Laitman.com » Politics

Spiritual Democracy

admin_bb — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 10:19:08 +0000

A true democracy is a correct division of society into the “head” (leader) and the “body” (nation). The head knows what is better for the body and makes decisions based on this. Equality is when everybody gives to and receives from the society whatever he or she has to. Those who belong to the head shouldn’t have any personal interest (the property of Bina, GE, absolute bestowal, Hafetz Hesed) but should only consider the desires of the body. The head is merely the intentions of how to benefit the body, how to fill it. (Note how opposite it is to our leaders!)

The head has to relate to the body as parents relate to their children. Parents clarify a child’s needs and how to fulfill them for the child’s maximum benefit. The government, too, needs to consider the nation’s desires and aspire to correct and fulfill them.

Exactly like we concern ourselves with giving developmentally beneficial toys to our children, the leaders need to give desirable “toys” to the nation. These toys should serve the ends of the nation’s development program.

So it follows that only the spiritual individuals can be the leaders of a nation. That’s why it is said that those who aspire to the Creator (Isra-El) and possess the property of bestowal can be society’s Head and rule the masses (body) correctly. Thus “Isra-El” also means “Li Rosh” – I am a Head.

From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/19/10, Article “The Freedom”

Forcing President Obama To Peace

bbeditor — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 11:00:16 +0000

A question I received: What do you think about Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize?

My Answer: I view it as “Forcing Obama to peace” – a desire to force upon him special peace politics as is desired by the old and weak governments of Europe.

A Government For The People

bb_admin — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 18:00:08 +0000

A question I received: In the society of the future, if everyone works for everyone’s sake, then all the excess will go to the government treasury. But this means that everyone will be working for the government. So how will this system be any different from the system we have today, which forces everything away from everyone?

My Answer: Society and the government will be one whole, whereas today the government is a means of enriching and giving power to a small part of society.

It’s Up To Us, Not Our Leaders, To Improve The World

bb_admin — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 18:31:37 +0000

A question I received: The G20 leaders, including Obama, Putin and others, will never reach an agreement, except when they begin to be personally affected by the problems in the most physical sense. So, if the Creator wants them to reach an agreement, why doesn’t He make them suffer sufficiently?

My Answer: The government leaders are simply enacted from above to carry out what the people deserve at a given time, and they are not viewed personally by the Upper Governance. This is why the correction must begin and be carried out from below – the people, rather than above – the leaders.

Taking Advantage Of Opportunities Presented To Us

bb_admin — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 03:30:03 +0000

A question I received: Changes are taking place at the White House, a new President has come to power, and the pressure on Israel has increased. This can lead to the intensification of conflicting views in our nation. Maybe we should concentrate our thoughts on this particularly?

My Answer: Politics is unstable and nonlinear; the public’s expectations of political figures very rarely match politicians’ plans; instead, they are aimed at particular goals. It is a complicated matter, which we shouldn’t try to penetrate.

However, it is necessary to understand that, to the extent that the nation of Israel delays carrying out its mission, the pressure on it will increase. We must lead people to understand and feel the need for correction. They must agree to play their role in the spiritual development of all of humanity. The nation of Israel should understand and accept this duty and realize its fault for what is happening.

The pressure on us will grow in order to wake up the nation of Israel. This is precisely what has happened to us over the course of history – starting with the Egyptian pharaoh and on present time. Prophets wrote about this; they said that if we don’t come to realize what responsibility is placed on us, we will need to go through very difficult trials.

The pressure that we experience is nothing more than the states that we have not yet corrected, and although we need to, we have not taken advantage of the opportunities that have been presented to us. To the extent that the pressure increases, we can judge our uncorrected states. However, the states themselves are revealed only to the extent of a person’s development.

The Creator’s Presidential Puppet

bb_admin — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 06:30:06 +0000

A question I received: What is your take on President Obama’s recent speech in Cairo?

My Answer: Such cliché-filled speeches are a hallmark of any leader.
Everyone wants to open a new page, to restart relationships based on common interests, mutual trust and respect. To conduct an open dialogue, everyone needs to have the same rights and opportunities, aspire to peace, and what’s left is for us to do it together, etc., etc.

It’s written in the Bible “The hearts of rulers are in the hands of the Creator” – in other words, all of them are puppets, carrying out His will. Simple people are the ones who have freedom of will, they are the ones that can influence the Creator, and He, through his presidential puppets, changes the world.

The subject of the science of Kabbalah is how to influence the Creator. Up until now we had to develop egoistically. From our time and on, we have to unite together into one society. With such understanding, we must turn to the Creator for help to achieve that – then the world will become peaceful and kind.

The Rotting Russian Empire

bb_admin — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:41:58 +0000

Two questions I received on the current state of the Russian government:

Question: How can the unification of the Russian government and the people of Russia be possible if sufficient resources are not available to sustain the entire population?

My Answer: The government should give the people an explanation of the true system of the world and humanity, about the global system and everyone’s complete interdependence. In addition, it must tell them about humanity’s common goal – our common task as human beings. In addition, they should explain that we can only achieve this together, by following the good path and participating in our own correction by becoming similar to Nature, instead of achieving the state of love and bestowal to one’s neighbor through the path of suffering.

If you address the Russian people with this message, you’ll see that they will understand you better than anyone else. That’s because the Russian people have suffered more than any other people in history.

They are looking for their place in the world among the other nations, and they haven’t found it yet. This is why the Russian people will follow you. However, you have to tell them the truth and stick to it despite all obstacles. Otherwise, the opponents of this idea will destroy you.

An opinion of an international affairs professor at The New School, NYC, “Russia’s Rotting Empire” (excerpts):

The trouble with Russia is that the state develops, but society doesn’t. The structures of democracy today are as underdeveloped as they were under Peter the Great. … The good of the people is sacrificed for the good of the nation. And people themselves are ready to believe that they should be willing to forfeit their freedoms for the sake of the greatness of the state.

With a remarkable consistency, [Russia] insists on defining its global role on its own, as a unique and special nation. Russia under Putin feels it can afford to become confident and assertive, even militant, because it still has to protect itself from the deceitful Western influence that is so eager to bring Russia down.

The “Double Eagle” emblem, the heads facing East and West – originally adopted in Russia around the time of the Byzantine demise – was brought back after 1991 as a state symbol.

To Putin, Moscow remains the “Third Rome” it declared itself to be in 1472. The not-so-subtle idea behind all this nostalgia for Byzantium is that Russia can (and should) exist only in opposition to the West, which hated the Byzantine Empire before and which hates its spiritual heir, Russia, today. However, like Joseph Stalin, Putin believes that Russia can only become a member in the world’s most powerful nations club by using a strong hand. Putin indeed subscribes to the traditional thinking of most Russian rulers: fear equals’, or even trumps’, respect. … “I’m referring to Russia’s intimidation of its sovereign neighbors, its use of oil and gas as a political weapon,” says Condoleezza Rice.

The picture emerging from this pattern of behavior is that of a Russia increasingly authoritarian at home and aggressive abroad,” said Rice. … If Moscow’s anti-Western paranoia continues and the Byzantine fantasy lasts for the next 15 to 25 years, both forces will lead to China, the new global superpower, swallowing whole the Far East and Siberia. A vastly weakened Russia then will lose also the Northern Caucasus and the Volga region to their growing Muslim population, and Kaliningrad will once again become German Königsberg. Russia will lose its 11 time zones and would then no longer have claims to be Greater Russia.

Question: What “sweet world of the past” are you talking about? The world without self determination where autocratic regimes tell us what to do? The world where your future is determined by your birthright as opposed to how hard you work? There has never been a world where so many people have the freedom to choose. Is it perfect? Of course not. We still have to deal with the human factor which, by definition, is imperfect.

My Answer: This is how everyone sees the world today. This is our old, familiar and simple world.

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: Is Capitalism in Russia Realistic Or Necessary?
Laitman.com Post: Who Will Be Most Affected by the Economic Crisis?
Laitman.com Post: Russia May Lead the Way to Global Unity

Israel Now India’s Top Arms Supplier

bb_admin — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 16:03:35 +0000

In the News (from The Jerusalem Post): Israel has overtaken Russia as the main defense supplier to India after breaking the $1 billion mark in new contracts signed annually over the past two years. According to news reports, Russia had averaged sales of $875 million annually to India for the past 40 years.

My Comment: A few days ago Russia was bragging about its record-breaking arms sales in 2008. Now Israel is joining the chorus of those with the record for being barbaric. I’m definitely not proud. Actually, I’m very ashamed!

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: Record Arms Sales Are Nothing to Be Proud Of

Russia Should Be Offered NATO Membership, Joschka Fischer Says

bb_admin — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 18:51:33 +0000

In the News (from Bloomberg): NATO members should consider inviting Russia to join the military alliance as a way to blunt the Kremlin’s challenge to the West, according to former German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer.

My Comment: Drawing closer to one another is always good, as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone, because it’s a step toward the world’s unity and convergence into one whole. This cancels out our opposition to Nature, which will disappear one way or another according to Nature’s plan. However, if we don’t do this on our own, it will happen as a result of lengthy international conflicts and suffering.

If it weren’t for the European Union’s weakness and stupidity, and Russia’s complex of always feeling degraded, which makes it proud and quarrelsome, then there would be hope for a union, which would evoke Nature’s kindness over these countries (according to the law of equivalence to Nature). But unfortunately, they’re like little boys who need a good beating to straighten them out! Otherwise they’ll start spending their last money on “guns before butter,” instead of investing it in social programs. And then we’ll get the beating right along with them, but our beating will be much greater than theirs.

US-Cuba Relations: It’s Better To Give Than To Take

bb_admin — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 11:36:29 +0000

In the News (from Global Issues): “Us-Cuba: Obama Urged to Take Bold Steps Toward Normalisation” A broad spectrum of groups and individuals is urging President Barack Obama to lift curbs on travel and remittances to their homeland by Cuban Americans and launch a much broader process of normalisation with Havana.

In Tuesday’s testimony, Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton said, ‘The President is committed to lifting family travel restrictions and the remittance restriction.’ Clinton also disclosed that the incoming administration planned to conduct a ‘review’ of U.S. policy toward Havana that, among other issues, would include consideration of increasing U.S. agricultural sales to the island, bilateral cooperation on energy and the environment, and whether or not Cuba should be dropped from the State Department’s State Sponsors of Terrorism List.

My Comment: Any steps toward cooperation are consistent with Nature and will merit good results, even if the motives are selfish – and for the time being, how could they not be? For now the discussion is about mutual help and a drawing closer, but later America will understand that it’s better to give than to take (go from Lo Lishma to Lishma).