Entries in the 'Kabbalah Dissemination' Category

What Is The Uniqueness Of Our Organization?

laitman_269Question: In what way is your organization unique and different from other organizations?

Answer: We are different not only from other groups and methods but from all of humanity, from the whole nature of this world, because it is totally egoistic.

Today, everyone in our world wants to control others and swallow them, whereas we want to ascend to the next level of our development, which is defined as love and bestowal. This means absolute altruism, when a person performs acts of bestowal unto the world not because he is born that way, since we were all born as egoists, but because this is what the Creator tells us to do, not for one’s self.

We are opposite and different from all the religions, beliefs, and philosophies because the wisdom of Kabbalah teaches a person how to devote himself to the world by performing the main commandment of the Torah, to love thy friend as thyself. We must first exit ourselves in order to do it.

It is enough to take a look at what happens in our society in order to find out that everyone has actually abandoned the main commandment of the Torah of love thy friend as thyself and everyone cares only about their self interest. This is the reason that we seem so strange and why people don’t understand us.

The wisdom of Kabbalah teaches a person how to change his nature from receiving to bestowal and how to discover the upper world and the Creator in the attribute of bestowal. When a person starts to study he doesn’t understand that yet because once he realizes that he has to go against himself he is offended and may turn against us and the wisdom of Kabbalah and even become our rival.

This is the reason that there are so few who study and acquire this wisdom and reveal the Creator.
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Jews Are To Blame For Anti-Semitism

laitman_547_06In the News (polosa.co.il): “According to a study conducted by the French Fund for Judaism, 6 out of 10 French people believe that the Jews are to blame for anti-Semitism. Within a few days, [the French Fund for Judaism] surveyed more than a thousand Frenchmen as to whether they believe that Jews are at least partially responsible for the anti-Semitism in France.

“An affirmative answer to this question is 59%, with 3% expressed confidence that on the Jews is a ‘very large share of’ responsibility, and 14% said their share was ‘substantial.’ More than half of respondents said that the Jews have a lot of power, and that they are richer than the French average. 13% admitted that, in their opinion, France has too many Jews, even though according to statistics the number of the Jewish community is only 1% of the population.”

My Comment: The anti-Semites are right: the Jews are to blame for the hatred against them. The hatred of Jews is both natural and real, and exists in places where there aren’t even any Jews and in places where they don’t even know what a Jew is.

This is because the hatred toward them stems from nature itself, from the Creator, because in relation to the Creator, the Jews who aren’t corrected, are in opposition to Him.

If they would change and reach the opposite state, i.e., bestowal, connection, and love between themselves and toward others, then in accordance, the hatred of the Creator would immediately turn into love for them. This is mentioned many times in the Torah.
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Ynet: Time For Acceptance — 10 Myths About Kabbalah


YNET [edited]: The World Kabbalah Convention held recently at the Tel Aviv Fairgrounds aroused curiosity and a need among many to understand what is hidden behind the wisdom. Dr. Michael Laitman sheds a little light on the authentic wisdom of Kabbalah, challenging the myths and answering all the questions you didn’t have  to ask.

To read the text on the Ynet website, click here

Last week in the Tel Aviv Fairgrounds, the HaTovim convention from the home of Kabbalah L’Am (Bnei Baruch Kabbalah Education & Research Institute) was held. The convention was attended by nearly 8,000 people from 64 countries, including Chile, New Zealand, Turkey, Japan, and even Ghana.

Under the slogan: “Kabbalah Worldwide Strengthens Israel,” thousands of students from Israel and abroad gathered with the goal of strengthening the unity and connection of the people of Israel. Indeed, such a show of connection, uniting a vast range of people above differences of opinion and social rifts, above ethnicities and sects, above religion and nationality, could be made possible thanks to the power of connection inherent in the study of the wisdom of Kabbalah.

The successful convention aroused among many a variety of questions about the nature of the study of the wisdom of Kabbalah. In light of the many requests, we have prepared especially for you, a “Guide for the Perplexed About the Wisdom of Kabbalah,” which includes answers to questions and addresses common myths.

What is Kabbalah?

If you encapsulate the thousands of words and books into one sentence, Kabbalah is the method for discovering the supreme force that runs our lives (1). The Kabbalists discovered that the reality we live in is managed by a system called “HaTeva (nature)” or “Elohim (the Divine)”—two terms whose value in Gematria (numerology) is 86 (2).

Kabbalah makes it possible for us to recognize the system that manages reality and to learn how we can change our destiny for the better. It provides tools for coping successfully with the problems  of everyday life in a variety of areas such as economics, health, education, relationships, security, ecology, etc. (3)

What is the purpose of Kabbalah?

The goal of Kabbalah is to establish good and proper relationships among all people, relations of “love thy neighbor,” pertaining to the entirety of human society. As a result, we communicate with the system that manages us, so we can influence our destiny.

What is the origin of Kabbalah?

Kabbalah was first discovered in ancient Babylon around 3,800 years ago, on the background of a social crisis that erupted in Babylonian society and came to an abysmal hatred among its members. Abraham, a great Babylonian priest, gathered the inhabitants of Babylon and taught them about connection and love of others. Kabbalah is the science that connected them and led them to live “as one person with one heart,” similar to the oneness and wholeness of nature.

Since then love of others has been the highest value, and only though it can balance be brought to the human ego —a force that is liable to lead to separation when it shifts out of balance. The group eventually became the people of Israel, Yashar-El (Straight to the Creator), for their desire to discover the “Divine,” the power of unity that exists in nature (4).

Who is Kabbalah for?

Kabbalah is intended for anyone who feels a question about the meaning of life burning within. It is appropriate for anyone who senses a need for spiritual development, regardless of age, gender, religion or race (5).

There are no prerequisites for studying Kabbalah. Anyone who has a desire in his or her heart is welcome (6).

What isn’t included in Kabbalah?

Authentic Kabbalah is not mysticism, numerology, amulets, miracles, magic, spells, red strings, holy water, Tarot cards, astrology, or anything else like that… Kabbalah is a scientific investigation based on experience, in which a person studies his egoistic nature. By studying this science and one’s involvement with it, one gradually acquires the characteristic of giving and changes his egoistic nature to love of others (7).

Who is a Kabbalist?

A Kabbalist is a person who, through the study of Kabbalah, reaches love of others and love of the “Creator,” the general force in reality. From connection with the upper force, one discovers the hidden laws of nature, and now is able to help others change their attitude to life in the same way (8).

What is the connection between religion and Kabbalah?

Throughout history love of others was the key to the success and prosperity of the people of Israel. As long as we were connected to each other and love dwelled among us, the people stood in their complete spiritual and material glory. However, when we lost the power of connection, the people split, separated, and even lost its rightful place on the map of nations.

Since the discovery of Kabbalah by Abraham until the destruction of the Temple, the people of Israel kept the commandment of love of others that includes within it 613 Mitzvot (commandments) against the 613 egoistic desires inherent in us (9). At the same time, in complete replication and accommodation to these internal corrections, there are also actions among the people derived from these 613 Mitzvot (commandments). As a result of the destruction of the Temple, the people “fell” from brotherly love to unfounded hatred, neglecting the correction of the heart and all that remained was a focus on the practical fulfillment of the 613 practices (10).

From the time of the Holy Ari in the 16th century onward, Kabbalists determined that the generation was ready to return to the study of the science and the rebuilding of relationships between man and his fellow man (11). In other words, it was time to engage in correcting the “evil inclination”—those 613 “broken” desires, with the help of the “Torah,” the upper force. The Torah was given to us only to build relationships of absolute love; otherwise, we will not belong to the supreme power (12). Since then, the restrictions have been removed from studying Kabbalah and the wisdom is now available to everyone everywhere: secular, religious, Jews and non-Jews.

What is the cause of the opposition to the wisdom of Kabbalah?

The Holy Ari, the Baal Shem Tov, and all great Kabbalists of the last five hundred years believed that the correction of the world will happen through study of Kabbalah and its dissemination in Israel and around the world. Those who oppose the wisdom of Kabbalah hold an opposing opinion. They claim that it is forbidden to study the wisdom of Kabbalah until the discovery will come from the mouth of the Messiah.

For many years there has been disagreement between the Hasidim and the Mitnagdim (their opponents) regarding the treatment of Kabbalah; a dispute that began in the days of the Baal Shem Tov in the 18th century and continues to this day. Despite the struggle that has arisen from time to time, we hope that those circles that oppose the study of the Kabbalah will understand the bitter mistake that has split the people of Israel specifically at the point of their foundation (13).

The people of Israel were founded around the wisdom of Kabbalah and around “love your neighbor.” They live and exist thanks to this, and their entire role and essence is to spread to the world the power of connection inherent in the heart of the science (14).

So what happens next? Where does the need and urge to study the wisdom today come from?

Man’s egoistic nature has led humanity to set up ways of life founded on exploiting others, a process that has culminated today. After thousands of years of progress and development, most systems of life that we have constructed are found in the midst of a difficult crisis: the economic system is in a prolonged death, culture and the arts are dying, the educational systems are collapsing, the family unit is disintegrating, and above all stands out the state of the ecosystem, which seems to have completely shifted out of balance.

We have reached a decisive point from which we can no longer continue to manage the ways of life egoistically as we have been accustomed to. Nature is gradually bringing us to a level of despair and disappointment with life, urging us to change our attitude toward reality, forcing us to stop using egoism as the only incentive for development. To change our way, it is up to us to recognize and learn the laws that manage reality and begin to operate in harmony with nature, “as one person with one heart”—that is how we will achieve the happiness that we long for (15).

References:

1. “The whole of the wisdom of Kabbalah is only to know the guidance of the Higher Will, why It has created all these creatures, what It wants with them, and what the end of all the cycles of the world will be.” (“Kelach Pitchei Hochmah” – “138 Doors of Wisdom”, Door 30”).

“What does the wisdom revolve around? This question comes to the mind of every right-minded person. To properly address it, I will provide a reliable and lasting definition: this wisdom is no more and no less than a sequence of roots, which hang down by way of cause and consequence, by fixed, determined rules, interweaving to a single, exalted goal described as “the revelation of His Godliness to His creatures in this world.” (Rav Yehudah Ashlag – Baal HaSulam, the article, “The Essence of the Wisdom of Kabbalah”).

2. “…it is best for us to meet halfway and accept the words of the Kabbalists that HaTeva (nature) has the same numerical value (in Hebrew) as Elokim (God)—eighty-six. Then, I will be able to call the laws of God “nature’s Mitzvot (commandments),” or vice-versa, for they are one and the same….” (Rav Yehudah Ashlag – Baal HaSulam, the article, “The Peace”).

3. “The Wisdom of Kabbalah – The True Wisdom” (Tanna “Kanah”, Sefer HaPliah).

“The wisdom of the truth teaches us the global unity, the side of equality to be found in the whole of existence through the very top, at the parity of the form with this Maker, and how to walk without obstacles by the path of this light.” (Rav Raiah Kook, “Orot HaKodesh 2”, page 393).

4. “Kindness like that of Abraham has never been found…and he brought peace between people, for he was the father of many nations because he was the one who united and made peace among all creatures.” (“Gevurot HaShem”, Chapter 6).

“’And you shall love your friend as yourself. All the things that you want you should do them for others, making them your brothers…The law that our father Abraham enacted and through the kindness by which he led: ‘Feeding passersby and giving them something to drink and accompanying them’” (Rambam, Mishnah Torah, Sefer Shofetim, Hilchot Aivel, Chapter 14).

“When he was forty years old Abraham knew his Creator…and he began to stand up and call in a great voice to all the people, to let them know that there is one God for the whole world, and it is fitting to work for Him. And he went and called and gathered the people from city to city and from kingdom to kingdom….until thousands and myriads gathered to him, and they were the people of the House of Abraham. And he planted in their hearts this great principle, and wrote books…and the matter went and grew in the children of Jacob and accompanied them, and a nation was made in the world that knows the Creator’” (Rambam, “Mishneh Torah,” Sefer HaMeda, Hilchot Avodah Zarah, Chapter 1).

5. “Indeed, if we set our hearts to answer but one very famous question, I am certain that all these questions and doubts will vanish from the horizon, and you will look unto their place to find them gone. This indignant question is a question that the whole world asks, namely, ‘What is the meaning of my life?’ In other words, these numbered years of our life that cost us so heavily, and the numerous pains and torments that we suffer for them, to complete them to the fullest, who is it who enjoys them? Or even more precisely, whom do I delight? It is indeed true that historians have grown weary contemplating it, and particularly in our generation. No one even wishes to consider it. Yet the question stands as bitterly and as vehemently as ever. Sometimes it meets us uninvited, pecks at our minds and humiliates us to the ground before we find the famous ploy of flowing mindlessly in the currents of life as always. Indeed, it is to resolve this great riddle that the verse writes, ‘Taste and see that the Lord is good.’” (Rav Yehudah Ashlag – Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot”, 2-3)

“The Creator feels no contentment in His world except when people engage in this wisdom. Moreover, man was created only to study the wisdom of Kabbalah.” (R. Hayim Vital, “Mavo LeSha’ar HaHakdamot” – “Preface to the Gate to Introductions”).

“The Creator commands us to know His Providence, and indeed we want to study what this Providence will teach us. What this Providence teaches us is none other than the wisdom of truth, which is the study of His Divinity. Accordingly, we see the obligation to study the wisdom of the truth beyond any doubt.” (Rabbi Moshe Hayim Luzzatto, “Sha’arei Ramchal”, “The Dispute”).

“All the more so, with all of our heart, spirit and might, we should pursue the wisdom of faith, which is the wisdom of the path of
Kabbalah, the path of truth.” (The Baal Shem Tov, “Me’irot EynayimParshat Re’eh).

“The direction of revealing the secrets of the Torah is the ideal goal in life and reality.” (Rav Raiah Kook, “Orot HaKodesh 1” 142).

6. “The language of the holy Zohar is suitable for the soul and it is the same for every soul in Israel, great or small…Each one according to his understanding and the root of his soul.” (“Hanhagot Yasharot”, Section 5).

“The Torah was given to learn and to teach, so that everyone would know, from the small to the great, knowledge of the Creator, and we have also found in many of the books of the Kabbalists who warn about learning this wisdom that every person must learn it” (“Taharat HaKodesh”, 147).

“If one is made ungifted, how can he be a wise disciple? His brain is too small to understand the words of Torah. Midrash Rabba says about that (portion, ‘And This Is the Blessing’), “The Creator said unto Israel, ‘The whole of the wisdom and the whole of the Torah are easy. Anyone who fears Me and practices the words of Torah, the whole of the wisdom and the whole of Torah are in his heart.’… Thus, no prior aptitude is required here. Rather, by the fear of the Creator alone is one rewarded with the whole of the wisdom of the Torah.” (Rav Baruch Shalom HaLevi Ashlag – Rabash, “Dargot HaSulam”, the article, “The Ungifted”).

“There is a wonderful, invaluable remedy to those who engage in the wisdom of Kabbalah. Although they do not understand what they are learning, through the yearning and the great desire to understand what they are learning, they awaken upon themselves the Lights that surround their souls.” (Rav Yehudah Ashlag – Baal HaSulam, Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot, 155).

7. “This means that the secrets of the Torah are revealed only to those who fear His Name, who keep His Glory with their hearts and souls, and who never commit any blasphemy. This is the third part of the concealment of the wisdom. This part (‘the secrets of the Torah are revealed only to those who fear His Name’), is the strictest, as this kind of disclosure has failed many. From the midst of those stem all the charmers, whisperers, and ‘practical’ Kabbalists, who hunt souls with their cunningness, and the mystics, who use withered wisdom that came from under the hands of unworthy students, to draw bodily benefit for themselves or for others. The world has suffered much from it, and is suffering still.” (Rav Yehudah Ashlag – Baal HaSulam, the article, “Disclosing a Portion, Covering Two”).

“And don’t take to heart all the writers of amulets and what you will hear from them or find in their books, names that they permutate and teachers of the idea in general, and read those names by which they do wonders, all of these things, all the more so believing them”. (“Guide for the Perplexed,” Part 1, Chapter 61).

“These are the things which are from the ways of the Amorites with which we are not allowed to be involved, as it is said, (Vayikra 20:23), ‘And ye shall not walk in the customs of the nation…’ Rabbi Tzadok says, ‘Tying a red string on one’s arm is from the ways of the Amorites’ (“Reshit Hochmah,” the Chapter “Derekh Eretz”).

“What is the wisdom of Kabbalah? As a whole, the wisdom of Kabbalah concerns the revelation of Godliness, arranged on its path in all its aspects—those that have emerged in the worlds and those that are destined to be revealed, and in all the manners that can ever appear in the worlds, to the end of time.” (Rav Yehudah Ashlag – Baal HaSulam, the article, “The Teaching of the Kabbalah and its Essence”).

“Kabbalah uses only names and appellations that are concrete and real. It is an unbending rule for all Kabbalists that, ‘Anything we do not attain, we do not define by a name and a word’. Here you must know that the word ‘attainment’ (Heb: Hasaga) implies the ultimate degree of understanding.” (Rav Yehudah Ashlag – Baal HaSulam, the article, “The Essence of the Wisdom of Kabbalah”).

“However, understanding the meaning of the word, ‘spirituality,’ has nothing to do with philosophy. This is because how can they discuss something that they have never seen or felt? What do their rudiments stand on? If there is any definition that can tell spiritual from corporeal, it belongs only to those who have attained a spiritual thing and felt it. These are the genuine Kabbalists; thus, it is the wisdom of Kabbalah that we need.” (Rav Yehudah Ashlag – Baal HaSulam, the article, “The Wisdom of Kabbalah and Philosophy”).

8. “The depths of the Divine secrets simply cannot be comprehended by scrutinizing them with the human intellect, but rather by the Kabbalah, through wondrous people, whose soul has been imbued with the Divine Light.” (Rav Raiah Kook, “Orot HaKodesh 1”, 85).

“But Kabbalists have attainment…they are rewarded with attaining all those degrees in reality that one can attain. This is considered that they have attained a matter in full, and that complete matter is called a ‘soul.’” (Rav Yehudah Ashlag – Baal HaSulam, the article, “The Meaning of Conception and Birth”).

“…the wisdom of truth is conditioned by all the teachings, and all the teachings are conditioned by it. This is why we do not find a single genuine Kabbalist without comprehensive knowledge in all the teachings of the world, since they acquire them from the wisdom of truth itself, as they are included in it.” (Rav Yehudah Ashlag – Baal HaSulam, the article, “The Teaching of Kabbalah and its Essence”).

“If the Rav teaches his students the work that must be in order to bestow, this refers to why a person comes into this world, to be an emissary for the Creator, working for the benefit of the Creator. It is found that the person is an emissary of the Creator and not that he is the master of the house in this world, rather he is a servant of the Creator, meaning an emissary of the Creator, meaning an angel of the Creator. And this is the explanation of, ‘If the Rav is like an angel of the Creator, he will seek Torah from His mouth’” (Rav Baruch Shalom HaLevi Ashlag – Rabash, Letters, the article, “What the Ladder is Diagonal is in the Work”).

“The Tzadik (Righteous) in all of his righteousness, his good desires and thoughts penetrate into others, so that they will also have a good desire to adhere to the Creator wholeheartedly. And by penetrating this desire into others, this is even called an activity because it is done from a desire that he has of others acting this way…and this is the meaning of the verse, ‘Thou openest Thy hand, and satisfiest every living thing with favour’ (Psalms 145:16) for the Tzadik draws abundance into the worlds and to every person. And how does he do this? It is through the penetration of his desire into others. And it is found that they all become Tzadikim through him, and in this way he can draw much abundance into them since the Tzadik is the one who opens his hands to the Creator, so to speak, to bestow to the world, and what he opens, the verse explains, ‘and satisfiest every living thing with favour’, what he bestows to everyone is a desire to love the Creator” (“Noam Elimelech”, Likkutei Shoshanah).

9. “Search was made from Dan unto Beer Sheba, and no ignoramus was found; from Gabbath unto Antipris, and no boy or girl, man or woman was found who was not thoroughly versed in the laws of cleanliness and uncleanliness.” (Sanhedrin 94b).

10. “…the Mitzvot in the Torah are no more than laws and conducts set in Higher Worlds, which are the roots of all of nature’s conducts in this world of ours. The laws of the Torah always match the laws of nature in this world….” (Rav Yehudah Ashlag – Baal HaSulam, the article, “The Freedom”).

“And now pay attention and know that all of the Mitzvot that are written in the Torah or the traditions that our ancestors instituted, even though most of them are actions or speech, all of them are for correction of the heart, ‘for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts’ (Chronicles I 28:9)” (“Yesod Mora”, page 8b).

“I see that the primary reason for the lack of success in everything being done to strengthen Judaism and Israel’s status everywhere, is that the Divine Light has been neglected, completely abandoned by heart and mind. Everyone is now turning to correct simple ultra-orthodoxy alone, as if the world could be revived in a body with no soul.” (Rav Raiah Kook, “Letter 1, 160-161).

11. “The prohibition from Above to refrain from open study of the wisdom of truth was for a limited period, until the end of 1490. Thereafter is considered the last generation, in which the prohibition was lifted and permission has been granted to engage in The Book of Zohar. And since the year 1540, it has been a great Mitzvah (precept) for the masses to study, old and young. And since the Messiah is bound to come as a result, and for no other reason, it is inappropriate to be negligent.” (Introduction to the book, Ohr HaChama, Chapter 1).

“Indeed, that Godly man, our Rav Isaac Luria, troubled and provided us the fullest measure. He did wondrously more than his predecessors, and if I had a tongue that praises, I would praise that day when his wisdom appeared almost as the day when the Torah was given to Israel. There are not enough words to measure his holy work in our favor. The doors of attainment were locked and bolted, and he came and opened them for us.” (Rav Yehudah Ashlag – Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to the Book, Panim Meirot uMasbirot”, 8).

12. “These people who are involved with Torah, not specifically so that they will know the laws and Halachot, so that they would know how to fulfill the Mitzvot, rather they have yet a higher role. Because they learn Torah to correct the heart, they are called, ‘sages of the heart’ and not ‘sages of the mind’ because they need the Torah to correct the heart” (Rav Baruch Shalom HaLevi Ashlag – Rabash, Shlavey HaSulam, the article, “What Torah and Service is in the Way of the Creator”).

“…our sages said, ‘The Torah and Mitzvot were given only so as to cleanse Israel’. This is the cleansing of the body until one attains a second nature defined as ‘love for others,’ meaning the one Mitzvah: ‘Love thy friend as thyself,’ which is the final aim of the Torah, after which one immediately attains Dvekut with Him.” (Rav Yehudah Ashlag – Baal HaSulam, the article “Matan Torah (The Giving of the Torah)”, 15).

13. “I find a great need to break an iron wall that has been separating us from the wisdom of Kabbalah, since the ruin of the Temple to this generation. It lies heavily on us and arouses fear of being forgotten from Israel.” (Rav Yehudah Ashlag – Baal HaSulam, Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot, 1).

“It is well-known how that it is an immense obligation for one to study the wisdom of truth, which is the wisdom of Kabbalah and the secrets of the Torah, as explained in ancient books….And I wonder about the people of our generation, for the humble ones among them veer off from studying the wisdom of truth.” (“Amud HaAvoda” – “Pillar of the Work”, page 1).

“Turning the hearts and occupying the minds with noble thoughts, whose origin is the secrets of the Torah, has become a complete necessity for maintaining Judaism in the last generation” (Rav Raiah Kook, “Orphilei HaTahor” – “Mist of Purity”).

“Many fools escape from studying the secrets of the Ari and The Book of Zohar, which are our lives. If my people heeded me in the time of the Messiah, when evil and heresy increase, they would delve in the study of The Book of Zohar and the Tikkunim [corrections] and the writings of the Ari, and they would revoke all the harsh sentences and would extend abundance and Light.” (“Notzer Hesed,” Chapter 4, Mishnah 20).

“…the redemption of Israel and the whole of Israel’s merit depend on the study of The Zohar and the internality of the Torah. And vice versa, all the destruction and the decline of the Children of Israel are because they have abandoned the internality of the Torah. They have degraded its merit and made it seemingly redundant.” (Rav Yehudah Ashlag – Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to the Book of Zohar,” 69).

“Many thought that too much engagement in the secret is not good, since the practical Torah would be forgotten from Israel, the forbidden, the permitted, the non-kosher, and the kosher. And what shall become of this Torah had we all delved in the secrets of the Torah? …Yet, those who despise it are not servants of the Creator whatsoever.” (“Da et Elokei Avicha” – “Know the God of your Father,” 132).

“Now you can understand the aridity and the darkness that have befallen us in this generation, such as we have never seen before. It is because even the worshipers of the Creator have abandoned the engagement in the secrets of the Torah…. If the worshipers of the Creator had, at least, engaged in the internality of the Torah and extended a complete Light from Ein Sof, the whole generation would have followed them. And everyone would be certain of their way that they would not fall. But if even the servants of the Creator have distanced themselves from this wisdom, it is no wonder the whole generation is failing because of them.” (Rav Yehudah Ashlag – Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to The Book of Zohar”, 57).

“As long as orthodoxy insists on saying, ‘No! Only Gemara and Mishna, no legends, no ethics, no Kabbalah, and no research,” it dwindles itself. All the means it uses to protect itself, without taking the true potion of life, the Light of the Torah in its internals, beyond the tangible and obvious—the revealed in the Torah and Mitzvot—are utterly incapable of leading to its goal in all the generations, and especially in our generation, unless accompanied by expanding the many spiritual roots.” (Rav Raiah Kook, “Letter 2,” 232-233).

“The crown of the Torah is the wisdom of Kabbalah, from which the majority of the world retires, saying that you should observe what is permitted and that you have no dealings in the hidden. You, if you are fit for this teaching, reach out your hand, hold it, and do not move from it. This is because one who did not taste the flavor of this wisdom, has never seen Lights in his life, and he is walking in the dark. And woe unto the people from the affront of this Torah.” (Sefer HaBrit – The Book of the Covenant, Part 2, Article 12, Chapter 5).

14. “’Israel is someone who has a desire straight to God (Yashar-El), meaning that he has no narcissistic desires, but only a desire for altruism” (Rav Baruch Shalom HaLevi Ashlag – Rabash, Shlavei HaSulam, the article, “And when you will come to the land that the LORD your God gave to you”).

“Israel – The essence of the world and its existence” (Ma’arechet Elokut, Chapter 10, “Shaar HaAdam”).

“The secret of the oneness of the world dwells in Israel” (Rav Raiah Kook, “Orot HaKodesh B”).

“From Israel holiness spreads to the entire world” (The book, Zohar for the People, Parshat Emor, section 92).

“The children of Israel become guarantors for correction of the entire world with the power of Torah. For everything depends on the children of Israel. When they correct themselves, they will draw all of creation after them” (“Sfat Emet,” Sefer Shemot, Parshat Yitro).

“…it is upon the Israeli nation to qualify itself and all the people of the world…to develop until they take upon themselves that sublime work of the love of others, which is the ladder to the purpose of Creation, which is Dvekut with Him.” (Rav Yehudah Ashlag – Baal HaSulam, the article, “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee)” 20).

“The purpose of Israel is to unify the entire world into one family” (Rav Raiah Kook, “Tilchash Li Sod HaHavayah”).

15. “Indeed, when all human beings agree to abolish and eradicate their will to receive for themselves, and have no other desire but to bestow upon their friends, all worries and jeopardy in the world would cease to exist. And we would all be assured of a whole and wholesome life, since each of us would have a whole world caring for us, ready to fulfill our needs.” (Rav Yehudah Ashlag – Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to The Book of Zohar,” 19).

“The great evils that happen between each and every person, between a person to his friend, are derived from a lack of knowledge. If a person had knowledge about the human form, he would halt all the harm that he causes to himself and others. For knowledge of the truth removes animosity and hatred and nullifies the harm that people cause each other”. (Rambam, “Guide to the Perplexed”).
“The Wisdom of Kabbalah is the Wisdom of Truth” (“HaShalah HaKodesh”, Toldot Adam).
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From the article on Ynet, 3/2/16

Why Does The World Need The Wisdom Of Kabbalah?

laitman_254_01Question: Why do you teach the wisdom of Kabbalah, what does it give you?

Answer: I am carrying out a mission, this is my job. I teach the wisdom of Kabbalah to people all over the world who listen to me, are familiar with the Kabbalistic sources, and don’t want to spend their lives in vain. They realize that this ancient science, which is almost 6,000 years old, speaks about the foundations of our world and about how we can attain the upper world during our lifetime.

I believe that this wisdom is crucial for mankind and that the source of all our sufferings is in not knowing what the meaning of our existence is. People need to know and to find out about it at least in order to live a better life and to ensure a better future for our children. This is especially true if a person has the opportunity to exist both in our world and in the upper world that is eternal and whole.

Through teaching Kabbalah I offer people a chance to be saved from the sufferings and I am very happy that I have a chance to do that.

At the same time, I suffer greatly when I see how the world suffers and what happens in the world every day. After all, the more developed a person is, the more he can see that the world can be different, people enjoying and rejoicing together instead of people destroy one another. It is felt as terrible personal suffering.

Therefore something must be done to enable every human being in the world to reach a change through his or her own correction.
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From the Kabbalah Lesson in Russian 11/1/15

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Internal and External, Part 3

laitman_750_03Important Definitions: “Israel” and “The Nations of the World”

Question: What does “Israel” and “the nations of the world” mean?

Answer: Israel are those who are directed strictly to the Creator (Yashar-El). People that belong to Israel have a point in the heart that shines in them, that is, a point inside the ego that seeks an answer to: what the purpose of life is, why we live, what the goal of creation is? All these questions lead to Kabbalah.

The nations of the world are those in whom the point in the heart has not yet been revealed; this is why their actions are triggered by pure egoism.

Points in the heart opened in some people in ancient Babylon, at the time of Abraham, and the same is happening in our time. This aspiration of one’s heart defines Israel.

Further, the historical people of Israel emerged from the same group and departed ancient Babylon with Abraham. They came together based on a feeling that made them stand out from all the Babylonians: they had the same desire, the point in the heart. So they joined the Abraham, who led them out of Babylon.

The souls of those that once rallied around Abraham underwent numerous reincarnations and currently constitute contemporary Jewish people. Due to the endless afflictions and pain they went through, a corrupt egoistic desire concealed their points in the heart; however, the points are still there inside them, only hidden.

In Shamati #199, Baal HaSulam wrote: Every man of Israel has an internal point in the heart, which is considered simple faith. This is an inheritance from our fathers, who stood at Mount Sinai. However, it is covered by many Klipot (shells), which are all kinds of dresses of Lo Lishma (not for Her Name), and the shells should be removed. Then his basis will be called “faith alone,” without any support and outside help.

So, this is why the first ones who we appeal to are the Jews. Actually, we address the same pool of people. Contemporary Jews represent only two tribes of Israel; the other ten tribes are spread among humanity and are concealed from us.

However, it is not important: Anybody who feels aspiration towards the goal of creation is called “Israel” in accordance with the most accurate definition of this word based on unity of the group that originated in ancient Babylon.

These people do much more for the cause of correction than a regular Jew who has an Israeli passport and lives in Israel, but doesn’t feel any aspiration towards the goal of creation. The more one corresponds to the spiritual definition of “Israel,” the more good one can bring.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/9/15, Lesson on the Topic: “Selections from the Source on the Topic of Connection Between Internality and Externality in the Torah to Israel’s Redemption”

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Miami Book Fair 2015


News from our friends of the Bnei Baruch Center – Miami, Florida who participated in the five days of the Miami Book Fair: Our booth had many visitors, especially young people who came and bought our books. We were impressed that people have become sensitive to our message of the need for connection and union.

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Internal and External, Part 2

laitman_259_01It’s Important For All To Hear It

Question: You published an article based on Baal HaSulam’s “Introduction to The Book of Zohar” that talks about the internal and external parts of the people of Israel will undoubtedly cause resentment among religious people.

Will it trigger correction of the whole system and strengthen the inner part of the Torah relative to the external?

Answer: Baal HaSulam divided the people of Israel into the internal and external parts. The inner part is the people who are engaged in the internal part of the Torah with the intention for the sake of bestowal, i.e., Kabbalah. It brings us to loving our neighbor as ourselves. But the external part applies solely to those who observe commandments without intention.

If we study Kabbalah, we are on the path of the Light and benevolence. If we restrict ourselves to merely physical observance of the commandments, then we move from disaster to disaster as evidenced by the  ordeals endured by the people of Israel during the exile.

We want all the people of Israel to hear about this fact. It is very important that each person who has the opportunity to join the study of the internal Torah, i.e., Kabbalah, and attract the Returning Light to the people of Israel and through them to the entire world.

The article you mentioned will definitely cause a negative reaction, but it is difficult to remain silent. When we see a sick person who needs an urgent surgery, someone has to take a scalpel and perform the operation to extract a harmful tumor. Does a surgeon cause our indignation because he cuts the patient?

If we acted differently, we’d be like a little boy who cried when he saw a tailor “ruining” the fabric with scissors to make a suit.

Our current state requires correction, and pity is misplaced here. We need to understand where we are at this point. Nowadays, people are already prepared to listen. Time have changed since the Pharaoh resented Moses who in his opinion “excited” the Jewish people, rather than letting them work quietly for the Pharaoh. At this time, we are obligated to do our job as Moses and Aaron.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/9/15, Lesson on the Topic: “Selections from the Source on the Topic of Connection Between Internality and Externality in the Torah to Israel’s Redemption”

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Do Not Waste Your Life On Worthless Things

laitman_546_01Question: Every movement or doctrine must be represented in the media proportionally to the degree of its popularity. But the wisdom of Kabbalah is not so popular when you try to bring it out in the media.

Answer: This means, it will be popular.

I give it the greatest importance! I believe here is no other study in our world that a person must learn except the wisdom of Kabbalah. Nothing except it will provide us with a good life, access to the upper world, the truth of existence, and knowledge about the system of management.

Do you want to feel wholeness and eternity now? Feel it! Exist in it! At the same time, you do not destroy this world; rather, you will connect the two worlds together.

Why waste your life on all kinds of worthless things when you can provide yourself with everything good; after all, it comes from the abundance of the Upper Light, from the energy that descends to our world. Do it so that it will pour down in a direct stream, and everything will be yours.
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From KabTV’s “Confrontation. How it works in reality” 10/28/15

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Becoming An Embryo In The Womb Of The Group

laitman_528_01Question: If the group is a womb, how is that correlated with the expulsion of the embryo?

Answer: In an ordinary state, the body rejects any foreign body that penetrates it. The digestive system digests the food that we consume, and the wastes are removed.

The function of these systems is only to absorb the energy that the body needs and to throw away all the unnecessary materials. But if a foreign body is inserted into a person’s body, it is immediately encapsulated by a wrapping, suppuration occurs, and the body rejects it.

However, when an embryo that weighs several kilograms develops in a human or an animal body, not only does the body not reject it, but it also responds in keeping it close, nourishing it, and doing everything for its wellbeing.

Interestingly, when a person undergoes a transplant—like a heart transplant, for example—he must undergo intensive treatment in order to neutralize the rejection response. However, this doesn’t happen in a pregnant woman’s body because, in that case, a special attribute of Bina, of nature, is active that develops a living body inside it. which she developed in the animal organism.

This is the reason that the group must turn into an incubator, like a womb, that receives each person and raises him. But in order to allow every person to enter the group like a womb, the person must nullify himself totally with regard to it.

Question: We go out in order to work with the 99% of the population, which we need to incorporate inside us. We learn to nullify ourselves with regard to one another in the group. Must the 99% also undergo the process of self-annulment?

Answer: Of course, they must nullify themselves with regard to one another in order to build the right group or the right human connection.

This is what we teach them through our dissemination efforts and workshops. We explain to them the theory and methodology that allows a human being to become similar to nature. After we acquire balance with nature, we attain the most comfortable and safe state. That’s why the methodology of internal upbringing and education, the wisdom of connection, demonstrates what nature is and how we can become similar to or merge with it.

We use charts, pictures, films, and scientific examples to demonstrate what integrity in nature is.  We attract our students’ attention to the fact that integral education is essential for them. We teach how to cancel oneself in front of the group, to consent to and unite with friends, i.e., we explain the laws of connection that unite detached people into a group. We use simple corporeal language to clarify these matters.

During the workshops, we suggest discussing questions that elucidate the goal of the creation, explain what nature expects from us, what particular form we are supposed to acquire, and what the result of our unity will be. As a result, these issues become our students’ individual, personal thoughts and desires.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/2/14

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Book Fair In San Antonio, Texas

 

News from our friends in San Antonio, Texas:  Our small group in San Antonio participated in the Texas Book Festival. It was a great success. 40,000 people visited the fair.

Many people wanted to know about the wisdom of Kabbalah; we sold many books, and gave out over 300 fliers. Charlie Wood, a member of the group, played Kabbalistic music and many people came to our stand to listen to the music, to ask questions about Kabbalah, and to look at and buy our books.

Next to our booth were “The Muslims for Peace.” Their representatives came to us and asked about the wisdom of Kabbalah and took our business card with links to Kabbalah sites.

Some of the people who visited our stand had heard about the wisdom of Kabbalah or had studied from other sources. There were also several professors of theology who took our cards.

We are grateful to the Creator for such a great opportunity.
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