Audio Version Of The Blog – 11/30/22
Posted on November 30th, 2022
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Michael Laitman, On The Times of Israel: “Why We Cannot See Beyond the Universe”
Our universe, cosmologists say, began with a big bang and has never stopped expanding since. They explain that we cannot see, or otherwise research beyond the universe that inhabits Planet Earth. It is not for inadequate optics that we cannot study outside our universe, but because the laws of physics make it impossible to discover what exists beyond our universe, if anything exists at all. The reason that scientists maintain this is not because this is the absolute truth, but because they do not have the proper tools to explore beyond our universe. However, such tools exist, and if they obtain them, they will know what is out there and see it as clearly as we see each other.
When mobile phone manufacturers want to improve their cameras, there are mainly two ways they can do it. The first, and obvious way, is to improve the hardware of the camera—the lenses, the shutter, etc. The other way is to improve the “mind” that deciphers what the lenses capture. This is done by employing more sophisticated software, better algorithms, and better processing units to run the improved computational skills that “understand” what the lenses see more accurately, and in this way produce a more detailed picture using the same optics.
In studying the universe, we need to do the same. No matter how good our optics become, there is a boundary that they will never cross. To reach beyond that boundary, we must improve the “mind” that understands the images, which in this case, is us.
We perceive our entire world through a very goal-oriented mind, and the goal is to serve its own interest. If something does not serve this self-interest, the mind does not perceive it. Therefore, in order to grasp what lies beyond our immediate interest, we must embrace other “interests” and make them our own. In simple words, we must learn to care about others as much as we currently care about ourselves.
Think of our vision. Each of our eyes sees the world in two dimensions. However, when the picture that both our eyes see reaches the brain, it processes them and builds a three-dimensional image. If we were “stuck” with only the picture from one eye, we would not be able to see depth, and we would never perceive the world as three dimensional.
The same is true of our perception of the world. It is as if our personal perception is one eye, and another person’s perception is another eye. As long as we are confined to our own perception, we are bound by the limits that our perception allows, a sort of “two dimensional” perception. However, if we “see” the other person’s view and merge the two, our perception of the world will acquire an entirely new dimension and give us a much fuller and richer understanding of the world.
However, to achieve this, we must relinquish our self-centered attitude. The warped picture it presents to us is the cause behind every mistake we make in this world—as individuals, as societies, and as nations. Because we perceive others as opposition, we are trying to cancel them. If we realized that other people do not oppose us, but complement us, we would be able to embrace their perception, merge our perception with theirs, and create a whole new, and accurate(!) perception of the world.
Now, imagine that we could do this not only with one more person (a second eye, so to speak), but with every person on the planet. The revelations we would discover are limitless. In such a state, there will truly be no end to what we will be able to perceive through our multi-dimensional “vision,” acquired by changing our attitude toward others from self-centered to inclusive. The more we think about it, the more we will realize that the solution to our problems lies not in better machinery, but in better us.
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My new article on Linkedin “A Mondial Tainted by Death and Corruption – Does Anyone Care?”
It is hard to know how many migrant workers died building the soccer stadiums for the 2022 World Cup games in Qatar, but the two popular numbers are 6,500 and 15,000. Either way, no one cares.
In addition to the staggering death toll for two weeks of entertainment (if you enjoy watching soccer), there are persistent rumors that Qatar bought its way into winning the decision to make it the host of this year’s Mondial. Well, nothing new in this regard, either. We have not changed since ancient times, when people were served as food for lions before cheering crowds, or when people fought against the beasts for the audience’s delight. In fact, we have become worse. So why should anyone care if thousands had died building modern entertainment halls?
I admit that I am not a soccer fan. My teacher, RABASH, also did not care for it, but he respected the fact that it gives people joy. I can understand that and respect that, too. I also believe that if I were to attend a game and sit among the cheering fans, I might end up shouting at the top of my lungs and rooting for whichever team the people around me supported.
Still, I feel no craving to do so. And more than I regret the loss of life, I regret the stark apathy with which humanity accepts this. This apathy causes much more than the death of thousands of construction workers; it causes wars, brutality, pollution, exploitation, and every wrong that humans inflict on other humans and on the entire planet.
I hope that while people are celebrating soccer, they will at least think less about killing one another, but I am not sure that even this is true.
The measure of the filling is as much as one can go above reason, and this is called Romemut.
There is only emptiness in a place where there is no existence, as it is written, “hangeth the earth over nothing.” You find that what is the measure of the filling, of the empty place? The answer is, according to one’s elevation of oneself above reason.
This means that the emptiness should be filled with loftiness, meaning with above reason, and to ask of the Creator to give one that strength. It will mean that all the emptiness was created, meaning it comes to a person to feel thus, that he is empty, only in order to fill it with the Romemut [greatness] of the Creator. In other words, one is to take everything above reason (Shamati #13, “A Pomegranate”) .
We do not know what faith above reason is. It is a total separation from all of our calculations. I remember how three or four months after I started studying with Rabash, I asked him, “What is faith above reason, since it is written that a person must always be in it?” At that time, I even wrote down on my hand that one mustn’t forget to think about faith above reason, even though I did not know what it was. As I was sitting in the car behind the wheel next to Rabash, I looked at what was written on my hand and asked him: What is the meaning of this concept?
In reply he gave me an example that is, of course, limited by the boundaries of this world: Suppose that a friend borrowed a $1,000 from you and later returned an envelope to you as if it had the entire sum inside. But you find only one dollar inside. Your friend says that there is $1,000 inside, but according to your calculation there is only one. Where are the other $999?
That is when you can advance by faith above reason. That is, you attain such a correction (rather than just forgiving your friend the debt!) that you perceive this dollar as if you received a $1,000 instead of one, as if the friend returned everything to you.
But how do you perceive the $999 that are missing? This is called the force of faith above reason. It is impossible to understand what this means ahead of time. Only when this force becomes revealed inside of us as a result of our inner efforts, inside of our desires, when we change, then we see that we really can make up for the knowledge with faith, and this faith is bestowal instead of reception.
In any case this will remain unclear until a person actually acquires this quality.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/26/11, Shamati
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Comment: When a Kabbalist explains something, a person does not hear the words; he feels you completely above logic. It only appears to him that he is hooked on your words.
My Response: I try to convey the material with feelings because, actually, there is nothing but feelings. No matter how it may sound, maybe prosaic or frivolous, we are a desire to enjoy, and we measure everything according to this desire.
No matter what I do, I still measure it inside me, create certain connections within myself, and thus study science, language, or anything else.
I program my desire to enjoy according to new criteria: let’s say, my egoism gets a certain amount of points, something else gets a different amount, and so on. This way, I create a matrix within my egoism with respect to a single phenomenon or a set of phenomena. So, it already exists in me; I am, as they say, familiar with it.
Then there is another area with respect to which I create a certain degree of importance of each phenomenon, action, or connection within my ego. This is how I get acquainted with this phenomenon; it already exists in me too, and I can talk about it.
Restructuring is something else. When someone contacts me with their matrix, we connect with each other, debate, compare our matrixes, and now I have the opportunity to use my logic for scrutiny.
What does using my logic mean? There is no logic. It is the same desire to enjoy I check myself against: is he more correct or am I, and what is more beneficial for me?
It also includes a huge apparatus of qualities I was born with, values, and habits that I have acquired. It all works together. These are complex systems of filtering the perception of everything that comes our way.
But when we work for the upper world, for the Creator, this is completely different; that is, we do not work for ourselves, we do not take ourselves into account. Totally different properties and qualities are in play here—absolute. This is not about my personal, individual self.
To the extent that I can enter others, that is, without taking myself into account, and connecting with others, I become objective. My desire becomes objective and then I can relate to everything on absolute terms, not my personal subjective ones.
I am creating a so-called absolute Kabbalistic language. Whatever I take down, I can perceive from this record, this matrix, this language created by me; I can perceive the Creator.
And you will perceive it, and others will too. Each of us makes this record coming out of their ego, above it. Therefore, on one hand, this perception will be individual, and on the other hand absolute, because you made it above the ego.
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From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. How to listen to a Kabbalist” 11/9/13
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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “What makes a Jew a Jew?“
Jews came about by detaching from the ego, i.e. the egoistic desire to enjoy for self-benefit alone, and discovering the upper world of bestowal and love above the ego. Accordingly, in essence, Jews are supposed to detach from the ego and think in terms of the upper world, which in practice means constantly thinking about how to benefit others.
Today’s Jews, however, do not think in such a way. Nevertheless, the Jews originated from attaining the upper world back in Abraham’s time, when he guided a group of ancient Babylonians through a process of uniting above the growing egoistic divisiveness of that time. This group became known as “the people of Israel” and later as “the Jews.” Essentially, the attainment of the upper world gives a more global perspective to a person, since it stems from the connection of different forms and opposite poles of reality.
However, after their origin, the entire Jewish nation fell from their spiritual degree, where they related to reality out of a pure intention to love, bestow and positively connect, to our egoistic world and seemingly exist like everyone else. Jews thus have an inner split: On one hand, their ego is like anyone else’s in the world and even much bigger, but on the other hand, according to their internality, they are organized more toward the upper world’s qualities. Records from that initial connection to the upper world is the reason for Jews’ disproportionate success in the world, even though their success is nothing compared to what it could be. That is, they could be millions of times more successful than they are today because their preparations from nature are boundless, since they became Jews from initially breaking out of the boundaries of the egoistic desire and entering the boundless world of bestowal and love. They thus have the preparations to attain the upper integral world, because inside Jews is a feeling of an ability to arrange the world in a way that is boundless.
Based on the video “What Is the Origin of a Jew?” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.
Comment: Your student writes: “Good afternoon, dear teacher! I appeal to you with a request: teach me to talk to the Creator. I have been studying Kabbalah for more than 12 years. My husband died two months ago. We lived together for 28 years. He wasn’t involved in our study, but he was such an angel behind me. He helped me study, work, and disseminate. He passed away and it’s very hard for me. My heart is torn! Your articles and videos help. I talk to my husband very often in my heart. I ask for his help in business and for advice. But this is not normal; he doesn’t exist. There is only the Creator. How can I learn to turn from the image of a person directly to the Creator? Please help me! Thank you very much for your reply, although I know that you don’t have time for private messages. Sincerely, Elena.”
My Response: First of all, my condolences of course. Second, the fact that your husband has physically died and is not next to you does not mean anything! Absolutely nothing! On the contrary, his connection with you is even stronger, only you don’t feel it to the extent that it exists.
Therefore please do not imagine him as missing, lost, or gone, but as if he is with you internally, mentally, and spiritually. And that is how you should treat him. Talk to him and talk to the Creator. Talk! Don’t do anything else! In precisely the way you want to talk, that is how you should talk. Both he and the Creator will understand you. And the best thing is that you speak in your simplest language.
Question: And what about the fact that Lena has doubts? “I’m talking to him, to my husband, but I should be talking to the Creator,” she says.
Answer: It doesn’t matter. You are simply talking to an upper force about your problems. Your husband, the Creator, and all of us are included in this upper force.
Question: Is it a correct conclusion that when I talk to someone from the heart, I always talk to the Creator?
Answer: With the Creator. “There is none else but Him.” This is the most terrible problem! When you look at other people, both bad and good, it’s just a representation of the Creator to you.
Question: So if we make an effort and manage to come to the conclusion that it is the law that “I talk to the Creator all the time,” then will the world change?
Answer: Yes, but people don’t want to understand it. It is hard to imagine; you have to force yourself.
Question: So is Lena doing everything right? She talks this way to her husband, whom she does not see but clearly feels. And is this the right way? Is this what prayer is called?
Answer: Yes, of course. What is prayer? The fact that the members of the great assembly (Knesset HaGdola) composed prayers is because people moved a little away from the Creator and could not address Him simply in a human way.
So they composed all sorts of prayers for them and replaced this simple heartfelt appeal to the Creator with words. The words are very correct. The people who composed these prayers were in attainment of the Creator. But this is not something that a person can say himself from the heart.
Question: But it is practically a revolution for a person that he can not read written prayers. There are a lot of written prayers, but how would one read from the heart and speak? And do you say that it will be almost the same with the same effect?
Answer: It will have an even greater effect. If a person speaks from the heart, then the effect is greater.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman 8/25/22
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Comment: You said that it makes no sense to suppress external factors, for example, enemies, but it is important to change them within yourself.
My Response: We have many axes of misperception of reality. First, everything that exists, exists in us. Everything that is perceived by us is perceived in our desire. It is either egoistic or altruistic.
What does it mean that I perceive something outside of me? It is how I am shown that I am made up of these elements, of these desires. Desires are projected outward in the form of inanimate, vegetative, animate nature, man, and then the Creator. All this exists in me and manifests itself to the extent that I can respond to it in the right way and correct it.
If, for example, harmful phenomena appear outside of me and I see them, it means that they exist in me, and I cannot correct them externally. Of course, I can destroy them, hit them, alienate them, and so on, but that is not correction. In principle, it is a sign of my weakness or lack of understanding of what is happening.
If I have a correct attitude toward the universe and what happens in it, then I must act differently. I must understand that all these phenomena exist in me, and I see them in front of me. Therefore, I need to correct them in me, and then they will disappear in such an unpleasant form.
Therefore, if all kinds of enemies rise up against me, I must look for these qualities in myself, correct them, and then they will be corrected outside. It is written: “Who is a hero? He who conquers his inclination.” And who is a hero of heroes? “He who turns his enemy into his friend.”
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From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. Turn an Enemy into a Friend” 11/18/13
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Question: We often explain the appearance of a person in a Kabbalistic environment and his departure through some events, for example, his fatigue. But surely, he has functions when he was supposed to appear, fulfill his purpose, and then move away, i.e., to realize himself precisely in this way, right?
Answer: No. It is just that a person cannot cope with what he was given. He was given the opportunity to move forward, and he did not cope with it.
Question: Does it mean that if he enters this system, he must fully realize himself?
Answer: Yes. If he was given this opportunity, he can realize himself fully. This is how he should accept it. And we do not know what special conditions there may be regarding him.
Only as the system of connection between us is being revealed, perhaps some conditions will be revealed as to why he could not move on. I would not make any calculations. It is not for us.
We need to advance. We have an open system of connections before us. You can reach the world of infinity, that is, to full connection with everyone, up to the complete revelation of the Creator—the quality of bestowal and love between all.
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From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. Everyone Has Their Own Purpose” 11/15/13
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Question: Is it possible to call accepting the opinion of a friend, even though it is the opposite of one’s own, “faith above reason”? If so, how do I do it without disregarding my own opinion?
Answer: Faith above reason means contrary to my opinion, I accept the opinion of a friend and follow it 100%. I am trying to make his opinion, even though it is the opposite of mine, become mine. You need to experience it yourself, and gradually you will be able to understand what it is.
Faith above reason is a system of spiritual perception where you begin to see the spiritual world above our world or through it. It is not easy. You need to spend a lot of time and expend a lot of effort until you start to perceive everything this way.
This is a completely different system of the universe, as if you have a completely different mind, feelings, and thoughts.
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From KabTV’s “Fundamentals of Kabbalah,” 6/16/20
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