Medium published my new article “An Elevator to the World of Tomorrow”

Whenever the world experiences a great upheaval, a desire arises to forge good bonds between all people. Whenever a country goes through an internal crisis, the desire arises to unite all parts of the nation. And yet, despite all this, life continues to lead us from disappointment to disappointment. So, what is it that we are missing on the path to tranquility and fulfillment?

The problem is that human beings are selfish by nature. We think only of ourselves, look out for our own good, and use others for our own pleasure. So even if we think of things like building a mutual bond between people and trying to establish organizations and processes to promote that goal, our results lack the power to overcome human nature, that is, to put love of others ahead of love only of ourselves within our hearts. Because of this, our efforts at bond building never last long.

What we need in order to succeed is a special power, something otherworldly, a kind of miracle mechanism that can elevate us from our selfish nature to a more advanced and sublime nature of love for others, something completely new.

We are in the midst of an evolutionary process. In recent decades, the world has become a holistic system in which all its details are interconnected, interdependent and interrelated. But we human beings, with our inward self-focus, are not yet integrated into the emerging world. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, everyone’s ego is simultaneously growing alongside and pushing us apart. Thus, the incompatibility between humanity and the system of nature is also growing. If human nature does not change, it is only a matter of time until we come to a destructive explosion.

There is a unique mechanism that can spare us this dire fate and elevate us to a new level of interaction, one that is safer and more pleasant. This life saving mechanism is described in the wisdom of Kabbalah, and it is a method for correcting human nature. By and large, the method is based on learning and practicing connection and communication techniques in small groups. One also learns in depth about the integral system of nature and the force that connects all the parts of reality into an integral, perfectly shaped mechanism.

There is a comprehensive system underlying all of nature wherein everything proceeds in connection, perfection, and harmony. This supreme law of nature which demands love absolutely cannot be violated. To the extent that we transcend our egoistic nature towards love of others, the distance between ourselves and others shortens until we literally are able to feel everyone within ourselves. Our mental and emotional calculations become harmoniously connected; the mind and heart unite in a centered line where everything becomes integral and linked.

Such a process of development can lead each of us to acquire true love of others and we are then able to begin to help shape our surrounding environment to also support that goal. This transformative switch from independence to interdependence will elevate our world of woes to the world of tomorrow, a closer and more cooperative world in which all humanity ascends to a prosperous future.
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Medium published my new article “Polarization and Anti-Social Networks”

Day by day there is more division and polarization, more anger and hatred, which is weaponized by an increased flood of information on social media. That is the conclusion of a recent study revealed by Yale University. But is anyone really surprised by the discovery?

According to the research co-authored by Yale, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Southern California, more information does not mean more pluralism, it only intensifies already polarized views. Individuals tend to read and absorb only the material that confirms their existing beliefs in a sort of “confirmation bias.”

To me there is nothing new. After all, it is written and known, “The inclination of a man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Genesis 8:21).” That is, we are all under the control of an egoistic desire, in a constant desire for self-fulfillment. Not only in every human being does this tendency exist, but society as a whole is founded on it. Family, national and international relations — all of humanity is built on selfish systems. This is natural and logical, since everything in nature, including the inanimate, vegetative, and animate levels, works to get maximum pleasure with the minimum investment.

What started as a desire of social networks algorithm developers to fight for our attention, to bombard us to live on their platforms, and to profit financially by influencing marketing content, has led to intensive efforts to crack those algorithms and understand how they work on us, but what really needs to be explored through a deeper layer is our human nature.

It is far better to research and find out who we really are. Our evil instinct is a ticking bomb with tremendous negative potential; we will witness this more and more day by day. There is great advantage in internalizing that under certain environmental conditions we will not hesitate to benefit ourselves even if that comes at the expense of others, we seek our own momentary pleasure without any remorse for anyone we might harm to get it.

The light at the end of the tunnel is that at some point we will no longer be able to tolerate the monster we created with our own hands, and we will unanimously decide to destroy it or at least direct it to the right place for re-education.

We have no idea how much our brain is destroyed when it is infected with this polarizing disease. According to our evolution we must eventually become a more balanced humanity, but until that happens, instead of assembling and connecting ourselves to one global system, we let our egoistic desire control and separate us, and the mind, which responds to our will, cooperates. As a result, we divorce, separate, quarrel, and divide, and cause ourselves more trouble that we pay for dearly.

When we cannot settle things with rational common sense, then we are filled with anger and rage, and erupt under pressure. Social networks reflect our nature and ignite the antagonistic passions. An extreme opinion voiced from the other side of the barricade is enough to raise our threshold of agitation and throw us out of emotional balance.

It will not help to clean up the toxic content and censor the inciting videos and tweets. In the end we will only reduce the noxious evil for a short time and soon will continue our destructive habits until the next eruption.

To change the direction of thinking we need to recognize, face, and acknowledge our harmful nature and talk about the human egoism that rules us. Heightened awareness can persuade the public to agree to eliminate this evil ruling nature. Proper and serious recognition will make everyone realize on their own that thinking and acting badly toward others causes a split that gradually leads to self-destruction.

This process needs to happen in all of our social systems, and from there it will also spread to social networks, which mirror ourselves. So naturally we will enact laws that will be agreed upon by social media users and will forbid us to be careless toward others out of a simple understanding that this evil will eventually backfire on us.

If we are already reaching out to the networks and intervening in them, then it would be good to develop a positive algorithm that encourages unity and closeness, that evokes a feeling of connection to benefit and sweeten our lives. Just as social networks have entered our lives with great impetus and changed them fundamentally, so can this positive algorithm be implemented with great success. Only then we will start building real social networks.
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Michael Laitman, On The Times of Israel: “They Can Impose War; We Must Impose Peace”

We are living through a very tough time in Israel: Relentless terrorist attacks are spreading fear and increase tensions with our Arab neighbors and division among ourselves. There is, of course, the temporary solution of separating the two communities, but in the long run, the only solution that will work is if we rise above our division and form Jewish unity. This will not only solve the internal division among Jews, but it will also dissolve the Arabs’ hatred toward us.

When we malign each other, the nations malign us. It is not even a conscious process for them. All of a sudden, they “realize” that everything is the fault of the Jews and blame every woe and misfortune on us. When it comes to the Jewish state, they add to it the sentiment that everything is the fault of Israel.

The current wave of terrorism is also the result of our division. I understand that it is very difficult to nurture unity and cohesion with someone who believes in everything that you oppose, and vice versa, but we really have no choice. The condition of unity above division, or as King Solomon put it (Prov. 10:12), covering crimes with love, is inexorable and irrevocable.

The false vilification, vile incitement, and countless bogus libels should not worry us. We need not worry about what others think of us. We can be certain that they do not harbor good thoughts about us, and nothing we might say will change that. Instead, we should focus on uniting our ranks so tightly that we will truly become “as one man with one heart,” just as our ancestors did when they forged our nation.

If we foster unity, we will not need to fight against enemies. It is not that we will defeat them easily; it is simply that there will be no war between Israelis and Arabs. They can impose war on us, but if we unite, we will impose peace on them.

We complain that we want peace but we have no partner on the other side. We do not need a partner because if we make peace among ourselves, we will have no enemies. The world is at war with us because we are at war with each other.

Our calling as Jews is to set an example of peace above division. We have mastered division; now it is time to master peace. If we accomplish this, we will be a light unto nations.

For more on the link between Jewish unity and antisemitism, read my publications The Jewish Choice: Unity or Anti-Semitism, Historical facts on anti-Semitism as a reflection of Jewish social discord, and Like a Bundle of Reeds: Why unity and mutual guarantee are today’s call of the hour.
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Medium published my new article “Humanity Restructured”

A war in Europe that is lasting longer than anyone expected, and whose end is nowhere in sight, a virus that mutates and easily outsmarts scientists, seemingly unstoppable inflation, supply chains incorrigibly broken, and other worldwide crises are pounding humanity. But the blows do more than pain us; they are restructuring the world. They are leading the entire planet — minerals, plants, animals, and people — toward a state of harmony and balance that is happening even though humanity is desperately trying to avoid it. It is a very special phase that we are going through. A new, peaceful and harmonious state is emerging, and it is painful only because we are resisting it, because we want to call the shots even when our decisions work against us.

Everything that happens in the world today is pointing to a clear and simple fact: We have no idea what is going on. We have no idea why things are happening, how to make them work to our benefit, and how to secure our future and the future of our planet.

The climate crisis, economic downturn, and unceasing international violence are symptoms of a broken system. And the system is broken because we refuse to recognize and act according to one simple fact: For better or worse, we are connected to each other and dependent on each other. Therefore, we must work for each other rather than against each other.

The global crises show us that alone, we will not be able to solve any problem. Gradually, through pain, they will teach us that we must learn to work together. This will be the beginning of the restructuring of the world.

Nature will leave us with only two options: teach ourselves to cooperate, or let nature teach us that, as it is doing now. The former is painless and quick; the latter is the current path — filled with turmoil and torment.

Take the virus, for example. If we worked together around the world, we would long be free of it. Since we refuse, it keeps spreading and defeating our efforts. Or, take the food shortage. It is bogus; there is no scarcity of food. Humanity produces far more than it consumes. Since we distribute it unevenly, parts of the world are oversupplied, others are starving, and the surplus food is thrown away and pollutes the planet. It is strictly a manmade crisis that should not be happening.

As it is with food and healthcare, so it is with access to education, housing, economic development, and every other area of human engagement. Add to this the endless arms-race, and you have a recipe for endless poverty, misery, frustration, and ultimately violence.

Now that things have gone too far, the crisis is reaching everyone. This is nature’s way of saying that unless we work together, no one will succeed. No country can prosper irrespective of other countries. Every country is dependent on the global markets — on raw materials from other countries, on products manufactured abroad, and on foods it cannot produce itself.

When the struggle to outdo other countries reaches a certain threshold, the damage we do to others begins to return to us. At that point, a global breakdown occurs. This is what is happening today.

We can keep fighting one another and make our lives increasingly, and eventually unbearably hard, or we can stop fighting one another and make everyone’s life easy and safe. In the end, we will choose the latter, because no one wants to suffer. The only question is how long it will take us and at what cost.

Restructuring humanity is not an option, but we can choose between the quick and easy way, or the long and painful one. Currently, we’re clearly on the latter.
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Michael Laitman, On The Times of Israel: “When Guns Stop Roaring – War Begins”

There is a wave of terror in the State of Israel these days. Even when terrorists do not succeed in their attempts to murder innocent civilians in their homes or on the street, there is not a day without several attempts. The tension and the common anxiety are creating a sense of solidarity that Israelis do not feel during quieter times. Regrettably, when the wave subsides, we can expect Israelis to return to the normalcy of internal bickering, division, and mutual contempt that are the causes of the endless waves of violence against us. Hostility toward Israel will end when Israelis rise above their hostility toward each other.

On the one hand, missiles over our heads and terrorists on our streets are an awful reality. On the other hand, in a state of immediate danger, the picture is clear: An enemy has come to kill us and we must work together to protect ourselves. The fear creates a sense of togetherness, which in turn engenders unity. People’s willingness to help each other, make concessions, and be kind to one another creates a warm feeling of closeness.

It is good, but it is not enough because it does not last one day beyond the end of the violence against us. “In that sense, we are like a pile of nuts, united into a single body from the outside by a sack that envelops and unites them.” This is how Baal HaSulam, the great 20th century kabbalist, described it. “Their measure of unity,” he continues, “does not make them a united body, and each movement applied to the ‎sack produces in them tumult and separation. Thus, they consistently arrive at new unions and ‎partial aggregations. The fault is that they lack the inner unity, and their whole force of unity ‎comes through outside incidents.”

Our greatest challenge, therefore, is to build a connection, a sense of unity that will remain in times of peace, and not only as a comfort or as support in times of war. It is vital that we achieve it. Unity is our shield at all times, and the lack thereof brings upon us trouble. “When Israel’s unity is restored,” writes the book Shem MiShmuel, “evil will have no place in which to install error and external forces within them, for when they are as one man with one heart, they are as a fortified wall against the forces of evil.”

The book Maor VaShemesh echoes these words, saying, “The primary defense against calamity is love and unity. When there are love, unity, and friendship between one another in Israel, no calamity can befall them and by that, all the curses and suffering are banished.”

We therefore see that unity is not a shield we should erect when troubles come upon the Jewish people. Unity is our instrument for achieving success, prosperity, and safety.

Moreover, because of Israel’s unique position and calling in the world, when there are peace and unity within Israel, it brings peace to the entire world. The Book of Zohar writes that when Israel are divided, “Woe unto them, for they cause poverty and ruin, looting and killing, and destruction in the world.”

Baal HaSulam quotes the words of The Zohar and adds, “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.’” In other words, antisemitism and the aspiration to destroy the State of Israel and the Jewish people are the result of the Jews’ own hatred for each other.

In his essay “Introduction to The Book of Zohar,” Baal HaSulam draws a very clear conclusion as to what Jews must do following the horrors of the Holocaust. “After, through our many faults, we have witnessed all that is said, …and of all the glory that Israel had had in the countries of Poland and Lithuania, etc., there remains but the relics in our holy land, now it is upon us, relics, to correct that dreadful wrong.” And the way to correct this, he suggests, is through our unity.

His contemporary, the great Rav Kook, writes very similarly. “The world, which is now falling to the dreadful storms of the blood-streaked sword,” he begins with his eloquent style, “requires the establishment of the Israeli nation. The establishment of the nation and the revelation of its spirit are one and the same, and it is one with the construction of the world, which is crumbling and yearning for a force full of unity and sublimity, which is found only in the soul of Israel.” Therefore, he concludes, “This great hour [calls] on all the forces in the nation: ‘Awaken and arise to your duty!’”

If we are true to our calling, then the next time guns stop roaring, an internal war will not begin.
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Michael Laitman, On The Times of Israel: “Victory Day – a Sad Reminder”

This past Saturday, May 7, was the day when Nazi Germany signed its official surrender to the Allies. The following day, May 8, was declared as Victory Day in Europe. The Soviet Union declared the following day, May 9, as Victory Day, but either way, the war continued until Japan’s surrender on August 15, 1945, following the dropping of two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. If there has ever been a sad victory, it is the victory of the Allies in World War II. Not only was this war the worst of all the wars, we have not learned a thing from it, other than to build the worst ever weapon. Given the chance, I have no doubt that another world war will break out, and it is certain to be nuclear.

The only country that may have learned a good lesson from the war is Japan. Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution outlaws war as a means to settle international disputes. It was enacted on May 3, 1947, following World War II, and states that explicitly offensive weapons, such as ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons, are prohibited. Although the constitution was imposed by the occupying United States in the post-World War II period, Japan maintains its army as a defensive force and refrains from using offensive weapons like ballistic missiles or nuclear weapons to this day.

Regrettably, I do not see the Japanese approach to war taking root anywhere outside Japan. In fact, even Japan’s lesson is only partial since avoidance is not a correction. Correction, which is the only way to prevent war in the long run, must incorporate a radical shift in our relationships, and not only a commitment to refrain from using offensive weapons and weapons of mass destruction.

It is not only World War II that makes me pessimistic. For thousands of years, humanity has lived by the sword. As soon as nations conclude one campaign, they begin to develop deadlier and more sinister weapons for their future conflicts. There is not even a thought in the direction of peace, but only in the direction of winning more decisively.

In the previous century, humanity experienced the most horrendous forms of mass killing, indeed of extermination of human beings. In World War I, chemical warfare was introduced, and in World War II, nuclear warfare became a tool in the arsenal of armies. Yet, despite the horrific consequences of using such weapons, not only were they not banned, they were proliferated and their power grew hundreds of times worse than the already monstrous potential that was displayed in Japan. It seems as though no agony, however dreadful, will make humanity turn away from mutual destruction.

When I came to learn with my teacher, RABASH, he taught me what his father, the great kabbalist and thinker Baal HaSulam, had taught him: Nature pushes humanity forward “in two ways—the ‘path of light,’ and the ‘path of suffering’—in a way that guarantees humanity’s continuous development and progress.”

In truth, however, the path of suffering does not teach us anything, as is evidently clear. All it does is convince us to look for a better, or at least less painful way forward.

Conversely, the path of light consists of developing the core values that make a society prosperous and strong: solidarity, cohesion, and mutual concern. At their highest level, they are called “love of others.” Nevertheless, even before a society achieves the final degree of caring, the positive emotions among its members solidify it and ensure peace and prosperity for all its members.

In the 1930s, long before anyone imagined the possibility of a nuclear bomb, Baal HaSulam wrote these astounding words in order to prove to humanity that we must take the path of light: “Do not be surprised if I mix together the well-being of a particular collective with the well-being of the whole world, because indeed we have already come to such a degree where the whole world is considered one collective and one society. That is, …each person in the world draws his life’s marrow and his livelihood from all the people in the world.”ADVERTISEMENT

If he wrote this in the 1930s, what can we say today, when our interdependence has increased many times over? And if we are indeed so dependent on each other, how can we dare contemplate using nuclear arms against each other?

Yet, we do dare, and we are careless as though our fates do not affect each other. Therefore, until we acknowledge that peace is our only way to survive, physically, we are doomed to live by the sword, or as Baal HaSulam described it, “Thus, humanity is being fried in a heinous turmoil, and strife and famine and their consequences have not ceased thus far.” Worse yet, “We can see that to the extent that humankind develops, the pains and torments obtaining our sustenance and existence also multiply.” This is the proof, says Baal HaSulam, that nature “has commanded us to observe ‎with all our might … bestowal upon others… in such a way that no ‎member from among us would work any less than the measure required to secure the happiness ‎of society and its success.”
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My new article on Linkedin “The Freedom to Love”

When your little girl or boy runs around the house, they feel no restraints or limitations. They feel free. Would it not be wonderful if we could be like that throughout our lives? Surprisingly, we can. Your children feel free because they are enveloped by your love. This is what gives them confidence that nothing will happen to them and they can venture anywhere they want and do whatever they please. If anything goes wrong, you’ll be there to keep them from harm.

As we get older, we encounter people who are not our parents and whose love for us is not unconditional, or who are complete strangers and might even seek to harm us. Instinctively, we lose our confidence and lose our joy. Instead, hesitation and suspicion take over.

However, if we were to give each other love the way we were given it when we were little, there would be no reason to stop feeling safe and happy. In other words, if society were to give people the same feeling of love that parents give their children, no one would feel insecure or mistrust toward others when venturing outside one’s home.

No feeling is better than to love someone else. This unique pleasure is the reason that parents love to tend to their children. Love fills the lover even more than it fills the loved one. When love is reciprocated, no bond is stronger than a bond of love.

Our sense of freedom depends on the level of love among us. Particularly now, when the world has become completely interconnected and interdependent, it is essential that we become aware of it.

Because there are so many commitments and obligations between us—some of which we are aware of, and most of which we are not, but they exist nonetheless—it is imperative that we build positive relations between us rather than the existing atmosphere of distrust and hostility.

It is not simple to develop love for others. However, in its absence, we cannot feel free.

In its truest form, love means stepping out of myself, out of my personal desires, and beginning to relate to other people’s desires the same as parents relate to the desires of their children. But when strangers relate that way to one another, it creates an entire society whose members give each other a sense of complete freedom because they all feel loved.

In such a society, we can realize our full potential. When we want to contribute our abilities to the common good, the community, and all of society encourage us to do so, and we feel unbounded support and encouragement from the surroundings. This, in turn, increases our love for the society and our desire to give to it, creating a cycle of giving that empowers each member in the society, and the society as a whole. There is no end to what such a society can achieve.

The spirit of love knows no boundaries. If we nurture it among us, we will feel as safe as a baby in its mother’s bosom, and as free as a bird throughout our lives.
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Michael Laitman, On The Times of Israel: “There Could Be Much More Light in Israel”

On the knife for cutting the Shabbat challah of Baal HaSulam—Kabbalist Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag—were engraved the words, “State of Israel.” Although the Independence Day of the State of Israel has no Kabbalistic background, the establishment of the State of Israel was of great importance to Baal HaSulam.

In the eyes of the Kabbalist, the reestablishment of the State of Israel in the land of Israel was a great step and cornerstone toward the fulfillment of the eternal Jewish vision. Two thousand years after the destruction of the Temple, when unfounded hatred broke out among Jews and we were scattered to all corners of the world, we finally founded once again a state to realize our role as the Israeli nation: to be “a light unto nations” – a model of the correct path for all mankind.

The Zionism of Baal HaSulam was not the Zionism we know, and it did not advocate one party or another. It focused on the goal for realization of the plan of creation, a plan in which the Jews play a central and significant role. From one Independence Day to the next, Baal HaSulam tried to navigate the compass and guide the Jewish people in his writings to fulfill their spiritual destiny.

Independence Day is also of great personal significance to me. Thanks to the establishment of the State of Israel, I was able to immigrate to Israel. And I share the aspirations of Baal HaSulam for the establishment of an exemplary people on Israeli soil. Let us be united as one man in one heart toward that goal. For only in this way will great and positive forces be able to arise among us, superior forces that we will spread to all the nations of the world from the strength of our unity as Israel.

I was recently pleased to hear that 90%of Israelis said in a new poll that they are proud to be Jewish. Without such national pride it is impossible to move forward. However, we should feel this pride as both a reward and an obligation.

While we are rewarded with the exalted role that awaits us, with the distinction of being a special link in the chain of humanity, it comes with an obligation to continue along the path, because we are only in the middle and we must reach the end. Our destination is to reach the state of mutual guarantee between us and then to transmit the power that comes from our unity to the whole world.

We have a heavy and significant work to carry out, and the nations of the world sense this within the contents of the internal global network that connects us all. Year by year, people put increasing pressure on us to push and force us to fulfill our destiny. Sometimes the people of the world relate to us negatively in the form of antisemitic statements, and sometimes they relate positively in the form of expressions of appreciation and a desire for cooperation. But whether from one side or another, the world is steering us toward one clear point: that Israel must be a unique people, upright before God, a people directly connected to and aligned with the revelation the Supreme Force.

Considering the darker side of the recent survey was the admission that about 33% of the respondents, young people aged 24-34, said they were considering leaving Israel. It is the intense stress and pressure, the danger and threat, and, most importantly, the lack of foreseeing a positive future that empower these thoughts of leaving Israel. They all stem from a lack of knowledge and appreciation of our indispensable role as a people, our destiny as a nation, and our responsibility to some nine billion people of the world.

Both the younger and older generations—in fact, all of us without exception—need to go through a maturing process. Simply understanding our role as taught by Baal HaSulam in his writings—a direct continuation of the message of a long chain of Kabbalists stretching back to the birth of our people— will already neutralize the latent contempt some of us may feel for our role. This deeper perception will elevate us and clarify for us how to build among ourselves and later in the world a reformed society.
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Michael Laitman, On The Times of Israel: “Our Security Depends on Our Unity”

In what is probably a record time, Israel has become a thriving country despite being surrounded by extremist countries that ‎seek only its destruction. Yet, the entire enterprise is in jeopardy because it was not built on the right foundations: unity and mutual responsibility. Without these two, Israel’s future remains bleak.

Yesterday, May 5, another terrorist attack in the recent spate has left three people dead and four more seriously injured. Over the past two months, seventeen people have been murdered by terrorists, and many more were injured. For comparison, in all of 2021, only eighteen people were murdered by terrorist activity, twelve of whom were killed during operation Guardian of the Walls, when more than 4,000 rockets and mortar bombs were fired at Israeli civilian settlements.

What has changed? Have terrorists become more accurate in their attacks? Have they acquired new weapons? Has Israeli intelligence become less efficient? Has the Israeli army become less powerful? The answer to all the above questions is a resounding “No!” What has changed since last year is our social solidarity. As our division grows, so does our enemies’ audacity and success.

Israel has always depended, is dependent now, and will always be dependent on its unity. The absence of it is responsible for all our woes since the inception of our nation, and its presence stands behind all our achievements.

Throughout the ages, our sages have been warning that if we are not united, we will have no revival as a nation. “The primary defense against calamity is love and unity,” says the book Maor VaShemesh. “When there are love, unity, and friendship between one another in Israel, no calamity can befall them and by that, all the curses and suffering are banished.”

Similarly, the book Sefat Emet writes, “When the children of Israel become one bundle, Amalek has no control over them. Rather, only in Rephidim [from the Hebrew word Pirud (separation)]. This is why Haman slandered, ‘There is one nation, scattered and separated,’ since their whole power was in unity… This is why it was said, ‘Go gather all the Jews.’”

For Israel, peace with its enemies depends on peace within Israel. If we want to secure our future in this country, we will have to live by the principles of the ancient Hebrews and place unity, mutual responsibility, and love of others above all values. Military measures aside, our first and foremost effort must be to unite our ranks above all differences.

We must not forget that the fuel that emboldens and strengthens our enemies is not their determination, but our division. The more divided we are, the more determined they are to destroy us. If we take the initiative and strive to build a cohesive society here in Israel, we will have security and peace, since they depend above all on our unity.
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From My Facebook Page Michael Laitman 5/5/22

After many years of learning about the spiritual meaning of the Jewish holidays ‎according to the wisdom of Kabbalah, we thought it was judicious to bind together ‎selected source excerpts on the topic from the greatest kabbalists throughout the ages, ‎and primarily Rav Yehuda Leib HaLevi Ashlag (Baal HaSulam), and his firstborn son ‎and successor, my teacher, Rav Baruch Shalom HaLevi Ashlag (RABASH).‎

Landmarks: The development of the soul in the cycle of the year was compiled so as to pave the way for all our friends, Kabbalah students ‎from around the world, who aspire to be Israel—Yashar El [directly to the Creator], ‎namely to aim themselves directly to the upper force, the power of bestowal and love.‎

In Hebrew, the word Hag [holiday/festival] comes from the word Hug, meaning a circle. ‎As the hands of a clock repeatedly return to the same numbers, we, too, experience ‎spiritual states in a cyclical process. It begins with the exodus from Egypt, which we ‎celebrate on Passover, symbolizing the beginning of the process, and ends with the final ‎correction on the holiday of Purim.‎

Each holiday and festival in the cycle of the year is like a landmark symbolizing an ‎important stage in the development of the soul. Through these stages, we come to know ‎ourselves, build ourselves, and experience the spiritual process over and over again.‎

I am thankful to my devoted students who collected and translated the excerpts herein for those already ‎on the path, and for those who are yet to come. I hope that reading them will help us ‎advance the entire world toward redemption.‎

Available here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZCL16WX
https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=V_9tEAAAQBAJ
https://www.kabbalahbooks.info/…/landmarks-the…

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