My new article on Linkedin “Exile and Redemption – the Israel Way”

On Friday the 15th, Jews all over the world celebrated Passover—the redemption of Israel from the enslavement in Egypt, thirty-three centuries ago. The exodus from Egypt is mentioned not only on the relevant date in the Hebrew calendar. Almost every significant date on the Hebrew calendar contains the words “to remember the exodus from Egypt.” In fact, not only Judaism, but Christians, too, attribute great importance to the deliverance of the Israelites from enslavement. Throughout history, there have been countless cases of enslavement and liberation. Why then is this one so important that we make it a point to remember it? The exodus symbolizes much more than deliverance of one nation from another. It describes the inner process by which one redeems one’s soul from the enslavement of the ego. And since we are all born slaves to our egos, the exodus from Egypt pertains to each and every person on the planet.

When the Israelites were in the Sinai desert, they complained to Moses, “We remember the fish that we ate for free in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the greens [vegetables] and the onions and the garlic” (Num. 11:5). On another occasion, they lamented, “Would that we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full” (Ex. 16:3). We see that it was not physical hardships that afflicted the children of Israel in Egypt, but something else tormented them to the point where they could not tolerate remaining there even for another night. That something is the reason that the story of the exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt is still so well remembered.

To understand what that something is, we must remember that the people of Israel are unlike any other nation. Their roots cannot be traced to any one nation or country, clan, or tribe. We attribute the beginning of the nation to Abraham, but he was only the first. On the day he died, the Hebrews were still not a nation. They received their official status, if you will, only at the foot of Mt. Sinai, after they vowed to unite “as one man with one heart.”

Until then, people of countless tribes and nations joined the Hebrews at their own will. The only condition for joining the ancient Hebrews was to agree to the principle of unity above all differences. In other words, the emerging nation consisted of people from many different origins, who joined the group that Abraham had established because they subscribed to the idea by which he established it: unity, care for others, this is all that matters. This is why the fundamental law of Judaism is “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Despite their efforts to unite, the ego of the ancient Hebrews failed them time and time again. Each time they rose above it and united, it intensified and separated them once more. This is why the history of the people of Israel is rife with conflicts and wars.

The story of the exodus from Egypt is a symbolic tale that speaks about one’s efforts to overcome one’s ego. Moses, for example, is the quality within us that constantly pulls toward unity. The Hebrew name Moshe [Moses] is similar to the Hebrew word “moshech” [pulling], namely pulling away from the ego and toward unity and love of others.

The people of Israel are qualities within us that can relate to Moses and follow him, but hesitate to do so. They are tempted by the ego to remain in Egypt, where the ego is king. This is why they constantly question Moses’ leadership and wonder if it would not be better had they stayed in Egypt.

Egypt symbolizes our ego, our hatred of others. Pharaoh is the epitome of the ego. He is not only hatred of others, but a desire to rule over everyone and everything, to oppress all of reality under one’s own governance. This is why Pharaoh says, “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice?” (Ex. 5:2). In other words, Pharaoh bows to no one; it is the core of egoism.

Moses’ struggle to release the people of Israel from the ego was successful. For an individual, it is the redemption of the soul from the shackles of the ego, the king that rules us from birth, as it is written, “The inclination of a man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Gen. 8:21).

As we can see, the story of Israel’s exodus from Egypt is very pertinent. Today’s world, which is mired in egoism, needs redemption from the ego no less than the people of Israel needed it then. We have built a beautiful world, abundant in every possible way. Yet, the enslavement to our narcissistic selves separates us from each other and causes us to destroy every piece of beauty on our planet.

Just as the enslavement of the people of Israel in Egypt was really an enslavement to their egos, so we are trapped by our own egos and seek to dominate and oppress others (if we are Pharaoh), or simply hate other people (if we are simple Egyptians). Either way, it is destructive to ourselves, to our society, and to the world we live in.

May this Passover be the beginning of our redemption from our egos and the beginning of our unity and love of others.
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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “When was Exodus from Egypt?“

According to the wisdom of Kabbalah, the exodus from Egypt means exiting the desire to receive for oneself, leaving behind self-aimed egoistic thoughts, discernments and decisions, and entering a higher reality of love, bestowal and connection. It is a birth into a new illuminated world.

Before we enter that world, we are in a desire to receive for self-benefit alone, a narrow concern about our own lives, and exiting that state means getting rid of the control of Egypt—the intention for self-benefit alone—and entering into a new control of the upper force of love, bestowal and connection. In the latter world, we discover and live in a new intention to benefit others and the whole of nature.

In other words, the exodus from Egypt is not some past historical event or merely a story that we learn as we grow up. It is rather a key transitional state we go through on our spiritual path, where we shift from being in a corporeal egoistic state to living in a spiritual state of love, bestowal and connection, in contact with the upper force.

Based on the Daily Kabbalah Lesson with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on April 15, 2022. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Jews are hated because they have a quality opposite to egoistic development, the quality of altruism.

Not only do the nations of the world not understand, but also Jews themselves do not understand why this is happening.

Jews are hated because they do not implement this quality into the world; otherwise, everyone could reach a wonderful life. Therefore, they are rightfully accused of being the source of all problems.
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From KabTV’s “Close-Up. Gene of Altruism” 9/19/10

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Question: Today we are in a state where a person is given to understand that he does not decide anything, he is nobody and nothing, and it is useless to try to change something within the framework of this world.

What is the program for the realization of freedom in equivalence with the Creator?

Answer: The realization of freedom in the likeness with the Creator is when I do not want to, but I must call upon the Creator as an arbiter because I am between two states and do not know what to prefer.

I decide what He decides because this is the only upper force from which two opposite states derive. They converge in me, but I cannot solve my conflict, i.e., combine the plus with the minus so that this system, these two universes, spiritual and corporeal, start working for me.

Therefore, I must call upon a third force that connects them correctly and creates a certain resistance between them. Then it will be like a motor that runs on two wires connected to it.

In this case, I will start working and will find myself in the same state as the Creator. From Him, two forces descend and unite in me.

By invoking Him, I give birth to the same quality as His, the same state as His, and at the same time, I become a man, Adam, from the word “Domeh,” similar to the Creator.

Therefore, I really call upon Him; I do not transfer freedom to Him, but I summon Him, I include His quality in myself. The Creator is a quality of bestowal, love, and the attraction of everything for common bestowal, a common system, and I become just like Him.

This is the freedom to become like the Creator, like this integral nature, to rise above all that He has done, just as He is, above all that has been created. This is prepared for all of us. This is the purpose of man.
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From KabTV’s “Close-Up, Dissenting Opinion” 8/29/10

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Question: In May of 2020 TikTok blogger Demi Skipper from San Francisco took announced on her blog that wanted to start with an ordinary bobby pin [hair pin] and swap her way up to a home. She exchanged it for a pair of earrings, and then continued to make a progression of more valuable trade-ups until in November of the same year she achieved her goal of owning a home.

This isn’t the first case of someone trading up a relatively worthless item to owning a house. In 2007, Canadian Kyle McDonald made 14 exchanges to home ownership starting with a big red paper clip.

What do you think about these tales that seem like fantasy?

Answer: All this takes place in front of an audience. But it is quite possible. From where does wealth, money, steamships, etc. come in general? That’s exactly how it’s done.

Question: What’s happening in the chain? Why? How does it get so hyped?

Answer: These are desires multiplied by human stupidity, swagger, fame, and so on. All this gives value to these amounts.

Question: “I’ll do it, and I’ll give you a car for a paper clip. And they will talk about me.” Something like that?

Answer: Yes, it is a sale, of course.

Question: What would you personally like to launch, something simple like this paper clip, and what would you like to get at the end?

Answer: I would like to launch into the world the popularity of the happiness of the world, the real happiness of the world, and at the end for everyone to get an understanding of it. But there is no such TikTok currently, not yet.

Question: A simple sentence like this: “What is happiness for the world?” And as a result, everyone will understand it. Is there no such thing?

Answer: No. There are no such games like this. A deep awareness is needed by each and everyone, of course, that a person is created an egoist and so on. This is the only way. A  game won’t help here; it can’t wind up just like that. It’s not a show.

A person should really want to connect with others, to take care of them, and to realize that we are on the same Titanic.

Question: Can this Titanic sail?

Answer: If we support it this way, then undoubtedly.

Question: If we unite?

Answer: Yes.

Question: And if not, then this is the Titanic?

Answer: Of course.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 12/23/21

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Preparation to the Lesson

Lesson on the Topic “Pesach (Passover)” 

Selected Highlights

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Preparation to the Lesson

Lesson on the Topic “Pesach (Passover)” 

Selected Highlights

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Listen to an Audio Version of the Blog
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Michael Laitman, On The Times of Israel: “Moses’ Leadership to Take Humanity Out of Egypt”

Against the background of a worldwide vacuum in leadership today, the figure of Moses who brought Israel out of Egypt seems more relevant than ever. What made the great prophet, the hero of the Passover holiday, so prominent in the pages of history? What special leadership ability did he have?

In terms of leadership ability, there was nothing overtly special about Moses. He was anything but eloquent, he wasn’t a born leader and often failed to understand the Creator whose message he was carrying. With his apparent lack of success, anyone else would have given up long before, but not Moses. He had the quality that we would love to see in today’s leaders: true, unselfish love for his people.

Throughout history, there have been many people who have known how to handle things well and manage others according to their selfish aspirations, but they have not necessarily been considered great leaders. Sophistication, cunning, and other slick qualities, all of these are not required in a true leader.

A leader is really first and foremost an educator. Moses certainly did that, he educated his people toward loving one another and helped them connect above their egoism, their innate desires for self-benefit. The Hebrews united around Mount Sinai, which not coincidentally takes its name from the Hebrew word “sinah” (hate). They did not destroy the mountain of hatred between them, but sent the most pristine element in their midst, Moses, to climb the mountain, conquer it, and bring down a law (Torah) by which they would be able to establish love among them.

But the Torah is not a Hollywood script. It speaks of the spiritual development within a person and the constant struggle between the forces of egoism and the forces of brotherhood and unity within us. This is explained in The Book of Zohar with the line, “Man is a small world.” So when it is written in the Torah (Exodus 6:2) about Moses that the spirit of the Lord spoke in Pharaoh’s daughter to call him Moshe (Moses) from the word “moshech” (pulling), it is because he is the one who pulls Israel from exile, pulls them out of Egypt, meaning out of the egoism that was destroying the relations between them.

Today we feel the period of the darkness of Egypt starting once again, but it is general and global. We already clearly see that the entire world is tightly interconnected, most recently with the impact of the pandemic and with the repercussions of the war in Ukraine to the economies and food supplies worldwide.

We need to face the darkness and also understand what it is showing us. It is meant to bring all of humanity closer to redemption. We need to stop pretending this state of darkness has not descended on all of us. We cannot ignore it or merely hope it will go away. It is important to recognize it and understand that the darkness is the sign of a new bright state.

But we need some help to use this warning purposefully and achieve the desired results. We should be led by the attributes of Moses’ leadership as expressed in the form of a pan-social educational system. We need a system that will allow each of us to understand that the root of all of our problems, at home and abroad, is the ego that brings separation and that wars between us only make all of our lives bitter and bring only more troubles upon us everywhere in the world. We need the leadership that will teach us to transcend all disagreements and will teach us how, despite all the differences, to connect with each other.

Conversely, if we disrespect and harm one another, more blows like the ones of Egypt will certainly be revealed. This means that everything depends on us now. If we understand like a child who sees the look on his parents’ faces and interprets the warning, and improves his behavior in response, then there will be no need for more blows. Instead, we will build bridges of love over hatred.
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Medium published my new article “When We Leave Our Kids with Someone Else”

For several weeks now, police in the Israeli town of Qiryat Shemona have been investigating a case of child abuse, when five kindergarten teachers abused thirteen children in their care. The events, which were documented on webcams, consisted of physical and emotional abuse, where teachers grabbed one hand of the children and hoisted them into the air, threw them on beds, covered their heads with blankets, leaned on them, and prevented them from removing the cover from over their heads. The cameras were installed in the kindergarten after the government made it a law several years ago to document everything that happens in kindergartens, following another case of child abuse.

For their part, the horrified parents, who had to watch the recorded videos in order to confirm the identity of the children, do not understand how women, who are all trained and certified teachers, became such monsters toward their children. Where was their motherly instinct?

There are two things we should note here: 1. I have said before and I will reiterate here that no matter how many cameras we install in a kindergarten or a school, it will not prevent abuse. When I first said it several years ago, people did not believe me; the idea of placing cameras in every kindergarten sounded great to them. They thought the cameras would restrain abusive teachers. Even then, I knew it would not, since human nature is stronger than any admonition, and the presence of cameras will not deter abusive teachers.

2. In no culture and in no indigenous people is it acceptable to leave babies in the hands of caretakers while the mother goes away for hours on end on a daily basis. Infants are always to be kept at home, next to their mother, at least until they are two years old. This is the indigenous way, and the fact that we have abandoned it does not mean that we are more progressed, but that we are out of touch with nature. The first motherly instinct that is trounced is not that of the teachers, but that of the mothers who put their children in their care.

The idea that a mother should return to work a few weeks or a few months after she has a baby is fundamentally flawed. We are putting career and affluence in higher priority than children, so we should not be surprised that our children get hurt. Since the dawn of humanity, and in all of nature, mothers would not dream of handing their children over to someone else’s care. Only we, thanks to progress, have begun to think that we are smarter than nature. Now we are paying the price for our folly.

Moreover, since people are becoming increasingly narcissistic, experiencing what multiple sociologists have dubbed a “narcissism epidemic,” the risk of our children being abused is even greater now than before, and will keep growing over time. Nothing can stop the growing ego. Therefore, nothing will stop teachers from abusing defenseless children.

I have nothing against women working, but I think they should do it from home, at least during the first couple of years of every child’s life. Women need to be there for their children, and no surrogate, however professional and caring, can replace them. Readers might deride my views as backward or outdated; I prefer to call them what they are: natural.

We need to rethink the whole concept of family, parenthood, children, and child-rearing. We need to see how we can rearrange our lives so that we needn’t be in constant pursuit of career jobs and long hours.

I thought that by now, we would be accustomed to working from home, but I see that many people are returning to their offices. I cannot understand why. Who gains from it?

I think women need to do what they love to do; they need to work because they love their work, and not because their livelihood depends on it. Their work should give them satisfaction and fulfillment, and make them happier, not more stressed and anxious about their children.

Granted, there are mothers, and fathers, who abuse their children, too. This is part of the educational process that we all need to undergo. As a whole, however, the only way to prevent child abuse is by leaving children under their mothers’ care. We may have to readjust our thinking, but it will make everyone happier, including the mothers, and to me, this is all that matters.
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