New Life 540 – Jewish Culture: Were We Slaves?
Dr. Michael Laitman in conversation with Oren Levi and Yael Leshed-Harel

Why are we in a state of slavery today like we were in ancient Egypt? How can we break away from the domination of Pharaoh? What will the life of the nation of Israel be like once they truly become a free nation in their land?

Israel is divided and torn and the ego is celebrating. This is the slavery in Egypt, but we are not aware of that.

Being a slave is a more advanced state in which a person already recognizes the domination of the ego over him.
The wisdom of Kabbalah teaches us that man’s nature is intentionally evil so that he will gradually get to know it and differentiate himself from it.

The first disconnection from the ego is called the exodus from Egypt. Then during the counting of the Omer (the days between Passover and Shavuot) we correct ourselves. It is like an internal inventory where I locate all the egoistic inclinations in me and correct them.

In that case, the whole Passover story is about the correction of the relations between people. We will feel the upper level of our existence in the loving relations between us and will merge with eternity and wholeness.

It is customary to use a new set of dishes in Passover; it symbolizes a new set of relationships between me and others.

The Seder describes the sequence of actions a person should perform in order to exit his ego, his evil inclination. The wisdom of Kabbalah speaks quite a lot about the ego because it is our nature. Egoism means a negative attitude to others, using others and taking advantage of them.

The Passover Seder plate symbolizes different forces that operate and lead us into Egypt and take us out of there. Let’s examine ourselves and discover that the ego dominates us and ruins us, and agree to escape it.
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From KabTV’s “New Life 540 – Jewish Culture: Were We Slaves?” 3/24/15

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Question: Operation “Magic Carpet,” under which the last 17 Jews from Yemen have been brought to Israel, has come to an end. Will all of the Jews who are still in the Diaspora come to Israel?

Answer: No, not all of them will come here, and there is also no need for them to do so.

We are in the last phase of the implementation of human society in which we must attain resemblance to the Creator, which means that we must ascend to the next level of our existence.

This is the reason that all of the corporeal sciences and arts have reached a dead end, which is not actually a dead end, but a wall that we must climb, and the ladder to climb that wall is in the wisdom of Kabbalah.

There is no need for all of the Jews to come to Israel in order to fulfill this ascent. We don’t even know where the ten lost tribes are, and therefore it doesn’t really matter who, where, or what you are.

The last ascent must be fulfilled by a small group of Jews whom all of humanity will gradually join. Therefore, although the ten lost tribes must be found, it will not necessarily happen the way we expect it to.

Question: Will it happen when the representatives of the ten tribes realize that they are Jewish?

Answer: Perhaps, but basically I believe that it will not happen in an introverted manner, but in an extroverted way. This means not by the gathering of all of the Jews in Israel, but by the dissemination of the wisdom of Kabbalah all over the world because the Jews are not a nation and not a religion, but an ideology of the connection between all of mankind, by being one unique whole. New spiritual points will be ignited in the world, and increasingly bigger circles will be formed around them.

I welcome the last 17 Jews who came here from Yemen that closed the 70 year-long bridge. Now, everyone must look for their real component in this world and in the spiritual world, which means who we are, why we are special, and in what way—both on our part and on the part of the nations of the world, and especially on the part of the upper force, of nature.

The phenomenon called a “Jew” or “Jewish nation” refers to a special part of nature, to a special attribute. No one else has had such an influence on religion, culture, general development, or anything because no one has an internal connection with the upper level of nature.

The Jews, on the other hand, do have this inclination, but we must aim it correctly in order to bring ourselves and the world to the right state.
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From KabTV’s “News with Michael Laitman” 3/21/16

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New Life 550 – Longing For The Land Of Israel
Dr. Michael Laitman in conversation with Oren Levi and Yael Leshed-Harel

We have returned to the land of Israel from all the ends of the Earth because we have a special role within the entire system of creation. After generations of yearning for Israel, today half of Israelis want to leave the country. Why? Because they are disappointed….

The Land of Israel is said to be a special place; specifically there we can fulfill the most important Mitzva (commandment), “And you shall love your friend as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18). It is “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:8). A land flowing with milk and honey, the land that has corrected relationships between people that makes everyone feel abundance ,flowing with milk and honey.

The wisdom of Kabbalah provides a method for building connection above the differences that exist between us, “…love covereth all transgressions” (Proverbs 10:12); it is a method of love above everything.

The beautiful Israeli, the ugly Israeli, who are we really? We are both this and that. It is up to us to learn to rise above all the differences, above everything, and cover everything over with love.

The feeling that we are about to devour each other is a very good feeling; it clarifies the need that all of us have here in the land of Israel for social correction.
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From KabTV’s “New Life 550 – Longing For The Land Of Israel,” 4/9/15

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New Life #603 – Social Self Searching
Dr. Michael Laitman in conversation with Oren Levi and Tal Mandelbaum ben Moshe

Summary

How should we relate with the growing incidence of expressions of hatred in Israel? What makes us a nation and why will only educating people to love others as themselves help us live in peace with one another?

It isn’t clear what all the commotion is about, after all hatred has been part of every aspect of our daily life in every sector of society. We are the worst because we have to set an example of love of others and we don’t do so.

If we don’t keep the basic rule of our nation of “love thy friend as thyself,” we are not considered Jews or the nation of Israel. We are in complete darkness today and we need to reset ourselves and redefine what it means to be Jewish.

We are in great trouble: there is no nation or State of Israel since there is no connection between us. We are advancing toward a point in which we will literally devour one another, as the prophets say. The whole Torah is only about “love thy friend as thyself,” period. This is also what the wisdom of Kabbalah tells us.

We need to start a general social educational process teaching love of others and set it as an example to the world: in schools, universities, workplaces, the media, for pensioners, for the unemployed, for families, for everyone. We should reach appoint in which the state doesn’t give anyone anything unless he studies what “love thy friend as thyself” means.

It is not the time for speaking nicely now, it is time to act! We should engage in what happens today so that it will not happen again tomorrow.
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From KabTV’s “New Life #603 – Social Self Searching,” 8/2/15

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Comment: The world is in a constant illusion regarding Israel. For example, during the last series of terrorist attacks in which an American tourist was killed and a number of people were injured that took place during the visit of the American Vice President Joe Biden in Israel, the American site International Business Times wrote: “three Palestinians were killed during Vice President Biden’s visit.”

BBC said that a Palestinian was killed and several were wounded in Israel in military actions, and NBC added that an American tourist was killed during Biden’s visit in which talks about the violence in Israel were held. This is how the illusion of distorted reality regarding Israel is created in the world media.

Answer: Personally I see the Creator’s wise guiding hand in all that.

Comment: Here is another thing that the Creator arranged for us: the Irish paper The Irish Times wrote: “an American died as a result of a Tel Aviv individual who butchered ten people.” Here you cannot understand anything and it seems that Jews are attacking people in Tel Aviv.

Answer: The problem is that when such a lie falls on a general anti-Semitic bed it is immediately perceived in the most natural way by the whole world. Just as the world media is spreading slander about Israel, so do those against the wisdom of Kabbalah spread slander against Bnei Baruch and about me personally. It would be better if they examined the effect of their actions and realized that to the same extent that they defame us, so do the world media defame Israel. There is a certain correlation here since these things are mutually related. The more the nation of Israel wants to eradicate the wisdom of Kabbalah, the more the world is against us.

If we began to reveal the wisdom of Kabbalah to the whole world and said: “We have the method for the correction of the world, and we will tell you why you hate us, why you treat us the way you do, what is special about us, what the method of correction is that we should come to,” everyone would follow us holding our hands like obedient children.

If the State of Israel declared that we exist for this purpose and therefore should not turn Israel into another small America or its branch, the whole world would immediately understand internally that what we say is true.

Basically the world is subconsciously expecting us to do so, but people simply cannot understand why they hate us and why they treat us the way they do, why they keep focusing on us as they do, and what they expect of us. It happens because they don’t understand the process of evolution and the goal of our life. The Jews in Israel don’t understand that either and are only against the wisdom of Kabbalah.

It is time to wake up and to find out what the cause for anti-Semitism is, but first the Jews must find out the reason they hate the wisdom of Kabbalah. It is the exact same reason, the same root. It is the ego the pushes us away from the goal of creation. The role of Kabbalah students is to bring this message to the Jews and through the Jews to the whole world.
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From KabTV’s “News with Michael Laitman” 3/10/16

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New Life #607 – Relations Between Israel And The World
Dr. Michael Laitman in conversation with Oren Levi and Nitzah Mazoz

Summary

Israel doesn’t depend on the United States or Russia; the truth is that they depend on it, as does the entire world. These powers and others, and in general all changes in the world, are designed to bring Israel closer to its historic role.

If Israel were to function correctly, the people of Israel would be on top, the entire world would respect us and would be happy to help us and learn from us. Only Israel can offer the world a method for unity among everyone above egoism, above the differences.

In the future, technology will solve our material concerns and we will engage in developing good relationships between us. Today the world hates Israel because we are not functioning correctly, and they explain that this is due to our attitude toward the Palestinians. Yet the inner truth is that they hate us because Israel is holding onto the “heavenly valve.” If abundance doesn’t come into the world through us, it is bad for everyone.

Specifically today, when every day reveals more corruption here, this is the time to investigate our roots. It is up to us to achieve connection between us until all of us feel that we are like a single body, like an improved family.
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From KabTV’s “New Life #607 – Relations Between Israel And The World,” 8/6/15

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Comment: The Pope made a speech about the refugees in which he emphasized: “It cannot be that so much suffering should fall on innocent men, women and children!” He called for everyone to open their doors and hearts to them.

Answer: Everything he spoke about is correct, but only if there is no violence. There is a total lack of education, information, and previous unity among the population of Europe and the refugees.

The refugees want to dominate Europe. They have not really fled from their homeland because of a terrible war; rather, it is more because of the fact that they have been paid a lot of money to come to Europe as conquerors, not as those seeking a temporary warm and safe place. So it is impossible to speak of them as refugees, but only as a conquering army.

Question: Is there a way out of the situation into which Europe has been thrown?

Answer: No, this kind of situation will continue; the situation will drift out of control. Europe cannot oppose it. It cannot close its borders to them because it is completely divided into factions. It is broken, and the nations of the European Union cannot reach any agreement between them. So it is natural that this problem will not be solved.

Question: Will nations like Hungary, Macedonia, and others be able to close themselves to the refugees?

Answer: Eastern Europe can be closed. First, the refugees aren’t really trying to get there. Second, people are living there who learned in Soviet schools and don’t have any particular emotional weaknesses and so on. They recently had a similar experience not long ago.

Question: Basically, is the prophecy about the subjugation of Europe by the Muslims materializing?

Answer: Yes, Europe will be conquered by the Muslims, and everywhere, instead of European churches and cathedrals, there will be Muslim mosques and madrassas (Islamic religious schools).

Question: Will there be a war between Christianity and Islam?

Answer: No, Christianity will surrender peacefully.

Question: What will happen to Judaism?

Answer: Nothing. Those who can will leave Europe; those who cannot will gradually dissipate.

Question: What should the perspective of Israel be regarding this process?

Answer: We very simply don’t need to be interested in what is happening in Europe at all or its conquest by Islamic hordes. We don’t need to get involved with any mundane matters; rather, we must re-educate ourselves to full unification. This is our only concern.

Our unity will then influence the entire world and the nations of the world, first of all, the Christians and Muslims; they will suddenly feel an attraction to each other and the possibility of their mutual acceptance. They will understand that this comes from the Jews, and then they will gradually form mutual relationships between them, and after that this will spread throughout the world.
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From KabTV’s “News with Michael Laitman” 3/17/16

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Comment: The chairperson of the Labor party Mr. Isaac Hertzog suggested separating East Jerusalem from West Jerusalem with a security fence. He said that Jews did not pray for places like Shuafat and Isawiya in East Jerusalem when they asked God to enable them to return to Jerusalem.

Answer: I understand that they didn’t pray for such neighbors. I realize that there is nothing good in having Arab neighbors as long as the Jews don’t correct themselves. So first and foremost we Jews have to correct ourselves, and as long as it doesn’t happen, we need to build fences. The world is returning to its starting point, to fencing cities like with the Chinese wall, etc.

Question: Does this mean that you are in favor of building fences between different parts of Jerusalem?

Answer: Absolutely not. We should only build fences around our state and not inside it. The fences should protect the state from immigrants who are trying to cross the border from Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan in any way they can.

Of course, we should fence Israel in the best possible way as we did in the Gaza strip, that makes things much simpler. Our neighbors are forcing us to do so over and over again, and so we need to build fences and engage in our correction, and our change will lead to the change of our neighbors.

This will be an invisible potential barrier.
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From KabTV’s “News with Michael Laitman” 2/10/16

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Comment: The authorities in Egypt may forbid women to wear veils and scarves that cover their faces because they claim that they were invented by the Jews.

Answer: The reason is not that. The fact is that now a relatively democratic government is in power in Egypt. They want to cancel various Muslim orthodox traditions as much as possible. So they have taken the opportunity to ban the wearing of veils in public places: at work, theaters, and coffee houses to defeat this trend and free the younger generation from it.

Regarding Jews,  they nourish dislike, to put it mildly, and even hatred, and so they say that the Jews invented the niqab.

Comment: They claim that it is said in the Talmud that if a woman leaves home without covering her head and face, she is violating Jewish religious law.

Answer: I have never seen Jewish women cover their faces. Their heads yes, not only on the street but also in their homes. A covering that leaves only the eyes exposed doesn’t exist in Judaism.

It is worthwhile to note that women wearing veils may appear more attractive. We know from the wisdom of Kabbalah that concealment is something charming, attractive, and bewitching. It is like a courtship, with only big, almond-shaped eyes exposed with beautiful makeup and everything else is covered. So the play of the eyes actually attracts a man more; he is magnetized by those wonderful dark eyes. So instead of concealment derived from modesty and distance, the complete opposite is created.

Question: And what does the Jewish custom of a woman covering the hair on her head symbolize?

Answer: This is a quite another matter. Covering the head is a tradition that comes from higher Kabbalistic sources. A woman’s hair is considered to be unsuitable and inappropriate for a stranger. But this does not apply to unmarried girls because they wore their hair loose all the time. Married women would cut their hair short and wear a scarf over their heads, which was always considered to be a sign of modesty and virtue.
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From KabTV’s “News with Michael Laitman” 3/13/16

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Comment: The Chief Rabbi of Israel, David Baruch Lao, referred to the killing of a terrorist as a Mitzva. He also quoted from the Torah saying that: “You should precede he who comes to kill you,” and added that there is no need to fear the legal implications of the offense.

Answer: I don’t know how he can guarantee that since the state laws are not always the same as the laws of the Torah.

Comment: What is more, he added that if someone goes out to the street with a knife, he shouldn’t be able to return to his home.

Answer: It is clear why he went out with a knife and that he has no other intention but to kill. When terrorists are captured and interrogated, they don’t hide their intentions and declare their desire to kill; therefore, if you encounter such a person, you should do everything in your power to kill the attacker.

Comment: The Chief Rabbi of Israel believes that this is the only way we can stop terrorists.

Answer: I doubt whether it would stop them because they receive a lot of money for such acts of terrorism, and mainly because they believe that they will be rewarded by entering paradise, which is the most important thing for them.

In addition, the families of terrorists reap huge benefits, their homes are preserved, they are given grants and medals, and the terrorists are given impressive funerals. In the past, the British used to bury dead terrorists wrapped in pig’s skin, and then according to the Koran, a person cannot reach paradise. Then then terrorist attacks immediately came to an end.

We should also stop the grants that we give the Palestinian Authority so that they will not have the means to encourage terrorists and their families.

Moreover, we should destroy their houses and evacuate the families, which means, that we should do everything in our power so that they will not get used to committing acts of terror.

But the most important thing we should do is to unite among us so positive forces will reach our world that will force potential terrorists to change themselves, their tactics, and their attitude to Israel, to themselves, and to life.

This is how we can influence them in the quickest, easiest, and most effective way. We don’t need anyone in order to do that; we don’t pressure anyone and no one can blame us for anything. If we do what is up to us, we will not need anything else.
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From KabTV’s “News with Michael Laitman” 3/13/16

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