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Michael Laitman, On The Times of Israel: “The Specter of the Forebear of Palestinian Terrorism Lives On”

A documentary series on the Palestinian Arab nationalist Mohammed (aka Haj) Amin al-Husseini was recently broadcast in Israel. Al-Husseini was the leader of the Palestinian Arabs in the years preceding the establishment of the State of Israel. He was determined to prevent its founding. During World War II, al-Husseini became Hitler’s close ally, and together they drew plans to destroy the Jewish settlement in Palestine. In the years leading up to the war, he incited to violence and led uprisings and attacks against Jewish settlements throughout Palestine, as well as against the British forces that governed Palestine. One might think that had it not been for al-Husseini, the bloody, hate-filled history of the relationships between Jews and Arabs in Israel would have been different. I am not inclined to speculate on what might have been; it is impossible to know and pointless to try.

Concerning al-Husseini, we need to realize that the world is divided into factions and groups, and everyone is in some sort of struggle. It makes no difference if the arguments of one side are correct, and those of the other side are incorrect, since no one listens to the other side anyway. Whoever has an opinion sticks to it and people rarely change their minds.

Because of it, I think it is pointless to seek justice, as the truth is in the eyes of the beholder. It is clear that an Arab leader will be against Jews, and Jewish leaders should act accordingly, meaning stand against the Arabs. In other words, each side fights for its own justice and its own people. There is no justice here; each side is right from its own perspective.

To Arabs, the fact that Jews want to settle in Palestine is a just cause for hate. As long as Jews did not want to settle in Palestine and rebuild their historic homeland, things were relatively quiet. But once the Jews began to return, the hatred began to flare up.

As this is the case, I see no possibility for peace unless we embrace the spiritual meaning of the word. In spirituality, peace does not mean absence of hostilities; it means complementarity. Peace is a situation where each side has a completely different perspective, yet understands that there cannot be a complete picture of reality unless both perspectives coexist.

To coexist, the vying parties must value peace, meaning complementarity, more than they are zealous about their own side of the story. Once they come to such a state, they can rise above the chasm between them. There, in the common, higher realm, they will find a completely new reality. That reality will be called “peace.”

Therefore, it is imperative that the Jews unite among themselves and present an equal force against the enemy that wants to destroy them. In the end, neither side will destroy the other but the struggle between them will lead to the birth of a new perception of reality—a spiritual, complementary one.

Until this happens, we Israelis will continue to have to live by the sword, as the specter of al-Husseini lives on among us and seeks to terrorize us and drive us out of Israel. We will never kill it, but we must fight against it with all our might, and at the same time fight for unity above our differences, as this, in the end, is the only thing that chases away contemporary and future al-Husseinis.
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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “How might being kind and showing you care about someone, including a stranger, make a big difference in the person’s life?“

One of my students told me a story about a young man who was hospitalized on the verge of death. He wrote a “Farewell to the World” post on Facebook, which was met with hundreds of warm and caring comments from his family, friends and strangers. Lying on the hospital bed, he said the following: “Every word and sentence flowed into me like enlivening energy that really forced me to breathe in more and more love. Miraculously, my body stopped collapsing, and gradually, I made my way back to life.”

Now this man is fine. What is that force that brought him back from death? People, with their caring attitude toward him, gave him strength, passing a vitalizing force onto him. Their words carried healing forces, which he soaked up, and which enlivened him.

Indeed, we can truly enliven each other and build worlds with a loving and caring attitude toward each other.

Based on the video “How Care from Strangers Saved a Man’s Life” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman and Oren Levi. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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My new article on Linkedin “Not Gonna Lie”

NGL is a new and quite popular mobile app. Its letters are an acronym for “Not Gonna Lie,” and the app presumes to offer “a fresh take on anonymity.” According to the creators of the app, “anonymity should be a fun yet safe place to express your feelings and opinions without shame.” In reality, the app has become a breeding ground for insults, slander and threats. Indeed, people freely express their opinions there, but it is anything but a safe place. But then, with human nature being what it is, what can we expect?

We think that overt hatred and violence happen mainly in movies, and in reality, people are far more restrained. Perhaps they are a little more restrained, but an app like NGL proves that it is only a facade, and given the opportunity, everyone will be at each other’s throats. If there is anything good about apps like NGL, it is that through them we can recognize how bad we are.

It is not only apps, but everything that we create ultimately becomes bad because of our evil nature. Even if we wanted, we could not create anything else. The fact that there are inventions that seem harmless or even good does not mean that they are as they appear to be, but only that the wickedness in them has not been exposed. This exposure, by the way, however difficult, is the first step toward removal of the pestilence.

To agree to be kind to one another, we need to realize the depravity of our nature. With very few exceptions, people have no shred of goodness. They use everyone else for their own needs, and the only difference in their behavior toward others depends on what pleases them, without regard for others.

Even good people are good only because it makes them feel better about themselves, and not because they are selfless in any way. Had they been born with less compassion in their hearts, they would have behaved less kindly toward others. In other words, their kindness does not stem from their kind hearts, but because this is what their selfish wants tell them to do. Granted, this is preferable to people who enjoy bullying, but the motive behind their actions is still selfish, and given the right circumstances, their egoism will show its face.

In conclusion, Not Gonna Lie really does not lie. The question is what we want to do about the truth that it reveals. Do we want to let human nature lead us to more abuse, pain, distrust, alienation, and their horrific offshoots of depression, violence, substance abuse, and war? Or, do we want to say “Enough!” to our egos and decide together to change our attitude toward each other and rise above our abusive nature? Now that we know, we have a choice.
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Michael Laitman, On The Times of Israel: “Bad Neighbors Should Part Ways”

A few hours after US President Joe Biden departed from Israel, Islamic Jihad fired several rockets at Israeli cities. Israel’s automatic response was to retaliate with bombs at empty warehouses that harmed no one and caused little damage. In this usual scenario, Hamas and Islamic Jihad are running the show. They have the initiative and Israel only responds. When they want, there is quiet in Israel; when they want, there is no quiet in Israel. Israel’s response, it seems, makes no difference. In this war of attrition, we, Israel, are clearly not on the winning side. Our enemies will keep hurting us until we want to leave this country; this is their goal. Therefore, if we want to stay here, the only solution is to completely separate ourselves from them. Bad neighbors should part ways, not stay in the same place and go on fighting.

If your neighbor does not stop trying to kill you or force you out of your home, yet you want to live, then you have two options: leave, or force your neighbor to leave. When no reconciliation is possible, there needs to be total separation.

Therefore, the State of Israel should be cleared of anyone who threatens its existence or the existence of its residents. Additionally, anyone who tries to kill Israelis from outside of Israel should be treated the same as he is treating Israelis. It is not politics; it is common sense, and every democratic country in the world applies this principle.

Trying to reason or compromise with people who do not listen to reason and do not want to compromise is not political moderateness; it is folly. This approach has led to relinquishing more and more territory, which invariably becomes a basis for more rockets, bombs, and knife attacks on Israeli citizens. In short, it does not improve the situation, but makes it far worse because there is no intention on the other side to live side by side, but to drive us out. Consequently, every bit of ground we waive is another victory for the other side, which emboldens it and makes it more audacious.

It is true that the world will not like it if Israel forced a separation of population, but there is no other choice. If we want to survive, our attitude toward the Palestinians should be that there is no contact with them whatsoever, and anyone who tries to kill us, we kill them first.

However, total separation is only a temporary solution, only the first half of what we have to do, the half that should enable us to carry out the second, more important task.

This second half pertains to what we have to do among ourselves. Toward ourselves, we should be just as tough, but toward cohesion rather than separation. The only thing that determines our endurance is our social cohesion, our unity. Therefore, this should be our sole focus when it comes to Israeli society.

Unity does not mean uniformity. It does not mean that we must all think the same or want the same things and have the same goals. Unity means that above all our many differences, we feel as one nation, and each faction in the nation contributes its unique perspective to the common pool of ideas and attitudes. In this way, we will not have a divided society, but a society that is vital, vibrant, and dynamic.

The secret of our people’s success throughout the centuries has not been our intellect, but the reason for our intellect and fortitude. That reason is that we have always had different views, yet we have known how to keep ourselves together despite our different views. The constant arguments and debates have developed us and made us resilient and smart.

Today, because we have become intolerant toward each other, we are very weak and vulnerable, as each side blames the other for its woes. In truth, the fault is not in this or that view, but in the fact that we cannot rise above them and keep ourselves together.

In fact, the whole purpose of our diverse viewpoints is to rise above them and form a canopy of unity under which all views can exist. If we try to revoke an opposing view, we end up canceling our own view, as well, since our view can assert itself and develop only in relation to other views that stand against it.

And finally, if we establish unity above our divided views, we will set an example to the world, the example that it wants to see from us. We embody in our nation every viewpoint on the planet. If we can unite above our myriad opinions, we will show the world the way toward peace among the nations, too.

By this, and only by this will we win the favor of the world. Then, even the Palestinians will make peace with us.
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And He restricted that Light, and drew far off to the sides around that middle point.

And there remained an empty space, an empty air, a vacuum

Precisely from the middle point.

And that restriction was equally around that empty, middle point,

So that the space was evenly circled around it 
(Ari, The Tree of Life).

Question: What does it mean the space was evenly circled around it?

Answer: It cannot be expressed in other words. In this way, in the language of geometry, we can explain that in the center of the Creator, in the center of light, a void in the form of a circle was formed.

There are no mutual changes, restrictions, or separations, and all its qualities mutually complement each other so that only empty space remains.

The concept of place always implies desire. That is, initially an empty desire was created, which did not feel anything, even the Creator. The entire creation begins with this, the gradual development of desire to a state where it already acquires some kind of its own powers, goals, and thus begins to interact with this emptiness within itself.
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From KabTV’s “Spiritual States” 7/5/22

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Question: What is the main function of Reshimot?

Answer: The main function of Reshimot is an informational record of all your future states. However, this is just a record. How it will be manifested within you depends on you.

When you begin to enter these states with your senses, the way you will feel this will depend on your attitude toward them. A person who wants to develop spiritually will feel this in one way, and a person who wants to develop differently will feel this in another way.

For example, a child is brought to school where he is given various tasks. One child shouts: “Why do I need this?! For how many years will it go on like this?!” He is told: “Ten years.” And he is ready to just jump out the window.

And the other kid comes to school, and he likes it, he is happy to complete tasks, for him ten years fly by very quickly.

Question: It turns out that I cannot change the fact that I have to study at school for ten years? Is it written in my Reshimot?

Answer: Yes, but you can feel these ten years as ten days.
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From KabTV’s “Spiritual States” 7/12/22

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Question: “World” is from the word “Olam,” “Halama,” meaning, concealment. How does concealment reveal perfection?

Answer: In order to fuel the desire to attain the Creator in the created beings, the ladder-like system of worlds was created, by which the created beings gradually ascend and attain the Creator, which means perfection, eternity, the universality of the upper force more and more.

In the book The Tree of Life, the Ari writes: Ein Sof restricted Himself, in His middle point that is, even the minimal manifestation of the Creator disappeared and absolutely everything has been hidden from the created being.

This is necessary so that a true desire for the Creator begins emerging in the created being and freedom of choice appears.
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From KabTV’s “Spiritual States” 7/5/22

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Comment: You recently said, “First there was the word, and it was the word of God.” What was the first word?

My Response: “Bereshit.” There are Kabbalistic explanations for the word “Bereshit” that take thousands of pages. Thousands of pages! Entire treatises explain what Bereshit means. Because this word “Bereshit” contains absolutely everything! Apart from it, everything else is a consequence of it.

Question: Can “Bereshit” be translated as “at the beginning”?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Can you compress these thousands of pages of treatises into a few sentences?

Answer: This word “Bereshit” contains the essence of the Creator, the purpose of creation and its full program of development, up to the last state.

Question: What is the essence of the Creator?

Answer: The essence of the Creator is good who does good.

Question: What is the essence of the creation that He created?

Answer: The desire created by the Creator, which yearns for adhesion with the Creator, for coming closer to the Creator is called creation.

Question: Does it mean that the program of creation is to come closer to the Creator? If we yearn for coming closer to the Creator, do we fulfill the purpose of creation?

Answer: Yes.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 6/20/22

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Question: Are prophetic dreams a certain kind of attainment?

Answer: Prophetic dreams, which many people like to talk about, have nothing to do with Kabbalah. A person cannot fall asleep, wake up, and remember his dream, as it is said about the Pharaoh and other characters in the sagas of ancient Egypt.

In fact, none of this exists! There are other states that we can call that, but not what happened to Pharaoh or anyone else.

A person who is in contact with the Creator has a certain attainment of the Creator, which can be called a dream. But this is not a dream.

For example, in the Psalms of David it is written: “We were like them that dream” (Psalms 126:1). The point is that when we return to the full attainment of the Creator, we will realize that all our past attainments were like in a dream. It was not a full degree, but only six degrees out of ten.

Question: It may seem that way to us, but we are not in fact talking about our world?

Answer: No! What does our world have to do with it? It is generally considered imaginary by us.

Comment: It is interesting that all this is written about the spiritual, but nothing is said about our world. We live here and we want to know what’s going on here.

My Response: Nothing is happening here. If we want something to happen, we must become similar to the Creator. As we become like Him, we will begin to feel where we are and how this world is moving.

Question: But we exist in this world, in this body. I would like to know how much a person should sleep at all, even a Kabbalist since he also lives in a physiological body?

Answer: The minimum amount of sleep time should be equal to the horse’s sleep – 60 breaths. This is how a horse usually sleeps, then wakes up and sleeps again, and wakes up again. This is minimal sleep. In general, sleep should last six hours; not even in a row, but in general, during a day.
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From KabTV’s “Spiritual States” 6/28/22

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