Prophets, Joshua, 21:43: Not a thing was lacking from all the good things that the Lord spoke to the house of Israel; all came to pass.

The Creator promised the children of Israel that they would receive the land as an allotment if only He would be with them. Everything is in their hands. They are already settling on the land, turning all their desires (“land, Eretz”—from the word “Ratzon, Desire”) into bestowal, connection, and love.

Everyone cultivates the land, i.e., sits on his part of the desire. It cannot be otherwise because everyone received their part from the shattering of Adam, the common soul. Therefore, a person understands what to do, what to correct, and how to be connected with others to eventually come to one common desire, to a common system called Adam. Everything is on a schedule here.

The children of Israel know what they need to do. The Cohanim (Cohens, Priests) and Levites patiently explain all this to them, and then new steps are revealed to everyone.

Therefore, even though greater egoism is manifested, they successfully master the land, these broken desires.

Everything happens within a person. It is about fixing the connection between him and others.

Question: In what case does the Creator’s promise come true?

Answer: In every case: either by suffering or by diligent, serious work. Everyone is obliged to complete their lesson. But how do you do it? Either in a short and kind way or in a long way of suffering. But one way or another, you will still come to what is said.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 8/23/21

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Question: Do you agree with the saying: “Eyes are the mirror of the soul”?

Answer: The fact is that the eyes are the most sensitive organ of the body, and that is why we say so. If, for example, a person is blind or has lost his sight in old age, then from a spiritual point of view it means nothing.

Question: I read that on average women cry forty-six times a year, and men only seven times. Why do the eyes seep tears?

Answer: This is a method of expressing feelings. In principle, tears constantly wash the eyes in the same way saliva washes the mouth, and we simply cannot live without it.

Question: In our world, these are physiological processes. What are tears in spirituality?

Answer: In spirituality, tears are a type of compassion. When a person feels the condition of another and sympathizes with him, then he has tears.
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From KabTV’s “Spiritual States” 9/10/21

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “Why is it that when the powerful use force it is called “self-defense” and when the weak use force it is called “terrorism”?“

The question is built incorrectly from the beginning. Terrorism involves the use of violence toward the peaceful population, which is in essence not guilty of anything. Terrorism is used precisely to kill innocent people. On the other hand, the force that a government uses is used against the army of the opponent, i.e. an army against an army. In our egoistic world, even this is considered “ethical” and correct. It differs from cases when terror organizations use force against citizens who are guilty of nothing besides the fact that they are ordinary people.

That is why, unquestionably, terrorism has no place and no justification in human society. The issue here is not power or weakness, but against whom the force is directed. If it is directed against citizens, this is called “terrorism,” whereas if it is directed against an army, then it is called “war.” War has its own forces and laws. Of course, it is undesirable, but one way or another, we consider these to be lawful and fitting into specific boundaries. The tragedy is that terrorist groups make it their goal to hurt the civilian population, and in this regard they should receive a warning from humanity. Terrorism should disappear from the map of the world.

Based on a Q&A with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on September 9, 2006. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Preparation to the Lesson

Writings of Baal HaSulam, Shamati #19 “What Is, ‘The Creator Hates the Bodies,’ in the Work?”

Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah,” Item 66

Selected Highlights

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From My Facebook Page Michael Laitman 10/2/21

For many years, students and friends have been asking me to tell them the story of my time with my teacher, RABASH. For many years, I felt that there was no need for it, that times were different and things work differently today.

But through my conversations with Semion Vinokur, many of the stories percolated to the surface nonetheless. Semion, who really feels me, managed to put them down on paper in his unique and captivating style, and all of a sudden, there was a book.

The book, which was titled Always with Me, begins with my childhood questions and my years as a young man. But these are but the prelude. The bulk of the text tells the story of my years with RABASH: how I found him, how I became his disciple, his assistant, and why I am committed to passing on his message of love for all of humanity.

Today’s Kabbalah students learn very differently from the way I learned with him. However, every student goes through a very similar internal process and can sympathize with the experiences described here.

Since times are different now, I cannot teach my students the way RABASH taught me. Although the way is slightly different, attaining spirituality still requires and will always require dedication and devotion to the goal.

RABASH passed away in 1991, but he will never pass away from my heart or from my mind. When I teach, he is always with me. When I rise in the wee hours to prepare for the next morning lesson, he is the one who guides my heart. When I speak with world leaders or with scientists, it is his legacy that guides my thoughts and words.

I hope that when you read the stories, you will get a taste of the greatness of the man who has made Kabbalah approachable to every person on this planet. RABASH’s teachings are a gift to humanity, and I do my utmost to see that everyone enjoys it.

What I have become, I have become thanks to him, because indeed, he is always with me.

And finally, a word of gratitude to Irina Rudnev and Mark Berelekhis for their meticulous translation into English.

Get a copy on Amazon:

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My new article on Linkedin “Polluting the Field We Live In”

October 13, is the UN’s International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction. This year, there have already been more disasters than we can count. Moreover, they have affected the entire world, not just third world countries or other disaster-prone areas, but every continent and virtually every country. Fires, floods, storms, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and one wayward virus, we’ve had the lot, and the year is far from over. Tomorrow, the UN will discuss what we can do to prevent these disasters, but it will not talk about what causes them: we, people, who pollute all of reality with our foul thoughts and intentions.

For some reason, it escapes our awareness that the multiple disasters we have experienced and are continuing to experience have a common origin. We already know that everything in reality is connected, and everything affects everything else. We also know that the only deliberate ill-will exists in humans. Why, then, is it so hard for us to see that this one inherently negative element is the origin of all that is negative in our world?

We exist in one cosmic force field, which has created the material world by connecting elements in increasingly complex compositions. Yet, of all its creations, only one has consciousness, a purpose in its actions that goes beyond the satisfaction of immediate and essential needs for survival: man.

Through our intentions for wealth, glory, and power, we have developed technology, social structures, art, religion, or in a word: civilization. However, we have created such a self-centered civilization that it is beginning to implode. Unless we begin to synchronize our intentions with the field that has created and sustains us, we will not survive. Just as the field connects everything, so must we connect. Unless we change our nature from self-serving to caring and inclusive, we will be ejected from this reality, as has happened to every element that did not coincide with the laws of creation.

It may seem as though we must go through a painful process of relinquishment of pleasures in order to coincide with nature, but this is an illusion. We will not relinquish anything; we will gain knowledge, power, understanding, security, and emotional support from everyone. We will live in a society where people care for one another.

It is truly a different world from the one we know today. If it seems as though the new world is foreboding, it is only the depiction of our ego, which refuses to relinquish its sovereignty over our minds. But for our sake, we should let it go.

If we support each other in this process, we will be able to transform our attitude. As a result, our entire reality will change and we will save ourselves and our planet. If we’re looking for a way to reduce, and even prevent disasters, this is the only way there is.
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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “Why does God allow suffering?“

The world is full of suffering and we cannot justify murder, theft, or any kind of affliction of pain on people.

However, when we feel that our pain and suffering in this world can lead us to a correction, i.e. to the acceptance of justice, and to the sensation of joy and healing, then we start justifying pain and suffering. In general, we fail to understand that pain and suffering comes not as a response to sins or transgressions we seemingly conduct in the world.

Pain and suffering emerges for a single purpose only: to make us seek its reason and purpose. Blows act as a stick that prods us from behind in order to make us eventually seek a greater meaning and purpose to life.

The problem is that we fail to understand why we should be beaten and the blows might be very serious. There is so much pain and suffering in the world that appears to be simply unfair and unjustifiable. Nonetheless, pain and suffering accumulate to a single desire that makes us wiser: the beginning of the awareness that we were created to carry out a certain mission.

In fact, feelings of unjust pain and suffering, and the lack of understanding of why so much seemingly meaningless suffering occurs, which invokes questions about its causes—is precisely why it occurs.

Pain and suffering leaves us with a question mark, which ultimately directs us to the search for the true cause of the pain and suffering. We find that true cause when we eventually switch from the search for the meaning of suffering to the search for the meaning of life.

However, we generally have no clue that pain and suffering is for us to seek out its root causes, but nonetheless, that is the only reason we suffer.

Based on the lesson “How to Choose a Path of No Suffering?” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman, on January 3, 2016. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.
Photo by Road Trip with Raj on Unsplash.

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My new article on Linkedin “The Impact of the Media on Us – a Depressing Story”

An extensive survey concerning depression released by the Oxford University research center Our World in Data shows that depression is a very complicated condition. According to the editors of the survey, “people with depression experience different symptoms, with different levels of severity, at different times in their lives, with episodes that last different lengths of time.” Worse yet, even people who are not diagnosed with depression suffer from symptoms of depression. Still worse, the survey found that depression is an umbrella condition that contains subtypes, and that in general, more people suffer from depression or its symptoms than those who do not.

While the survey is important in that it illustrates the pervasiveness of depression, it does not answer, or even attempt to answer the most important question: Why is there depression?

The more we develop from generation to generation, the more we get to know the world we live in and the pressures it puts on us. As a result, we are becoming depressed. For its part, the media, which could have portrayed a balanced picture of the world, chooses instead to exacerbate our depression by emphasizing the negative and distressing in the world. By exploiting our weakness and vulnerability, they are deepening our depression.

The bad news that media outlets constantly present is not the only news worth knowing. Moreover, if all that they present is malice, violence, and fraudulence, without offering any solutions to these social ailments, what hope do they leave for the viewers? They are educating us to hate, distrust, and isolate ourselves from others. Is it a wonder that in such a state we are depressed?

The media, through all its channels, is humanity’s primary educator. It molds us and shapes us however it wishes by showing us or hiding from us whatever it chooses according to its interests. Therefore, what is happening in humanity today is first and foremost a direct result of the actions of the media.

We should not delude ourselves. The news we see, the stories we read and watch, and the information that percolates into our phones and computers are all monitored and manipulated to make us feel miserable, and helpless. By doing so, the media tighten their grip on us, and this is what they really want.

When we are depressed, we buy more stuff in order to compensate for our dejection. When we are depressed, we take medications, drugs, and do things to alleviate the gloom. These actions that we take bring them a lot of money, a lot of power, and make us dependent on them, which is what they want.

People can be happy only when they are hopeful. If they know that tomorrow will be better than today, that their children will have a better, easier, wealthier, healthier life than theirs, then they have reasons for optimism and joy.

Regrettably, the media reflects our nature, our egotistical disposition, as it is written, “The inclination of a man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Gen. 8:21). As long as we are wicked from within, we will not create media channels that give us hope.

Since we are rotten from within, since we want power, money, and all the things we blame on the media, then even if we ruined them and built new media channels instead, they would end up being the same as the ones we have today. In the end, it is not their fault that they are like that; they only reflect our inner selves.

To really change the media, we must change ourselves. We must create alternative educational channels that will create hope by encouraging care and mutual responsibility, and will strengthen our communities.

If we foster cohesion and solidarity within our communities and towns, we will be able to offset the negative influence of the media and change ourselves from within. If we change, the media will have no choice but to follow suit. After all, they are dependent on our views no less than we are influenced by their messages. If the messages we are willing to absorb are positive ones, these are the messages they will show us, these are the news we will receive on our devices, and as a result, all of reality will change for the better.
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My new article on Linkedin “The Day Israel Disappears”

On the day Palestine is liberated and Israel is destroyed, Jews and IDF soldiers will be executed, peace activists will be able to safely leave, and the technological experts and brilliant minds will be forced to stay here for some time to provide support.

These are some of the conclusions about the planned fate of the Jewish state reached during the “Promise of the Hereafter” conference recently held by the Hamas leadership in the Gaza Strip.

One can roll one’s eyes at yet another announcement foretelling the disappearance of Israel in the coming years, but if one examines the area, almost everything is prepared and ready to enact this plan. There are Arab representatives in Israel in key positions, they receive large sums of money, they are armed and full of manpower and they are surrounded by support from all Arab countries. So why should such a disturbing event not occur in the future?

We do not exist in the land of Israel only by virtue of our security forces, but mainly by Supreme grace. Our very contempt for this fact and our unwillingness to acknowledge it and behave accordingly cause us to gradually lose the spiritual umbrella that protects us.

I do not think Hamas’ descriptions of nightmares for the people of Israel will occur as they describe, but it is important to be alert and to recognize that the situation is unstable and that there is always a chance that we will degenerate into such a dangerous situation.

The enemy’s plan is very detailed: from transitional laws—through the transfer of real estate to them—to military, legal and security laws. While they envision a new state—and as we know, nothing stands in the way of desire—our Jewish vision is fading.

Every day that passes during which we do not engage in a serious plan of heartfelt bonding between us, overcoming all the alienation and resentment between us towards a more complete unity, causes us to lose our strength. Every day that we do not act and try vigorously to discover the Supreme Force—the power of giving and love—causes us to lose our truth.

At the same time as our settlement in the land of Israel and, alongside of it, our intensive focus on its security, we must pay attention to the nation’s spirit as a single unit because without it, we will not survive here for long. The separation between us breaks that spirit which then transforms into negative forces that threaten us through our enemies.

We need to build a spiritual home from our hearts, to live as one man in one heart. Our intention must be too giving to the Supreme Force—to the power of connection—a space within our common heart to dwell among us and between us. Only in this way can we ensure our future existence in the land of Israel. This spirit of mutual responsibility and love that awakens in us will be the cause of our success. Therefore, we must hasten steps towards building a correct, strong, spiritual Israel—a land inhabited by people who are emotionally connected to one another and to their Upper Root.

Foremost kabbalist Rav Yehuda Ashlag (Baal HaSulam) has already warned that “Israel must present something new to the nations. This is what they expect from the return of Israel to the land! …Justice, and peace. And this wisdom is attributed to us alone. If this return is canceled, Zionism will be canceled altogether…And its residents are destined to endure much suffering. Undoubtedly, either they or their children will gradually leave the country, and only an insignificant number will remain, which will ultimately be swallowed among the Arabs.” (“The Writings of the Last Generation.”)

Such an internal connection as the common heart we must build will attract everyone to it and expand circles of positive influence throughout the world. Thus, gradually the rest of the nations of the world will join us. On that day, there will be no Arabs and Jews but rather, one people. There will be no Israel or Palestine, but one humanity with one prayer to the one Supreme Force, the power of influence and love, as it is written: “For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” (Isaiah 56:7)
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