My new article on Linkedin “The Impact of the Media on Us – a Depressing Story”

An extensive survey concerning depression released by the Oxford University research center Our World in Data shows that depression is a very complicated condition. According to the editors of the survey, “people with depression experience different symptoms, with different levels of severity, at different times in their lives, with episodes that last different lengths of time.” Worse yet, even people who are not diagnosed with depression suffer from symptoms of depression. Still worse, the survey found that depression is an umbrella condition that contains subtypes, and that in general, more people suffer from depression or its symptoms than those who do not.

While the survey is important in that it illustrates the pervasiveness of depression, it does not answer, or even attempt to answer the most important question: Why is there depression?

The more we develop from generation to generation, the more we get to know the world we live in and the pressures it puts on us. As a result, we are becoming depressed. For its part, the media, which could have portrayed a balanced picture of the world, chooses instead to exacerbate our depression by emphasizing the negative and distressing in the world. By exploiting our weakness and vulnerability, they are deepening our depression.

The bad news that media outlets constantly present is not the only news worth knowing. Moreover, if all that they present is malice, violence, and fraudulence, without offering any solutions to these social ailments, what hope do they leave for the viewers? They are educating us to hate, distrust, and isolate ourselves from others. Is it a wonder that in such a state we are depressed?

The media, through all its channels, is humanity’s primary educator. It molds us and shapes us however it wishes by showing us or hiding from us whatever it chooses according to its interests. Therefore, what is happening in humanity today is first and foremost a direct result of the actions of the media.

We should not delude ourselves. The news we see, the stories we read and watch, and the information that percolates into our phones and computers are all monitored and manipulated to make us feel miserable, and helpless. By doing so, the media tighten their grip on us, and this is what they really want.

When we are depressed, we buy more stuff in order to compensate for our dejection. When we are depressed, we take medications, drugs, and do things to alleviate the gloom. These actions that we take bring them a lot of money, a lot of power, and make us dependent on them, which is what they want.

People can be happy only when they are hopeful. If they know that tomorrow will be better than today, that their children will have a better, easier, wealthier, healthier life than theirs, then they have reasons for optimism and joy.

Regrettably, the media reflects our nature, our egotistical disposition, as it is written, “The inclination of a man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Gen. 8:21). As long as we are wicked from within, we will not create media channels that give us hope.

Since we are rotten from within, since we want power, money, and all the things we blame on the media, then even if we ruined them and built new media channels instead, they would end up being the same as the ones we have today. In the end, it is not their fault that they are like that; they only reflect our inner selves.

To really change the media, we must change ourselves. We must create alternative educational channels that will create hope by encouraging care and mutual responsibility, and will strengthen our communities.

If we foster cohesion and solidarity within our communities and towns, we will be able to offset the negative influence of the media and change ourselves from within. If we change, the media will have no choice but to follow suit. After all, they are dependent on our views no less than we are influenced by their messages. If the messages we are willing to absorb are positive ones, these are the messages they will show us, these are the news we will receive on our devices, and as a result, all of reality will change for the better.
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My new article on Linkedin “The Day Israel Disappears”

On the day Palestine is liberated and Israel is destroyed, Jews and IDF soldiers will be executed, peace activists will be able to safely leave, and the technological experts and brilliant minds will be forced to stay here for some time to provide support.

These are some of the conclusions about the planned fate of the Jewish state reached during the “Promise of the Hereafter” conference recently held by the Hamas leadership in the Gaza Strip.

One can roll one’s eyes at yet another announcement foretelling the disappearance of Israel in the coming years, but if one examines the area, almost everything is prepared and ready to enact this plan. There are Arab representatives in Israel in key positions, they receive large sums of money, they are armed and full of manpower and they are surrounded by support from all Arab countries. So why should such a disturbing event not occur in the future?

We do not exist in the land of Israel only by virtue of our security forces, but mainly by Supreme grace. Our very contempt for this fact and our unwillingness to acknowledge it and behave accordingly cause us to gradually lose the spiritual umbrella that protects us.

I do not think Hamas’ descriptions of nightmares for the people of Israel will occur as they describe, but it is important to be alert and to recognize that the situation is unstable and that there is always a chance that we will degenerate into such a dangerous situation.

The enemy’s plan is very detailed: from transitional laws—through the transfer of real estate to them—to military, legal and security laws. While they envision a new state—and as we know, nothing stands in the way of desire—our Jewish vision is fading.

Every day that passes during which we do not engage in a serious plan of heartfelt bonding between us, overcoming all the alienation and resentment between us towards a more complete unity, causes us to lose our strength. Every day that we do not act and try vigorously to discover the Supreme Force—the power of giving and love—causes us to lose our truth.

At the same time as our settlement in the land of Israel and, alongside of it, our intensive focus on its security, we must pay attention to the nation’s spirit as a single unit because without it, we will not survive here for long. The separation between us breaks that spirit which then transforms into negative forces that threaten us through our enemies.

We need to build a spiritual home from our hearts, to live as one man in one heart. Our intention must be too giving to the Supreme Force—to the power of connection—a space within our common heart to dwell among us and between us. Only in this way can we ensure our future existence in the land of Israel. This spirit of mutual responsibility and love that awakens in us will be the cause of our success. Therefore, we must hasten steps towards building a correct, strong, spiritual Israel—a land inhabited by people who are emotionally connected to one another and to their Upper Root.

Foremost kabbalist Rav Yehuda Ashlag (Baal HaSulam) has already warned that “Israel must present something new to the nations. This is what they expect from the return of Israel to the land! …Justice, and peace. And this wisdom is attributed to us alone. If this return is canceled, Zionism will be canceled altogether…And its residents are destined to endure much suffering. Undoubtedly, either they or their children will gradually leave the country, and only an insignificant number will remain, which will ultimately be swallowed among the Arabs.” (“The Writings of the Last Generation.”)

Such an internal connection as the common heart we must build will attract everyone to it and expand circles of positive influence throughout the world. Thus, gradually the rest of the nations of the world will join us. On that day, there will be no Arabs and Jews but rather, one people. There will be no Israel or Palestine, but one humanity with one prayer to the one Supreme Force, the power of influence and love, as it is written: “For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” (Isaiah 56:7)
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My new article on Linkedin “The Just Protest of the Medical Residents Will Not Heal Healthcare”

The struggle of medical interns and resident physicians to shorten their absurdly long shifts has been going on for more than a decade. While no person is expected to maintain clarity for more than eight hours on the job, residents and interns, who are entrusted with saving our lives and the lives of our loved ones, are expected to somehow stay sharp and alert for 26 hours straight. And not just once, but throughout their training, which typically lasts four or more years. Such working conditions are a disgrace to the State, which requires them of all medical students on their way to becoming certified doctors, and testifies to the level of our indifference toward each other.

Such conditions are not new, nor are they specific to Israel. Being the son of two doctors, I remember that both my parents were absent for many hours even when I was as young as five years old. I remember my mother cooking food to last for two days, putting it in the stove on a very low temperature to keep it lukewarm, and leaving the house for a 36 hour shift at the hospital. At five years old, I would serve myself dinner, being the only person in the house.

There clearly needs to be a major reform here, and not just for medical residents and interns, but throughout the system. While we cannot stop medical services, it is simply unjust to demand such shifts from doctors, and unrealistic to expect them to do their job well after that many hours on the job. And we need them to do their job well.

When I say that the solution must be system-wide, I am not referring only to the health care system. The reform must encompass every aspect of our lives. Currently, everything is motivated by money. As the song says, “Money makes the world go ‘round”; this is why our world looks pathetic.

Countries spend enormous amounts of money on medicine, but look where it is getting us. Worldwide, the only area where we spend more taxpayers’ money than medicine is arms. Yet, despite the titanic budgets, public health care is sinking.

Again, it is not only in health care. The same phenomenon is evident in education, welfare, and everywhere else.

The problem lies in our basic motivation. Instead of money, we must establish a care-based society.

Unless we initiate an educational process that teaches people how interdependent we are, we will become so noxious toward each other that human society will disintegrate, at a colossal cost to all of us. If we feel that we are dependent on each other, we will develop care for one another. Even without natural kinship, such as among siblings, the realization that our well-being depends on the well-being of everyone else will make us work for the sake of others. And if we work for the sake of others, we will begin to warm up to them, and from there it will not be long before we become genuinely caring for each other.

A student of mine, who works for a large healthcare organization in Israel, told me that he is permitted to dedicate up to ten minutes per patient. In those ten minutes, even with new patients, he must get to know the person, diagnose the problem, and prescribe drugs or refer to further treatment. This isn’t health care; it’s an assembly line. This is what happens when the motivation isn’t others’ well-being but money, and it characterizes our entire society.
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Build the Creator Between Us

Baal HaSulam, “Peace in The World”: That is, truth necessitates us to equalize all the individuals in the collective, to receive their share according to their labor, no more and no less. And this is the one true basis, which cannot be doubted, for it is certain that anyone who wishes to enjoy the labor of his friend, his acts are against the above-mentioned reason and clear truth.

The category truth states that I cannot receive more than I give or give more than I receive. There should be a law of universal balance between everyone without exception. It depends on the individual properties of each person, on the amount of his efforts, and the state he is in. Maybe one got a little sick, or a person had some issues, etc.

That is, the category of truth is not universal. It is not something written in stone that can be calibrated as in some device and used consistently.

In the same way, there are  a huge number of organs in our body that are constantly in dynamic balance. They must balance each other out or the body will be constantly out of balance and a person will not feel well. This condition is called a disease when organs cannot maintain the overall internal balance of the body.

Therefore, the categories of mercy, truth, justice, and peace are designed to give us the understanding of how we can balance ourselves so that our soul will start being manifested and exist on its own. Otherwise, it will simply not exist.

We must unite with each other and then our correct connection will give us what is called a soul. In it, we will reveal the life of the organism called the Creator, which we will build between ourselves.

Question: So, we must become an active part of managing the whole system?

Answer: Not just to become an active part of the system but to create it. The Creator says: “You have made Me.” It was not the Creator who created man, but man who created the Creator!
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From KabTV’s “Fundamentals of Kabbalah” 7/28/19

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Filed under: Adam-The Common Soul, Spiritual Work | Add Comment / Ask Question →

Question: In our world, if someone looks back at you, you feel it because there is power in the gaze that comes from one’s eyes. What is this force?

Answer: A person emanates strength with every organ of his body but especially with his eyes. With the help of a glance, we can control and influence animals and people around us. “The evil eye” is not said in vain.

Question: Belief in the evil eye is one of the most common phenomena. What is your attitude toward it and can you give advice on how to protect yourself?

Answer: Undoubtedly the evil eye exists. I talked about this with Rabash and he said the same thing. How to protect yourself? Only by good deeds. No one can harm a person if he is truly kind to others.

Question: Why is it so hard and unpleasant to look a person in the eye?

Answer: You cannot look someone in the eye for a long time because it demands you to clearly express yourself in relation to him. And nobody wants that.
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From KabTV’s “Spiritual States” 9/10/21

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And the thing pleased the children of Israel; and the children of Israel blessed God, and they did not intend to go up against them in battle, to destroy the land in which the children of Reuben and Gad dwelt.

And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar: ‘for it is a witness between us that the Lord is God.’ (Prophets, Joshua, 22:33; 22:34)

Question: The two and a half tribes that went over the Jordan will later depart from the people and be the first to go into exile. Is it possible to foresee in advance where unity will be violated?

Answer: Of course: in the advancement toward the goal. What is happening in Israeli society today is an absolute disintegration because there is no advancement toward a single goal. Liberalism or so-called freedom is deadly for any nation, especially for the Jewish people.

Question: Was it possible to foresee in advance that this would happen?

Answer: Undoubtedly. You can say as much as you like that to have a lot of trends in society is contemporary, it is a sign of a developed society, and this is how it should be. However, this is not a developed society, but a developed, uncorrected, decaying egoism, and any of its actions divides the people into parts.

Question: Does it mean that when we just started building the country, it was already possible to say that this would be the case?

Answer: This country was created on the basis of war, and is governed only by war, including the war with each other. All members of the government are thinking about how to push each other aside. If it were not for the help from above, our country would have been gone for a long time.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 8/23/21

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Prophets, Joshua 18:4; 18:6: Appoint for yourselves three men for each tribe; and I will send them, and they shall arise, and go through the land, and describe it according to their inheritance; and they shall come to me.

You shall describe the land into seven parts, and bring it here to me, and I will cast lots for you here before the Lord our God.

Joshua Ben Nun says that the desires of Israel should be shaped in us.

“I will send them,” that is, “I will push, lead, support them on the steps of mastering the property of bestowal and love, and they will rise above their egoism.”

In spirituality, we distinguish states of lying, sitting, and getting up, which personify the small state (Katnut) and the large state (Gadlut). When a person sits, this is a small state, Katnut. When he gets up, this is already the middle state, that is, he can be associated with others but only with the properties of bestowal. And the large state is when he can be associated with other properties of reception as well.

“And they will rise” means that you can transform the property of reception into property of bestowal by building the right intention.

“And go through the land,“ that is, the children of Israel will master all their desires and will be able to mix them together and work together on them as one common desire with one common intention.

Everything that they learn, receive, master, they will be able to absorb into themselves. This is the meaning of “describe.”

“And they will come to me,” they will return again to their mentor, who brought them here, and they will go on with him.

The mentor supports them, directs them, corrects them, helps them, explains why they exist. Why is it necessary to overcome such obstacles, to overcome your egoism for the sake of connection and love with each other?

It is about how to perceive the teacher correctly and implement what he says. All this is the process of entering the land of Israel.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book”

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Question: Why is such a paradox being revealed today that on one hand the world has become global and on the other hand, even though everyone is shouting about global problems in the field of economics, ecology, and so on, people are not interested in them. People are only interested in themselves and what will happen to them.

Answer: Can a small person grasp the entire global world? How can he feel it? This, once again, proves the correctness of the assumption that comes from Kabbalah that only the revelation of the system of global connection between us will give us the opportunity to treat each other correctly.

This little person does not clearly see that apparently he, his family, work, health, everything that surrounds him depends on the whole world. If he constantly thinks about the whole world, he still will not be able to grasp it completely. If he thinks that everyone will feel good and then he will feel good, that is enough. Our thoughts and desires act in the world. This is our most important strength.

Therefore, as soon as a person begins to understand that he depends on others and everyone depends on him, and this global, mutual dependence is directly related to his thoughts, he suddenly sees that his thought is the most penetrating force in the world, which acts regardless of distances.

Before that, he just does not feel how his thoughts are coming back to him. But if he saw the forces emanating from the thought, he would be afraid to think badly of others because he felt how much he was turning them back on himself and creating a negative cocoon around himself. So, this is our life.
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From Kab TV’s “Close-Up. Reference Point” 9/9/09

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Filed under: Crisis, Globalization, Perception | Add Comment / Ask Question →

Question: A woman is naturally oriented to the family and wants to preserve it. She needs a sense of belonging to a man and a family, and for this she is ready to sacrifice a lot. Why can’t a modern man today give a woman this sense of belonging?

Answer: Ego does not allow that: “I do not want to be associated with anyone!”

That is, I can be associated with someone, but only when it is convenient for me, when it is pleasant, when I want to be served and satisfied. But the moment I don’t need it, let there be no woman, no family, no one by my side. This is how egoism behaves.

In such states, when he cannot tolerate being forced to do something, so as not to be indebted to anyone, it is impossible to keep the family, because the family is a partnership and first of all, mutual concessions to each other.

And to yield to each other means to force oneself into doing that. I don’t want this! I cannot go for this, my ego does not allow it. And so it turns out that today’s family is falling apart. And even more terrible times lie ahead.

People will try to find some kind of replacement for this, some kind of ersatz, getting together and breaking up. Children will leave their parents early and become independent sooner. The state and society will take on some additional functions.

That is, we will see the gradual destruction of the very foundation, the cell of humanity, the cell of our society, something that even animals do not have. After all, in animals the family is preserved as much as it is necessary for the procreation of the species.

And today when the state provides assistance to single mothers or single fathers, they see no reason to keep the family together.
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From KabTV’s “Close-Up. Emancipation” 9/16/09

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “Do you know the connection between politics and violence?“

The problem is in the fact that human development is driven by egoism, which is the desire to enjoy at the expense of others and nature. Egoism is human nature and it is why we cannot perform any actions unless they come from our egos.

Accordingly, the connection between politics and violence is that in politics we use the same laws and the same goals, except we place them within the confines of a certain legitimacy, which we can continue to maintain in the future. In other words, politics is simply the continuation of the power of the fist. Until humanity’s approach to life and organization of international relations changes from egoistic to altruistic, we will be unable to perform any political action that is not forced. Only an altered approach to humanity as to a single global integrated organism will change reality such that politics will become global. After all, we are in a small global village.

In this case, decisions will be made by a government that envelops the world under the influence of intentions that are directed toward the good of progress and the good of the existence of the world, just like a live organism. Then, every person will receive a position from this “head” of the world. By doing so, we will divide the burden among everyone so that every person will know that their part is determined by the fact that they need to contribute their share to the world precisely in such a way, in order for the world to live in peace.

We will all live and prosper, and achieve not even just our material life—we will merit another level of living, the infinite spiritual flow of nature. We will take care not only of material life, our bodies, but also our souls. We will be able to ascend to such a level on condition that we will reach an altruistic life.

Based on a Q&A with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on September 9, 2006. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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