Two questions I received on the spiritual advancement of children:

Question: If there are still 232 years left until the full correction, then why do we call our children “the children of the last generation”?

My Answer: Because the “last generation” starts from our generation on – it’s the generation of egoism’s correction and ascension to the Creator.

Question: Do children and youth go through the same degrees on the spiritual path as adults? If a child expresses worry about evil, what’s the right way to deal with this?

My Answer: The soul is ageless, and this is why Kabbalah can be taught to anyone and at any age. One must go through all the states. This is determined by the emergence of the Reshimot (the chain of informational data about each state). It’s because the soul must go through the same states it went through during its descent from above downward, but now it must go through them in the reverse order, ascending from below upwards.

However, the rate of one’s advancement through every state depends on the environment (the group), and can be virtually instant. The best remedy for all the “problems” along the way is communication with friends and watching our materials.

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Three questions I received on the modern study method of Kabbalah:

Question: You wrote that the Mashiach Ben Yosef is the great Ari’s revelation of the modern method of correction, Kabbalah, in the 16th century. Can we make an analogy that the Mashiach Ben David is also a revelation – the one that was made by Baal HaSulam? Or will there be other revelations of the method that will be more complete and have a more powerful effect?

My Answer: In Article #102 of Shamati, Baal HaSulam writes the following about the Ari: “That is why the holy Ari, who was the Mashiach son of Yosef, was able to reveal so much wisdom, for he had the permission from ‘the revealed world.’”

As for the Mashiach Ben David, there are many mentions of him, but they all indicate something different and can only be understood through personal revelation, but I prefer to quote the primary source texts.

Question: What do you think about The Book of Bakhir?

My Answer: Baal HaSulam writes the following in the article “Disclosing a Portion, Covering Two”: Ever since the teachings of the Ari were revealed in the world, all Kabbalists abandoned all other books and study only The Book of Zohar and the books of the Ari.”

Question: You said that 1995 was the starting point of the current events. What happened in 1995 that you are referring to?

My Answer: I felt this because suddenly, the students that started coming to study with me were different: They were serious, diligent, and persistent in their pursuit of the goal. Today they still make up the core of the worldwide Bnei Baruch group. Of course, there were also inner changes that are concealed from the average onlooker – a clearer revelation of new spiritual forces in the world.

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: The Coming of the Messiah
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Shamati #183: “The Discernment of the Messiah”

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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.

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A question I received: Peace to you. Michael, you are a living sage, though for now you only exist in the virtual world for me. But of course you exist in the real physical plane as well.

One of my goals is to affirm Faith in the physical world. How can we join efforts in doing this? I can tell you a little about myself. My Spiritual Birth happened at the age of 27, and there is a stamp on my right hand attesting to this. As I understand it, our plans and goals are the same. I’ve already passed all the main milestones of this path, but I am still driven by the desire to help fulfill the mission of the Upper Light and praise the Almighty.

The information that you obtain from various sources, through studying and disseminating the teaching of Kabbalah, has been revealed to me from above without any intermediaries, and I obtain my knowledge directly from the Holy Grail. Nonetheless, our knowledge coincides in many ways, and we have a lot to share for the benefit of humanity. Write to me if you’re interested in my offer and want to collaborate. You know that there are no coincidences.

My Answer: I receive many offers like this. The thing they all have in common is a lot of inner confusion. My advice to you is to bring your inner world in order. The best way to do this is by reading Baal HaSulam’s articles. This will put everything in its place and remove everything that’s unnecessary (Faith, Spiritual Birth, the Holy Grail, and so on). After that I invite you to collaborate!

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A question I received: I converted to Judaism five years ago after a lifetime of study and searching. In these past few years I have been awed by the Torah and its Pardes. Now, due to your lectures, I have fallen into a dangerous question. When Boreh Olam (the Creator) says, “My thoughts are not your thoughts,” and the wise men say that the Torah is the wisdom of Boreh Olam, i.e., his thoughts, does this mean that for the past few thousand years, the practicing Jew has got it all wrong, and in fact my search has brought me to the wrong place?

My Answer: Man was created egoistic from the very beginning. His thoughts are opposite to the Creator’s thoughts. The Kabbalistic group (Abraham’s students) was called “the people of Israel” because of their aspiration: Isra-El – straight to (similarity with) the Creator. This is how they lived until they fell from the spiritual level of “Love your neighbor as yourself” into egoism. This is called the destruction of the Temple.

Since then, this group has existed in exile from the spiritual level, in egoism and “unfounded hatred for each other.” Instead of attaining the Creator, He is concealed to them. Instead of direct communication with Him, there is religion. Instead of mutual deeds with the Creator (correction and adhesion), they perform mechanical “commandments” based on egoism (Mitzvot Anashim Melumeda – mechanical actions that are taught from childhood and are performed automatically).

No one is to blame for this condition of the nation – the downfall had to happen. But today (for nearly 100 years already), we are obliged to begin correcting ourselves and to thereby come out of exile. Those who oppose this are opponents of the nation, the world, and the Creator.

Besides this, you should just study Kabbalah. It doesn’t matter what religion you belong to. Kabbalah is for everyone!

Related Material:
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Two questions I received on how to advance most effectively:

Question: Please tell us about your daily schedule and what kind of a daily schedule should a student of the Creator have in order to advance toward the goal most efficiently?

My Answer: Study in the morning before work for 1-3 hours. Devote all your free time to study, the group (physical or virtual), and dissemination of Kabbalah in the world (education). In general, you should learn and teach others about the world we live in, in order to accelerate the correction of our nature and to thereby become equivalent to the Creator.

Question: For now I don’t have a desire to fast. What is the purpose of fasting? Is it true that fasting is intended to keep me focused on the intention to bestow to the Creator?

My Answer: The restraint should happen in the area of expressing egoism toward others, and through the aspiration to devote all your free time to study and dissemination of the method of correcting man’s egoistic nature.

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A question I received: I am questioning the practical applications of “love your neighbor as yourself” and whether this should be more than being tolerant of your neighbor.

Let me explain. Since everything we see around us is a reflection of what we have inside of ourselves, then our thoughts and desires are just objects that manifest themselves “out there,” but actually they appear within ourselves.

I do not know about others, but I cannot say that I love all the thoughts and desires that arise within me. I am aware of most of them and tolerate them, but I do not really approve of all of them and I pass through them as though they are crowds of people. Is this how we should treat others? I understand the need to be aware of other people, be respectful of others and forgive them. But that does not mean I should love or approve of what others are doing, such as blowing up the Twin Towers in the United States, for example. I can forgive them for this action, but they still need to pay the price for killing thousands of innocent people.

My Answer: Correction starts with man’s recognition that anything correct and good can only come from the Upper Light. Hence the only thing he expects from studying, uniting with a group, and disseminating Kabbalah is the Light’s influence.

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Questions I received on where to find strength along the spiritual path:

Question: Rabbi Meir rode in a carriage led by a horse with bad legs and eyes. Along his journey he met a rabbi from Lisa, who had a carriage led by four horses. Rabbi Meir asked: “Why four?” To which the other replied, “So they could pull the carriage out of sludge.” Rabbi Meir then muttered, “My horse can’t pull me out of sludge, he simply goes around it.”

Can you please explain?

My Answer: A person should only take the minimum from this world in order to come out of it. It only seems that the more you take, the stronger you are, but in fact this only holds you back. A person should move forward with humility and anticipation that help will come, rather than with force.

Question: What should one do when the “heaviness of the heart” comes upon him?

My Answer: Read Baal HaSulam’s articles, sing and dance, do sports, and best of all – have a meal with friends.

Question: Can I share this feeling with others?

My Answer: No.

Question: Why not?

My Answer: There’s no need to make their hearts heavy as well!

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A question I received: Lately I feel that many of my actions are not performed by me. It is as though I observe my actions from outside. This realization – that certain actions are not done by me – makes me wish to obtain freedom of choice. But the only free choice I have before the Machsom is the choice of the correct environment. What are these states and how do I work with them?

My Answer: Everything you say is correct! Keep doing what you’re doing, and continue strengthening your connection with the common Kli.

The technique of the process is as follows:
1. By pressuring yourself, put yourself under the influence of the environment (see the article, “Freedom of Will”).

2. The environment will exert a direct influence on your “heart,” and you will begin feeling the importance of bestowal and connecting with others.

3. During the lesson, don’t forget what is important to you, and you will then attract the influence of the Surrounding Light (Ohr Makif) upon you.

4. Under the Light’s influence, the quality of bestowal will be created within you.

If you constantly proceed along this chain, then after a period of time (3 – 5 years at most) you will cross the Machsom, entering the perception (attainment, revelation) of the Upper World.

Related Material:
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Baal HaSulam Article: “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee)”

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Questions I received on the difference between religion and Kabbalah:

Question: Is studying Torah and keeping the Mitzvot the same thing as being religious?

My Answer: Yes.

Question: I don’t like the word religious if it means dogmatic, static, closed, etc.

My Answer: But the purpose of religion is to preserve, to statically observe. This is exactly the pleasure one feels from being religious!

Question: But the way that I have been studying Torah and practicing Mitzvot (commandments) with Chassidut and Kabbalah seems to be something powerful and important.

My Answer: There are no commandments in Kabbalah, other than equivalence with the Creator through “Love thy neighbor as thyself.”

Question: The Torah has a revealed component and a hidden component, and they operate together. Therefore doesn’t the continued studying Torah and practicing of Mitzvot (by Jewish people and those who feel drawn to it) operate as a platform or foundation for studying Kabbalah?

My Answer: No.

Question: Doesn’t the traditional practice safeguard the hidden Kabbalistic knowledge that has yet to be revealed?

My Answer: No.

Question: Or, are you saying that all of the old Torah ways need to be discarded like a shell and only the science of Kabbalah should be remain?

My Answer: Yes.

Question: I would like to clarify my question by saying that I have found the Kabbalah instruction on your websites to be wonderfully powerful, enriching and necessary. I see my feelings (conflicted, confused and invigorated) as part of my correction process and I ask these questions respectfully and in the spirit of growth and acceptance.

My Answer: Thank you!

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