There are many forms of independence in our world—economic, political, social and so forth—but this is fictitious independence. A person searches for his independence all his life, but actually is limited in every sense, which is the reason that we need a different approach for becoming independent.

The Israeli nation can only be independent within the state of Israel because geographically it is our land. If we connect and unite in our land when we are allowed to do so by the upper Providence, then, of course, we can be truly independent here and now—truly independent and not fictitiously.

In this land, we must set an example of true independence for the entire world because there is nothing more sublime than this attribute that determines everything. This is what all of nature on all its levels, aspires to! Even a person’s egoistic nature aspires to be free of any form of dependence because otherwise it feels that it is flawed.

This is the reason that we must find a way in which we feel independent for the sake of our ego. It turns out that this can only be attained by balancing the most egoistic state with the most altruistic one so they will eventually connect.

I have read that we need to live in the land of Israel, to develop this state, to fight for it and thus protect our independence. I thought that there was no other way of breaking free of a foreign domination. However, the more I developed, I came to the conclusion that this is not the way to become independent. Independence is acquired by actually ascending above the small local concepts of Zionism, politics, and all the rest. Our goal and our mission are universal. It is above time and doesn’t relate to us personally but to the entire world. We need to translate it to reality. Then, the world really will become independent by uniting with the upper force and reaching the next level of existence, the human level.

Everything depends on us. We must discover our independence above all the obstacles and ascend above them. Then, the world will receive what it is waiting for. Independence is the defining force that pulls and leads us. This is what we feel as a necessity both in egoism and altruism, and it is attained only in the Creator.
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From KabTV’s “A Talk About the Independence Day” 4/2/15

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Question: From the first day of Obama’s tenure it was clear that he seeks to change US policy in the Middle East, moving closer to the Islamic world in general, to the Arab nations in particular, and improving relations with Iran.

The violence and crises that have come one after another in the Middle East have forced Obama to deviate slightly from the direction that he has chosen. But both regarding the Palestinian question and in the repeated attempts to get closer to Iran at the expense of traditional allies of the United States in the region, we see that his line of conduct has remained as it was. How can we and will we be able to oppose this?

Answer: It was precisely when Pharaoh was bad that we left Egypt. One cannot say unequivocally that Obama is bad for us—his hatred of Jews and Israel in particular holds potential for our development.

His hatred and policies only accelerate our waking and influence on our fate through the Upper Light, as it is written in Proverbs 21:1: “The hearts of princes and kings are in the hands of the Creator.” So, we determine our fate, not Obama.
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The Torah, “Leviticus,” 26:44: But despite all this, while they are in the land of their enemies, I will not despise them nor will I reject them to annihilate them, thereby breaking My covenant that is with them, for I am the Lord their God.

The spiritual task placed on the part of humanity called the “people of Israel” is not transmitted to other peoples and cannot be transferred to them.

It depends on the inner foundation of the soul in all peoples. If he is created from that part of the illumination of the collective soul (Galgalta ve Eynaim) that once answered to call of Abraham, it cannot be changed or destroyed. This part is in every generation and creates a physical body around it. In this manner, all advance forward. Even if the people of Israel wanted to, they couldn’t give it up or deny it. This is impossible. It is a constant part of the general desire created by the Creator called Galgalta ve Eynaim, which is the smallest part, the most clear and closest to the characteristic of bestowal.

It must carry out its destiny. There is no escape; this is a physical law. The people of Israel are the point of connection between our world and the upper world.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 12/10/14

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After his son had been attacked by anti-Semites, Michael Douglas published a letter in the Los Angeles Times:

“Last summer our family went to Southern Europe on holiday. During our stay at a hotel, our son Dylan went to the swimming pool. A short time later he came running back to the room, upset. A man at the pool had started hurling insults at him.

“My first instinct was to ask, ‘Were you misbehaving?’

“’No,’ Dylan told me through his tears.

“I stared at him. And suddenly I had an awful realization of what might have caused the man’s outrage: Dylan was wearing a Star of David.

“After calming him down, I went to the pool and asked the attendants to point out the man who had yelled at him. We talked. It was not a pleasant discussion. Afterward, I sat down with my son and said: ‘Dylan, you just had your first taste of anti-Semitism.’ …

“My son is strong. He is fortunate to live in a country where anti-Semitism is rare. But now he too has learned of the dangers that he as a Jew must face. It’s a lesson that I wish I didn’t have to teach him, a lesson I hope he will never have to teach his children.”

An Open Letter to Michael Douglas:

Dear Michael,

My name is Michael Laitman. I am a Jew living in Israel. Your story about the experience your son had in Southern Europe touched me deeply. I admire your courage to expose what many fear to open, and your fame gives weight to a sensitive issue that requires scrutiny.

As a Jew who was born in Russia, I had my share of anti-Semitic experiences. Like you, they did not weaken me, but helped shape my Jewish identity, eventually leading to my emigration to Israel. You could say that anti-Semites forged my Zionism.

My many years of scientific research studying philosophy, Kabbalah, and ontology have shaped my worldview, which is based on Jewish roots closely interlocked with modern scientific thought. I have devoted a great deal of time studying and researching the reason for anti-Semitism in order to understand why this phenomenon doesn’t disappear but only resurfaces with new pretexts. In two articles recently published in The New York Times , “Who Are You the People of Israel?” and “What do We Jews Owe the World?,” I outlined my position that I would like to share with you today.

There is only one root to all the expressions of anti-Semitism. Neither the Jews nor those who don’t like them know the main reason for anti-Semitism. Just like subconscious impulses that force us to perform actions that cannot be explained, anti-Semitism doesn’t require any rational basis. With the first signs of social or financial crises anti-Semitism grows stronger and is revealed in the form of accusations and claims against the Jews.

The only way to eradicate anti-Semitism is to completely uproot it from society. The most amazing thing is that the victims of anti-Semitism hold the key to solving this problem in their own hands. All of us, every man, woman, and child, are born with a basic desire to live in peace, safety, and happiness.

Deeply rooted in the subconscious of every human being is the idea that this is possible only if all the people in the world learn to treat one another with sensitivity and care. Just like a family that cares about each of its members, humanity as a whole will be able to survive only if people will be able to relate to one another like family, not as enemies.

Many generations ago, before the destruction of the Temple and the exile from the land of Israel, the Jewish nation established a society in which such relations were cultivated. Deep within us lies this dormant attribute; we have to awaken this attribute so that we can reestablish the relationships of kinship and friendship across society. We have forgotten that we have this attribute, and the other peoples aren’t even aware of its existence.

Jews and people of other nationalities instinctively feel that the Jewish people are “holding back” something special that they don’t want to share with the other nations and that it is vital for the survival of humanity. So in tough times people point to the Jews and we invoke anger and resentment in them, which often leads to violence. The nations of the world instinctively, unconsciously feel this “something,”which is the model of a society already built by us in the past and our ability to sustain society on the basis of solidarity, mutual guarantee, and care for others.

The ancient Jewish society was based on the commandment “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” This precept must once again become mandatory in our hyper-egoistic society, but we have no idea how to implement it in life.

Many people hate the Jews, but no one can really explain the reason for their hatred, and certainly are not in a position to curtail it. Because we continue to carry the seed of mutual responsibility innately, we have to awaken it to life and to share this unique knowledge with the whole world. If we succeed not only will anti-Semitism disappear, but also all forms of hatred will cease to exist.

Most Jews are not aware of this dormant property and are not even aware that it exists. Imagine you are told that you have a real treasure in your pocket and you only need to take it out of your pocket to become the owner of the priceless gift. Would you question the need to find this gem?

We have a precious gift called “mutual guarantee.” It sleeps in our hearts and we refuse to acknowledge it. If we open our hearts just a little, we will discover it inside. We are obliged to immediately share this treasure with the whole world; this is the only reason it was given to us. It is a miraculous property “embedded” in us so that we will pass it on to the other nations rather than hoard it for ourselves.

Dear Michael, this is the only way to make the future of the Jewish people and all of mankind safer and brighter, and I very much hope you will join our mission.

Respectfully,
Michael Laitman
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The Torah, “Leviticus”, 26:36 – 26:37: And those of you who survive I will bring fear in their hearts in the lands of their enemies, and the sound of a rustling leaf will pursue them; they will flee as one flees the sword, and they will fall, but there will be no pursuer. Each man will stumble over his brother, [fleeing] as if from the sword, but without a pursuer. You will not be able to stand up against your enemies.   

We have to fulfill our role. This is our only salvation! What is more, it makes no difference where we live; we have a mission that we have to carry out with regard to the nations of the world, and therefore not everyone has to live in Israel. But we have to engage in fulfilling our mission! If it requires the physical return to Israel, then we will also have to do that. The main thing is to fulfill our mission.

However, I don’t believe that we can completely fulfill our mission somewhere abroad. But in Israel, we have to do everything in our power so that the people will know of our mission and will understand the reason for it. Even if they are seemingly in their right place, the situation isn’t right; we are surrounded by both external and internal enemies.

Each man will stumble over his brother, [fleeing] as if from the sword, but without a pursuer. You will not be able to stand up against your enemies. These words refer to our internal state. Although we will be affected by external problems, it will not be to such an extent, but we will begin to feel that our situation is scary, flawed, shaking, and dependent without any real basis, because we have actually brought it upon ourselves.

This is actually what a person has to understand. The most interesting point is that we can offer ourselves, our nation, the whole world, and the Creator, who is waiting for it, a bright future. But we don’t want to do anything and are ready to sit and shake with fear like scared rabbits. It is because the sound of a rustling leaf can hardly be heard, while we hear it and shake.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 10/12/14

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The Torah, “Leviticus,” 26:37 – 26:38: Each man will stumble over his brother, [fleeing] as if from the sword, but without a pursuer. You will not be able to stand up against your enemies. You will become lost among the nations, and the land of your enemies will consume you.

If we don’t engage in spiritual work, everything that is in us will disappear: the desire for the Creator, for bestowal and the ability to ascend spiritually. Everything will be swallowed, but the ego will become even more closed and sealed.

We are within the framework of the laws of nature, in its matrix, in its formula. If we are incorporated in it correctly, then accordingly our exit from it will be correct: It will be good for us and the whole world and desirable for the Creator. Otherwise nature will respond in a negative correlation.

This is the only thing about which the Torah speaks. However, it doesn’t tell us exactly and concretely about all the criteria, but rather presents it allegorically, with metaphors.

If we translate them from the simple meaning to a Kabbalistic meaning (to numbers, levels, frameworks, and forces) we will see that great forces will pressure us, bringing us to great sufferings. This will continue until we begin to balance ourselves with the call of nature, with the Creator.

The Israeli nation has mixed with the other nations for two thousand years in order to begin its correction now, in order to correct them and then enable the Creator to be revealed in them, because the Creator cannot be revealed in us. We are called vessels of bestowal, and we symbolize the attributes in which the Creator cannot be revealed because they are very weak. We actually need the Aviut (thickness), the desires, the deficiencies, and the great powers of the whole world, which we have to correct and offer the Creator so that He can be revealed.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 12/10/14

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In the News (Radio Echo from Moscow): “One of Hollywood’s most famous producers, Harvey Weinstein, called to all of the Jews in the world to gather together to resist the anti-Semites. He said that faced by these terrorist groups like the Islamic State (ISIS) and Hamas, the time has come for the Jews to become as organized as the Mafia.

“To paraphrase him, ‘Good will defeat the evil, if the angels are organized like a Mafia.’ Until now, contrary to all the speculations of the proponents of conspiracy theories, the Jews have not only been unsuccessful in becoming consolidated like the Mafia, but not even like a symphony orchestra. No wonder they say that when there are two Jews, there are three opinions.

“Each one of the old Jewish organizations has its own policies, its own ‘fiddle’ and its own ‘party.’ Not even the blatant acts of anti-Semitism which are regularly happening in Europe today get a unified response. There may be a furious defense and severe imploring, but the attacks on the Jewish synagogues keep on becoming more frequent.

“This Hollywood producer says: I think that the struggle against anti-Semitism is a vital interest not only of our people, who lost millions of its sons and daughters in pogroms and the Holocaust, but it is the spearhead of the struggle of modern man with the barbaric ideologies of human hatred which threaten life itself on the face of the Earth. And so at least for the sake of this we need to be ‘organized like a Mafia.’”

My Comment: I think that his conclusion is correct. We must show an example of connection and unity, because we are the only ones who can do this correctly. Subconsciously,  the world is waiting for such an example from us, because all the suffering in the world is revealed only so we will unite and only then will all the suffering in the world cease. The The heads of countless Jewish organizations need to stop denying anti-Semitism, must stop being divided from each other, and come together in spite of their apparent differences. To the anti-Semites, we all look the same, and more precisely, we all have the same nose. As it is written: “Introduction to The Book of Zohar:”

67) When a person from Israel enhances and dignifies one’s internality, which is the Israel in that person, over the externality, which are the nations of the world in him, that is, when one dedicates the majority of one’s efforts to enhance and exalt one’s internality, to benefit one’s soul, and gives minor efforts, the mere necessity, to sustain the nations of the world in him, meaning the bodily needs, as it is written (Avot, 1), “Make your Torah permanent and your labor temporary,” by so doing, one makes the children of Israel soar upwards in the internality and externality of the world as well, and the nations of the world, which are the externality, to recognize and acknowledge the value of the children of Israel.

We see that redemption from the suffering of Israel and the entire world depends only on the unity of the people of Israel. All of the suffering of Israel and the world is only because of the absence of the requirement, “And you shall love your friend as yourself.”

70) Woe unto them that make the spirit of Messiah leave and depart from the world, and cannot return to the world. They are the ones that make the Torah dry, without any moisture of comprehension and reason. They confine themselves to the practical part of the Torah, and do not wish to try to understand the wisdom of Kabbalah, to know and to understand the secrets of the Torah and the flavors of Mitzva. Woe unto them, for with these actions they bring about the existence of poverty, ruin, and robbery, looting, killing, and destructions in the world.

71) In such a generation, all the destructors among the nations of the world raise their heads and wish primarily to destroy and to kill the children of Israel, as it is written (Yevamot 63), “No calamity comes to the world but for Israel.” This means, as it is written in the above corrections, that they cause poverty, ruin, robbery, killing, and destruction in the whole world.

But if we begin to unite and show an example to the whole world in this way, then all the nations of the world will recognize and acknowledge the merits of Israel. And they will fulfill the text: Isaiah 14:2: And the peoples shall take them, and bring them to their place. And as it is written: Isaiah 49:22: …and they shall bring thy sons in their bosom, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.
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Singapore Experiment: The Right Dictatorship

Question: In March this year, Lee Kuan Yew, one of the founders of the “Singapore economic miracle,” died. On an empty spot on the edge of a swampy Malaysia, with nothing around but an English military base, within a short period of 50 years, the most prosperous nation in the world was established. But in this nation, there is not a speck of democracy in the sense that we understand it in the developed nations. How did this nation succeed in doing what large nations like America and England have done, while maintaining the strictest leadership and dictatorship of law?

Answer: I don’t perceive democracy in the same way as it exists everywhere, or that that deserves to be called a democracy. This is not the rule of the people, but its imitation: A handful of people take control over all the economic, political, social, and military resources; they say there is a democracy, and that they operate in the name of the people.

As long as we are under the influence of internal egoism without the altruistic force of nature to balance it, there cannot be a democracy. A democracy is built on contrast, a counterweight and a balance between two forces, which are positive and negative: our ego and the force of bestowal and love. There is a force of hatred and rejection and a power of attraction and connection, which must be balanced with each other. If the ego is balanced by a positive force, then it cannot be evil. And conversely, love and bestowal without the ego can lead to even worse extremism than the ego.

In other words, we were created in a system that is in a balance of plus and minus, between which what remains is only to ignite some kind of tension that gives the right orientation for all the work of the system. And if the positive force doesn’t exist or it is minimal and exists only in fear of annihilation, then we don’t have the conditions for a democracy. We “fall out” of the system in which the two forces are revealed. And therefore when we exist only in an egoistic system, what is most suitable for us is the correct dictatorship.

If a king rules a nation, then he takes care of his nation, his subjects, he doesn’t annihilate them, and they consider him to be great! He is the master! But in a democratic nation, there is no master. We let an election decide who operates the steering wheel for two, three, or four years, and then what? What do the elite care about what will be after that?! They will not be elected again, so they need to grab everything they can while they are in control.

So the dictatorship in Singapore is a wonderful system of government. Democracy in the form of a Sanhedrin.

Question: I have heard that the correct head of the state should be Kabbalists, who knowing the laws of nature,  will manage it in the interests of the entire society. What will be the basis of the moral drive of their behavior? Wouldn’t they be infected with greed; won’t they want to get rich after they attain control?

Answer: There is a concept such as the Sanhedrin (great assembly), where 120 Kabbalist sages gather, connect in a circle, and discuss all the issues on the agenda. The discussion is not based on differences of opinion, which is typical of our world, where it is believed that truth is born through debate. There is no truth in debate, because from the start it keeps us on a beastly level and we cannot rise above that. And we must rise above ourselves, because our stage can only lead to a higher level. We seem to rise to our next level, from which it is possible to see how to reach it.

This happens when people unite into a single, complete unit in spite of all the differences of opinion, and by annihilating their ego, they reach a common heart and mind together. This is a unique inner tension and practical work. From a state of unity, and only with this, they complement each other; they begin to come to a common opinion. But it is not connected to personal opinions; rather, is felt through a common unity. It is in this form that the system of governance for the nation and the people should be manifested.

How can strife and discord be avoided?

Question: Today many nations are trying to recreate this model to one degree or another. Take for example Turkey, in which the government has gradually become concentrated in the hands of one person, or Russia, that doesn’t even hide that it lives and thrives thanks to one person. There are also a multitude of other examples in less developed nations. Does it follow that the formation of governmental pyramids like this is the only way it is possible for humanity to go? So, where is it possible to take people like these who are satisfied with such a method of management?  And eventually in Singapore, which was not originally corrupt, all the key places became occupied by relatives of Lee Kuan Yew. Ultimately, some kind of caste was created.

Answer: Certainly this model cannot exist forever in an ideal state once bribery, power struggles, and the like begin. For some time it can hold its position on some ideal, but after that, everything deteriorates along the usual egoistic tracks.

Question: How would the Kabbalists avoid reaching this situation in the management of the nation?

Answer: The fact that they are united among themselves, the 120 greatest sages of the people would avoiding conflict and differences of opinion. Specifically in this situation, they would begin to discuss some issue and from their unity, they would receive an answer. After all, the unity between them is their next goal, which they must reach and include all people with them.

Question: Do discussions in circles, which your students organize, constitute a small version of this form of unity?

Answer: Yes. Discussions in the form of roundtables are organized all over the world, not just in Israel. We actively create a gathering, a discussion circle of men and women, who implement the unity by detaching and rising above themselves. Each one invests himself in the others and everyone yearns to be absolutely equal, with none greater or smaller in any way. We aspire to find a precise system of inner balance between us and pursue it so that all will be equal and integrated with each other, will lose himself in our unity, and from “I” will come to a state of “we.” Then, from the state of “we,” come to a state of “one,” as one person with one heart.
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From KabTV’s “Conversations with Michael Laitman” 4/1/15

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Question: How is it possible that a person does not feel himself individually but perceives himself as an inseparable part of the whole?

Answer: He will not be able to think differently if he feels connected to everyone else, like a mother, depending on her children.

Could a mother think of herself as if she has no children? Whatever opportunities—a new job that she is offered—she immediately thinks about what would happen to her home in her absence.

Question: Will people no longer feel their loneliness, depression, or inner emptiness, which are now so common?

Answer: Depression will disappear immediately, as soon as we begin to awaken the positive force of nature, which will counterbalance the negative effect of our egoism.

Indeed, depression and emptiness are caused by the fact that we are at the mercy of a single, negative egoistic force with which we cannot make our lives better. We have reached a point after which we must bring a positive force to the world.

Question: Today, a person feels lonely even living in a golden palace, but will people be lonely in a corrected, perfect Israel?

Answer: There will be no lonely people because everyone will feel like a mother with many children. People will feel enveloped in love and warmth. This responsibility for everyone as for his children, will be his joy, not a burden.

Two forces will be inside the human being, and outside everything will be balanced. We do not understand what balance is. It is a touch of eternity, a sense of paradise. After all, everything comes into balance and harmony.

On the one hand, this state is composed of two opposing forces, and, on the other hand, these forces complement each other, and thus, it turns out that I am not affected by any force outside. My connection with others is so reciprocal that it is not hard for me to act for the common good, as do all the others.
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From KabTV’s “A New Life” 4/12/15

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Question: An independent state of Israel has existed for several decades. What does Israeli society lack in order to achieve security and full independence?

Answer: Universal education is needed to explain to the people of Israel that it is impossible to achieve any success until we learn to awaken the positive force of nature and, through it, to counterbalance the negative force of our egoism. We must show the world how to use these two forces and thereby constantly maintain our independence.

By doing this for ourselves, we also must think about how to teach this to the entire world. After all, humanity must accomplish the same thing, to be all together at the point of equilibrium between the two opposing forces, in other words, to build the third temple.

The third temple is not a building, but the concept of all of humanity achieving complete balance and harmony.
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From KabTV’s “A New Life” 4/12/15

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