Question: Baal HaSulam writes that there are two paths to realizing the idea of Kabbalah. The first is the natural path of development, a path of suffering. The second one is the path when people, after some educational process, will be able to advance to altruistic properties consciously. How can this take place?

Answer: The preliminary stage of the second path of development is realizing the evil of our egoistic nature. I think it is already happening.

In other words, all current confrontations, crises, and wars between Russia and the Western World have to change humanity gradually and show that no one wins anything in a war and there are no victors.

We are practically going through this state. We means all of humanity. That is because at the end of the days, meaning at the end of human development, we will not be dividing ourselves into countries, not even into continents, but instead, we will begin to aspire to rise above our nature. That is much bigger than mutual agreements between people, countries, etc.

Even though we do not realize it yet, I hope we are already starting to learn the laws that will bring us to complete correction.
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From KabTV’s “Era of the Last Generation” 7/11/24

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Question: Kabbalistic books describe two tendencies that exist in nature: Igulim and Yosher—circles and a straight line.

Therefore, we see a tendency toward globalization to completely erase a person’s personality so that everything would be one whole.

On the contrary, there is also a tendency toward nationalization, some kind of national values, individualism, and so on. How can both these trends be linked?

Answer: We still have to realize and go through this, but in principle, by no means should we sacrifice the individuality of each of us, but rather we need to allow it to develop.

We must understand that the future of humanity lies only in the complete unity of everyone with each other, but not in the sense that it pressures a person and forces them to be like others. That is, there must be a combination of these two tendencies.
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From KabTV’s “Era of the Last Generation” 7/11/24

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Question: We know that approximately 10% of the world’s population are altruists. Among them, there are effective altruists who aim to track the results of each donation, every dollar spent, and make it as effective as possible.

How do you feel about this approach to altruism and donations?

Answer: It is good. Naturally, I welcome it. Humanity, at the very least, will know that it is investing in its future, and this future is real. The result is what matters here.

Question: Unlike other types of philanthropic activities, how important is connection to the result when giving? Let’s say I donated money to charity and do not know what happens to it. But my ego is at peace, I have no moral dilemmas about whether what I did is right or wrong.

In this case, however, I constantly have to think: was it effective, was it not effective, did it bring benefits, or did it not? Is this attachment to the result normal?

Answer: Yes, it is necessary. To achieve some more or less positive result, we need to calculate its possibility.

Question: If we talk, not about achieving a result, but about the act of giving, about charity from the point of view of human egoism, is it still normal?

Are additional formulas or calculations needed? Or is it like a regular business?

Answer: I think it is enough to use the principles of regular business. Although, many additional tools will appear to determine the effectiveness of the contribution.

It is still unknown how much investing in science and culture gives a positive result. Here it is necessary to clearly think through how the right answer will come.

Question: In what direction should we at least direct our thoughts?

Answer: In the direction of what we desire from our investment, what the gain should be: in resources, in money, in increasing connections, and so on. We need to clearly define what we consider a positive result.
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From KabTV’s “Kabbalah Express” 6/30/24

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Question: In his articles, Baal HaSulam writes about narrow egoism. He says that there is a difference between the fact that a person just wants to enjoy, which is really our nature, and narrow egoism in which a person wants to enjoy at the expense of others, using them. What is the problem here?

Answer: The problem is in enjoying at the expense of someone else. Generally I feel good when I enjoy myself and maybe even better when I compare myself to others and see that I am better off, luckier, and so on.

This is growing egoism, which depends on the ego of society and the people.

Comment: So this is different from animal egoism, because animals do not have this.

My Response: No, in animals, everything is only focused on themselves.

Question: But in relation to the goal of creation, the development of humanity, what is the problem with narrow egoism? Suppose a person uses another, that is natural?

Answer: The problem is that he does not want to let the other grow and reach certain heights in profession, society, family, but wants to be above him.

Comment: So what is the problem here? We have been developing this way for tens of thousands of years. And what have we achieved? In principle, a normal society—look at the progress. We live tens, hundreds, of times better than a hundred years ago.

My Response: Undoubtedly. But this happens not by decreasing egoism, but by increasing it. There is nothing good about it. Because if I look to the future, it turns out that by being more egoistic, I win compared to the others. I want them to be less egoistic so that I have the opportunity to dominate them.

This discrepancy practically makes people unhappy.
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From KabTV’s “Era of the Last Generation” 6/27/24

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Sergey writes:

Is communism bad or is it good? I see how my parents yearn for the old times. And I, looking at today, am not very joyful either. Why couldn’t we build communism? We really wanted it!

Answer: Communism cannot exist without the prior education of society as a whole. Therefore, it is just an illusion, a dream, but quite achievable if people want it.

Question: What was the mistake?

Answer: The mistake was that people were forced to live as if under communism.

Question: How should it have been? What is preliminary education?

Answer: People need to be educated first. And when people want it, then it can be gradually introduced.

Question: How many people need to want it so that it would not be a bloody revolution?

Answer: It does not have to be a revolution at all. It could be a small group of people, like a Kibbutz, that shows it is possible to live this way.

Question: And if they start living this way and suddenly it works, what happens next? Does it start spreading across the world?

Answer: It depends on those in the group.

Question: But do they want it to spread across the world?

Answer: Yes and no. They might want it, but they understand that on a large scale it is still impossible.

Question: So it is not time yet?

Answer: Yes.

Question: What determines if the time has come for equality to spread across the world?

Answer: It is the moral level of society. How society itself desires to bring all its members to unity, to a common level, and so on.

Question: So, here you say, not by force? Everything should be by consensus?

Answer: Of course.

Question: Someone who lives well, earns well, and lives well under capitalism, for example, will he really want to come to this society of equals and so on? What do you think?

Answer: It depends on education.

Question: So he might have such consciousness?

Answer: Yes.

Question: So in conclusion: first education, then non-revolutionary transition?

Answer: Of course. Absolutely!

Question: You have already answered a bit, but still Sergey asks this question: “Still, will communism happen, or is it utopia?”

Answer: I think it will happen, let’s call it communism, but it will not be what we think. It will be a special, wise society where everyone will understand that in such a state it is better for them.

Question: And still, will it be a society of equals, or is it not correct to call it that?

Answer: Equals, yes. But in what?

Question: Yes, that is the question. And what is true equality?

Answer: True equality is that each person is given the opportunity to achieve their dream.

Question: So, you move toward your dream.

Answer: Yes. And what dream he wants to fulfill depends on the education.

Question: That is beautiful! So, you move toward your dream, everyone does that, and then you are kind of equal with them?

Answer: You hold onto it and move forward.

Question: Sergey also asks you: “Dear Michael, what would you say to elderly people who really believed in the ideals of equality, fraternity? Was that correct?”

Answer: It was correct. It was such a time. So there is no need to worry that you were forced or taught some nonsense and you believed in it, and life went on. No. We will still come to this gradually. I think people will come to it.

But communism must be based on education, mutual respect, love, and connection with each other. That is what is said in the Torah: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” And all problems are solved by this.

Comment: Just come to this point, and then everything will roll on.

Answer: Yes.
[331524]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 5/13/24

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Question: There are two opposites in Israeli society. On one hand, we are a stiff-necked people with rigid walls separating us. On the other hand, we feel that we are one nation, and this has been preserved for thousands of years. The sense of community is strongly manifested in times of danger and tragedy.

What type of altruism, the most genuine mutual assistance, is needed for Israeli society? What should we strive for in order to direct a part of our lives toward altruism?

Answer: Throughout thousands of years we have experienced many twists and turns in our history. The most important thing for us is to be ready to sacrifice ourselves for the sake of the overall connection of the entire society, the entire nation. This is what Kabbalah calls for, and I believe this is correct.
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From KabTV’s “Kabbalah Express” 6/30/24

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

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

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

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

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

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

Answer: Society must continue to create all kinds of restrictions on human behavior. We see that each generation assumes other obligations—new, better ones. In this way, we gradually rise above our egoistic nature.
[331718]
From KabTV’s “Era of the Last Generation” 6/27/24

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Question: Baal HaSulam writes that there is a law that the branch is close to its root. He hints that we are the consequence of some upper force, which is the root cause. If the Creator is one, unique, and unified, then the urgent need for individualism manifests in us. So what is the problem?

Answer: On one hand, we are given egoistic properties and we inevitably fulfill them. On the other hand, we must rise above our egoism to altruism. And we cannot do it.

Moreover, our ego drives us into a corner as we are eager to fight with each other and make our lives miserable.

Question: We see that egoism constantly develops and narrows. Is there a limit to its development or is it endless?

Answer: No, we are gradually beginning to understand the narrowness and baseness of egoism. It does not allow us to exist in joy, correct communication with each other, in mutual assistance. Egoism manifests itself in a negative form.

Question: Let’s say that in 200 years, it will stop developing. Can we say that egoism will stop growing at some point?

Answer: I cannot say that in 200 years it will stop. Egoism develops along with us and forces us to be more egoistic each time. When this stage of egoism in us ends is not written anywhere and it may not end. It will be eternal to the extent that we must limit it.

If over time we understand how much it brings us down and does not allow us to create the right society, family, ourselves, and children, then to the extent that we begin to comprehend its harm, the terrible, narrow, vile life into which it plunges, we can act against it.
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From KabTV’s “Era of the Last Generation” 6/27/24

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Question: Effective altruists believe that the lives of future generations have the same value as the lives of people currently living. Therefore, they focus their activities on reducing future risks to human development.

That is, I can equally invest in improving life now or, say, in two generations. Is this the right approach?

Answer: No, we must strive for greater productivity from our investments. So, I do not think it should be like that.

Comment: If we expand this question from a business point of view. There are local goals and global, strategic goals that businessmen try to calculate for a long period of time. That is, strategically, I want to calculate something that will take a long time and will bear fruit perhaps in a generation or two.

Answer: I believe that it is impossible for us to calculate this now. Maybe this will be possible with the development of artificial intelligence. But even this is just the beginning of a new movement.

I think that so far, we have no serious grounds for this. We are unable to assess the future in a generation or two.

Question: Is it better to really invest in what you have now rather than make illusory plans for the distant future?

Answer: Yes, we see that in our time, no matter what we invest in, there is a certain percentage that is not fulfilled and do not provide profit in any form.
[331665]
From KabTV’s “Kabbalah Express” 6/30/24

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