Michael Laitman, On Quora: “Is there any proof of the need for human connection?“

Nature itself provides no proof of the need for human connection. We can identify various examples of such a need for survival purposes, but there is no proof of such a need in nature itself.

In our lives, we reach various forms of connection other than a human-to-human connection that is felt at the level of our emotions. In such a place, we need to bring ourselves to connect against our egoistic desire that constantly pulls in the opposite direction, i.e., which aims at self-benefit over benefiting others, and using any kind of connection not for the benefit of everyone, but for the benefit of an individual or a group that benefits that individual.

Only by connecting above the ego can we reach a harmonious connection, as it is written, “as one man with one heart.”

However, human-to-human connection does not happen naturally and instinctively, as it does in nature’s other degrees: the still, vegetative and animate.

Specifically, connection is unique to the human level in that we resist and oppose each other according to our nature, as we can see throughout history, and that in order to truly connect, we need to rise above our egoistic nature.

Based on the Daily Kabbalah Lesson on September 26, 2023. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Preparation to the Lesson

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1st part of the Lesson — Writings of Baal HaSulam, “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee)”

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2nd part of the Lesson — Writings of Baal HaSulam, Shamati #25, “Things that Come from the Heart”

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Selected Highlights

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It is difficult to overestimate the greatness of Baal HaSulam and Rabash because these are people who help us and do their best to raise us from the lowest degree, that is, from this world, to the spiritual degree of the upper world. Apart from them, there are no other people who would care that we rise from the level of death to the level of life, realize why we live, and thanks to what we exist.

They introduce the Creator to us and teach us how to open the door to Him and come closer to Him. Therefore, Rabash and Baal HaSulam are not even two people, but two upper, special spiritual forces that take care of us, and therefore are closer to us than all other created beings.

Reading the lines written by Rabash in honor of his holy father, Baal HaSulam, we will try to connect to them with all our heart and soul and understand that we are granted a connection with these special souls.

Kabbalists are the system of connection in the common soul of Adam HaRishon, which has already been corrected. A person who corrects himself joins this system and, together with all Kabbalists, builds a network that raises all other souls: picks them up, and helps them rise closer and closer to the Creator.

Besides the fact that Kabbalists have left us their articles, they are still all between us and participate in our work. It is said that Kabbalists have no rest either in this world or in the future world because they help us until the very end of correction. After all, all souls are connected, tied up together, and help each other. Even if we do not feel it, like babies who do not understand who cares for them and how, nonetheless this is how it happens.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/26/23, “Baal Hasulam Memorial Day”

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Michael Laitman, On The Times of Israel: “1,000s of People Open Their Hearts into One Giant Heart”
We are currently in the midst of our World Kabbalah Convention taking place with over 2,000 participants from over 30 countries in Petah Tikva, Israel, and with thousands more virtual participants all over the world.

The theme of the convention is opening our hearts. How can we open our hearts as wide as possible to everyone? To open our hearts as wide as possible to everyone, we must recognize that such a gathering as this one takes place within each of our hearts.

At the convention, we focus on directing ourselves to unite our hearts into one, and by doing so come closer to the Creator, the upper force of love and bestowal that reveals itself where our hearts unite. If our goal is to reveal the Creator, then that is the way to do it.

Therefore, those who seek to discover and attain the Creator have no alternative. Humanity, in the end, must traverse a path marked by suffering, challenges, thoughts and desires until we reach a state where the barriers within our hearts dissolve, and we unite as one heart. That is the ultimate objective.

Consequently, humanity progresses from year to year and from day to day, encountering a variety of challenges until it realizes that the only way forward is to combat the egoistic nature that constantly seeks to separate us from each other. In the wisdom of Kabbalah, we learn how the Creator maintains such a state of separation between people in order to give room for our efforts to bridge the divide, and by doing so, we can amplify our connection to the Creator and experience His presence much more profoundly.

Therefore, initially, we observe that each person is primarily focused on their egoistic desires, and there is no choice but to strive for closeness and connection among each other, uniting in a common desire. This is what we refer to as “one heart,” the goal that Kabbalist Baruch Ashlag (the Rabash) wrote to us about.

I remember that after a few years studying with Rabash, I conducted Kabbalah introductory lectures in various locations in Tel Aviv, and several new students came as a result. I invited these students to a gathering, toward which, on one of my daily walks in the park with Rabash, I had asked him, “What should we discuss with them?”

He asked for some aluminum foil from a cigarette pack I had. I gave it to him.

He then proceeded to write his very first article titled “Purpose of Society – 1” with the words: “We have gathered here to establish a society for all who wish to follow the path and method of Baal HaSulam, the way by which to climb the degrees of man and not remain as a beast…”

It has been nearly 40 years since that day, but there is no change to the topic. Although many have heard of it, the process and method of correction remain the same as elucidated by ancient Kabbalists even thousands of years ago.

Thousands of people right now are making special efforts to come together as one, to connect their individual hearts into one collective heart. That heart is made up of many different parts, and their connection creates a vessel for the revelation of the Creator, which is one for everyone. In other words, all we need in order to reveal the Creator is for everyone to open their hearts to everyone, that everyone has a place in each one’s heart, then by doing so, we open our collective heart. That is what this convention is all about.
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Based on Lesson 1 from the World Kabbalah Convention on September 30, 2023. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Question: When I participated in workshops online, it seemed that everything was simple, I closed my eyes and opened my heart. At physical meetings, however, I realized that if I do not close my eyes, I will not be able to open my heart. How can I close my eyes?

Answer: We must try to see our friends (men, women) not with our eyes, but only with our feelings in how much they are aiming together with you to the Creator. In this, you will connect with them, between them, and with the Creator.

Question: What else helps to close my eyes, besides shame?

Answer: The feeling of happiness that you are in the correct direction.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/16/23, “Rosh HaShana“

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When your child earns his first money for ice cream, do the following:
1. Before he has a chance to lick his ice cream, snatch it from him and bite off 20%.
2. While your child stares at you in amazement, take another 30% bite.
Then give him the rest of the ice cream and explain that this is what the state does with all the money someone earns. And this will be the case with every ice cream he buys for himself. And that the percentage of the bite can be reduced by grabbing the biter by the hand and demanding to know why they are taking so many bites.

If every parent does this, there is hope that a generation of people will grow up in this country who will understand that the government does not have its own money—it only has taxpayer money. And that taxpayers not only can but should, monitor how government officials spend their money. (Unverified attribution to Margaret Thatcher)

Question: What do you think about this way of educating a citizen? That from a childhood prepare to be robbed: distrust—verification—control. What do you think about a child being brought up this way?

Answer: The words are right. It is good when the child feels such stress.

Question: Is it good that he is already ready to be robbed by the state?

Answer: Yes.

Comment: Actually, this is a child. Let us say 10 to 14 years old.

My Response: No, that is already an adult.

Question: Do you think this is a possible option to educate like this?

Answer: Yes, it is good for the child and good for the person in general, for parents, and everyone.

Question: So he does not go out into the world with his arms open. He knows that the world is anxious and will bite them off. Do you think this is a good entrance?

Answer: Yes, it is quite good.

Question: What do you think about a prime minister who insists that a citizen should monitor him and his employees and subordinates? Margaret Thatcher, they say, was like that.

Answer: Yes! She was tough! She did not dismiss the criticism, but on the contrary, listened.

Question: Then what is trust in the government?

Answer: When I know, I am sure that the government is acting correctly. Then I trust it.

Question: Is it when I understand that it correctly takes a precise amount of money from me? Will it be only after some kind of check by me?

Answer: Absolutely.

Question: Is the person also being educated if he lives like this?

Answer: Naturally. He checks others for everything and checks himself, and sees that it all fits into the right system.

Question: Is this self–control, and control in general, mandatory?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Then in general, what is the correct education of a citizen?

Answer: The correct education of a citizen is that he knows his political economy well: where the money comes from, where it goes, and how he manages it.

Question: That is, how he would have done it himself. Does he become a citizen who knows this and understands all this?

Answer: Yes. At least, he should understand that in his business, in his work, and in his house, he should be a businessman, a master.

Question: Is this the correct education of a citizen?

Answer: Of course. Then this is correct at the level of the house and the family, and the state in general.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 8/24/23

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Question: There are well-known periods of egoistic development: a sharp surge of the Roman Empire, then Byzantium and the Crusaders. But why did all this revolve around the Holy Land?

Answer: If we talk about the earthly level, then I believe it was all about politics, nothing else. However, in principle, all this happened in order to further and further develop humanity toward a gradual understanding of today’s spiritual processes. Everything was moving only forward, only toward the future goal.

With the emergence of the great Kabbalist Ari, the process of Renaissance began because the world started moving toward its correction. Prior to Ari, there was a period of breaking and mixing of various internal fragments of shattered humanity. But starting with him and onward, a period of purposeful flow toward correction had begun.

This is when the Hasidism of Eastern Europe and many Kabbalists emerged. Simultaneously, there was a general development, the discovery of lands by Columbus, Gutenberg’s printing press, and other discoveries and technologies—everything started to develop.
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From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. The Evolution of Discoveries” 10/31/11

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The history of human development is an external manifestation of our inner egoistic development.

The fact is that egoistic development takes place in humanity only in its various manifestations, concentrations, and pace. It pushes people forward. This is how we have evolved over many millions of years.

As egoism developed, this process became more and more intense. Let’s say that the transition from dinosaurs to monkeys took 100 million years, and the transition from a monkey to Homo Erectus, speaking man, took 2 million years. Meaning, this process is very steep, exponential.

Naturally the development of egoism is what happens in nature because the ego is the matter of all nature.

Therefore, the only question here is how different degrees, different egoistic forms, get their application in the outside world, both in the form of wars and in the form of technological advances. Suddenly, for example, new weapons appear, or printing develops, or some kind of progress culturally, or there is a transition from one system to another, the rise of some countries over others, and so on. All this is determined by the growing egoism.
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From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. History of Human Development” 10/31/11

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Comment: You call our world low and disgusting. But, in principle, this world is actually spiritual.

My Response: If you use it correctly.

Question: In essence, is it our task to turn perceptions around, and this whole world will become harmonious, beautiful, and pleasant?

Answer: Certainly, just not our world, not this one that you see, but your inner world.

Question: In this case, will our world still remain so dirty, mired in corruption, and crooked, and will it never be corrected?

Answer: It all depends on the relationships between people. If we will correct our relationships, then everything will change. Through our relationships, such a light will begin to shine in this world that it will correct it entirely, everything we have created here is polluted. The light will correct everything to such an extent that the world will be clean, and transparent.

Question: But in essence, this level is also created by the Creator. Why is it considered dirty?

Answer: It is a reflection of our relationships, like a collective mirror that shows the distorted spiritual world. And if I change my attitude toward others, then everything in this mirror will change.
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From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. How To Change Our World?” 10/31/11

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