My old friend, journalist and columnist, Sergei Leskov, had a conversation with the director of the Institute of Philosophy at the Russian Academy of Sciences, academician A. Guseynov. Dr. Abdusalam Guseynov was present at the defense of my dissertation at the aforementioned institute. I am grateful for his position on this process.

His words are as follows (my comments appear in italics): Until now humanity’s fundamental conviction was that scientific and technological progress was good. But these hopes have proved to be illusory.

Philosophy was founded on the possibility of creating a heaven on earth by changing human nature. Now it is clear that the progress has brought about a deadly threat, and this fact requires us to take responsibility on a fundamentally new level.

The Kantian “ethics of goodwill” must be supplemented with the ethics of responsible action. This puts greater emphasis on the role of absolute prohibition, embedded in the ancient code of Moses – first and foremost on the prohibition on violence, or in other words: “Don’t do unto others what you don’t want done to you.” This rule is a stepping stone to the rule, “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” For more on this, see Baal HaSulam’s articles “The Revelation of Godliness (Matan Torah)” and “The Arvut.”

On the other hand, the process of individualizing morals continues. In other words, the society delegates the right to decide what’s right and wrong to individuals. If these individuals are Kabbalists – those who have already attained “the future of humanity,” then they can be trusted, but those who “don’t live in the world of tomorrow” must not be trusted under any circumstances. They will be wrong, as they always are, because they are governed by their egoism.

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The Hebrew book The Two Great Lights is titled after the Biblical verse: “And God created the two great lights.” The book talks about the two great Kabbalists of the 20th century – Rav Kook and Baal HaSulam, who both desired to disseminate Kabbalah among the masses at the beginning of the last century.

They foresaw World War II as well as our global crisis. They understood that humanity is entering the final phase of development, when it is necessary for its survival to educate every person in the spirit of “love thy neighbor as thy self.” This book reveals their prophetic vision of our time and their advice on changing the world.

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A question I received: What is ”The New Society” written by Rav Ashlag? This is almost word for word the Communist Manifesto:

1. The acceptance of the religion of “love thy neighbor as thyself” (meaning the religion is “love thy neighbor as thyself”!).
2. A just distribution of the profits, so that each works according to his skills and receives according to his needs.
3. Private property exists, but its owner must not profit from it more than he really needs.
4. Property owners will be under public supervision, or under self-trusteeship, or through bookkeeping.
5. The unemployed will receive their needs equally with the employed.
6. Profits will be utilized for building public assets.

Question: Why does Kabbalah preach Communism when it has been proven that it does not work?

My Answer:
1. “Love thy neighbor as thyself” is the general law of nature, since nature is a single organism.
2. “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need” is the law by which any interconnected system operates.
3. The owner benefits from realizing himself for the sake of the society because he receives respect and dignity.
4. He remains under the supervision of society until he rises to a degree above his egoism in every respect.
5. Those who are unemployed for reasons that are not in their control will receive the same as everyone else.
6. All the profits, except those necessary for every person to live, are collective and will be used for the benefit of the entire system.

The difference between this and the Soviet structure is that every person receives the Upper Reward for the common unity – adhesion with the Creator, an eternal and perfect existence! This is the reason why people will observe the commandment of “Love thy neighbor as thyself,” with everything it implies.

However, humanity will come to these conditions gradually and willingly, not by force. That’s because the revelation of the concealed world gives people the strength and the desire to exist in it!

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During the international children’s lesson that was held on 10.10.2008, we talked about prayer. Prayer is the most secret, concealed desire in one’s heart. It hides so deep down in our hearts that we don’t even feel it. But precisely this desire has a connection with the Creator, or we can say that the Creator dwells inside this desire.

In order to reveal the Creator, we must reveal this desire for Him. But how can we influence this desire? A person cannot reach it himself, but only through the environment (the group). He evokes all sorts of influences from the environment, which make his desire for the Creator, for love and bestowal, grow. In fact, these influences have a direct effect on one’s heart.

In this manner, through the group, one can evoke such a great desire for love and bestowal in his heart that it will become similar to the Creator in the minimum degree, and then he will immediately sense the Creator within it. This is the meaning and purpose of prayer – to gradually reveal the Creator in one’s heart!

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During the following international children’s lesson, held on 10.17.2008, we talked about blessings. A blessing is a sensation of gratitude that involuntarily appears in one’s heart. It is gratitude for the corrections that take place within a person under the influence of the Creator’s Light:

“Blessed are you, Ruler of the world… Who opens eyes to see the Upper World… Who spreads the earth (the desire to receive) upon the waters (the desire to bestow)… Who gives the heart the understanding to distinguish day (the Upper Light, the quality of bestowal) from night (egoism)… Who clothes the naked (with the Light of Hassadim, in which the Light of Hochma is revealed)… and so on.

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A question I received: Please explain the meaning of the expression “Faith, hope and love” and their order in one’s spiritual work.

My Answer: First, a person must attain faith – the perception of the Creator. This perception gives him hope and confidence about his present and future, since the revelation of the Creator makes a person merge with Him like an embryo in a mother. Then, after experiencing all of the Creator’s actions and learning of their absolute goodness, a person starts to feel love for the Creator.

As you can see, everything comes from attainment, or learning things yourself. Kabbalah is the most practical science of all: it is studied inside and through oneself.

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: Everything Is Attained from Within
Laitman.com Post: The Wisdom of Kabbalah Isn’t Learned Through Common Sense
Chapter from the Book  Attaining the Worlds Beyond – “Faith: Believing in the Oneness of the Creator”
Baal HaSulam Article: “The Love for the Creator & Love for the Created Beings”
Baal HaSulam Article: “The Essence of One’s Work”

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Two questions I received on a woman’s ability to love others as herself:

Question: You wrote in a previous blog post that women cannot love one another because of their nature. I would like to know what is a woman’s nature? If it is the quality of deficiency, then please explain what kind of a deficiency this is, and what is the spiritual meaning of this concept? How is it expressed? And do women also advance through the 125 levels of correction?

My Answer: Every woman represents a desire, and every man represents the fulfillment of this desire. Hence, it’s impossible for women to be friends with anyone, and they can only love what belongs to them. Yet precisely this quality makes them the carriers of the desire that the men have to correct and fulfill.

Besides this, every man and every woman have their own inner “man” and “woman,” not only according to the chromosomes but also according to spiritual properties. Women provide men with the aspiration toward the Creator, pushing them to attain the goal of creation – and together they attain it.

Question: Can I apply the concept of “love thy neighbor” in relation to my wife?

My Answer: You should treat your wife according to the rules of society, and you should work together with your friends – the people with whom you must reach the mutual guarantee (Arvut) – to realize the law of the single soul, “Love thy neighbor as thyself.”

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: On the Men and Women Inside Us
Kabbalah & Women

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Questions I received on the development of spirituality in a person:

Question: How do I receive the point in the heart?

Answer: When the first spiritual Reshimo surfaces in you.

Questions: Who taught Kabbalah to the first man (Adam), since he didn’t have books?

Answer: He revealed it on his own just like Abraham. He is called “the first man” because a person who attains similarity to the Creator is called “man” – Adam, which comes from the word “similar.” He was the first man at that time; everyone else were animals.

Question: Can a newborn baby be a Kabbalist?

Answer: No. One needs to earn a Masach.

Question: Can a newborn be on any spiritual level?

Answer: Yes, if the society as a whole is.

Question: Can a baby be born above the Machsom, with full understanding of everything?

Answer: No, but he can achieve this very fast during childhood with the help of upbringing, as before the destruction of the Temple.

Question: What is it to annul oneself before others?

Answer: It’s when the desire of another person is more important to you than your own desire.

Question: Do I need to share my attention with the group rather than give all of it to my wife and kids?

Answer: Only inside of you.

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: To Be Born a Kabbalist
Laitman.com Post: How Does a Kabbalist Organize His Day?
Book: Kabbalah Beginner’s Guide
Baal HaSulam Article: “The Love for the Creator & Love for the Created Beings”

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News Report (translated from gazeta.ru): Americans chose Barack Obama as President hoping that he will solve all their economic problems. However, experts believe that it is too late to reverse the development of the crisis. There is nothing that governments can do about the collapse of the global financial model or to prevent the crisis from unfolding. No matter what measures they will take, consumption will continue decreasing, recession will last for a long time, and the world will witness a new wave of bankruptcies and other consequences of the crisis, but this time in the real sector of the economy. The International Monetary Fund makes pessimistic predictions, forecasting a recession of leading world economies.

My Comment: The world can only be helped by realizing the true meaning of humanity’s global state, which we have reached. We are a single organism, and as such, we should live in equality, with universal equal distribution, absolute bestowal of one’s entire profit for society’s benefit, and love for one’s neighbor. This is similar to the way an organism operates: all cells and organs operate in absolute harmony, as otherwise there would be illnesses (crises), even to the point of death (extermination).

All this must happen gradually, but it is necessary! Hence, our main objective is to provide humanity with a global education, in order to teach it the meaning of a “single organism” using examples from nature. People – especially the leaders – must realize that there is no way back to the old rules. For the first time in history, the world has become different. It must become similar to the Upper World, or in other words, people must acquire the quality of “bestowal” instead of the quality of “reception.” They must change to the exact opposite.

We have to speak about this and gradually become used to it. There is no other way to go. Otherwise another world war may break out in the world, but even after it’s over we will still have to face the same problem: to become similar to Nature or the Creator, because this is what we must attain according to the plan of creation.

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: What Caused the Current Financial Crisis?
Laitman.com Post: Virtual Lesson On the Financial Crisis

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Two questions I received from students around the world:

Question: Here in Africa people don’t really want to know what lies beyond our world, but ever since I was young I have always been fascinated by the world and I have always wanted to find out the whole truth. Lately I have been thinking about how to help people change their ways and give meaning to their lives. I started telling others about goodness and coming closer to the Almighty, and I find much pleasure in what I am doing for others. I used to wait for a reward for my actions, but I do not want it any more. My greatest wish is for all of us to get closer to God. I found myself praying and saying to God that instead of being in heaven with Abraham I’d rather be here on earth until the last one of us is there with us.

Why do I feel responsible for the world? Why does my happiness depend on others’ well being? Is it a sign from God or is it just wishful thinking? Please tell me something about this state of mind. Thanks in advance for your help. Alhain Kadima

My Answer: You have simply revealed a new desire inside you: a desire for bestowal, for the Creator – a desire that others don’t have. You should actualize it, and then you will give a great gift to yourself and to the world!

Question: I am a new student and I’d like to ask you the following question. Can we say that we only acquire the knowledge and the true vision of reality (Hochma) as we are able, in some measure, in order to forward this truth to others (Bina)? Meaning that we can only discern the structure of the law of love as we experience it in all aspects of life? Thank you. Tiago.

My Answer: Yes, by bestowing to others we build a collective desire, in which we then perceive the one and only force in the world – the Creator.

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: The Machsom Is the Same Everywhere – Even In Japan

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A question I received: Please explain to me why has this crisis hit the United States? Americans are the most generous people on this planet. They give so much to charities throughout the world. They contribute to humanitarian causes. It is thanks to the United States that I was able to come from the former Soviet Union, and why the Jewish people are safe today and have their own homeland, why the old Soviet Union was destroyed and why the world prospered for a very long time.

Maybe Americans do not do this purely from altruistic tendencies as Kabbalah explains, but still their contributions and deeds should not be overlooked. Of all the countries in the world, the United States is closer to the “Love your neighbor” philosophy than any other country that I am aware of.

So why did this crisis come to them? What fault did the United States do to deserve this type of judgment?

My Answer: Because the United States is the most developed country and the most connected with all other countries and parts of the planet, they were the ones to feel the beginning of the global crisis, which will only continue to expand and will envelop everything. It will then grow into ecological, epidemic and social crises. This will go on until we begin to resolve it by cooperating globally, as one body without boundaries.

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: Reflections on the Crisis
Laitman.com Post: Virtual Lesson – “The Crisis and the Solution”
Wisdom in Action: The 3rd World Spirit Forum in Arosa
Book: From Chaos to Harmony

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