Two questions I received on conversion to Judaism:

Question: Why would you say that Rabbi Akiva was not Jewish? How carried away can you get? He was 100% Jewish! I guess tomorrow Rav Ashlag will also be called non-Jewish!

My Answer: First of all, this doesn’t matter at all in relation to the Torah. We are all Babylonians by origin. The Jews started calling themselves differently because they differed from other people in that they based their lives on the law, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” This is what is now required from the whole of humanity, including the Jews, who have fallen from the level of following this rule.

I heard my teacher explain Rabbi Akiva’s origin. You can also go to Google.com, type in the words “Akiva proselyte” and read what it says. Please verify your knowledge. And you shouldn’t get so offended: it’s an honor to be a proselyte! After all, it’s an indication that a person went through correction. I wish for all of us to become proselytes as defined in the Torah! The Torah repeatedly states, “Love a proselyte.”

Question: Upon reading the text, “The Last Generation,” I came once again upon the reference to Jews and Gentiles. I am the latter in the physical sense and have at times felt exclusion from Kabbalah because of this fact. But I have read with much interest other texts where the dynamic has been clearly explained in the spiritual realm: the term “Jew” pertaining to an individual with the point in the heart. However, I still seem to feel that there are two definitions in various texts, some referring to the physical and others referring to the non-physical. Any clarity would be greatly appreciated on what is the correct way to view these two terms.

My Answer: There is no such nationality or people as “Jews”! It’s because this “nation” emerged from Abraham’s students, according to their spiritual quality. Kabbalah explains that there are 70 spiritual roots of the nations of the world, but there is no separate spiritual root for the nation of Isra-El! And that’s because anyone who aspires to the Creator can become Israel. Here is what we have today:

• A genetic Jew must study and disseminate Kabbalah (see item 70 of the “Introduction to the Book of Zohar”).
• A spiritual Jew (Isra-El) is any person who aspires to reveal the Creator.

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: Israel Is All the People Who Aspire Toward the Creator
Laitman.com Post: Being “Chosen” Means Having the Responsibility to Spiritually Serve the World
Kabbalah for Beginners: “Rabbi Akiva”
Shamati #72: “Confidence Is the Clothing for the Light”
Baal HaSulam Article: “The Love for the Creator & Love for the Created Beings”

Filed under: Israel - 2 Comments →

A question I received: What do you think about the situation that is now unfolding in Gaza, from the standpoint of Kabbalah? What solution would you propose to the Israeli and Palestinian governments? Is it possible to justify the actions of these two governments seeing that the victims are innocent people, the elderly and children?

My Answer: On the level of this world, I suffer for both nations. However, there is a Biblical law that says: “If someone raises a sword against you, let him die by the sword,” and, “If someone comes to kill you, forestall him and kill him first.” After many years of watching the civilian population of Israel being bombed, I don’t think there’s any alternative but to destroy the enemy – Hamas (but not the civilian Arabic population of Gaza). Hamas aspires to kill as many civilians as possible, and the fact that they are using their own people as a shield is no reason to sit and wait for them to destroy us. Let the population of Gaza rise up and deal with their own government, whose actions are forcing them into this catastrophe.

By the way, Israel regularly sends humanitarian aid to Gaza. The wounded civilians of Gaza are admitted to Israeli hospitals and treated free of charge. However, as for whether the humanitarian aid (hundreds of trucks a week) actually gets to the people – that is the UN’s job to monitor. These international organizations shouldn’t blame anyone but themselves for their indifference toward the hungry residents of Gaza!

And after all, wasn’t it the people living in Gaza who voted for Hamas to be their leader at the free elections? So indirectly, aren’t they also responsible for what is happening and are accomplices to some degree? “The people suffering are the civilians and the innocent children”  – but they are suffering because of their own choice to have Hamas be their government! This is their fault, and today they are reaping the fruits. And by the way, most Arabic countries hate and fear Hamas: just look at their reactions to what is happening.

But this was just a commentary on the level of our world.

The situation according to Kabbalah: Kabbalah sees everything taking place in the world as the revelation of man’s evil nature, the recognition of this evil, the search for its correction, then its correction and the attainment of the goal of creation. All the conflicts throughout the entire human history gather together into one sensation of evil, and they must bring us to the feeling of, “That’s enough!” And this will take place in our time. The prophets wrote that the final clashes taking place in the world will be against Arab fundamentalism. For example:

The Book of Zohar (Vaira, 32): “In the future, the sons of Ishmael will ignite cruel wars in the world…”

The Book of Zohar (Devarim, 32): “The sons of Ishmael will take over the Holy Land, when it is empty for many years… They will create obstructions for the sons of Israel, who will be returning to their land…”

But the huge Arabic world also includes voices such as this one:

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7SD4UCTb-E]

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: Why War Is Compatible With “Love For One’s Neghbor”
Laitman.com Post: War Means War
Laitman.com Post: Do Kabbalists Need an Army?

Filed under: Israel - 8 Comments →

A question I received: You wrote that when the Israelis living in America felt the crisis, they scurried to return home to Israel. But at the St. Louis Congress you said that in order to influence the world, the dissemination of Kabbalah has to come from America because Israel isn’t strong enough to do it. If all the Israeli Americans will return to Israel, then who will disseminate Kabbalah here? As an Israeli, what should I do? Should I return to Israel before it’s too late, or disseminate Kabbalah in America in the English language?

My Answer: Israelis living in America have never done anything beneficial for their nation, Israel, or Kabbalah! They have been the most egoistically repulsive tribe in America! And as long as they stay that way, I don’t care where they live. Now they’re returning to Israel so others can take care of them here! They’re still completely unfit to disseminate Kabbalah in America.

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: Who Needs Israel?
Kabbalah Today Article: Who Are You, People of Israel?
Chapter from The Open Book: “Introduction to the Zohar, Who is to Blame?”

Filed under: Israel - No Comments →

Two questions I received on Zionism and “the Mixed Multitude”:

Question: What is Zionism? What does this have to do with Kabbalah and Bnei Baruch?

My Answer: “Kabbalah is the method of revealing the Creator to man in this world” (Baal HaSulam, article “The Essence of the Wisdom of Kabbalah”). Zionism is a social movement in favor of returning to Zion (Israel). The Kabbalistic definition is as follows: the Land of Israel is also called “Zion,” from the word Yetzia – “exit” in Hebrew. Any person who exits the limits of our egoistic world and enters the Upper, Altruistic World, enters “Zion.” Mi Tzion Tize Tora (the Torah will come from Zion), means that when a person exits his egoistic state, he comes to the Light.

Question: During the last two lessons, you mentioned “the Mixed Multitude.” Who is this?

My Answer: “The Mixed Multitude” (Erev Rav) are the opponents of Kabbalah who prevent people from coming out of spiritual exile and revealing the Creator. And even after a person aspires toward bestowal and love, Erev Rav prevents him from advancing by any means possible. They came in Moses’s way when he was trying to lead the people out of Egypt (the spiritual exile) toward the revelation of the Creator. They also placed all kinds of obstacles in his way during the 40-year passage through the desert.

Today they also spread all kinds of rumors. They can no longer speak against Kabbalah, because this is no longer possible, but against the people who disseminate it, including our organization. It is written that they are Irei Hashem Ovdei Paroh – those who fear the Creator, but desire to remain inside their egoism.

The Gaon of Vilna (Agra) wrote in The Light of the Zohar, 3: 28 “Adam Ve Ishto”: “In the future Moses will reveal everything to us, unlike the way it is now hidden in the Torah in the form of stories intended for Erev Rav, who do not study the inner meaning.”

Related Material:
Kabbalists Write about the Wisdom of Kabbalah
Chapter from Book The Kabbalah Experience: “Spiritual Work”
Shamati #33: “The Lots on Yom Kippurim and with Haman”
Shamati #54: “The Purpose of the Work”
Baal HaSulam Article:” A Speech in Celebration of the Conclusion of The Zohar”

Filed under: Israel - 3 Comments →

A question I received: In the last lesson on the article “The Revelation of Godliness (Matan Torah)” you explained that in reality the other religions do not contain the rule “love your neighbor.” You gave an example of wars that are fought over issues such as the right way to pray and the Caste system in Hinduism, and that these are all signs that religion do not follow the rule “love your neighbor.”

So how are we to understand the “wars against the seven nations” and the war with Amalek? I am trying to understand how these actions can be implemented while keeping the rule “love your neighbor.” I think that even if they are performed while keeping this rule, the future generations will make wrong conclusions about them and as a result, commit cruelty and destruction.

My Answer: Correction takes place precisely through wars and clashes between egoism and the Light. Take King David for example, whose Psalms are valued by the entire world because they are the highest manifestation of love to the Creator. He spent forty years fighting wars, and moreover, he was the aggressor. This is known as the “Conquest of David” (Kibush David), spanning from Egypt to Babylon, including Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and other territories that have Upper Spiritual roots (other territories don’t have such roots). Another example is Joshua, who conquered the Land of Israel and exiled seven nations from it. Moreover, it was the Creator’s prohibition to let them stay in that land. All of this is described in the Torah, and it happens in congruence with the correction of egoism and its replacement with “bestowal.”

In order to correctly picture the arrangement of people in our world, one must imagine the forces that govern them. If the actions happen according to the Creator’s directive, like the wars fought by Joshua and David in Biblical times, then it is equivalent to the correction of egoism (see Rashbi’s commentary on Beresheet). On the other hand, if the actions are based on man’s decision, then they are egoistic! Since those times, Israel has not fought any wars where it was the aggressor.

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: War Means War
Laitman.com Post: Cain and Abel are Within Us
Chapter from the Book A Guide To The Hidden Wisdom of Kabbalah: “Lesson 10”
Chapter from the Book The Kabbalah Experience: “The Messiah and the End of Days”

Filed under: Israel - No Comments →

News Report (translated from 7Kanal): The Israeli society keeps having debates about the Third Temple: Should the Temple be built? Should the Land of Israel be populated according to its historical borders? Is it necessary for all the Jews to gather in Zion? Is it necessary to create a Jewish government? And so on. There are many more questions than answers.

My Comment: Many years ago I already wrote about the problem of “populating Zion.” This does not mean building comfortable villas all over Israel, but “populating the heart” with the quality of love and bestowal.

Every time I remind people about our true mission, my words are met with renewed hatred for me. Nevertheless, these reminders will do their job – and will be heard!

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: The Jewish Nation Can Only Be Revived By Restoring “Love for One’s Neighbor”
Laitman.com Post: The Third Temple and the Coming of the Messiah
Kabbalah Today Article: Love Is the Way
Kabbalah Today Article: Who Are You, People of Israel?
Chapter from the Book The Kabbalah Experience – “The Messiah and the End of Days”

Filed under: Israel - No Comments →

News Report (translated from news.ru): Between the years 2000 and 2007, 3,500 people per year returned to Israel. In 2008, however, the number of people who have returned jumped to 7,000, and another 15,000 have submitted their applications to the ministry of absorption. In the last two months alone, as many as 2000 people returned to Israel.

My Comment: The return of the “lost children” marks the end of their wanderings in search of a heaven on earth, and the beginning of their search for the real heaven – the revelation of the Upper World. The Book of Zohar says that this precedes the return of the truly lost sons – the return of the ten tribes that were lost 3000 years ago. Today there are hundreds of millions of them in the world…

Related Material:
Laitman.com: Israel Are Those Who Aspire Straight to the Creator
Laitman.com Post: The Jewish Nation Can Only Be Revived By Restoring “Love for One’s Neighbor”
Part 5 from the book Interview With the Future: Spiritual Exile

Filed under: Israel - No Comments →

A question I received: What Is your opinion on the negotiations to divide Jerusalem? Are you for or against its division?

My Answer: I don’t have an opinion of my own; I accept the opinion of the great Kabbalists. Baal HaSulam writes: “If the people of Israel will accept the laws of Kabbalah, then it will be possible to build the Temple and bring back all the past glory. And of course this would prove to all the nations of the world – even the Arabs – that the people of Israel have the right to return to their land. This will be very different from the present secular repatriation, which does not impress the nations of the world. We need to act quickly, or else they might sell Israel’s independence for their own needs, not to mention giving away Jerusalem.”

He wrote this 93 years ago, when there was no talk of  repatriation yet, or the state of Israel, or our Jerusalem, and moreover – its current division. I am neither “for” nor “against” it, because I know that the only thing that will help us is our correction. Hence correction is the only thing I am “for.”

It is also written: “If you follow the path of the wisdom of Kabbalah and accept the Creator’s teaching – things will be good. And if you don’t accept it, then you will still advance toward the goal He has set, but your path will be one of suffering. In other words, wars will break out in the world, fought with atomic and hydrogen bombs, and all the nations of the world will search for counsel on how to avoid the wars. And they will come to the Messiah in Jerusalem, and he will teach them this wisdom.”

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: The Third Temple and the Coming of the Messiah
Laitman.com Post: Building the Third Temple
Baal HaSulam Article: The Last Generation
Chapter from the Book The Kabbalah Experience: The Messiah and the End of Days
Chapter from the Book Interview with the Future: A Spiritual Task

Filed under: Israel - No Comments →

A question I received: I thought that all the terms in Kabbalah, such as Goy (gentile), the nations of the world, Israel, and Jew, are states that every person must experience. It’s sad that all of your answers are always two-sided. From this explanation it follows that Adam HaRishon is not a common state, but only for genetic Jews, because they have already been there, while the “gentiles” haven’t even had a slight taste of it. But then why are they in a state of descent?

My Answer: You should look at everything objectively, like a researcher. Then you’ll be closer to the truth. All the terms exist both on the corporeal and the spiritual levels. Every person must experience every state.

Those who have gone through the spiritual ascent and descent in the past are the genetic Jews, starting with Abraham, the first Kabbalist. (We don’t consider anyone before him since there was no system, even though everything started with Adam.) These people (souls) must be the first to go through the correction, because they broke during the First and the Second Temples. They must then pass the method on to everyone else.

On the corporeal level, they are hated and abused for neglecting this mission. Incidentally, the Hebrew word Goy (gentile) means a nation. Israel is also referred to as “Goy,” but “Goy Kadosh” – a holy nation, provided that it is in the quality of love and bestowal.

Adam is the common soul of all people. A part of Adam – the souls of Abraham’s students, underwent spiritual ascent and breaking. Another part of the souls, the Goyim (gentiles) never ascended or broke. The broken souls are worse than those that didn’t break, but they also have a greater predisposition toward correction because they contain the broken spiritual desires. This is why they are obligated to become “Ohr Le Goim” – the Light for the nations of the world, who don’t contain the broken desires.

Being “chosen” means being responsible for mastering the method of correction and passing it on to the entire world, or in other words – spiritually serving the world.

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: Israel Are Those Who Aspire Straight to the Creator
Laitman.com Post: Building the Third Temple
Kabbalah Today Article: Who Are You, People of Israel?
Kabbalah Today Article: Mission Possible (and Mandatory)
Baal HaSulam Article: “Matan Torah (The Giving of the Torah)”
Baal HaSulam Article: “Messiah’s Horn”

Filed under: Israel - 2 Comments →

A question I received: Does Kabbalah see the Jewish nation as the chosen people of G-d?

My Answer: The chosen people are a group of people who may have any earthly features or qualities. The important thing is that they have “points in the heart” – an aspiration for the goal of creation: adhesion with the Creator through equivalence of form. This group must also have a sense of its mission: to master the method of correction and to teach it to the whole world.

The group is called Israel (from the words Isra – straight and El – the Creator) because it is directed “straight to the Creator” – to bestowal and love for one’s neighbor. Anyone in this condition is named Israel, and is “chosen.”

We all came from the ancient civilization in Babylon – one nation. Some of the people in ancient Babylon accepted the method of correction that Abraham offered to everyone, and because of their intention, this group was named Israel.

Today, we – the whole of mankind, are recognizing that we’ve reached a dead end of the egoistic development, which has lasted for 4500 years, since the times of ancient Babylon. This recognition will compel us to rise above our egoism, and together to reach the Creator’s level. This is Nature’s plan.

Those who feel and recognize this call have the task of leading all of humanity, all of Babylon. That’s what makes them chosen. Here is what Baal HaSulam writes in item 19 of his article “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee)”:

Rabbi Elazar, the son of Rabbi Shimon, author of The Book of Zohar, clarifies this concept even further by saying that it is not enough that all of Israel be responsible for one another, but that the whole world must be included in that bond… The end of the world’s correction will come when all the nations of the world join together in their aspiration for the Creator. He will then reveal Himself to all, as the sages said: “And the Lord shall be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord shall be one and His name one. And the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, and all the nations shall flow unto Him.”

The role of Israel toward the world is that they are obliged to ascend spiritually and to prepare all of humanity to accept the exalted work of “love for one’s neighbor,” which is a means, a ladder leading to the goal of creation – adhesion with the Creator.

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: Nationality Results from the Soul’s Properties
Laitman.com Post: Why Does Everyone Hate Israel?
Shlavey HaSulam (Steps of the Ladder) – “Love Your Friend as Yourself”

Filed under: Israel - No Comments →