From My Facebook Page Michael Laitman 1/20/19

Once again, over 3,000 of the world’s richest people, world leaders, decision makers and economists are convened in the picturesque, snowy city of Davos, Switzerland. The rich and powerful members of the global 1% club will spend five days in person to do business, as they enjoy luxurious feasts and cocktail parties.

But they also have to make sure that their initiative seems important and beneficial for everyone else in the world. To that end, the World Economic Forum has published six pressing questions to discuss with regards to humanity’s future. Ironically, the public is invited to offer solutions to challenges that the forum members themselves have been creating, yet don’t know how to solve.

Here are my answers to their questions.

1. How to save the planet without killing economic growth?

Undoubtedly, we are killing the planet while also hurting ourselves in more direct ways. The current economic paradigm fails to prioritize our well-being and happiness, and the current measurement of economic growth has no future. I do not see it as “growth” in the first place.

The future of our planet and everyone on it depends on rethinking the goal of our economy from the ground up. We have to initiate a fundamental change of values: from continuously chasing the accumulation of wealth to discovering the fountain of lasting happiness that comes from positive human connections.

Then, thinking about growth as an increase in GDP will be completely irrelevant, since the role of the economy will be to help us focus on making positive connections. In turn, we will have new definitions and measurements for “growth,” and they will not conflict with the health of our planet.

2. Can you be a patriot and a global citizen?

In the not-so-distant future, this will no longer be an issue. We are heading towards an era of global interdependence, where the well-being of each nation is directly influenced by the well-being of all other nations.

As Kabbalist Yehuda Ashlag wrote in his article “Peace in the World,” “Indeed, we have already come to such a degree that the whole world is considered one collective and one society. Meaning, each person draws his life’s marrow and livelihood from all the people of the world, and is forced to serve and care for the well-being of the whole world.”

In other words, humanity’s interdependence is evolutionary and inevitable. It will make clear to us that being a patriot means caring for the interests of all of mankind, as no nation will be able to secure its interests otherwise.

That being said, when it comes to mass immigration, open-border policies such as those put forth by European leaders are a grave mistake. They generate new problems, making immigrants a burden on the host countries much more than a contribution, all the while disrupting the socio-cultural fabric. If the current trend continues, within a few decades, European culture will be a thing of the past.

Rather than trying to pour third world populations into the west, we should help them where they are, so they can provide for their basic needs and develop higher standards of living without eliminating their cultural characteristics. Being global citizens doesn’t mean that everyone should be the same. It means that everyone’s well-being is equally important.

3. What should work look like in the future?

Consider the following scenario: You tell a smart machine about something you need. The machine orders it from a bot that sends the order to another machine that produces what you need, which ends up in the belly of another machine that delivers it to your house.

In other words, there will be very little place for human labor in the future. It’s not a question of whether it will happen, it’s a question of how fast. Therefore, to account for the future of work, once again we have to flip our mindset and ask ourselves what is the purpose of work in the first place?

When we move away from the narrative of cyclical production and consumption, to a narrative of balance with nature and connection among people, the concept of work will change accordingly. In other words, most of the jobs that will require people in the future will be those that facilitate positive connections between families, communities, societies and so forth.

4. How do we make sure technology makes life better, not worse?

The positive or negative impact of technology relies 100% on whether we educate ourselves to internalize and embrace our interdependence, to feel that we are all parts of a single interconnected system.

Self-centered, narrow-sighted people will create technology that will facilitate self-destruction. Conscious people with a connected mindset will create technology that will contribute to all of mankind. It’s that simple.
Therefore, the future of technology relies entirely on changing our values to support our shared future.

5. How do we create a fairer economy?

First, the discussions that will take place in Davos certainly won’t help make a fairer economy. If anything, they will make things worse. In an economy that serves the 1% so well, the 1% will perpetuate it by all means.
Here is a pragmatic proposal: let’s introduce a new, “planetary tax” of 20% on the total wealth owned by corporations, tycoons, and developed countries, for the sake of educating all people to live in a globally interdependent world.

Without such an educational program, we will find ourselves increasingly fighting each other through inequality, injustice, extreme political and social polarization, trade wars and more, all of which can lead to violent conflicts in and between countries.

The cost of implementing such a global educational program would not be very high, and yet, it is the safest investment for the future. The rest of the funds should be invested in creating the necessary conditions for decent life standards in underdeveloped areas, a much better solution than mass migration.

The elite are very aware that reducing inequality will do good for the economy in general and for their positions in particular. And yet, even when their mind understands, their heart does not agree. Their ego doesn’t let their hand reach into their pocket and give some of their wealth to the 99%.

For the very wealthy, money is much more than purchasing power. It is a powerful emotional fulfillment – the spiritual fulfillment of their ego. The only thing that can convince them to work on creating a fairer economy is a change of social values.

Human beings are social creatures and even the super-rich cannot escape their social nature. If our society will position materialism as purely functional, and appreciate contribution to society instead, people will begin to feel ashamed about self-hoarding. What’s more, people who contribute to human society will gain a lofty spiritual fulfillment that is much stronger than money.

6. How do we get countries working together better?

Unfortunately, it cannot happen right away. Nature is pushing the world towards a higher level of integration, one that’s based on a profound and genuine sense of human connection, rather than personal or national interests.
Therefore, any kind of unification we try to do on the surface will fail. If you will, we are headed towards a global kind of “Brexit.” In the near future, I see nations looking more and more into securing their borders and practicing protectionism, with Trump paving the way for many other leaders to follow.

However, this development is for the better, because trying to forge integrations without changing ourselves in the process, means setting ourselves up for greater conflicts.
Think about a bunch of different people who come from broken families or bad neighborhoods. If you put them all together, you’re not going to get a good result. This is the state of humanity today—we all come from a broken home—a culture of unfettered human egoism and lack of human connection.

The founder of the World Economic Forum, Klaus Schwab, was right in warning that “failing to adopt a new cooperative approach would be a tragedy for humankind.”
However, adopting such an approach would mean that we have to change the human being. Nothing less will do. In order to be ready for the new interdependent world, we need to become interdependent in our minds and hearts first.

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The Creator hears just one request: for unity with the friends.
No other requests reach Him.
Because He’s the one arranging all the problems for us so that ABOVE THEM we will want to unite with the group, showing that spirituality, connection with the Creator and the friends …
… is more important to us than corporeality.
From Twitter, 1/16/19

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From My Facebook Page Michael Laitman 1/15/19

Who was Baal Shem Tov and what was his main message?

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From My Facebook Page Michael Laitman 1/14/19

This weekend, I spoke at our international virtual conference on empowering women in 2019. I said what I always say at every opportunity when the subject comes up: After hundreds of years, women can finally come out from behind the scenes and from behind the modesty that surrounded them, to take over responsibility, management, promotion, and influence in all areas of life.

This coming year is unique in giving women around the world the opportunity to chart a new direction for humanity. All that is required of them, and all of us, is a tiny thing: to rise above the conflicts. Through compromise and connection, you can make the world a warm and loving home.

Dear women, do not miss this opportunity.

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From My Facebook Page Michael Laitman 12/31/18

The election campaign in Israel is not going to look any different from other election campaigns the world has witnessed over the past two years. It’s a spree of excessive ego, exploitation, and corruption. Everyone wants to control and trample the other players and take the biggest possible piece of the pie.

From a bird’s eye view, politicians seem like a bunch of overgrown children, fighting over the steering wheel of the car in their playground.

However, specifically the power struggles in Israel make for the best mirror of what’s happening around the world, because the elections for the leadership of the people of Israel began 3,800 years ago at the cradle of civilization.

Back then in ancient Babylon, a variety of tribes and clans lived side by side until their egoism had erupted and threw their society out of balance. The various Babylonians began to separate from each other, and wanted to expand at each other’s expense.

Within the jungle of narrow interests at play, there was a thought leader who came up with a more global point of view. Abraham the patriarch was perceptive to the harmony and interdependence that existed throughout nature. He traveled across the various tribes with a new kind of campaign: Nature itself is creating the rifts between us, he told the Babylonians. Rather than trying to overpower and cancel each other’s views, let us work maturely above our egos and awaken a greater force of human connection.

Abraham’s campaign stroke a chord with various people from every tribe, clan and group in Babylon. As they joined him, they became a mini-model of humanity, and a microcosm of global unity. The name of that movement was Israel.

Over the generations, the group grew in scale and took the shape of a new nation among the nations of the world. Their spiritual leadership was continuously engaged in developing and teaching the method of connection to the people. Beside them were administrators and officers, who followed their direction and shared the same purpose of keeping the people united.

The golden age of the unified kingdom of Israel was during the time of the Second Temple. It was a rather short, yet very significant period. Then, egoism had erupted within the nation on a whole new level, causing division and hatred that finally led to the dispersion of the people of Israel.

Throughout two thousand years of continuous exile, the people of Israel became assimilated and integrated among the nations of the world. The mini-model of humanity that was born in Babylon, was now reconnecting with the whole of humanity, absorbing desires, qualities and characteristics that have been brewing throughout the world for generations. Thus, today’s Israel is a mirror of the entire world.

At present, the stiff-necked Israeli ego is drowning everyone: the public is preoccupied with economic survival and fears for its security. People are desperately frustrated with their elected officials and tired of dealing with yet another election campaign. The candidates, on the other hand, are those with extremely sly egos who go out of their way to hold onto power and attack those who threaten their throne.

However, there is a certain group of people whose egos are more evolved than both the public and the politicians. Paradoxically, those who engage in developing their connection by following the wisdom of Kabbalah – the up-to-date version of Abraham’s method – discover within them the most powerful ego.

Kabbalists, however, are well aware of their egotistical nature and work with it in a mature way. The authors of the Book of Zohar describe this dynamic from their own experience: “At first, they look like war-mongering people who want to kill each other. And then, they return to be in brotherly love.” (Zohar, Acharei Mot, 65).

According to the wisdom of Kabbalah, Israel’s good future depends on those who work on unity above their differences. When they experience a sufficient amount of pressure, and unite according to Abraham’s way, they will become the spiritual leadership that the people of Israel unconsciously wish for. And just like in ancient times, an operational government will form around them, imbued with the same spirit of unity.

The upcoming elections in April 2019 could be a springboard towards this future. As a first step, we must create a new kind of competition between the parties: Each party must convince us that it is fully committed to the unity of the people. Not only through well-articulated speeches, but by presenting their practical plans for promoting the unity of the people from the moment they take office.

The different parties don’t need to waive or compromise their views, but rather prove how their positions contribute to the unity of the entire nation, and not only to the benefit of one faction. In other words, they must demonstrate their willingness to act for all sectors of society.

However, no one expects their plans to be precise and satisfactory. It’s also obvious that their motivation is not pure. But herein lies the magic of Abraham’s method: When we begin to play, research and explore how to bring about unity among us, we activate the latent mechanism of nature that connects us. Nature’s inherent wiring of human connection will gradually build within us a new mind and new feelings, a new perception of reality and a new sense of connection between us.

If Israel actually makes that move, the election campaign will not be a mirror of the present state of the world, it will be a mirror of the world’s better future.

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From My Facebook Page Michael Laitman 12/31/18

I hope that 2019 will be a year of revolution in the hearts of people. A year in which we will open our eyes and see very clearly that we are pressed up against a large wall, and that we have the ability to do things differently in the world—feed every person, care for every needy person, educate every child, ensure every family’s basic necessities, provide security for each country and preserve the climate. The human ego will reach its limit, and then the change will appear to be so simple.

But it is only when the obstacles and pressures intensify and we see we have no choice that we will recognize our evil egoistic nature—a separating and dividing force, to whom we are all enslaved. Then we will open our ears, and gradually our hearts as well, and realize that we really have no choice but to unite.

May this be a good year, a year of recognizing our inherent evil and connecting to good.

Please watch my clip wrapping up 2018 with hope for the new year >>>>>>>>>>>

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From My Facebook Page Michael Laitman 12/27/18

It was a pleasure to meet with my students from Asia Africa along with their coordinators from Israel. I was even more pleased to meet with our new Ethiopian team who will soon be sharing the wisdom of Kabbalah in Ethiopia.

Until recently, Asia and Africa were quite dormant, but now there is a mass awakening and an intense desire to learn the wisdom of life. It is a new sign and hope that humanity is approaching the feeling of being as one around the world. Thank you for your precious time, as well as the bouquet of flowers from the team in India!

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From My Facebook Page Michael Laitman 12/25/18

As we approach 2019, the world finds itself as if on a swing, but the ride is not of the soothing kind, with birds chirping around us tenderly as we enjoy the pleasant, balanced movement from side to side. Rather, we’re like a kid on a swing that lost its balance and we don’t know how to get off — socially and economically.

France has seen its worst and most violent riots in 50 years which have begun to spread to other countries, demonstrating the potential for a “European Spring.” A staggering 80% of U.S. workers report living from paycheck to paycheck, while their government was just shut down for an unknown period of time. Stock markets around the globe had the worst December in decades, and the International Monetary Fund made a pessimistic forecast of a global slowdown.

To enjoy a pleasant ride on a swing, two opposite forces should be swinging us equally from both directions. What is taking our swing further and further out of balance?

Until the early 1990s, the world was swinging between two opposite forces. Russia wanted to prove its power and success to the world with its communist regime, which acted as a counterbalance towards the U.S. and Europe. There was an underlying incentive for capitalist regimes to be as successful as possible, which also meant they had to work better for everyone.

Indeed, 30 and even 40 years ago, owning a house and a car was more achievable for U.S. workers than it is today. Paradoxically, U.S. living wages have stagnated for the last few decades while workers’ productivity has been continuously rising. Where did all the profits go? The rich have become exponentially richer.

As Soviet Russia collapsed, along with its communist hopes, there was no longer a force that would balance the ambitions of capitalism. In parallel, by way of nature, human egoism continued to grow and evolve to a higher level. As a result, today’s capitalism is dramatically different than what it was 30 years ago, and economic inequality has reached epic proportions.

In the midst of this extremity came Donald Trump, who identified the trend and was able to strike a chord with millions of Americans who felt discouraged and dispossessed from the little that they had. Trump won the presidency with a declared goal to “drain the swamp” and fight the bankers and Wall Street folks who make money from money while the majority of the public is struggling.

What’s more, Trump is working to minimize America’s sensitivity to global fluctuations by limiting connections with other countries, whether it’s through a trade war with China, raising tariffs, not cooperating with the EU and the G20 forum, and even his latest move of pulling out of Syria.

However, another force is shaping up to be the ultimate counterbalance in the current state of affairs, and that is the inescapable reality of global interdependence. If things in Europe, for instance, continue to escalate towards an economic crisis, the world will plunge into a crisis as well. In addition, most industries today have become very sensitive to borders, relying on the free movement of capital, materials, knowledge and workforce. Virtually all countries today are linked through import and export.

In other words, the world has become a globally interdependent economy, and by extension, a global society. This interdependence is a force of nature, growing stronger and tighter without our notice. If this force hits us in the face, we will experience a global economic crisis that will throw us harshly off the swing.

However, while we are still on the swing, we have an opportunity to balance it of our own accord. To do that, we cannot stop the human ego from growing, nor can we stop the growing interdependence. Rather, we have to educate ourselves about our connected world and change our values accordingly. This means that all people — from the tycoons to the protesters — have to go through a change of consciousness and recognize that our futures are inevitably connected.

When we upgrade the level of human connection, we will begin to see how to change the socioeconomic paradigm as well. Two opposite forces must be present to maintain balance. Therefore, my hope for 2019 is that we start a massive, global educational program, so that we can balance the growing ego with positive human connection. Then, we could aim for a pleasant ride on the swing.

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From My Facebook Page Michael Laitman 12/20/18

The United States is withdrawing its military forces from Syria, which will surely weaken Israel. The U.S. is gradually abandoning its traditional role of maintaining world order, and focusing on securing its own future. I have been warning of this development for many months.

Israel will continue to see its global stance weakening, while the nations of the world continue to apply pressure and isolate it more and more. This will go on until Israel understands that it must generate unity and thus enable the global unity of all nations.

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From My Facebook Page Michael Laitman 12/3/18

The riots taking place in the heart of Paris are the seeds of an inevitable change in the rules of the socio-economic game in Europe.

The “yellow vests” people protest the rise in fuel prices and cost of living as they are vandalizing the streets, torching cars and pillaging shops on the Champs-Elysées. Even the statue of Marianne, the national symbol of freedom originating in the French Revolution, was not immune to the wrath of the protesters.

These violent acts express a growing sense of deprivation and exploitation that people feel towards their government. Beyond those who take to the streets, many are beginning to sense that the ruling elite is concerned with its own interests, with no regard to the needs of its citizens. They are beginning to realize that their leaders have one mission in mind: to preserve their throne in every possible way.

And when modern Europeans feel like they are being dispossessed from the little they have left in their pocket – everything becomes permissible. Their barbaric side comes out and their rage translates to violence, plunder, and chaos on the streets. Even if a person risks being shackled in prison the next moment, the erupting human ego cannot be restrained.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron was in Buenos Aires at the G20 summit, sitting around the table with other world leaders, as each of them maintains focus of their personal interests. In their case, the ego blinds them from seeing the intricate network of global interdependence that connects them. Every leader is busy tying another knot, ignoring how the reality around them is unraveling.

Setting the tone at the summit, Trump secures his country’s interests. He reaches understandings with his Chinese counterpart, to forge an agreement that will benefit both countries. The U.S. president typically demonstrates isolationism, yet with a clear aim to benefit his country. He does that, for example, by blocking the entry of illegal immigrants into America, unlike Europe, which keeps its doors wide open.

Europe in its deteriorating state is somewhat reminiscent of the Soviet Union in its pre-disintegration period. Social polarization is intensifying daily, there are many clashes of interests between leaders, and some countries are seeking to withdraw from the European Union – all the while waves of immigration continue to shake the socio-cultural fabric of the continent.

However, the powerful blow that will shock Europe will be the dissonance between affluence and poverty. While billions of euros are flowing across the European Union, the middle class is becoming poorer and angrier. At the same time, an unparalleled technological-industrial revolution is fast approaching, threatening hundreds of millions of jobs.

When approximately 60% of the public in one of the European countries find themselves out of the workforce and unable to return to it, changing the rules of the game will be inevitable. It is easy to envision a “European spring” scenario where riots – as we just saw in Paris – spread like wildfire across Europe.

Even today, a group of statisticians from Poland predict that we have about 12 years until a “global financial crisis of unprecedented scale” takes place. But in a globally integrated system, where every part is intertwined with everything else, such a crisis may certainly occur beforehand.

The first, necessary step in changing the rules of the game will be to provide some form of basic income to every person that will cover the basic necessities for life. However, bread alone will not satisfy the human being for long. A guaranteed income will appease the body, but not the spirit.

Economics is a reflection of human relations. It’s about what one gives to and receives from society. Therefore, if one will receive what he needs from society, and will no longer be judged by his socioeconomic status, social values will have to change.

Many will compete on the formation of new social values. Leaders, religions, radical activists, and various ideologies. But only one social concept will be capable of uniting Europeans and maintaining peace on the streets. It is the concept that will be in balance with the natural course of human development. The concept that will make every person recognize that we are all connected and interdependent. It will raise humans to a higher level of consciousness, introduce them to a deeper level of connection, and infuse their spirit with a new motivation. Ultimately, the quality of connection between people will be the basis for a healthy, new society and economy.

To learn more >> >>>>>>>>>

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