Michael Laitman, On The Times of Israel: “Israel – the Ever-Electing Country”

Nearly forty years ago, Jewish thinker Simon Rawidowicz published a book titled Israel – The Ever-Dying People. Since nearly four years ago, Israel has become the ever-electing country. For the fifth time in less than four years, Israel is going to the polls again.

The coalition that has just dispersed itself was truly unique, even by Israel’s standards. In this coalition, everyone sacrificed their principles for one common goal: preventing a common political rival from remaining Israel’s prime minister. And if the only reason to sacrifice everything is to prevent someone else from being in power, it is clear that the only purpose of this government was to stay in power.

As things stand now, it is clear that we cannot have a leadership; we cannot have a government. We cannot have a government because we do not have a country. There is no nation, no constitution, and no understanding whatsoever how to do it right. Instead, we are only trying to survive.

It is not as if we do not know how we should conduct ourselves. We have all the knowledge, but we never use it. To use it, we must build a nation, and then we will merit a state.

A nation is a collection of people, a community bonded by a common goal. Currently, millions of people have come to Israel, but they have no common goal, no sense of solidarity, community, or anything that defines us as a nation. To define us as a nation in the State of Israel, we need to know the purpose of the existence of the State of Israel.

First, we need to understand that merely serving as a safe haven for Jews does not work. We can already see that settling for a place where Jews can be secure and feel at home does not work; it is simply not enough. In truth, when Jews gather in one place, it starts a fire, and the State of Israel exemplifies it.

Therefore, for Jews to assemble at a certain place, they need to be prepared for it. They need to know where they are going and why.

This place, the State of Israel, exists in order to allow Jews to rebuild their nationhood, to turn themselves into a united Jewish people, and not a splintered mass divided into dozens of parties that despise one another and cooperate only in order to oust a common foe whom they hate more than they hate each other.

Only if this throng becomes a unified mass, bonded by mutual solidarity, it will merit the title “nation.” Unlike other nations, which have common national symbols or geographical characteristics, our only unifier is the ideology of unity itself.

When we merit the title “nation,” we will also know what our constitution is, since there will be only one item in it: unity above all differences. This is the uniqueness of the people of Israel, and where such a nation lives becomes the Land of Israel.

A few days ago, head of Hamas Ismail Haniyeh called on the Palestinians to prepare themselves to return to Palestine since Israel is in a state of political disintegration that reflects the dead-end to which the Zionist project has come. “The beginning of defeat,” he said, “is disintegration from within.”

Regrettably, Haniyeh is correct. In our current state, the State of Israel has no future.

Unless we take upon ourselves the only constitution suitable for the Israeli people, a constitution of unity and solidarity at all costs and above any division, our country will not be here for long. If unity is our goal, we will succeed in everything. If it is not, we will disintegrate and be driven out.

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Medium published my new article “No Point in Having Economists without Accountability”

An economist shared with me that there is a saying about economists, that they tell you tomorrow what happened yesterday.

With the world drowning in a whirlpool of financial and economic crises, we need economists who can tell us not only what happened, but what will happen down the line, and most importantly, what to do about it. Economists who show off their fancy charts spread across multiple displays, who talk about models without telling us what specifically we should do to stop the global economic avalanche, are worthless. We do not need them.

Economists get a lot of prime time exposure, which they use in order to tell us what is happening. But we don’t need them to tell us what is happening because it is happening to us. We need them to tell us what to do, and this is where they all grow silent.

It is like having an expert in microeconomics telling me how to run my house. I trust that economist, but I suddenly find that I cannot buy this food or that appliance, or I cannot pay for my kids’ afterschool classes. How would I relate to such an “economist”?

This is what is happening to us at the macro level. Instead of looking for a hole deep enough to hide in, economists condescendingly lecture us mere mortals about why there is no baby formula on supermarket shelves, why inflation is skyrocketing, and why gasoline costs more than $5 a gallon. (In Israel, by the way, it is twice as expensive as in the US.)

The purpose of economics is to anticipate what might happen and, equally important, how to prepare for it. Clearly, there are unpredictable events. However, these pundits should include preparations for the unpredictable in their models and advise policymakers how to prepare for them. That way, when a downturn comes, we will not be left helpless and hapless as we are now.

Economists must draw the line, set the boundaries, and warn which moves humanity cannot afford to take because of their consequences. When economists prove that they can create models that guarantee the stability of humanity, or at least the stability of a country, they should step off the counselor seat and join the ranks of policymakers.

As such, they will be very powerful because they will be able to influence us through our most sensitive spot: our stomach. If a reliable economist warns that tomorrow we will run out of grain or water, everyone will listen. If all they do is print thick reports on glossy paper, they are not worth the price of the paper their reports are written on.

I can count my money in the bank, assuming I have any; I don’t need economists for that. I do, however, need them to tell me where the world is going out of balance and what to do about it because this will influence my bank account in the future.

If economists felt responsible for what is happening and regretted not warning us in time, they could be excused. But if they remain in the commentator’s seat and do not feel responsible for the well-being of the world, then there is no point in having them at all.
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Medium published my new article “What If We Got It All Wrong about the Climate?”

What if we got it all wrong about the climate? What would we do if we learned that aerosols that pollute the air also cool it and mitigate the greenhouse effect? Also, what if we were told that volcanic eruptions that emit CO2 and other greenhouse gases that heat up the atmosphere, also emit ash that blocks the sun’s rays and cools the air more than the CO2 they emit, and which heats it? Recently published scientific papers claim just that.

A study conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration claims that “A 50% decrease in pollution particles and droplets in Europe and the U.S. is linked to a 33% increase in Atlantic storm formation in the past couple decades, while the opposite is happening in the Pacific with more pollution and fewer typhoons.”

If we add to this recent discovery the well-established fact that volcanic eruptions cool the Earth, it begs the question, how then do we deal with climate change? Do we clean the air and heat up the planet? Do we keep polluting the air in order to cool it? Or, do we try to somehow clean the air and reduce CO2 emissions in a way that does not accelerate the warming of the air?

If these questions seem unsolvable, it is because they are. They are unsolvable because they are the wrong questions; they aim to “cure” the symptoms rather than the illness. It does not work in medicine, and it does not work with the climate.

The “illness” that causes these problems is human behavior. We are ruthlessly exploiting the earth’s resources. We are competing over who will exploit the planet more effectively and more quickly, and we completely ignore the fact that by doing so, we are sowing off the branch we are sitting on.

To solve the climate crisis, humanity needs to have a round table discussion ‎and collectively determine its priorities. We will have to decide what is necessary for everyone and what is not, and provide only what is necessary. We will have to learn to exist the way all of nature exists. If we do not learn it of our own accord, nature will force us to learn it the hard way.

This solution pertains not only to the climate crisis, but to all our problems. There is not a single problem today that does not affect the entire world. Look at the food shortage that the war in Ukraine has caused, look at the global supply disruptions, the soaring inflation around the world, the viruses that spread uncontrollably, the computer chip crisis, everything impacts everyone and there is nothing we can do to solve these crises because we are trying to save ourselves instead of trying to save everyone collectively.

If we start thinking collectively, we will find solutions to all our problems because they are not problems of pollution or inflation, or any of the other symptoms; they are problems in connection.

When we change the purpose of our connection from mutual exploitation to mutual correction, we will find that we have no problems whatsoever. We can cut the production of all our products and still have more than enough to provide everyone with all their needs. If we stop competing against each other, we will have no reason to deplete the earth. If we have no need to deplete the earth, we will be able to reduce CO2 and aerosol emissions all at the same time.

The bottom line is that we do not need to worry about reducing pollution; we need to worry about improving our connections. If we establish strong connections around the world, the rest of our problems will disappear as if they never existed.
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My new article on Linkedin “Where in Europe Is Good for Jews?”

The answer to the question of what are the best places to be Jewish should be an unequivocal “anywhere.” Unfortunately, that is not the case. The fact that such a question was the main topic in a recent study by the European Jewish Association reveals the heightened prevalence of antisemitism. According to that research, Belgium and Poland are the worst countries for Jews while Italy and Hungary are the best.

The survey examined the lives of Jews in the 12 European countries with the largest Jewish communities. The parameters studied were governmental measures against antisemitism, security of the Jewish community, freedom of religion, promotion of Jewish culture and the country’s voting record in favor or against Israel at the United Nations.

There is nothing new under the antisemitic sun. Belgium and Poland are known as countries that despise Jews, while Italy and Hungary hate us a little less. I have traveled to Europe many times, both for work and family vacations, and every time I step on European soil, I feel an antisemitic atmosphere that makes me uncomfortable and like I have no country other than Israel.

The situation has worsened over time. In the first decades after the Holocaust the atmosphere in Europe was still stable; today hatred of the Jews raises its head proudly and fearlessly. Are the Jews seeing the warning lights in the increased openly displayed acts of antisemitism? Not really.

In Belgium, for example, the government has significantly reduced security around the Jewish communities, banned kosher slaughter and is considering banning circumcision. But for the Jews of Belgium “it is good to be a Jew in the country,” in their own words. As it has usually happened throughout history, Jews bury their heads in the sand and are prepared to get used to any situation instead of exerting their strength through Jewish unity.

The phenomenon of antisemitism is not revealed to ultimately destroy some local Jews, but it is a natural response designed to remind Jews why we exist in the world. We have no possibility of defending ourselves against hatred, except temporarily and insufficiently. The only protection against antisemitism is the realization of our original destiny as the people of Israel.

Jews must unite against the crystallizing hatred, not as a frightened flock of sheep encircled by a snarling pack of wolves, but because it is our call to action to become “a light unto nations” through Jewish unity. In a state of cohesion, a supreme power emerges as a positive force that radiates to all humanity.

Conversely, as long as we, Jews, abandon our spiritual role, we slowly disengage from the very feeling of being Jews and instinctively understand that we have no right to knock hard on the table of the nations and say, “Yes, we live here too! We have been here for generations and this is our place too!” In the absence of unification, the Jews bend and compromise until the wave of hatred passes, momentarily, because it never really goes away.

Although Israel is the Jewish state, our national home, I do not expect European Jews to immigrate here. Their mass emigration is neither a solution for them nor for us. Of course, there is no objection or prohibition, but it does not strengthen us in any way if it is not done with the full conviction of the true meaning of Israel in our lives.

Israel is a place for those who feel they cannot live anywhere else in the world and are willing to accept the laws of true Zionism: to transcend our selfish nature, mobilize for the good of others, connect internally and externally with other Jews to build a unique network, the abode of the Upper Force. This spiritual space is and will always be the safest place for every Jew.
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Medium published my new article “The Global Turbulence of the Travel Industry”

Remember the days when traveling was relaxing, exciting? Those memories have been challenged in recent weeks by the chaos experienced at airports around the world, particularly in North America and Europe. A surge of summer passengers, eager and waiting to travel since the onset of the pandemic, has been confronted with widespread understaffing due to Covid-19 layoffs which have put pressure on airports and airlines.

Once considered redundant, travel industry workers who were laid off are now reluctant to return to jobs due to low wages, job insecurity, and poor working conditions. As a result of the lack of human resources globally, thousands of passengers have missed boarding calls and flights while waiting in nightmare queues, and often their luggage has been delayed or lost. And if all this is not enough, many airline staff, including pilots, are protesting over fatigue, stress, and staff shortages. Due to the lack of manpower, airlines around the world have canceled thousands of flights and many more cancellations are expected throughout the holiday season.

Whoever decided to initiate the wave of mass layoffs in the days of the pandemic should have also considered how to recruit and train new workers when they would again be needed. After all, the expectation was known well in advance since tens of thousands had already talked about a vacation abroad the day after the travel restrictions were lifted. So why didn’t they get organized in advance to provide services to the traveling public?

The coronavirus has accustomed us to a new quality of life–to working from home in comfortable conditions, to seeing that it is possible to get by with less, so now the low salaries offered in the industry provide little incentive to return to work.

In the short run, better wages for employees would spur recruitment, but in the long run, this will not truly satisfy employee desires. The very fact that this is a worldwide phenomenon suggests that it is a fundamental human problem that might even be called the “plague of laziness.”

It is forbidden to disconnect between cause and effect. During the pandemic period people changed from within. Their desires and requirements have grown, so that today they demand more comfort and are unwilling to make large efforts without being paid appropriately. This is the evolving trend in human society, and it is an expression of continuing development that requires a new fulfillment.

In the end, the international chaos in the aviation industry reveals how unorganized we are on a social level. This is only a sample of the situation that exists in all the other industries in the economy. We are disorganized across the board, while the crisis has not yet reached its peak. As long as we do not settle the problems the suffering and frustration will intensify to the point that we will no longer contain them, then surely a comprehensive change will be forced upon us.

The lack of connection between us, and the lack of awareness of our human nature particularly as a result of the pandemic, reveal the simple fact that we are no longer able to even enjoy even the short vacations which were taken for granted not long ago.

If we do not wake up, the situation will only get worse. Human nature does not freeze its yeast; the desire to receive pleasure will force people to demand more and more. At the same time, we naturally become more lazy, selfish, and greedy. In the same way that there are no flights now, tomorrow there will be no trains, hotels, restaurants and what not, so that we will have to acknowledge in our flesh that change is mandatory.

Large companies in the economy need to implement an ongoing process of education to raise awareness of the fact that we live in one single interconnected natural system in which humanity is interdependent.

This very initial understanding from our education will develop within us a new attitude toward life, teaching us how to direct our egoistic nature to harmonize with conditions of interdependence and mutual guarantee. Out of the corrected and improved relationships between us we will be able to easily motivate workers and propel all the systems in the economy to avoid future bumpy rides in our society.
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Comment: They say that there is no Creator outside of creation and everyone has their own Creator.

My Response: Of course. After all, we cannot even compare how He may seem or be revealed to each of us.

Question: But everyone can see this world’s research, let’s say the laws of gravity. Everyone feels it, but each in their own way. I do not know how you feel the law of gravity, but we mean the same thing by this term. What about the Creator? What do you mean, I have my own, while you have your own??

Answer: This is a completely personal investigation of every individual. We can exchange some actions and impressions, but we will never know how similar some reflections or consequences of our study of the Creator are for each of us.

This is a biased study. The Creator is unattainable. It is to the extent of our limitations that we begin to understand it and realize our limitations. But as a result of the development of the Creator’s qualities in us, we begin to attain Him in these qualities. Then we can talk about how we perceive Him in the objective qualities we have developed in ourselves. Then the Creator can already be defined by us as something objective.
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From KabTV’s “Spiritual States” 6/7/22

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Question: Where do desires come from to a person?

Answer: Our desires are embedded in the informational gene, the so-called Reshimo, which develops in each of us. This internal informational record came to us from that small spark from which the entire universe was born fifteen billion years ago.

Question: Why do all people have different desires?

Answer: Because the initial desire, which began to develop from a spark of light, first generated a desire around itself at the level of inanimate nature; this is our entire universe. Then vegetative and animate nature, and man. This desire continues to develop in us and in the rest of nature. The universe is changing a little, the plant and animal world much more, but man is changing the most.

In other words, the desire that arose from the spark that gave birth to the universe continues to live and change in us. It passes through inanimate, vegetative, animate, and human nature and pulls everyone along with it like a ray of light to the next dimension, back to its root.

That is, this spark came from above, from its root, created our universe, and carries us all back there.

The only thing we can do is to consciously strive for the same goal. And then we will begin to understand why, how, and what; i.e., we will begin to consciously participate in this process and thus reach the level of the Creator.

By incorporating in the program of creation, which is in the spark that brought about evolution, we will realize this program faster than it would have been realized by itself. We can do this.

If we get involved in this process and with the help of a special environment, books, and teachers we ourselves rush forward, then we will get ahead of this force of development. We will develop independently and purposefully and will acquire knowledge, strength, and everything that is necessary.

Thus, we will realize the entire program of creation, the whole knowledge of the Creator and all His qualities, and become equal to Him. This is the purpose of our existence. So, go ahead! In any case, we will have to come to this.
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From KabTV’s “Close-Up. Does the Creator exist?” 5/9/11

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Question: If humanity has a common repository of knowledge, why does everyone perceive the world in their own way? Will we ever reveal it?

Answer: We will reveal this general picture only if we unite into one common whole.

And how else can we reveal it? If each of us is an individual consumer of general information, then there is no way we cannot get out of this narrow framework.

As long as we remain egoists, we are individually connected to information and by this we only harm each other, we do not understand each other, and we are not in contact with each other at all. Each of us is powered by a different part of the general global information, energy, and thought.

It is possible to understand this plan, the whole course of nature, only if we begin to unite to destroy the barriers between us on the principle of loving your neighbor as yourself, and to connect all together as one single whole to the common information field. That is when we will get out into another level of existence—into eternity and perfection!

We will connect to something that is unchangeable, to something perfect, and we will become the same ourselves. And our animal body has nothing to do with it. We will dwell in a common field in our feelings and minds. This will happen as soon as we destroy the egoism between us.

Question: If we are all connected in a common field, then will everyone know what the other thinks? That is very scary!

Answer: Don’t be afraid of it! We’re adults! Our whole egoism will fall.

We will reach such a degree of interaction where we become like one common heart and one common mind. It is above us. And therefore when we destroy the barriers between us, we will rise, unite with this one single heart, desire, and mind, and find eternal existence.
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From KabTV’s “Close-Up. Hologram” 7/28/11

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Question: You say that the biggest egoists are people who already now do not live for themselves because they pass the upper light to everyone else. Where is egoism here?

Answer: In order to receive the upper light, you need great egoism, a great corrected, but formerly egoistic desire. In principle, the desire remains, only the intention changes.

I wanted to grab the entire world, and I grabbed it. How? I am now receiving the upper light in order to fill this entire world. I feel it as my own, as a mother hen over everyone. I consider it to be mine: “This is mine! I have to take care of it!” And not: “This is mine! I have to suck everything out of it!”

The desire, however, is the same, which embraces everyone. It is just that the attitude to it is either egoistic or altruistic.
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From KabTV’s “Close-Up. Branch of Sakura” 5/15/11

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Kabbalists have always been interested in science and cultures of nations. Even Baal HaSulam and Rav Kook visited libraries, sat there, and studied everything.

We can see from the works of Baal HaSulam how well he knew economics, political science, political economy, and how he spoke of Marx’s political economy, of what is happening here in Israel between parties, and so on. Meaning, he was a person who knew subjects perfectly and often mentioned great scientists and famous people of the past.

It is a natural desire of a Kabbalist to study the upper world from the lower world and the lower from the upper because everything that happens is still interconnected between the two worlds and everything comes from only one source—the upper one. When studying our world, you feel the upper source manifested through it.

Therefore, I am happy to absorb everything that is in this world. I am already over 70 years old, but I feel like a young boy eager to see everything, to learn everything, both the upper and this world. I have a thirst for everything.
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From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. Architectural Monuments” 9/17/09

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