jews move to Israel. Antisemites in America certainly would not object to the idea, and Israel has always tried to cajole American Jews into making Aliyah [immigration to Israel]. But American Jews do not see Israel as their home. Just as German Jews saw Germany as their homeland and Berlin as their capital, American Jews see America as their homeland and Washington D.C. as their capital. In the near future, they are about to find out that most non-Jewish Americans do not agree with them on this.
There is a solution to antisemitism, but Jews hate the thought of it. This is why they have never used it until it was too late. In Nazi Germany, with the Nazis making every effort to make them leave for Palestine, only a trickle of German Jewry did so. By 1938, when many Jews realized that they had better leave or else… the British authorities, who had control over Palestine, had shut the doors, and the rest of the world denied their entry using multiple pretexts.
For this reason, I hope that this time, American Jewry will hear and spare itself the bitter fate: The solution to Jew-hatred is Jewish unity. Jews must unite not in order to tackle antisemitism, but to set an example of unity, and for no other reason.
It is not a coincidence that we had articulated for the world the ultimate expression of altruism: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” It is not a coincidence that we had outlined the basic principles of social welfare, and advocated for caring for others and compassion. It is also not a coincidence that the father of our nation, Abraham, was known not as a great conqueror, but as a man of mercy, who had built a nation through hospitality and kindness. And finally, it is not a coincidence that we coined the term “mutual responsibility,” the basis of a balanced and sustainable persistence of any society.
From the perspective of the nations of the world, it is not a coincidence that despite our great ingenuity and countless contributions in every area of human engagement, the world feels no gratitude toward us. It is not a coincidence that Jews are always accused of evildoing, even though such accusations almost never have anything to do with reality.
All those things are not coincidences because the world expects only one thing from the Jews: to be a role model of mercy, like their father, Abraham. When Jews unite and rise above all their differences, the world venerates them for their example and comes to learn from them. When they are divided, the world despises them, accuses them of every possible wrongdoing, and wants to see them gone.
This is the truth that we have always refused to acknowledge. However, until we acknowledge and accept it, the world will not accept us.
Below are two books and a webpage I have written, elaborating on the root cause of the most ancient hatred and how to dissolve it.
1. The Jewish Choice: Unity or Anti-Semitism
2. Like a Bundle of Reeds: why unity and mutual guarantee are today’s call of the hour
3. Why Do People Hate Jews?
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My new article on Linkedin “Haiti – a Testimony to Humanity’s Apathy”
Nearly three months ago, on August 14, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti. According to UN official data, more than 2,200 people died from the earthquake itself, more than 12,000 were injured, while 65 health facilities were damaged or destroyed. Two days later, tropical storm Grace unleashed torrential rains on the devastated island.
When Grace left, Haiti, the poorest country in Latin and Central America, and one of the poorest in the world, was left to fend for itself. The world quickly moved on to talk about more “important” crises to the West, such as forest fires and flash floods, from which hardly anyone died and the damages are mainly to property.
Haiti, on the other hand, is still reeling and grieving. It has no means to recover. It is left there as a testimony to humanity’s apathy.
The problem is that we are not raised to care. We look at other people and see that they have a different skin color, different customs, a different mentality, and we cannot sympathize with them because of it. It shouldn’t be this way, but this is how we are brought up.
As a result, news channels may report disasters that occur outside of Europe or the US, but covering relief efforts, harnessing the world’s sympathy, telling the stories of the victims the way it’s done after every hurricane or forest fire, these are far beyond the interest of the West. There is simply no interest in the lives of people from a different culture.
These disasters are a wake-up call. They are here precisely in order to awaken empathy in us, and we don’t hear the call. The more we ignore our fellow human beings, who are suffering from natural, and even worse, from manmade catastrophes, the more severe these events will become, until we learn.
Whether we feel it or not, whether we want to or not, humanity is one organism. We are all connected. When we are indifferent, careless, or even cruel toward one part of humanity, all of humanity suffers, including the powerful who are careless. In today’s world, there is no getting away from interconnectedness.
Our apathy reminds me of an allegory I once read. The Jerusalem Talmud (Nedarim, 9:4) describes people’s ignorance of their interconnectedness with a clever allegory: “[Suppose] one is cutting meat, and the knife descends into his hand; would he consider avenging his hand and cutting his other hand for cutting the first? So is this matter … the rule is that one does not take revenge against one’s neighbor, for it is as though he is taking revenge against his own body.”
Eventually, we will have to become considerate and caring toward each other. We are dependent on each other and there is nothing we can do about it.
Just as the pandemic has taught us that infection anywhere is infection everywhere, so it is with all our sorrows and joys. The faster we become aware of it and conduct ourselves accordingly, the sooner we will turn humanity’s negative trajectory around. The more we stall, the worse will be nature’s “persuasion efforts” until we understand.
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My new article on Linkedin “A Two-Step Plan for Reconciliation with the Arab World”
I heard that some Israelis are happy about the feud between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia and that the latter, along with some of its allies from the Gulf, have called back their ambassadors from Beirut. I can understand the feelings of those Israelis. After all, Lebanon has played host to Hezbollah for decades, and Lebanese territories have long become a “launching pad” for operations against Israel. Yet, I think that in the long run, our relationship with Lebanon, and with the Arab world in general, depends more on the relationships among ourselves than on our relationships with other nations.
The first step in achieving peace with the Arab world is achieving peace among the Jews within Israel. Right now, we are so divided that we have become a mockery in the eyes of the entire world, not only the Arab world. How can a nation that never stops fighting within itself make peace with other nations? Clearly, it can’t.
Therefore, to win the Arab world’s respect and to be regarded as an entity to be reckoned with, we must become a strong, uniform nation.
After we achieve step one, step two will be much easier. Among Israelis, Arabs are often referred to as “cousins.” It is not a cynical or derogatory term at all. Jews never forget that the two religions have the same father, and that Isaac and Ishmael were brothers. Abraham loved both of them, and so should we, their descendants, love each other like family.
Therefore, once we, Jews, make peace among the siblings, we should stretch out our hand in peace and open our hearts to our kin.
This step will entail a process of rapprochement where we come to know each other better and better. We will get to know each other’s culture, language, and customs, to the point where we truly feel as equal members of a single family.
For the time being, we clearly need military protection against those trying to destroy us. But we should not rely on weapons, but on closeness of the hearts. If we focus on our internal unity first, and immediately following, turn to our Arab neighbors in peace, I have no doubt the two nations will become a role model for the world to follow.
My new article on Linkedin “A Jewish Lobby at the Highest Level”
Two critical issues are currently on the table of the Biden Administration. Besides the intention of reopening a U.S. consulate in Jerusalem for Palestinian affairs which would divide Israel’s capital, the reopening of the PLO mission in Washington is also at stake. Israel cannot afford to fall asleep in the face of these matters and wait for a sunny day.
The progressive sector within the Democratic Party is flexing their political muscle to bring these aspirations about. Where are the American Jews in the whole story? Unfortunately, they are outside the decision making process; they do not have much power to resist this situation. For years, the Jewish lobby and its influence on the American administrations has been in steady decline. This is a subject no one is willing to address, either to avoid provoking fear, or in some cases, because of a lack of interest in strengthening the lobby anew.
Moreover, many American Jews have aligned with the Left-leaning progressive agenda of the Democratic Party which legitimizes foreign affair decisions “for the sake of Israel,” even if in reality they are actually harmful to the Jewish state.
Some of them may be unaware of the dangerous situation they are putting us in here, while most take these positions quite intentionally. How can such actions be explained? Because, what need do they have for power or influence if the State of Israel is like a bone in their throat to begin with? Israel is for them an ideal they do not relate to as Jews, nor to its policies which are a burden to them. If so, it is only natural to desire to get rid of such a heavy weight instead of fighting for a cause that is not considered their own.
Israeli representatives may try to court members of the anti-Israel Democratic wing, tempted by their beautiful facade, when in fact they are wolves in sheep’s clothing.
So, if we in Israel do not remain attentive and keep a close guard of our nation, the outcome will be exactly as our sages warned, “Zionism will be cancelled altogether… and its residents are destined to endure much suffering. Undoubtedly, either they or their children will gradually leave the country, and only an insignificant number will remain, which will ultimately be swallowed among the Arabs.” (The Last Generation, Yehuda Ashlag)
Before the U.S. election I spoke a lot and openly about the dangers that lie within the Democratic Party, and now we see them actually materializing. It could easily become the preamble to increasing pressure against Israel more intense than during Obama’s term in office.
It is not too late to change our fate and correct the situation. The question is whether there is anyone who is willing to do it. This requires people who, on the one hand, feel the severity of the situation and the dangers involved, and on the other hand, are able to recognize that the rescue will come through the unification of the nation of Israel.
Where are those willing to do all in their power to bring us together as a society to the imperative goal? Where are the leaders who will encourage us to shorten the distance between us and implement the premise, “love your neighbor as yourself?” In the meantime, there are only public complaints about the state of affairs but complaints will never be enough to bring the boat through stormy seas to a safe port.
We need to realize that our greatest danger does not come from external forces. Those hostile forces we perceive are just a reflection of our laziness to take our destiny into our own hands. We wreak havoc upon ourselves, unaware of our potential inner strength which is the highest Jewish lobby we could ever achieve. As it is written, “The genuine movement of the Israeli soul at its grandest is expressed only by its sacred, eternal force, which flaws within its spirit… 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, Rav Kook)
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Question: Can scientists discover the worlds that the wisdom of Kabbalah tells us about? They have already proven that everything depends on the observer in what is called the double-slit experiment.
Answer: Indeed, everything depends on the observer. But the observer must have the attributes that he wants to see. If he doesn’t have these attributes, he can invent instruments to help him.
An instrument by which we can see the upper world is a certain society, a group whose members are connected to each other by the attribute of bestowal. If the right group is made of such people, it becomes like a lens, a telescope, a magnifying glass. Then it is possible to see the upper world through this group.
So there is no problem with that. We simply need to understand that we need to change corporeal actions and turn them into spiritual actions and then we will receive an answer.
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From KabTV’s “Fundamentals of Kabbalah” 10/6/19
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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “Is there any crisis in education? If so, what is it?“
The crisis in education is that it is, on one hand, the world’s main problem, and on the other hand, it is not seen as the world’s main problem and is mostly neglected.
How is education the world’s main problem?
It means that what needs to be taught throughout all states, state institutions, from elementary schools through to retirement homes, is what having a correct attitude to each other means, and that negative attitudes to each other are the basis of all problems.
In other words, if we relate to each other with mutual consideration, then we would draw a positive force that dwells in nature to connect us harmoniously, and which would literally put an end to our myriad problems. And while we relate to each other negatively, i.e. egoistically, where we seek to enjoy at each other’s expense, we accumulate more and more problems and suffering in the world.
We should be introduced to such concepts from a young age, and we should receive explanations about these concepts regularly, even constantly. We would then gradually hear this message and understand the cause of all our problems: that we are egoists by nature, prioritizing self-benefit over benefiting others.
By becoming aware of the root cause of our problems, we then access half of the solution. That would already greatly benefit the world because we would then no longer look for the cause of our problems in places where they do not exist. We would put an end to creating all kinds of committees and organizations that try to solve our various problems with Band-Aid solutions, and we would know exactly what to focus on.
We would know that our entire problem is in our egoistic nature, and that it needs to somehow become corrected. We could then announce an international contest to solve this problem, discussing it in every possible place, seeking and accepting proposals for its solution.
We would publicize the people participating in seeking its solution, naming the winners as those people who wished to help out for free, and by doing so, we would create a global movement.
Gradually, we would be able to explain that egoism is humanity’s core problem, and that it can only be solved in a unique way, by the positive force dwelling in nature, which we can attract, and by doing so, solve our core problem. Moreover, by solving our core problem, we would put an end to literally all of our problems.
I trust that humanity has no other way. I know it. If we all discuss our need to change, that we are corrupted by nature, but that we need to change for the better, then like a prayer, we would receive a positive response, and it would work to change us for the better.
Based on “News with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman” on September 23, 2021. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.
Question: How can a person develop the necessary amount of patience?
Answer: It is only through the importance of the goal. What was I born for? Why do I exist? What am I living for and why do I die? Is the meaning of life to actually feel comfortable at any given moment?
This is very important for the corporeal body, of course. We can all agree with that because this is our nature. We fear pain and we fear hardships, each of us to a different extent; but that’s the way it is and we cannot do anything about it because this is our egoistic nature.
But if I am in a group and it speaks about the greatness of our path and about the importance of the goal of life, and if I somehow lower my head and don’t raise it in pride with regard to them, if I am impressed by the importance of the goal that they feel and I subdue myself to their impact, then I feel the powers to advance.
Furthermore, it is important to burn the bridges behind me. When I found my teacher I burned everything I had before. I had a successful business and everything a man needs in life, but I immediately parted from that so that there was no going back, so that I could no longer restore anything. I moved to live near my teacher Rabash and by that cut off any contact with my past.
I began a new life, a more modest life, more limited in every sense, but next to my teacher. So it was already very difficult to change my life.
When we are under the influence of the environment and negative thoughts, we need to tie ourselves to the right path as much as possible, just as sailors tie themselves to the deck so that stormy waves will not wash them overboard.
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From KabTV’s “Fundamentals of Kabbalah” 2/13/19
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Comment: Kabbalah says that the nature of a woman is the receiving part and a man’s the bestowing one.
My Response: This is very conditional. In the spiritual world the quality of bestowal is called male and the quality of receiving is called female. But we are not talking about a man and a woman in our world. This is how spiritual forces are divided.
Where do we see these manifestations? If a man practices Kabbalah correctly, he attains the spiritual force first and then transfers it to the woman. But the woman helps him in this, and without her help, he cannot achieve anything. A woman is that desire with the help of which a man attains the upper force, reveals the Creator.
Thus, their partnership is necessary from the very minimum level. Therefore, in the past Kabbalists did not accept men who were not married as their students.
But in our time, to achieve a real spiritual state, it is necessary to have a combination of both a man and a woman, directed toward the Creator.
Hopefully, we are now approaching the generation in which the right spiritual combination will appear between couples.
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FFrom KabTV’s “Close-Up. Emancipation” 9/16/09
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