Audio Version Of The Blog – 6/9/23
Posted on June 9th, 2023
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Medium published my new article “How to Make Sense of a Chaotic World”
Almost every person in the western world is connected to sources of information that tell us what is happening in the world and help us make sense of it. Previously, the sources were primarily TV, radio, and newspapers. However, in the age of the internet and dominant social media platforms, things look very different. A new Gallup/Knight Foundation study has found that 90 percent of Americans follow at least one public figure on social media such as Twitter or Instagram. They might be celebrities, journalists, academic experts, show hosts, online influencers, or business leaders, but these public figures express their own views, rather than those of an established news outlet.
Objective reporting, or even simply ethical reporting, is a thing of the past; it no longer exists.
According to the report, the reason for the change is not only that information is more accessible today than before the internet. Rather, it is that people have lost trust in the traditional media outlets. Accordingly, more than 70 percent of the respondents in the study said that they were following influencers online in order to get a perspective they cannot get from the legacy media, and nearly 80 percent said that they do it because they trust the ones they follow more than they trust legacy media.
Indeed, people no longer believe traditional media outlets because these channels no longer serve their purpose. Instead of providing credible information and commentary, even if leaning toward one political side more than the other, media sources now serve the moguls that own them or the party they are instructed to support. Everything is divided into camps, and the media echoes the messages that its camp wants to send out. Objective reporting, or even simply ethical reporting, is a thing of the past; it no longer exists.
Another aspect of the phenomenon is that people are looking for more personal contact. People need not only to absorb information, but also communicate with the commentator, to be able to respond and get feedback. Since they cannot get this from traditional channels, they turn to social media influencers’ personal social media accounts.
However, at the end of the day, I think it is all about ratings, including the connection with social media influencers. I do not think it can really help people make sense of the world we live in.
There was a time when I was much younger, that I spent the bulk of my time with my Kabbalah teacher, RABASH. He would always listen to the news very attentively. However, as soon as the news ended and commentators began to express their views on what was happening, he would switch off the radio (he never watched television).
As for me, I do have a TV and I am connected to the internet, but I hardly follow the news. I know what is going on in the world in broad strokes, and I have a couple of analysts whose commentary I have been following sporadically for many years, but nothing beyond that.
Today, I understand that our world depends not on the words of this or that politician, but on the quality of the connections between people. By turning toward empathy or toward alienation, we determine our fate far more than any decision maker determines anything.
Over the years, I have come to the conclusion that following the news, or this or that commentator, will not change anything, and will not improve my understanding of things. Today, I understand that our world depends not on the words of this or that politician, but on the quality of the connections between people. By turning toward empathy or toward alienation, we determine our fate far more than any decision maker determines anything.
Rather than trying to make sense of a chaotic world, I think we should work on our connections, since it is precisely our disconnection from each other that causes all the chaos in today’s world. We need to understand that the world will not make sense until we reorganize the relationships among all people, and build societies where people care about each other and help each other out. In such a world, we will not try to make sense of life; we will simply enjoy it.
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My article in Newsmax: “Cold War in Mideast Means Israel Must Be Cautious, Strong”
As the tension between Israel and Iran intensifies, and while Iran has just unveiled its first hypersonic missile, rumors about advancement in the Iranian nuclear program are growing even more distressing. While Israel threatens Iran not to try to attack it, Iran threatens back that it will demolish Israel if it attacks Iran.
What is worse in this round of the conflict, Israel seems more isolated than ever, as even the U.S. seems reluctant to act against the Ayatollah regime.
When it comes to America, I never had much confidence in its support of Israel. While the U.S. did supply Israel with weapons and ammunition during wartime, its position and actions on other occasions concerning Israel’s security have been less supportive.
America, we must remember, also has its own interests to look after, which do not always coincide with Israeli interests. Therefore, at the end of the day, we should not hang our hopes on America.
Concerning Iran, I do not think that the threat of a nuclear Iran is as serious as the Iranians would like us to think. More than it is a weapon of mass destruction, a nuclear weapon is a tactical weapon. It is a political tool intended to improve Iran’s position in the Arab world.
The Arab world has been engaged for centuries in power struggles between Sunnis, represented today by Saudi Arabia, and Shiites, whose representative is Iran. The majority of Muslims in the world is Sunni, and Iran has been on the defense in its struggle to dominate the Arab world.
Clearly, an atomic bomb that can threaten Israel, as well as the rest of the world, will place Iran in a completely different position, especially since no other country in the Persian Gulf has nuclear weapons.
The Iranians are not a mob of hooligans. Their leaders are calculated and do not act rashly. In the pursuit of prestige, the ability to threaten Israel with nuclear warheads is a great card that should be used wisely and not wasted away by a reckless mistake, and Iran knows this very well.
Moreover, Iran knows that Israel has its own nuclear arsenal and can retaliate against any attack on its people with horrible consequences. Therefore, it may be instrumental for Iran to threaten, to try to frighten Israel, but I find it hard to believe that it would take any action to realize its threats.
In many ways, the situation between a nuclear Iran and a nuclear Israel would be similar to the situation that existed between the U.S. and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. In those days, both countries developed more and more nuclear weapons, but both countries were equally careful not to use it; they knew that if they did, there would be no way back and the world would be destroyed.
In this writer’s opinion, the presence of nuclear weapons decreases the chance of active hostilities between the countries rather than increases it. Both countries know that starting a war against a country with nuclear weapons makes no sense whatsoever. Therefore, Israel must stay vigilant, prepare to retaliate quickly and forcefully, but avoid reckless actions.
In other words, nuclear weapons could actually calm Iran and lead it to a more pragmatic policy than currently.
Where I would be careful, though, when it comes to Iran, is in its use of proxy paramilitary and military terror groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Islamic Jihad in Gaza. Here, we must be active, initiating, and decisive.
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Question: If a modern person with his knowledge and understanding of new technologies were thrown into the last century, then the technology he would see there will seem not serious and would seem ridiculous to him.
Does it look like the state of a Kabbalist who knows: “Guys, you play, it is serious, but in fact it is all a kindergarten”?
Answer: Yes, we can say that it is somewhat similar. Just as we watch old movies where everything looks naive and past values are of no interest to us, so in the eyes of a Kabbalist any value of our world is relative.
We understand what is going on. We use all the benefits of civilization to record conversations that take place between us at a great distance and make them available to people in order to attract them to the truth in this way. Therefore, it is commendable that everything is developing like this.
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From KabTV’s “I Got a Call.Time Travel” 9/29/11
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Question: One of the biggest celebrations for Jews is the holiday of Shavuot when the people received the Torah at Mount Sinai.
In general, it is a great event for the world because it can be said that everything began with this. How do you define this celebration for the world?
Answer: For the world I cannot define it in any way because the world does not know anything about it, has not taken it, and does not take any part in it to this day. People of Israel, also, I would not say that they especially celebrate this holiday. It is just a celebration of the giving of the Torah.
But receiving the Torah is a completely different matter. It comes individually to everyone when each one, if they understand what it is, agrees to take upon themselves the instructions and the advice that the Torah gives to a person. Then, indeed, a person gradually begins to organize an inner understanding of what the Torah is and what it gives him. And then he can celebrate it.
Comment: It turns out that I was wrong when I said “receiving.” You corrected me. It is the giving of the Torah. Receiving is a whole process that will continue.
My Response: This is from below up. The giving is from the top down. Meaning, giving is something that the Creator does, so to say. And receiving is what I have to come to, to get it.
Question: Then tell me how to do it. I know the sources say that the people stood as one man with one heart, this was their state, and at that moment they received the instruction of life, so to say.
Do we have to get to this state in order to start revealing something?
Answer: Of course. All this is said not about the past, but about the future.
Question: Can today’s shattered, scattered world not even imagine what is there at all?
Answer: Yes.
Question: Your constant phrase that we should come to these good ties, to connect with each other, is this precisely so that we can begin this process of receiving the Torah, by and large?
Answer: Yes.
Question: What will we get then? The set of laws is clear to me.
Answer: This is not just a set of laws. We will get a completely new attitude toward relationships between people and the relationship of each person toward the world. This is love. “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” Everything that is placed there consists only of this.
Comment: It turns out that you reduce the Torah to one thing practically. You said: “Love thy neighbor as thyself.”
My Response: Yes. This means coming to a state where we are completely connected by love, care, and mutual complicity with each other, all the people together.
The Torah represents the upper force, the upper light, which, to the extent of our efforts and our diligence to get closer and unite, affects us and helps us to achieve such a state of connection.
All that is required of us is effort and diligence, i.e., striving for it. Then we will be able to attract this upper light, the upper force. And it will correct us and connect us with others, with all the people of the world.
Question: Does it depend on us, on me? Or is my effort a gift from above?
Answer: From above is an offer: if you want, you will get it. But it depends on us to accept it and implement it.
Question: What do you think is the current stage of the Jewish people and the world in this process of receiving the Torah?
Answer: I would say not so far away because we have passed the path of the revelation of evil, which is the extent of our nature being opposite of the nature of the Torah, love, connection, mutual assistance, and so on. That is why we do not have much left to do. We just need to draw a conclusion from what we have gone through and with the revelation of the evil of our nature, take upon ourselves the law of mutual love.
Question: We approach, as they say, this mountain, Mount Sinai.
What is Mount Sinai?
Answer: Mount Sinai, the mountain, this is clear, and “Sinai” is from the word “hate,” a mountain of hate that we must rise above.
Humanity must approach this huge mountain of hatred and rise above it. Then they will be able to connect with each other in one single system, in one single nation, and achieve absolute happiness.
Question: Are you saying the whole of humanity into one nation?
Answer: Yes, because the Torah generally speaks about all the people on Earth.
Question: When you say Torah, does everyone imagine a book?
Answer: No. The Torah is a system of correction of all people, up to their complete connection with each other.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 5/18/23
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What does it mean to move in spirituality? This is when you are both in a state of maximum bestowal to the teacher and you can receive from him, and in a state of maximum bestowal to everyone else and then they connect to you as they involuntarily transmit to you their desires, their inner aspirations.
Therefore, on one hand you accept huge desires from them, meaning, you are filled with huge desires for spirituality, and on the other hand you get a connection with a higher source from which you can receive.
Being between these two elements of the universe, the higher and the lower, you grow. After all, each of us is nothing but an adapter between the highest and the lowest.
Look how it happens in our generations! What are generations and what is “I”? “I” is me plus my wife who were born from the previous generation, and now we give birth and raise the next generation. If we don’t do this, then there won’t be a generation.
So it is in the spiritual. Each generation is evaluated by how much it can get everything from the previous one and develop a more perfect future out of itself. This is its merit.
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From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. Should I Believe Laitman?” 3/27/11
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There are two states in a person: when he resists the spiritual quality and when he agrees to build himself in similarity to the Creator.
As long as a person is working in his egoism and suffering does not yet force him to start thinking about the meaning of life, about the meaning of blows: “What for, why? Is it worth living then?”, then he naturally resists the Creator’s quality.
But internal blows make him think about the meaning of life. After all, this question has nothing to do with corporeal well-being or even with physical problems. It arises and that is it. No special predispositions or external circumstances are required for this.
If such questions arise in a person, then he begins to gradually approach the study of the meaning of life. This leads him to the revelation of the Creator.
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From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. Manipulations of the Kabbalist” 4/22/11
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Question: All desires originate in the world of infinity, but they must manifest in our world and come to a final form. What final form should they take?
Answer: Whether we want it or not, we will have to develop to the very last, highest degree, and feel the whole universe and the Creator who fills it.
The worlds are filters descending from top to bottom and gradually increasingly concealing the upper light or the Creator from us.
Question: So, it is best to imagine them not as parallel worlds but as concealment of the connection of the Creator with creation?
Answer: Yes. In our world this connection is completely hidden from us.
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From KabTV’s “Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah” 5/14/23
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Comment: Sergey asks: “You keep repeating: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ You keep coming back to this law, saying that it is the most important one. My question is, who is this neighbor who should be loved like oneself? And how can you love a neighbor who has planned and committed many atrocities against you or your home? At the same time, he does not feel the slightest repentance.”
My Response: Yes. But still, nevertheless, we must reassess our attitude toward everyone and see that our attitude toward everyone is terrible, negative, and selfish and that we need absolutely complete forgiveness. For each one of us. I have to condemn myself and ask the Creator to justify me.
Question: Are you saying that I treat my neighbor this way not because he is so bad but because I am so bad?
Answer: Of course. How else can it be?
Comment: He has committed so many terrible actions against me and against my loved ones and relatives.
My Response: Eventually, it turns out that either the Creator is perfect and you are the opposite of Him or vice versa.
Question: I am perfect and the Creator is not perfect? And you say the Creator is perfect?
Answer: Yes, but in this case I become the opposite of Him.
Question: So if we say that all these are actions of the Creator, then the Creator does all this only so that I can look at myself in that way?
Answer: Yes.
Question: Absolutely everything: tragedies, wars, everything that happens around me?
Answer: Absolutely. Nothing matters; the main thing is the possibility of correcting one’s attitude toward the Creator.
Question: Is this the whole path of man?
Answer: Yes. It is his whole life.
Question: And all this centuries-old history of ours, the tragedies of wars, is it just for that?
Answer: Absolutely only for that.
Question: If a person succeeds, does it mean that the whole chain has worked? In general, everything that happened?
Answer: Yes, like a dream.
Question: That was a dream. And what is not a dream?
Answer: It is not a dream when you justify all this and exalt the Creator above yourself, your opinion, then you will see what it means to exist outside of the dream.
Question: Tell me, when you say “exalt the Creator,” what do you mean by “Creator” in this sense?
Answer: Fate.
Question: My fate? So my fate led me to itself?
Answer: Of course.
Question: My destiny is the Creator? And everyone should think so, each one of the eight billion living people?
Answer: Yes, and by this we unite with each other in one common good desire.
Question: So if we have similar intentions to work on ourselves, then this is how we connect together?
Answer: Yes.
Comment: I see. But I think about myself at this moment that I am bad. I am not thinking about anyone else.
My Response: It doesn’t matter. You are correcting your part in the global desire governing the world.
Question: Then, the last question. We started with “Love thy neighbor as thyself” as the law of life. Where is “Love thy neighbor as thyself” when I begin to work on myself to deal with correcting myself?
Answer: Love anyone but yourself. In what form do you think he exists, how do you imagine him, you have to love him the way you love yourself.
Question: It turns out that love your neighbor as yourself is work on yourself?
Answer: Of course. And what does it call for? Love him as yourself. That is, at the moment when I realize that I cannot love, this is where the work begins.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 5/15/23
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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “What is a question?“
A question is a desire that needs to be fulfilled. Once a desire arises, we need to fill it with its fulfillment.
Where do questions come from?
In the wisdom of Kabbalah, we call the place from which questions emerge “Reshimot” (“records”). Reshimot are inner informational data that surfaces in order to become realized. The need to realize this inner informational data is a question.
The realization itself is our actions. When we realize and fulfill this Reshimo (record), i.e., when it turns into a 3D sensation of our world, then we receive an answer.
Based on KabTV’s “I Got a Call. What is a question?” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on March 13, 2011. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.
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