Audio Version Of The Blog – 1/27/23
Posted on January 27th, 2023
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Michael Laitman, On The Times of Israel: “Why Deny the Holocaust When We Can Simply Forget about It?”
January 27 is the International Holocaust Remembrance Day. In recent years, there has been a sharp resurgence of antisemitism, which seems to be accelerating. The Jewish Agency’s Fighting Antisemitism page states, “With violent instances of antisemitism on the rise across the world, we are devoting more resources than ever to expunge this epidemic and ensure Jewish safety.” However, the efforts are not working. A report that the Jewish Agency recently released has found that antisemitic incidents on U.S. campuses have gone up by almost 50 percent during 2022, compared to a year earlier.
Even worse, as time passes, people forget about the Holocaust, or come to think that it was far less horrific than it actually was. This fork-movement of forgetting what had happened, on the one hand, and the spreading of antisemitism around the world, on the other hand, has reached levels that remind many Holocaust researchers of the venomous atmosphere that prevailed in Europe before the Holocaust, and which eventually allowed it to happen, if not accelerated and exacerbated it. I believe we have every right to be worried that what occurred might recur.
However, I also believe that we should acknowledge that our efforts are futile, and unless we overhaul them, matters will continue to deteriorate at an accelerating speed. But in order to change course, we need to know in which direction to turn, and for this to happen, we need to understand the roots of antisemitism.
Antisemitism has a very deep root. In fact, it is embedded in the laws of nature; it is one of its foundations. Allow me to explain.
The people of Israel are not like any other people, as much as they would like to be. The whole world treats us differently, and there is nothing we can do about it because the reason for the world’s attitude toward us is buried deep within us, deeper than we can see.
Two forces drive the universe, drive all of existence, all of creation. They are contradictory forces that always operate one against the other. The only way to reconcile them is to be aware of them and make a conscious effort to harness both of them for a higher cause.
On the inanimate level, these forces manifest as darkness and light, spring and fall, or as magnetic forces that pull or push away. On the animate level, they manifest as life and death, and love and hate. On the human level, they manifest as altruism and egoism, giving and taking, kindness and cruelty.
Because they are contradictory, the two forces are locked in an eternal struggle. However, they are of equal power, and therefore neither ever “wins.” Instead, they “take turns” dominating, and as a result, our universe evolves and changes ceaselessly.
Humans are the one exception. In every human being, the inherent tendency toward egoism wins. If we examine the history of humankind, we will see that the motivation behind all the changes that have ever happened was the glorification of its perpetrators or other self-centered drives.
The only people who have ever managed to rise above the innate selfish tendency in human nature and balance it with kindness, as it is in the rest of nature, were the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who united “as one man with one heart” and were declared a nation—the Israeli nation—at the foot of Mt. Sinai. However, the Israeli nation achieved what it achieved not for its own sake. It did this so as to become a model nation, a proof of concept, or if you will, a startup nation.
Yet, like most startup companies, Israel’s idea was great, but its product never reached the market. The Israelites operated it for a while but eventually, even they abandoned their own invention and joined the rest of the self-centered world.
Nevertheless, the seeds of love of others, of the commitment to build a society based on mutual responsibility and loving others as ourselves, remained buried deep within every Jewish person, even though they do rarely feel it, if ever. Yet, every Jew carries a hidden spark of love of others, which puts us at odds with everyone who wants to remain self-centered, which is all of humanity, including the Jews themselves. This is why everyone hates Jews, and Jews hate Jews more than anyone.
But for all the hatred and attempts to annihilate the Jews, it will never succeed. Since it is impossible to annihilate a force of nature, it is impossible to eradicate its expressions. Moreover, the more self-centeredness prevails around the world, the more the world deteriorates, and the closer we are getting to another world war. The only way to escape another global cataclysm and another round of punishment against the Jews is if the Jews become what they are supposed to be—a model nation based on mutual responsibility and love of others.
There is no point protesting against antisemites; it will not deter them or diminish their numbers. The only solution to the oldest hatred is to stop looking outward, and start looking at one another. We need to put our heads and hearts together in search of ways to unite and nurture mutual concern despite the deep division and profound hatred among the various factions of the nation. If we do this, if we only try, it will dissipate the hatred of the world toward us and will usher in a new era in the history of the relationship between the Jewish people and the world.
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Michael Laitman, On The Times of Israel: “What Will Prevent a Civil War”
The tumultuous protests against the planned reforms to Israel’s judicial system seem to be tearing Israeli society apart. Prominent newspapers around the world have not only reported the plan to reform Israel’s justice system, but have actually taken sides. Thomas Friedman of The New York Times urged President Biden to take action against an Israeli government that is “hostile to American values.” At the same time, The Wall Street Journal published an editorial titled “Who’s Threatening Israeli Democracy?” and argued that it is actually Israel’s supreme court that poses the greatest risk to Israel’s democracy.
Indeed, I think there is truly an ideological war here. There are many entities involved, each with its own interest and benefits it wants to procure, but the result might be the division of the country. I think that we are truly in a precarious situation.
I do not think there is any nation more divided than the Jewish nation. When we consider what the struggle is about, the picture becomes even more confusing, since the parties are fighting over ideologies that have nothing to do with the tradition of the Jewish people. Different factions of the nation have adopted different ideologies from other nations, and now they are fighting for them as if they have been their core values since the inception of our nation. It is as if we have taken up ideological wars that were fought in the 19th and 20th centuries, and we are continuing the fight in the 21st century although neither ideology authentically belongs to the Jewish people.
And what is even worse, we are fighting for those ideologies against people from our own nation. In doing so, we are not only deepening the divide within the nation, but we are destroying the one ideology that is authentically ours: love of others above all the differences.
There is a good reason that we tend to adopt social ideologies from around the world. As a nation that has taken upon itself to do Tikkun Olam [correction of the world], it is inherently Jewish to take up all the ills of the world and cover them with a blanket of love for others. This is why we came up with such notions that we must love our neighbor as ourselves, build a society based on mutual responsibility, and unite with one another “as one man with one heart.”
However, if we are unaware of our task, then we still “catch” ideas from around the world, but we do not cover them with love, we do not correct them. As a result, we fight over these ideologies, hate each other for them, but nothing good comes out of it. If this modus operandi continues, the Jewish state, which was established to correct the world, will fall to pieces.
The Jewish people are no stranger to civil wars. In antiquity, we had had several of them, and the worst of which sent us into an exile that had lasted nearly two millennia. When Jews believe in something, they will fight to the death for it, very literally. They do not care who they have to face to make their view prevail, and do not think about the cost. The fact that they might lose the country altogether is no cause for them to stop. At such moments, it is either my way, or no way at all.
The problem here is not so much the destruction of the Jewish state, as it is the postponement of the correction of the world. Without understanding that we must set an example of rising above differences and forging love despite any disagreement, the whole world will not be able to advance toward it.
The hidden reason behind today’s growing antagonism toward the Jewish state has nothing to do with the stated cause of ostensible infringement of Palestinian human rights. The real reason is that the Jews are not doing what they are supposed to do. If they do not serve as an example of unity above hatred, of bridging differences with love, the world has no need for them, and certainly not for a Jewish state.
Even though this anger is unconscious, it is the driving force behind the growing hatred of Jews around the world. The ephemeral pretexts are just that, pretexts, but the reason for hating us is that we hate each other and cannot overcome it. Therefore, the only thing that can prevent a civil war is that we understand what Jews are meant to do, and resolutely follow our vocation.
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The staff that we rely upon in our spiritual work in the ten is the connection of Malchut with Bina; it is the force that we hold on to that does not allow us to make mistakes and fall. When we connect with each other in the ten, we thereby build such a staff, i.e., connection between us. Through our connection with each other, we connect with Bina.
Each one annuls his egoistic desire in something and joins the tiny will to bestow that shines before him. In this way, together we can grasp this force, this concept called the staff (Mate). This means that the will to receive becomes of lower (Mata) importance for us.
Each of us tries to set an example to our friends of how we can hold on to the staff together.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/12/23, Writings of Baal HaSulam “Introduction to The Book of Zohar”
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Although only phase four was restricted, the light left the first three phases as well (Baal HaSulam, The Study of the Ten Sefirot, Part 1, “Inner Observation,” Chapter 7).
The last, fourth phase is the desire itself, which was reached by the expansion of the first three phases. The desire did not want to be egoistic and differ from the first phase in the opposite direction; therefore, it restricted itself and the light disappeared from it.
Then it took a different development of light as a basis;: it will receive the light but only in order to bring contentment to the Creator. Here it receives oppositeness from the Creator, on one hand, and on the other hand, similarity to Him.
Question: What is this state when the light departs from the Kli? How is this manifested in our world?
Answer: It is not manifested in our world. When the light leaves the Kli, it remains dead. This is similar to how any animate or vegetative body dies. The life-giving power leaves it.
Question: Does the expulsion of light from the Kli occur consciously?
Answer: Yes, the Kli cannot remain in this state, it is ready to sacrifice everything that is in it just not to be the opposite of the Creator.
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From KabTV’s “The Study of the Ten Sefirot (TES)” 1/1/23
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Question: Why are we in this current alarming situation?
Answer: This is not happening at our will. You did not choose when to be born, in what society, at what time, with what kind of knowledge to receive, and so on.
You do not understand all this, and, in principle, this is not required of you. You are required only to act intelligently in a specific situation.
Question: What should I do to avoid it being bad?
Answer: To do good for everyone.
Question: Can a Kabbalist predict the future?
Answer: He can only say in which case it will be good.
Question: What is your forecast for 2023?
Answer: I think everything will be fine. Really. We are approaching a state when people begin to understand that otherwise there will be an end. So, I hope it will be good, and for everyone.
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From KabTV’s “Blitz Questions and Answers” 1/6/23
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Comment: There is a legend that Arthur Conan Doyle once sent a telegram in jest to twelve of the largest London bankers, and, as it was claimed, the most honest. He wrote in a telegram: “All is discovered! Flee!” According to the story, the next morning, all twelve bankers disappeared from London. Everyone turned out to be thieves. And this well-known principle is that everyone is a thief, and even more so bankers.
My Response: Sure.
Question: In what case can we say: “Honest bank, honest banker” and is it even possible?
Answer: The banking system is built on the principle that there can be no honesty. So I can’t imagine how it could be. After all, you’re always thinking about how to win, how to give some interest, and so on. That is, everything is built on winning, and winning cannot be honest.
Question: In what case can this system be honest?
Answer: Only if you are the bank of the whole world, and the whole world will be yours, and you will think only about the good of the world, then maybe something will work out.
Question: So I’m kind of responsible for the world as a bank, and I have to assume that these are not my clients, but my children?
Answer: Sure.
Question: Is this system possible, in principle?
Answer: In principle, it is possible, of course. Why not?
Comment: But this is a completely idealistic, detached from life system.
My Response: We just need to cut egoism out of humanity, and then the normal “meat” will remain that will only care about everything’s existence.
Question: On what principle is this bank based?
Answer: On making everyone feel good, everyone has everything.
Question: And due to what will I live as a banker?
Answer: Due to the fact that you will see how what you do benefits everyone.
Question: And this gives me vitality?
Answer: Absolutely everything.
Question: Will I have something to live from, to support the bank?
Answer: We’ll leave you something.
Question: And this “little bit” will be enough for me?
Answer: Yes.
Comment: Meaning, I will not have an inner cry: “More and more!”
My Response: No. You won’t have anything at all!
Question: What will I have?
Answer: You will have a great, deep, personal pleasure from a well-lived life.
Question: And is it worth all the money? And is it worth everything at all?
Answer: You will have perfect status!
Comment: Today it is clear that the whole system is rotten because it works exclusively for itself—to profit.
My Response: If it will work for everyone, and everyone will participate in everything, then it can be applied and played with forever.
Question: What will be the currency of this bank?
Answer: Happiness, tranquility, and peace of mind for everyone. And the most important common property will be boredom. 🙂
Everyone will be bored. Why move, live, do something? Nothing! Everyone walks with dull eyes, they don’t see anything in front of them and that is how they lost the meaning of life.
Question: So what is happiness then? What kind of bank have we built if everyone is bored?
You said, “Happiness. The main currency is the happiness of all.” I want it to be like this. This is the main currency of the bank, and it exists for this.
Answer: I do not know what can be done then. If you take away a person’s egoism, his nature, then he will not have happiness.
Question: Then what can egoism be replaced with so that we still have happiness and there is such a growing one? What is the best way for us, for humanity?
Answer: No, we will not get rid of egoism. And if we get rid of it, then we will fall into such a state that death is better.
Question: How can we turn it around then, this egoism?
Answer: It is only possible when we work in an appropriate healthy team that will work according to the system of Kabbalah.
Question: And what will egoism be transformed into?
Answer: It does not transform. It simply begins to feed on giving, love, and the saturation of others, in the same way a mother enjoys when she gives to her baby.
Question: And this is a likely option?
Answer: This is a possible option. A woman who is breastfeeding enjoys the fact that the baby is sucking on an animal level. It’s the same with animals.
If in this way you feel that you can create such a society so that people feed each other like this, from themselves, then you will succeed.
Question: But all the same, you say that this society is based on egoism, only inverted?
Answer: Yes.
Question: So I get pleasure from feeding others?
Answer: Yes. Or if you find a way, although this is also questionable, to make everyone feel like relatives, but very close and dependent on each other, then it is also possible.
Question: So we have come to the conclusion that a bank that is happy because it feeds everyone, this bank will exist?
Answer: Yes.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 11/24/22
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The method for exiting the state of spiritual exile began to develop in the sixteenth century; it is called Kabbalah. Of course, Kabbalistic teaching existed before that. The great ideologists following Abraham and his disciples discovered all this and wrote it down. Their books are called the Holy Books of the Jews.
But the fact is that they did not have a clear method for exiting selfishness. At that time, the last state—which began to manifest itself during the time of Aristotle—had not yet been revealed.
Ari is a great Kabbalist who laid the foundations for the method of correction. After him, other Kabbalists began to appear: the Baal Shem Tov, the Magid of Mezrich, and many others. Thus, the number of spiritual guides who described the same methodology, but in different styles expanded, and they could work with people theoretically and practically at different levels.
However, the development of Kabbalah, which went from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries to the present day, stopped at us. The last of the great teachers was my teacher Rabash. He and his father laid the foundations of the method of correction in action, in its application.
And we who follow them, by implementing this method, hope for an effective way out of the exile in which we and all of humanity are. This is a special exile because that group of Abraham is dissolving into the whole of humanity, if not physically, then morally, spiritually, and ideologically; they are losing absolutely everything.
A part of this group alters the entire methodology, that is, it takes on mechanical actions without thinking that it is necessary to engage in this internally, with one’s own intentions, with one’s heart. This is the big problem of getting out of the last exile.
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From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. History of the Jewish People” 5/4/14
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The fear of the Creator is the feeling that He reigns within me; He controls all my thoughts, all my desires, and everything that happens to me. I feel more and more clearly each time that He determines my whole life.
I am not worried about my life, but whether in this life I am in adhesion with the Creator. I yearn to adhere to Him more and more, and I feel that we are connected together, that He embraces me from all sides, and that I am completely at His mercy.
First of all, we must reach fear, and then we can build love on fear. Without fear, it is impossible to come to love.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/23/23, Writings of Baal HaSulam “Introduction to The Book of Zohar”
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Preparation to the Lesson
| [media 1] | [media 2] |
Zohar for All “Introduction to The Book of Zohar,” “On the Night of the Bride,” Item 138
| [media 3] | [media 4] |
Selected Highlights
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