Human behavior in our world cannot be explained by clear-cut laws, unlike animals where everything is clear, obey rigid instincts.

A person does not have a clear division between good and evil; there is always something in the middle, which leaves some uncertainty. Therefore, we can never be sure that our decision is correct; we are always in doubt, questions, and ambiguity.

If the result were evident right on the spot you would take a bite of poisoned food and choke, you would do a good deed and immediately become famous. But we cannot distinguish good from evil in advance, and therefore we do not know what to do.

A person does not act like a plant or an animal that knows what to get closer to and what to run away from. Animals do not need laboratories to check the quality of food, they just need to smell it or lick it to understand everything.

Plants know what is harmful to them and what is useful, when to open and when to close. A person, however, does not know anything, he is born helpless and lives without knowing or understanding anything. Therefore, he needs the support of the environment, and even as an adult, he is always tormented by doubts.

An animal never makes mistakes if it is healthy. A person makes mistakes all the time, and even if they learn from them, they make mistakes again at the next step. He constantly falls and rises and makes corrections in this way. How can billions of people, each of whom make mistakes every now and then, connect with each other into a perfect system? It is obvious that this is not within our power.

It is impossible to govern the world by truth because we do not have it. Everyone has their own truth, and it contradicts all other truths. Yet, nature is pressing on us, forcing us to unite and complete each other, and even love each other so that each serves the other.

How can we build such a system? It will not appear by itself from nature; on the contrary, we will become more and more separated, and perceive others as enemies. When we start working on our correction, we realize how great this task is.

Truth is an instinct. Inanimate nature, plants, and animals exist according to their instincts, and therefore they do not make mistakes. A person does not have an instinct, i.e., a clear internal desire that directs one’s actions. That is why he is always asking questions.

For animals, instinct replaces truth by correctly orienting them. But a human has no instinct, and therefore he acts at his own risk or relies on what others say, and therefore constantly makes mistakes.

The country is splitting in two, arguing about who is best suited to be president and receive the reins of the country. But in the future, the people will rule the country because they will feel that only the upper force can rule, which they will attract into the population. In other words, the Creator will rule, but only if the people invite Him to reign.
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From the 3^rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/8/20, Writings of Baal HaSulam “Peace in the World”

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Question: Scientists say that there are certain kinds of mechanisms in nature that maintain a balance between cooperation and competition. This makes it possible to avoid the physical destruction of opponents and thereby provides a sufficiently high level of internal diversity.

Do you think the same applies to human society, which has been given freewill? Or can we destroy each other?

Answer: No, nature will not allow it. We need to understand that all these laws apply both at the level of the simplest organisms and more complex ones. If we sometimes do not see something, it is only because we do not have the ability to see it. In general, the law of nature is universal.

In society, everything works like in the cell of an organism or between its cells. We have nothing to fear. We will not be able to destroy ourselves because there is a constraining mechanism.

Question: It is said that modern society has evolved to the size of a system that is similar to a destructive geological force that can destroy the entire universe. This was not the case a few thousand years ago. What does it mean that people were given such power now?

Answer: We were given this possibility only potentially but by no means in actual fact so that we understand how much we still need to develop in order to balance our physical capabilities with the moral scale.
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From KabTV’s “Communication Skills” 8/21/20

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Question: In the modern world, many people believe that a person’s future is governed by karma, that is, the totality of actions that he currently performs. A person literally programs it, including his future lives.

Is there, from your point of view, such a concept as karma? Do a person’s actions shape his future?

Answer: Partially. Here we must take into account the path that a person has to go through initially in his life and how nature forms an environment around him in order for him to go through this path. And also, how he can change his path from bad to good.

In any case, he has to arrive at the “final destination” and reach it either by the way of suffering or the easy way of advancing forward quickly. This is what his destiny consists of. It is necessary to understand that the choice is between this and that. So, make your choice every minute of your life. But nonetheless, where you are supposed to be, is where you will end up.
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From KabTV’s “Kabbalah Express” 9/1/20

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Question: Does a person have any freedom of choice?

Answer: No. The freedom of choice is only in moving toward the purpose that is designated for you, by your own efforts or in spite of them.

Question: How can a person feel free, even if there is no freedom of choice? How can I feel like that?

Answer: A person can feel free when he is in harmony with nature, swims along this current. If he feels this harmony, then there is no life and death for him but just one eternal movement.
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From KabTV’s “Kabbalah Express” 9/1/20

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Question: I read that goodwill  toward people depends 45% on genetics. It turns out that there are people for whom it is naturally easier to build relationships and connections. And there are those who are doomed to fail. Why has nature designed it that way?

Answer: This is done specifically to create the illusion of freewill in us, freedom of choice (as if I decide everything), freedom of perception and actions, to show us a world in which there seems to be complete freedom.

Question: What is the scale of values upon which you define good or bad connections between people?

Answer: This is very difficult to determine because it depends on the person’s intentions. And we do not see one’s intentions; they are concealed from us.

This is why Kabbalah is called the hidden wisdom; it deals with intentions and not forces like physics, not properties like psychology, but intentions that are higher than forces and properties.
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From KabTV’s “Communication Skills” 7/30/20

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Question: In recent decades, personal growth training has been very popular in the world. People are taught to achieve new goals, get out of their comfort zones, and literally change their lives. But it is interesting that these trainings do not work, and frustration from them is growing. People cannot change anything, despite the fact that they invest huge resources in it.

How do you really become the master of your own destiny?

Answer: To do this, you need to know what life is, who controls you, and what goal nature leads you to. And then you will be able, in accordance with this, at least understand what is happening to you. And then take an additional course of correct interaction with nature in order to achieve the goal of life.

Question: How do you achieve success in any endeavors, in any desires, in any goals?

Answer: Do not go against nature but go with it, that is, know where it is leading you to, what your personal goal is (from the side of nature), and do everything in order to realize it.
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From KabTV’s “Kabbalah Express” 9/1/20

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Remark: Jonathan Swift wrote in Thoughts on Various Subjects: “All fits of pleasure are balanced by an equal degree of pain and languor; it’s like spending this year part of next year’s revenue.”

My Comment: From Kabbalah’s point of view, this is not entirely true. Because if a person is born not of his own freewill, unable to choose the family he is born into, and receives an excellent upbringing, without denying himself anything, since such is his family and so on, then you cannot ask anything from him. So, he was made according to the higher design.

Question: Does he have no freedom?

Answer: Of course not. So, he should not be responsible for this. But when he has a clear, definite opportunity to start remaking himself, then he will be held responsible for it. But also, only to the extent that he was actually given this opportunity.

All people who exist in our world, from rich to poor, from healthy to sick, whatever they want, the way
they exist, this is how they exist. There can be no complaints about them.

Question: But don’t we still make claims? How do we judge people?

Answer: So you judge by your courts. You invented the courts and you judge. How can you judge people? For what?! For what is in me from the Creator who created me this way, and from my parents whom the Creator created so that they would have such an effect on me?

So, who am I? Where do I have my point, the point, of freedom, which I can use and grow myself from? How do I know the right way to do it? Why would I?

What does a person have that is not given to him by nature? How can he then change himself? If I need to change myself, then I must have a lever.

What kind of freewill does a person have? What is it? There is no freewill. You cannot point to some free movement of his, a free desire, a free thought, that he did not receive from someone or something, but so that would appear from nowhere. There is no such thing! Therefore, man is not free.

Question: So, was I created by nature and nature leads me from the beginning to the grave?

Answer: Absolutely in everything! On top of that, there is an illusion of freedom!

Question: Here nature is playing with me. What gives me the illusion of freedom?

Answer: It is done specially to make you feel like a human!

Freedom appears only when another force arises in a person, a higher force, which begins to oppose his earthly power. Only in the difference between them, in the interval between them, can a person gain independence from both forces and obtain his free choice. Only if there is a need for meaning in life.

The meaning of life is comprehended only in the search for independence. It is not about becoming like others, depending on the way they are, some are richer for example. Do not take any example from others! I need—me. My own self.

Question: Which is completely different from that of the rich or the poor?

Answer: It is true even if one is on a desert island. My only goal is to find myself.

Question: Does the search for a person begin with this?

Answer: Yes. From the fact that he understands that he is not free he begins to seek what freedom is. He begins to understand that freedom consists, first of all, in rising above his egoism, which completely fills him, subjugates him. Although a person cannot get rid of this selfishness, he would like to!

When he cannot, but wants to, then he finds an opportunity to attract an outside force to himself, which, even despite his efforts to remain in egoism, will pull him out of it. I do not want to get out of egoism, but I do it so that this higher power pulls me out anyway. There is such an interesting twist! But it is great.

Question: So, do I reach the state that I do not want to get out of egoism?

Answer: Of course, I do not want to. Nobody wants to! On all spiritual levels, nobody wants to do it.

Question: A man has been striving for this for so long, why does he not want to?

Answer: How did he strive? He was not aware of anything. Now, when it is revealed that he is all selfish, he cannot. How can he part with this?

Question: So, is this egoism very dear to him?

Answer: Yes. This is all the agony of leaving Egypt, crossing the Red Sea.

Question: How does this happen?

Answer: This happens because you are doing such completely unreasonable actions, and these actions pull you out. And then: “I do not want, I do not want!”—but it is too late.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 5/18/20

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Comment: If today you meet a simple man on the street and talk to him, he, in principle, does not know the names of the sages, or even, perhaps, King Solomon. But the name “Steve Jobs” is familiar to him. He is the founder of Apple, a man who has contributed a lot to our world.

There are some of his quotes that I would like you to explain from the point of view of a Kabbalist. ”I used to be way over on the nurture side, but I’ve swung way over to the nature side.”

Question: Does it mean that the environment can change my heredity?

Answer: I do not see anything negative about heredity, even if it is bad. The environment shapes a person. It as if puts a person in a vice and processes him as it wants, like on a lathe. The result is a completely new product.

Question: Do I have no freedom here at all?

Answer: No. Not at all! There are initial qualities, but the environment knows how to work with them and makes from a person what is required.

Question: Do I look for an environment or does the environment find me?

Answer: In principle, neither you nor the environment, but this is already from above, the upper purpose.

Quotation: Steve Jobs, “Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.”

My Response: In principle, our whole life consists only of mistakes. It is when we recognize these mistakes at every step of the way that we are going the right way.

Question: Do we always make some adjustments after each step, and still make mistakes?

Answer: Of course. We only make mistakes! However, initially, in every step we reveal our evil nature, and in every step we try to correct it.

Question: Is it due to the fact that our nature is egoism that every step we take is a mistake?

Answer: Our every step is in advance a mistake, but it depends on us how to make it a proper mistake. That is, to make mistakes in order to learn.

Quotation: Steve Jobs, “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”

My Response: This is right. To find one’s own thing, own line, oneself and move only in this, and never give in to other people’s opinions, philosophies, and ideas, this is a very important task for a person. I think that this certainly is only for a few. One needs to experience a lot in order not to be receptive to other people’s ideas and follow them.

To experience means to analyze, process within yourself, decide, be afraid, get up, rise, and fall. In other words, it must be a person who always demands an inner meaning from life.

Quotation: This purportedly was Steve Jobs’ guidance in everything: “If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”

My Response: Yes. That’s for sure. Only when you find it will you really understand what you were looking for. If we knew in advance what to look for, we would not have to look for it. That would be clear to me.

Question: Is a Kabbalist searching? Does a Kabbalist have such a search?

Answer: The Kabbalist is searching for only one thing—a leap to the Creator. It does not matter what will happen at that. The main thing is to be closer. And this is his only task.

Comment: When it happens, does it turn out that he understood everything in a completely different way?

My Response: Of course! It does not matter, he does not ask this question at all! He does not order the future for himself —what he wants to be and how to feel. No! Only to be closer.
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From KabTV’s “News with Michael Laitman” 5/25/20

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Question: We see that every next generation strives more for freedom, breaks the limits of life’s restrictions, severs them. Where does this desire come from?

Answer: Each next generation does not break the previous framework, but simply cannot exist in it because the generation itself is different. It has different desires, different egoism, different priorities. Therefore, it cannot fulfill the conditions and restrictions that the previous generations performed with pleasure or with minimal energy.

Question: We see that the world is striving for greater interconnection. Integration is manifesting very strongly today. People move from place to place, privileges change, nations’ borders become more open. In nature, there are trends toward greater freedom and fewer limits. Is there any contradiction in this?

Answer: No. It is just that humanity is beginning to feel the next level of its development. Therefore, the previous framework no longer seems necessary.

We believe that the new generation does not want our conditions, our laws. It is simply created with such desires that can not comply with these conditions and feel them as necessary.
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From KabTV’s “Management Skills” 7/2/20

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Question: There are people who cannot live within a restrictive framework. And there are people who cannot live without the framework of our world. What is the correct approach to this phenomenon?

Answer: There is such an expression: freedom is a conscious necessity. If I feel the need for submission, then within this framework I am already free. But this is incorrect because nonetheless this is still a necessity.

If I investigate the nature I am in, then I begin to understand that this is not a necessity, but a conscious desire to obey all the laws of nature, all the forces affecting me, and to rise to the level of absolute bestowal. This is absolute freedom.
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From KabTV’s “Management Skills” 7/2/20

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