Michael Laitman, On Quora: “What does the Hebrew name ‘Zohar‘ mean?“

In the wisdom of Kabbalah, “Zohar” refers to the upper radiance, which is also called “upper light,” or the light of illumination, understanding, love and participation, which is whole. When this light descends upon us, it gives us a sense of the general force of nature, also called “the Creator,” which guides our development, and which leads us to the final purpose of creation—a state of eternity and perfection.

By drawing the upper radiance upon us, we fill our lives with a sense that we are within and belong to a great force, the Creator. This force gives us a feeling of living on a whole different level, one that is absolutely harmonious and tranquil.

The Book of Zohar serves as an instruction manual on how to connect with and reveal the general force of nature, the Creator. The more we incorporate with and draw its radiance into our lives, the closer we come to the revelation of the Creator while we are alive in this world, up to a point where we reveal the Creator and reciprocate with the upper radiance.

Based on the show “Spiritual States” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman and Michael Sanilevich on February 15, 2022. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “Is war natural?“

Until we reach the complete correction of the world, a state when we will experience balance and harmony with the laws of nature, then war is the most natural of states.

Nature consists of two opposite forces—giving and receiving, plus and minus, day and night, light and darkness, and so on—and these forces exist in a certain equilibrium. However, such equilibrium undergoes a process of constant disturbances and partial restorations. This is called “life.”

Over millions of years, positive and negative forces alternately dominated each other until they reached a certain balance, forming the planet Earth as we know it. Kabbalist Yehuda Ashlag (Baal HaSulam) describes this process in his article “The Solution”:

First, [the Earth] was but a ball of fog-like gas. Through the gravity inside it, it concentrated the atoms in it, over a period of time, into a closer circle. As a result, the ball of gas was turned into a liquid ball of fire.

Over eons of terrible wars between the two forces in Earth, the positive and the negative, the chilling force in it was finally triumphant over the force of liquid fire, and cooled a thin crust around the Earth and hardened there.

However, the planet had not yet grown still from the war between the forces, and after some time the liquid force of fire overpowered and erupted in a great noise from the bowels of the Earth, rising and shattering the cold hard crust to pieces, turning the planet into a liquid ball of fire once again. Then an era of new wars began until the cool force overpowered the force of fire once more, and a second crust was chilled around the ball, harder, thicker and more durable against the outbreak of the fluids from amidst the ball.

This time it lasted longer, but at last, the liquid forces overpowered once again and erupted from the bowels of the Earth, breaking the crust in pieces. Once more, everything was ruined and became a liquid ball.

Thus, the eons interchanged, and every time the cooling force was victorious, the crust it made was thicker. Finally, the positive forces overpowered the negative forces and they came into complete harmony: the liquids took their place in the abdomen of the Earth, and the cold crust became thick enough around them to enable the creation of organic life as it is today.

All organic bodies develop by the same order. From the moment they are planted to the end of the ripening, they undergo several hundred situations due to the two forces, the positive and the negative, and their war against each other, as described regarding the Earth.

War is thus indeed absolutely natural, and peace is actually unnatural. Peace is nonexistent while we develop through a constant push-and-pull of opposing forces. We can achieve peace only by reaching balance, mutual connection and complementarity between the two opposing forces.

Based on “Spiritual States” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman and Michael Sanilevich on March 1, 2022. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “Why do some people suffer a lot more than others?“

We each belong to a single collective system, and we each have an inner foundation within this system. According to this inner foundation, our lives and the extent of suffering in our lives, is determined.

It is important to note that as parts of a collective system, the system as a whole does not take individual parts into account. Rather, it considers their inclusion, i.e. how they combine together in order to function as a single system.

As such, nobody lives alone similar to how a single cell cannot exist by itself within the human body. If a cell serves itself alone, then it becomes cancerous, and it brings about about disease and destruction to the body. Therefore, in order for the body to function healthily, there is a condition set in nature where each cell receives its needs for its sustenance, and gives its surplus for the benefit of the whole body. It thus has no self-considerations, but only takes the interests of the whole body into account, and as a result, it receives the life of the whole body.

Like the single cell in the human body, likewise with its organs: the heart, lungs, liver and several other organs all work not out of self-interest, but in order to serve the whole body. All cells and organs thus work together to create balance and harmony for the body. If, even for a moment, one part of this system considers self-benefit over the benefit of the whole body, then the system collapses.

We live in a similar system. Humanity is a single “body” and we are its parts. Suffering propagates throughout the system—humanity—as a response to us prioritizing self-benefit over benefiting the system as a whole. It comes as a sign that we are not functioning correctly, and we need correction. At our current level of existence, we cannot see why some people suffer more than others, but if we had a bird’s-eye view of the complete system, then we would see how suffering prods the system to undergo a major transition: from its parts feeling and living only for themselves alone, to the parts inverting their intention and living for the benefit of the whole system. Therefore, if we shifted our focus to implement relations of mutual consideration, support and encouragement throughout humanity, we would undergo our fateful transition in a way that alleviates the need for any further suffering.

Based on KabTV’s “Close-Up. Partnership Agreement” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on July 4, 2010. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “What is the best way to settle disputes?“

The best way to settle disputes is not to eliminate them, but to increase our connection above them. By doing so, we use disputes to strengthen our connection, and thus rise above the disputes.

We normally think that we need to get rid of contradictions and thus wish to defeat our enemies, proving to them that they are wrong and we are right. They also, for the most part, try to prove the opposite. However, we can never achieve peace in such a way.

The method of Kabbalah uses an opposite approach, where we realize the reason for disputes that emerge, and nobody tries to force others to accept their own opinion. We aim to connect above the differences so that, as it is written, “love will cover all crimes.”

By letting the crimes and disputes remain, and increasing our positive connection over them more and more, then our disagreements eventually become revealed to their fullest extent, together with complete unification above them. That state is called “the revelation of the Creator,” i.e., the revelation of the force of love, bestowal and connection dwelling in nature into the connections we establish above our divisive inclinations. It is a lofty, eternal and perfect state, and its attainment is the goal of Kabbalah studies.

Therefore, the best way to settle disputes, from the smallest ones to major wars, is to seek how to connect above the dispute and mutually replenish each other.

Based on the Daily Kabbalah Lesson with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on March 11, 2022. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “What would a world without privacy look like?“

It would be like we are all naked in front of each other.

While it might sound terrible, because we currently count on having all kinds of protections over ourselves, when we would remove our protections, then we would become free. That is, we would feel no need to lock ourselves away from each other, and we could open ourselves up and feel unashamed in front of each other.

We can be free either by having nothing or by having everything. Moreover, we can cover any feeling of insecurity by connecting to the positive force of nature and inviting it into our lives. According to the law that guides our reality—the law of equivalence of form—by adjusting our attitudes to each other so that they become similar to the attitude of the upper force of nature toward us, then we would feel ourselves in the same boundless state as nature.

However, we are currently in an opposite state to nature. We are egoists while nature is altruistic. Therefore, having our privacy removed currently seems like a nightmare to most. It all depends on how well connected we are: If we realize our connections harmoniously, where we each support and encourage each other to construct altruistic attitudes to each other above our innate egoistic drives, then we would feel completely secure, safe and confident, and we would have no fear of losing our privacy.

Based on the video, “How Would a World Without Privacy Look?” 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 is Purim? Why is it significant?“

Purim represents a state called “the end of correction,” where humanity merges into perfect harmonious connection with nature.

The Kli (vessel) at the end of correction merges with the light of the end of correction—the Kli of Ein Sof (infinity) and the light of Ein Sof—where we feel eternity and perfection, and where we leave behind all of our problems and sorrows, and we enter into a boundless world full of light and joy. That is why it is said that the day should be full of wine and other alcoholic drinks.

It is significant because the more we emulate the sensation of existing in the perfect eternal world, where there are no conflicts and no problems, but only one light filling reality, then we will draw that state of perfect connection to exist among us and fill us.

Based on a speech by Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on March 13, 2022. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “Should Iraq recognize Israel?“

Faruk, a 14-year-old from Northern Iraq, was dying due to congenital heart disease and doctors in Iraq had already given up hope. Through the connections of an aid organization, doctors in an Israeli hospital ended up operating on him and saving his life. On returning home to Iraq, his father said: “I am saying this from here, from Iraq to Israel. I kiss the eyes of your doctors, one by one. Israeli people are a merciful nation.” Such stories are indeed heartwarming, and raise the question: why can we not normalize the relations between these two countries?

On one hand, such stories touch the hearts of many, but on the other hand, they fail to touch the hearts of leaders. In short, we should not look to leaders for a positive solution, but instead look to tuning ourselves toward positively connecting to each other. Otherwise, we can expect to see our world heading toward greater and greater evil.

We need to understand human nature and the nature of the world. The reason we are “stuck” in a negative tendency toward worsening relations among people, societies and nations is in the hands of the people of Israel. The ball is in our court: we need to reach positive connections among each other first and foremost. It is very difficult because we accumulate within ourselves the entire ego of the world, all of its evil.

Nonetheless, we need to perform a special heart operation on the people of Israel by inviting the positive force dwelling in nature to improve our connections. We do so by becoming an example to all people that we wish to come closer and positively connect. Such is how we can save ourselves from myriad troubles. We need to understand that people hate us only to the extent that we hate each other.

The nations of the world are not evil. Rather, our negative connections project onto them. We are the ones who can bring about correction, since we are the nation who originally reached the state of “love your neighbor as yourself” above our differences, and we need only want to achieve that state again. If we would implement such a correction of our relations to each other, then we would see a major positive response— one of them being the feeling of Muslims not just as our cousins, but as our brothers.

Based on the video “Israeli Doctors Save Iraqi Child’s Life – A Kabbalist’s Response” 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: “How is war today different to war in the past?“

In today’s war, we have the means to rise above the war and the conflict, and connect two opposing sides in a way where they complement each other.

In the current war, like in the previous world war, the world rose against the desire of one power to control others by force.

In addition to war manifesting in the physical world, it also plays out psychologically, in our thoughts and desires, at the very point where we agree on being in control. That is, we have self-determining matter, egoism, at the center of our being, built on receiving pleasure for itself alone. It is opposite to the altruistic force of nature, which is built on the bestowal of pleasure, and which precedes the egoistic matter.

Since the egoistic force is lower in status—a receiver—to the altruistic force—a giver—it comes to disagree with its status as a receiver, and instead chooses to acquire the giver’s status, equal in form with the altruistic force that created it. Accordingly, we see how today’s world holds a general mutual consensus against the desire of one power to control over another by force.

I very much hope that both sides will better understand the increasingly interconnected and interdependent ties we have today, how there are forces in nature that advance us to more unified states, and that they are ultimately awakening the wars we experience. Moreover, these forces also give us the opportunity to rise above the current wars we face, and unite.

I also hope that this understanding will lead us to a state where the conflicting sides will discover—which they indeed need to discover—the way by which they can both be satisfied, and moreover, that they will receive twofold what they would receive from one side defeating the other—”twofold” because they would draw the positive forces dwelling in nature into the connection that they establish.

War today is thus different to war in the past in that, today we have the means to rise above war and conflict, and connect two opposing sides in mutual complementarity.

I thus wish for all sides in conflict today to seek and discover unity above division, and by doing so, mutually enjoy a whole new level of peace, harmony and prosperity.

Based on the Daily Kabbalah Lesson with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on March 14, 2022. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “What are some interesting characteristics of Jewish people?“

Israel has the world’s highest rate of kidney donations to strangers, which serves as an example of a paradox: On one hand, we find such displays of sensitivity and support in Israel, and on the other hand, we see a place where people’s egos often collide. How do these two extremes coexist?

It is indeed characteristic of Jews, who both rise to the sky and also fall into the depths of the abyss. Our nature is such that we cannot be only in one extreme, but since we were originally established as a people who reached a state of unity above our divisive drives, then it becomes characteristic of us to hold two opposites within ourselves.

We now have to make all possible efforts in order to elevate ourselves from the depths of the abyss, i.e. from immersion in our egoism—our desire to enjoy at the expense of each other—to correct our egoism, and instead use our desires to bring benefit to others.

We have the ability to invert everything that appears negative to its positive, i.e., to the benefit of others, with the help of the intention. The intention is the thought of what we wish to get out of a certain action, and a good intention is one where we aim to benefit others through our actions. Likewise, every person has the ability to conduct their every action with a good intention for the benefit of others. It is thus worthwhile for us to exercise this ability—to engage in building environments that nurture the creation of a good intention—in order to reach a more harmonious, peaceful and happier state of existence.

Based on the video “How Two Extremes Can Exist in the Same Place” 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: “Is Israel treating Palestinians the same way Nazis had treated Jews?“

This was one of the questions on a survey of the Norwegian public, published by the Oslo-based Center for Studies of Holocaust and Religious Minorities, and more than a third of those who answered believed that Israel treats Palestinians the same as how Nazis treated Jews during the Holocaust. Such an attitude coincides with Norwegian schools and media presenting Israel as the great villain of the Middle East. It thus raises the question of what will future generations think about Israel if such is the material being circulated, and have we not progressed beyond such attitudes?

We have not progressed beyond any of these attitudes because we have not corrected anything. Antisemitism does not pass, but only on condition that Jews change themselves, i.e. that Jews start relating to themselves, to their lives, to their place and to the world differently and truthfully.

We need to know why we exist, and who we are as a nation. We exist in order to show the world the corrected form of human society as a whole. The corrected form is “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If we make progress in that direction, then we will be able to influence the entire world, Norway included. This is the rule by which we all need to live. If we lived by it, then all people would feel a positive illumination coming from the Jewish people, and thanks to the Jews, all people would also come closer to realizing that rule.

Today, we are condemned for how we treat the Palestinians. However, if we in Israel will start implementing relations of love for one another, even if only a little, then the extent to which we reach mutual love for each other will accordingly change the world’s view of us. We would then also find ourselves closer to Palestinians, Norwegians and everyone else.

We Jews once held relations of mutual love, but we since lost it. We developed a common hatred toward each other in its place, and that is the source of our every problem. If we fix our broken connections, then we would also correct our relations with the rest of the world. The cure for antisemitism is thus in the love between us.

Based on the video “Does Israel Treat Palestinians the Same Way Nazis Treated Jews?” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman and Oren Levi.
Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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