Question: What role do children play in the relationship between spouses?

Answer: Children should see that everything is fine in your family, that you understand each other, and live in harmony.

Question: We often have different views on how to raise children. But you say that our life together serves as an example for the children.

Answer: Of course. For example, if you are at home and your wife is at work, the children should see that you clean the house, wash the dishes, or do something else before she comes home.

In other words, each person should understand that they can do something nice for their spouse without being prompted or reminded.
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From KabTV’s “Man and Women” 7/30/24

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Question: Baal HaSulam writes that education will not help to teach 90% of the egoists to take care only of the most necessary things for themselves and spend the rest of their time taking care of others, since education does not change the egoistic nature of a person.

What will help to do this if not education, not the opinion of society?

Answer: Disseminating the idea itself will. Show all of humanity its historical path, its foundation, its roots, and the goal that it must achieve.

Thus, it will be clear to everyone in what state they are, in what nature they exist. This will help humanity to begin climbing out of the egoistic pit in which it finds itself.
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From KabTV’s “Era of the Last Generation” 7/11/24

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Entering any world, the period of adaptation to it, the accumulation of initial knowledge with which we further develop, is the same in our and in the spiritual world. It is the same nature.

There is nothing unnatural about it. On the contrary, it is as natural as the development of infants to the level of little people. We are just the same. We have no other way but to learn from them.

Here he lies, just born: people start cooing to him, and he responds; they try to stir him up somehow, and he gradually responds; the adult smiles, he smiles.

He learns literally everything. And in this way, he programs himself from the adult, because in fact he is an empty desire in which there is nothing yet. He needs to be filled with knowledge, skills, impressions, and to create some connections inside. You can make anything out of him.

Similarly, with our desire for spirituality, we free up a certain area for ourselves and say: “This is the area I want to program now and fill with spiritual impressions, not of our world.” And if you want this, you have to act like a newborn baby who hasn’t become a little human being yet.

This is precisely what Kabbalah offers us. And we can do this because you don’t need to be smart here! You just need to understand that in this way you will enter the upper world.

Therefore, it is necessary to consciously go through the stage again that you went through in this world unconsciously when you were born. Nature pushed you there. And now nature demands that you consciously do so, consciously place yourself as a newborn relative to the upper world, and want to adopt all the impressions and properties from it.
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From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. We Are Thinking About Our Friend!” 3/11/10

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Question: What are the stages of recognizing the evil of our egoistic nature? Is it a cumulative process and recognition comes suddenly? Or is it happening gradually?

Answer: The recognition of our egoism occurs gradually. It is not present in newborn children. As they grow, we gradually teach children in kindergarten, at school, and further in life that egoism harms them both when in contact with other people, in mastering skills for some kind of work, and so on.

It turns out that on the other hand, egoism helps us. It corrects us and forces us to be better than we really are so that we do not show ourselves as complete egoists in relation to other people. After all, in that case they will treat us the same way.

Question: How does the recognition of the harmfulness of our egoism occur? Look how many wars, how much suffering is there. Where is this recognition? Do we see how the ego harms us?

Answer: We see it and slowly abandon it. People have no other choice. I cannot go out on the street and rob others.

Question: In principle, yes. For this reason, society has created such laws.

Answer: Society must continue to create all kinds of restrictions on human behavior. We see that each generation assumes other obligations—new, better ones. In this way, we gradually rise above our egoistic nature.
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From KabTV’s “Era of the Last Generation” 6/27/24

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Question: Can people realize the evil of their egoistic nature without knowing about the upper force that created this evil?

Answer: Of course. This information is not necessary for some people. They can simply receive a proper upbringing under which influence they will change.

Comment: But it is said that the Creator created evil and the Torah as a means of correction. It turns out that one cannot manage without the Torah.

My Response: The Torah is the upper light, the highest altruistic force, which we must draw to ourselves. Then it will correct us. Without this, it is very difficult.

Comment: So without the Creator, it is impossible to recognize evil.

My Response: Generally, yes.
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From KabTV’s “Era of the Last Generation” 6/27/24

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Question: If you look at the process that is happening now in the development of humanity with slightly different eyes, is it correct? We see how people’s lives have become easier. Society limits egoism. If earlier you could go out and do whatever you want with impunity, today the individual is very much protected. In principle, this is correct, is this progress?

Answer: This is progress, but of course it is still not enough.

Question: Yes, this still does not lead to the recognition of the evil of human nature. From the point of view of what Baal HaSulam writes and what we study in Kabbalistic sources, recognition can only exist when there is some kind of standard. What could this standard be? What should we look up to?

Answer: Kabbalists describe this as an example of the last generation, as an example of human society reaching some new milestones so that we climb them like degrees of a ladder, and at each degree we master new rules, new obligations, new types of connections between us.

We cannot yet implement the principles set forth in Baal HaSulam’s article “The Last Generation,” but we can compare our current state and relationships in society with the way it should be.

Question: In other works, Baal HaSulam writes that the Creator Himself is the standard. But we cannot take Him as an example since He is concealed and everyone deciphers the Creator as they wish.

Therefore, I ask: How can a person come to the recognition of evil if he has no standard, no society with correct ideas from which to take an example?

Answer: No, we will gradually build such a society, starting with nurseries, kindergartens, schools, and ending with higher educational institutions and society. We are trying to introduce an educational image, an educational force into all these institutions, to give them the right leadership. Still, the world is changing.
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From KabTV’s “Era of the Last Generation” 6/27/24

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Question: The effective altruists movement has websites that allow a person to build their future life. They advise young people who have graduated from high school what occupation to get, how to build a career, and how to plan their lives on the basis that part of their actions will be aimed at bestowal. Is this the right approach?

Answer: This may be the right approach, but it must be proven in action. Then it will be possible to rely on its requirements and descriptions; otherwise, it will float in the air without any basis.

You still need to prove the value of your approach, which must be accepted by the majority.

Question: It seems to me that the idea of effective altruism will be accepted by a person from an early age. Even when the majority accepts it, should there still be a test of viability? Or are the opinions of people who can serve as an example for others enough to make such a judgment?

Answer: Here we must take into account what the majority means, who creates it, who controls it. After all, we can talk about huge amounts. I think that only a wide circle of completely different people can evaluate and recommend this or that direction in supporting some special actions.

Question: As I understand it, the general public includes people who are outstanding in some areas. Do you think that they can reach a consensus on some issues? We see that this is not happening much in the world.

Answer: This is a problem. The fact is that we do not yet have a firm assessment of what real, good altruism means, how to evaluate it, weigh it, measure it, and what we can do with it in the future.

Altruism and the future, these states develop in a person and in society in such a way that society cannot really judge it.

Therefore, I do not think that we are already approaching a point where it is desirable for us to evaluate our actions based on the principle of altruism.
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From KabTV’s “Kabbalah Express” 6/30/24

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Arina asks:

Why are people not ashamed today to be wealthy and even flaunt it; they build palaces, villas, buy diamonds, cars, and do all this ostentatiously? How can people have a clear conscience when there is so much poverty and sorrow around?

Answer: It has always been this way, at all times. There are those who hide it. There are those who show it.

Question: So you do not think this is indicative of the present time?

Answer: Yes, today of course people are not ashamed of anything.

Question: Why did this happen? Why is one not concerned that someone has nothing to eat while he builds…?

Answer: It is a lack of upbringing, actually. Great people, though they may have immense wealth are not focused on that; what matters to them is inner wealth.

Question: Please tell me, what kind of upbringing should there be to address all this?

Answer: A person should be taught, first of all, to be content with their destiny, whatever it may be.

Second, to not consider themselves above others in wealth, knowledge, or anything else. Only in wisdom concerning the Creator, in modesty. That is the main thing.

Question: Can this be cultivated in someone?

Answer: It can.

Question: Is this not a natural quality?

Answer: No, this can be cultivated, and it must be cultivated.

Question: In principle, will a normal society, even let’s say the society of the future, follow such upbringing?

Answer: Yes. People will not flaunt their cars, houses, and wealth.

Question: So this will not be so valuable to a person?

Answer: It will say a lot, that perhaps he has earned something, but in principle, it will not be as important to a person.

Comment: You said that it is important for a person not to look at either the rich or the poor, but at his own destiny—this is my destiny.

Answer: He should focus on his connection with the Creator—that is what he should look at. A person will only delve deeper into himself: me and the Creator.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 5/13/24

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From a letter:

I am a teacher with little experience and I am not Jewish. But I have always been interested in the fact that you teach your children to read from the age of three. I know that a lot of attention is paid to memorizing text.

“You” refers to Jews.

It is known that elementary school children could read the entire Torah fluently from memory. They could even tell how many times and on which page a particular word is mentioned.

I have many questions. Of course, we were taught a lot at university, but your answers are especially important to me. I take a lot from your programs. The first question is: What does starting education at three years old give?

Answer: It gives development.

Question: “What does such rigorous memorization of text give?” she asks.

Answer: It is also memory development.

Question: What is the purpose of this for the child?

Answer: So that they know the Torah well, can recall any part from memory, and quote it.

Question: Why specifically the Torah?

Answer: To develop abilities in a person that cannot be developed by anything else. By nothing else. I have talked with many people who studied the Torah this way, and they say it is impossible to convey this to those who have not studied it. The texts of the Torah “bind” a person’s mind into one harmonious whole.

Question: So in principle, is the goal to bring a person closer to this harmony?

Answer: Yes.

Question: How does a Kabbalist read the Torah?

Answer: A Kabbalist does not read the Torah, they see it. It evokes images within them. Not the ones illustrated in books. They see their own personal images behind the words.

Question: Are all these layers sort of removed?

Answer: This is impossible to explain.

Question: Another question from her: “Progress has brought us to the point where memorizing texts is unnecessary. Information can be obtained instantly. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this, in your opinion?”

Answer: The fact that we can juggle texts, books, and encyclopedias however we want, and find quotes in seconds, is natural, on one hand. But on the other hand, it extracts the soul from all this. It results in pure information.

Question: And is there a soul in learning the Torah this way?

Answer: In this way, yes. Of course!

Question: Her last question: “I have just started teaching. What is the most important thing to teach children?”

Answer: The most important thing to teach children is to have the right attitude toward the material you are teaching them. They must understand that the learning process itself develops them. Therefore, it doesn’t even matter what you study, but the process itself turns a small child into a person.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 4/8/24

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And they had no sons. He said, “We do not bring any benefit to the Creator” (Midrash Rabbah, Bereshit 17).

Question: Is it possible that if there are no sons, then we do not benefit the Creator? For example, there are two daughters in our family. Why are daughters of no use to the Creator?

Answer: They are, but not completely. You are not considered to have fulfilled the commandment “be fruitful and multiply.” But you are still young, so go ahead!

Question: Still, I want to understand what the sons bring that pleases the Creator?

Answer: According to Kabbalah, a son means a special quality, power, and a daughter is something accompanying, less important than a son.
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From KabTV’s “Man and Women” 5/14/24

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