Comment: Irina writes: “Hello Dr. Laitman! It so happened that my husband and I moved into the basement. Our house was destroyed and no longer exists. We are both studying the science of Kabbalah and have heard from you repeatedly that the Creator is good and does good. It was only after this real devastation that we felt a state of liberation. Caring for others has supplanted all thoughts of self. And we realized that this is the only way to feel the Creator’s care for us. I myself cannot understand how it happened. Could you explain this condition?”

I honestly expected her to say: “And then we started hating the Creator.” But suddenly she writes: “Unexpectedly, we felt liberation.”

My Response: They have already skipped the state of hatred and have come to a state of liberation and caring for others.

Question: How does this happen?

Answer: This is an inner quality of a person when he tries to escape from suffering, fear, hatred, and all negative qualities based on his desire to feel good.

And as a result, he suddenly gets into such a state where he cares about others. He sees that by becoming more connected with others, he feels good. And the Creator directs him in this way— directs and directs. And he is already thanking the Creator for all the evil that He has caused him. How can this be?

He no longer feels that it is evil. He feels that it is the loving Creator who has directed him to the real good in this way. Only this feeling covers everything.

Question: So this is actually the future of all states of hatred, fear, and pain?

Answer: Yes, when you get rid of the material and feel only this state of spiritual fulfillment, by helping others, you fill yourself and you don’t need anything else in life. This is a spiritual state. Suffering can lead to this.

Question: Precisely suffering?

Answer: If the Creator directs you correctly, then you can reach this.

Comment: If such states are the future of all suffering, all hatred, and so on, then you’re able to justify everything and say it led me to this.

My Response: Yes. People go through very special states. Especially today.

Today, even people who do not study and are not with us go through many states that are close to the spiritual and they prepare themselves for spiritual integration into a common system, into a common Kli, to transition to a different mindset.

Question: When I have concern for others, will I be filled with this?

Answer: At first you will be filled with it, then you will run away from the problems of coming to connection with others. And then you will just do it because the Creator provides you with such a state and you see in it that your mission is to tell the world through your actions how good the Creator is in everything He does to us amid all these horrors.
[296754]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 3/17/22

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “Is any human really free?“

We have no free choice at our current level of existence. Decisions are made, either consciously or subconsciously, somewhere in our subconscious based on certain instincts, habits and social influences. And even if we accidentally choose something, it is also not freedom since we choose by chance instead of deciding by ourselves.

If we are given the opportunity to make a free choice at our current level of existence, we would not know what to base it on, where to lead it, and why we would choose one thing over another.

Our current understanding of freedom is to seek minimal pressure from undesirable extraneous sources. It is thus not freedom as a category.

Freedom is when we are positioned between two natures, two universes, corporeal and spiritual, i.e. when we can act based on the practice of receiving for our own sake (the corporeal nature), or bestowal and love for the sake of others (the spiritual nature).

Between these two natures, we have the opportunity for freedom. In the wisdom of Kabbalah, this is a specific inner place called Klipat Noga (the Noga shell). It is a very special and subtle point-like state that is located between two universes. In between them, we have a choice of where we can go, but the moment we have made the choice, we then have no freedom neither here nor there.

Based on KabTV’s “Close- Up, Dissenting Opinion” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on August 29, 2010. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Question: Victoria writes: “Dear Michael Laitman, from your explanations it seems we can feel true love only for the Creator. Is that true? What about us? Are we destined to live without love?”

Answer: No, why? We will love each other to the extent that we see each other as a partner, a companion, and a friend in reaching love for the Creator.

Question: How can we understand this “reaching love for the Creator?”

Answer: I have to establish such relationships and states with other people who are both close and distant and with absolutely everyone regardless of what kind of relationships I have with them, until they all eventually give me the opportunity to feel and explore the Creator.

Question: When you say “the Creator” what do you mean?

Answer: The very feeling of love, connection, mutuality, getting closer to each other, and adhesion.

Question: Should this be our goal? And do we need to constantly move toward it?

Answer: Yes. We must constantly move toward it. Moreover, the Creator by Himself does not exist. A feeling exists of getting closer to others, which arises from a mutual attempt to reveal the quality of love and bestowal.

Question: Do you call this feeling the revelation of the Creator?

Answer: Yes. The Creator is love. This has nothing to do with love for a man, a woman, a child, no matter who or what. This is just love for everything that I would say, feels like it exists outside of me.

Question: Is there love only outside of me?

Answer: Yes.

Question: I do not have it within me. And is it right to say love is only outside of me?

Answer: Within me it is egoistic and predetermined and I must rise above it to feel the true love.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 3/14/22

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Question: Should people who are looking for a spouse match each other mentally?

Answer: It is desirable that they are from the same society, the same circle, that they understand each other mentally and emotionally, have similar habits, and their parents have the same ideology; otherwise, it is very difficult.

In nature, everything strives for similarity, for balance. If you take a person from Asia, and another from Chukotka or North America, it is very difficult for them to interact and to have mutual understanding so they can connect and represent one whole.

Therefore, nature creates everything in pairs and on rapprochement between people. I advise that similar aspire for similar.

Comment: Often a woman thinks that if she marries an Englishman, for example, her life will change for the better.

My Response: She will not appreciate him. I have many such examples. She will live in her shell and he will live in his. Maybe there will be normal relations between them, but purely externally; there will be no internal contact.

If we are talking about a couple, then a person must still feel the other directly. When you create any mechanism, you think about how its parts will adapt to each other, accept, perceive, and continue one another.

Comment: But there are some couples that do become closer to each other.

My Response: It happens, but it is an exception. It is better to choose a spouse of the same mentality, from the same land, with the same upbringing and understanding.

Over time, all this will go through the general correction, will be melted down, and real spiritual individuals will come out of all of us. I think that we will see something like that even in this generation.
[296359]
From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. How to choose a pair for yourself” 4/12/14

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “Is there something Jews can do to lower antisemitism?“

We Jews need to first understand the reason for antisemitism: that it is due to us not performing our obligatory role in humanity.

If we would reach our completion, which is a state of absolute friendship according to the rule “Love your friend as yourself,” then we would bring balance and calm to nature’s colliding forces. This is our destiny, our responsibility and our role toward the world, which is also described in the Torah. Also, it has no connection to religious belief. It is all about the attitude of “Love your friend as yourself,” which requires no rituals or ceremonies. We simply have to achieve a heart-to-heart connection from person to person, and show that to everyone.

We need to realize the immense importance of our attitudes to each other. Human connection is nature’s highest degree, and our nation was founded on realizing the principle of human connection—“Love your friend as yourself”—and by doing so, become a conduit of such connection toward humanity, which is the meaning of us becoming “a light unto the nations.” Therefore, the more divided we are, the more antisemitism rises; and the closer we are to each other, then likewise the more the world would relate positively to us.

Based on the video “An Overview of the World’s Current State – David A. Rosenthal Interviews Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.” Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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It is solely by risking life that freedom is obtained; . . . the individual who has not staked his or her life may, no doubt, be recognized as a person; but he or she has not attained the truth of this recognition as an independent self-consciousness (Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel).

Question: Is Hegel correct that if a person did not risk his life in war, for example, he does not have a normal self-consciousness; he is not advanced by evolution? Is it necessary to feel the risk of losing one’s life in order to come to self-knowledge?

Answer: The risk of the loss of life must be felt. But in the name of what? What do we mean by life, by understanding the loss of life? This all needs to be well grasped. Otherwise, these are beautiful empty words.

The animalistic fear of losing one’s life, in principle, does not give anything. All animals have it. And here, it means something that lifts us higher.

Question: What does it mean to a Kabbalist “to lose life”?

Answer: To lose life means to lose connection with the property of bestowal and love, with the Creator.
[295503]
From KabTV’s “Kabbalah Express” 3/4/22

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Question: Peter asks: “How can we ask the Creator to be merciful? There is enough blood already, what does He want from us?”

Answer: He wants you to be like Him, that is, to first realize that He is the only one who commands everything and that everything depends only on Him, so that people turn only to Him, to the Creator.

And if you want to turn to Him, you must be together. Together! Together even with the most hated opponents, whatever they may be. If you cannot approach a stranger, some person you hate, and hug him and turn to the Creator, you must start from afar, but gradually, with the intention of approaching, embracing, and turning to the Creator. Without this, the Creator will not hear you.

The Creator stands behind your hater, the enemy, behind him. If you want to turn to the Creator, you must somehow pierce the heart of your enemy with your attitude.

Question: Does he have to pierce his heart first to get close to the enemy?

Answer: Of course.

Comment: But this is an unbearable condition.

My Response: If this is an unbearable condition, it means we will die. From century to century.

Question: Do you think this is the main condition?

Answer: Yes! It should become such that I am obliged to see my beloved people in everyone, moreover, parts of the Creator, His messengers and representatives. If I treat everything around me in this way, then I will suddenly see that the Creator is clothed in them. He is in them, fills them, and in general, it is all Him. Everything!

Question: An ordinary person hears you, and everything turns upside down inside him. He says: “It is not just impossible, it is completely crazy.” What should he do, a person like that?

Answer: Turn over!

Question: And here I should also ask the Creator: “Give me the opportunity to roll over”?

Answer: Of course! Who am I? Some small selfish part that is not capable of anything.

Question: That is, I am able to do that only if I turn to the Creator with my wish to roll over and approach my enemy, embrace him, and raise a prayer together with him?

Answer: I ask the Creator to allow me to do this, to show me, teach me, and push me, and that my opponent would also want the same and would agree with me.

Because I see both myself and the enemy as an action of the Creator. That the Creator guides us against each other like this, pushes us against each other, incites us. And so I ask the Creator to bring us closer, to open my enemy’s arms instead of his fists so that we gradually show our love for each other. Up to real love.

Comment: If the world would hear you…

My Response: If people want it; that is the problem. And the Creator, He is ready for it if people want it. Whether they want to or not depends on the suffering they feel.

Comment: The cup overflows, of course.

My Response: We have no idea how overflowing the egoistic cup is. How much grief you can pour into it! A sea can enter there, and you as if notice, something may have appeared at the bottom there.

Question: If so, what is the solution?

Answer: Continue! Yes, selfishness is infinite, just like altruism. And we must connect them correctly. We do not destroy one at the expense of the other; we only have to connect them correctly.

Question: Hatred with love, egoism with altruism?

Answer: Yes, just raise one above the other. Not hate over love, but love over hate. This is called “love will cover all crimes.” And without hatred and suffering, love will not be felt.

So, we must cherish and store hatred. Add a little more here and a little more there. This is the kind of hatred we lack here. Oh, it feels so good! Now I understand how much I can love because some other hatred has manifested itself.

Question: And I have the opportunity to love more?

Answer: Yes. It is a game.

Comment: But in fact, this is a life and death game.

My Response: Actually, nothing can be said about it until we start to implement it seriously. But when we finish, we will understand that it was right, and the Creator was right, that this is how He created the world. Justification is complete only at the end.

Then we will be absolutely righteous. Because we justify. Righteous comes from the word “justifying all the actions of the Creator.”
[295830]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 3/3/22

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “Why is Israel against the Iran nuclear deal?“

The Iran nuclear deal will pour a lot of money into Tehran, strengthen its power and status, and Israel predicts that such an agreement will be very bad for itself, that it will bring Iran closer to having a nuclear bomb, and will enable Iran to continue spreading terrorism. Moreover, since the United States is currently considered Israel’s greatest ally, such a deal also shows that Israel will be left to deal with Iran on its own in case of an existential threat.

Indeed, Israel can rely on nobody. America is no friend of Israel, and in general, Israel has no friends. It shows that only Israel itself can establish its own protection.

In my opinion, I want no protection from anyone but myself. Our certainty about our future lies in the mutual support of both our spiritual and our corporeal degrees.

What is this support of both our corporeal and spiritual degrees?

On the corporeal degree, it means that we develop this weapon ourselves, and on the spiritual degree, it means that we become equipped with a spiritual weapon. A spiritual weapon is the force of human connection. If we activate such a force, then we can reach a state where the Iranian people, including their government and everyone else, will want to connect with us wholeheartedly and devotedly.

Based on the video “How Can Israel Protect Itself from a Nuclear Iran?” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman and Oren Levi. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “What thoughts or attitudes are helpful with stress management?“

Life—both our own lives and life on all biological levels—is in constant stress. It is because life is a clash of opposites and their combinations, and it unfolds on the boundary between plus and minus, positive and negative.

Stress is thus neither bad nor good. It is a necessary aspect of life. We should thus focus on how to best manage our lives with its necessary stress.

We were given brains and our social environment in order to adapt ourselves and manage stress properly. We can manage stress by understanding the necessity of the combination of plus and minus at all levels and in all circumstances, and seek how to reach balance between these poles. On our human level, we reach a balance between positive and negative forces by creating an attitude of love, giving and connection over hatred, reception and division.

As with the necessity of stress, there is also a necessity to feel negative sensations of hatred, rejection and division. Why? It is in order to rise above these sensations and cover them with their positives of love, giving and connection.

The wisdom of Kabbalah is a method for covering the negative with the positive. Using this method, we become aware of the negative sensations that surface in us, and learn how to establish positive attitudes upon them so that they exist in addition to each other. In Kabbalah, this tendency is described as the correspondence of darkness to light.

The more we learn about the necessity for the coexistence of positive and negative forces, and that their correct combination creates life, then the calmer and more reasonable we become. We then progress along what Kabbalah calls “the middle line,” accordingly constructing ourselves and our world in balance.

We learn how to become aware of the source of every state, how nature creates everything in order for us to balance negative qualities and states with positive ones. When we reach this level of awareness, we then start relating to everything and everyone out of absolute kindness. We do not deny any negative sensation, but we accept everything as necessary.

Even the most negative sensations such as hatred are necessary in order for us to rise above them, to simultaneously exist above and inside them. To put it simply, we should keep in mind the formula that “minus equals plus.” In other words, wherever we see a “minus”—the surfacing of a divisive drive—we should see a “plus”—an opportunity to positively connect above the divisive drive.

If we exercise changing our attitude to the world in such a way, by replacing our divisive drives with unifying tendencies, egoism with altruism, and hatred with love, then everything will turn out fine. If we fail to do so, then our divisions and hatred will proliferate in the world, causing us much suffering.

Based on “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman and Semion Vinokur on December 23, 2021. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “https://www.quora.com/Did-humans-come-from-apes/answer/Michael-Laitman-4“

Our bodies evolved from apes, but our sense of self originates in the upper force. In other words, our bodies are outcomes of development on the animal level, and the human part of us is given to us from a higher level of nature, which is called the “human” or “speaking” level in the wisdom of Kabbalah.

Our sense of self is positioned between the animate level of existence and the higher level of the upper force. Kabbalistic texts such as The Book of Zohar, written 2,000 years ago, and the writings of Kabbalist Isaac Luria (the Ari), written 600 years ago—both before Darwin—explain how the human body originated from apes, as well as how other levels evolved out of one another: inanimate to vegetative, and vegetative to animate.

Apes represent an intermediary state between animals and the human body. However, the human self has no connection to apes, nor to the human body.

Based on KabTV’s “Close-Up. Theater of the Absurd” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on July 18, 2010. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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