News Report (from The Independent): “Year of the hungry: 1,000,000,000 afflicted” One billion people will go hungry around the globe next year … despite a second record worldwide harvest in a row. … The main reason has been that high food prices have priced the poor out of the market.

My Comment: As we can see, the problem is not a lack of food, but our inability to distribute it correctly. This is a result of our egoism, which controls us and does not allow us to consider others as we consider ourselves. Similarly, all the problems of our time will show us that they cannot be solved unless we do away with egoism.

There are two ways to correct egoism:

• Through suffering so terrible that one is willing to stop thinking about himself, because thoughts about self make him suffer, or

• Through connecting with others by bonds of love, above one’s egoism, and thereby revealing the joyous fulfillment of the corrected egoism.

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: What’s On the Menu for Summer 2009?

Filed under: Suffering - No Comments →

A question I received: The crisis has uncovered the ideological and political emptiness of the global society. The call of the times is for the active part of humanity (politicians, businessmen, scientists, and artists) to develop a project that will renovate our civilization. The problem is, they lack ideas. Do you believe it’s possible for us to get through to this active part of humanity?

My Answer: What I see is that it is necessary to unite all those who believe that the crisis can be overcome by correcting man. That is to say, that it could be overcome by creating the correct relationships between people, in accordance with the laws of Nature’s single closed system - the system we have found ourselves in after all our development.

It would be best to create an international group - the active part of humanity, which will become the world’s spiritual expert or government. Hence, it is necessary to look for such people.

I kindly ask you to send me materials which, in your opinion, correctly reflect the reason for the crisis or the solution to it.

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: Our Future Security Depends on the Dissemination of the Wisdom of Kabbalah
Lesson on Article “Attaining the Unity of the Universe”

Filed under: Financial Crisis - No Comments →

News Report (from US News & World Report): A team at the Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve University followed 1,000 seniors in three Florida retirement communities for up to 15 years. They found that women with higher levels of anxiety at the start of the study lived longer than others. In contrast to women, men with higher anxiety levels at the start of the study were more likely to die earlier, the researchers said. “Our research indicates that anxiety may have a protective effect on women…,” Dr. Jianping Zhang, of the department of psychiatry and psychology at the Cleveland Clinic, said in a prepared statement. “In contrast, increasing anxiety over time is more detrimental to men.”

My Comment: Well, this just goes to show who’s the stronger sex! And the reason for it all is that a woman is naturally closer to nature; she is Malchut – all of nature. A man, on the other hand, does not have strong roots in our world, because he has to master them through becoming similar to the Creator. Only then will he find his place and become strong - stronger than the woman. So it’s true what they say: Behind every successful man, there is a woman. This is absolutely true in the spiritual sense as well, where one’s “woman” is one’s corrected desire.

Question: What is your view about Hillary Clinton being expected to accept the position of Secretary of State in the Obama administration? A woman is a powerful force; could this be a positive move?

My Answer: In our time, when everyone is feeling empty and revealing the need for correction, perhaps this is best, since women are more cautious and realistic, less ambitious and closer to nature. However, on the whole, this is contrary to our spiritual nature, where a person begins by correcting the “man” within and only afterward - the “woman” within.

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: Men and Women in Kabbalah
Laitman.com Post: Men, Women, and the Soul’s Correction
Laitman.com Post: On the Men and Women Inside Us
Man and Woman: Talk between Rav Michael Laitman and Kabbalah Academy Instructors

Filed under: Women - No Comments →

Questions I received on questions and answers:

Question: I am confused about how you can give one answer to many questions asked by different people. You treat them as if they are robots, and you give everyone the same answer: that they have got it all wrong and that their path will clear up with time. I agree that there is a lot of confusion along the way, but how can you assume this kind of authority? After all, every soul is different from the others, and their paths are also different. Just as there cannot be two identical people, there can’t be one answer for everyone. I think that you have to open up to people a bit more.

My Answer: Man is the desire to enjoy. Everything is determined only by the size and quality (type) of the desire. Generally speaking, everyone develops in the same way – just like it happens with children’s physical development. There is only one Law. And just like with children, the differences are insignificant. The method is the same for everyone, and I was not the one who created it. The Teacher (me) explains the method and the rules of spiritual development; he gives answers and advice, and the student applies them to himself. Through the searching and the confusion, called “the Creator’s concealment,” one seeks the opportunity to reveal the Creator by changing himself.

I understand your complaints about me and about the path, but you will have to accept the conditions of spiritual development - “from darkness to the Light.” Continue reading and you will see why it cannot be different.

Question: Sometimes people ask you simple questions on the blog, but your answers are so complicated that it seems as if you’re not answering the questions directly. Instead the answers always come with broad, lengthy and complicated explanations. Is there a reason for this? I sincerely hope that you will have the courage to post this question.

My Answer: It’s because I’m either unable to give a simpler answer, though I do try, or you don’t understand the depth of the question and the answer.

Question: When I have questions, should I look for the answers only through my study? Or should I ask them and make them public? Or can I combine these two alternatives?

My Answer: By making efforts, you evoke the influence of the Correcting Light (Ohr Makif) upon you. As a result of Its influence, you will start understanding and seeing through the matter of our world.

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: An Invitation to Ascend - the Purpose of This Blog
Laitman.com Post: Try to Answer Your Own Questions
“Attaining the Unity of the Universe” - Lesson of July 7, 2004

 

 What Is Light in Kabbalah? [4:41m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Filed under: Q&A - No Comments →

The year 2008 ended with the financial crisis. But in truth, the crisis began decades ago – in art, science, the family (divorce), education, the general depression, drug abuse, and useless professions. However, like the true egoists that we are, we reacted to it only when it got to our wallets. The crisis was revealed through none other than the relationships we’ve created, which became global. We discovered that we are interconnected and interdependent – and full of hate for each other. When this happens in a family, the couple gets a divorce, but what are we to do? Therein lies the real crisis, and our future depends on its solution.

2009 will be the year when we will realize that we are all one family. People will recognize that their egoistic nature is evil; they will begin to open their eyes and to think differently. This will make it easier to live through the hardships. People will feel that Nature, which created the egoism within us, is forcing us to change. By correcting our relationships, we can accelerate and mitigate the course of the crisis. Suffering and the will to survive will force us to start observing the Biblical commandment of “Love thy neighbor as thyself” - and then he crisis will be replaced by a world that’s good and full of Light. This is what I wish for you in 2009!

Filed under: Financial Crisis - 1 Comment →

News Report (from Safe Haven): Has the bear market run its course? Is a new bull market on the horizon? … just as none of the previous “bottoms” since January were THE bottom, I see no evidence at this time to say that the November bottom has marked THE bottom …we are now dealing with K-wave winter and I want to again remind you of the signs that occur in this season.

• “Bankruptcies Accelerate and High Debt Eliminated by Bankruptcy” - This has obviously begun and is no doubt related to the housing and credit bubbles.
• “Social Upheaval and Society Becomes Negative” - We are only just beginning to see this.
• “Banking System Shaken and New One Introduced” - The banking system is now only beginning to be shaken. There should be much more to come.
• “Free Market System Blamed and Socialist Solutions Offered” - This has not yet happened, but just wait.
• “National Fascist Political Tendencies” - More to come.
• “Debt Level Very Low After Defaults and Bankruptcy” - This has not happened.
• “Trade Conflicts Worsen” - This basically has not happened.
• “View of the Future at a Low Ebb” - This has not happened as everyone seems to be looking for the bottom.
• “New Work Ethics Develop Since Jobs are Scarce” - If I can assure you of one thing, it is that this has not happened.
• “Greed is Purged from the System” - I can absolutely assure you that this has not happened yet.
• “Real Estate Prices Find Bottom” - This has not happened.
• “Investors are Very Conservative and Risk Averse” - Again, this has absolutely not occurred.
• “Interest Rates and Prices Bottom” - Not happened.
• “A New Economy Begins to Emerge” - Has not happened.
• “Stock Markets Reach Bottom and Begin New Bull Markets” - We aren’t there yet and I view any relief rallies from these oversold levels merely as intermission.

My Comment: These are the conclusions of an economist, but a Kabbalist’s conclusions are even more critical: in order for the crisis to end, man must correct it. The crisis is a disease called egoism. In order to overcome it, we have to cure or correct egoism, transforming it to bestowal and love (absolute altruism). We should at least begin correcting it, at least begin to realize the necessity of doing so, or at least be willing to hear about this possibility.  Even if we do just this much, the world will already start shifting from the crisis toward prosperity.

Over the course of the crisis we may encounter periods when it will seem as though the crisis is over, and we will begin to seek new egoistic ascents in various areas of our life. After all, the crisis is multifaceted and envelops all areas of our lives. The media has long been speaking of crises in science, education, family, and so on.

Our situation is similar to the Egyptian plagues, which were followed by periods when it seemed that all the bad things were over, whereas in reality those periods were only a preparation for the next blow. Eventually, Nature will force us to become an integral part of it and to function by the law of optimal consumption and absolute unity, according to the rule, “from each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” However, this won’t be done forcefully, like in the Soviet experiment, but consciously. It is precisely by realizing this that we will reach the bottom of the crisis.

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: How Long Will the Crisis Last?
Laitman.com Post: The Crisis Will Last As Long As Necessary
Laitman.com Post: What Does the Financial Crisis Hold In Store for Us?

Filed under: Financial Crisis - No Comments →

Two questions I received on the after-effects of the financial crisis:

Question: If we don’t attain correction, will the coming blows correspond to creation’s stages of development? We are currently witnessing a financial crisis. Does this mean that the next crisis will happen on the vegetative level, and so on?

My Answer: Certainly, the crises will become more and more intense, qualitatively speaking.

Question: The Top Heavy Corporate Greed is a major contributing factor to the financial problem. How can any business or country operate efficiently when capitalistic greed and ego is the primary driving force? What will happen to these individuals when they can no longer receive their Million Dollar per year salaries and yet they’ll try to continue with that life style?

My Answer: They will realize that they were never really fulfilled, but only had the illusion of fulfillment. They will then turn to the Source of the true, eternal and perfect fulfillment, first out of necessity, driven by suffering, and afterwards – through sensing harmony and infinite delight.

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: The Little Prince Explains the Financial Crisis
Laitman.com Post: The Crisis Will Last As Long As Necessary

Filed under: Financial Crisis - No Comments →

My blog is now available in Chinese. It is called “Kabbalah, Science and the Meaning of Life”:

卡巴拉、科学和生命意义―――迈克尔•莱特曼博客

There are only a few dozen people currently studying with the International Academy of Kabbalah in Chinese, because many of our Chinese students reside in North America and study in English. However, we hope that with the release of my new book in Chinese as well as this blog, we will find many new friends.

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: A New Site In Chinese - Just In Time for the Olympics
Laitman.com Post: Kabbalah News Around the World

Filed under: Notices - No Comments →

This is a poster from a book expo in America, showing the book From Chaos to Harmony and many other of our books in English:

Related Material:
Kabbalah Bookstore

Filed under: Books - No Comments →

24 hours a day, 7 days a week – free of charge, watch diverse programs about Kabbalah for the whole family that evoke the Upper Light of correction on a person.

Filed under: Television - No Comments →