Audio Version Of The Blog – 2/20/24
Posted on February 20th, 2024
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Michael Laitman on the Times of Israel: “How Can I Overcome Manipulations?”
I received the following message on social media from Dimitriy that expresses pain in how politicians and propagandists know how to manipulate societies who follow them, often to slaughterhouses…
I have been enraged lately. Why do we succumb to politicians and propagandists who are throwing us off? They are the reason there is so much grief. You see clearly blood spilling, people killing each other, and hating each other. It is all because they are egging on, but everything is, after all, illusory and fake. We die for this lie while they get fat. They make lots of money off this bloodshed, their children roll in luxury, and they too are doing well. Why are we giving in? Where is our basic reasoning? Where is the fear?
Indeed, people in such power positions take advantage of our little egos, our desires to enjoy ourselves at the expense of others, and thus entire populations succumb to their control. They work together with various specialists who understand egoistic human nature quite well, knowing how to steer it in directions that they wish.
The question is whether there is a solution to this situation. It can only be if we truly understand our nature, how its reins are pushed and pulled in various directions, and then be able to see how these politicians and manipulation specialists operate on us, and not be on board with them.
Ultimately, however, we simply need to understand that a positive unified atmosphere and good human connections are above all other benefits they try to bribe us with. If we cherish positive human relations, then they will be unable to make us deviate into all kinds of directions.
The aspiration to positively connect should bring us to the realization that it is best to live peacefully with our neighbors, which means anyone in our vicinity through to those in other countries.
On one hand, it is no secret and people generally understand that it is good to be at peace with neighboring people and countries. But these are just words. When it comes down to the crunch, there are several ways of pitting one country against another, and it becomes very hard to stop those avalanches after they start rolling.
We should nonetheless try to imprint on ourselves the primacy of living peacefully. Indeed, we have the ability to embed this principle into society so that if certain people want to lure one society into war against others, they will fail. We can achieve this heightened level of awareness throughout society; it should be our most important aspiration.
[325237]
Question: There are, as it were, two desires in a person concerning his friends. In his egoistic desire, he sees the flaws of a friend. With the altruistic desire, called the sixth sense or the screen of spiritual attainment, he sees his friend’s greatness. What should one do when he is only in his egoistic desire?
Answer: Then he must work so that his altruistic desire will appear. Until it is present, a person cannot see any positive qualities in a friend. He is building it, but it is yet to form in him.
Question: Rabash, however, writes in his articles that a person should try to see, within his egoistic desire, the importance and greatness of the friends. Is it possible?
Answer: Yes, we should try. Try to understand, even purely egoistically, that you need it. Therefore, you need to make efforts to implement it.
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From KabTV’s “Practical Kabbalah” 1/16/24
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Alina writes:
I was raised by my parents in such a way that I was always to be blamed for everything. And I absorbed it like a sponge. And it got worse over the years. My husband and children all pointed out to me that everything was happening because of me.
That is how I live, blaming myself and thinking about how guilty I am. I am eating myself up today and I cannot get out of this hell. I am still relatively young. I want to live without this pain and guilt. Is it possible to get out of this?
Answer: Of course! Because the Creator sends it to you.
Question: How can I escape?
Answer: Rise up, rise above your self-esteem.
Question: That I feel it is my fault? “Everyone pointed out that I was to blame, and I got used to being the one to blame,” she says.
Answer: This is not true. A person is not guilty of anything at all.
Question: Should one come to this?
Answer: Yes.
Question: Can you give any practical advice to Alina so that she feels an answer that she can implement practically? What steps should she take to break out of the fact that she blames herself for everything that is happening all the time?
Answer: This is because she did not reveal that there is only one force in the world that creates everything, controls everything, and determines everything.
Question: Is it as if she does not act, but this force acts through her?
Answer: Yes. Through her. This egoism of hers plays with her in this way.
Question: What about the fact that her relatives, parents, husband, and children act on her in such a way?
Answer: It is all wrong; it seems to her.
Question: Is this really how the Creator works with her?
Answer: She attracts such relationships to herself. And it is not her fault at all.
Question: So her only action is to understand that this is how the Creator works with her? And that all is Him?
Answer: Yes. And that all is Him.
Question: Is it possible to understand it on some mechanical level by repeating it?
Answer: Turn it back to the Creator all the time.
[324703]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 1/8/24
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The thing is that one should do all of one’s work by way of “If I am not for me, who is for me,” that no one can save him, but “by your mouth, and by your heart to do it,” that is, a discernment of reward and punishment (Baal HaSulam, Shamati 217, “If I Am not for Me, Who Is for Me?”).
Question: What is the heart, and what is doing it with the mouth?
Answer: This means addressing the Creator both out loud and internally. It means expressing it internally and with our lips in all our opportunities to talk with Him.
Question: What is goodness for the Creator? What must we constantly think about to be His sons?
Answer: The main thing for the Creator is whether we are getting closer to Him. The ultimate goal of spiritual work is the revelation of the Creator to all of us. We must constantly think about this.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/2/24, Writings of Baal HaSulam “If I Am Not for Me, Who Is for Me?”
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Question: What does it mean to feel a separate Sefira?
Answer: The Sefirot are qualities.
When we approach the Creator, we begin to feel these qualities, and with their help, we hold on to the Creator more and more.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/6/24, Writings of Rabash “What Are ‘A Layperson’s Vessels,’ in the Work?”
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Question: Sometimes, a friend who is highly critical of himself underestimates his contribution to the group, and his natural reaction is to reject praise. What should be the approach to it? Should we show respect for his contribution to the group?
Answer: Usually, we tend to reject signs of respect and recognition, but this is just to somehow give back.
Kabbalists write that this is not necessary because when we do not push away but, on the contrary, thank and exalt our friends for appreciating us so highly, it develops a bond in the group.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/3/24, Writings of Baal HaSulam “Honor”
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It is written, “And the land,” since the land is one of seven lands below. In that place are the children of Cain’s children because once he was expelled from the face of the earth, he went down there, produced offspring, and his mind was confused there, meaning that he did not know anything. It is a doubled land, doubled with darkness and light.
ZAT are incorporated in one another, and in each there are seven Sefirot HGT NHYM, which are also found in Malchut. In the lower land there are seven lands, as well: Earth, Land, Arka [Earth in Aramaic], Valley, Oblivion, Aridity, and Universe. Our earth is Universe, the highest among the seven lands. Arka is the third among the seven lands (Rashbi, Zohar for All, “Heaven and Earth”).
Question: We know that “earth – Eretz” comes from the word “Ratzon – desire.” What are these seven kinds of desires?
Answer: These are the seven symbols that represent the earth. According to what kind of power we want to distinguish, is what we call it.
Question: Should I discover these seven kinds of desires in myself?
Answer: No, we are not dealing with this. The study of Kabbalah touches on this a little, but, in general, we do not operate with these names.
Question: So when a person enters spirituality, one discovers such parts in his or her desire and corrects them?
Answer: Yes, but those are already high degrees.
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From KabTV’s “Introduction to The Book of Zohar” 1/21/24
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Question: Is there a difference between integrating with the friends or allowing them to integrate with me?
Answer: Both should take place at the same time. You must give your friends a place in your heart and at the same time get closer to them to be present in their hearts.
Question: Where does the “angel of death” come from if there is none else besides Him?
Answer: This is the opposite side of the Creator.
Question: What should be the actions of the ten so that what is written on the common heart is not erased? Or can it be erased and written again?
Answer: Yes, it can, but first of all, we must ensure that what we want to receive is preserved.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/4/24, Writing of Baal HaSulam “Freedom”
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Preparation to the Lesson
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1st part of the Lesson — Writings of Rabash, “What Is ‘A Lily Among the Thorns,’ in the Work?”
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2nd part of the Lesson — Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Foreword to The Book of Zohar
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Selected Highlights
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