Entries in the 'Education' Category

Language Is A Biological Instinct

Dr. Michael LaitmanIn the News (from Daily Mail): “Many animals can communicate effectively with one another but humans are unique in our ability to acquire language.

“Scientists have long questioned how we are able to do this and now a new study suggests that the sound patterns of human languages are the product of an innate biological instinct – much like birdsong.

“The U.S. research says that babies are born with the basic fundamental knowledge of language, which sheds light on whether nature or nurture is responsible for speech in humans.

“‘The results suggest that, the sound patterns of human languages are the product of an inborn biological instinct, very much like birdsong,’ said Professor Iris Berent of Northeastern University in Boston, who co-authored the study with a research team from the International School of Advanced Studies in Italy.

“To understand where this knowledge comes from and whether it is a universal linguistic principle or the sum of experience, the team looked carefully at how young babies perceive different types of words.

“The scientists saw that the newborns reacted differently to the two types of words in a similar way to adults.

“Young infants have not learned any words yet and do not even babble, yet they still share a sense of how words should sound with adults.

“The researchers believe that this finding shows that we are born with the basic, foundational knowledge about the sound pattern of human languages.”

My Comment: At the core of our nature of the “speaking human being” there is one language;  the language of the collective soul from which all languages originated, including the egoistic languages that are similar to computer languages, all of which are based on one fundamental principle.

There is an indication in the Bible in the story of how humanity was scattered from ancient Babylon. As we come closer to the correction of our egoistic nature and the integration of every one in every one else, we will feel the need to return to this unified natural base of communication.
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The Destructive Power Of Babylon In Europe

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Why is the power of connection very successful sometimes and sometimes not? For example, in the United States, the unity of many states led to the creation of a very strong nation, whereas unity in Europe didn’t bring success.

Answer: In Europe the destructive power of Babylon, the confusion and mixture of various languages, is active.

Question: How can we be sure that the power of connection that we are creating will not make the situation worse?

Answer: This depends upon whether we are in a period in which it is possible to freely disseminate the wisdom of Kabbalah and the knowledge about the correction of the world . Have we reached this time or not? For us this question does not exist because  this was written by a great Kabbalist.

Question: Has the whole world, in all of its strata, in all of its forms, already become ripe for accepting this method and realizing it effectively?

Answer: The world is ready to the extent it feels the crisis: either in children’s education, in the family, in unemployment and in work, in social relationships, or the general economic crisis.

Question: The crisis in Europe has already been felt and they are trying to stop it. These attempts have already continued for a number of years but without any success.

Answer: They will never be ready to do it themselves. Somehow it seems to us that if we wait, then people will be able to get the correct knowledge from their lives and suddenly become wiser, receive the desire, and understand it themselves. But this will never happen. They won’t understand anything by themselves.

From their receiving a few more blows, they will not become better and wiser; on the contrary, they will be more stubborn and worse off. Only through our joint activities with them and through our method will it be possible to correct the situation.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 6/08/14, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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The Fears Of The Modern World

Dr. Michael LaitmanOpinion (Ilya Pluzhnikov, Associate Professor, faculty of Neuro-psychology and Abnormal Psychology, Moscow State University): “Fear is a product of evolution. All fears are fixed in the course of evolution, considered useful, stay with us.

“Modern Western-European society is a society with a high proportion of emotional distress; it is narcissistic, which implies that everything should be perfect; you have to be the best one, which is virtually impossible and causes anxiety due to a mismatch between a person and the standards.”

My Comment: The environment defines and sets everyone’s life purpose. If we had developed in the jungle, we would have striven to become the best warriors. It is therefore necessary to treat the neuroses and the environment, but not the person.

As soon as society changes the vector of its development and assumes spiritual ideals of equality, fraternity, and mutual support and evaluates a person by his giving to society, everyone will feel as if he is in a good mother’s arms.
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School Instead Of Prison

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: When we look at the problems that are ripping modern society apart, how is it possible to believe that there is any chance of reaching mutual Arvut (mutual guarantee)?

Answer: In society, what happens is what the Creator arranges for us from above, even the most negative things. Believe me, everything is sealed by the Creator Himself and not by any Prime Minister, President, head of the American Congress or the European Union. Everything, down to the last atom, is managed from Above.

Question: Even if there is a feeling that half of the nation should be in prison?

Answer: Not half of the nation, rather the entire nation. Half of the nation are thieves and the other half are to blame for the first half being thieves. So everyone should be in prison, including the police.

If all of us must be in mutual mutual guarantee, then each is responsible for the other. But because we don’t influence the others as is needed, they don’t receive enough influence. So what can be demanded from us?

Only on the condition that we influence others correctly and are concerned that our influence will succeed, can we rest assured that we will see the right response from the others. But if in the meantime, their response is incorrect, then our influence is incorrect.

So the Torah has a completely different approach to punishments in comparison to what is accepted in this world. The punishment must be correction, first and foremost through the environment.

Indeed, a person is a product of his environment. The legal system must be part of the educational system, but punishment must lead to correction. In contrast to this, our prisons are universities for training criminals.

Question: What does this mean: “After all, in your eyes all of Israel are guarantors for each other, both on the positive and negative side?”

Answer: This means that the influence of the environment completely determines human behavior, both positively and negatively. It follows that if the citizens of a nation behave inappropriately, this says that the nation is in a crisis of education. Other than education, nothing else is needed.

The only thing that a nation needs, besides the ministries of defense and health, is the ministry of education. And if the educational system is correct, then we don’t need the military or medicine.

If a nation were to function according to the laws of mutual Arvut, it would not need the military or the police—nothing. They would organize everything that is necessary for material existence for themselves, and they would direct everything else towards spiritual development.

Besides education, nothing is necessary. This stems from the law of mutual Arvut, which means that you are responsible for every resident of the nation and for his behavior as a person. And if he does something that is not good, this means that you have not influenced him positively, you have not given the feeling of love.

Indeed, if he were to feel the love of everyone, this would silence his evil inclination. He wouldn’t need anything and he would feel like a fetus in his mother’s womb, that he has everything: “A lamp is lit above his head, and he looks and sees from one end of the world to the other; and they teach him the entire Torah.”

This is truly an amazing state. Indeed, we are all connected in a single network and this is now being revealed more and more. If you think about the other and influence him, whatever your influence is, this is what will be in him. And as much as your good influence is lacking, you will see this according to his behavior.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/28/14, Writing of Baal HaSulam

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Scary Story With A Happy Ending

Dr. Michael LaitmanThroughout its entire history, humanity has invented numerous methods of social correction. Along with the progress of humanity, the structure of society acquired new shapes and turned into a more complicated configuration. Consequently, methodologies of augmenting human society have improved and become much more substantial and sophisticated. This is the reason philosophy was brought about, followed by psychology and other social sciences.

Among them, we can find both religious and social movements that are aimed at correcting our society. People are always dissatisfied with the environment they live in. In fact, it’s really a problem. Many studies have been conducted and countless books written on this topic; however, social problems still remain unsolved.

What all these methodologies have in common is that hey are all understandable to mankind. Each methodology can be explored, understood, and implemented. And although none of them have ever brought any benefit to humankind, people do not give up on them and still hope to implement them. People still hope that eventually they will find a way of making them work.

Lately, the growing frustration and sense of powerlessness is becoming clearer by the day. It is becoming increasingly clear that we cannot do anything with our nature, which is the cause of all evil in the world.

Our egoism, our evil inclination, has been expanding over several thousand years. We advance due to our ego. In fact, we really progressed, constructed, and evolved because of our egos. Actually, everything that was ever built and created by a human being in this world was done by a monkey that at some point in its evolution came down from the trees, a monkey that happened to have a mounting egoism which eventually forced it to turn into a human being. Egoism made a monkey develop socially in cities and countries of its habitat. Egoism encouraged the monkey to build, invent, and discover.

We had no doubts that our advancement would carry on. Based on what scientists, economists, and philosophers state today, humanity still hopes that it will continue developing. What else can people hope for? In fact, is there any other way to advance if not for our egoism? It’s the only force in this world that pushes everything ahead and governs every atom, all galaxies, each person, as well as all still, vegetative, and animate nature.

Everything moves because of our egoism. However, during the last 50 years this progressive force that made us advance, create, and construct turned into a “malicious demon,” a cancerous tumor that devours us. Previously, our egoism was used for creativity, although currently it doesn’t produce anything anymore; on the contrary, it destroys everything around.

The systems that were created for our benefit such as high technologies, medicine, education, and culture now work against us. Moreover, they harm us. Modern medicine, instead of healing us, aims to profit from us. High technology destroys the environment. The educational system cripples our children.

There is nothing we can do about it since we are positioned inside our egoism that has turned into a malignant tumor and gobbles itself and everything there is. Thus, it kills the body, all of  humanity.

Nobody in this world has a solution to the current situation. If there is only one force in nature, what can we do about it? We have nothing in our possession but our egoism. Our egos govern us, they push us ahead, accompany and embrace us from ahead and from behind. We know nothing but our egoism. We are totally at its mercy and have no idea where it leads us. Even approaching an abyss, there is nothing we can do against it. That’s why scientists, philosophers, and economists now cling to old values that were in use many years ago, irrespective of the fact that our world is rapidly and strongly declining. Nobody can change this state of affairs!

So, why don’t we, those who learn the wisdom of Kabbalah and who have the second force that is capable to confront egoism, go out and provide others with the recipe for salvation? Why don’t we participate in all the mass media? Why don’t we shout in the streets or give away our books at each street corner? Why don’t we flood newspapers and magazines with our articles? Why don’t we do all of this? Why don’t we meet with scientists, philosophers, well-known artists, and educators?

We actually held several meetings with them. The answer to these questions is very simple. Our methodology is based on having a point in the heart; we simply do not have a chance to explain to others that there exists another force that is capable of opposing our ego, a force with the help of which we can correct egoism. They don’t understand, feel or believe in such a force.

It doesn’t matter if they are religious or secular; they are just unaware that this force exists. Even if it is written in books they consider sacred, they still lack the internal sensation and do not have two bases. And inside we have both of them:  our egoistic inclination and a point that pulls us in a different direction. This point can provide us with the positive force in addition to the negative. We can unleash a war between these two vectors and correct the evil power by the benevolent force, because the Light that the latter contains reforms.

So, we have no chance to appeal to those who don’t have the internal prerequisites. They won’t understand us! They will consider us mystics, and dreamers. This explains why there is no other way to prove that our path and our methodology are correct except for bringing explicit examples. Baal HaSulam writes that we have to show a model that will convince people that our methodology is correct and that it really works! They won’t understand the mechanism of how it works, but the facts will speak for themselves.

If we manage to provide such an example, we’ll then have something to advertise, something that will serve as proof and will appeal to others. It’s impossible to make them feel it directly. The example should be clear and shared not only by us, some special people, but it also has to be apparent to the general public. The example should become known to thousands around us, then they will take part in building unity among everybody. They will feel that bestowal, giving, unity, warmth and love that awaken in us are the best rewards. They will exert to achieve these sensations, leave their egoism behind, and unite with each other on the basis of equality.

Our activities should be very simple: address regular people, unite them, and take care of them until we create an example that will be obvious to everyone. Then, we will be able to advertise this form to introduce people to the method.

The general public won’t understand its deep essence, but those who attain unity will feel where the source of the positive force is. Thus, the methodology will spread. That’s why we are making big and extremely important steps that will demonstrate to the entire world the essence of our methodology; we have to show others the outcome and set an example for the entire humanity.

I certainly hope that our joint care for the general public will help us unite to the extent that inside our strong association we will sense the internal fire and feel the power of bestowal. It will reveal itself in the very center of our unity, in the core of the group, and we’ll feel it. Those who join us without studying the wisdom of Kabbalah will simply feel that they are happier. They will feel good because their desires and goals will be fulfilled through having positive relationships with others. It will give them a sense of confidence; they will feel safer and will finally resolve their most vital problems. People will realize that everything is great about their lives, each one of them according to their level of desires.

Let’s hope that we’ll manage to set such an example for humanity and that it will demonstrate to everybody that it’s not about just empty words, but that it is really possible to trigger the benevolent force in our lives, and that with its help, we can correct the evil inclination by turning it into good.
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From a Talk during the Meal 10/23/13

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The Ideology Of The Next Revolution

Dr. Michael LaitmanWe would like to make a radical change in our lives. Today we live under incessant pressure and the glittering colors in our lives fade rapidly. It doesn’t matter what we succeed in getting; the inner emptiness in all this is impossible to fill with pleasures and the ways of attaining them.

In this pursuit we always wind up losing. Work and various tasks take up just about all of our time, so almost nothing is left for time at home, for ourselves, and for the family. We are thirsty for a new life where we wake up in the morning with a smile on our faces, happiness in our hearts, and with a feeling that everyone is ready to support us and we support all of them.

The next revolution will take place specifically in the relationships between us. It will be internal and will reach to the foundations of the comprehension of our world. Life will go on at different frequencies, saturated with warmth, unity, love, mutual connection and happiness. This is a revolution in the comprehension of the world, in consciousness. It is an inner revolution in each one of us that will change the relationship of the person to himself, to others, to society and  to life in general from start to finish.

We want to learn how to become true revolutionaries and how to make real changes in our lives.

Question: Is this connected to the ideological platform of the Jewish people? Indeed the value of love of others is already rooted in it – all the principles, which are highly relevant for the future of social transformation. Is there a connection between the ideology of the next revolution and the ideas that became the basis of the Jewish people?

Answer: Of course. All the previous revolutions took place on the physical plane. Their ideology was limited to the question of how to satisfy the person and how to build society in such a form that it would better serve the population. For all their ideological cleverness and in all the revolutions, the Jews almost never participated until the Russian revolution. But this was a deceptive revolution, such that even its organizers didn’t understand what they were doing.

In general, it is possible to say that from the time of Marx and onward a “Jewish ideology” began to appear in the world.

In fact, the sages of the Jewish people were also ideologues. The first who took this role upon himself was Abraham, and after him Moses, David, the prophets, and on to Rabbi Akiva, the last of the period of the Temple, when the people still existed according to its ideology. Yes, there were a few currents inside it that sometimes opposed each other, but all of this was in a framework of clarifications between these or other lines.

In the end of the matter, the goal was clearly to realize the principle, “And you shall love your friend as yourself.” The Jewish people began from this, Abraham based it on this principle, and the people lived according to this principle, more or less, until the destruction of the Temple that happened two thousand years ago.

In those times the Jews lived in mutual connection, and so they didn’t have kings in the conventional sense, nor dictators and tyrants. Among the Jews, a king did not induce fear in his subjects because “in sum” he was a judge. In other words, he was also subordinate to the laws of nature and did not stand above them.

Everyone felt, understood, and learned this ideology, which was he message of general unity. The entire system of laws was based upon love of others, for which the Jewish people existed. As a result of this, it shaped a unique society characterized by a unique comprehension of reality. All of our origins are from here and the entire wisdom of Kabbalah speaks about this.

But after this, in the period of the destruction of the second Temple two thousand years ago, the people shook off its ideology and from then on, became more and more distant from it. In the beginning there were still some threads of connection, but they were weak and were disconnected with the decline of the generations.

If we were to ask people today, what is the ideology of the people of Israel, only isolated people would conduct the conversation in the right direction. Others, namely the religious sector, would just talk about the physical aspect, about the physical performance of some customs and no more than this. Secular people ideologically align themselves according to the western comprehension. In general, they copy it and try to be “like everyone else.” This is essentially what the founding fathers of the nation of Israel, Herzl, Ben-Gurion and so on wanted.

But on the other hand, they are probably not open to the wisdom of Kabbalah today, which is the legislation of the Jewish people that explains its true ideology. This talks about the fundamental principle of “And you shall love your friend as yourself.” The Jewish people must be built upon this, setting an example for the whole world and being a “light to the nations.”

In fact, these laws, with all of their ramifications, already exist and we don’t need to find anything new. The goal of the people is to realize them, to love others, and after that to teach others, to introduce love into the world, and this means to be a “light to the nations.”

The time has come for the Jewish people to return to its roots, to its inner essence and realize it. Without this, all the nations of the world are found in darkness and don’t know how to organize their lives. They lack that ideology, which is the basis and foundation upon which it is possible to be strong and stand against all the winds and all the disturbances.

So the Jewish people must rediscover its origins and understand them correctly, in the spirit of “And you shall love your friend as yourself,” and not in the framework of the formal implementation of the customs that depict them. Specifically ,the spirit and ideology, must be learned from the sources, and accordingly change society, the system of education, and show everyone that this is the true and correct basis of the whole world.

Question: You said that from the time of Marx and on, the “Jewish ideology” began to be revealed in the world. What does this mean?

Answer: Even the Baal Shem Tov began to disseminate among the people its original ideology. He traveled to various places in the world and spoke with people about love of others and about general connection. He did much in this area, and this was specifically the essence of his work. He didn’t record his own material, rather he transmitted it orally to his students who wrote books and later became acclaimed teachers who worked only in the Jewish environment.

The Baal Shem Tov molded this ideology among the people, and now what we provide to people passes to all of humanity. We don’t understand how this network of connection works, but if we thoroughly investigate every revolution, every social change, we find the “seed of Israel” there, acting as a leader. It is possible to discover this in religions and faiths and among all kinds of revolutions everywhere. And if in particular circumstances we don’t see this, we eventually discover this, when threads that are not seen at the moment are discovered.

We will yet discover that people without a spark, without a “part of the divine from above,” without a connection to the spiritual world and the characteristic of bestowal, are simply not ready to advance humanity. It is specifically the characteristic of bestowal that causes development

Question: What is the characteristic of bestowal?

Answer: According to our nature we are “beasts,” we are an egoistic desire that wants to make life as good and comfortable as possible.

It is possible to see this in everyone, since the prehistoric period. If there were no mixture with those who have a “point in the heart,” a unique source, the beginning of this force that motivates development, bestowal and closeness to others, people would continue to be like their ancestors. They would have no push towards personal development.

Ancient Greece, China, India, America before Columbus, Africa, Siberia – billions of people lived according to their traditions because there were no Jews living among them, who were the people that came out of Babylon because of their attraction to development. And development means attainment of the characteristic of bestowal, which is connection with others.

Europe discovered the Indians in their most entrenched condition. Africa, from which the human species began, remained the same Africa for thousands of years. China advanced somewhat, but this was only because Jews were found there for many generations.

This is a law of nature: If people don’t have an inner drive towards development, towards bestowal, towards connection, they don’t need industry, commerce, or connection with other regions. The person remains in his own place and it is good for him. There are people who have lived this way in the past and are still living this way, even in developed countries.

On the other hand, a person with a “point in the heart” wants to rise above this world, without not knowing where, and this impulse prompts him to develop.

Question: What is this “point in the heart?”

Answer: This is an attraction to the power of bestowal, a desire to go outside of oneself, to change oneself and change the world. Every person like this is essentially a revolutionary. It was specifically these people that Abraham gathered in Babylon and led them in a new way.

Question: Abraham began with a perceptual revolution in the consciousness of the person, in his relationship to life, to the higher power, to others. For us Abraham symbolizes kindness and love. Does this say that going outside of myself towards social changes is a revolutionary impulse?

Answer: Yes, this is the revolution. Indeed there can be only one true revolution – when you bring a new force into the world, the power of bestowal that rises above the power of reception.

On the other hand, if you just change and vary the power of reception, this doesn’t give anything. Yes, we are involved with something, but essentially, we are “trading a cow for a donkey.” When slavery was overthrown and there was a little more freedom in the other social structures, there was no true, qualitative change from this.

So Abraham was the first true revolutionary who brought the power of bestowal and kindness into the world. With this he founded the ideology of his group which later became the nation of Israel.

As was said before, at the beginning of all real changes in human history, even if we don’t see this now, there were Jews. Specifically they laid the foundations of Christianity and Islam. During the period of the persecution of Jews in Europe in the Middle Ages, they “stood at the helm.”

Question: Do you mean that this revolutionary attraction to change is built within Jews, and without them no social change will happen?

Answer: Without a doubt. Indeed, changes of this type require the force of a new, unique, and powerful key. This also causes the development of religions.

Moreover, the ideology of the people of Israel is the opposite of all the rest of the ideologies. And therefore the whole world still rises up against the Jews. Antisemitism is a common characteristic of all peoples, and it is impossible to explain it only according to religious reasons. On the contrary, it is derived from broader categories and not anchored in religion at all. This is a unique phenomenon that is caused by all the other ideologies being egoistic and directed towards the earthly plane, while the Jewish ideology is aimed in the opposite direction, apparently against them.

From here is derived a difference that cannot be resolved. Jews are recognized even in the most remote places in the world. And this is not according to external appearance. They are identified according to their fundamental, “supernatural” aspiration, their aspiration to rise above nature.

Question: Come; let’s look now from the past to the future, what is expected for the Jewish people? Will primordial love be at the head of the revolution in education, in relationships between people?

Answer: Absolutely, yes. Only we are ready for this. First of all, we must learn this ourselves and after that give those principles to others.

After all, the others are not ready for anything and so they still blame the Jews for all of their troubles. They accuse because the Jews haven’t begun to correct the world, and with this they cause a deterioration of conditions. And because there is no other method in this world, everyone will decide that it is necessary to kill and to destroy the Jews.

In any case, the correction depends upon us.

Question: Does this mean that the next revolution must begin in Israel?

Answer: Solely and only in Israel. And this must occur as quickly as possible. Otherwise the Jews will cause the world to continue to deteriorate, and this, on one hand, will threaten the Jews themselves, and on the other hand, will endanger all of humanity.

Question: You are talking about correction of the world; but each one understands this according to his perception and gives his own interpretation. What does this mean to you, in the context of the revolution in education and in systems of relationships?

Answer: According to Jewish law this is very simple. Our world is egoistic and demands correction from the Jews, which means to transform egoism into altruism in order to move along the tracks of unity, equality and mutual love. This is the Jewish ideology.

Today we are standing before the necessity for this revolution, for real change. Until now the struggle was only about the place of the master where the slaves served. All of the vicissitudes of this struggle could not be called a “revolution” in consciousness, where instead of the egoistic desire to enjoy we give higher importance to another desire , which is the desire to bestow.  With this we replace the power of Pharaoh with the power of the Creator. This is a real revolution.

On the other hand, the replacement of rulers is not called a revolution, since indeed, the principle of exploitation of the other remains in place.

Question: In truth, throughout all of human history the revolutions proclaimed freedom, equality, and justice. We always wanted this, we toppled the government, changed the rulers, but in the end, even today humanity demands the same ideals, yet without success. How will the next revolution give us freedom?

Answer: Everything depends on what freedom is from our perspective. We are talking about freedom from hatred, rejection and the desire to exploit others. In brief, this is freedom from our present nature, from the Pharaoh that dominates us.

Each one of us must rise above himself and then no desire to dominate others will remain. Indeed we want the power of bestowal be instilled in us.

Question: This means that the eternal paradigm of all revolutions will be changed – the conflict between the exploiters and the exploited, between the rulers and the ruled?

Answer: A society which will instill oneness between us will rule us. Nobody will be above, but will exist only in oneness in which we discover the fundamental power of nature. This is truly the higher power  that is found above us and is the higher characteristic of bestowal and love.

The people of Israel must aspire to this. With this it will realize its true constitution and ideology, and will ultimately reach correction of the self and correction of the whole world.

Therefore, the wisdom of Kabbalah has been revealed in our day and teaches the Jewish people its ideology and its ways of realization in life.

Question: Revolution is a change in consciousness. How do you see the turning point that will cause the next revolution?

Answer: This depends upon the recognition of evil, how much the person can endure the recognition that his ego is what is destroying everything, including himself, his family, his children, society, the nation, the ecology and the world in which he lives. This depends on whether the person will or will not want to hear about this and that he must be involved in self-education.

The ego that dominates us must pass through a complete order of troubles or “blows” which the story of the “Exodus from Egypt” talks about. These blows were required so that we would gather the power to flee. Was the “seven years of famine” enough for us? And how are the ten “plagues” expressed today in the ego such that we won’t want to identify with it, to experience its pain? The “plagues” will divide between us and the ego, and we will ultimately want to depart from this characteristic.

This is the problem. It could be that we still need great suffering, terrible troubles and world wars. Or we will promote a remedy for the blows  and explain to people what is happening so that humanity will begin to understand what is happening to us. So we will go, as it is called, “with the Light of the face” of the Creator, and we will quickly reach recognition of evil. We will discover where it comes from and what the remedy is.

Question: How is the Creator connected to revolution?

Answer: The Creator is the general power that dwells in all of nature, the key power that connects nature into an integral system. This power connects all the parts, but we are like a cancerous tumor within the system that eats itself and the entire system, not allowing it to be integral or correctly connected in harmony with mutual wholeness of all the parts.

And within this cancerous tumor that is humanity, its inner part is the people of Israel. This inner part possesses the knowledge about its role, about the manner to heal itself and the entire collective body and all of nature. Yet it is not doing this. It is found in the center of things, yet doesn’t want to wake up.

So imagine to yourself, who is the first who must be awakened through troubles, and what troubles will fall upon him if he will not realize his mission in time?

We must now begin publicity to the people of Israel that explains their constitution, ideology and the ways of realizing it.

Question: Can you summarize briefly how the people of Israel are connected to the future revolution?

Answer: The future revolution will be implemented by means of the ideology of the Jewish people. It will dominate the whole world, meaning that they will teach it everywhere. A small group that went out from Babylon and learned these laws must now, first and foremost, realize this for itself, and after that teach the “Babylonians” who were scattered throughout the world, which is now all seven billion people. They are already waiting for this, since they are suffering and have no chance of finding a solution by themselves.
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From KabTV’s “A New Life” 4/3/2014

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The Opposite Of Success

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: How will people measure their success in the future society?

Answer: The value of success will be opposite to what is is today: to what extent, in spite of my ego, do I do everything for the benefit for the society only. I only look at the good for society and don’t expect anything for myself. This is service to others without any reward.

Instead of using others so that they will serve my pocket and pride, I use myself in order to serve them. This is an opposite approach to the ego. It is called bestowal of the Reflected Light. Thanks to this approach, we begin to see reality through a collection of people, and what we discern in this form is called the spiritual world.

Question: What is the Upper world? How is it possible to see it?

Answer: One must invert oneself: to begin thinking about others instead of constantly thinking about oneself. It is an inverted way of perceiving reality, through the society, through the world. And instead of using everyone for my benefit, I use myself for the benefit of everyone.

Question: What can give a person the strength to transform like this?

Answer: It is either from great suffering until the point of “it is better to die than to live,” that can push one to this, but it won’t be possible to die, and from necessity they must transform themselves from egoism to bestowal; or through re-education, the study of the wisdom of connection, that we must provide.

Since we relate to people in the correct way, we are not interested in waiting until they receive blows that force them to connect in spite of the objections that come from their nature, but we offer to use the system of correction now.
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From KabTV’s “A New Life” 4/29/14

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The Most Useful Occupation

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: In the future society, how will people behave who don’t have the strength and perseverance to attain the goal? Today they don’t even have the power to try to do something for themselves. How will they try to do this for others?

Answer: These people will get strength from serving society and will use the strength for society’s benefit; they will feel immense fulfillment from this. Today they barely move because society doesn’t nourish them with strength, it doesn’t thank them, it doesn’t express appreciation, it doesn’t awaken them, it doesn’t warm or agitate them. Society simply doesn’t pay attention to them.

If they were to begin to awaken the person, then everyone could invest a lot of energy at work. If this is a person and not a beast, then it is always possible to ignite him through envy, lust, and honor. It is necessary only to use these tools wisely. Ultimately, everyone will yearn to give society as much as possible.

Question: But what is there to do if I am not like this? I don’t yearn to give to society!

Answer: Nobody yearns for this today, and not just you! One hundred percent of people are like that, like you. Nobody is born with a desire to give to some stranger. Only crazy people can do it.

But we need to show examples of the method that enables a person to discover the awareness that he will benefit a thousand times more from his connection with others. Nobody is required to sacrifice himself for the sake of society. If we give you the possibility of investing in a profitable business: However much you invest, you will receive a thousand times more. Is it worthwhile to invest or not? Certainly, it is worthwhile!

This is an egoistic calculation. Nobody calls upon you just to love and to sacrifice yourself for others. It is necessary only to understand that there is a special force contained in connection. If we connect and unite for the good of all, then to the degree of his investment, each one will begin to receive interest, profits, and will earn much. You receive both material and spiritual satisfaction.

Question: In what way is this satisfaction different from the satisfaction that a violinist gets from his concert today?

Answer: Your current fulfillment is very limited: a little money and a little respect, this is all. It comes only from people, from how much they clap and cheer, from some positive review that is written afterward in the newspaper.

If you give to society, then through it you begin to see the upper world, its eternity, its wholeness, its higher harmony and you are not just happy about earning another million, having the audience of a thousand people applauding and shouting bravo for you. You enter a higher level, a new world.

It is impossible to convey in words the essence of that payoff; in this is the entire difference between a person and a beast. Now you are getting beastly fulfillment, but if you serve society, you will become a man.
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From KabTV’s “A New Life” 4/29/14

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Music Untangles The Strings Of The Soul

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What happens inside me when I listen to music that penetrates me?

Answer: The sound of music generates a harmonious feeling inside us, creates balance between all the frequencies of the sounds and we are filled with great pleasure by that.

This impression can last for a long time, from the beginning of the composition to its end, but in fact we enjoy the wholeness that we feel in these sounds, like a text, words, or wisdom, but here it is conveyed through our feelings.

Our matter is a desire to enjoy, and so the sound of music has an immediate effect on our desire and makes us feel and understand that this is surely a force that affects all our parts in a balanced and harmonious manner. There is something of the upper perfection of nature in it.

So when I listen to music, my inner vessels are rebuilt according to this harmony and I begin to feel that I ascend above my matter, above everything that happens. Music corrects us and lifts us upwards. It can purify, cleanse, tune, and regulate us.

I am presently like a musical instrument with entangled strings, an instrument that is flawed and out of tune. Suddenly the music reaches me, the sounds penetrate me in a precise order, are connected to one another with harmonious chords, forte, piano, and all this tunes and calibrates me. I fee how the music takes over my feelings and untangles them, as if it combs me according to the tune.

This is the reason that we really love it when music takes us over. If it is classical music, we want it to take over our feelings and to fill all the emptiness inside, just like water that pours and fills us with sounds. This is the effect music has on man.

The sounds reach us from the level of the upper Bina, and so we don’t feel any threat in music. A person can be scared by some picture or by words, but music doesn’t scare us, even if it is the alarming sound of drums.

It evokes emotion within us and can make us feel excited. But most musical pieces were meant to make a person feel pleasure and joy. It can move us to tears, but it is a very internal, intimate experience.

It isn’t a message that is transmitted to us visually or by an audible message that can scare us. We can listen to music and not know who composed it, what it is about, or who is playing it. It is like pure water that washes my vessel, but doesn’t obligate me in any way.
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From the program “A New Life” 4/27/2014

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A Divine Patent

Dr. Michael LaitmanWe should try to explain to people the option of correcting themselves in a good way, since otherwise they will realize the need for change by tremendous suffering. The prophets already spoke about the terrible things that might happen to humanity if we continue to advance by the force of pressure.

A prophet sees the natural evolution of all the levels without man’s participation. But people can sweeten their predictions and limit them so that things will look totally different.

A prophet sees and accurately describes the laws of nature. A law is always the adaptation of two opposing forces on every level. This is all that exists in nature: a plus, a minus, and some adaptation between them.

The adaptation is different on every level and may be chemical, physical, biological, psychological, etc. But, there are always two opposite forces between them and any formula: from Newton or Einstein, or any chemical interaction, it doesn’t matter. It is all the same; everything is only about the interaction between opposites.

How can we show people that we are advancing towards such opposites, which have to be corrected in advance, and if we do not correct them, we should at least neutralize them?

Our correction is in two phases. First we have to remove the mutual hatred, which means to isolate the two opposite forces so that they will not be able to get close to one another. Second, we have to use the two forces correctly so they will actually spin the engine that generates positive energy.

At the same time, the first part removes the negative energy of the wrong connection between us, which is called “don’t do unto your friend what is hateful to you.” Then we become neutral.

In the second phase, we use two opposite forces, such as love and hate, by connecting the two Divine forces, placing a helpful mechanism (load) between them. This helpful load is our connection, our unity.

In other words, by connecting we actually become the load ourselves, and then the forces begin to illuminate inside us, generating the Light like a light bulb. This is the state of the future upper world.

Everything is very simple. Imagine people with opposite attributes flying towards each other about to crash, an explosion, murder, or war is about to happen. But at the same moment, a slowdown begins according to the law of “don’t do unto your friend what is hateful to you.” When the velocity diminishes, they begin to connect according to the law of “love thy friend as thyself.” Eventually instead of collisions and wars, there is suddenly love, affection, friendship, justice, and agreement.

That’s the reason that humanity’s expectation, the yearning for the right connection, is between two opposite characters called the Tabernacle.

The greatness of our forefathers is in the fact that they discovered these laws and passed them on to us with infinite care for all of humanity, so that we will be able to use them and advance along the good path.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 12/06/13

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