Comment: Tanya Mararu writes to you: “How can we overcome the fear that tomorrow there will be no money, nothing to eat? At the same time, everyone is alive and well. I am on maternity leave and only my husband works. And I am afraid.”

My Response: It is a natural feeling, and I understand it.

How to overcome fear? Be more connected with those people who think about the future. Calmly, dispassionately, they try to be connected with each other and try to find a connection with the upper force that determines everything in the present and in the future.

Question: Why does fear come when everything is fine?

Answer: It is all purposeful, it is all very good. Without fear, man would be a wild animal.

Fear limits our ego. Fear is a very good feeling that protects us, otherwise we would just go insane. We need to learn how to use it properly. And then we will not be afraid of it, but will bless it.

Question: What is the purpose of fear?

Answer: The purpose of fear is to correctly direct us toward the true path of development, to find the highest force of bestowal, love, and connection in the relationship between us. And then we will really not be afraid of anything.

Question: And you are referring to an ordinary person?

Answer: Today, it is already for an ordinary person. We see that the whole world is in fear. And only a person who does not understand where he is at all can claim with bravado that he is not afraid of anything. It is not from having a big mind. And that is why we need to bless the fear, because it correctly directs us toward the right goal.

Question: Toward each other, you mean?

Answer: Yes. We need to understand that fear is given to us on purpose. It is a very good asset.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 8/12/21

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My new article on Linkedin “Digging Under Our Own Feet”

Regrettably, I don’t think that the series of debacles that enabled the escape of six terrorists with blood on their hands from imprisonment will teach us any significant lessons. For years, the Israeli society has been on a decline. For years, we have been growing alienated from each other and indifferent to the country that was established for a very meaningful purpose. The Arabs already know they don’t have to fight us; they can wait and let us disintegrate from within until there is nothing left.

The corrosion does not begin with the Israel Prison Service, and it certainly does not end there. Therefore, I am not at all impressed by the celebrations of the media at the capture of four of the six terrorists. They need to fuss over something; it is how they make their money, but in the end, it is meaningless.

The crux of the problem lies in our unwillingness to be what we are supposed to be. Instead of assuming our responsibility for ourselves and for the world, and unapologetically asserting our position, we cater to the interests of enemies who want our destruction, who bribe us with phony smiles of affection. But they feel no affection for us, only contempt.

Indeed, how can anyone respect a nation that does not respect itself? When Jewish Israelis pride themselves in being activists against the existence of the Jewish state, and believe that they are morally superior because of it, can we blame anyone for holding similar views? We are digging under our own feet, and then we are alarmed by our falling.

The Jewish nation has a unique legacy, unique values, and a unique way of life. If we follow them, just as every nation follows its own values, we will be what we are meant to be—a nation whose members love each other as themselves, and set an example of unity in a world torn by division and hatred. This is what we are supposed to do in the Jewish state, the State of Israel, and setting this example is the meaning of being “a light unto nations.”

When Israelis declare that the brutal terrorists who escaped are their “men of the year,” it does not testify to their moral superiority; it testifies to the depth of their hatred for their own people. If anyone can glorify a murderer of women and children for the sole reason that those women and children were members of his own nation, it testifies to that person’s hatred for his people. When the world sees that the Jewish nation has such people within it, can it view Jews in any positive light? Can anyone appreciate a nation that hates itself that much?

In his paper, The Nation, the great 20th century kabbalist and thinker Baal HaSulam explained what it means to be an equitable nation: “The only hope is to thoroughly establish for ourselves a new national education, to reveal and ignite once more the natural national love that has been dimmed within us … for two millennia… Then we will know that we have a natural, reliable foundation to be rebuilt and to continue our existence as a nation, qualified to carry itself as all the nations of the world. … [However] Here I must stress concerning the above-mentioned national education: Although I aim to plant great love among the individuals in the nation in particular and for the entire nation in general, in the fullest possible measure [due to our vow to set an example of unity], this is not at all similar to … fascism. I loathe it, and my conscience is completely clear of it. …To easily perceive the difference [between national love and fascism] … we should compare it to the attributes of egoism and altruism in a person. … Clearly, the measure of egoism … is a necessary condition in the actual existence of the creature. Without it, it would not be a separate and distinct being in itself. Yet, this should not at all deny the measure of altruism in a person. The only thing required is to set distinct boundaries between them: The law of egoism must be kept in all its might, to the extent that it concerns the minimum existence. And with any surplus of that measure, permission is granted to waive it for the well-being of one’s fellow person.”

Regrettably, we are not doing the minimum to establish national love in order to secure our existence. In order to do that, we must know how we were created, what for, and how we can achieve our goal. If we realize our legacy, that people will appreciate us only when we set an example of solidarity and cohesion, and that under any other circumstances they will hate us, perhaps we will be more attentive to our duty. If we do this, it will make us Israel. Even more importantly, it will make us an example, the only example that the world needs in order to overcome its countless, deepening rifts, which are the only reason for humanity’s afflictions.
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My new article on Linkedin “It’s Been a Year of Learning”

According to the Hebrew calendar, Monday evening marks the end of the previous year and the beginning of a new one. If I had to describe the past year in a couple of sentences, I would say that it was a very good and productive year, that nature began to teach us in a way it never did before. It taught us that one force acts on all of humanity and we are all its subordinates. This realization is a very positive change that gives us some confidence for the future.

The past year taught us that we are all in one pot, “cooked” by nature’s blows. It is affecting everyone, and we all need to reflect on what is happening to us. What gives me the greatest hope is that we see how dependent we are on one another. It makes me hopeful that we will understand that we are all responsible for one another. This also brings us closer to understanding how we should relate to nature as a whole.

Although we have much more to learn from the upheavals we are going through, the blows have nevertheless been good lessons. There will be several more blows, but we will go through them and learn. Still, the sooner we realize that we are all threaded in a single fabric, and accept that in addition to our own wants, we must take the fabric into account in what we do, the better off we will all be.

The blows that we had suffered over the past year were not punishments, but lessons. Had we learned the lessons, they would have vanished. They are not nature’s response to our “sinful” past; they are its directions for our good future. Just as a parent’s admonition aims to direct a child toward a better future for the child, nature’s wrath diverts humanity from the wrong path to the right one. The sooner we reroute, the sooner nature’s “tone” toward us will change for the better.

We should not regret anything that happened in the past year. Nature is good, and all that it did, it did in order to help us. If we dwell on the past instead of correcting the future, we are certain to repeat the past mistakes and force nature to scold us once again.

Therefore, our gaze should always be forward looking; we should only focus on improving our connections with each other. If we establish good connections, we will become similar to the rest of nature—threaded like the fabric of reality, but of our own volition. If we become like nature, we will feel that nature is kind to us and our lives will be easy, calm, and good.
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My new article on Linkedin “Time to Shift from InterNet to InnerNet”

It’s been a little over thirty years since the internet has been made available for everyone. It has already been said that since the invention of the wheel, no technology has revolutionized our lives so fast and so profoundly like the internet. None of the things we take for granted today would have been possible without it.

Yet, the internet has not made us happier. So after thirty years of attempting to find happiness in virtual connections between us, it is time to progress. It is time to shift from the inter-net to the inner-net—a network of hearts that feel one another and care for one another.

When the internet dawned on us, it promised to liberate humanity from the shackles of physical location, to take us to faraway lands and exotic places from the comfort of our own desktop. It promised to bring together people from across the world, help us make friends across the world, and bridge gaps between nations and civilizations.

In reality, we are lonelier now than ever, and many of our physical friends have dissolved into the virtual universe. Thanks to the internet, it is much easier to communicate, but far too often, communication is used for bullying, sex-trafficking, slave-trafficking, censorship of views (how ironic), intimidation, or simply to sell us things we probably don’t need.

It is not the fault of the internet. We thought that it would make life great, but we installed in it the reason that makes us unhappy in the first place: our bad nature. The internet isn’t bad or good; it merely reflects who we are. Since we are bad, everything that we create turns against us and eventually harms us. The only possible solution is to change our nasty nature, and we couldn’t begin too soon.

I would not recommend avoiding the internet. I myself use it all the time. In fact, I realized its huge positive potential as soon as I had learned about it. Four years after it was made available, I set up my first internet site for teaching how to bring people’s hearts together through the wisdom of Kabbalah.

Although I recognized the enormous commercial potential of the internet from its onset, I made it a point that the authentic content on my site would be available for everyone, free of charge. Over the years, and with the help of my students and friends, we have made our internet site by far the largest content site on the wisdom of Kabbalah, where all the content—text, audio, and video—is still free for all. We translate all the content we can into dozens of languages, including live lectures and daily lessons, and offer it at no cost.

We have no interest in controlling the internet; we are striving to build an inner net: a network of hearts connected by mutual care and empathy. This is what the world needs; it is the only remedy for today’s multiple crises. However, we can only administer this cure to one another. One cannot heal oneself with love; it takes at least two, and usually many more.

Evidently, no regulation helps curb the hatred that is oozing from today’s mobile devices and computers. The relative anonymity of the internet helps expose our nature more than we would dare display it in a physical setting, so the ugly truth is gushing out, and we can finally acknowledge it.

Were it not for this recognition, we would never believe that this is the real nature of humanity. Now that we have placed a digital mirror into the depth of our hearts, we can see what lies there in the dark. It is as the scriptures write about human nature: “Every intent of the thoughts of his heart is only evil all day long” (Gen. 6:5).

Therefore, now that we have become interconnected, it is time to become inner-connected. It is time to realize that we are all dependent on each other, and unless we place unity as our top priority, we will inflict irreparable harm on ourselves.

If we are still here, and if we can still write and talk about it, it means that it is not too late to fix it. More than anything, we should be thankful to the internet for showing us our true selves. Now we should roll up our sleeves and get to work on mending our broken human ties.

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Hiroshima Remembrance Day commemorates the victims of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima that occurred 76 years ago; it makes one think and feel horrified at the possibility of a new nuclear war. Baal HaSulam writes that if we do not come to unity through which we would draw a positive force into the world from above, then third and fourth world wars may break out and at least one of them will be nuclear.

There are many movies about what would happen if nuclear war breaks out: a world in ruins and a handful of people miraculously survivor and wander the earth and don’t know where to go.

If it comes to such a collapse, people will loose their human appearance and will turn into animals. They will use all the strength they have left only to survive and suffer less. And they will behave toward each other accordingly. I do not envy those who survive such a war.

Many countries today possess nuclear weapons, and what can be done to prevent those weapons from falling into the hands of terrorists? There is only one solution: connection and unity between all.

For example, if the United States, Russia, and China could unite, then these three major powers could keep the whole world in order and prevent anyone from starting a war. But today such connection is impossible because everyone is in their own egoism. We need a “virus” that will destroy our egoism, and then no one will think about war but will only dream of a quiet life.

Unfortunately, no one is interested in such a “virus,” but each seeks to raise their egoism as high as possible. Israel is obliged to give such a method of correction to the world, but so far, this is impossible because it is moving in the opposite direction. Therefore, the world is gradually sliding toward nuclear war.

If Israel does not bring people to connection, which is its duty, then it will cause their separation, which will become more and more aggravated until it explodes in a war.

We must change direction and take a course toward unity. In Israel, people who understand that it is necessary to lead the world to unity must awaken. We can only hope for such awakening.
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From KabTV’s “ A Look from the Inside” 8/9/21

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My new article on Linkedin “National Unity Day – An Alibi for More Division”

A suggested National Unity Day is garnering support on all sides of the political spectrum in Israel. The day, which started as an initiative to commemorate the memory of three teenagers who were kidnapped and slain by terrorists, has evolved into emphasizing the value of unity, giving, and mutual responsibility throughout the country and with all Jews all over the world. I am happy to see that unity is on the agenda, but in my eyes, dedicating a day to unity is nothing but a permit for division for the rest of the 364 days. Unity must be our daily work. Every day when we do not try to strengthen our unity is a day when we are not the people of Israel.

Unity is our motto. We forged our nationhood by agreeing to unite “as one man with one heart,” and all our struggles from the inception of our people to the ruin of the Second Temple were efforts to unite the people. Our nation did not arise the way other nations do. We started as an aggregate of strangers who followed Abraham because of his idea that kindness and love of others are the keys to a good life. Over time, as we practiced these qualities among ourselves, we forged unity. Gradually, the assortment of strangers became a nation.

But it was a nation like no other: Whenever unity prevailed among us, we felt as a nation and our unity shone as a beacon of hope that all of humanity might one day be united, just as we succeeded in doing despite our different origins. Whenever division took over, we became a throng of strangers pressed together against their will, and we reverted to mutual hatred that no other nation exhibited. In those times, we were the epitome of evil, the nations loathed and despised us, and wanted to do away with us. In the end, we succumbed to hatred and the Romans destroyed the Second Temple and exiled us for the next two millennia.

Now that we are back in the land of Israel and have established a Jewish state, it is our duty to work on unity every single day. It is our obligation to the world to reignite the beacon of hope, to show that strangers can form a bond that is stronger than any other connection, and that peace is not an empty slogan but a feasible aspiration. Dedicating one day a year to this most sacred task, to the vocation of our people, is a mockery of our calling. What will we do the rest of the year, hate one another as we do today?

A National Unity Day is an alibi for more division; we need the genuine article. Anything less than true bonding of hearts will not do. Unless we strive to be “as one man with one heart,” as our vocation mandates, we will not be the authentic people of Israel, the nation that hallowed the motto “Love your neighbor as yourself,” and which the entire world is anxious to see arise.
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…if only a certain number of #Jews would desire a good connection, to be as one whole – this would be enough for EVERYONE to feel a good change of all their desires…

From Twitter, 7/24/21

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Fierce flash floods are ravaging Germany. The death toll continues to grow every hour and more than a thousand people are missing. The water flooded roads, washed away foundations, and brought down bridges.

The destruction is similar to the aftermath of war. The flood zone is expanding and seizing new regions in Germany, Belgium, and Austria.

This is just a disaster. But we teach that there is only one reason for the negative attitude of nature toward us if we cross the permitted boundaries, it is the upper force, the Creator. Nature wants to see us in a perfect state, united like one man with one heart. And it is ready to tolerate if we deviate a little from this unity, but only within certain limits.

If we go beyond these boundaries, then nature is out of balance. This is what is happening and will continue to happen. We have entered into a confrontation with the upper force by disregarding our actions in relation to nature. Therefore, nature will continue to protest more strongly with floods, fires, pandemic, and in many others ways like the Egyptian plagues: blood, frogs, lice, etc.

There are many similar cataclysms ahead that we will have to endure over the next 10 to 20 years. But at the same time, we will begin to feel how it obliges us to bring ourselves into balance. The history of the Egyptian plagues repeats: all the “Egyptians” inside us, the egoistic forces, will receive ten blows until we raise our hands and say, “That’s enough, we can no longer stay in Egypt!”

Let it be comfortable and satisfying there, but we will have to escape from there. Where is “from there?” This escape is not from a geographical place, but from the relationships between us, from unfounded hatred to brotherly love.

But until we are ready for this escape, we will have to go through many blows, sufferings, problems, floods, fires, all kinds of pandemics, etc. This is the forecast for the next 10 to 20 years. By 2040, these disasters will spread around the globe, in each country and region in its own way.

We see that in the face of a common misfortune, people are beginning to help each other more, to show solidarity. But nature presents us with a much bigger bill, not just a little tweak to our lives and our relationships. We are talking about a radical correction of a person’s character, his nature, about revealing that we are all egoists and wanting to establish other relationships between us.

We are obliged to become kinder to each other, and this kind attitude between people will affect all other levels of nature: still, vegetative, and animate and will bring them to peace and harmony. These will be the consequences of the changes that occur in us, in our relations to each other.

I think it will take 20 years because such a change cannot happen overnight. After all, we begin with today’s absolutely opposite state, with complete unwillingness to take nature into account, with a lack of understanding that we are facing a system of upper forces that have come to change us.

We refuse to see the hand of the Creator in this and accept it as a help for our good for which we should be grateful. All problems are a consequence of the fact that we are in conflict with each other and therefore opposite to nature.

There is no shortcut here. After all, Egyptian slavery lasted for many years and ended with serious blows. See how Pharaoh, that is, our egoistic nature, a stubborn stony heart, protests and does not want to give in.

It seems that the Pharaoh already agrees to let us go so that we can go toward connection and love. And then he rescinds his permission and refuses to let us out, and we return to the same state again.

We will have to spend several years in this conflict. And besides, it should be noted that now this is happening on the scale of the whole world between all nations and states. Until governments and people begin to bow down, it will take time and a lot of suffering and blows. Such a typhoon may pass through Europe that nothing would remain there. Everything is done so people will humble themselves and accept the implementation of the principle of loving one’s neighbor as oneself.
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From KabTV’s “A Conversation with Journalists” 7/18/21

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My new article on Linkedin “When I Look at Them I See My Fault”

I look at the state that our nation should be in, “as one man with one heart,” and the state we are actually in—unwilling to recognize each other—and it pains me. When I look at our politicians, I see the state of our nation. Since they represent the people, their relationships reflect the relationships among the people: No one is friendly; no one even bothers to be politically correct.

Look at the Knesset, our parliament, and see where we are: Each with a knife behind the back or in the pocket, very similar to the days preceding the ruin of the Temple. This is what unfounded hatred looks like, and we know where it is leading.

Even worse, when I look at what is happening around the world, at all the hatred that prevails the world over, I know the ruin among them points to the ruin among us. When I see what is happening in Russia, Germany, or Poland, at the yelling and corruption that we see in every government, I see that I am the cause; I am the cause. I don’t look at them and say, “It’s not so bad; we have that, too.” No, I know that I am the reason it is happening to them, and I must be the reason that they will connect “as one man with one heart” through the example that our people should give them.

I have no grievances against anyone but myself. I know that I, and the whole of the Jewish people, can tilt the world for better or for worse through our internal unity or separation. This is what our sages have always told us; this is what our history throughout the centuries has shown us; and only our obstinacy prevents us from recognizing the obvious truth.

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Baal HaSulam, “The Acting Mind”: “There is great diversity even within the same teaching, for if one exceeds another in even one element, it separates the spirituals from one another. But when two sages contemplate the same teaching and have the same measure of knowledge, they are in fact united, for what separates them?”

Each one experiences and perceives unity in his individual way. Two people cannot compare their feelings in any way because each one perceives within his own vessel.

If you and I say that something is sweet, it does not mean that we both feel the same sweetness. But when both of us aspire for the same goal to attain the Creator, then due to the fact that we unite not in the object but in the Creator, in our common root, we will be able to attain the state in which He will make us equal and connect us. Then we will attain absolute unity!

Question: What do Kabbalists feel? Where do they connect

Answer: Only in the root. There is no other way.

Question: We say that each one includes the other inside him. Is this true?

Answer: Yes. As in a closed, integral system.

Hence, when one contemplates another’s action and attains the mind of the sage who performed it, they have the same mind and power. Now they are completely united…

But although they are united, each one still has his own personal attainment.

“…like a man who met his beloved friend on the street, he embraces him and kisses him, and because of their great unity, it is impossible to separate them.”

Because they are united by what they have attained. They attain the great upper spiritual essence, and it connects them into one whole although they are different and the source is different, which means that the Creator is one, but each of them in their individual root holds Him as something personal.

“Hence, the rule is that in speaking, the mind is the best-adjusted force between the Creator and His creatures. It is considered the medium, meaning He emanated a spark of that force, and through that spark, everything returns to Him.”

Eventually, if people unite in order to attain the Creator, they do actually attain Him by attaining the state in which the Creator becomes their common whole, their home, the common connection between them, their common root, the beginning and the end of every state.
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From KabTV’s “Fundamentals of Kabbalah” 4/21/19

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