Entries in the 'Israel' Category

There Is No Future Without Unity

Dr. Michael LaitmanSpecial Edition: Events in Southern Israel

Our world is very small. Today, we already see how Nature puts pressure on us from all sides. You cannot escape from this “globe.” We can no longer do what we want, burn oil, release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

The laws of nature are immutable. However, we lack knowledge of the laws that are related to the human level of development. We somehow understand child development, but in general, the progress of humanity presents us with surprises all the time. Today, all of a sudden it turns out that we have all become one family.

This is supported by studies in various fields, although common people are not aware of what is happening. The world is totally interconnected and interdependent. Problems of one country spread to others. On the other hand, any country can be paralyzed by sanctions, even if it has everything it needs to survive.

Thus, there is the law of the common body, the common family, and there is no escape. And that is why it is necessary to satisfy the condition of mutual guarantee at the global level. This is the only way we can reach harmony with Nature—by building good relationships between ourselves. In this Nature gives us freedom to grow independently. But if we do not do this, then we get blows: the crisis, war, natural disasters.

It is no coincidence that our relationship with the US is cooling down. It is also very significant. And the decision is inherent in the people of Israel. We have the key. Namely, we are able to reach unity, mutual guarantee, it would seem, from which it follows. We are separated, deceive each other, we show solidarity only in times of war, and even with difficulties…

Well, it is time to say: “Enough!” No one will make peace with us until we make peace between ourselves. How? Through education. This simple message should be conveyed to every person: There is no future without unity. We need to fill the air with this message before we slide down to continuous military conflicts because the situation is getting worse all the time.

So let’s get started. To begin with, there are those who already understand and feel this. We have a method of teaching, and it should be implemented. Unity must be learned, it does not happen by itself. The law of gravity acts automatically, but unity is created by systematic work. Similarly, external influence convinces a person to quit smoking. When I hear from all sides about the harm I cause to myself and others, it starts affecting me.

At the beginning, unity is not the most comfortable feeling, but gradually it will flow into life and we will not be able to manage without it, we will not understand how we lived before. First, we will play in it like children, and then suddenly we will feel it, as habit becomes second nature, as a game becomes a reality. At some point, I will not be able to do otherwise without good relationships. It all depends on us.
[93032]

Related Material:
The Good Future Is In Mutual Guarantee
The World Demands Its Correction
Let The Sky In The South Clear Up

The Good Future Is In Mutual Guarantee

Dr. Michael LaitmanSpecial Edition: Events in Southern Israel

Each person changes reality by his attitude. The whole point is to organize social support to unity. We must educate ourselves. No one else will do this. The warmth for reciprocity should be caused not by rockets, but by the internal work between us. There is no other way.

In mutual guarantee, we need to see something special, a good future. Why should we be disobedient children who learn only by punishment?
[93045]

Related Material:
There Is No Future Without Unity
The World Demands Its Correction
The Mutual Guarantee “Glue” For The Nation Of Israel

Do You Know Why The Wisdom Of Kabbalah Came Into The World?

Dr. Michael LaitmanUntil the destruction of the Second Temple, the wisdom of Kabbalah was the Torah, the study of the Israeli nation, the group that Abraham brought out of Babel and made into a nation that lives according to the laws of the wisdom of Kabbalah. The destruction of the Temple means that they fell from love thy friend as thyself into unfounded hatred.

Since then the wisdom of Kabbalah ceased to exist among the people who we still call the people of Israel, although they were no longer connected to the law of love thy friend as thyself, and therefore have no right to be called “Israel” (Yashar – Kel), which means “straight to the Creator.” So the understanding of what we need the wisdom of Kabbalah for was lost. Baal HaSualm speaks about his fear, “and it is fearful that it will be forgotten, God forbid, in the people of Israel.”

He is afraid of that, but others don’t even think about it since they don’t know what the wisdom of Kabbalah is needed for. And to that end, Baal HaSulam wrote the “Introduction to TES,” in order to explain why it is obligatory to study the book “The Study of the Ten Sefirot“ (TES) and the wisdom of Kabbalah in general.

He didn’t see that people were interested in this wisdom or that they respond to his appeal, that they even listened to how important and essential this wisdom is. Everyone rejected it by finding different excuses. Religious people who studied the Torah didn’t understand why they needed something else. And a person who lived an ordinary corporeal life was afraid that the wisdom of Kabbalah would ruin his life. Who knew what forces were hidden in it, what he would summon upon himself by mentioning the Holy names, perhaps he would summon troubles by that…

Others justified themselves by saying that there were people who studied Kabbalah, who called themselves Kabbalists, but who didn’t recommend it to others. There are many reasons why the wisdom of Kabbalah was pushed aside, away from general attention, and it is a wonder that it has existed until now. After all there were many wisdoms that were forgotten and have disappeared throughout history.

People reject this study, but Baal HaSulam thought that this should stop. The time had come for mankind to change our attitude and to show people why the wisdom of Kabbalah is necessary and why it came into the world—in order to raise humanity to the level of unity with the Creator, which is the goal of our life, the goal of creation. It is time to fulfill this goal here and now.

For this reason Baal HaSulam wrote TES and “The Introduction to TES” in which he explains the importance of its study. In his time it was very hard to bring this idea to people. Today it is accepted in a totally different manner, and we can openly advertise the widespread study of the wisdom of Kabbalah. I remember what a buzz it made in Bnei Brak, an orthodox town, when people found out that I brought a group of nonreligious students from Tel Aviv to my teacher, Rabash. Rabash made a real revolution, but there was no other choice, the world is in such a state that the wisdom of Kabbalah has to be revealed.
[92590]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/11/12, “Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot

Related Material:
Knowledge Is Power
Time Of Ripening
Breaking The Iron Wall In The Heart

What Have Americans Chosen?

Dr. Michael LaitmanEvery action in our world can be realized in no more than two ways, and as a rule, not less. Rabash explains this in the article “A Short Path and a Long Path” (Shlavey HaSulam “Rungs of the Ladder” 1985/86, Article 26).

Before the elections in the US, I said that according to all the signs from the two candidates, Mitt Romney could push the world to correction via a shorter and more favorable path. My opinion has not changed today.

I explained that the matter is not in the political support of Israel. Just speaking about the preservation of a strong state of Israel, Romney would have allowed us to carry out the correction of the world from here that is not possible from America or any other place. Romney, by his actions, undoubtedly supports this process.

On the other hand, Obama has some other plans. I am not going to go into politics and discuss them, but we are yet to feel their results in Israel. The Americans will feel them as well because they go against the program of creation. They will face strong blows that are just beginning. This is the second path.

In my view, it is very natural. Until we have reached the end of correction, every time when we want something good, we get even more severe conditions of egoism. It is said in the Torah: “Come to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart.” After each plague, each action of the Creator, Moses and the Jews complained that they wanted to escape, to get out of these conditions.

What did the Creator do? He went to the next action, for example, left them without straw to make bricks, etc. This is a natural course of events, and it may be repeated a few times because for the time being we have not yet realized the evil fully to escape from Egypt and moreover to win over all those who have to come out with us. After all, today we stand on the threshold of the complete redemption of the world, not just the people of Israel.

So it is natural that Obama has succeeded. For our part, we had to stand up for Romney, as the necessary one and continue to request that the current approach uncover as many flaws as possible.

I have already explained Obama’s approach is not to support Israel. Maybe, he is right from all points of view. Perhaps, he is able to bring such arguments that we can only recognize their validity. But I am talking from the point of view of correcting the world. Obama does not know much about this, and yet to correct the world, the people of Israel must live on its land, grow, and become the real people as it was before the destruction of the Temple. It must reach this stage and correct the world as Baal HaSulam writes at the end of “Preface to The Book of Zohar.”

So, the next events in the world and the program of creation do not coincide with Obama’s plans. And that is why I am against him making decisions. In reality, the Creator determines everything, and the hearts of rulers are in His hands; however, the decisions will come through Obama as through the “evil angel,” but not the “good” one.

In the case with Romney, it is opposite. A simple thing is important here: He wants the people of Israel to live on their land. It does not matter what motivates him. The main thing is that it helps correction.

I repeat: It is natural that Romney was not elected. After all, we have not started the actual correction; we are still revealing evil. We certainly need a hard “catalyst” to reveal evil, and now we will get it.

Question: Wasn’t the winner in this election preordained by the Creator?

Answer: I don’t care. Even if I were informed in advance, nonetheless, I have to choose the path to correction that seems shorter to me. I do not play in secret knowledge, but carry out a game with myself: What do I choose? And my choice is completely independent of my political bias to Israel, of color, of Evangelicals, Mormons, etc. The only criterion is that with Mitt Romney we would have found ourselves in the conditions closer to correction, to unity, and to disseminating the science of Kabbalah from the land of Israel. That is all. Romney supports that more than Obama, and thus allows us to carry out correction. There are no other calculations. I do not care about their politics and their image; I am talking about the internal approach of each of them.

Question: Now that Obama is elected, that is, a long path, what can the world expect?

Answer: First of all, we have been speaking for a long time that the world is entering bad times. However, we do not want to scare people; on the contrary, our goal is to awaken and motivate them to action. We talked about the crisis years before it began officially, but the world was not ready to hear that. Two years ago, when everyone stated that the troubles were behind us, we explained that the crisis was not over. Today, they believe it will last another two, five, or ten years. It takes time for all this nonsense to dissipate from those “wise men.”

There will be a big confusion all over the world, in the US, Europe, China, and Israel. It is not simply a struggle between capitalism and socialism; the world is accelerating towards harsh, rapid, and difficult developments.

As for the Jews, there is nothing you can do; they always learn from hard blows. Weak blows do not work on them.

I hope that the American Jews will eventually feel that it is required to be attached to correction. Today, they feel themselves firstly Americans, then Jews, and in the end, perhaps feel some affiliation to Israel. And it is bad, and not by any national considerations, but in terms of correcting the world, and just because of that. Thus they will get blows. What else? To get out of exile, one must see all its forms opposite deliverance.

You can go the other way through awareness, through education, understanding what is happening. But they do not want to hear this, so they will have some problems…and anyway the whole world.

However, we hope that we will be able to sweeten and to accelerate the process. After all, we are not happy about that. We must understand that, ultimately, it is up to us. We have to play our part correctly because we have the method and the work entrusted to us. No matter how much we think about Romney and Obama, the Jews and Americans, the whole world, we first have to check whether we do everything possible.

We need to bring a very simple and optimistic message to the people of Israel: If it unites, then it will become a connecting link between this world and the spiritual world. Nothing else is required.

A magnifying glass can focus the sunrays so to start a fire. So the people of Israel should become such a focusing point, so that the upper Light passes through it and “ignites” the world. No one will do this, neither Obama nor Romney.

The world is like a shapeless mass, and Israel must be in the middle between it and the Creator. In other words, Israel should include both factors—the Creator and the world—bring them together, connect them, and take care of everyone. Israel corrects itself and attracts and motivates the whole world to bring pleasure to the Creator so that He is revealed in reality. Baal HaSulam writes about this in the article “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee),” the Creator wants to bring pleasure to the whole world and that is our goal.

That is what we must realize. So, first of all, we need to focus on our inner work, devoting 99% of attention and leaving one percent for dissemination. Now is the time when we need to concentrate more internally.

I am very optimistic. We will succeed. Things become more distinct, prominent, so goes the analysis, and this is for the better.
[92491]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/9/12, Shamati #115

Related Material:
The Advice Of Obama’s Science Advisor
Conscious Participation Is Necessary
Today Is Actually “The Calm Before The Real Storm”

Hurricane Sandy: What For And Why?

Dr. Michael LaitmanDuring these days, I am constantly asked questions about the hurricane Sandy that hit the east coast of America. Everyone wants to hear the answer as to why it happened and how we should look at it.

Baal HaSulam writes about this clearly and openly: We are in a single system of Nature and have come to the state in our development when it can no longer tolerate us. As soon as this system begins to show itself as integral, “round,” as soon as overall interdependence is manifested, we must behave accordingly. Otherwise disasters become much more qualitative because they originate not from the animate, but from the human degree.

In the course of history, we were evolving on the still, vegetative, and animate levels. Our egoism was growing, sometimes stronger, sometimes weaker, but more recently at an exponential rate until it has become satiated and “round.” So far, everything went as usual: The more egoistic a person was, the more he could earn and succeed. We thought that this trend would last forever. We were so obsessed with this idea that it obscured the limits of natural resources from us.

However today, when Nature shows itself as “round,” requiring us to become “round” as well, we have found ourselves in a completely different situation. Now it’s not enough to simply reduce our ego and be polite with each other. Today, we have to unite.

We are talking about a very different quality of relationships. If in the past, humanity could bend its ego slightly during wars and disasters, today it won’t help. We need an entirely new unity, and it can come only with the help of the Returning Light because this unity is against our egoistic nature and thus does not arise by itself. So, if our actions don’t help at least indirectly to bring the Reforming Light, then they bring only harm and misery.

Here we see the task of the people of Israel. It possesses the method of Kabbalah—the only means of attracting the Light that allows all of humanity to unite. This is a truly fateful, decisive situation. Today, humanity needs only the Reforming Light. If it doesn’t begin to integrate, it will cause disasters much worse than Sandy.

And the people of Israel are responsible for this. It determines the way forward. If it doesn’t have time to form itself into a connecting link between humanity and the Reforming Light, if it doesn’t carry out the task of Galgalta ve Eynaim, if it doesn’t become a “mediator,” then all evil can turn against it.

Therefore, from a selfish point of view and from the standpoint of the purpose of creation, we must please the Creator. From His side, this means to do good to His creatures, and from our side, to do good to Him. Let’s hope that our studies will help bring the Reforming Light that will correct us and flow through us to all of humanity.
[92046]
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson, The Zohar

Related Material:
Not Knowing The Laws Of Nature Does Not Exempt Us From Mutual Guarantee
A Storm Is Like A Chance
Superstorm Sandy: In The Trap Of Egoism

Tel Aviv – “Uniting: Building The Future Together”

“Uniting: Building the Future Together”: Dozens of organizations and youth movements have rallied and organized a joint event during which in one day, October 24, 2012, “Roundtables” were held in the central squares of the 12 major cities in Israel. These discussions gathered representatives of Israeli society.

The central event took place at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv, at the Congresses Center in Haifa from 4:30 to 10:00 pm. The event was attended by more than 35 organizations, including 8 of the leading organizers of the event; the Arvut (Mutual Guarantee) movement was among them.
[91518]

Related Material:
Roundtable: A Tool For Integration
Roundtable Toronto 6-28-2012
Summing Up The Roundtable Discussion

The Great Assembly At The Foot Of The Mountain

Dr. Michael LaitmanFrom The Light of the Sun by Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Halevi: The main attainment of the Torah is by unity, as it says: “And Israel camped there before the mountain, as one man with one heart, and there the giving was stopped and each tribe corrected and added his Ha-Va-Ya-H.

And they said we shall hear and we shall do in great passion from the bottom of their hearts and they raised Mei Nukvin and they revealed Maim Dekurin, that the Creator descended to give them the Torah and they were rewarded with attainment of the Torah.

The attainment of the Torah means the attainment of the plan of all of creation, its goal, the attainment of the whole path of correction that is attained by unity. This is because we have to correct the shattering and as a result, in addition to the correction of the shattering, we reach attainment. This means that by our exertion we add to our understanding, to the recognition of the state that we are in. We open all the spiritual worlds for ourselves from one level to another until the world of Ein Sof (Infinity).

But before we reach this attainment, we don’t feel any difference between our world and the world of Ein Sof. Infinity is attained only by unity, and the unity is built on two lines—the right and the left, love and hate—one in contrast to the other.

Therefore it says: “And Israel camped there before the mountain” (Jethro, 19, 20), they stood before the hatred they discovered after they had always been in the right line, enthusiastic about spirituality, striving for unity, and eager to connect. It was then that they discovered the left line that stood before them like a high mountain not letting them connect.

Then they needed the Torah, the Light that Reforms, and then they discovered the middle line, the Torah, the Creator that is revealed and helps connect the two lines together. Thanks to their prayer, they received an answer from Above. The Creator descended and gave them the Torah and so they were awarded with the attainment of the Torah.

So we must constantly follow the right line, in pure bestowal, in Hafetz Hesed, and then in contrast to it, the left line is revealed: different failures, disappointments, weaknesses, criticism, Din. It’s good that all this is revealed since by that we eventually realize that there is no other choice and that we have to follow the right line.

We see that there’s nothing we can enjoy in the left line and that these are vessels of receiving that demand filling and there is no filling! So all that is left, despite everything, is to ascend above all this; when we attain a full measure, a full measure of the revelation of the right and the left lines, the gathering before Mt. Sinai is revealed, the middle line, and then the Light that connects the two line comes to us. This is called “the Creator makes peace in Heaven and He will bring peace unto us.” The middle line comes and decides between the first two lines by bringing us to peace and wholeness.

The Torah is attained by unity, if we constantly yearn for it as it says, “and Israel camped before the mountain, as one man with one heart.” No matter how hard they tried to connect, they discovered the opposite: detachment, hatred, and rejection. “And there their impurity was stopped and each tribe corrected the combination of its Ha – Va – Ya – H,” which means that in each of us and among all of us there are many internal problems and conflicts that require correction.

“And they said, ‘We shall do and we shall hear!’” which means that they are ready to go above their reason, above the feeling of any criticism, since there is no other choice, since we have seen that we can’t connect in our egoistic vessels. “And they raised Mei Nukvin (MAN) and in contrast Maim Dekurin were revealed, and the Creator descended to give them the Torah and they were rewarded with the attainment of the Torah.” Let’s hope that we will be rewarded with the receiving of the Torah since the Creator gives it every day.
[91306]
From the Preparation to the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/26/12

Related Material:
We Only Need To Ask Correctly
The Middle Line Is The Straight Road To The Creator
Giving And Receiving

Growing Up In Reverse

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Do you know that only 4-12% of American Jews consider the existence of Israel as their important issue? What does it say? (Source: AJC 2012 Survey of American Jewish Opinion)

Answer: First, it shows that representatives of the Government of Israel do a poor job in this regard. Second, there is a complete lack of understanding of how much the fate of American Jews is linked to the existence of Israel. They believe that it’s more convenient for them to be considered as American citizens, belonging to no one, like, for instance, African Americans. In this case, no one will complain about them.

But complaints will persist in any case, and “I will find you on the edge of the earth,” says the Creator. “You will not be able to escape and will be forced to fulfill your destiny to become the Light for the nations. You will not succeed in hiding, disappearing in the mass of humanity.”

We will witness how the connections between all the Jews of the world will be discovered, the ten lost tribes will be found, and they altogether, consciously or involuntarily, will fulfill their purpose.

For now, I think that from all the nations of the world we need to gather people who are aware of the purpose of humanity, the so-called “Isra-El,” with the point in the heart, aspiring to reveal the Creator. And all the rest need to vote for Romney and be nurtured by the method of integral education.
[91429]

Related Material:
Conscious Participation Is Necessary
Once Again About The American Jews…
Could It Be That Pharaoh Was A Jew?

The “Arab Spring” Has Been Replaced By Autumn’s Disappointment

Dr. Michael LaitmanIn the News (from the Pew Research Center): “…A national survey by the Pew Research Center finds increasing public pessimism about developments in the Middle East. …

“Doubts have spread about the political direction of countries swept up in the Arab Spring protests that began almost two years ago. Nearly six-in-ten Americans (57%) do not believe the changes in the Middle East will lead to lasting improvements for people living in the affected countries, up sharply from 43% in April 2011.

“And a majority of Americans (54%) continue to say it is more important to have stable governments in the Middle East, even if there is less democracy in the region.”

My Comment: Perhaps, it is not too late to stop, and even in the summer of 2011 they tried to provoke unrest and revolution in Israel. Americans are not doing well in planning the future. The USSR collapsed and ruined all the socialist countries. Today, we are witnessing the sunset of the US. Russia is gradually undergoing restructuring, but will the US be able to change to a new format? Nature has presented a challenging task of transition to an integral world. Difficult times are ahead. For the time being, flexibility of thinking is not seen in any country.
[91035]

Related Material:
Will Israel Be Next To Fall Victim To The “Revolution Business”?

You Left, Me Right?

Dr. Michael LaitmanBaal HaSulam, “Matan Torah (The Giving of the Torah),” Item 5: We must first understand why the Torah was given specifically to the Israeli nation and not to all the peoples of the world equally. Is there, God forbid, nationalism involved here? Of course, only an insane person would think that. In fact, our sages have examined this question, and this is what they meant by their words (Avoda Zarah 2): “God gave it to every nation and tongue and they did not accept it.”

But what they find bewildering is why, then, were we called “the chosen people,” as it is written: “The Lord thy God has chosen thee” (Deuteronomy 7:6), since there was no other nation that wanted it? Moreover, there is a fundamental question in the matter: Can it be that the Creator came with His law in His hands to negotiate with those savage peoples? Such a thing has never been heard of and is completely unacceptable.

The upper Light brought the Babylonians the feeling of the shattering, the feeling of destruction, the feeling of a crisis, when everything fell apart before their very eyes. People felt hatred and an inability to sustain themselves.

So what did they do? The same thing that we do when a family cannot live together anymore, the parents separate and get divorced.

In fact it was a very clever solution, and they did the right thing: “Why should we torture one another? Let’s separate, you go to one side and I will go to the other.” This is also what Abraham said to Lot: “You go to the right and I will go to the left, or you can go to the left and I will go to the right. You choose which way you want to go. We shouldn’t go the same way, why should we fight?”

This is how the crisis in ancient Babel was solved. It raised the collective question: “What should we do?” And as an answer, some began to think about the purpose of life and about what to do with this life; how to raise it to a higher level, while others pursued their self-benefit in order to simply manage in life.

Of course, the crisis brings along troubles. Here there should be an external awakening, some pressure that makes a person feel bad. The new phase doesn’t just arrive, but is accompanied by some blow by fate. The masses encounter massive disasters, which leave them on the same level but with the question: “How do we get along? Perhaps we should create new situations? Revolutions for example? Or perhaps some element of bestowal, an internal or an external one?” The other, small part is evoked by being drawn from Above. So the Creator turns to everyone, but only a few who connect wake up and they are called the “nation of Israel.”
[91112]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/24/12, “Matan Torah (The Giving of the Torah)”

Related Material:
The New Babel
History Of The World: The Path To Mutual Guarantee
Which Path Will You Choose – Abraham’s Or Nimrod’s?