A question I received: You’ve been the leader and mentor of the Bnei Baruch group for nearly twenty years. Maybe it’s time to make a public summary? How many people have crossed the Machsom over this period of time, and how has the world changed as a consequence? Or is this no longer the objective today? Are you now simply trying to change the world without your students’ personal correction?

I understand that this question will be deleted, but at least someone will read it. But if you do decide to publish an answer, then please don’t beat around the bush: give us real numbers and results, and the actual improvement in the world.

My Answer:

• Number of students in the world – around 2,000,000.
• Number of groups in the world – 73.
• Number of people who have crossed the Machsom – 19.
• Number of people who are about to cross the Machsom – 210. The rest will cross it by the year 2012.
• Annual growth of students – 700-900%.
• Number of hopeless students – 1. It’s you.

Filed under: Spirituality - 16 Comments →

A question I received: I am one of your students from India. My parents want me to get a PhD, but I’m not sure what to do. When I am not working, I spend my free time studying Kabbalah. If I were to start working on this degree, then I would have to devote my time to something that completely doesn’t interest me.

I thought that perhaps I could compromise with my parents and get a PhD, but on a topic of my choice: “The Application of Kabbalah in Parenting and Education” or something along these lines.

The problem is that our universities in India don’t have a Kabbalah department. They only have philosophy and religion departments. So where can I defend this dissertation?

My Answer: Personally, I defended my dissertation on the topic, “Kabbalah as a Form of Irrational Knowledge,” in IPRAS – the Institute of Philosophy at the Russian Academy of Sciences. You can defend a dissertation on Kabbalah in any philosophy department at any university. Dissertations on Kabbalah are being defended in all Israeli universities at the philosophy departments. We have several Kabbalah doctoral candidates, including my youngest daughter.

In addition, you can find out about defending it in America as well. However, I think that you should be able to come to an agreement on this topic in your university as well. I’m prepared to help you select the topic, choose materials, explain the thesis, and so on. As of today we’ve already published all the principal materials in English.

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A question I received (from the German blog): Lieber Rav Leithman, Das Lied welches zum Todestag des Rabash komponiert wurde habe ich gehört und war sehr gerührt, ja ich fühlte eine sehr große Verbundenheit, so, dass es fast schmerzte. Ewald Heinz Feuerstein.

Dear Rav Laitman, I heard a song that was sung on the day of mourning for Rabash, and I was very moved because I felt a very close connection to it, to the point that it was almost painful. Ewald Heinz Feuerstein.

My Answer: I am glad that you came across it. I will post this ancient Kabbalistic melody for you, which we sang during one of our meals:

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A question I received: A new worldview seeking to shift the entire civilization to a new level of consciousness has been published on the site of the national movement “RUSSIA IS US,” in the section “A New Worldview,” on the discussion forum, and other places.

Your thoughts and ideas from different articles published on your Kabbalah Academy websites and the Internet at large, were used in building a foundation for the new worldview. We would greatly appreciate your comments and suggestions.

With deep respect,
Alexey Yurievich Bartunov
Leader of the national movement “RUSSIA IS US”

My Answer: Dear Alexey Yurievich,

I will be very happy to participate in an opportunity to build a better Russia. I have always said that the inner demands of the Russians are close to the Kabbalistic ideas. The search for a national idea, self-expression, self-realization in the world in the capacity of a special enlightening force that draws respect and praise – all this is possible precisely by correctly implementing the idea of unity of all the nations. Russia can come forth as the initiator of an organizational plan for the new humanity. I am completely together with you in this!

Additional Comment: Professor Dov Sadan writes in his book Spiritual Revival that during the revolutionary period in Russia, Baal HaSulam took part in Polish workers’ demonstrations and supported them by carrying a red flag! He explained that what was happening in Russia signified that the masses were coming closer to the ideas of Kabbalah.

Later, after moving to Palestine in 1921, when socialistic changes started taking place in Poland, Baal HaSulam returned to Poland again and tried to get in touch with the leaders of the Polish workers’ movement. He wanted the socialist changes to be implemented correctly.

Unfortunately, people could not hear him. After all, to do this the society should have been able to rise above its egoism and recognize that there is no path other than global unity.

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A question I received: How do you see the future of China in light of the current global crisis?

My Answer: Today China is the most dynamically developing part of the global economy. Nevertheless, although China isn’t losing capital, a slowdown in its development is inevitable.

It appears that the Chinese economy is suffering less than the other economies. After all, China is protected by a powerful political regime, a closed inner market, its own strong currency, a cheap labor force, and a weak connection with the international funds system. Compared to the international recession, China is revealing an opportunity for growth in internal real estate development and consumption.

The Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of China, Wen Jiabao, gave a speech at the closing of the Asia-Europe summit held on October 26, where he stated: “We need reforms that will aid in creating a fair and effective global financial structure.” Unlike any other country, with the exception of the USA, China cares about education in the scientific field. There are 500,000 Chinese students studying outside of China, of whom 200,000 are studying in the USA. It turns out that in the 21st century, the only countries that will be able to successfully develop a technical-scientific base are the USA and China.

However, in order to become a superpower of the 21st century in a multi-polar system of the world order, in order for the Chinese goods to find a market, considering that the country’s economy is built on direct international investments, China will have to consider the need to integrate into the single global civilization. In the future, the system of interactions will have no choice but to change under the influence of nature, and to become harmonious, interconnected, truly integral and global, like a single organism. Incidentally, the ancient Chinese philosophy also sees the world exactly this way!

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Two questions I received on worldwide calamities:

Question: I would like to hear a specific forecast of when and how soon will the worldwide hunger begin affecting us? How many days, weeks, or months do we have left?

My Answer: Unfortunately, the upcoming winter in Eastern Europe will already be difficult. Correspondingly, we have to explain to people that positive forces can only be evoked by our equivalence to nature. These forces’ influence will be felt as a quick improvement of the situation.

Question: In a practical sense, what would Kabbalah have advised Jews to do during the Holocaust?

My Answer: As early as 1920 Baal HaSulam organized 300 families to move to Palestine. However, his plans to evacuate all the Jews of Poland were resented by the Orthodox and they exiled him from Warsaw. Hence he left for Palestine alone, and all those who remained were later burned by the Nazis.

All the Kabbalists of that time called on the Jews to flee Europe. But it’s the same as today: No one listens to us! You don’t think that you are in mortal danger today, do you?

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Filed under: Suffering - No Comments →

Three questions I received on Kabbalah’s attitude to health and healing:

Question: During one of your classes you mentioned that when you weren’t feeling well, your teacher would ask you to study with him. I have a heart problem. Can I come to the Creator and ask for the Light that Reforms to heal my heart during the lesson or during my dissemination activities? And does this work for women?

My Answer: Yes, if it is done along with and in order to achieve the goal of creation.

Question: When I try to unite with other souls and add the intention, my blood pressure drastically raises. Why?

My Answer: Instead of getting tense, you should relax. After all, this action should bring you pleasure, shouldn’t it?

Question: I heard that Baal HaSulam once said to his students, “I don’t care where the sack with my bones will be buried.” I have never visited my parents’ graves since the day they died, about 50 years ago. However, I had a stomach pain that lasted for 10 months, and medicine did not help. I went to an alternative medicine practitioner and he advised me to visit my parents’ graves and ask them for forgiveness. How does this connect with Kabbalah, which says that the physical body is “ashes and dust?”

My Answer: There is no connection, but it may have a good psychological effect and may even heal you, since there is also a psychological aspect to your pain.

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Filed under: Health - 2 Comments →

A question I received: I have a question regarding the society of the future. I came from a state that was a part of former Yugoslavia, which was an artificially established “communist” state. I can still remember the good feelings that everybody had in that society. However, it fell apart and all sorts of nationalistic, ethnic and religious hatred emerged, escalating in a terrible war.

Now, after reading a portion of the material on your website, I find it difficult to understand one of the principles stated in the text of “Building the Future Society,” which contradicts some things from other texts. In “Building the Future Society” it is clearly stated that it is the Jews who should be members of the future altruistic-communistic government, because they suffered most in history and thus are the most experienced and knowledgeable about the best ways of ruling.

In other texts it is also clearly stated that the Creator invites all nations to unite, that the word Israel means “directly to God” rather than current Israeli citizens or Jews. I wonder if there is a sound explanation to this. Can you please clarify this for me as well as for others who are firm believers in the so called “Jewish conspiracy”?

My Answer: Historically it happened that a part of the people from Ancient Babylon have already gone through correction, reached the level of the Temple, and then fell from the spiritual level of “Love thy neighbor as thyself” into our world of “Unfounded hatred.” These people are the carriers of the inner spiritual potential – and you are admitting this very fact with your prejudice to them! They are heading the dissemination of the method of correcting all humanity. This is why they have already gone through this path.

Everyone who joins them are also Israel (Isra–El – those who aspire toward the Creator), and later everyone else will also gradually join the process of correction. This is how the full correction of the common soul of Adam is attained. For more on this, see items 61-71 of the “Introduction to the Book of Zohar.”

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A question I received: Why do I despair that I am so far from the Creator? And why do I feel deep down, that this feeling of isolation is false? I’m scared for my sanity, and it makes me cry.

My Answer: You lack the support of the environment. Or perhaps you have an environment but you are not ready to absorb the force of the society from them. Everything depends on you. Even a virtual connection can hold a person in the correct state.

Despair pushes you away from the Creator, whereas joy draws you closer. Read Shamati article #58, “Joy is a Reflection of Good Deeds.” If a person isn’t happy, then by feeling this way he blames the Creator for creating the world incorrectly and does not justify His actions. He is saying that Creator is bad, and hence he is called a sinner – not for his actions, but for his mood!

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Filed under: Spirituality - 2 Comments →

A question I received: How long will the crisis last?

My Answer: The crisis will continue until people recognize its causes and purposes, and start correcting themselves and the society, bringing it to the correct form as the united, global system that we have become today. There is no way back. We have risen above the level of individual development and have become connected globally. Hence we are obliged to obey the laws of the global system. Today nature is treating us as a single organism, all of whose parts are connected together – and that’s what we have to become. In fact, this is necessary for our survival. However, in the meantime, people do not recognize the true cause of the crisis.

For example:

The Secretary of State of the Vatican: “The cause of financial crisis is the godless economy.”

The President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko: “The cause of the global credit crisis is the corruption that has infiltrated the highest echelons of government in the Western countries. The global financial crisis will give the ruble a chance to become a worldwide currency.”

World Bank: “The cause of the food crisis lies in the production of biological fuel, which has raised food prices by 75%.”

Bloomberg: “The cause of crisis is the rising oil prices.”

The human rights organization “Freedom House”: “The cause of crisis is the lack of human rights.”

There is no way back. If we try to “split up” – to avoid being so globally dependent, then we will push ourselves toward the emergence of Nazi regimes in the developed countries, and as a result, a nuclear world war!

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