"What is Kabbalah"

“What is Kabbalah?” Video Transcript:

Kabbalah is a method of attaining the spiritual world.
By engaging in it,
we develop an additional sense.
With the aid of this sense,
we create a connection with the Upper Worlds -
the system of forces guiding the reality we experience.

I study myself,
what my nature is,
what I can change in myself.

Step after step,stage after stage…
there’s nothing closer to me than this.
It’s not a study of something I have to do externally,
under external conditions.

All the experiments are conducted internally,
within me,
inside me.

Therefore,
Kabbalah is called “the hidden wisdom.”
Using it as a means,
I undergo inner transformations that only I know and feel.
They’re hidden from other peoples’ eyes.

Kabbalah speaks of what we still have not succeeded to perceive,
because it’s what we have no control over.
We can perceive what we don’t yet perceive,
only through true attainment in mind and feelings,
in our thoughts and in our desires,
and not out of theories and assumptions.

Kabbalah does not engage in visions and imagination,
nor is it mysticism or a new-age trend,
rather it’s a method by which a person can attain a higher awareness,
and attain spirituality.

This goal is reachable,
possible,
and essential for everyone.

If you have a desire for spirituality,
and you want something more than this life,
then you can,
with the wisdom of Kabbalah,
with this divine wisdom,
develop this desire,
and begin to feel spirituality within it.

Visit Bnei Baruch’s “What is Kabbalah?” page
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Soul Splitting

Soul Splitting
July 12, 2007 at 11:55 pm · Filed under Evolution, Articles, Kabbalah Today
Soul Splittingarticle in Kabbalah Today issue 5
Click here for the full article
Each of us is a piece in a puzzle that was once a single common soul. That soul was shattered into 7 billion pieces and now it is time for correction—to regroup the pieces.
In the Kingdom of DesireKabbalists tell us that we all come from one soul, called “the soul of Adam ha Rishon” (The First Man), which was created by the Creator. They also explain that the Creator’s nature is that of complete love and benevolence, and that He created the soul of Adam ha Rishon with an entirely opposite nature: a desire to receive delight and pleasure.
The task of the soul of Adam ha Rishon is to become similar to the nature of the Creator, becoming as loving and giving as Him. To the extent that the soul succeeds, it will be awarded the greatest pleasure in reality. more…
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Kabbalah and Philosophy

Kabbalah and Philosophy
July 15, 2007 at 8:18 am · Filed under Philosophy, Lectures, Perception of Reality, Daily Lessons, Uncategorized

From Today’s Daily Lesson
What is Spirituality?
Philosophy has gone through a great deal of trouble to prove that corporeality is the offspring of spirituality and that the soul begets the body. Still, their words are not acceptable to the heart in any manner. Their primary mistake is their erroneous perception of spirituality, that spirituality fathered corporeality, which is certainly a fib.
Opening paragraph from Baal HaSulam’s “The Wisdom of Kabbalah and Philosophy.”
Today’s daily lesson featured Baal HaSulam’s article “The Wisdom of Kabbalah and Philosophy” with commentary by Rav Michael Laitman, PhD, and with an onslaught of questions by the students of Bnei Baruch.
The lessons will be continuing daily at 10pm EST on Kabbalah TV, and will be available in the Kabbalah Media Archive.
Download the full lesson: wmv video mp3 audio
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VIDEO: To Be Happy with Everything (and Not Less)

VIDEO: To Be Happy with Everything (and Not Less)
July 18, 2007 at 10:17 am · Filed under Happiness, Video
To Be Happy with Everything (and Not Less) 02:48
To be happy, do we need to suppress or fulfill our desires? Rav Michael Laitman, PhD, in an interview with European MTV host Eden Harel, talks about increasing our ego so that it expands to contain the entire universe, and not just our small world of desires for money, honor, power, pride and (limited) knowledge.
Click here to view the video at Kabbalah TV
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Blocking the Hole in the Boat

Blocking the Hole in the Boat
July 19, 2007 at 7:40 am · Filed under Altruism, Thought of the Week, Quotes

What you do affects the whole, and vice versa. A Kabbalah story from Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai perfectly brings home the point. One of several people in a boat suddenly began to drill a hole in the bottom. His friend asked, “Why are you drilling?” the person drilling replied, “What business is it of yours? I am drilling under me, not under you.”
Because all humankind is connected into one system, the irresponsible egoists subject themselves and all the others to suffering. It is the transformation activated by Kabbalah that makes us see the irresponsible egoists in ourselves and transform them into responsible adults, altruists in Kabbalistic terms. more…
p. 260, chapter “Cure Me,” part “Kabbalah in Today’s World,” in The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Kabbalah by Rav Michael Laitman, PhD with Collin Canright.
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Kabbalistic Terminology: "Messiah"

Kabbalistic Terminology: “Messiah”
July 20, 2007 at 5:49 am · Filed under Kabbalistic Terminology, Definitions
Messiah (Moshiach, Heb.) n.
The messiah is a spiritual force. It is the Light that penetrates self-aimed human desires to correct them so that they become altruistic, that is to say, identical to those of the Creator. In our world all spiritual forces are manifested in material garments.
For example Rabbi Shimon, the Ari and Yehuda Ashlag (Baal HaSulam) represent a spiritual force radiating the Light of correction. This force appears in our world as a man, a Kabbalist, a professor, a book author. Therefore, the Messiah is a guide who becomes progressively accepted by humanity. Humanity will follow the path pointed by the Messiah because evil and suffering will be felt by all, and there will be no other way out. People stand on a level where they cannot imagine the coming of the Messiah as a Light but only as a human leader. But for Kabbalists, the Messiah is the spiritual force of correction (in the image of the world of AB SAG).
Rav Michael Laitman, PhD in “Selected Topics in Kabbalah“
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Life - whose it it?

Life - whose is it?
Column: Kabbalah.info
Rav Michael Laitman ReligionAndSpirituality.com
July 9, 2007
Millions of people are starving in Third World countries, and billions others don't have enough to eat or even clean drinking water. Their lives are so much harder than Westerners' lives that it's a wonder that they even endure. In the West, people don't suffer from such problems: They are generally healthy, generally wealthy, and their futures are (generally) secured. But Westerners have their own problems, the first of which is depression. Despite the high standard of living, depression is the fastest spreading illness in the West. According to an official brochure by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): "Depressive disorders make one feel exhausted, worthless, helpless, and hopeless. Such negative thoughts and feelings make some people feel like giving up." Indeed, the startling suicide rates all over the Western world prove that more and more people are giving up, although they seemingly have everything. If we compared the lives of Westerners to the lives of those living in Third World countries, we'd expect the contrary: that those in the West would try to make the most out of the opportunities they have, and that those in poorer countries would be in despair. Isn't it strange that once we have everything, we throw it all away, including our lives? Whose life is my life? To understand this apparent paradox, we need a broader perspective. The fact of the matter is that today, as the seven-continent-wide show Live Earth so beautifully demonstrated, we are all interdependent. To save our own lives, and the lives of our children, we need to cooperate. However, we will not want to cooperate unless we know what for. We need to understand the reason we exist, the meaning of our lives, and from that derive motivation for positive global action. According to the wisdom of Kabbalah, our interdependency stems from the "oneness" concept, from the fact that we are not only interdependent, but are all one entity. Our faces may seem different, but underneath our skins we are quite similar. If we hadn't been similar, modern medicine would not be possible. The deeper you dive into matter, the more similar the elements become. Thus, if you analyze the particles that make up each atom, you'll find only two basic elements — the nucleus and the electrons surrounding it. The most basic building blocks of life, all of life, are the same. And they are not only the same, but materials constantly exchange elements, electrons, which brings contemporary physicists to state that at the most fundamental level of nature, we are all literally one. If we comprehend that, we will see that understanding the meaning of our lives, as well as achieving well-being, is not so much a question of what I do for me, but more of how I interact with the whole world and for all of humanity. The meaning of life The oneness concept was first discovered by ancient Kabbalists some 5,000 years ago, but is today a proven scientific fact. This concept tells us that life's purpose is not a personal thing; it is a comprehensive, "panoramic" perception of all that exists. According to the wisdom of Kabbalah, only when we transcend our selves, our egos, do we achieve life's meaning, since only then do we see the "big picture," that is, our own place in the comprehensive picture of creation. It is only then that we understand why we are born and what we need to do in this life. To understand the meaning of life, we need to achieve such a sensation of the universe that there will be no difference between life and death, and existence as physical entities or spiritual entities. If we could freely live in all dimensions, earthly and spiritual, and not just in our present perception, we would know that we truly are eternal. In such a state of mind, one's own life becomes as meaningful as another's. There can be no animosity among people, because all people are one. Rivalry would be tantamount to a kidney trying to dominate the liver. In such a state of existence, each person becomes God-like, fully responsible for the whole of reality, and fully aware of everything that is happening within it, at any place and at any time. Indeed, Kabbalah states that life's meaning lies in its purpose — to make all creations be like God — eternal, omnipotent and omniscient. Kabbalists call it "equivalence of form." This is the real Live Earth show. — — — Rav Michael Laitman, Ph.D. in philosophy and M.Sc. in biocybernetics, is founder and president of Bnei Baruch — Kabbalah Education and Research Institute in Tel Aviv — and the author of 30 books on the subject. His daily lessons are aired live on global television and the Internet. He has an extensive website on Kabbalah and his email address is laitman@kabbalah.info. © copyright 2007 by Michael Laitman.
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Happiness Pursuit

Happiness Pursuit
July 4, 2007 at 11:41 am · Filed under Articles, Perception of Reality, World Peace, Evolution, Humanity, Happiness
Everyone’s Pursuit of HappinessAn article linking themes from the film The Pursuit of Happyness to everyone’s life.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with inherent and inalienable rights; that among these, are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
Thomas Jefferson, final draft for the United States Declaration of Independence.
“The idea that it’s ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,’ and not ‘life, liberty and happiness’ is that the elusive nature of happiness is such that all someone can ever give to you is the opportunity to pursue.”
Will Smith on Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness (taken from The Pursuit of Happyness official site)
The Pursuit of Happiness
The Pursuit of Happyness is a film about Chris Gardner (played by Will Smith), a man who in unfortunate circumstances (homeless and financially insecure) struggled to earn financial and domestic stability for himself and his son. The Pursuit of Happyness has been received warmly by the American public as an inspirational tale of determination, courage and hard work (i.e. the pursuit of happiness), that by using these qualities one can achieve a better life (i.e. achieve happiness).
“Happiness” is portrayed in this film as a better state than what we already have, and “the pursuit of happiness” is the path we must endure to achieve happiness. In particular, Chris Gardner defines happiness as a state of financial and domestic stability for himself and his son. We can all relate to this goal, especially if we already have these comforts, and look upon being homeless as a lesser standard of life that must be overcome.
The Problem with the Pursuit of Happiness
A major problem with us today is that many of us already have these comforts, but still aren’t happy. We have our security, and simply living securely isn’t good enough and we want more.
Ironically, if Chris Gardner were already living securely, with a comfortable home, good job and family, and strove to make more money for a bigger house and a flashier car, and then if he continued fiercely striving for more power and respect, we would no longer consider this an inspiring story of determination and courage, but one of ambitiousness and greed.
Such a story is more characteristic of The Godfather than The Pursuit of Happyness! However, in both cases and in every area of human life, we can conclude that everyone is involved in this very same aspiration to a better state of life, in the pursuit of happiness.
What is at the Source of the Pursuit of Happiness?
This common pursuit of happiness is that we all view our current situation as lacking something, and need to work (we need to pursue…) in order to fulfill this lack (we need to pursue happiness). Right now, take a moment to think about what you want. Just by thinking about it, you’re already feeling that you are lacking this thing and you need to do something to achieve it.
This brings us to the question: What is at the source of this pursuit of happiness? What makes us happy?
That one person pictures to himself a secure family life as happiness, and another pictures love for another person as happiness, and another pictures a huge amount of wealth and power as happiness, and for another it’s a new dress, CD, car or gadget… to all this we can pose a conclusion: that it is not the money, the respect, the power, the food, or anything that we picture to ourselves that makes us happy… that before all these things, we have desires for them—we want them—and only the moment when we fulfill our desires is when we feel happiness.
Now that we understand that it is not money, food, family, sex, knowledge, honor, power or any physical thing we can picture to ourselves that makes us happy, but the act of fulfilling our desires, we can start learning how to also take part in this pursuit of happiness, directly at its source—desire and its fulfillment.
Where am I and Where are Others in the Pursuit of Happiness?
The thing with all these desires is that none of them leave us with a true feeling of happiness. Why? It is because precisely at the moment when we fulfill them, they disappear. New desires then enter us and force us to pursue their demands. It is as if we are constantly in the pursuit of happiness, and we either never reach happiness, or the moment we do, it immediately slips through our fingers.
The reason for this is because the whole time we are only trying to fulfill one person—me. In other words, our desires are all self-aimed, and can never be lastingly fulfilled. However, we constantly find ourselves yearning toward something better, something lasting and eternal, and feel that somehow, somewhere, it has to exist.
The trick to achieving true happiness is precisely the opposite of what we’re accustomed to thinking: we cannot achieve true happiness by trying to fulfill our own desires, but only through pursuing the fulfillment of others’ desires. In other words, we need to feel that the more others are happy, the more we are happy. We need a desire that grows and expands when it is fulfilled, drawing more and more fulfillment, and through this desire I feel happiness from making others happy. This is a desire for unlimited, endless happiness. We all have this desire, but we just don’t know how to fulfill it yet; we don’t know how to pursue it.
If we return to what Will Smith said at the beginning of the article, that “the elusive nature of happiness is such that all someone can ever give to you is the opportunity to pursue”—the wisdom of Kabbalah is the method which gives us the opportunity to achieve unlimited happiness. It is a time-tested method of discovering happiness fulfilling others, and guides us in learning how precisely to fulfill others so that they will become happier and happier. Our happiness then multiplies by the amount that we are able to fulfill others and make them happier.
To find out more about this desire for unlimited happiness and how to fulfill it, check out the following videos and links:
Why Am I Never Satisfied? 04:37Our inborn egoistic state never allows us to be completely satisfied. Perceiving Reality describes what we should do with our ego in order to experience boundless, complete and ever-expanding satisfaction.Click here to view the video at Kabbalah TV

Youth Suicide and Depression is only cured by the Correct Education

Youth Suicide and Depression is only cured by the Correct Education
June 26, 2007 at 11:07 pm · Filed under Articles, Suicide, Depression, Education
Millions of young people suffer from suicidal tendencies, depression and drug addiction because they’re hopeless. A medicine cabinet filled with anti-depressants isn’t going to help; they need real answers.
by Rav Michael Laitman, PhD
According to the World Health Organization, someone around the globe commits suicide every 40 seconds. In the year 2000 (a long time ago, but things have only worsened since), 815,000 people lost their lives to suicide — more than double the number of people who die as a direct result of armed conflict every year (306,600). For people between the ages of 15 and 44, suicide is the fourth leading cause of death and the sixth leading cause of disability and infirmity worldwide. Also, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, “Combined 2004 and 2005 data indicate that 8.88 percent of youths aged 12 to 17 and 7.65 percent of adults aged 18 or older experienced at least one major depressive episode (MDE) in the past year.”
Millions of people the world over, and especially the younger generation, are committing suicide or suffering from suicidal tendencies, depression, drug addiction and violence because they’re hopeless. They have real questions and they need real answers, and there is no one to provide them with answers except us — the parents.
In his book “Man’s Search for Meaning,” Viktor Frankl quotes Friedrich Nietzsche as saying that “He who has a strong enough why can bear almost any how.” more…
Click here to read the full article

New Kabbalistic Texts for Download

New Kabbalistic Texts for Download
June 27, 2007 at 10:47 pm · Filed under Articles, Shamati, Altruism, World Peace, Lectures
Altruism is Life’s Principle - The evolution of desires from our egoistic foundation in this world to our altruistic destiny in the Upper World. Rav Michael Laitman, PhD, commentates (with Q&A) on his article “Crisis and Resolution,” prepared for the 4th World Spirit Forum, January 2006. Peace in the World - Correction of the individual and the correction of the whole of humanity are discussed with the aim of actualizing world peace in the soonest time possible. Commentary by Rav Michael Laitman, PhD on Baal HaSulam’s article “Peace in the World.” Q&A with BB USA Students - Rav Laitman answers question from BB students digging into how to cross the barrier between this world and the spiritual world, determining truth against falseness, the role of mistakes in the spiritual work, what it means to achieve the level of “love thy neighbor as thyself,” dealing with Klipot (shells) in the correction process, and other inner-work-related questions. What Does It Mean that the Creator Hates the Bodies in the Work? - Fighting the will to receive and the inner war on desire in the spiritual work is discussed by Rav Michael Laitman, PhD in this 3rd commentary on Baal HaSulam’s 19th Shamati article. Lishma - An investigation on what it means to work in Lishma (i.e. for the sake of the Creator), and advice on how to attain this spiritual degree. Rav Michael Laitman, PhD teaches based on Baal HaSulam’s 20th Shamati article. The Profit of a Land - The work of attaining the Creator’s nature - bestowal - through the discovery of the creature’s opposite nature - reception - and the request for its correction. Commentary by Rav Michael Laitman, PhD on Baal HaSulam’s 34th Shamati article. The Fear of God is His Treasure - The work of cancelling oneself before the Creator and the obstacle of pride in the spiritual work, with advice for how to correct its use. Commentary by Rav Michael Laitman, PhD on Baal HaSulam’s 38th Shamati article. Love for the Creator, Love for the Created Beings - Creation’s final state of the reconnected soul of Adam ha Rishon, bonded in eternal adhesion with the Creator, with the quality of absolute, unconditional love as the quality needed for the attainment of this state. Commentary by Rav Michael Laitman, PhD on the article “Love for the Creator, Love for the Created Beings” by Baal HaSulam.
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Between Man and Woman

Between Man and Woman
July 2, 2007 at 9:41 am · Filed under Love, Gender
If you look at the spiritual roots of man and woman, you will find it amazing that we can even see each other, much less communicate. So what can we do? Just that - communicate, but do it right, for a change.
In the film What Women Want, Nick Marshall (Mel Gibson) is a chauvinistic womanizer who suddenly, by an unusual accident, gains a unique ability: to “hear” women’s thoughts. As a result, Nick becomes a man who can fulfill women’s wishes even before they ask him to. In the hands of a womanizer, this “talent” will more than likely be misused; but what man would not like to know women’s thoughts so he could (finally) understand them, and what woman would not like her man to fulfill her wishes before she even asks?
So how come men and women are so different? Biologically, the only difference between the sexes is a single chromosome. Can such a tiny difference explain such a chasm? And even if it can, is there a difference for such a difference in the personalities and modes of thoughts between men and women? Couldn’t the physical difference suffice for the continuation of the species? Why can’t we understand each other if we are meant to raise our offspring together? Wouldn’t it make more sense if nature made us understand each other’s needs? more…
Click here to read the full article
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The Purpose of Egoism

Interview between Rav Michael Laitman, PhD and Vladimir Molchanov
June 30, 2007 at 11:22 pm · Filed under Perception of Reality, Society, What is Kabbalah?, Disclosure of Kabbalah, Anti-Semitism, Interviews

Journalist and anchorman Vladimir Molchanov interviews Rav Michael Laitman, PhD on the purpose of egoism, the situation with Israel in relation to its neighboring Muslim countries, the restoration of Nazi regimes, the behavior and practise of religious leaders, the increase of hatred, Kabbalah as a supranational concept, how Rav Laitman began studying Kabbalah, the laws of nature, the use of science in the world and its relation to Kabbalah, the spiritual root of political unacceptance of drug legalization, Kabbalah’s view on new-age gurus and movements, Zephath as a Kabbalistic center, Kabbalah’s view on amulets and icons as symbols of faith, the upbringing and education of children, the reason for Kabbalah’s widespread dissemination today and the sixth sense.
Click here to read full interview
This is a section of the interview, on the laws of nature:
V. Molchanov: You claim that there exist objective laws of society, and no one, including Bush or Stalin, can do anything. What are these laws? Are the millions of people who were destroyed by Stalin and Hitler a consequence of these objective laws? Do they fall into these laws?
Rav Laitman: Unfortunately, yes. If we talk about laws, we need to part from our feelings. We just need to learn what happens with the forces that influence our world.
The picture is the following: a single, all-encompassing and absolutely altruistic force directing humanity toward equivalence with it. Like any physical force, it performs actions without taking our feelings into account. This is the state we are in.
You are talking about a kind God, feelings, and the fact that He takes care of His creatures. There is no such thing. Objective laws of nature are described in Kabbalistic sources, as well as in my books and our translations, which are all recitations of old books. A scientific description of Kabbalistic knowledge was first done in the times of ancient Babylon, when Sefer Yetzira (The Book of Creation) was written. This whole conception, the whole scheme of Upper governance, is already described there.
If we look at what is happening to us from aside, not like creatures that experience various feelings and suffering, we will see that it is the influence of forces. And they will continue to lead us further ahead in this manner. If we don’t come to understand them, and if we don’t begin to know precisely how to act, like in physics or chemistry, how to implement and realize these laws with a benefit to us, we will continue to suffer further. more…
Click here to read full interview
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MUSIC: Ki Halatzta Nafshi

MUSIC: Ki Halatzta Nafshi
June 15, 2007 at 6:23 am · Filed under Music
Listen to the quartet version for violin, bassoon, guitar and piano by clicking on the Flash player’s button below:
Ki Halatzta Nafshia song by Baal HaSulam
1. Download Instrumental Version2. Download Version Performed by the band “Bnei Baruch”3. Download Quartet Version for violin, bassoon, guitar and piano.
The melody to this song was composed by Rabbi Baruch Shalom HaLevi Ashlag (Rabash).
Perhaps this melody seems sad, but the truth is that it is not sad, it is tender, and it expresses the feeling of someone who entered the property of Bina - bestowal, the properties of the Creator - where there are no cries and everything rests in peace. Rabash expresses the entering into this state through this melody, when he undoubtedly sees that all of his Kelim, his entire soul, all of his desires submit to this Upper Force and begin to reign in it.
It is a short song that sings about serene peace, about a man entering the Upper Force and staying there in the state of absolute, eternal rest.
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What is God?

What is God?
June 17, 2007 at 1:26 pm · Filed under Articles, Interviews
Bestselling novelist Edward Topol interviews Rav Laitman on topics ranging “What is God?”, the Bible code, smoking, human evolution, judgment, body and soul, freedom of choice, and Rav Laitman’s personal life. The following is a section from the interview:
What is God?
Edward Topol: I’ll tell you honestly. I’m not at all prepared. You are on one level and I’m somewhere there. My questions are simple, from the very first lower level.What is God?
Rav Laitman: The general law of the universe which surrounds us, and in relation to us reveals itself as absolute and total love, is called “God.” This is felt on all of the inanimate, animal, and vegetative levels in the capacity of the universe. We don’t feel this because our nature is opposite to that of the Creator.
The Creator is the quality of bestowal, the quality of love, a totally altruistic quality which surrounds us. This quality is invariable and constant, like the tremendous love of a mother towards her child. The child feels it to the degree of either its corruption or its correction. This is the relationship we are in with the Creator.
In Hebrew, the Creator and nature are described by the same word Elokim, the same word. The Creator and nature are one. There isn’t anything outside of our surrounding nature, the nature we perceive as well as the part of nature which we don’t perceive. There are higher layers of nature which are concealed from us, but are still within our scope. All of them together are called “nature” or “Creator.”
Edward Topol: If the Creator is love, if the Creator is something that surrounds us, then why do I have to move towards Him? He’s already right here, inside of me, and around me. Why do I need to study Kabbalah or other methods of attaining or comprehending the Creator? more…
Download the full interview (ms word format)
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The Spiritual Teacher in Kabbalah

The Spiritual Teacher in Kabbalah
June 18, 2007 at 10:02 am · Filed under Video, Q&A
The Spiritual Teacher in Kabbalah 03:08The role of a spiritual teacher in Kabbalah is to draw everyone to the Creator, not to himself, and Kabbalists say that eventually, everyone will be in adhesion with the Creator. Rav Michael Laitman, PhD discusses the role of a Kabbalist teacher and spiritual attainment with European MTV host Eden Harel.
Click here to view the video at Kabbalah TV
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"Fighting Terror the Right Way"

Fighting Terror the Right Way
June 19, 2007 at 3:51 am · Filed under Articles, Altruism, Terrorism
From the Kabbalistic perspective, terrorists are the headache that makes us go to the doctor for treatment. If we don’t go, we will have to go when it’s a migraine.
Fighting terror the right way is an oxymoron: You can’t fight terror, so there is no way of doing it “right.” Why is it impossible? Because terrorism is here for a purpose. Hence, whenever the victims find new ways to defend against it, terrorists will find new ways to terrorize, murder and generally wreak havoc, disorder and fear.
The purpose of terrorism is no different from the purpose of every “evil” element in our world: to force us away from complacency when we are inclined to be idle, and to force us to re-examine our situation. If you look at the world from the Kabbalistic perspective, the whole of humanity is one system, and terrorists are the headache that makes us go to the doctor for treatment. If we don’t go when it’s a mild headache, we will have to go when it’s a migraine.
As is confirmed by science, and has been known to Kabbalists for millennia, the universe is a single, interdependent system, whose well-being depends on constant reciprocity among its elements. These interdependency and reciprocity are sustained by the system’s care for each of its elements, while each element devotes itself to the well-being of the system. Thus, the rule “All for one and one for all” is the mechanism that sustains everything, including life on Earth.
However, humankind is the only species that can choose to act contrary to nature’s law of reciprocity. People can choose to care for others, or for themselves. By choosing to care for ourselves, we place ourselves in total opposition to the modus operandi of the whole of nature, and thus invert the law to “All against one and one against all.” Conversely, by choosing to care for others, we are automatically in sync with the reciprocity law. It is our choice whether or not to act like the whole of nature, but there is really no one to blame but us if our choice to be opposite from nature makes us unhappy.
All this does not mean that terrorists are good-hearted people who are trying to make us see the truth. It means that wanting to work only for ourselves will eventually cause — at least some of us — to justify doing whatever we feel like, as long as it pleases us. From a self-centered perspective, it is perfectly justified to drop an atom bomb on America if I don’t like its president, put a bullet through my neighbor’s chest if his dog poops on my lawn, or murder dozens of innocent college kids because I got up on the wrong foot today. But will this make anyone happy, even the wrongdoer?
To be happy, we need to be synchronized with nature. There are several benefits to that:1) Nature itself will support us, instead of going against us, as it is doing now.2) Humankind, like the whole of nature, will work to guarantee the well-being of every person on every level — physical, emotional, and spiritual.
In this spirit, Kabbalist Rav Yehuda Ashlag (Baal HaSulam) wrote in his article “Peace in the World“: “First, everyone must thoroughly understand and explain to his surroundings that the well-being of society, which is the well-being of the state, and the well-being of the world are completely interdependent. As long as the laws of society are not satisfactory to each and every individual in the state, and leave an unsatisfied minority from the government of the state, this minority … will seek to overthrow it.”
Thus, well-being of the individual, well-being of the state and well-being of the world are all interdependent. Only if we all decide to work together to achieve the kind of society that Baal HaSulam describes, will we succeed.
3) If we choose to behave as does the whole of nature, and dedicate ourselves to our fellow person, we will become similar to nature’s law itself. That is, we will be working in the same way as nature — in reciprocity and interdependency, veering away from self-centeredness. This will grant us much more than a comfortable life: Because this modus operandi will stem from our own choice, we will also have the knowledge that begets that mode, the knowledge of the whole of nature, the Creator of the universe. After all, in Gimatria (the numerology of Kabbalah), Elokim (God) and “The Nature” are the same.
Click here to read the article at kabbalah.info
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Social Unity - Humanity's Basis for Happiness

Social Unity - Humanity’s Basis for Happiness
June 2, 2007 at 7:59 pm · Filed under Quotes, Thought of the Week
Quote from Baal HaSulam:“Every basis for physical success is the measure of the unity of society, and the basis for the success of intelligence and knowledge, is the separation and disagreement among them.
It therefore turns out, that when mankind succeeds in the matter of success of the bodies, meaning by bringing them to the degree of complete love for the fellow man, all the bodies in the world will unite into a single body and a single heart. And only then will all the happiness intended for humanity will be revealed in all its glory.”
Baal HaSulam, in “The Freedom.”
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Baal HaSulam's Intention for Writing "Talmud Eser Sefirot"

Baal HaSulam’s Intention for Writing “Talmud Eser Sefirot”
June 3, 2007 at 2:17 pm · Filed under Definitions, Daily Lessons, Talmud Eser Sefirot
From Today’s Daily Lesson:
Student: It’s unclear how the Partzufim of BYA receive the Light of Hochma. Baal HaSulam doesn’t explain it.
Rav Laitman: That’s right. Baal HaSulam doesn’t explain it nor does he intend to. This is the problem: We think that Talmud Eser Sefirot (The Study of the Ten Sefirot) is an explanation of the Ari (Rabbi Isaac Luria).
Baal HaSulam doesn’t explain the Ari at all. He wants to direct us in how to study the Ari to reach the goal: to correct ourselves and then to discover what the Ari discusses in our Kelim (vessels/tools/receptacles), because you will never know otherwise.
It is literally impossible to bring you a picture of what is happening in the world of Atzilut. If he does explain, sometimes, that some things happen somehow by different technical actions, he also doesn’t intend to give a technical explanation so that you will learn that the will to receive and the will to bestow need to be in mutual bestowal to one another, that the Upper Light will correct the will to receive, and so on and so forth.
Why would he explain spirituality? It’s impossible to depict. At the end of it all, Baal HaSulam strives so that you will direct yourself toward revelation by the explanation. This is his entire hope; that you will reach him by your own corrections, and then you’ll discover what is being discussed.
If your Kli (vessel/tool/receptacle) is not on a degree that is written here, in the same state as the world of Beria, Yetzira or Atzilut, then you won’t understand what is written, in each and every sentence. So you have to be brought. His entire trouble is to bring you there. Not to simply “blah blah” talk about it. It’s not a world where I can tell you about a certain state, a certain place and you depict it and imagine it to yourself…
This is how it is in our world, however, in the spiritual world you’re incapable of imagining it. It’s the opposite; it’s not worthwhile for you to imagine it, because all these imaginations give you satisfaction. Therefore, he has completely no intention of bringing you any knowledge—only Ohr Makif (Surrounding Light), as he mentions in item 155 of “Introduction to Talmud Eser Sefirot.”
Rav Michael Laitman, PhD in the lesson on Talmud Eser Sefirot (The Study of the Ten Sefirot), Volume 6, Part 16, item 107: wmv video mp3 audio (55 min)
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A Trail Of Anti-Semitism

A Trail of Anti-Semitism
June 4, 2007 at 8:13 pm · Filed under Articles, World Peace, Anti-Semitism
Israeli Social Affairs Minister Isaac Herzog was quoted as saying, “There is a long trail of anti-Semitism in Europe.” Kabbalah says we must look inside for the reason.Click here to read full article
According to the wisdom of Kabbalah, anti-Semitism will continue to spread and intensify until Jews fulfill their reason for being in this world: to learn how to love their neighbors as themselves, as taught by Rabbi Akiva, and then pass this teaching on to the rest of the world.
Click here to read full article
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The Omnipotent Wizard Who Could Not Be Alone

AUDIO: The Omnipotent Wizard Who Could Not Be Alone
May 25, 2007 at 9:05 am · Filed under Audio, Kabbalistic Stories
Listen by clicking on the Flash player’s button below:
The Omnipotent Wizard Who Could Not Be Alone: A Tale for Grownups is Rav Laitman’s story about a wizard who created all life and a person within it, and a person’s search for happiness within the world the wizard created.
Click here to read the storyClick here to download the audio file (mp3)
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"The Complete Idiot's Guide to Kabbalah"

New Book - “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Kabbalah”
May 17, 2007 at 8:10 pm · Filed under Notices, Books, News

You’re no idiot, of course. You know that Kabbalah is more than a celebrity fad or a red string bracelet. Its philosophies encourage us to look beyond the tangible for purpose and enlightenment.
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Kabbalah will show you exactly how to embrace these ancient teachings - and make them a part of your daily life. In this Complete Idiot’s Guide, you get:- The facts - and fallacies - about Kabbalah.- Enlightening advice on how to read the Bible or Torah from a Kabbalah point of view.- Down-to-earth guidance on how to incorporate the essence of Kabbalah into everyday life.- The story of creation according to Kabbalah.
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Kabbalah is Rav Michael Laitman’s first book written in English as an original language. Together with writer Collin Canright, this author duo produced a book rich with analogies, examples and alerts to explain this most ancient wisdom in the simplest way possible to the Western world.
Click here to pre-order your copy today!
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How Can I Control My Thoughts?

Thoughts are not the self of the person; desire is. In this video, Perceiving Reality dissolves the question "How Can I Control My Thoughts?" into "How Can I Change What I Desire?"



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Where is Humanity Headed?

Michael Laitman, PhD gives a public lecture in Toronto on where humanity is headed using the ancient wisdom of Kabbalah to define the stages of humanity's evolution (including the ones we haven't yet reached).



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There is None Else Beside Him

AUDIO: There is None Else Beside Him
May 6, 2007 at 1:56 pm · Filed under Articles, Shamati, Audio
Listen by clicking on the Flash player’s button below:
Baal HaSulam’s Shamati article #1 “There is None Else Beside Him” encapsulates the entire methodology of Kabbalah.
As well as reading this article, you now also have the opportunity tolisten to this article intertwined with the music of Baal HaSulam, and let it guide your exploration into your inner world, en route to discovering the one operating force in reality.
Click here for free MP3 download of “There is None Else Beside Him” (10.27MB)
Related Material:- There is None Else Beside Him – Baal HaSulam’s Shamati #1 article itself.- Shamati articles – Shamati article collection.- “Kabbalah Revealed” series, episode 8 - There’s None Else Beside Him, Part 1 - Introductory lecture on “There is None Else Beside Him” (25 min video & transcript)- “Kabbalah Revealed” series, episode 9 - There’s None Else Beside Him, Part 2 – Introductory lecture on the article that describes the person’s path from complete concealment of the Creator to His full revelation. (25 min video & transcript)- There is None Else Beside Him, Part 1 – Advanced lesson on this article given by Rav Michael Laitman, PhD at the Kabbalah Education Center in Israel, June 19, 2006.wmv video mp3 audio MS Word transcript (55 min)- There is None Else Beside Him, Part 2 – Advanced lesson on this article given by Rav Michael Laitman, PhD at the Kabbalah Education Center in Israel, June 20, 2006.wmv video mp3 audio (55 min)

God is nature

God is nature
Column: Kabbalah.info
Rav Michael Laitman ReligionAndSpirituality.com
May 7, 2007
In a presentation at a Tokyo hall in November 2005, evolutionary biologist Elizabeth Sahtouris stated that "Every molecule, every cell, every organ ... has self-interest. When every level in the body shows its self-interest, it forces negotiations among the levels. This is the secret of Nature. Every moment in your body, these negotiations drive your systems to harmony." Quite similarly, Kabbalists state that cells in organisms unite by reciprocal giving for the sake of sustaining the whole body. Each cell in the body receives what it needs for its sustenance, and spends the rest of its energy tending to the rest of the body. At every level of Nature, the individual works to benefit the whole of which it is a part, and in that finds its wholeness. Without altruistic activities, a body cannot persist. In fact, life itself cannot persist. Both science and Kabbalah acknowledge that the biggest, if not the only, problem with our world is us. Below are two examples of such states of mind: "I think computer viruses should count as life. I think it says something about human nature that the only form of life we have created so far is purely destructive. We've created life in our own image" (Stephen Hawking, British cosmologist and physicist). "And in simple words we shall say that the nature of each and every individual is to exploit the lives of all other people in the world for his own benefit, and all that he gives to another is only out of necessity. Even in that there is exploitation, but it is done cunningly, so that his friend will not feel it" (Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag (Baal HaSulam), "Peace in the World"). Thousands of scientists, judging by the latest reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, already state that we must stop working against Nature, as we have been doing for centuries, and begin to work in harmony with it. They explain that Nature already knows what to do and when to do it. If we only get out of the way, things will sort themselves out. Just as each body has its immune system, Nature has mechanisms that maintain its balance. This balance is a dynamic equilibrium controlled by interrelated regulation mechanisms, in which Nature thinks not of particular elements within it, but of the whole system. Just imagine the havoc our body would fall into, if each organ cared only for its own good, instead of caring for the good of the whole body. In such a state, organs would steal blood vessels from one another, denying neighboring organs nourishment and oxygen. Organs producing antibodies would direct them against other organs because other organs would be considered foreign bodies, and the ones with the strongest antibodies would destroy the other organs. Soon, very soon, the body would die, and its self-centered organs would die with it. When such a process happens in an organism, it is called "cancer." The fact that Nature does exist and that it isn't destroying itself every single moment is proof that Nature does not work egoistically. It is a proof that Nature works as a system, putting the well-being of the system before the well-being of its parts. In Kabbalah, when the system's needs come before the needs of the part, it is called "altruism." In an altruistic system, the particular elements constantly contribute to the system, whether it is an organism or a human society. Humans, in almost every aspect, are just another animal species. But there is one aspect in which we are different from Nature: We put our own interest before the interest of the system. This is the essence of egoism. We don't need to teach animals, plants or rocks how to behave. Their behavior is always in harmony with Nature, altruistic, putting the system's needs before their own. This is why when prey animals hunt, they hunt only enough to sustain themselves, and thus maintain the natural balance of their habitat. But humans don't hunt to eat; they hunt to gain wealth, to exploit. This is why we have penalties for poaching. The only problem with the human race is that, unlike animals, it runs on an egoistic "operating system" instead of an altruistic one. To mend ourselves and to stop disrupting Nature's homeostasis, we need to install an altruistic operating system instead of our current, faulty system. And to find the missing disk, you need to go to the "program vendor," the Creator. In Kabbalah, the words "God" and "Nature" are synonymous. This is why they have the same numeric value: 86. Kabbalists have discovered and upgraded a method that teaches how we can replace the egoistic disk with an altruistic one, and today, when many already recognize that a real change of heart is necessary, they are stepping to the fore and introducing it to the world. — — — Rav Michael Laitman, Ph.D. in philosophy and M.Sc. in biocybernetics, is founder and president of Bnei Baruch — Kabbalah Education and Research Institute in Tel Aviv — and the author of 30 books on the subject. His daily lessons are aired live on global television and the Internet. He has an extensive website on Kabbalah and his email address is laitman@kabbalah.info. © copyright 2007 by Michael Laitman.

VIDEO: What is the Essence of Kabbalah?

Kabbalah has been clouded in confusion, legend, myth & misrepresentation because authentic Kabbalah has been hidden for thousands of years ... until today!



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What is Spirituality? What is a Soul?

Rav Michael Laitman, PhD defines “spirituality” and “soul” in relation to a student's question.



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Worldwide Unanimous Agreement

“When all the people in the world unanimously agree to annul and eradicate the desire to receive for themselves within them, and will have no other desire but to bestow upon their friends, all worries and harmful ones will be banished from the earth, and each will be secured a complete and healthy life. In the end, each of us will have a whole world to care for our needs.”

Baal HaSulam, in Introduction to the Book of Zohar. Featured in Kabbalah Today (issue #3, May 2007), section “Quotes of Great Kabbalists.”

A Glimpse of Radiance

A glimpse of radiance
Column: Kabbalah.info
Rav Michael Laitman ReligionAndSpirituality.com
April 23, 2007
The Book of Zohar (radiance) is the most mysterious, and at the same time most significant, book of Kabbalah. In recent years, it has become increasingly clear that The Book of Zohar, written 18 centuries ago, was made for our time. Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag (Baal HaSulam) opened it to us and rekindled what has long been forgotten from our hearts. "The depth of the wisdom in The Book of Zohar is locked behind a thousand doors." — Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag (Baal HaSulam), "Preface to the Book of Zohar" Since the dawn of humanity, unique individuals have climbed the spiritual ladder and achieved the highest level of bonding with the Upper Force, the Creator. We call those people "Kabbalists." Through this bonding, they came to understand that the whole of reality, from the highest spiritual worlds down to our world, is founded on love and bestowal. They realized that there is nothing in the world except for this Force, and that everything that happens in reality was made only to bring humanity to permanent existence with this sensation. Kabbalists have searched for and found the answers to every question they asked — the purpose of our lives, the structure of the world, and how we can determine our destiny. They wrote about what they discovered in books such as Raziel Hamalaach (The Angel Raziel), Sefer Yetzira (The Book of Creation), Etz Chaim (The Tree of Life), and others. Of all the books, the most seminal, mysterious and profound is The Book of Zohar (The Book of Radiance). Its author is the great Kabbalist Rabbi Shimon Bar-Yochai (Rashbi). The Book of Zohar describes the hidden system of the Upper Guidance. It depicts the worlds, the great powers that govern them, and how one who chooses to study Kabbalah affects his or her own fate and that of humanity. The Zohar also explains how every event cascades from the Upper World to ours, and the dressings it acquires here. But what makes The Zohar unique is the fact that it was not written for its contemporaries; it was rather intended for a generation that would live two millennia later — our generation. Removing the covers "Our generation stands at the very threshold of redemption, if we only know how to spread the wisdom of the hidden in the masses." — Baal HaSulam, Messiah's Horn The 20th century brought unprecedented changes. These opened the door to a whole new phase, which the greatest Kabbalists have been describing for centuries in their writings. The greatest change of all is that in this century, Kabbalists state that studying Kabbalah is not only permitted, it is a must! It is written in The Book of Zohar itself that the wisdom of Kabbalah would begin spreading from the year 1840. The great 18th century Kabbalist The Vilna Gaon (GRA) wrote in his book Kol HaTor (Voice of the Turtledove) that the process of the revelation of the Kabbalah would begin in 1990. In his book Even Shlomo (Solomon's Rock), Chapter 11, he even stated that redemption depends primarily on the study of Kabbalah. The great Kabbalist the Rav Kook, the first chief rabbi in the land of Israel (then called Palestine), explained that "the great spiritual questions that were once resolved only for the great and the excellent must now be resolved to various degrees within the entire nation" (Eder HaYaker ve Ikvey HaTzon, p. 144). But it was Baal HaSulam who turned the words of the Kabbalists from a vision to a tangible reality. He clearly saw that the time had come to allow everyone to study The Book of Zohar. He claimed that by studying The Zohar, the whole of humanity would rise and attain the spiritual world. With this vision in mind, Baal HaSulam devoted himself to composing a comprehensive, accurate and systematic interpretation of The Book of Zohar. His goal was to unveil the book to the public and make it suitable for the souls of our generation. In the introduction to his commentary on The Zohar, he explained why he wrote it: "I have named the commentary HaSulam (the ladder) to indicate that the function of my commentary is as the function of any ladder. If you have an attic filled with abundance, you need only a ladder to climb it, and all the bounty in the world will be in your hands." Accelerating the spread of the wisdom All the Kabbalists dreamed of our generation, when all of humanity could discover the wondrous things they already had. They prayed that through reading the authentic sources they had left for us, we, too, would achieve bonding with the Upper Force, as did they. In his commentary on The Book of Zohar, Baal HaSulam threw us a rope, "a life buoy." In doing so, he paved our way to a future of abundance and prosperity. Baal HaSulam called upon us to give greater weight to engagement in the wisdom of Kabbalah, and accelerate the spreading of the wisdom. He knew that only the wisdom of Kabbalah could elevate the world to the spiritual realm and into the eternity that Kabbalists had been experiencing throughout the generations. Webster's Dictionary defines a generation as "a group of individuals born and living contemporaneously (at the same time)." In Kabbalah, however, a generation is a spiritual phase. According to great Kabbalists such as the Holy Ari, our generation — our spiritual phase — began in the 16th century. The longer we wait with the spiritual ascension our generation is meant to achieve, the greater will be our discomfort. The spiritual realm, which determines what happens in our world, will increase its pressure on us until we decide to achieve this realm for ourselves. In the words of the great Kabbalist Rabbi Avraham Azulai (in his introduction to the book Ohr ha Chama (Light of the Sun)), "I have found it written that the above decree to not openly engage in the wisdom of truth was only for a time — until the end of the 1490s. From then on ... the sentence has been lifted, and permission was given to engage in The Book of Zohar. And from the year 1540 it has become praiseworthy to engage in great numbers since it is by virtue of this the Messiah King will come, and not by another virtue. It is inappropriate to be negligent."

Why am I looking for something spiritual?

Why am I looking for something
spiritual?

Why do I want something more or different than what everyday life offers? Kabbalah phrases this question like this: How does the desire for the higher force emerge?
Humanity has developed over many lifetimes; first resembling beasts, with desires only for food, family, sex and shelter; then developing through stages of wealth, power, honor and knowledge.
At the first stage of development, desires for food, family, sex and shelter are a person’s only desires. Even a totally isolated individual has these desires and tries to fulfill them. Desires conditioned by society’s influence (desires for wealth, power and honor) emerge at the next stage.
Afterwards, the desire for knowledge appears. Sciences flourish as we set out to discover where everything comes from, to find our roots. This desire for knowledge, however, still only resides within the framework of our world.
Only at the next stage does a human being desire to know the real source, one’s essence—the meaning of life. “Where do I come from?” “Who am I?” “What am I?” These questions cause discomfort and trouble a person.
Human beings are naturally egoistic. All of our desires are self-motivated and crave fulfillment. They pressure us, literally controlling our every move. The height of egoism in our world is the desire to be filled with knowledge about something above us.
What is the source of desires and how do they appear? The source of desires is suffering. Passing from one type of desire to another happens only under the influence of suffering. If I am in a balanced state, then I feel comfortable and everything is just fine. A new desire then appears, and I feel that something is missing. Now I want to experience something new, so I start trying to fulfill this desire…and this process keeps repeating itself. In other words, I am always running after new pleasures.
We are born on this planet, we live and we die trying to satisfy our countless desires. Only after many lives do we reach the state when one desire is all that remains: the desire to attain our source, the meaning of our lives. Once this final, ultimate desire appears, everything else seems unnecessary and meaningless. A person gets depressed, feeling emotionally and spiritually empty, as if nothing in this world can bring happiness. Life seems pointless and lacking something real…“What is the purpose of my life?” “Why do I exist?” These are the questions that bring people to Kabbalah.

"What is Kabbalah?"

What is Kabbalah?
Although its origins are rooted in deep antiquity, from the time of ancient Babylon, the science of Kabbalah has remained virtually hidden from humanity since it appeared more than four thousand years ago.
This very concealment has sustained Kabbalah’s undying allure. Renowned scientists and philosophers of many countries, such as Newton, Leibniz, and Pico della Mirandola, have investigated and tried to understand the science of Kabbalah. However, to this very day only a few know what Kabbalah really is.
The science of Kabbalah does not speak about our world, and therefore its essence escapes people. It is impossible to comprehend the invisible, the imperceptible, and that which has not been experienced. For thousands of years, humanity was offered a wide variety of things under the name “Kabbalah”: spells, curses, and even miracles, all except for the science of Kabbalah itself. For over four thousand years, common understanding of the science of Kabbalah has been cluttered with misconceptions and misinterpretations. Therefore, first and foremost, the science of Kabbalah needs to be made clear. Kabbalist Yehuda Ashlag defines Kabbalah in the following manner in his article The Essence of the Wisdom of Kabbalah:
This wisdom is no more and no less than a sequence of roots, which hang down by way of cause and effect, in fixed, determined rules, weaving into a single, exalted goal described as “the revelation of His Godliness to His creatures in this world.”
Scientific definitions may be complicated and cumbersome. Let’s try to examine what is being said here.
There exists the upper force or the Creator, and governing forces descend from this upper force into our world. We do not know how many forces there are, but this is actually unimportant. We exist here in our world. We are created by some upper force that we call “the Creator.” We are familiar with various forces in our world, such as gravity, electromagnetism and the power of thought. However, there are forces of a higher order that act while remaining hidden from us.
We call the ultimate, comprehensive force—“the Creator.” The Creator is the sum of all of the world’s forces and the highest level in the line of the governing forces.
This upper force gave birth to the upper worlds. There are five worlds in total. The so called Machsom—a barrier that separates the upper worlds and our world—follows them. From the upper force—the Creator, also known as “the world of Infinity”—the forces descend through all the worlds, giving birth to our world and human beings.
The science of Kabbalah does not study our world and humans in it, as traditional sciences do. Kabbalah investigates everything that exists beyond the Machsom.
Kabbalist Yehuda Ashlag says that “this wisdom is no more and no less than a sequence of roots, which hang down by way of cause and effect, in fixed, determined rules...” There is nothing other than forces descending from above in accordance with precise laws. Moreover, these laws, as Ashlag writes, are fixed, absolute and omnipresent. Ultimately, they are all directed so that one can reveal the ultimate governing force of nature while being in our world.
Until a person fully reveals this force, until one knows all the worlds one has to climb, obeying the same laws as the descending forces, and until one reaches the world of Infinity, such a person will not leave this world. What does “will not leave” mean? This person will continuously be reborn into our world, evolving from one life to the next until reaching the state where the desire to attain the higher force emerges.
Next article: How does the desire for the higher force emerge? (or, Why am I looking for something spiritual?)

"Kabbalah Today" uses mass media to hasten final redemption

JPost.com » Jewish World » Jewish Features » Article
Apr. 22, 2007 2:35 Updated Apr. 23, 2007 9:44'Kabbalah Today' uses mass media to hasten final redemptionBy MATTHEW WAGNER


Ushering in the end of days might seem an ambitious goal for a tabloid, but the publishers of Kabbalah Today aim to do just that.
Widespread dissemination of Kabbalah, Judaism's esoteric teaching on the origins of creation, will get all of humanity over the last spiritual hump separating it from final redemption, according to members of Bnei Baruch, an organization headed by ontology professor Michael Laitman.
"Right now we are in a stage in humanity where everyone should make the final correction," says Chaim Ratz, executive editor of Kabbalah Today.
"So far more traditional methods managed mankind's basic egoism and self-centeredness," says Ratz, who grew up on Kfar Blum, a secular kibbutz in the northern Galilee. "But today we have reached such extreme levels of egoism that the traditional methods simply do not work."
According to Ratz, man's most basic drive, the pursuit of pleasure, is also the source of all of humanity's problems. And Kabbalah is the cure.
"Kabbalah has the power to eradicate egoism and transform an individual into a more community-wise, altruistic human being," he says.
Ratz says Bnei Baruch's Kabbalah is based on the teachings of Rabbi Yehudah Ashlag as explicated in The Sulam (the Ladder), an exegesis on the Zohar, Judaism's central mystical text.
However, unlike Ashlag and his son Baruch, who strictly followed Orthodox Jewish practice, members of Bnei Baruch are not obligated to do so.
"At the center, we keep the halacha," says Ratz. "And Prof. Laitman says that doing so helps improve the positive impact of Kabbalah's teachings. But it is not essential. Whatever works for you is legitimate."
Close to 400,000 copies of Kabbalah Today are distributed for free in English, Russian and Hebrew in Israel and America either once or twice a month.
The Hebrew edition of Kabbalah Today, called Kabbalah Le'Am, which is published every other week, is distributed at intersections, street corners and coffee houses, and as an insert in Haaretz.
A few thousand copies of Kabbalah Today in English are distributed in Israel. Circulation is about 50,000 in Mexico, Canada and the US. Around 65,000 Hebrew editions are put out in Mexico, Canada and the US, most as an insert in the US edition of Yediot Aharonot.
Bnei Baruch's approach deviates from traditional Jewish conceptions about the study of Kabbalah.
According to Rabbi David Batzri, whose father, Yitzhak, heads Yeshivat Hashlom, a respected Kabbalistic Yeshiva in Jerusalem, there is a prohibition against the widespread dissemination of Kabbalah.
"Kabbalah contains many secrets that must not be revealed to the public," says Batzri. "It is for men who have learned the tradition Jewish texts such as Talmud and the Shulhan Aruch for many years. "Only at the age of 50 may one begin, except in very rare cases."
Batzri, who says he is unfamiliar with Bnei Baruch, does agree that at the end of days more and more people will begin learning Kabbalah.
"That is because they will be spiritually prepared to so. But you can't put the wagon before the horse," he says.

VIDEO: "The Table of Free Voices" - What happened on September 9?

"The Table of Free Voices"

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3101065500204803930&hl=en

7:53

On September 9, 2006, 112 of the world's most compelling thinkers, artists, writers, scientists, social entrepreneurs, philosophers and humanitarians from around the world will come together in Berlin, Germany, as guests of dropping knowledge.

Seated around the worlds largest table in historic Bebelplatz square, these inspiring individuals, renowned for their lasting creative or social contribution, will engage with 100 questions out of the thousands donated to dropping knowledge by the international public.