From a viewer:

Why can brothers hate each other so much? I see that the same thing happens with brotherly nations. It is the same with Israel and the Arabs. You are brothers, you have the same father—Abraham. And you hate each other so much! I have two sons, they are already adults, and I could not reconcile them. I know that they will kill each other when they meet. Why does God do this?

Answer: This is a consequence of our nature, the egoistic nature of our world and of us. In every atom, in every molecule, in every gathering of living particles, everything is built on the idea of suppressing others and being above them. This is nature—absolute egoism.

Question: Is our world like this?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Well, fine, this is my attitude toward others whether close or distant ones. But why brothers?

Answer: Brothers are even worse because inside them hatred for each other is constantly brewing as each subconsciously believes that the other has taken their parents away and lives at their expense. This feeling makes them fight constantly.

Question: But still they are brothers from the same parents. How can this be changed? Are there any methods, steps, or practices?

Answer: No, there are none because this goes back to the very depths of time, to the birth of our world. And so it will continue until we decide to change this world within ourselves!

Question: Now you are approaching the question that was asked at the end: “Why did God do this?”

Answer: So that we will change ourselves.

Question: Does it mean that until each of these brothers works on himself everything is doomed?

Answer: Yes.

Comment: You often say, and Baal HaSulam, the great Kabbalist, wrote that the future of humanity is to become one family. We talk about brotherhood. But we mean a different thing, we mean closeness.

My Response: When the Creator desires it, we will do so. But when we need to act, we see how much nature is against us.

Question: So, can we not do this with our own hands?

Answer: We cannot.

Question: Then what do we need to do so that the Creator would do this?

Answer: Beg Him to change our nature.

Question: Do I need to feel bad because of my hatred for my brother?

Answer: Yes.

Question: But it does feel bad when one hates one’s brother, right? Or not?

Answer: No.

Question: Is it He who makes it so that I feel bad from this hatred?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Are you putting everything on Him? Let Him deal with it?

Answer: On whom else?

Comment: If everything is on Him, it makes us feel disheartened. We cannot do anything. Let Him deal with everything, and that is it.

My Response: You can ask.

Question: Do we, in principle, have only one job—to ask?

Answer: To ask the Creator.
[329565]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 4/1/24

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Question: When I hear what Kabbalists say, something inside me rebels: “But this is some kind of utopia! That is impossible! How can this be?”

Answer: Certainly, because if we compare the demand for unity and love with the egoistic laws of our nature, then, of course, it certainly seems impossible. But, on the other hand, we see that humanity has no other path. Either it will destroy itself in some terrible war or try to rise above its nature and start a better life.

It is necessary to look at everything, not with egoistic eyes, but to take into account the existence of an upper force that has a goal to which it leads us.

Question: The educational process is very long. Should a person see the ultimate goal from the beginning, or is it enough to focus on: “Let us realize that egoism is bad and try to limit it somehow”?

Answer: A person should study all the stages and understand that the most important thing for him now is to begin to feel his closeness to others. And so he will come to a vision of the whole process, which will gradually be realized.

Question: So even if I am now making some product that, as Baal HaSulam writes, will clearly show a person that, living in the world of atomic bombs, a person cannot exist, and it is time to recognize this evil, he still needs to see the final stage of development to reach the purpose of creation?

Answer: Naturally.
[329733]
From KabTV’s “Era of the Last Generation” 5/9/24

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From a Viewer:

I have a wonderful baby girl. But she was born sick. My husband left us. And I am happy. Is this normal? I am asking because you keep saying that the child needs a father. And I do not want to look for any father for my Sveta yet.

My Response: Don’t, the daughter does not have to have a father.

Comment: Yes? This is news, actually.

My Response: No, that is how she lives; the daughter is with her mother and that is it.

Question: The fact that the father left when the sick child was born was, of course, a blow for the mother. And she does not want to start a family anymore. So she can go on like this?

Answer: Yes, she can.

Question: Two women live. Is there some kind of root in this—that a boy needs a father but a girl does not?
Answer: A boy will one day be attracted to his father, to an adult man, but a girl will not.

Question: But they say: “Our female destiny” means that we have some kind of divorces all the time in the female part. Will that not be a sequel?

Answer: No.

Question: Will mom not tell her that it is good to be alone?

Answer: I think she will not. What the girl lacks now with her father, maybe she will feel later when she starts dating guys; then she will correct this lack of communication.

Question: In general when a girl meets a guy, who does she want to see in him? Should he look like her father? Or does the girl have something else? You once said that when a man meets a woman, or a guy meets a girl, he looks for his mother in her.

Answer: That is for sure.

Question: And when a girl meets a guy, what is she looking for in him?

Answer: It is more complicated. Maybe she is thinking about her grandfather.

Question: So if she has not seen her father, let’s say, she remembers the man in her life that she wants her husband to look like?

Answer: Yes.
[329519]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 4/1/24

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Question: According to Kabbalistic sources 6,000 years are allotted for the complete world correction. According to the Jewish calendar, it is now 5785. So the correction stage should end somewhere in 2240.

Is this a firm date, or could the correction end sooner or take tens of thousands of years more?

Answer: No, there does not have to be an exact date. But by all indications, we are, as they say, at the end of days.

Question: What must we do to move on to at least the first stage of spiritual development—the awareness of evil?

Answer: Study and teach.

Question: In other words carry out the educational process?

Answer: Indeed! You do not need anything else! As soon as we are convinced that our most important task is to accept the laws of a correct relationship with each other, we will immediately begin to join the new system of relationships and thus accelerate our development.
[329700]
From KabTV’s “Era of the Last Generation” 5/9/24

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Alyona writes:

Dear Michael Laitman,

Parenting is one of my greatest concerns today.
I found this quote from Korney Chukovsky: “Hearing a fairy tale, a child usually sides with the kind, courageous, or unfairly treated. Our whole task is to awaken, foster, and strengthen, in the pliable mind of a child, this precious ability to empathize, sympathize, and share other’s joy, without which a human is not really a human.

In your opinion, which books should be available to a child? A battle of good and evil so the child can choose a good force or books that describe this world as completely good without any evil?

Answer: At first, completely kind books for elementary school children if I may say so. And then in a more natural way books where evil is present on a par with good: Good wins, evil retreats, and so on until a child matures and begins to read books and novels where evil prevails.

Comment: Such is a person’s preparation.

My Response: To bring him out of fairy tales and introduce him to real life.

Question: And in real life where evil wins?

Answer: Of course. So a child must learn not to oppose evil because he will only bring problems on himself. He must learn that evil wins, but he should remain on the sidelines; at no point does he engage in a fight against evil.

Comment: I understand this progression. At first, he is just a small, gentle child; we don’t want to scare him. The first stage is clear. Second, gradually evil appears, yet good still wins. This too is clear, so he would be on the side of good. Then you made a drastic turnaround, you said our world is all evil.

My Response: Meaning, we explain to a child that although there is good and evil in our world, we need to dodge evil.

Question: Is this what we explain to the child?

Answer: Yes, to a child, but only at the third stage.

Question: So you don’t accept evil after all? One should avoid it, as you said. This is the third stage.

When does he understand that our world is built on evil?

Answer: He will understand this when he is in the third stage. He will turn away, step back, and distance himself from it. Then comes quite an interesting stage when he gets involved with evil and uses it for his own selfish needs, career advancement and so on.

Question: So our little protagonist, who started out so pure, suddenly climbs the career ladder, stepping on others and so on?

Answer: Yes

Question: And then the fifth stage, should he understand he is like that?

Answer: We have not yet reached this in our world, so we have no clear examples. That is why I don’t want to talk about it.

Question: But should he at least come to the conclusion that this is bad?

Answer: He must come to the conclusion that he cannot live in such a world, that indeed in our world of egoism everything is distorted. So he has no choice but to simply distance himself from this world as much as possible, because he still has to exist, provide for his children, and so on. But in general it is a problem.

Comment: It’s a problem to isolate yourself from this world. Especially now when social media is everywhere.

My Response: Yes, but if he knows this basic principle, he distances himself from the world.

Question: The principle that it’s all a lie, that everything he’s being fed is paid for and that he needs to distance himself?

Answer: Right.

Question: Then just tell us the right way to distance oneself. What should one surround oneself with? No wonder, Alyona asks: “What to make available to a child?” And now I’m asking you about adults: what should one surround oneself with, how can one distance oneself from the world?

Answer: Surround yourself with self-care. Find something you love besides work or home. I remember I had a neighbor who was into woodwork. That’s all. That was his activity. He searched for all sorts of wood, logs, and everything else and then worked on them. Made birdhouses, all that kind of stuff. He liked it.

Question: So you are gradually, gently bringing us to such a way of distancing yourself from the world by taking up a hobby? Collecting soldiers, I don’t know how to process woodworking?

Answer: It doesn’t matter, yes.

Question: And then? Still, how do we take care of the soul?

Answer: Well, I’m talking about ordinary people.

Comment: But let’s take it a step further.

My Response: This will bring him closer to his soul.

Question: So we have now gone from a small child to an adult. Where should a person come to as a result, having gone all this way, in the end?

Answer: To the fact the simplest handiwork softens the soul. In general, he will be satisfied with his existence.

Question: But will this question vex him, after all, such a small question about his soul?

Answer: Maybe, yes, and maybe that will be enough for the level of development of his soul.
[325128]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 12/21/23

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Question: Can we say that the path of the Torah is the path of education?

Answer: Of course, the Torah is the teaching about educating a person or, more correctly, a society. We must educate ourselves to be kind, good people who support one another and rise above our physical nature.

Question: If a person decides to follow the path of suffering, i.e., the natural path of come what may, can he come to spiritual revelation?

Answer: Maybe, but this is a long path where one will endure great suffering.

Question: Does a person have freedom of choice? For example, do I have a choice in the case that I am considering whether I should follow the path of the Torah or the path of suffering? Or do we not have this choice?

Answer: Everyone has it. Not at every moment in time, but we have it. Unlike inanimate, vegetative, and animate nature, a person can choose how to advance.
[327206]
From KabTV’s “Spiritual states” 3/14/24

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Question: Timidity wanted to hide from itself. But where? Cunning advised it: “Why don’t you settle with Courage, it’s not so scary with it.” Timidity went to Courage, but was afraid to knock on the door, so it just lay down on its porch. Since then, the path to courage lies through timidity.

Is this true?

Answer: Yes, because with an egoistic nature, it is impossible to achieve courage without fear. How do courageous people deal with this? It is because they overcome timidity.

Question: So the more a person is timid and the more they overcome timidity, the braver they are? So fundamentally are we timid?

Answer: Yes, because we have egoism within us. It prevents us from acting recklessly against ourselves; where there is a possibility of harming ourselves, it doesn’t allow it.

Question: So is there always a risk?

Answer: Yes.

Question: And is it our egoism that causes this? Why then is timidity so despised?

Answer: Timidity is despised, but it is important to understand that it is a human feeling and very strong. It, by the way, protects us from many problems that we could cause ourselves and others.

Question: So a person who admits they are timid is not despised by you?

Answer: No, not despised. You just need to know how to balance this force and take care of yourself in any situation with consideration for how much it is needed.

Question: Is there courage without fear?

Answer: No, only if it is a pathological state.

Question: So you consider it a pathology? When there is complete recklessness?

Answer: Of course. Look at animals, how they behave. They don’t recklessly attack anyone. They check, they make circles, and so on, and so forth. And only then, if necessary, they rush forward.

Comment: Yes, that’s true. Only in rabid dogs, it seems, this is disabled.

My Response: Yes.

Comment: So it is actually a disease if a person is purely reckless, brave, as they say.

My Response: That is not courage.

Question: How should children be raised? When we tell a child, “Don’t be timid, be brave.”

Answer: Weigh everything.

Question: Whom are you talking to right now?

Answer: The child. Weigh everything for and against. And only if you are convinced that there is no other way, attack.
Comment: You’re now addressing the child as an adult, as someone with wisdom.

My Response: What can you do? That is how it is with adults too.

Question: But should this be the attitude toward a child? So you weigh, weigh everything for and against? And only after that…?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Is this what is called upbringing?

Answer: Of course.

Question: Can a child do that?

Answer: They can. Since this caution, timidity can help them.

Question: What age of the child are you talking about?

Answer: A young child. From three years old.

Question: Can you say “weigh” to a three-year-old? Sit in front of them and say “weigh”? Can you already treat a child like an adult from such a young age?

Answer: Yes.

Question: If a parent acts like this, what does it say about the parent?

Answer: That the parent teaches their child a balanced approach to the world.
[326191]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 1/22/24

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Question: Many adults in Israel, particularly parents, are distressed and sad that children these days are immersed in mobile phones, computer games, and artificial intelligence and don’t pay attention to the older generation. This generation has even been called the lost generation.

And suddenly now, that war has come to Israel, the children went to fight, and suddenly they are so concerned about their parents, about each other, about the future of the country, about the unity of the people! We read their letters; these are lofty letters addressed to us! We begin to understand that it is not them, but us that are the lost generation. Us! They are 19 years old and older and are living by the ideology of unity, while we (their parents) are still embroiled in political disputes, insisting on our own, believing we are right. It is impossible to root out this spirit of being right from us.

So, the question is: Do you think that some sort of revolution suddenly took place?

Answer: I believe this generation will take matters into their own hands regarding human relationships and nature. They will force nature to change.

Question: Will they not drown in us, in our so-called “wisdom”?

Answer: No, I think they will be able to break free from this swamp in which people have languished for millennia.

Comment: But look, in our politics, for example, it is mainly the older generation that are confident in themselves, with political and military experience, and they seem to rule.

My Response: That does not mean anything.

Question: Does the country need the experience of such a politician or the experience of a nineteen-year-old who has felt what unity is?

Answer: The country needs a person who evaluates the life of the nation by its assembly, union, bonding, and connection. There have not been many such leaders throughout the entire Jewish history. I hope that such a leader will emerge among the people like Ben-Gurion and Baal HaSulam combined in one person.

Question: So, does this war help give birth to such a leader?

Answer: Yes, I think it has to happen.

Question: Do we need to make room for this?

Answer: This space will be freed up by squeezing out everything else from people, and only this desire for unity will occupy the space.

Question: Are you now talking about a leader, regardless of age or experience?

Answer: I think it does not matter.

Question: Will this combat experience of unity be instilled in this person?

Answer: Yes, I think this is how it should be. It is a kind of revolution in each person, and we are approaching it.

Comment: So, you feel that the generation…

My Response: Is not lost.

Question: Could it be that they might be wiser than us?

Answer: Yes, we live in the generation of the true exodus from Egypt. Let’s hope that Moses will appear among us and will lead the entire nation.
[326587]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 2/12/24

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Question: Once upon a time there lived a man who lived very badly and sinned. He decided to come to his senses and began doing good deeds, but he did not notice any significant changes for the better.

One day he was walking down the street and saw that a button from an old woman’s coat had fallen off. He looks at it and thinks: “Should I lift it or not? She has a lot of buttons.” He decided to pick it up anyway. He caught up with the old lady, gave her the button, moved on, and forgot about the matter.

When he passed away, he awaited judgement to hell or to heaven. There were scales: the left side of the scale, Libra, was full; it is the evil side, The right side, the side measuring good, was empty. He thinks he is on his way to hell when an angel arrives, puts a small button on the right scale pan, and it tipped the scale to the side of good.

The man was amazed: “Just one button tipped the scale!” He heard the angel say: “Because you thought that you were doing good deeds, they disappeared. But it was precisely this button that you forgot about that was enough for you to be saved.”

The question is that since it is natural to think you have done good, you find yourself constantly thinking about the good you did each day. But it turns out that this is not really good at all and what you didn’t think about at all, but just forgot about, was some kind of good deed. Why is this so? Why can’t yo count the good deeds in this world?

Answer: This is simply because you should do it based on an inner, pure desire for good. But you do it just to check off that you have done good deeds.

Question: So if I am keeping track in my mind, “I did a good deed,” it is actually not a good deed at all?

Answer: There are many people in the world who wake up in the morning and start counting how many good deeds they have done.

Comment: And by the end of the day, they come with such a righteous feeling.

My Response: Try recording good deeds in a small notebook and keep it with you, at the bus stop, at work, etc.

Comment: When you shake someone’s hand, help an old lady cross the street, and so on, and so on.

My Response: Yes-yes-yes.

Question: And in your opinion, are those not good deeds?

Answer: You are living with the fact that you are accumulating good deeds for the future.

Question: But are they still good deeds?

Answer: No, you are doing it solely for yourself. Remove your own benefit from here, and you will ignore everything and will not do anything.

Question: What is my benefit then? That I feel good, that I am doing good deeds?

Answer: No, it is that you are making the Creator obligated to somehow repay you.

Question: I see. So it is like I am earning my place in heaven, but this cannot be done. So how am I supposed to live? How do I count my steps, based on what? It turns out that my seemingly insignificant acts like picking up a button, catching up with an old lady, and giving it back…

Answer: You cannot! If you do not overcome your egoism and do not act against it; you will not perform a good deed. It will be pre-sold.

Question: So I am bribed all the time?

Answer: Yes, this is what Kabbalah is about.

Comment: That is why this science is not easy. There is always something beyond reason. Always! And I cannot live without reason.

My Response: You have to calculate if it is worth doing something or not, how much do I gain with each action, interaction.

Question: So I live like that? Is that how everyone lives?

Answer: Yes.

Question: But I shouldn’t?

Answer: No, you should not. But how do you do that? That is why it is said that everything must be done in faith above reason.

Question: Can you explain in simple terms what faith above reason means?

Answer: If a person imagines that he is doing very, very good deeds that he will benefit from later, then it is all a failure from the start.

Question: With what intention should I perform deeds then?

Answer: Absolutely selflessly.

Question: So that I get nothing, no benefit?

Answer: Unselfishly. There will be benefit to the world and people, and to me—nothing. As if no one knows about it and will never find out.

Comment: So my name is not anywhere. It is not engraved in stone, not in the credits, my name is nowhere.

My Response: No.

Question: So I do it and that’s it?

Answer: Yes.

Comment: Right, and artists, and not only artists, will faint when they hear this. The whole copyright system is built on the idea that “This is my music, my creation, if you use it, you must pay,” etc. The whole world is built on this! And we are going against the world.

My Response: Yes, you can write in your notebook just for yourself and then burn it. But all the same, even in such actions when a person thinks about what he will get for it, saving up for a rainy day, it is still good to act that way. It does not really give them any real benefit, but it is still good. There will be less evil in the world because of it. And good deeds will start from a higher threshold, from a higher level.

Comment: What about the actions when a person really tells himself: “I did a good deed”? He is not thinking: “Will I get to heaven for this or not, I am just doing a good deed.”

My Response: He elevates himself to a higher level and should start working from there.

Question: You know, we just saved the world. Because the world looked and said, “This is impossible to achieve—faith above reason.” But have you just given a step: Do these things anyway; they will not be good deeds, but they will be a step toward good deeds?

Answer: Yes, and then a person should get used to doing such actions, not for himself, but for the world. And that is when their soul begins to open up toward the world.

Question: What is this space called the soul? What kind of space is it?

Answer: It is an absolutely empty space that a person must fill with his desire.

Question: Toward the world? From him? And nothing for himself?

Answer: Nothing.

Question: Is this the stage that humanity is heading toward?

Answer: Yes.

Question: And can it reach it?

Answer: Of course!
[325478]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 1/8/24

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Question: How can all the media that surround us transform into Kabbalistic media, meaning that it would carry useful and not just stupid information?

Answer: The media should educate people in such a way as to direct them toward global, integral unification. There is nothing more they can do.

Naturally this would not be Kabbalistic education, but a correct social and moral unity. Kabbalistic unity will come to people gradually.

When they begin to correctly connect with each other under the guidance of Kabbalists, then they will begin to feel that in this unity there is some kind of internal force, an internal property, that lifts and inspires them. Then they will begin to behave differently.
[326275]
From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. Kabbalistic Media” 1/18/12

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