In the News (Stanford News): “Ever since the concept of altruism was proposed in the 19th century, psychologists have debated whether or not people are born into the world preprogrammed to be nice to others. Now, a pair of Stanford psychologists has conducted experiments that indicate altruism has environmental triggers, and is not something we are simply born with.

“In 2006, a study involving toddlers found that the 18-month-olds were willing to provide a helping hand to the experimenters without being prompted. This expression of altruistic behavior in such young children aligned with what many scientists believed to be an expression of innate altruism, and the findings have served as the basis for dozens of studies since. …

“As with most experiments involving toddlers, the researchers behind the 2006 study engaged in a few minutes of play with the children, in order to make them comfortable with new people in a new setting.

“But this interaction, however brief, might have primed the toddler subjects toward altruistic behavior, and affected the outcome of the experiment. …

“Barragan and Dweck designed a novel experiment to isolate the effect of the pretest warm-up period. They enlisted 34 one- and two-year-olds …

“The results suggest that altruistic behavior may be governed more by relationships, even brief ones, than instincts.”

My Comment: This is nothing more than a naïve misconception.

The conclusions of the scientists sound too categorical. I would soften the wording a bit and use the magic words, “as far as it seems.” “As far as it seems, the acts of humans are also managed by altruistic intentions. Among apes there are no intentions like these, while among humans who have developed, it could be that they exist.” After all, the assumption of the scientists is not clear at all.

They say that altruism develops under the influence of communication between people, while I see that under the influence of communication, a person becomes more and more egoistic and doesn’t want to take anything into consideration except personal benefit, pleasure, and enjoyment.

Question: Does this mean that altruism is not created even when there is communication between people?

Answer: Certainly not. While communicating, I only see from whom I can profit, enjoy, and rise above. What we consider as altruism is egoism camoflaged to exploit others better.

Question: If this is so, if altruism doesn’t exist, where does this word come from?

Answer: In our lexicon there are many nice and good words: “friendship, love, connection, and mutual affection.” This is what misleads and confuses a person.

Question: Is it possible to acquire altruism somehow?

Answer: This is impossible because in our world on the level of nature in which we live in the communication between us, altruism doesn’t exist. But with the help of a unique method, we can summon the hidden power of nature (call it a “secret”), that, in addition to our nature, develops the characteristic of bestowal in us, the characteristic of unrequited, irrevocable, unconditional love. This is altruism.

But first we must discover the force of nature under whose influence we can become like this. Then we acquire the power of altruism, this possibility, this characteristic. But in no way do we do this with our own abilities.

The entire Torah talks about this. If we use it correctly, and the correct usage of the Torah is the wisdom of Kabbalah, then we can awaken and summon this force and it will transform us into altruists.

Then we will begin to uphold the general rule, “And you shall love your friend as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18), which is the goal of the method of Torah.

Question: Suppose I become an altruist and someone else doesn’t, how will I be able to exist along with him?

Answer: You will be able to exist with him on the same level in which he and the whole world are. You will be able to talk with him calmly, work together, study, and do business.

Question: If so, how will the altruism in me be expressed?

Answer: Unlike others, you will not be able to cause anything bad in the world. You will receive from the world only as much as you require for sustaining yourself. In contrast to the others who receive in order to get everything in the world, you simply don’t need this; you have no desire for it. Other than that, you behave like all other people.

Question: Doesn’t it seem that science won’t rise to the level of altruistic deeds?

Answer: Science can rise only to the level of its researchers,  but no more. So it is necessary to develop the scientists, to raise their level.

Question: Is this possible?

Answer: I don’t know if it is easier to elevate the scientists or all of society. Scientists are people who stubbornly hold onto their nature. But I have recently noticed that the general crisis and the crisis within science and all of its manifestations have begun to influence them also.

Big doubts have appeared among them and all sorts of vacillations have begun to appear within science. Other than this, in the exact sciences, they are already talking about changes in nature, about its other possibilities.

While in the inexact sciences like psychology, they will continue to plod along for some time, tailing behind all of the sciences because they are based on only the material nature of humanity.
[200768]
From KabTV’s “News with Michael Laitman” 12/28/16

Related Material:
Altruism Can Be Instilled
Egoistic Altruists
Egoism In The Service Of Altruism

Filed under: Kabbalah Study, News - No Comments →

In the News (DW.com): “An annotated, critical edition of Hitler’s infamous “Mein Kampf” has been on sale for a year, the two-volume tome becoming a surprise bestseller with 85,000 copies sold. But the book is still attracting controversy.

“At the end of January, a sixth run of the critical edition of Adolf Hitler’s anti-Semitic “Mein Kampf” will be released. The strong sales have come as a surprise.

“‘No one could really have expected them,’ said Andreas Wirsching, Director of the Munich-based Institute for Contemporary History (IfZ) that produced and published “Hitler, Mein Kampf. A critical edition”, an annotated version of the notorious book accompanied by extensive critical comments.”

My Comment: What do they mean, they didn’t expect it? They did expect this and how! Billions of copies will be sold all over the world because this book is very famous to begin with. It was prohibited for a long time and was not published, and then suddenly they began to publish it. It is only natural that they would advertise it this way.

In coincides with the fact that we are re-entering a cycle of nationalism, chauvinism, anti-Semitism, etc. This is the reason that people need such books. They need a radical idea as a solution to the problem.

Question: Even the idea of hatred?

Answer: Humanity has nothing but that. It is impossible to lead people forward in a positive way, only by hatred. This is what everything is based on because our ego, which is the core of our nature, doesn’t understand anything but struggle, hatred, and the annihilation of the enemy. It is impossible to advance without an enemy.

Question: We continue to follow our developing egoism, taking old books, raising them to the level of hatred, and thus moving. For how long?

Answer: Until humanity starts a third world war, because WWI and WWII were based on the same hatred that is redeveloping now. Many speak about a third world war very calmly, as the time for its ideology has come.

But I hope that we will be able to overcome that. There are already buds of the recognition of evil in humanity, of what the real evil is. I believe that people will be able to look ahead and see what they could not see before and will understand that this is not a solution to the problem.

Fascist organizations will not be able to unite today; they will quarrel. And we will be able to explain to people that this is the way to mutual annihilation and not a solution.

Question: Which means that no happiness will result from that?

Answer: No, this will certainly not lead to happiness. The only way to achieve happiness is by the correction of man and humanity.

Question: Could there be a book that is totally opposite from “Mein Kampf” that will become a bestseller?

Answer: I believe that a book that is serious, and on the other hand, light and exciting should be written. It will draw humanity to the idea of correction. Of course, this idea is against our nature, so it does not draw everyone automatically, but today it can already be explained as the essential and only solution.
[200889]
From KabTV’s “News with Michael Laitman” 1/9/16

Related Material:
Studying Mein Kampf In School
Boston Publishers Of “Mein Kampf” Will Donate Proceeds To Holocaust Survivors
Italian Right-Wing Newspaper Gives Away “Mein Kampf”

Filed under: Crisis, Globalization, News - No Comments →

In the News (Times of Israel): “Israel is throwing away approximately 35 percent of the food it produces, to the value of an estimated NIS 18 billion in 2015, according to a report released this week by Leket Israel, the National Food Bank.

“The food waste in Israel has far-reaching implications, especially for the 17% of Israeli society considered ‘food insecure’ — those who are not sure that they will have enough food over the course of the month.

“‘There are things that we can do with very minimal effort to rescue food, but we need to have policies that will direct this, policies that come from a government level,’ said Gidi Kroch, the CEO of Leket Israel.”

My Comment: I think that it is much more than that. But even this would be enough to feed all of those in need.

Comment: Many steps are being taken to avoid throwing food away.

My Comment: Nothing will help with this or automobile accident fatalities, problems in schools, the family, and every possible place. Only the ascent of a person to the next level of development will help solve all problems.

People throw food away because what happens to others doesn’t matter to them. If you knew that your children living a few kilometers away from you were now starving, wouldn’t you bring them food?

We lack a sense that we are one family. So, it is necessary to revive this feeling between us. Then there will be plenty of everything for everyone. Otherwise, it will not be possible to solve this problem.

I am not saying that it is necessary to run and distribute food. But anyone would willingly set aside all his surpluses. So this is not even about sharing with someone, but simply about giving them the surplus we are throwing away.

Then all would be well and rational related to food. We cannot imagine the quantity of food that is thrown away in stores, supermarkets, wedding halls, and restaurants. We throw away more than we eat.

What this means is that we must organize special distribution systems. Then people will not starve and there will always be enough for everyone.

If we felt that those who are hungry were our relatives, this would push us to set our surplus aside and create a system for collecting and distributing it. The same could be done with clothing and everything else, meaning the immense surpluses of products we have manufactured.

It is possible to achieve such a feeling only when we begin to implement the great general rule, “And you shall love your friend as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18), or at least when we feel that we are one people.

But we can achieve this only with the help of serious re-education and in no other way. It is impossible to solve problems like these differently. We must speak and write about this so much that everyone will understand how they are living and who they are. Then it will be easier to explain to people that we need to do something about ourselves.
[200505]
From KabTV’s “News with Michael Laitman” 1/11/16

Related Material:
Should They Starve?
The Curse Of Useless Abundance
The Future Supermarket

Filed under: Israel Today, News - No Comments →

Kabbalah is for the unbounded movement of people in the world, but after they correct their egoism and aspire to become one family.

Immigrants calling “Na’al abouk la France!” (F… France) will soon spread throughout Europe. That’s the result of reckless liberalism.

2300 pages of The Study of the 10 Sefirot begin with the question the book is meant to answer: WHAT’S THE MEANING OF OUR LIVES?

How Trump Can Tweet His Way Toward American Stability

[#202268]
From Twitter, 2/17/17

Related Material:
My Thoughts On Twitter, 2/16/17
My Thoughts On Twitter, 2/15/17
My Thoughts On Twitter, 2/14/17

Filed under: News, Politics, Thoughts on Twitter - No Comments →

How @realDonaldTrump Can Tweet His Way Towards American Stability @HuffPostPol http://bit.ly/huffposttrumptwitter …

Solving other people’s problems at your own expense is a mistake. To help means to train and equip #nations without changing their ways.

The brainwashing of our egocentric society gave birth to masses of people who consider themselves infallible. (An observer).

How Trump Can Tweet His Way Toward American Stability

The Dems Smear Campaign Can Put Us All in Trouble

El Huffington Post ‏@ElHuffPost

[#202160]
From Twitter, 2/15/17

Related Material:
My Thoughts On Twitter, 2/14/17
My Thoughts On Twitter, 2/13/17
My Thoughts On Twitter, 2/12/17

Filed under: Kabbalah for the Nation, News, Politics, Thoughts on Twitter - No Comments →

Soon, instead of recklessness and unrestrained liberalism, the world will aspire to be practical, balanced, and responsible in everything.

There’s only one solution to the refugee crisis: suitable living conditions in their homeland. Taking them in doesn’t solve the problem.

If the EU is serious about creating the Ministry of Truth, first they have to create the Ministry of Kabbalah. We’re ready to help!

Trump’s influence: The EU is ready to create the Ministry of Truth and punish spreading lies. For this, we need to correct our nature!

Likutei Etzot [Assorted Counsels]: The purpose of the Torah in particular is to reveal the Creator by uniting people of opposing opinions.

Let’s turn love into the foundation of life valentines

Only the unification of Jews that both support or oppose Trump will help Trump retain his power and spare the Jews from pogroms!

The world is in crisis, as in ancient Babylon. The world needs Abraham’s method of unification once again, so it can reach its purpose.
[202050]
From Twitter, 2/14/17

Related Material:
My Thoughts On Twitter, 2/13/17
My Thoughts On Twitter, 2/12/17
My Thoughts On Twitter, 2/10/17

Filed under: Crisis, News, Politics, Thoughts on Twitter - No Comments →

Our problem: the deterioration of social ties—the basis of society, economics, and politics. We weren’t brought up to connect.

Don’t blame Trump. We’re moving to a new stage of development. Hence the decline of social ties, family, society, economics, politics.

Henry Ford, “The International Jew”: “Society should demand that Jews fulfill the ancient prophecy: to bless all nations.”

Liberals, Republicans, and the Jews Between Them

Trump shows how the Internet can make traditional media and the UN obsolete. If we communicate, we can gradually solve our problems.

Kabbalah says the world must transition to a new paradigm. Trump can make for a smooth transition. Otherwise, crisis and war are ahead.

Tell Finland: Universal Basic Income will be successful only if recipients study and work with the method of human connection. #UBI

Now evident: The EU’s liberal governments can’t solve pressing national problems and only retain power by manipulating the media.

From Twitter, 2/13/17

Related Material:
My Thoughts On Twitter, 2/12/17
My Thoughts On Twitter, 2/10/17
My Thoughts On Twitter, 2/9/17

Filed under: Kabbalah Study, News, Politics, Thoughts on Twitter - No Comments →

Opinion (Mikhail Khazin, Russian economist and political commentator): “In the past few days, there were two events that, at first glance, have no relation to each other. Moreover, they could not even be logically connected. However, symbolically, they are very close.

“The first event – the death of Fidel Castro, who personified a whole era. …

“The second event—a statement by the President of Germany Joachim Gauck that Germany needs to suspend the further integration of the EU. The fact is the idea of European integration, which in the 1980-90s was perceived as the capitalist idea equivalent of revolution, has gradually arrived at collapse. At first, she had promised everyone happiness and prosperity, which was spread all over the world, and by 2010 had reached its peak. Today it is not even a question of whether the EU would be expanded, but whether it will be able to continue as a single structure.

“And the other is the end of an era. The death of Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez earlier symbolizes the exhausted potential of Latin American revolutionaries. The idea of liberal expansion is over. Practically, this means that the world will still be built on the confrontation of ideas—but it will have other ideas. And now it is important to understand what these ideas will be and how they will interact.”

My Comment: I don’t think that the world will be built on opposition as we are nearing a point in which the developing force that motivates us, egoism, has exhausted itself.

It is like when the fuel in a nuclear power plant burns up, the plant ceases to operate, and the fuel must be refilled, and so must we. This went on for thousands of years. But as of today, the whole ego has been burnt out and our nuclear power plant is gradually shutting down, quieting down: one block, then another block, and then a third block. One step at a time, glissando, the whole world is going to sleep, a standstill.

Question: What does the future hold for us?

Answer: In the future humanity will gradually grow sober and begin to ask: “What are we living for?” After all, a person has to be filled with the meaning of life! He shouldn’t just study history, geography, and literature, watch movies, etc.; he should find out why he is living.

This is a frightening question, which will increasingly manifest in humanity, will make them enter into depression, and force them to find the answer.

When humanity inevitably begins to suffer, cry out, and howl like a wolf at the moon in search of the meaning of life, then it will also begin to see clearly and reveal that there is great meaning in this vacuum! The whole vacuum is the whole meaning! This is the formula, the matrix in which we are living.

Then we will grasp it just as Adam HaRishon (the First Man) did and as the twenty generations of Kabbalists that followed him until Abraham did, and as the Kabbalists who followed Abraham did.

Eventually the circle will be closed and we will once again participate in this great venture, when people will once again start the search for the meaning of life, which they started back in ancient Babylon. In fact, to this day, this question has not been fully disclosed by humanity. In ancient Babylon a small group of people revealed it and it disappeared. Now we have to adopt their system of searching and gradually discover it on our level. This is what we are getting ready for.

We have to show humanity that is crying out: “what is the meaning of life?!” not only what the real meaning is, but also the method through which they can discover it.
[198414]
From KabTV’s “News with Michael Laitman” 11/30/16

Related Material:
On The Threshold Of Discovering The Goal Of Evolution
When You Run Out Of Fuel
We Could Turn This World Into Paradise!

Filed under: Crisis, Globalization, Meaning Of Life, News - No Comments →

Germany has lost the EU leadership. The EU is in stagnation. Now it’s France’s turn to lead the EU. Who is next?!

The EU didn’t keep its promises to bring its citizens a prosperous economy, jobs, equality and social security. This is Germany ‘s loss!

Only by mastering the method of connection above differences, can we enjoy ever greater contradictions that strengthen the connection.

Kabbalah—the method of connecting egoists—becomes revealed precisely because society now faces its egoism, yet must remain connected.

Likutey Halachot [Assorted Rules] Item 4: The main requirement for man is to achieve connection above contradictions to the degree of love

Specifically politicians, who are in constant conflict, can appreciate the merit of Kabbalah: creating connection above contradictions.

Kabbalah enables a two-tier human connection: natural selfishness and rejection below, altruism and attraction above. This is the correction!

Kabbalah enables connection ABOVE contradictions. That’s why in the future only Kabbalah will turn people into true liberal pluralists.

Our egoistic development will expose our inability to understand each other. Then, we’ll need to use Kabbalah for human connection.

Liberals, Republicans, and the Jews Between Them

[#201914]
From Twitter, 2/12/17

Related Material:
My Thoughts On Twitter, 2/10/17
My Thoughts On Twitter, 2/9/17
My Thoughts On Twitter, 2/8/17

Filed under: Egoism, Kabbalah Study, News, Politics, Thoughts on Twitter - No Comments →

In the News (Haaretz): “Israel’s Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman lashed out Monday at France for its attempt to organize an international peace summit on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and urged France’s Jews to come to Israel.”

My Comment: Lieberman is absolutely right. France is a very religious Catholic country where at one time they carried out pogroms and wars. Of course, it is not for the Jews. It will be get worse and worse.

It is possible that they will issue laws forbidding Jews to export capital or preventing them to settle in other European or American countries. Then only Israel will be left for them.

But today there are difficulties with work and housing in Israel. And the French Jews are mainly people with quite moderate means and so they will have to start from scratch.

The fact is that the departure of the Jews from France will throw the country to the level of a third world country, both spiritually and financially. I am sure of it! The exodus of the Jews from any country has always been a disaster for the country, and it will be a disaster for France.

Question: I would like to ask you as a Kabbalist: will the action of the upper force, the Creator, lead the people of Israel from all countries of the world?

Answer: Eventually, of course. And it will happen in a heightened state of hostility and hatred toward Israel. The nations of the world will make Jews leave their homes; they will be squeezed out. So they must leave while it is possible. By and large, the exodus of the European Jews has begun.

Question: Is this an optimistic note?

Answer: I am always an optimist. If the end is good, everything is good.
[200370]
From KabTV’s program “News with Michael Laitman” 12/28/16

Related Material:
Escaping Europe
The Time Has Come To Pack Their Bags
What Can The French Jews Do?

Filed under: Israel, Israel Today, Nations of the World, News - No Comments →