Entries in the 'Ancient Jerusalem' Category

“Is There Something Jews Can Do To Lower Antisemitism?” (Quora)

Dr. Michael LaitmanMichael Laitman, On Quora: Is there something Jews can do to lower antisemitism?

We Jews need to first understand the reason for antisemitism: that it is due to us not performing our obligatory role in humanity.

If we would reach our completion, which is a state of absolute friendship according to the rule “Love your friend as yourself,” then we would bring balance and calm to nature’s colliding forces. This is our destiny, our responsibility and our role toward the world, which is also described in the Torah. Also, it has no connection to religious belief. It is all about the attitude of “Love your friend as yourself,” which requires no rituals or ceremonies. We simply have to achieve a heart-to-heart connection from person to person, and show that to everyone.

We need to realize the immense importance of our attitudes to each other. Human connection is nature’s highest degree, and our nation was founded on realizing the principle of human connection—“Love your friend as yourself”—and by doing so, become a conduit of such connection toward humanity, which is the meaning of us becoming “a light unto the nations.” Therefore, the more divided we are, the more antisemitism rises; and the closer we are to each other, then likewise the more the world would relate positively to us.

Based on the video “An Overview of the World’s Current State – David A. Rosenthal Interviews Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.” Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

Disabilities

962.3Question: What will make a disabled person feel equal?

Answer: We are not equal to begin with. None of us is equal to anyone else. It is only in the connection between us that we can reach a state in which we complement each other until we reach a state in which we assemble by ourselves a system of one man.

Question: If we gave an example of the right connection in Israel and integrate disabled people in the community, in society, at work, and everywhere, and give the feeling of equality above all the differences, would that be a kind of light unto the nations of the world?

Answer: Yes, if we did that disabled people would feel that they are on a special mission, an upper mission, that they ascend above their disability, and thus would be able to see real life. I believe that this is what they lack, that we should complete them with a soul through which they can reach a perfect world and not feel that they are missing anything.
From KabTV’s “Conversation with Journalists” 12/5/21

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At The Beginning Of Development Of Egoism

41.01Question: The story about Abraham in Genesis begins with the fact that in Ancient Babylon, people lived as one nation and spoke the same language. Nobody ruled over others. How can this be? After all, before that, tens of thousands of different tribes fought with each other.

Answer: There was a period in Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and the Euphrates, when there were no contradictions in the place where the Babylonians lived because everything was in abundance. There were fish in the rivers, the fertile land yielded a good harvest, and people did not need anything. They did not even envy each other and were not competitive.

Everything was very good. Nobody ruled over the others, everyone was equal. People lived in a calm, as if preserved state. This indicates a zero (root) degree of egoism. At that time, it was just beginning to develop in humanity.

In principle, we are considering ancient Babylon as the initial state of humanity when people did not yet feel egoism, greed, envy, and so on within themselves.

The root degree is dead egoism. It does not need more than it has. It represents the initial animalistic state of humanity.
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From KabTV’s “Spiritual States” 6/11/21

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Jerusalem—The Perfect City

421.01Jerusalem, proclaimed as the capital of Judea by King David and the modern capital of the State of Israel, is a city with rich history. It is revered by all three major world religions and has therefore been a constant site of controversy. Several times it was destroyed and occupied by invaders, and yet it survived and prevailed through centuries.

What is the essence of Jerusalem from the point of view of the science of Kabbalah? Jerusalem is a holy place and of all the other places on earth it is the closest to the spiritual world. And in Jerusalem, there is the Temple Mount on which the Temple stood, a special place where there is a connection between the material and the spiritual world.

And therefore, Jerusalem and the Temple Mount are attractive for all three of the world’s monotheistic religions, and people are eager to get to this place and somehow touch it. Therefore, in the millennia that have passed since the time of King David, there have been many attempts to capture Jerusalem. What hasn’t it experienced in its history? And this is not surprising because it is truly a unique place, the most spiritual place in this entire material world.

Jerusalem (Yerushalayim) means perfect city (Ira Shlemah) and also absolute awe (Ira Shlema). Interestingly, a city already existed on this site before the people of Israel entered the land of Israel, which was then called the land of Canaan. Later, this city was named Jerusalem.

Jerusalem also means the city of peace (Ir Shalom), but nevertheless, this city has never lived in peace and tranquility. It was always the center of disputes, all sorts of problems, and strife. But if we talk about the future, about the state to which this city should lead people, then Jerusalem is meant to become the central capital of the world. This will be felt and understood by everyone, and Jerusalem will receive a special status, which it partially already possesses today.

Even today, Jerusalem is considered the heart of the world, the center of the three main world religions. But for the time being, it is the center of discord and all kinds of problems that are revealed in the world between nations. And therefore, it is not obvious that this city unites people around it. On the contrary, disputes and conflicts constantly flare up there.

However, in the future, when the people of Israel fulfill their mission to lead humanity to peace, tranquility, unity, and love, then love for one’s neighbor as for oneself will spread and unfold throughout the world, and Jerusalem will receive the status of the city of peace.

In the meantime, the opposite is true as long as the people of Israel do not correct themselves. Jerusalem will remain a city of war, religious disputes, and division.

The people of Israel must behave in such a way that the dome of peace descends on this city: love, unity, mutual understanding between all currents and religions. Unfortunately, today it is quite the opposite. And it depends on the people of Israel, on how they fulfill their duty to be the light for all nations, that is, to show everyone what love and unity are. Only in this way will Jerusalem become a perfect city.
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From KabTV’s “The Peace” 4/27/21

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From Babylon To Rome, Part 1

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The Foundation of the People of Israel

Question: During the First Temple, the Jewish people reached their point of unity. As a result, the Temple was built, a symbol of the union of all 12 tribes. A spiritual decline then began, which entailed the separation of the people. It lasted about 16 years and ended with the destruction of the Temple and the Babylonian exile.

Baal HaSulam, in his article “Exile and Redemption,” writes about this period: “And because they would not do it, but wished to include their narrow selfishness, meaning the Lo Lishma, this developed the ruin of the First Temple, since they wished to extol wealth and power above justice, as other nations.”

But because the Torah prohibits it, they denied the Torah and the prophecy and adopted the manners of the neighbors so they could enjoy life as much as selfishness demanded of them. And because they did that, the powers of the nation disintegrated: some followed the kings and the selfish officers, and some followed the prophets. And that separation continued until the ruin.

What kind of justice are we talking about?

Answer: In this case, the concept of justice refers to the Jewish people since it follows from its very foundation: why and how it was created.

The fact is that they gathered from various small nations that inhabited Babylon during the time of Abraham, and were created on the condition “love thy neighbor” and “love covers all transgressions.”

Therefore, if they adhere to this rule, then they exist as people, and if they take other conditions as a basis for their existence, then from the point of view of the forces that act upon them, they are no longer a people.

Other forces influence the rest of the nations, since each nation is affected by its own strength, its so-called “guardian angel.” In other words, the common power that exists in humanity selectively acts upon each group of 70 nations of the world.

The people of Israel do not belong to them because it is an assembly of their representatives. The Jewish people are very different and opposite to each other. If they gather in order to coexist correctly over their egoism, then they are viable. But if this rule is violated and they stop rushing to unite over all of their problems, then they become a dispersed people.
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From KabTV’s “Fundamentals of Kabbalah,” 7/8/19

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Polytheism—A Natural Human Instinct

laitman_927Question: All citizens of ancient Babylon worshiped many gods. What does polytheism mean?

Answer: Polytheism is a natural evolution of man. We can see that even today such beliefs are preserved in the world, especially in the East.

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam originated from Abraham. All other beliefs are based on polytheism, i.e., the existence of a host of gods, a multitude of supposedly all kinds of forces of nature, each of which has some special influence on nature and the destiny of man.

Question: Can we say that each of us is also an idolater? That is, if a person does not discover one force behind all matter, then one is an idolater?

Answer: I do not think that we deify these forces to such an extent. After all, idolaters were not stupid people; rather, they just saw that they were greatly dependent on various properties of nature but could not bind them together. Neither can we.

It was believed that the god of rain, the god of the sun, the god of night, the god of day, etc. were all great forces of nature on which a man is completely dependent and must worship to maintain good relations with them. After all, along with the fact that man deified nature, he felt his dependence on it.

Remark: People believed that there are certain forces that could be appeased and it could be best appeased by different priests who know exactly how to do this.

My Comment: Yes. Imagine an uneducated, ignorant peasant. He would rather submit a bag of grain and be sure that he will no longer have any problems either with the crop, or with drought, or with flooding rivers.
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From KabTV’s “System analysis of the development of the people of Israel,” 6/24/19

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Blitz Of Kabbalah Tips – 5/12/19

laitman_281.02Question: You have been on the path of correction for so many years. Can you say that you are a free person?

Answer: I don’t know if there is a free person in our world in the sense that you are asking the question. In fact, freedom as we understand it doesn’t exist. It is possible only when you know what the truth is and can act for the sake of it.

Question: To the degree that I become like the Creator, do I become free?

Answer: Without a doubt, because the influence of the Creator on us is the characteristic of bestowal. If you acquire it, then you understand the Creator and the Creator understands you. To this degree you become free from both your egoism and the influence of the environment.

Question: Does a degree of freedom exists as a state of freedom against the violence and coercion by the desires of another person or group of people?

Answer: No, we almost always are affected by other people. The whole question is which society I should situate myself in. If I put myself in a society that is advancing toward the right goal, submit to it, and obey it, then this is how I attain that goal. That is how we must realize our freedom.

Question: What is the difference between freedom of choice and freewill?

Answer: Freewill consists of choosing how to behave. Freedom of choice is the choice itself.

Question: From the point of view of Kabbalah, how accurate is Hegel’s postulate that “freedom is a conscious necessity”?

Answer: This is purely a small materialistic misconception.

Question: Are all the thoughts, desires and actions I perform generated by the Creator?

Answer: Right now, yes,  but when you begin to acquire a Masach (Screen), then the Creator will not do what He wants within you; instead, you will do what you want with the Creator.

Question: Everyone has his own personality. What is it?

Answer: The personality doesn’t bother us. All the same, you are carrying out your egoistic demands. So it doesn’t matter what your personality is. One person loves to eat, the second one likes to dance, a third wants to sleep. What difference does that make? In every case you are carrying out your desires.
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From the Kabbalah Lesson in Russian 5/12/19

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Everything Is Transient – Only The Relationship With The Eternal Is Eternal

Laitman_631_5Question: Jerusalem is a city of three religions. In Islam, Jerusalem is considered a holy city because according to legend, the Prophet Muhammad miraculously was transported from Mecca to Jerusalem and from there ascended to heaven. Why do all the religions point to Jerusalem?

Answer: All religions speak of the upper force. The difference is that each of them recognizes its own representative of the upper force: Muhammad, Moses, and Jesus. Religions do not argue with each other regarding the upper force; they all agree with the existence of one God.

All disagreements arise with respect to the representative of this upper force and the requirements that it puts before people through its messenger.

Question: How could religion survive for such a long time, millennia?

Answer: Religions exist because a person has no other way of contacting the upper force but through those prophets, everyone of whom is considered a saint in his religion.

A person is clinging to religion, understanding that everything in this world is transient: today exists, and tomorrow does not. Only connection to the Upper Force—eternal and perfect—does not disappear. Every religion teaches us how to behave in order to come, through a particular prophet, a representative of the Upper Force, in contact with it.

The wisdom of Kabbalah does not deal with religions and faiths, which exist in great numbers, in addition to the main three.

Baal HaSulam writes in the article “The Essence of Religion and Its Purpose” that the true religion is Kabbalah that reveals the Creator to the human being. And the religions that exist today are just intended to support a person during the time when he develops until he grows out of them and will be able to grasp the overall comprehensive methodology, that is, Kabbalah.

Kabbalah does not belong to any religion: not to Judaism or Christianity or Islam. In it we reach the point where “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all people,” and all the nations of the world will come to the Creator.

Therefore, everyone must use the same technique for revealing the Creator to the created beings, not related to any single nation. Abraham is the forefather of all three religions, which therefore are called Abrahamic.

But in fact, the basis of Abraham’s teaching is the wisdom of Kabbalah. Abraham wrote The Book of Creation, in which he tells how to reveal the upper force, which is hidden from us.

The group of Abraham’s disciples, that later grew and turned into the people of Israel, revealed the upper force. The people of Israel lived in connection with the upper force until the destruction of the Temple. It is written that “They checked from Dan to Beer Sheba … and did not find a baby boy or a baby girl, a man or a woman who were not proficient in laws of impurity and purity.”

Their desires were so corrected that even a child could feel the upper force. There was a time in the history of the nation of Israel until it fell from this high level and found itself in darkness and concealment of the Creator. Then all the religions appeared.

But now we live in a time when all the religions are gradually exposing their emptiness. They are revived for the last time before disappearing completely. We are going to witness major wars within each religion and between them.

This was told by the prophets describing the so-called era of the Messiah in which we find ourselves today. We are faced with a very difficult time until people become completely disappointed in all religions and realize what the only correct actual method is. Kabbalah not only talks about the prophets and their prophecies, but reveals the upper force to man.
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From KabTV’s “A New Life” 5/7/15

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