My new article on Linkedin “China and the Impact of Cross-Border Capitalism”

All over the world, China is buying, building, and operating strategic assets. In Israel, for example, it now owns Tnuva, the largest and most powerful producer and marketer of dairy products. China is also building two new harbors, and is already operating one of them, as well as the new metropolitan railway system in the center of the country. The same process is happening in many countries in Latin America, where China is in fierce competition against the US.

Cross-border capitalism, where wealthy and powerful countries use their revenues to generate more wealth and increase their influence in other countries, may create conflicts and tensions, but I don’t think we can avoid it. The question is not whether it is right or wrong, whether we can or should stop it, but how countries should conduct themselves in this situation, which is here to stay.

On the one hand, it is human nature to want to use whatever surplus proceeds I have to increase my wealth and my power. We should not be so naive as to think that countries have any altruistic motives when it comes to business and power. On the other hand, it is not necessarily bad that rich countries are buying assets and building large infrastructure projects in countries where they themselves would likely not have been able to carry out otherwise.

Just as capitalism helps build economies within countries, cross-border capitalism can help build the global economy. And since capitalist countries naturally want to take over anything they put their hands on, it is up to the host countries to restrain their ability to get their way. As long as the line between economic contribution to a country and economic occupation of it is kept, I see more good than harm in cross-border capitalism.

As a rule, I see the mingling of cultures and ethnicities as a positive development. After all, the world is going toward increased connection and global unity, in synchrony with all of reality. We may not like the ideas of unity or connection, but it is only because egoism governs us. Nevertheless, this trajectory is irreversible and in the end, positive, as it strengthens everyone involved.

We can come to unity in one of two ways: voluntarily or involuntarily. The economic “takeover” is more in line with the voluntary way. It is certainly better than military conflicts, occupations and counter occupations, and occasional annihilation of nations and ethnic groups, which had been humanity’s way until World War II exposed its cost with today’s nuclear technologies.

Either way, the days of the nation-state are ending. The whole concept of sovereignty exposes itself as nothing more than a fight over territory, a flag, and an anthem. It is absolute selfishness, and regular people get no benefits from battles over sovereignty. In the end, everyone exploits them.

As the world moves toward collective governance, though still with egoistic motivations, new rules will gradually emerge. While there is no doubt that countries will try to achieve global governance, as this is human nature, there is no other way to begin this process; without selfish motivation, no country will lift a finger to help another country. At the same time, we should be very careful not to let any one country become the sole ruler of the world.

To achieve this, we need to integrate education toward collaboration into the process of global mingling. We all need this education, children and grownups alike, since none of us have ever lived in a world where everyone depends on everyone else, and is therefore responsible for everyone else.

Therefore, first we must learn about the necessity to maintain mutual responsibility. Then, we will begin to see how mutual responsibility and interdependence lead to mutual concern for one another.

Once we start developing positive feelings toward each other, we will transcend our selfish nature and a new network of relationships among us will manifest, based on care and empathy. In this network, there will be no borders, regulations, or monitoring since our care for one another will guide us toward helping others rather than harming or otherwise exploiting them. In that state, cross-border capitalism will be obsolete since there will be neither borders nor capitalism, but a new, care-based economy.
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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “Do you agree with Daniel Craig’s decision not to leave a large sum of money to his children as inheritance?“

By giving children more than what they need in order to start building themselves, it will just corrupt them in the end.

Love encompasses giving your children opportunities to develop, to enjoy the fruits of their own labor, by providing them with a good education and a profession that they will enjoy and make a living from.

A father’s love is expressed through encouragement and motivation, i.e., in giving the first push. The children will not understand this at the time of the push, but the understanding will settle later.

Based on “Should You Leave Your Children a Big Inheritance? | Kabbalist’s View with Dr. Michael Laitman.” Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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My new article on Linkedin “Prince William’s Call to Forget Space and Focus on Earth Won’t Save It”

In an interview on NBC News, Prince William said that “We need the greatest brains and minds fixed on trying to repair this planet, not trying to find the next place to go and live.” Adding that “we are seeing a rise in climate anxiety,” Prince William stressed that “young people now are growing where their futures are basically threatened the whole time.” It’s true that the future looks grim, but “repairing” the Earth won’t help since there is nothing wrong with it. There is a lot that is wrong with the people who live on it: They are the cause of Earth’s “malfunctions” and they are the ones who need fixing. Any other idea is pointless, and a waste of time that will create even greater harm to the planet.

If Prince William, and other movers and shakers, begins to push for unity among all people, to rise above our differences and The pollution of Earth’s water, soil, and air, and the depletion of its resources, are just two forms of exploitation out of countless that the human race is inflicting everywhere. We inflict the same level of harm on our own species—on disadvantaged nations and ethnic groups—as well as on other animals, birds, and fish. In fact, we inflict harm wherever we go and whatever we do.

The basis of all our relationships is self-interest. Such a basis dictates only two attitudes toward everything around us: use it or flee from it. In effect, it is a state of constant war, which we are mostly unaware of, except for rare moments of sincerity with ourselves.

Because this is our only motivation, we are sickening not just the earth, but every realm of human engagement. To understand the harm in our self-centered attitude, think of cancer cells. These rogue cells grow without regard for the cells around them, snatch blood vessels to get as much nutrients and oxygen as possible, and as a result, “starve” the cells around them and kill the organs where they grow. Afterwards, they “migrate” to other organs and inflict the same harm there until the body dies along with the cancer.

We have already “metastasized” throughout the planet. We have contaminated every thing, place, and engagement with our malignant attitude, and now we are starting to realize that we are about to die along with our planet.

But focusing on one symptom, even one as painful as climate change, will not cure the cancer, which is our own ego. To cure our egos, we must accept the diagnosis that our ego is the problem, and resolve to fight against it shoulder to shoulder.

If Prince William, and other movers and shakers, begins to push for unity among all people, to rise above our differences and establish care and concern among all people, we will see a real change for the better. We are all one complete system, just like our bodies are complete systems. So as long as we enshrine the “Me! Me! Me!” culture, nothing will change. If we don’t accept that we must teach ourselves to care about others and develop mutual responsibility, rather than responsibility only for ourselves, then we’d best prepare for the worst.
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My new article on Linkedin “When Jews Turn on Jews, So Does Netflix”

Last week, Netflix launched a new collection of Palestinian films professing to portray “the truth” about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But with 89% of the films being directed by BDS supporters, there is little hope that there will be any attempt to present a truthful, let alone balanced picture of reality. The films, which play on people’s most vulnerable emotional triggers, are bound to create even stronger anti-Israel sentiments than people feel already.

I share the frustration of those trying to fight against the demonization of Israel. However, I think that we are shooting ourselves in the foot by trying to explain ourselves instead of addressing our division, which is the root cause of the hatred toward us.

From the history of our people, and from the words of our sages at every generation, we know that the people of Israel determine their own destiny. The Book of Zohar (Pinhas 64) writes that Israel are not subject to fate or to luck; the Talmud (Shabbat 156a) states that Israel have no fate, meaning that they are not bound by it; and other sources state likewise.

When you look at how the world treats Jews, it is easy to see that we are always singled out, usually for condemnation. Jews were condemned before they were allowed to mingle with the nations in the Diaspora; Jews were singled out before there was a Jewish state; Jews are singled out now that there is a state; and if the Jewish state ceases to exist and a Palestinian state is established in its place, they will still be singled out for condemnation. Jews have been persecuted and executed for different reasons at different times because the root of Jew-hatred has nothing to do with the present circumstances of the Jews, but with their eternal duty. Until they carry it out, the world will hate them and despise them. When they carry it out, the world will love and appreciate them.

The world is not wrong in its attitude toward the Jews; we are not like other people. The nations judge us by a different standard not because they are antisemitic, but because we became a nation in order to set a different standard for the world. The world judges us by the standard we are meant to achieve, and not by the standards it judges the rest of the nations.

The standard that the world uses to judge us is the standard of unity. When we are united, we are praised; when we are divided, we are condemned. We became a nation only when we agreed to unite “as one man with one heart,” and we were immediately tasked with being “a light unto nations.” Only when we display unity, we are a light to the nations; when we are divided, we spread darkness and the world hates us for it.

According to the book Sifrey Devarim, in antiquity, when Jews celebrated their unity during the festivals of pilgrimage, people from the world over would “go up to Jerusalem and see Israel … and say, ‘It is becoming to cling only to this nation.’” Conversely, the Talmud (Yoma 9b) explains that Nebuchadnezzar conquered Israel and destroyed the First Temple because the people of Israel spoke to one another “with daggers in their tongues.” Similarly, the Second Temple was destroyed by Sina’at Hinam (unfounded hatred, hatred for no reason), say all our sages. Our cataclysms throughout history have all followed prolonged periods of division and self-hatred.

I have spoken to prominent Israeli academics who are active in the BDS movement; I saw how adamant they are in their objection to the State of Israel. In my view, subconsciously, they are trying to protect themselves by showing hatred for their own people. However, condemning their own nation and their own people will not help them escape the world’s wrath. Only our unity, precisely above those deep chasms that splinter the Israeli society will earn us the world’s favor.

We have to focus on educating ourselves on the importance of internal unity. This is the only thing we can or should do. If more Israelis understand the unique role of our people, the level of cohesion and solidarity that our nation is required to achieve, we will merit the world’s respect, and ultimately affection. But if we shun our vocation and choose division, then Netflix’s antisemitic films will be the least of our problems.

To elaborate on the topic, and to get a more historic perspective on the significance of unity precisely for the Jewish people, read my book The Jewish Choice: Unity or Antisemitism.
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My new article on Linkedin “Billboards in the UK – a Wake-Up Call to British Jews”

The billboards that recently appeared in the UK, emblazoned with the title “NORMAL PEOPLE BOYCOTT Israel,” are a reminder to UK Jews that hatred toward the world’s only Jewish state is alive and kicking in Britain. The slogan on the boards, which references Sally Rooney’s decision to deny Israeli publishers the rights to her latest book, obviously seeks to normalize boycotts of the Jewish state.

Such attacks as these in Britain are hardly new, and they are becoming ever more frequent. During the last Gaza conflict, UK Jews were not only subjected to anti-Israeli sentiments, but also to overt antisemitism, including threats of sexual violence and assault leveled against them.

This has led many UK Jews to realize that antisemitism in the UK has become “an ever-present entity within British life,” as a Jerusalem Post story recently put it. Therefore, instead of waiting for the next incident to occur, Britain’s Jews must act now, and there is much they can do.

UK Jews proved, in the face of the threat posed by Jeremy Corbyn, just how resilient they are when they stand united in the face of threats to them and to the state of Israel. This unity has always been the refuge of our people in the face of every menace. Today, as well, it should be our first port of call.

The lesson we must learn from our past and from our leaders throughout the ages is that we should not wait for suffering, threats, and boycotts to drive us toward unity. Rather, we should want to unite in a spirit of friendship and co-operation all the time and every single day.

The head of the Board of British Deputies, Marie Van Der Zyl, correctly recognized that the unity we showed in the face of Corbyn’s threat was something to be maintained. However, we should not only try to maintain that connection, but enhance it in both quality and quantity. If we Jews strengthen the ties between us, without denying the many differences between us, but by rising above them, we will truly become “a light unto nations.” Then, unity will remedy all of our problems.

As Rabbi Eliyahu Ki Tov quite clearly states in The Book of Consciousness, “We are commanded at each generation to strengthen the unity among us, so our enemies do not rule over us.” If we come together in the spirit of a family, where we are concerned with the well-being of each “family” member, we will very quickly witness positive changes. The ghoulish specter of antisemitism will finally be vanquished, and our unity will become an example for the rest of the people to follow.

We see that despite the billions of pounds spent on trying to deal with antisemitism, conferences on the subject, high profile supporters of Israel, government pledges, absolutely nothing is effective in dealing with the problem. On the contrary, despite the efforts, antisemitism and hatred for the Jewish state are on the rise worldwide.

The reason for this is that we are not tackling the problem at its root, which is the continual alienation and disunity among us. Only when we address this state and rectify it by building good relations among us will we be able to stop antisemitism dead in its tracks. Everything is in our hands. We have the power to change everything and the time to act towards it is now.
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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “Can you influence plant growth with your thoughts?“

We influence not only plants with our thoughts, but also animals and even stones. However, we cannot yet examine such phenomena.

There is absolute interconnection and interaction between all parts of creation. If we saw this network of forces, we would find that only we humans are a negative harmful element in this system of forces.

Neither inanimate, vegetative or animate forms of matter have freewill. They have no egoism, i.e. a desire to enjoy at the expense of the other. They exist according to the laws that nature has embedded into them. Humans, however, due to our freewill and our egoism, become the only harmful elements in nature.

Based on a talk, “Kab TV’s Close-Up Reference Point,” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Comment: Most people come to Kabbalah because of suffering. As we engage in Kabbalah and rise above our egoism, we begin to look at everything from a different angle.

It turns out that the suffering remains the same, we just look at it differently, but the problems do not disappear.

My Response: If you begin to consider the emerging problems not as suffering, but on the contrary, as a means of attracting you to the Creator, to the highest goal, then why treat them as suffering? These are then states that push you toward development.

But what else?! After all, you are sheer egoism. Well, how can you be nudged forward, if not by being pricked?

Comment: Although I perceive suffering differently, it still remains.

My Response: No, it doesn’t stay. You look at it differently, you have changed your point of view. Soon, instead of suffering, it will seem to you that this is not suffering but happiness. After all, it all depends on the purpose it comes for and what it ties you to.

Let’s say a person works hard and digs a deep hole, but if he earned a million dollars for this work, then this is no longer suffering. This is an opportunity to rise to the next level. But he continues, should he dig this hole? Yes, he should.

Are you looking at the condition or are you looking at the result? By studying Kabbalah, you become attached to the result and see what you are earning at the same time, what reward. You are included in the light, included in eternity, infinity, out of your narrow state. And then everything changes for you.

But is this world changing with you? Your view of it changes. You begin to understand the depth of its structure, why everything happens this way, and you justify what is happening. But the world itself does not change. And then it will change too.
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From KabTV’s “Videoconference”

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The wisdom of Kabbalah speaks of a system of interconnections between all parts of the universe. Today the world has exhausted its straightforward selfish development where we wanted to study and work in order to achieve wealth, power, and other material values.

Now all these systems are gradually being depleted. And it turns out that we need to look for what nature offers instead of them. We have always worked within the framework of our nature and cannot get away from it. Therefore, we need to understand what its form is now that is manifesting in the world.

Humanity is beginning to comprehend the integral closed whole form of the world. Today, not only Kabbalah, but all other sciences support this attitude toward the world. The only problem is human egoism, which does not agree with this, wants to crush everything under itself, and does not understand that the unfolding integral system is in contradiction with it. Now it must comply with this system according to the law of similarity of properties.

Humanity will be obliged to obey this law. Nature will bend us all, as they say, to oblige. But the whole point is, in what way? Either by realizing its integrity or by suffering.

We need to realize that nature is global and integral, and therefore cannot be broken. We will not break it anyway, but will only destroy the natural environment closest to us, and this will cause us irreparable damage, even harm.

We must recognize the power of nature over us, study it, and act in its likeness, as today, looking at it we invent various devices. Look at what robotics we are creating! Whatever we do, we learn from nature, rather than pushing our understanding of the world. We do not understand it; we ourselves are derivatives of this world.

Egoism is an inert disagreement with the perfection of nature, which is above us, and we ourselves do not understand what forces, connections, laws it controls us with.
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From KabTV’s “The Science o fManagement” 6/23/21

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When the single structure of the common soul split into male and female, the property that binds them, the property of the Creator, disappeared at the same time. Therefore if we want to unite both parts, we need to invoke a third force, the force of the Creator, to become the glue that connects us to each other.

In our time, families are actively breaking up so that we feel the need for their unification and realize that it is possible only by revealing the Creator. It turns out that all of today’s disintegration is needed in order to understand Him.

Therefore, by uniting and demanding to understand the Creator, we create the correct connection in the family and reveal the Creator between us. That is, the expansion of egoism, its growth, and the disintegration of the family occurs with the purpose of making us feel the need for the Creator who will make peace between us.

Question: But why with such cruel methods?

Answer: These methods are not cruel, but are exactly what happened at the very beginning of creation when the Creator disappeared and left us alone against each other.

And now that we have gone through this story, we see how ready we are to distance from each other: artificial insemination, women here, men there, unisex, you don’t know who and what. We are approaching a state where we will not need each other at all.

All this is necessary in order for us to emerge from the initial state to the realization that we need the Creator to unite us and to be drawn to one another for the sake of His revelation and not for each other’s sake.

The Creator is what glues us together, i.e., the power of love and bestowal is what we lack and what we can find among ourselves if we want.
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From KabTV’s “Close-Up. Emancipation” 9/16/09

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Comment: Baal HaSulam says that all of humanity and all of nature that we are a part of is one mechanism in which every cogwheel impacts another. The goal of the wisdom of Kabbalah is to bring all the cogwheels to a certain balance so not to harm others but to bring them pleasure.

My Response: Imagine billions of cogwheels that do not turn separately but turn as one man in one direction or another at the same time. At the same time! By that a force that raises them is formed. They do not turn separately, but each one turns together with the others and by doing so they begin to feel the Creator who is external to them.

Question: The nations of the world reach a state of bestowing in order to receive, while the nation of Israel, which means people with the points in the heart, i.e., with the question about the meaning of life, work with an intention in addition to that.

Does this mean that by doing so they constantly change their intention and by that dictate the general direction to all the nations of the world? Is there some kind of click? If so, when does it happen? When does the nation of Israel begin to turn everyone in one direction?

Answer: This is not happening yet, but we hope that soon we will be able to do it. This means that all the people who aim at the Creator will attain a state in which they will begin to feel each other and search for the Creator by mutually cooperating between themselves. Then we will succeed in everything. The whole world will feel our mutual harmonious motion and will cling to us and thus turn.

What is more, humanity will begin to gradually exit the mechanical turning and reach the next level, the feeling of the force that is external to the cogwheels, i.e., the level of the Creator. This is called an ascent to the upper world. This is the reason that the key to this level is in keeping the rule of love thy friend as thyself.

This process begins with a personal, individual yearning for this state. If we begin to do it, we will soon reach mutual cooperation between us. We will feel the contact we are in, and how this cooperation raises us, how the Creator stands behind us, and how we already begin to enter His feeling.
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From KabTV’s “Fundamentals of Kabbalah” 7/21/19

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