Question: Why does joy arise in my automatically when a child takes his first steps or begins to speak, but joy for a friend I must gnaw out of myself and ask it from the Creator?

Answer: The fact is that if your child receives something good, you automatically rejoice for him, and moreover, you feel that it was given to you. This is our attitude toward our children. But we do not have such feelings toward other people’s children.

In principle, our attitude toward children is much more reverent than toward ourselves, which is why we behave this way and feel this way.

Question: Is it possible that joy for our friends will also arise in us automatically?

Answer: If the light of the Creator descends on us, then we will rejoice for our friends as we do for our children, and even more.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/17/23, Writings of Baal HaSulam “What Is Support in the Torah, in the Work?”

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Question: What is the difference between the world of Atzilut, the world of corrections, from the three worlds of Beria, Yetzira, and Assiya?

Answer: The difference is that the worlds of Beria, Yetzira, and Assiya are, as it were, under a curtain, under concealment. In these worlds, we can rise and fall, but at the same time, we do not feel anything divine, anything related to the upper, to the Creator.

In the world of Atzilut, however, the Creator is already manifesting. That is why this world is called Atzilut from the word “Etzlo” (at His, He).

Question: Do all corrections take place in the world of Atzilut?

Answer: Not exactly corrections but their result.
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From KabTV’s “Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah” 11/7/23

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Question: The word “world” (Olam) comes from “Haalamah” (concealment). What is concealed from us in the spiritual worlds?

Answer: Each subsequent world after the world of Infinity – Atzilut, Briya, Yetzira, Assiya – is more concealed, revealing less the essence of the divine that resides in the world of infinity.

Concealment was necessary to gradually create a system around us, which by mastering we would be able to ascend from our lowest world, where we completely do not feel the higher nature, higher and higher, up to the attainment of the Creator.

The essence of concealment is that we ourselves, by our freewill, reveal the essence of the divine and systematically ascend from our world to the world of Assiya, then Yetzira, Beria, Atzilut, and finally to the world of infinity (Ein Sof).
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From KabTV’s “Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah” 11/7/23

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Question: You keep saying that a conversation can be in silence, through the hearts. Can you explain what it is to “speak through your heart”?

Answer: It is through feelings. When you want to convey your feelings to a person and it is very difficult to find suitable words for that, then the best thing is to be silent.

This is not uncomfortable for each one. You just keep silent. Thus, gradually, you begin to understand each other without words. This is called a conversation of hearts.

Question: You said that you were often silent with your teacher. Did you not have a feeling that you had to say something?

Answer: No, absolutely none. You just sit and think next to him, and so does he.

Question: Did he not prompt you to say anything? Was there no such thing?

Answer: No, there is no need. There was no need to do anything. These are such feelings, such moments, when everything is clear. An internal contact takes place, the flow of feelings from one to the other and back, without words.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 9/21/23

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Rabbi Ila’a said, ‘The world exists only on account of him who restrains himself in strife (Hulin 89a) (One Who Restrains Himself in Strife, Rabash, Assorted Notes No. 292).

Question: It was written by our sages in the treatise “Hulin” 2,000 years ago: “The world exists only on account of him who restrains himself in strife.”

Can you please explain what kind of world we are talking about?

Answer: The world means our entire world, all of nature, especially human nature. It exists only because people restrain themselves during a surge of egoism and mutual hatred.

Question: Today no one restrains himself by and large. So what is going to happen to the world?

Answer: I must be afraid of the other, and then I will sit quietly.

Question: Is this what the world is today? The world of power and demonstrating your strength. Is this not true?

Answer: Of course. How can the world be truly based on this? This means that we will constantly strengthen ourselves and wait until we can attack the other side. And this is not true.

Question: How do we come to this wisdom that “The world exists only on account of him who restrains himself in strife”? How can we learn to restrain ourselves at the time of a quarrel?

Answer: The world is, in principle, moving a little closer to this based on the fact that there are some opportunities to put pressure on any state through public opinion so that it restrains itself.

But this is still very far from a concrete, correct influence on each other, moreover, a good influence, not under the threat of destruction, but because it simply cannot be otherwise. This is not my opinion; it is other people’s opinion and I submit to it, and so on.

Question: It is said “quarrels.” It is not said that if they came to kill you, then there is no escape, and you must get ahead of him and kill him. This is about a quarrel. What is meant by “a quarrel”?

Answer: It is when murder is not yet resorted to and there is a chance for persuasion, for some kind of negotiation. But this is still not the path to peace. “Be ahead of him and kill him” is not the path to peace.

Question: They say that if one restrains himself at the time of a quarrel, he himself is under a lot of stress. Even psychologists keep saying: “Do not restrain yourself.” And so on. What do you think about it?

Answer: My attitude toward this is negative. If a person does not restrain himself, he will destroy everything. Everyone surely has a stone or a knife at hand. And if you go further, then a pistol, and so on. That is, little good will come out of this.

Question: How do you restrain yourself if you are driven crazy?

Answer: Train yourself so that you are not.

Question: So you see this as just training?

Answer: Yes. And do not disperse. Restrain yourself.

Question: Do not disperse, you mean in the sense of using force? Is it possible to run away for some time?

Answer: You can run away.

Question: In order to get together later?

Answer: Maybe.

Question: Maybe and maybe not, do you think?

Answer: Maybe not.

Question: That is, above everything there still should be to restrain yourself at the time of a quarrel. Is this possible in our world?

Answer: I think that precisely in our world it is more possible than it has been because we do not have any special opportunities to gather an army, ride somewhere, and attack somebody. All this is not so real anymore. I think that nowadays, it is precisely deterrence that is the best weapon.

Question: So by and large, all the organizations that were created after the big wars—the United Nations, the League of Nations—was it all for this purpose?

Answer: Yes.

Question: But it did not bring tangible results. Why?

Answer: Human nature has not changed. They wanted to put up some kind of division, shutters, or something like that. But since nature does not change, they began to speak more beautifully instead, and nothing more.

We must understand that we need to change internally, and not sit somewhere beautifully.

Question: I understand what you are saying. Why do others not understand this?

Answer: It is human nature. What can you do with it?

Question: When will we understand this?

Answer: I do not have an answer to this. But I am sure that we will understand it some day.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 10/19/23

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Preparation to the Lesson

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1st part of the Lesson — Writings of Rabash, “The Spies”

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2nd part of the Lesson — Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Study of the Ten Sefirot,” Vol. 2, Part 6, Item 27

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3rd part of the Lesson — Writings of Baal HaSulam, “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee)”

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Michael Laitman on the Times of Israel: “The Power of Unity: The Need to Transform Israel’s Relations Inside and Out”

On one hand, we find ourselves in a situation where after being brutally attacked, we need to retaliate, according to the principle, “If someone comes to kill you, rise up and kill him first.” That is, since we have been struck, we need to defend ourselves and fight back. This is part of our correction.

We have been in a situation of providing for Gazans, and yet it has proven itself to be a flammable and explosive mixture we keep by our side. Such a setup is unacceptable anywhere in the world. The time has thus come to deal with this territory, otherwise in the future, we will have to deal with it on a larger scale.

However, it is just one front against us, and we see nations all around us wishing for our destruction, from Hezbollah in the north, to the Houthis in Yemen, and of course, Iran. So while we defend ourselves in the current state out of necessity, we need to remember that there is ultimately only one action we can do to resolve these many tensions: We, the people of Israel, need peace, unity and understanding among ourselves. We will then cease the tensions not only with our neighbors, but in general, all problems and crises will then disappear from the world.

I regularly discuss the need for the people of Israel’s unity because I trust that it is how we can bring ourselves and the world to a better state.

The core of the terrible pressures Israel face from its neighbors is due to the fact that we do not give the world what we need to give.

What do we need to give the world? We need to provide a shining example of unity.

If we engage in acts of hatred among each other, such as the protests and demonstrations we busied ourselves with all year long until the tragic attacks on October 7, then our internal divisiveness will reflect back to us from other people and nations. In other words, our internal hatred, which flared up before the war, led to this war we are now in and to the way our enemies behave with us.

In principle, our enemies are not enemies. We enable their attitudes and actions toward us through our attitudes toward each other.

We thus need to convince ourselves that we need to reach a common love for each other. Then, there will be calm: no more people or nations will want to rise up against us.

Peace with our neighbors and with the world at large depends on how we, the several million Jews who live here, can construct ourselves into a unified society that blossoms with relations of mutual consideration, love, support and encouragement. The Torah discusses our mission as such, and I have been certain of it for decades.

It is written that “no calamity comes to the world but for Israel” (Yevamot 63). The attacks on October 7 were the worst we have endured since the Holocaust, and if we fail to learn to live with a united spirit dwelling among us—thereby also serving this unified spirit to the world—then we can expect even worse attacks and wars in the future.
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Question: What are the Kelim of holiness that we should guard? Is it the fear of forgetting about the connection between us? Or is it about the fact that in any state one should not forget from whom it comes and before whom I stand? Or is it regret that I am now separated from the others?

Answer: You can think about everything you have just said and regret that there is not enough connection with the Creator, that you are afraid to disconnect from Him, and that He may leave you.

You can put all these feelings and worries in front of Him all the time and ask Him not to move away, not to leave, and not to disappear.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/16/23, Writings of Baal HaSulam “As Though Standing before a King“

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Question: We read that the ordinary pleasures of our life are a certain threat to the bestowing qualities, so how can we correctly combine the two types of pleasures: spiritual and corporeal? A person might have a certain reaction: “This is it. I will live without pleasure at all.” But this is also wrong.

Answer: Of course this is wrong. We must definitely receive pleasure from the Creator. And through the Creator, from everything else. If we go deeper into life in this way, we will begin to feel the Creator and everything else after Him.

Question: It is not a secret that we enjoy lessons, articles, The Book of Zohar, and working in a group. But these are also, to some extent, the pleasures of our world. Should we limit them in order to feel ourselves standing in front of the King?

Answer: No. You must connect and pass this pleasure back to the Creator.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/16/23, Writings of Baal HaSulam “As Though Standing before a King”

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