Audio Version Of The Blog – 8/19/22
Posted on August 19th, 2022
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My new article on Linkedin “Connection Begins with Respect”
Gil Tamary is a well-known Israeli journalist. A few weeks ago, he sneaked into Mecca, Islam’s holiest city, defying an entry ban on non-Muslims. The stunt made the Saudis so angry that they tracked down and arrested the man who helped Tamary into the city, and said that they will prosecute him.
In Israel, too, the story “prompted outrage,” which grew even more “after it was revealed that his companion had been arrested.” I can sympathize with the anger. Disobeying another country’s codes of conduct is audacity and disrespect toward it and toward its people’s faith. It is tantamount to patronizing them, and I wholly disagree with it.
Where is the benefit in going against the will of the Arab world? It makes no difference whether an Israeli journalist breaks their law or the Pope; the Arab world does not want people of other faiths to set foot in Mecca. Why should we not respect that?
Synagogues, Jewish houses of worship, are very different. Anyone can walk in there. A Muslim can even pray there in his own language and in his own faith, and it will not be regarded as idol-worship. But if Islam considers such a thing a sin, we have no right to undermine it. Connection with others begins with respect for others.
Medium published my new article “Poison Rain, the New Reality”
A wave of studies released this month declare that we have polluted the air to the point where even rain has become poisonous. Moreover, these studies “argue [that] the presence of forever chemicals in our hydrosphere [is] at values that exceed key guidelines [which] means we have entered an unsafe operating space from which there is practically no return.” “Based on the latest U.S. guidelines for [perfluorooctanoic acid] in drinking water,” concludes another study, “rainwater everywhere would be judged unsafe to drink.”
The oddity about it is that there is no justification for this. It is simply happening and humanity is doing nothing to stop it. But since the cause of these poisons is human activity, the disaster is our own doing.
We have come to this not because of the wrongdoing of one person in particular; it is a collective offense and we are all culprits, all of humanity. Our crime is unrestrained selfishness, and all of humanity commits it. Our reckless egoism throws all of nature off balance, and everything goes awry.
Toxic rain is only one of countless misfortunes that we are inflicting on ourselves. Climate change, which alternates between relentless heat waves and subsequent floods, is also our doing. Monkeypox, Covid, the war in Ukraine, and skyrocketing food and gas prices are all our doing, expressions of our out-of-control narcissism.
We cannot solve each crisis separately. That would be like covering one sewer pit only to see the fetid water gushing out the next one even more forcefully. The solution lies in balancing the entire system of connections between us on all levels, from the personal to the international.
We are irrevocably connected, but we have come to this through our desire to exploit one another. As a result, the closer and more connected we become, the more miserable it makes us. Instead of benefiting from globalization, it only makes us realize how competitive, exploitative, and abusive we are. Ironically, our external connections increase our internal separation.
However, since we are already connected, and cannot disconnect, we have no choice but to correct our connections. Correct connections begin with the mind, not with the body.
First, we must understand that because we are all dependent on each other, all around the world, positive connections between us are mandatory. Once we accept that the basis of our relationships must be a positive one, based on good connections, we can begin to build physical ties and relationships, contingent upon maintaining a positive attitude toward each other.
Only a bedrock of good connections between us will enable us to build a global society that is balanced, peaceful, and healthy to live in, both emotionally and physically. Only when we clean our hearts from the pollution of the “Me! Me! Me!” attitude that makes us feel entitled and superior, we will be able to clean the air of toxins and make raindrops what they should be: pure and fresh drinking water that gives life to all.
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Michael Laitman, On The Times of Israel: “Climate Gone Mad”
A few days ago, the papers warned that Europe is facing the worst drought in 500 years. They described the dry and hot weather and the fires that broke out all over the continent and spoke of an apocalypse. Today, they are reporting flooding in London and violent storms in France causing catastrophic flooding, where in some places, more than an inch of rain fell in less than 30 minutes, and in Paris, a storm with 65 mph wind gusts and nearly 2 inches of rain that fell in just 90 minutes flooded the Metro. Clearly, the climate has gone mad.
However, the climate did not go awry by itself, but because of our madness. Nature’s erratic behavior merely reflects our own agitation toward everything. Our growing narcissism drives us to treat everyone and everything with utter indifference to the needs of others. In fact, we even enjoy hurting others. We think that if we can use others and not see the consequences for our actions right away then there are no consequences, but there are very serious consequences for our wrongdoing toward others.
In the closed system that is the world we live in, everything we do affects everything else, and that effect returns to us like a boomerang. When we pour so much negativity into the system, it becomes dysfunctional, and this summer, we are experiencing this dysfunction through the smoldering heat waves and torrential rains. If we continue to flood the system with hatred and intolerance, we will not need nuclear weapons to wipe us out; plagues, natural disasters, fires, and floods will extinguish us long before we extinguish each other.
When the summer is gone, winter will come with its own perils, and lack of gas and power will wreak havoc in Europe. Eventually, we will have to accept that we cannot defeat nature; we cannot outsmart it. We will have to learn to be an integral part of nature, connected to each other and to nature. We will not survive otherwise.
Since the only element in nature that has bad intentions and an exploitative attitude toward others is us, we must begin to change our relationships. Our attitude toward the rest of nature stems from our attitude toward each other. Therefore, if we are considerate toward each other, we will be considerate toward nature. It turns out that the correction of our tormented planet begins with the correction of our broken ties with one another.
To mend them, we must put our heads together and discuss solutions on a global level. These solutions must be inclusive and take into account everyone’s needs. At the same time, everyone must accept that they cannot receive more than is necessary, since they, too, must be considerate toward others.
To get such a global initiative off the ground, there needs to be an open discussion about it all over the global media. People must know that we really are running out of time, and unless we change now, it will be too late afterwards.
I do not know how to keep this move clean from politics and politicians, but it has to be a genuine effort to save humanity and the planet, not a ploy to take control of it. Perhaps a panel of scientists will be able to make this happen, but they, too, must work without ulterior motives.
I realize that this idea may sound naive, but I also realize that if we do not take global action to sincerely improve our connections, the approaching annihilation is certain and near.
Michael Laitman, On Quora: “Why do people need support in their lives?“
The world operates according to forces that are outside of our perception and sensation. Reality is much broader, profound and complex than the way we are built to perceive it. Therefore, in relation to everything we do in our world, and in every one of our actions, we have to know where we are, what is going on, what we should do, and how we can secure a positive outcome from our actions. And it all comes down to somehow relying on others.
One way or another, we wish to know others’ opinions about us, whether it is our parents, our relatives, people who care about us, our teachers, wise people, doctors, and so on and so forth, up to a point where we turn to the Internet in order to absorb various sources of information. Accordingly, we then decide on our various actions.
We seek support because we wish to strengthen ourselves emotionally. We were created as social beings, and cannot survive on our own in the world. We are in constant need of an environment, a society. We have such inner feelings, desires and deficiencies that we can only fulfill if we truly connect with society.
Based on the video “Why Do People Need Support in Their Lives?” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman and Oren Levi. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.
Question: The language of the Ari is called a system of screens. The screen is an anti-egoistic quality, when a person can perform some action without taking into account his personal interests. What is this system, what does it consist of?
Answer: The system of screens means that a person can connect with the upper world and rise above his earthly nature. The earthly nature of a person is very simple; it is our egoism, which exists in everyone and forces us to perform certain actions, which are called desires to enjoy. It seems to a person that these actions are intended to fulfill him. But in fact, it is not so.
Our nature is the inner feeling that by acting egoistically, for our own sake, we are fulfilled and feel satisfied.
But there is the opposite; not engaging in self-enjoyment, but making efforts to fulfill not myself, but others. It is not easy. A person is unable to do it. But by trying to do it, one begins to feel that there is a second part of nature, opposite to our world, like a looking glass.
If we gradually develop the qualities of bestowal and love for others, which are opposite to our egoism, then we can begin to feel this looking glass, this opposite world. It exists next to us, but we do not feel it because we do not have its qualities. All of the qualities we have are egoistic, and they close us in ourselves.
Question: Does the screen allow you to objectively look at reality?
Answer: Yes. The Ari first described the qualities of the screen and explained how we can create it in ourselves, develop anti-egoistic qualities, and feel the other world not inside, but outside of egoism. That is why the upper world is called “the other world,” i.e., undisturbed by our egoistic organs.
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From KabTV’s “Spiritual States” 8/2/22
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Question: Are we becoming extinct as Homo Sapiens?
Answer: No, we are moving from one stage of development to the next one. And we cannot understand this transition process.
Everything that is happening in the world seems irrational. That is, it happens rationally, but according to the new rational plan and we have nothing to do with it yet, we do not see it as what it is. We participate in it and it seems to us irrational, somewhat inconceivable, and we do not know how to live with it.
Our mind is not suited to new relationships, to the things that are happening. It is like we are given another degree of development, but we have not matured for it yet. We do not understand it.
Question: Does it mean that we are in a gap between the degrees?
Answer: This is always the case.
Comment: And all the irrationality, lack of logic of all these wars, and events…
My Response: Well, what can you do if we are not adjusted to them yet? We need to rise to this degree.
Question: Where are these events pushing us, in principle? If the next moment is irrational, and the next one is also irrational, can it be that someone will reach for the nuclear button?
Answer: It is not about a nuclear button. These events are going to make us recognize the real world we inhabit today. This world is not about a nuclear button, and it does not matter whether we will be saved from it or not.
This is a completely new world, with new goals, with new attitudes to it. Therefore it requires new people, which we must become. But do we understand this? We do not understand yet. Are we aware of this? We are not aware. Are we ready for this? No. Do we want this? Likewise, no.
And it turns out that here we have four degrees of development toward a new degree.
Question: Are you saying that now the world nevertheless needs to produce new leaders?
Answer: Leaders, of course. There should be certain preparations in society for the fact that we need this. And then rudiments of a new leadership, understanding, awareness, teaching, and teachers will appear.
Questions: In any case, should there be suitable people for these leaders?
Answer: Yes. There must be people who will accept them and elect them. In principle, we have a good future ahead of us. Ahead of all of us. There will be another circle, another reincarnation. It will be better next time.
Comment: There is no great humanism in all this.
My Response: Only if you cannot see. When a small child is punished, he also believes that his parents are monsters.
Comment: Does it mean that we need to turn on “other brains” after all?
My Response: This is called “phase transition to the next degree.” In the end, everything is for the best. Only that we have to mature for this best.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 3/31/22
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In the News (Israel National News): “The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Saturday warned that the establishment of a joint defense alliance between Israel and the Arab states in response to Iran’s UAV attacks, and announced that the move would only exacerbate instability in the region. ‘This will be a catalyst for tension and divisiveness,’ a spokesman for the ministry said. …
“A new report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) revealed that Iran is increasing the rate of its uranium enrichment with the help of advanced machines installed in an underground complex. According to Reuters, Western diplomats have already been warned that these machines will allow Iran to construct a nuclear warhead faster than before.”
Question: Iran is very successful at blackmailing everyone. Israel is Iran’s main target. What are our actions, can you tell?
Answer: Our actions are to think about our own security, about ties with neighboring countries, and to strengthen all this. But, in principle, this is Iran’s politics. All its weapons, all its conversations go only to politics. Otherwise, it will not feel like the primary country of the world. And it won’t go beyond talking, because it will lose.
Question: Do you think it weighs everything so rationally?
Answer: It weighs very much so! Iranians are very smart, cautious, and balanced. Therefore, I am calm in this regard. They will annoy you from all sides, harm you, but they themselves will not get under attack. It is necessary to behave with them in such a way as to leave them at this level and no more. But they on their own will not do more.
You can’t destroy anything. The world is arranged in such a way that if you want to do good, to destroy evil, you must do it only in accordance with the upper law of nature.
It depends on our Jewish attitude to the world, to ourselves, and to the Creator. We should think correctly about how to balance the world so that the Creator manifests in everything within it; so that there would be as little evil as possible, as much good as possible, and we strive for the good to triumph. And in this way we will do everything possible to reveal the Creator in this world.
Question: How can you make good triumph without destroying evil?
Answer: We cannot destroy anything—neither evil nor good. We can only tie them together in such a way that good always covers evil. And evil will grow and good will grow even more above it.
Question: How do we respond to this accumulation of evil, this hatred of us, and nuclear weapons?
Answer: This is all so that we grow in goodness and develop kindness.
“Good” is love for one’s neighbor, the connection between us, first of all, amongst us in Israel, then between us all over the world, and then all over the world.
If we are connected by good ties or “love your neighbor as yourself” in Israel, then by this we affect the whole world. The nations of the world will see us like this and want to be like us.
This is the law of nature! If we treat each other correctly, then automatically proceeding from this, the nations of the world will feel that we are filled with kindness to each other and to them as well. It will work on everyone.
That is, the warmth we generate here and send to others, begins to envelop the whole world.
Question: Do you still single out this nation as essentially the core of all problems and precisely the core of everything?
Answer: Yes.
Comment: This is what they accuse us of being “The chosen people.” They feel like they are the chosen people all the time. We’ve talked about it more than once, but it’s still going on. I see in the comments how they write: “Jews again. It’s them again.”
My Response: They also stutter about us in every second word! So where does it come from? Why is it in them?
Question: Then how come that these 0.3%, whose land is exactly the same, who are just an eye of a needle, are somehow always in the news?
Answer: This is the navel of the earth.
Question: Do you think there is a spiritual root here?
Answer: Of course! That’s the way it is.
And where do we see this? We see this constantly throughout history. There is no need to prove it or philosophize.
Being the chosen ones is chosen for being responsible for correcting the world. If Jews do not do this, then people hate them, beat them, and push them forward to correction.
Comment: How can we calm Iran down?
Answer: Only if we unite among ourselves and show the whole world the method of connection.Then they will calm down. Very simple!
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 7/11/22
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Question: Biden and Lapid signed the Jerusalem Declaration whereby the United States and Israel affirmed strategic cooperation and the US committed to enduring support of Israel’s security. The main point is both countries commitment not to allow Iran to have nuclear weapons. How much value is there to these declarations?
Answer: Zero.
Question: That is, in “hour-x” everyone will still do what is beneficial to them?
Answer: Circumstances change, everything changes.
Question: Why do we sign these declarations?
Answer: It is politics, it is a game. They live by it.
Question: Do you think that both sides understand that this is all fiction?
Answer: Yes. Sometimes it delays advancement toward one direction or the other for a while, but no more than that.
Question: So Biden or someone else will not say: “I gave my word, so I have to keep it”?
Answer: Such words and generally such communications are not embraced.
Question: And when will the declaration be 100% fulfilled?
Answer: When you hold the opposite side by the throat.
Question: Are you talking about our world today? We have to hold someone by the throat and then he will do what he signed up for?
Answer: Sure.
Comment: In general, ideally two parties sign the declaration…
My Response: It is only if people and countries are under the influence of the upper force, then they perform. Then they do not need any extraneous restrictions or pressures.
Question: And what is it? Do they perform out of shame, out of some duty? When they are under the upper force, then they are, so to say, obliged to keep their word?
Answer: They are obliged because they determine their future by this. I am not signing with the opposite side, with some people, but with the upper force. That is all. So there are no other conversations here anymore.
Question: In that case, what works more, respect for the upper force or fear?
Answer: Respect that comes from the fear that I am under His power in an absolute sense. This is the most reliable. And I cannot break my word. It is the same as if I am killing myself, the people, the state, the world.
The declaration will work only if we are afraid of the Creator. Otherwise, nothing will work.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 7/18/22
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Comment: It often happens that the place of residence defines many things in a person. Let’s say, if a Hindu grew up in England, he is no longer a Hindu, but an Englishman.
My Response: This happens on a corporeal level because ordinary people have a clear link to earthly culture, statutes, and conventions. But a Kabbalist does not have this. He departs from his body, from all conventions, and enters a completely different space, into the quality of bestowal.
Therefore, what difference does it make where he lives? What difference does it make who he lives among? He is inside himself, inside the upper world. After all, Kabbalists lived in all kinds of different places and there were never problems with that.
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From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. The World through the Eyes of a Baby” 2/10/13
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