Question: Why do we have to thank the Creator for obstacles?

Answer: Because if He does not renew His contact with you, then there is no way you will be able to renew it. It is either the Creator will renew it directly with the first thought from above or He will do it through someone.

Therefore, first of all, you should turn on our TV channel or our website—this should work automatically—and no other sources of reception!

In the evening I can listen to the news or even watch a documentary if it is really interesting, and that is it. After that, when I get up in the morning, only Kabbalah!

I get up 1.5 or 2 hours prior to the lesson, not a word from anyone, I only tune into the connection with the Creator! Then this entire world is clearly sensed as His conduit. How can it be different?!

Otherwise, the whole day is gone in vain. Not only in vain, but it goes into negative! And I will have to correct it because I strengthened my connection with the Creator through Klipot (impure forces)—through the incorrect system.

If I spend my day as if I do not have contact with the Creator and do not use this entire world in order to get connected with Him even more, to rise above all obstacles that He puts here for me, like on the theater stage, but rather perceive this world as truly existing, then I empower the so-called impure forces instead of connecting with that single force that determines, rules, and spins everything. Thus, I distance myself from contact with Him.
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From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. Practical Kabbalah” 11/4/12

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “Is suffering a punishment from God?“

Punishment from God is among the many theories people have come up with for why we suffer, i.e. that God punishes us for certain actions we have (or have not) done either in our current life, or in past lives. However, aside from theories, nobody really knows why we suffer.

Especially in our current times, we can see that we are globally interdependent and interconnected. The more we develop, the more our global interdependence reveals to us.

We live in a single global system, and we each share a mutual responsibility for the well-being of the entire system.

Similarly to how our bodies work, we feel a wound in our pinky toe as a pain throughout our whole body, and if it is a major wound, then it demands our complete attention. That is how we increasingly reveal ourselves in our world today.

If we comprehended and felt the full extent of our interdependence, then we would quickly conclude that we need to fix our connections: to upgrade our attitudes to each other as to members of a single family—and even closer. If we do, then we will start sensing that we live in an absolutely perfect world, free from suffering.

Based on a Virtual Kabbalah Lesson with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on September 27, 2015. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.
Photo by Alexey Malakhov on Unsplash.

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Preparation to the Lesson

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1st part of the Lesson — On the Verge of Lishma

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2nd part of the Lesson — Writings of Baal HaSulam, “The Love of God and the Love of Man”

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Selected Highlights

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Question: You said that we can correct the external manifestations of various events within ourselves. In particular, you cited what happened in the Gaza as an example. What does it mean to internally correct the external manifestations of the Gaza Strip?

Answer: Why else are external manifestations given to us? They are only given to us so that we can improve internally.

The whole world must reach correction. If we do not correct it in a normal way, that is, by revealing the Creator, then we are given all sorts of external problems that still force us to go toward this. But then we come to the Creator because of them.

Look at how many problems and suffering accumulate and how much time passes until we begin to realize that all this is only to solve our internal problems. This takes time! But by working internally, we can immediately get down to business.

Question: But if there were no external Gaza Strip, how could it manifest inside a person?

Answer: Under the influence of our dissemination, under the influence of some other milder problems. But if not, then by means of war, serious losses, and serious beatings, because then one starts asking, “How can I correct this, what should I do?”

Jews are very stubborn people. It is almost useless to say anything to them. To do this, we need to properly tune in because their heart, hearing, head, and brains are closed. Everything is closed! On the other hand, they are smart, wise, and receptive people, but very far from changing themselves. Very far! This means they are stubborn!

This stubbornness will require many more sacrifices until they finally agree that something needs to be done.

Question: What will their agreement be? In participation or just awareness?

Answer: In serious participation! In correcting themselves for the sake of correcting the world, for the sake of the Creator.
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From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. The Gaza Strip Helps the Jews” 11/24/12

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Comment: On the spiritual path we are constantly shown various flaws, but we must always justify them.

My Response: You cannot just justify them verbally. You must rise above them and break away from them.

It all depends on correction. Correction means distancing from old egoistic desires. But you do not break away from them physically as if breaking connection with them. You distance yourself from them to the extent that you feel their flaw, and then you do not use them. You cannot touch them.

On the other hand, you are tempted in more and more ways to be selfish. Depending on this, if you are in a group, you have the opportunity to attract more and more upper light to yourself.

The stronger your desires are, the more you need the group to attract more upper light and break away from these desires. Then separating from them will not be painful like an amputation without anesthesia. In this case, you will be able to turn to Him as a strong individual and correct them from the outside, and once corrected, attract them and use them in yourself. This is already a high-level correction, receiving for the sake of giving.

In general, it is normal for us to receive for the sake of receiving. Then you make a restriction on it and do not use it. Afterward, you apply it only for the sake of bestowal, above it. And later, you use it for the sake of receiving in order to give to everyone else by passing it through yourself.

Thus, you go through the same four stages leading to the fifth where you completely merge with the whole universe.
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From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. How to Justify Suffering?” 10/27/12

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Comment: Once you tried to make an example of one student to others. That student immediately began to justify himself, and you tried to explain to him that he needed to accept it.

My Response: Every person should look for a wide variety of qualities in himself. I need to point at someone, and maybe even jokingly take them aside for people to see. How else can I convey an impression or some kind of tip for a person to himself?

Comment: It often happens that you talk in general about the state of the group, but sometimes you get personal.

My Response: So what? Let everyone learn! Why should we be ashamed of each other?! What can I be embarrassed about?! In our world, I go to the doctor, tell him everything, and he takes tests from me; there is nothing to be ashamed of, not the animal body that I do not associate myself with. I tell him that I have such-and-such pressure, such-and-such blood, and so on.

But when we turn to sensual things, I feel embarrassed when I tell the doctor that I have such-and-such feelings and such-and-such drives. Why?! After all, this is also our natural, inner animal body.

When I talk about the spiritual, here I am no longer “I.” I am working on what I have received from the Creator.

In an animal body, I have nothing to work on; I follow a diet, exercise, go to the doctor, and that’s it. And in my inner spiritual body, I am in a state where I can really work on myself. This should be studied.

And all this work on myself is also not personally mine! It is absolutely the same for everyone! Everyone follows the same path if they try to work on themselves! Everyone has the same failures and the same problems!

Look at how the book Shamati or other articles and messages are written. They are written for everyone! Whether it may be an Indian, Turk or Frenchman, young or old, man or woman, it does not matter at all! There are almost the same paths for everyone. What is there to be ashamed of?!

There is one soul for everyone. Why can’t I talk about it out loud and everywhere, especially when everything depends on it?! We are adults! What can a person be ashamed of?! Today came, tomorrow left. Where is he? What is he? He doesn’t know anything. Look at the stupid things he does while he exists in this world.

So how can I not talk about everything as openly as possible, just to be understood?! Only small children are shy because they identify themselves with their body: “My body is me.” And a truly adult person is not shy.

Kabbalah says: “Stop being shy; go to the one who created you.” That is all. Turn to the one who created you.

You can only be ashamed of one thing, if you had the opportunity to make some kind of correction, to do good in the world, and you didn’t do it. Be ashamed about this! Nothing else depends on you.
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From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. Laitman Offended a Student” 11/17/12

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Comment: Psychologists say that one of the factors to prevent divorces and quarrels is to sleep in a shared bed, necessarily under the same blanket where you must either settle the relationship or improve it. You have no where to go. They say that there should not be, in the literal sense, a gap between husband and wife, different beds, rooms.

As far as I understand, this is a modern view, it somehow differs from our forefathers. The male and female halves were separated then.

My Response: There has always been a separate male and female bed. They didn’t sleep together.

Question: Tell me then, why, from a spiritual point of view, should the male and female each have their own half, their own part?

Answer: Because initially we are two halves.

Question: And in us, in a person, is male and female also divided?

Answer: Of course!

Question: In every person?

Answer: Not only in every person. In every atom, in every piece of information. There is no such thing that the nine Sefirot and the tenth Malchut are connected. Only after they are ready for this, and on the basis of mutual collision does penetration occur. A new life is born out of this. But all this is only temporary. It is an act and nothing more.

Question: Now the basis is clear, why they should be separate. Then the question is will they ever be connected?

Answer: In no way, never! This will be a clear and correct interaction between creation and the Creator.

Question: Is this the union of male and female, where the Creator is male and creation is female?

Answer: Yes. This is the same as the question: Will egoism ever disappear? It won’t disappear. It will be used correctly in our connection.

Question: Then the Kabbalistic question is: “And what is the final correction?“

Answer: It is when egoism and altruism interact with each other correctly and maintain a clear balance between each other.

Altruism is male, and egoism is the female inclination. They understand that one cannot manifest without the other.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 7/4/22

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Comment: You say that there are no regional borders in spirituality, that people in different countries go through the same states.

My Response: What does it matter who a person is: man, woman, what race, nationality, etc.? This all applies to physical bodies, whereas in regard to the spiritual world, who are we? What does the outer shell have to do with it? It does not exist at all, except in our animal senses.

Whoever stops at that cannot move forward at all.

Question: Do people in America and in China go through the same internal states?

Answer: Absolutely! Of course! What difference does it make where they are physically?

Question: You once said that those who isolate themselves from others with their pride, thereby bury themselves in a way. Is this their problem?

Answer: Naturally this is their problem. They have to annul themselves a lot more than everyone else.

Question: When you say that we are in such and such a state, are you describing the individual’s state or the state of the group? According to the perception of reality, what you see is whatever is happening inside you?

Answer: Of course I speak based on my condition. Everything is revealed only in relation to the one who attains. The attainer in this case is me, and I express my opinion. Only my opinion is more important than the opinion of others because they comprehend less; that is, they are more dependent, and fall more under their various calculations.
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From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. Tyrant and Despot” 10/20/12

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Comment: Everyone has their own understanding of correct connection, and no matter how much you explain, it still vanishes like water into sand.

My Response: This is because sand is our egoism, which will never be filled with water. Sand is made of silicon, it does not absorb water, but only allows it to pass through.

We can only rise above egoism; otherwise, we will not be able to do anything. No wonder they say, “as hard as silicon.” We must rise above the ego and turn its qualities into kindness, gentleness, and love.

Comment: You always say: “We need to unite! We have no connection!”

My Response: Because it really doesn’t exist yet.

Full connection will happen only in the world of infinity, beyond the 125^th degree. I am not talking about that.

I am talking at least about the fact that we should begin to unite at a degree at which we will become one single healthy spiritual organism. It will be able to absorb everyone else into ourselves and begin to grow together with everyone; it will become the embryo of a new world, around which and to which all the other parts are connected, and will form one single whole, one single body.
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From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. Unbelievable!” 12/1/12

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