Entries in the 'Israel Today' Category

What Does Hatred Push Us To?

213Question: I strongly feel what is happening in Israel. It seems that this is actually us, that our hatred has accumulated so much, materialized, and come out because there is no place for it anymore. It feels like a huge basket of hate is growing that is coming back to us.

What is the difference between the evil inclination created by the Creator and the evil we generate with our feelings toward each other?

Answer: The Creator created only the root of the evil inclination, and we inflate it. We inflate it more and more until the whole world is inflamed.

Comment: This is really scary, because I truly felt that what happened depends on us. I felt afraid not to love, to be in a state of non-love.

My Response: Yes, this is very well said. When I reveal that I don’t love others, I should be afraid because it pushes us all to self-destruction.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/27/23, Writings of Rabash “Man Is Rewarded with Righteousness and Peace through the Torah“

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So that there Would Be No War

931.01People ask: if the Creator is kind and merciful, how could He allow such a catastrophe that occurred on October 7th?

It is known that everything happens under the governance of the upper force, but the Creator does not take into account physical bodies, and there are times when He allows a criminal to kill. But how can we attract mercy from above so that such a crime will never happen again?

With this suffering and pain, the Creator shows where we really lack correction. And correction is necessary only in the connection between us and nowhere else. We do not want there to be a war? Let’s unite, and there will be no war! We do not want people to die? Let’s unite, and there will be no lives lost!

The main thing is the connection, the closeness between us. We need to feel this law with all our heart, with all our mind, with all our soul. There is nothing else to do—just get closer to each other.

And in this closeness, we must reveal the mutual guarantee that all Israel are guarantors for each other. And if someone acts badly and leads to separation, then it is not he who is to blame, but all of us.

And this is so opposite to our egoism that wants to fence itself off from everyone in order to feel calm and righteous as if it had nothing to do with anything. But in fact, each of us must realize that it is he who is responsible and to be blamed for everything that is happening in the world.

For such a connection, mutual support is necessary, “he helped everyone his friend” to open their hearts. Everyone needs to obligate everyone to reach an understanding that correction can only be universal, mutual, and all together to the Creator. Life will put pressure on us until it forces us to fully unite in order to set an example and show the way to all other nations.

But we first need to show each other which way to go forward. And here everyone should feel that he alone is responsible in front of the Creator for the whole world and is obliged to pull the whole world to the Creator. This is the necessary condition; everyone must have at least a minimal correction and thus  pull the world forward, toward the Creator, toward unity.

And if this does not happen, then we will simply die out like dinosaurs, and the planet Earth will end its existence. Therefore, we must try by all means to soften our hearts so that we understand that only in the unification of hearts is the salvation for all mankind.

Now is the time for our nation to open their hearts to love and not settle scores with each other, but on the contrary, to rise above all differences and move toward peace in the world together. Let’s open our hearts and try to feel the Creator inside them, and see how beneficially this will affect the whole world.

Such is the law of the world that there will be no peace anywhere until there is peace between us.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah lesson 10/27/23, Writings of Rabash “Man Is Rewarded with Righteousness and Peace through the Torah“

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“A Few Recent Posts in Connection to the Israel-Hamas War” (Times of Israel)

Michael Laitman, on the Times of Israel: “A Few Recent Posts in Connection to the Israel-Hamas War

How Do You Explain the Need for Unity to Someone Who Is Locked on a Divisive Worldview That Continually Seeks to Justify One Side and Blame the Other?

I avoid pursuing such endeavors because it is a long process to prove something, if it is even possible at all, since there is an innate need in people to hold onto certain beliefs.

Nevertheless, no matter the outcome, it is worthwhile for all who are willing to hear about the need for unity, to calibrate themselves in a way where they understand that positive human connection is their sole source of strength. By directing such connection toward the idea that there is a single force of love and bestowal in reality, they place themselves at the center of creation.

They can then succeed, not by overpowering their opinion over others, but by showing that it is possible to achieve unity above all rivalries. More and more people will then open up to viewing unity above division as the ultimate solution to everyone’s problems.

What Should Israel Do to Ensure the Safety and Eventual Release of the Israeli Soldiers and Civilians Taken Hostage by Hamas?

Beyond the strategies and tactics, we should give the people taken hostage the confidence that we are coming to save them.

The hostages’ main task is to hold out. They should completely focus on that while we need to save them, and do everything in order to ensure their safe return home.

The Creator, the upper force of love and bestowal, is above this entire situation. We should all thus turn to the Creator, both us and the people taken hostage, so that the connection between us and the upper force will become tangible.

What Would be a Sign of Strength in Response to the Conflict in Israel?

In today’s world, strength is synonymous with unity. It is as simple as that: If we come together, then we draw into our connections the most powerful single, unique and unified force that exists in nature.

Anyone who has been listening to my lessons or reading my texts would know that I always talk about the need to unite in order to draw nature’s unifying force. It is because we need nothing else.

But what exactly do I mean by unity? Unity means that we should feel like we are there for each other. There is no room for slackers; we need to stick together.

You might recall the motto “One for all, all for one” from the Three Musketeers, a phrase many of us cherished in our childhood. If we ever appreciated this principle, it has since slipped away as life led us to a more self-centered “every man for himself” approach. Today’s blows, however, act as a serious lesson and reminder of the need for such unity.

We must have needed the recent tragic events to prompt us to unite. If we had been in a tendency to unite without them, then they would not have surfaced.

Now, in the wake of tragedy, the extent of our strength will depend completely on the extent of our unity. We need to come together, to support, encourage, care and be there for each other, advancing together against the forces that have arisen to divide and destroy us.

“How Should Israel Respond to International Threats?” (Times of Israel)

Michael Laitman, on the Times of Israel: “How Should Israel Respond to International Threats?
Beyond the necessary military response, there is a broader solution: we, the people of Israel, need to embrace peace, unity and mutual understanding among ourselves. With these qualities, we can resolve issues with our neighbors and, on a wider scale, bring about global harmony.

I have been emphasizing this need to unite for several years. It is the only way to reach a lasting solution to these problems.

The people of Israel are under immense external pressure because we are not fulfilling our role in contributing positively to the world. We are missing the point if we think that we contribute positively to the world in fields such as science, technology, medicine and innovation in general. Why? It is because those external exports are not the inner essence that the world ultimately needs from us.

What the world needs is for us to set an example of unity among ourselves as a top priority. If we continue with internal animosity, protests and other divisive behaviors, even to the point of harming each other, we will inevitably see the consequences reflected in the increasing hatred from other people and nations toward us.

The internal conflicts that intensified before the war contributed to the war itself and the behavior of those who attacked us. Therefore, our external problems are, at their core, a result of our inner conflicts.

We need to convince ourselves to love one another. As such, global tensions will ease, and the hatred toward us will disappear.
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What The Creator Tells Us

962.3Question: When a person finds himself in a difficult situation, often hopeless, he turns to the Creator. Today, many people in our country turn to the Creator. Some have already lowered their hands in helplessness, some in anger, some in a plea, prayer, and demand, meaning, the Creator turned the nation to Him today.

Our hearing is sharpened today. What do you think we should hear? What does the Creator want to tell us?

Answer: That we should unite. This is the most important thing. If we unite, then we will defeat our internal enemy and external enemy, and in general then we will win.

Comment: You separate internal and external enemy; please explain this.

My Response: The most important thing is our egoism. We must defeat it, and then we will defeat the external enemy.

Question: So, one depends on the other?

Answer: Yes.

Question: And yet, what is the Creator telling us now?

Answer: He only tells us about connection. Nothing else! He will act in accordance with our connection.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 10/16/23

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The Formula for Victory

294.2Question: Today, every mother and every father who have a son or a daughter in the army, flinches at the sound of a doorbell ringing even more than from a siren. It isn’t from a phone ringing, but a doorbell. It is clear why; they are afraid that three officers will come in and suddenly tell them that their son, their daughter, or their husband has died.

The question is in what exactly is our maximum effort to save the lives of our children, relatives, and loved ones who are now on the front line?

Answer: The answer is the same—in our unification. In our unification in all cases and under all conditions.

Comment: You say “unification.” We hear this around us too, but you add something else to it.

My Response: What I mean by this is that we must unite in such a way that the Creator wishes to create a dome over us that will protect us, and most importantly, unite us. The Creator is waiting for this.

Question: Does He expect us precisely to turn to Him or that we want to unite and then turn to Him? What is the sequence?

Answer: That we will unite and turn to Him.

Question: And why do we turn to Him when we unite? After all, we have already united.

Answer: We begin to feel the need for Him then.

Question: Why does precisely this effort to unite lead to the need for the Creator?

Answer: Because then we begin to feel this upper force that can protect us, unite us, and save us from external and internal hatred.

Question: And if we now offer this formula to everyone that our unification leads to… what? How would you put it?

Answer: Our unification leads us to protection from above. Then the Creator is with us.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 10/16/23

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We Can Resist Any Pressure

546.04Comment: So far the world supports us. So far everyone is horrified by the footage of Hamas fighters as they were attacking, showing how they were killing, and as they were taking prisoners. The world shuddered. But time is running out, we are launching an operation to destroy Hamas.

And you understand that literally after some time pressure will begin, and it will be a terrible pressure, enormous, from the whole world.

My Response: It depends on how much we will be together.

Question: If we are together, we can have an answer?

Answer: To move on and on. They wanted to throw us into the sea, we have to throw them into the sea.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 10/16/23

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“Israel before vs. during the war” (Times of Israel)

Michael Laitman, On The Times of Israel: “Israel before vs. during the war
Protests, political conflicts, street uproar and division among the people of Israel marked the situation before the war.

We need to combat our lack of unity. The issue is not differing party affiliations, varying viewpoints or demonstrations, but that we want to negate one another, which weakens everyone. It is perfectly okay to disagree and to argue, but we need to respect others and acknowledge their right to their own opinion.

Currently, during the war, the animosity seems to have mostly vanished among the people of Israel, and people stand together to provide mutual support. The mixed emotions of war have made us largely forget our hatred of each other. But we are far from distancing ourselves from the pre-war state, and we could return to it in a matter of just a few days.

A shared sorrow bonds us for the time being, but the hatred has gone nowhere. We see several heartwarming instances of mutual aid and selflessness, but they are merely the results of the blow we suffered. As soon as the external threat wanes, the internal animosity will resurface.

In order to reach genuine unity, we need to be willing to set aside our own interests and opinions in favor of uniting with one another. We are not there yet. Instead, we are in a state that Kabbalist Yehuda Ashlag (Baal HaSulam) describes as “brothers in misfortune.”

We see several instances of self-sacrifice, mutual support and contribution to society for the sake of defending the country. However, we must not deceive ourselves and think that we have achieved any special form of unity, as it is all happening due to the pressure of a shared tragedy. We cannot carry over such unity to a level of developing our unity in a correct, positive and genuine manner.

To achieve true unity, we need to start from scratch, free from external influences that compel us to unite. We need to initiate unity ourselves, aiming to live harmoniously, peacefully and happily, connected to one another, growing closer together and loving each other. This necessitates a shift in consciousness rather than external coercion.
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Care for the Other as a Norm, Not as a Feat

563It is a well-known fact that “Israel is strong when we treat each other well.” Since the war began, we see examples of courage, self-sacrifice, mutual support, and assistance in the people of Israel. So why did we receive such a terrible blow that is comparable to the Holocaust?

The fact is that there is no real connection from heart to heart. Now, after this blow, people are doing wonderful things for the benefit of the nation. But some time will pass, two weeks, two months, and everything will return to the way it was before, and the confrontation will spill out onto the streets again.

We are struck by the savage cruelty of what happened. But this is not the first time in the history of Jewish people that such a catastrophe has occurred, and we still do not draw any conclusions.

We must realize that cruelty is inherent in human nature, especially toward the people of Israel. After all, it is written in our Torah that we must be the best. The Creator intended it this way that we must set a good example for everyone, and if not, then other nations treat us worse than everyone else.

What should we be the best at? Actually, in everything! And above all, in relationships with each other. We are obliged to help each other, to love and to feel close to each other.

Now we feel this closeness, but only because we are afraid that this will happen again. But as soon as fears dissipate, we will again become indifferent to each other.

A person receives strength for heroic deeds from the feeling that he is doing the good and the right thing. This allows him to go even against the instinct of self-preservation. That is why he is called a man and not an animal, which acts only according to instincts.

We must see examples of how we should all be toward each other in these selfless actions and realize our responsibility to save our neighbors. This is how we must act not only in the hour of disaster, but every day. After all, we must understand that we will always be in an emergency situation until we achieve love for our neighbor as for ourselves, until attention, unity, care, and mutual assistance become commonplace for us, and not a feat.
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From KabTV’s “An Inside Look” 10/15/23

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A Miracle Happened to Us

294.2Question: More and more facts of terrorist atrocities are being revealed now. They were horrific! We are not even seeing all the photos that might be posted someday.

We did a 14-minute-long program with you about this. People watched it to the end. It received lots of views, almost a million, in 24 hours. This has never happened before. It received a lot of warm and heartfelt support and a very large flow of curses.

“You are aggressors! You torture the Palestinian people! How dare you say that this territory needs to be resettled, that it cannot exist next to you!” And so on. I will not repeat it because you know all this very well. The first question is: how do you feel about this?

Answer: I take this evenly. Even if there were no criticism, I do not react to it. This is a natural response of people who are on the other side of justice.

This will stop if we become loving, mutually obliging, and so on. Otherwise, we will feel bad all the time. We can say that the nations of the world are leading us to correction with their own hands.

Question: And the fact that people are very distrustful of this—of the fact that everything will change, that Jews must change, this being chosen?

Answer: It seems truly incredible, but I believe that no matter what, we will turn into who we are meant to be.

Question: Do you mean “Love your neighbor as yourself”?

Answer: Yes. And then all the nations of the world will say: “Look what the Creator did to them.”

They will see that we are one nation treating each other with love and not with mutual hatred, demonstrations, and all sorts of antics. And they will be happy to approach us and learn from us about this opportunity to live in peace and love.

That is, we have no choice. The Creator again gives us an opportunity, an incredible opportunity, so that we can establish a good connection between us and Him.

I consider what happened to us a miracle. Because there were no guards, no front, no one! They could have just calmly slaughtered all of us. This is what the Creator showed us—how we kill ourselves with our opposition, contradiction, and discord between each other. It is terrible!

The only thing I would wish is to beg the Creator not to let His people go until they are corrected. You must be a Jew, be different, and then everything will work out for you.

Question: What do you mean by the word “Jew”?

Answer: Yehudi (Jew) comes from the word “Yehud” (unity).

Question: Then everything will work out for us and everything will work out for the world?

Answer: Yes. But now we still live in debt. The world is suffering because of us and yet forgives us. And all this comes from above.

So we have no right to make claims to the Creator.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 10/12/23

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