Kabbalah

A Tale About a Little Stream

2011-02-19T06:52:00.000-08:00

In a far-away, mountainous country, a lake and a stream lived side by side. The lake was situated at the foot of the mountain, and a little higher up the mountain, the stream flowed.

The lake that was very proud of itself called to the little stream, "Look how beautiful, large, and clean I am!"

"Yes," the stream replied, "you are very beautiful. You must have lots of friends, after all you are so large that you can give your waters to anyone who wishes to drink. I am small, and no one notices me."

"Ha!" the lake scoffed. "Why would I give my waters to others? If I did that, I would become small too."

Some days later, a mountain goat approached the lake. "Oh beautiful lake, I've lost my way, and I have had nothing to drink for a very long time. Your waters look so clear and cool. May I drink from them?"

"Look for water elsewhere," the lake replied sharply. "And do not touch me with your dirty hooves."

The goat was saddened, but what could he do? As he was leaving, he heard a quiet voice beckoning him, "Go-o-a-at, come here. I am a little stream that nobody notices, but I have enough water for you. Drink as much as you want."

"Oh, thank you for coming to my rescue, little stream!" the goat replied as he eagerly slurped the stream's fresh, running water.

Another time swallows flying overhead landed on the shore and called to the lake, "Oh lake, we are very tired and we still have a long journey ahead. Please allow us to drink from your cool, clean waters."

"Absolutely not!" the lake retorted angrily. "There is dust on your feathers, and I cannot stand dust. Fly away from here before you dirty my clean waters!"

Just as the swallows rose into the air they heard:"Swallows, lovely swallows, fly over to me. I am a little stream that nobody notices, but I have enough water for all of you. Drink as much as you want!"

"Thank you little stream," the swallows said as they quenched their thirst. "You are a true friend!"

Many animals and birds approached asking the lake for help, and were always refused by the lake, but the little stream helped them all.

But then, something unexpectedly happened, one hot summer day.

"He-e-elp, help!" a little mouse cried. He scampered to the lake.Gasping for breath, he pleaded: "Lake, please help the rabbit. He broke his paw and cannot walk. It's been a long time since he drank, and he really needs water."

"What is it to me?" the lake asked indifferently.

"If you splash out a bit of water, it will reach the rabbit and allow him to drink," the little mouse replied.

"That's silly," the lake said, and waved the little mouse away.

"Little mouse," the stream called out, "maybe I can help?"

"You are very kind, but you are too small. You don't have enough water to reach the rabbit," the little mouse replied sadly.

"Wait, I just thought of something!" the stream exclaimed. "Mother Mountain! Mother Mountain!" it cried. But the mountain was deep asleep in the warm sun. "Help me, little mouse," the little stream asked, and together they called out to the mountain: "Mother Mountain!"

"Why all the noise, little ones?" The mountain woke up. "What happened?"

"The rabbit broke his paw," the little stream explained. "He needs water, and I must help him!"

"But how?" the mountain wondered. "You are so small!"

"There is snow at your peak. It is melting under the sun's rays and turning into water. Give me some of that water, and I will be able to help the rabbit."

"Although you are small, you have a very big desire to help others. I will do as you ask," the mountain replied.

At once, all the water that before poured from the peak of the mountain into the lake, began to flow in the direction of the little stream. And before the lake could utter a single sound in protest, it dried up. Meanwhile, water rushed into the little stream transforming it into a large, strong current. It quickly reached the rabbit, quenched his thirst, washed over his wound, and ran along further into the sea, presenting everyone with clean cool water.

"Do you see that body of water?" the animals would say to each other. "Once it was a little stream, but the desire to help others turned it into a wide, strong-flowing river."

What does the Story of Adam and Eve Mean in Our Times?

2011-02-18T06:49:00.000-08:00

The meaning behind the story of Adam, Eve and the snake is actually very simple. The snake represents the ego that became revealed between Adam and Eve, the man and the woman. And that's really all there is to the story.

For example, suppose that a happy, young couple falls in love. They hug, kiss and laugh together, go to the movies and the beach. Then they get married and begin living together, and everything is wonderful. They're in the Garden of Eden.

And suddenly - the snake (the ego) arrives. They suddenly begin arguing. Then they begin taking advantage of each other and making private calculations, such as "How can I get him/her to be the way I want them to be?" This happens to us because the snake (the ego that's inside us) prevents us from being able to love someone else, and makes sure that our love is egoistic from the start.

Under these circumstances, the closest we can come to love is to surrender our egos in day to day life as much as we can. However, this still doesn't solve the problem at the root, and does not enable us to experience real, unconditional love. This is where Kabbalah offers another solution: to correct our soul at the root, or to correct the snake that separates us from our partners.

To do this, both partners must realize that there is a goal to their lives that's above this world. Then they will also realize that they can only attain it by having a partner in life, someone who will go through the spiritual path together with them. This is the meaning of the verse, "Man, woman, and the Divine Presence between them." It means that in order for us to attain the Divine presence, spirituality, we must connect with each other correctly.

Then, instead of taking advantage of each other, Adam and Eve will complete each other. And the snake, instead of driving them apart, will become the driving force that pushes them to reveal the Upper Force - the Divine Presence, or the Creator.

Why Are We So Preoccupied with Sex?

2011-02-17T06:48:00.000-08:00

In the spiritual world, the soul is united with the Light, and this union is called Zivug - coupling. It constitutes the unification of two parts of creation - male and female, and is the greatest pleasure that can ever be - the soul being filled by the Light of the Creator.

This spiritual coupling also has a branch or copy in the physical world, the world of matter. This is why we are so preoccupied with sex - it is the ultimate pleasure in this world, and the root of all of our desires in this world.

Sex is the basis of all our thoughts, because its root is the soul's union with the Creator. This union is the final goal of Nature, and everything that happens in the world is determined by the final goal. This is why we just can't avoid thinking about sex. Our attraction to the opposite sex and to pleasure also come from this final state - the adhesion with the Creator, called "Zivug" (never-ending sexual union).

The pleasure we feel from sex is a perfect example of the difference between physical and spiritual pleasure. We spend so much time and effort thinking about sex, and we imagine that it will give us enormous pleasure, but in fact our pleasure vanishes into thin air the minute we reach the peak of sexual satisfaction. Before we really had time to enjoy this feeling, it is over and we find ourselves once again striving for another moment of pleasure.

This is what happens in our world, because the pleasure that fills the desire immediately neutralizes it. No longer having the desire, we stop feeling pleasure. It leaves us feeling empty, and as life goes on, this emptiness only grows bigger. This is why it is written, "One leaves the world with half his cravings unfulfilled."

Spiritual pleasure works very differently because being in spirituality means having the ability to receive the Light with the intention of giving pleasure to the Creator, to the One who gives you the Light. Hence, in spirituality, coupling or sex is continuous and eternal, and it only grows stronger all the time. As a result, one feels eternal life and perfect fulfillment that constantly gets bigger. Obviously, this is very different from the pleasure we feel in our world, where we can only feel momentary pleasure followed by emptiness.

This is why it is written that ever since people fell from the spiritual world into our world, only those who attain the spiritual world still feel the real taste of copulation. The true, spiritual pleasure is attained when two opposite parts of creation - male and female - merge together and are filled by the common Light.

Subconsciously, in our souls, we all desire this coupling because we were created for it. On some level, we all aspire to feel the spiritual world because it is the only place where we will find true, lasting pleasure.

Equality Between Men and Women: Good or Bad?

2011-02-16T06:47:00.000-08:00

Men's and women's roles have become so blurred that people are confused about what the ideal roles of men and women are supposed to be. This has affected the relationships between men and women, and has even caused people to become confused about their own identities.

As much as we desire to create simple, plain equality - according to our understanding of it, in the end it does not benefit men or women. It does not make our lives more balanced, harmonious, fair or happy - and that's because the way we seek to create "equality" goes against the laws of nature.

Instead of learning how to arrange our lives from nature, we have been thinking that we are above nature and inventing our own rules. Yet our lives prove that we are, in fact, part of nature. Hence, we have to let nature teach us how to create perfect relationships between us and live in harmony with one another.

This is exactly what the wisdom of Kabbalah enables us to do - it reveals nature's laws, enabling one to see the best way to act toward others, whether toward men, women, children, or the whole world. Without this knowledge, it is impossible for us to arrange our lives in a sensible way. Rather, with every passing day, we will only experience more problems and suffering.

But how did the confusion around our sex roles begin in the first place? After all, the relationship between men and women is only unbalanced among humans. In the animal world, for instance, the male always supplies the female with everything she needs. The problem with humans is that everything operates according to the ego, and not according to the duties one sex has toward the other. Precisely the ego has made our relationships and gender roles unbalanced.

So what is the balanced way for us to build our lives? It is written that a woman was created to be help against a man. That is to say, a woman fulfills her role and provides the help needed of her precisely by being opposite (not equal!) to a man. To be opposite to him means to help him attain the spiritual goal, and this is how they both attain it.

The Truth about Virtual Relationships

2011-02-15T06:46:00.000-08:00

Many people today create "virtual romantic connections" on social sites such as Facebook. They meet other people, share pictures, and even fall in love with their virtual partners!

The reason we are so drawn to our virtual partners is because the connection we make with them is non-material, detached from physical contact, and even "spiritual" in a way. Since we're not tied down by any physical limitations, we're let free to fantasize as much as we want to, to attribute all the best qualities to our virtual significant other, and to raise our connection with them "into the clouds," so to speak. We convince ourselves of how special this connection is, and that it's an opportunity to reach beautiful, perfect love.

But unfortunately, it's all an illusion. Over the Internet, a person's physical features are hidden and his inner aspects emphasized. One can express himself in any way he wants to, but the problem is that we lose sight of reality as we become unknowingly immersed in this game. We forget that we aren't dealing with a real person, but with our own imagination.

When we see someone in real life, in person, then we can tell whether they really have certain traits or not, and we can see whether those traits are real. On the Internet, however, we only see a (carefully selected) picture and read a few lines that are more likely than not to be lies - and we go off imagining things that are completely unrealistic. However, the moment we meet our virtual partners in person, this sweet fantasy bubble bursts.

The Woman’s Role in Maintaining a Good Relationship

2011-02-14T06:46:00.000-08:00

Today the divorce rate is astounding and most relationships are short-lived. Because of this, it is very important for people to find out how they can maintain a successful marriage.

In order for a woman to understand how to best fulfill her part of the relationship, she must understand the nature of a man. Then she will be wise and able to create a lasting and loving relationship.

But how can a woman come to understand a man's nature? After all, men and women are so different. In fact, the right understanding can come from the right actions. A woman should express her appreciation of her man, letting him know that he is special to her, that he is great - and doing this often! Then she will realize what he needs from her, and what kind of a connection there should be between them.

She will see that a man needs motherly care, praise, and admiration. Despite being masculine, big, and "macho," a man actually has a great need for sympathy. And if a woman gives this to him, he won't be able to leave her.

In fact, it's similar to how a woman acts with a child. She tells him, "You're wonderful, you did such a great job, you're big, you can do it, you're special, you're the most unique person in the entire world - you, you, you..." And this makes the man remain with her.

But most importantly, she should do this with love. A man desires to hear this all the time, because men really are like children, and they often see a woman as a mother. And even though this kind of a relationship may seem "imbalanced," it will become balanced out because it will make the man want to "rise up," to show how great he is. It will awaken his desire to become greater in a positive way, rather than in an overbearing, negative way.

Today, It's Spiritual Relationship or No Relationship

2011-02-13T06:45:00.000-08:00

Today it is practically impossible for a man and a woman to maintain a good relationship over time, unless there is a spiritual connection between them. It's because their egos clash one against the other and destroy their connection. Today there are countless divorces, and most relationships fall apart, because our egos are "on fire," and they only grow bigger with time. The beautiful verse, "Man, woman, and the Divine Presence between them" - simply does not exist in such couples.

So what does it take to create that spiritual connection between them, the only thing that can remedy their relationship? Having a spiritual connection means that both partners know the reason for their existence - to embark on the spiritual journey and attain the spiritual goal of life. Then they will have something that truly connects them, they will be in a mutual "cell" together, and the verse "Man, woman, and the Divine Presence between them" will really come true. In other words, they will feel the revelation of the Divine Presence - the Creator.

Fairytale Love is Just That – a Fairytale

2011-02-12T06:44:00.000-08:00

If you think that finding the love of fairytales will make you happy, think again. The love of fairytales isn't really love, but the use of others for self satisfaction.

What we normally call love is the egoistic satisfaction of one person by another, whether it's sexual satisfaction or any other kind of fulfillment we receive from another person. And clearly, this isn't love.

Then what is love? Love is when you don't pay any attention to yourself, but you take the desires of another person and try to fulfill them in exactly the way they would like. In other words, you turn yourself into a vessel of fulfillment for the other person. This is real love, and it exists only in the spiritual world. And there is no difference if it is a man or a woman - what's important are the desires, the soul.

In contrast, when we talk about love in this world, we are really talking about attraction and pleasure that are brought about by hormones. If we were to disconnect a person from his hormonal system, he wouldn't be able to feel "love." This again shows that what we usually think of as love is just an egoistic desire to enjoy. Sometimes this desire can even be cruel, desiring to receive fulfillment at the expense of another person.

Hence, the love we read about in fairytales is really an illusion, and does not exist in reality. It's because all of our desires are based only on the desire to fulfill ourselves. Even when we give something to others, we do so only because it gives us pleasure. Our action of giving is meaningless because what really matters to us while performing that action is what we feel.

Speedy

2011-02-11T06:54:00.001-08:00

Life in the big city was in full swing. The sidewalks were bustling with people and streams of cars flowed through the streets. Taxicabs, buses, and trains ran from early morning until late at night delivering passengers to their destinations. They tried very hard to make sure everyone was on time.

The seats of all the buses were filled with people except for one little bus named Speedy. He always ran empty. Speedy was a very restless and self-centered bus. In the mornings, when people rushed to work, he carelessly sped through the streets, splashing through puddles, blowing hats off the heads of pedestrians, honking noisily at intersections, and never, ever stopping to pick up passengers.

"Where are you going?" people would shout after him, "Take us, we are in a hurry!"

"There is no time!" Speedy would answer. "I have an urgent matter to take care of."

However, there was nothing that Speedy needed to do. He was simply busy enjoying himself, looking in all directions, trying to see everything around him.

Large buses gave Speedy, the troublemaker, reproachful stares, and taxicabs often tried to find something useful for him to do.

"Look, there is an old man with a heavy bag sitting at the bus stop," they would point out. "Why don't you take him home?"

"I'm too busy," Speedy would answer. "I need to get to the city park. There is a holiday show starting soon."

Speedy never even opened his doors. That's how stubborn he was.

In the evenings, he continued making mischief by speeding along the highway weaving in and out of lanes.

And as the city fell asleep, Speedy would head to his garage.

"What did you see today?" the car washing machine asked him every night, as it tickled him with its furry brushes.

"I saw children going on a class trip to the movies," Speedy answered.

"Did you give them a ride?"

"No way! They leave behind so much trash!" Speedy would say, frowning.

One day during rush hour, impatient Speedy tried to sneak around a huge traffic jam by cutting through a narrow alley. All of a sudden, he saw a man rushing toward him. Annoyed, Speedy flashed his lights and blasted his horn, but the man stood firmly in place, blocking Speedy's path.

"Take me to the hospital," the man pleaded. "My son is very ill. Wait here, I'll be right back."

As the man disappeared into the building, it occurred to Speedy that he could leave. No one was there to stop him. But something forced him to stay. Soon, the man returned, carrying a little boy in his arms, and for the first time ever Speedy opened his door to let passengers in.

"It's all up to you now, little bus!" the man said. "Hurry, but please don't hurt anyone."

If there was one thing that Speedy could do well, it was hurry. And, he knew all the ins and outs of the city, so he took the shortest path to the hospital. In no time at all, they were at the emergency room entrance.

The man was amazed. "Thank you, little bus! You were a true help to us," he said as the hospital attendants placed the boy on a stretcher. As they rushed him away, the boy glanced at Speedy and gave him a weak smile.

Long after they vanished behind the hospital doors, Speedy stood there, thinking about what had just happened. He felt his little engine heart skipping beats. The sun set; the street lights came on, but Speedy stood still waiting by the hospital entrance.

Finally he saw the boy's father exiting through the doors.

"Hey, buddy!" the man called to Speedy with a broad smile on his face.

No one had ever called Speedy "buddy" before. It felt really nice.

"Were you worried?" the father asked. "Well, there is no need to be. Everything is fine now. You came just in time. The doctors are taking care of my son and he will be coming home in two days."

Speedy honked loudly with joy. He drove the man home, then headed to the garage, tired but happy.

Early the next morning, as the boy's parents walked out of their door to go to the hospital, Speedy was already waiting to take them. He had a present for the boy on the back seat. It was a new colorful map of the city, with all the different routes, parks, museums, movie theaters, and other attractions.

Speedy spent the whole day by the hospital. He did not leave even for a second because he was afraid to miss the boy's parents. Finally they appeared in the doorway and waved to him.

"Our son sends a big hello!" they yelled.

Speedy's face lit up, and his headlights began to emanate a warm glow.

They agreed to pick up the boy from the hospital, together, at nine in the morning. Speedy headed back to the garage. Filled with a new feeling of warmth, joy, and excitement, he decided to begin a new life.

In the morning, Speedy stood by the hospital doors, trembling with anticipation with his engine heart knocking louder than ever. Suddenly, the boy burst out from the doors and ran over to him, shrieking cheerfully. He treated Speedy like a friend he hadn't seen in ages.

"Hello!" the boy said. "I'm so glad you're here. I have so much to tell you!"

And this is how Speedy became friends with the boy. He became friends not only with the boy and his family, but Speedy also became friends with the whole city because he realized what a great benefit he can be to people and what a great joy that was.

Now Speedy is the first bus on the cool pavement of the early morning streets. He picks up the first passengers at the bus stops. He is always on time, and politely greets everyone who comes through his doors. Taxicabs wink at him playfully as they drive by, and large buses simply adore him.

"Enough work for you today, buddy?" the car washing machine asks him.

"One's strength never ceases when one helps others!" Speedy answers with a happy smile.

The Right Education

2011-02-11T06:37:00.000-08:00

The basic principle of the right education is actually very simple: parents should not tell a child what to do, but only how to do it, if the child asks.

And what happens until then? Parents should use their ingenuity to find alternative ways to awaken in a child the desire to do what needs to be done. This way, the desire for it will be child's own. This is the right education.

It is written that we should "educate the youth according to his way." This means that not only parents but a child as well should clearly see where he is going, and he should want it. Then he will accept education, he will demand it.

Parents who pressure their children, who try to forcefully teach them certain information or habits, raise a broken generation.

The wisdom of Kabbalah, on the other hand, is against any kind of violence or pressure. "There is no coercion in spirituality." No coercion means that everything exists and is done only out of one's own will. What parents have to do is to awaken that will.

Our problem is that no one is doing that and the whole education system is wrong. Hence our task is to help parents understand this principle of Kabbalists - everything stems from a person's free will and all we have to do is to help its free development.

The Puzzle With 7 Billion Pieces

2009-07-02T14:00:00.000-07:00

Why is it that many people are ignoring the crisis? What is the spiritual root behind this denial?

My Answer: Clearly, those who have an interest in concealing what is happening are doing everything possible to mask the obvious. This is happening because they are afraid of the consequences, since no government is able to offer any realistic solutions, and there is a possibility of civil disturbances due to their inability to act.

This is why, at the end of the day, everything depends on the dissemination of Kabbalah, which is the method for the correction of man. Our success lies in awakening people to the realization that the crisis is not coincidental, that its purpose is to correct the connection between us, and that only by bringing the purpose to its fruition will the crisis end.

Today, for the first time in history, the general system of souls is being revealed in our world. Indeed, the current state of the world is not simply a crisis; it is a revelation of the connection between us. All human suffering is caused by the fact that this absolute and permanent connection among us is hampered by our egoism. Therefore, we have no other means of getting rid of our suffering other than by correcting this connection and gluing the pieces of the broken vessel back together.

But people must understand that no force exists in this world that is capable of bringing us closer and correcting our egoism. We reside within our egoism and we cannot come out of it by pulling ourselves up by our own hair. We are obliged to find the external force, which can convert our egoism to its opposite - the qualities of love and bestowal.

This correcting force and the Higher force that created egoism are one and the same. It is the same force that must correct egoism. Only the science of Kabbalah makes it possible for us to attract this Higher correcting force towards ourselves.

Alienation And Separation Are Nothing But Illusions!

2009-06-30T14:52:00.000-07:00

A man who knows that the entire world is a single system can begin to correct himself. But what about people who know nothing about it and continue to act incorrectly within the system, harming all the rest?

My Answer: We have to continue our efforts to explain it to them, and the more they understand what is needed for the correct actions, the better off all of us will be.

You have to see the world as part of yourself that’s not yet corrected and therefore seems external to you. However, if you correct it, you will attach yourself to it and feel it as your own part. That’s how it is revealed.
If you truly feel how deeply you are dependent on others, then at that same instant, you will discover that all of them are parts of you, but still out of your control. They’re like your own children, whom you feel as an inseparable part of you, although they disobey you and don’t want to be together with you.

Thus you reveal that all of the souls, all of humanity are parts of your own soul. But you are being purposefully misled by feeling that they are apart from you, that they are strangers. Otherwise, correction would be impossible. If I had felt the entire world as part of me to begin with, I would not have been able to correct anything. My sensation of them being strangers, that there’s distance that separates us, is precisely the reason why it’s easy for me to correct them. If I felt these parts within me, it would be terrible and a very hard thing to do; I wouldn’t be able to touch them.

That’s why the Creator “pulled” them outside of me and gave me an opportunity to relate to them as to strangers. If I wish to bring them closer to me and to receive good influence back from them - that means I’m correcting them. Such an illusion of separation between myself and strangers serves the purpose of my correction, but in reality, they are my own inseparable parts.

Use Your Knowledge To Gently Guide People To The Source of All Religions

2009-06-29T13:13:00.000-07:00

I am a member of a Chile group; I work as a teacher at the University of Protestant Theology, and have a PhD in Practical Theology. The inner conflict that I have been going through relates to my analysis of everything that I have studied for the last 7 years. I understand that Kabbalah should not interfere with my work as a teacher, but it can’t last indefinitely.

I do teach Christian theology, philosophy, Islam and Orthodox Judaism. My path brings me to a conflict with my friends at work, who consider themselves to be wise. I have decided to openly declare my commitment and endorsement of Kabbalah, as only the divine wisdom, capable of correcting the heart. Today, I handed our newspaper across the department and explained to them my view. A lot is at stake, so here’s my question: “What do your think about my actions?”

My Answer: I am concerned with your future at the university, and more precisely, with your source of income. I understand, that you can’t remain professionally what you were, before you came to Kabbalah.

I recommend that you start writing comparative research articles, portraying Kabbalah as the source of all religions, while underscoring the similarities and not the differences. It would add purpose to religion (bestowal and love of fellow man) and help guide people to the means of correction. I wouldn’t criticize religions and would even stay away from them!

You’re Responsible For Seven Billion Children

2009-06-28T08:05:00.000-07:00

How will people as a whole develop the desire to unite? Other than suffering, what will rouse this desire in them?

My Answer: We are in an absolute and inseparable connection with each other, in a complete mutual guarantee. This state is designed by nature without our consent, and we have no choice.

Imagine that you have bought an apartment in a building with 50 neighbors, and when you signed the contract, you were unaware that you agreed to be in a mutual guarantee with all the neighbors. Now you are responsible for everything that happens in these 50 families.

This means that if one of them commits an offense, you will be held responsible and taken to jail instead of him. You will be held responsible for everyone. This is the reality of a mutual guarantee.

Humanity must realize that this agreement for an absolute and complete mutual guarantee is currently pressuring us and that every person is responsible for the whole planet. What can we do against this extremely difficult and irrevocable agreement? After all, being responsible for everyone is unbearable! People will feel that there is no choice other than through their own will to connect to others in the correct, good way. However, the whole problem is that we will not be allowed to do this.

Even when we develop the understanding of the need and the desire to unite, and all the governments consent to this at some meeting (like the G20), even then every person individually, as well as entire nations, will discover their inability to unite. Although everyone will seem to realize the hopelessness of the present state, at the same time there will be no opportunities to unite. This is the revelation of a foreign force over us.

It is as though someone from above is purposely building obstacles, tripping us, and not allowing us to achieve what we desire, in spite of all of our efforts and against all logic. And then “they will cry out from this work.” When this occurs, the third force will be revealed: one who wishes to come out of this state must use the Light from the Source in order to replace the hatred in him with love and to begin to love that which he hated previously.

We don’t even realize how much we hate the Creator currently, how distant we are from Him and opposite in our qualities. It is hard to believe that love for Him is even possible. After all, it is He who created everything bad in this world and placed us in the lowest state.

We hate Him specifically and no one else, since “There is None Else Beside Him.” And from precisely this point that every person needs to reach in his personal development, we need to completely turn everything in the opposite direction, and begin to love.

Attaining The REAL Reality

2009-06-27T11:27:00.000-07:00

AR Second Life”- “Massive Multiplayer Online Worlds (MMO) are persistent virtual environments where people play, experiment and socially interact. In this research project, we demonstrate that MMOs also provide a powerful platform for Augmented Reality (AR) applications. We introduce the notion of AR Stages, persistent, evolving spaces which encapsulate AR experiences in online three dimensional virtual worlds. Based on the 3D virtual world Second Life, our custom client software blends together locations in physical space with corresponding places in the Second Life virtual space and leverages the power of the MMO to create a powerful AR authoring environment targeted at a wide audience. We examine the technology necessary to integrate AR in MMOs as well as work flows and user interactions to keep such a system accessible and easy to use.”

My Comment: The only thing is that man will outgrow these possibilities, and they will not satisfy him. Then, he will come to see the necessity of experiencing real revelation through attainment of the Upper World!

The Search For An Intelligent Plan In The Universe

2009-06-26T08:21:00.000-07:00

Math Professor Looking to Mathematical Theories for Clues on Origins and Future of Life in the Universe” - Louis Crane, Kansas State University professor of mathematics, is studying new theories about why the universe is the way it is. He has a grant from the Foundational Questions Institute to study new approaches to the quantum theory of gravity, his primary research area as both a mathematician and a physicist. Crane hopes to uncover implications of these theories for the origin and the future of life.

My Comment: Essentially, scientific development should lead to discovery of necessity of the common, upper, single force which includes in itself all matter, energy, information, space, time and processes. It doesn’t matter how it is called – the Creator or Nature. According to Kabbalah, the Creator and Nature are the same.

Altering The Future Generation Through Kabbalah

2009-06-25T06:55:00.000-07:00

For years, genes have been considered the one and only way biological traits could be passed down through generations of organisms. Increasingly, biologists are finding that non-genetic variation acquired during the life of an organism can sometimes be passed on to offspring—a phenomenon known as epigenetic inheritance…The main question now is: How often does it happen? “The analysis of these data shows that epigenetic inheritance is ubiquitous …,” write Eva Jablonka and Gal Raz, both of Tel-Aviv University in Israel.

My Comment: This is precisely what Kabbalah states: our environment influences our thoughts and desires, which in turn influence our behavior, and our behavior alters the genes of the following generations. See Baal HaSulam’s “The Freedom.”

It turns out that our thoughts and desires shape our offspring, and over the course of many centuries a human being becomes a consequence not only of the original genes, but also of the way of life (the thoughts and the desires) that his ancestors chose for themselves.

Biology illustrates to us the fact that Kabbalah is not a theoretical science, like philosophy. It is a way to selectively change ourselves and the world

Revelation Of The Creator Is Perception Of Eternal Life

2009-06-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

Having a Higher Purpose in Life Reduces Risk of Death among Older Adults” - Possessing a greater purpose in life is associated with lower mortality rates among older adults according to a new study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center. After adjusting for age, sex, education and race, a higher purpose of life was associated with a substantially reduced risk of mortality. Thus, a person with high purpose in life was about half as likely to die over the follow-up period compared to a person with low purpose.

My Comment: And those who possess the spiritual goal to attain revelation of the Creator in this life, reach not only longevity but also possession and perception of eternal life.

We Really Can Do Something About The Weather!

2009-06-23T07:25:00.000-07:00

North Atlantic is world’s ‘climate superpower‘” Today’s climate is changing most dramatically in the far North Atlantic, with record warming and ice loss in recent years. If the climate’s “tipping point” resides in these waters, then nature’s synchronized chaos could unleash unexpectedly sudden and severe consequences.

My Comments: Weather is controllable. It is a negative reaction that reflects our non conformance with the Common Nature - the Creator and His law of balance. The law of balance means that we are to be equivalent to Him on all levels of our existence, expressed by such behaviors as consumption of only the necessities and in aspiring to benevolent connection between us as well as the surrounding Nature. Finally, we will wise up after having experienced the myriad of troubles coming our way, reaching an understanding that this is the Creator’s intelligent treatment of us – and we will then unwillingly correct ourselves.

Banks Continuing Egoism Will Deepen The Crisis

2009-06-22T09:21:00.000-07:00

Germany Blasts ‘Powers of the Fed’“ German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in a rare public rebuke of central banks, suggested the European Central Bank and its counterparts in the U.S. and Britain have gone too far in fighting the financial crisis and may be laying the groundwork for another financial blowup.

My Comment: Whether they like it or not, if the financial systems remain completely egoistic as they are, it cannot lead to anything other than the deepening of the crisis. This descent will continue, possibly with some fluctuations, until we come to the complete realization of the need to change our relations among each other to being good and trustworthy.

Will The Crisis Bring Us Closer To Marxism?

2009-06-21T09:02:00.000-07:00

Wouldn’t you agree that Kabbalah is very similar to Marxism? Are you really endorsing Marxism, when it had failed so miserably in Russia?

My Comment: Marxism failed because the method of transitioning to an altruistic regime is comprised of two conflicting processes that were not handled correctly. According to Kabbalah, you must first restrict a desire, and then acquire a screen (the intention to bestow) over it.

The first part of the transition is to end the old egoistic social regime. The only way to move away from it is by either hating it or the people in authority. To this end, it is necessary to suppress altruism in the masses, whose nature is to suffer and compromise.

The second part of the transition is to altruistically develop the masses in order to move closer to creating an altruistic society. Marx knew that the tactic must shift midway from an egoistic destruction of the past to an altruistic creation of the future. After all, an altruistic society is only possible if it is built on an altruistic foundation, and in order to do this, it is necessary to prepare (educate) the masses.

What happened in Russia was that Marxism only completed the first part – the dethronement. But it could not educate the masses so as to replace the egoism that was instilled in the initial dethronement, and to transform it to altruism – the foundation for a collective regime.

The only way to change people’s behavior diametrically, from egoism to altruism, is by educating the masses and nurturing the realization that this change is necessary. Only after that can the new society be implemented.

Do you remember how the entire world held their breath, waiting to see a successful establishment of the Soviet regime – the second part of the correction? If they would have succeeded in this, then the entire world would have adopted the collective regime by now. However, the egoistic direction of the first part of the transition became destructive for the collective regime of the second part.

Conclusion: In our times, the revelation of Nature’s laws is making the need for a collective regime more and more apparent. By failing to observe Nature’s laws, we only draw greater suffering upon ourselves. Therefore, we must give practical and scientific examples to people and an explanation of the fact that egoism is destructive. This must continue until the masses begin to understand. We should not oppose mankind, but its egoism. In the end, our message is unity, bestowal and love!

You Can’t Force Your Spouse To Be Interested In Kabbalah

2009-06-20T08:30:00.000-07:00

How does a woman’s spiritual development depend on a man? I am a man, and the study of Kabbalah is my entire life. However, my wife watches sitcoms and thinks mostly about how to make more money. For the sake of saving our marriage she sometimes watches Channel 66 (“The Kabbalah Channel”) together with me, and even reads your blog. But nothing goes in. Can I “pull” her onto my level? I need her and we have two very young children, but on the other hand I want to devote myself completely to Kabbalah.

My Answer: Each person receives an aspiration to reveal the Upper World (a point in the heart) individually from above. You have no right to force your wife to be interested in Kabbalah.

If she allows you to study Kabbalah in your free time, then you must agree to all of her other conditions. In addition, you should show her how grateful you are to her for this. This will help you in your spiritual development and in working with your egoism.

How To Stop The Violence Among Our Youth

2009-06-19T05:14:00.000-07:00

You are saying that the egoism of the young generation cannot be stopped: an 11-year old child can stab another child. Where is this going? What will happen in ten to fifteen years, when these 10-year-old children will be 20 years old?

My Answer: First of all, children don’t feel obligated to follow our laws because they cannot be punished. They cannot be brought to court because of their age. So what will happen? As a child grows older, the protective force grows in him, as well as fear, the need to live in the world as a grown-up. So, one thing that would help is if we treated them like grown-ups.

But in truth, our laws are not suitable for children. There should be legal regulations for every age group, and they should be separate for boys and for girls. We should know what to demand of them and how to punish them. They should see what the right form of behavior is according to the system of reward and punishment.

A child should know this - this is a true system of upbringing. It is a system that can work against the cruel animalistic nature of human beings and is able to form or create a real person. For each action, there should be a corresponding reaction. This is how a mother raises an infant: she gives him incentive for one thing and punishment for another.

This is how we have to mold the “clay.” And children will understand this, since they are “clay” that contains the desire to receive pleasure. We can influence this desire by telling it: if you take on this form, you will receive something sweet, and if you take on a different form, you will feel bitterness. This is how we can create a human being.

However, if we permit him to do anything he wants to and suggest negative forms of behavior, such as the ones children learn from cruel, disgusting games where people kill each other, and if this is what they see on the TV and the Internet and there is no punishment for this from the society, then what will be the result of this kind of upbringing? An adorable infant will grow to become a miserable child.

So, we must first educate the parents about the process of creating a system of upbringing for their children. Otherwise, the next generation will surely be even worse than the previous one.

Man Is To Blame For Abnormal Behaviors In Nature

2009-06-18T08:58:00.000-07:00

Abnormal behavior of the Sun, observed in recent years, doesn’t fit any of the existing models and is fraught with unpredictable consequences. The anomaly seems endless. We see increasing evidence of fundamental misunderstanding by modern science of processes happening in stars in general and in the Sun, in particular.

My Comment: Man, as the highest being of Nature, influences the behavior of the still, vegetative and animate levels of Nature with his desires and thoughts. The behavior of the Sun and Nature as a whole are rooted in man’s behavior – therefore, we shouldn’t expect good results!

The Control Of Our Future Is Beyond Predictions

2009-06-17T05:43:00.000-07:00

What does Kabbalah say about the year 2012 which many claim will bring about important phenomena?

My Answer: Kabbalah has nothing to say about this. Baal HaSulam used to say that beginning in 1995 Kabbalah would be revealed to the whole world and that people would begin to demand it, realizing that it is meant to correct life.

The placement of the stars and other signs in Nature point to the fact that various processes may occur. However, Kabbalah does not discuss them, not because it doesn’t believe in them, but because everything depends upon our actions, our correction. Everything that happens in the future, be it positive or negative, depends upon what we do at each given moment.

Therefore, at every given moment one must strive to bring the whole world to complete correction, thereby determining his future, including the year 2012.

All the prophets and oracles speak of the world’s advancement toward its goal via the path of Nature meaning through suffering and without man’s participation. However, a person has the capability to change everything. Consider that all the signs that we perceive with regard to the future pertain to the inanimate level of Nature. But we are three steps above that (inanimate - vegetative - animate - human), and it is within our power to be above the stars and their signs.

Kabbalah teaches us the ability to completely control our fate, abolishing any dangers from Nature on any of its levels! In fact, this is how we realize our freedom of will.

2009-06-16T09:43:00.000-07:00

You often use the word “harmony.” What do you mean by it?

My Answer: The harmony of humanity refers to the correct interconnection between people and governments within society.

This interconnection will create normally functioning economical, political, military, educational, family, and other systems, which are currently in crisis.

It is necessary to bring humanity to a state of inner harmony, without which its survival is impossible, as we have revealed that the destruction of previous relationships has led to this multifaceted crisis.

Economics, politics, education, family, society, business, and trade are all formed by people and are based on human relationships. Suddenly we discover that we have built them on an egoistic basis, and the altruistic basis is now being revealed , to which we do not correspond. Nothing that was previously created now works.

We see this as a crisis of institutions. But in actuality, this is a crisis of our interrelationships. Today we need to amend the institutions that we have created. Nature has placed us in such a position of dependency on each other that we are obliged to change ourselves in accordance to Nature’s new demands: create a system of complete and harmonious interconnection.

US Schools Are Creating Worker Robots, Not Human Beings

2009-06-15T07:52:00.000-07:00

Forty-six U.S. states have announced that they will design a unified child education program, spanning from kindergarten through high school. The goal is to work out a unified standard suitable for institutions of higher education the world over. The main indicator of success will be “competitiveness at the international level.”

My Comment: This program might, in the end, completely stifle a child’s ingenuity. Why are our schools so unsuccessful?

With the emergence of mass in-line production at the turn of the 19th century, wherein man and machine supplemented and replaced one another, its creator, American engineer Frederick Taylor, placed the organization of machine and human labor on the same footing.
The factory workers necessarily became replaceable machine parts.

After the invention of the conveyor belt by Henry Ford, there arose a need to train factory workers faster, as though on a human conveyor belt.
This need fueled the formation of the modern school system: separate stages called “grades,” where children are grouped strictly by age. The children are expected to climb from grade to grade in the allotted time. Every class has an overseer, a “teacher,” precise divisions in time, bells, breaks, and so on.

The result are schools that are isolated from life, created with the purpose of churning out factory workers akin to the interchangeable soldiers for the army of Friedrich the Great. The principle of education has remained the same to this day. School provides very little knowledge (graduates leave school retaining only about 5% of what they had been taught), but in no way does it make a child into a person.

This is the core of all of society’s problems: the upbringing we give our children determines the society we create.

Even The Wealthy And Elite Of The World Cannot Escape The Crisis

2009-06-14T09:40:00.000-07:00

The Bilderberg Group (an unofficial, annual, invitation-only collection of persons of influence in the fields of politics, business, and banking) has held another one of its conferences in Greece. This time the atmosphere at the conference was gloomy: the world situation is deteriorating to such an extent that it is threatening to spin out of control.

Over the years, they have been carrying out a deliberate dismantling of the world economy. This current economic crisis may bring about hunger or pandemics that may lead to a reduction in the world population by as much as two-thirds. Suffice it to say, the consequences for even the wealthy and elite would be unpredictable.

My Comment: The anxiety and disarray of the world elite ought to bring it to the only realistic solution – the acceptance of the science of Kabbalah as the method for correcting the world. No matter how absurd it may sound, the moment we delve into this method we will discover that it was prescribed precisely for our time!

The science of Kabbalah was to be revealed to humanity only twice: in ancient Babylon and in our time, when the global interconnectedness of humankind is becoming apparent. Its revelation now is in order to give us the means of bringing ourselves into harmony with Nature. If we don’t use it, humanity is doomed!

Advancing Along The Path Of The Earth

2009-06-13T10:07:00.000-07:00

The world has to reach equilibrium, and only then it will come to rest. Throughout our long history we have developed because of our growing egoism. Its growth has caused our dissatisfaction to the extent of suffering, and this has forced us develop.

But by entering the last stage of this development, we have come to realize that we are interconnected and interdependent. Our further existence depends on our mutually beneficial coexistence, otherwise, our lives will be similar to existing within a hateful family. And in spite of that, in the end we will still have to attain the state of good relations with each other.

Kabbalah is intended specifically to show to us how to change our mutual relations from egoistic to altruistic, not by force through blows and suffering, but voluntarily, willingly, quickly, and easily.

Thus, there is the path of suffering (egoistic) and the good path (altruistic). However, it is most likely that in our lives, we will advance along both paths, which is the middle path called the “path of the earth.”

School Daze: How to Help Form A Human

2009-06-12T09:17:00.000-07:00

Today’s school children are also taught to share and to contribute, but once they go out into the world, they come under the influence of a different set of values. What should we add to the existing educational system, in order to form a person, and not a professional?

My Answer: An ordinary modern school cannot raise a person, nor instill in him or her the correct attitude towards others. The only way to do this is with the help of the right environment (society), which we first need to create around students.

None of the schools that currently exist in the world set such a goal for themselves. Children all around the world are taught to succeed in passing formal tests, winning in competitive struggles, and stepping over others. Their compass is set to make them succeed, to acquire a profession for the greatest profit.

This used to work in the times of a competitive society. However, we now find ourselves in an integral society that functions according to the law: “the strongest does not prevail (above others); rather, the one who is united with the rest wins (together with all).” Therefore, there is a need to form a different kind of man: not everyone’s adversary, but everyone’s friend.

Forming such a person is against our egoistic nature. Therefore, what is needed is a special method (the Science of Kabbalah) and the means (the Correcting Force). Otherwise, people will once again pervert the idea of unity and start calling for the “Proletarians of all countries, unite!”; they will once again start building socialism or kibbutzim. Our egoism cannot come up with anything better than that.

Therefore, the proper upbringing is society’s number one problem. If it is not resolved, society will not be able to reform itself as Nature demands. Such reform can only be achieved by applying Kabbalistic principles.

We Are Hardwired Into The Eternal Circuit Of Nature

2009-06-11T07:53:00.000-07:00

I don’t understand what’s so bad with globalization? I had a cake brought to me in America from Italy - the whole world is a small village, and isn’t that good? What’s wrong in this example with the cake?

My Answer: It’s an example of how humanity makes a calculation based on the small private profit of an individual, unmindful of the rest of Nature. Obviously, such a calculation will be incorrect, for it cannot be the case that half of humanity will gorge themselves on cake brought to them across the ocean, while the other half of humanity will starve, lacking even moldy bread. If we are talking about universal balance, equality and unity, then each person must receive only what he needs to live.

First, however, we need to reveal Nature on the global level and the Upper, universal force that conducts Nature. We must discover how we are a part of it, permeated by it, and how mutually connected we are to it in our thoughts and desires. Each one of us is like a transistor in a giant electronic circuit. We are hardwired into it! If each of us feels that we are inside Nature, inside the Creator- then we will be able to make the right calculation.

In other words, each person must first feel the desire to learn how to unite with the Creator and with the entire universe in order to make the proper calculations. First there’s adhesion, after that – calculation, and only then – action. Therefore, first and foremost we need to listen and to learn. We have already done enough damage by acting without the proper calculation.

How To Move From Darkness Into Light

2009-06-10T08:58:00.000-07:00

How can one reveal the whole system of reality and make the right calculation? After all, even physicists with the most up-to-date computers at their disposal cannot determine the exact location of an electron at the next given millisecond. And what does it mean to completely reveal the universe?

My Answer: Of course, physicists acting within matter cannot know what will happen in the next moment. This is especially true if they delve so deeply into their studies that the borderline between matter, waves, and other forms of existence fades; and they start to be confused with the concepts of time, motion, and space. At this borderline our senses stop perceiving phenomena.

True reality is revealed in the form of forces that control Nature. These positive and negative forces unite at their source, which is called the Upper Force. Knowledge of it provides the basis for us to make the correct calculation.

Our world is a consequence of the forces that descend into it from above. Therefore, if we do not rise to a higher degree, we will forever remain here in the dark. We will never know why anything happens as it does, and we will always make mistakes! And with these mistakes, we will not even understand in what direction we are erring.

However, if we wish to exist correctly in this world, as compelled by nature, then we are able to do this only by rising to the next degree. This means revealing the general force that acts in nature and discovering the mechanism of its influence on all parts of the universe. This will allow us to make our every action in balance with the all-encompassing force of nature and live more positively.

This general force (called the Upper Force, Nature or the Creator) shows us through its blows that we have made an incorrect calculation and have gotten off track. In this manner, it forces us to rise to its own degree. But if we fail to rise to the level of the Upper Force, we will have horrible suffering ahead.

The Need For One Global Educational Program

2009-06-09T09:20:00.000-07:00

Global Warming Forecast to Leave Half the World Hungry by 2100” Climate change will desiccate crop yields in the tropics and subtropics by the end of this century, leaving half the world’s population facing a food crisis. The area at risk stretches from the southern United States to northern Argentina and southern Brazil, from northern India and southern China to southern Australia and all of Africa.

My Comment: These people will be forced to leave their lands and move north. But will the developed countries withstand such an influx? And if yes, how? Perhaps by using nuclear weapons, as Baal HaSulam writes in the article “The Last Generation”?

The source of all our problems is that we disconnect ourselves from nature, thinking that all existence is split into “man” and “the environment.” This view of nature makes us think of everything around us as a supplement to man.

Even when we do care for the environment, it is only for our own narrow gain, with no regard for the holistic system of nature. Violating this closed system of nature evokes its negative reaction to us. And since we are a product of nature, we end up suffering on all levels of our existence.

Therefore, we must replace all of our educational programs, such as “Saving the environment,” with educational programs such as, “Man is an integral part of nature.” After all, the solution lies not in cleaning water from pollution or restoring the ecosystem, but in creating a single system, where everything is “One Nature,” instead of “man and nature.” Hence, there must be only one educational program, just as Nature is one. We must imitate living organisms and use them as models for how to organize our lives as a single whole.

The Realization Of Love Your Neighbor Will Save Us From Destruction

2009-06-08T09:32:00.000-07:00

Why do we need all these blows if it is entirely not obvious that they have to do with the connection between people and love for one’s neighbor?

My Answer: This is not obvious only for those who have not yet discovered the connection between everyone and between all the parts of the world in general. Only 0.1% of the people on the planet are saying that the current economic crisis is meant to reveal the connection between people. Everyone else is still unaware of the fact that people’s relationships in particular influence the economy, the outbreaks of epidemics, and of the tsunamis, earthquakes, and other calamities of Nature.

However, if the connection between our relationships and our suffering becomes evident, people will have no choice but to reject their egoistic relationships.

Question: So then why doesn’t the Creator deal the finishing blows of suffering on us, so that we could realize His plan?

My Answer: There is no doubt that if the cause of tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, and the collapse of financial institutions was revealed to us as being clearly dependent on our behavior, we would change out of necessity. Even so, this change would not come willingly, but rather under duress. We would make the necessary changes merely to save ourselves from destruction and not for the purpose of coming to the realization of the greatness of bestowal and love for our neighbor.

It would be an animalistic escape from death, rather than a free choice that is made to rise above one’s nature to become similar to the Creator, even though the Creator could have created us this way right from the start.

In order to fulfill the Creator’s plan for us, we must undergo the gradual development that will bring us to the realization of the greatness of bestowal and love for our neighbor.

Recognizing The Good In What Appears To Be Bad

2009-06-07T08:30:00.000-07:00

He expects that only good things are going to happen to him, and never the bad. Today all of humanity looks at life this way. The world is suffering through one crisis after another, more and more problems befall us, but no one stops to consider that perhaps there is a purpose to it all. Everyone thinks that all of these events are accidental.

In other words, we are not learning from our experience. We are not cognizant that we are the reason for these events.

In our current state this problem is revealed more and more acutely: from this point forward, the only way we can progress is by uniting together as one.

And this is possible only by drawing the Upper Force—the Creator. That is why it is so important to disseminate the knowledge of how to utilize this upper force of Nature. Only then will every person be able to learn about good in what first appears to be bad.

“The Crisis Will Cleanse Us,” Says Russia’s Chief Auditor

2009-06-06T08:35:00.000-07:00

Crisis To Cleanse Russian Society, Says Country’s Chief Auditor” The Current economic and financial crisis will cleanse Russian society and will help create “an economy of happiness,” Sergei Stepashin, the chairman of the Audit Chamber says in an interview published by the Moscow-based Nezavissimaya Gazeta daily Wednesday. “I’m sure we’ll create an economy of the future, an economy of happiness for our people after we go through the cleansing with the aid of this crisis,” Stepashin says. He sees “a loss of connection” between business and morality as a major root-cause of the crisis. “We’ll get out of the crisis when we tie up economic activity to morals and business, to morality,” Stepashin says.

My Comment: Overall, he is right. But what do we have to do in order to attain the bright future about which he speaks? Kabbalah says that the only thing we have to do is to change man’s nature, which is something that can only be done by means of the force that created man.

The force that reforms human nature can only be attracted using a special method - Kabbalah. This is why the science of Kabbalah is known as “The work of God” - because it gives us the opportunity to draw the force of the Creator (Nature’s Upper Force) that will correct us. This is the only way we can succeed!

Today, Hyperactivity Is The Norm

2009-06-06T08:32:00.000-07:00

“History of hyperactivity off-base, says researcher” Matthew Smith [a Canadian researcher] says many today assert that hyperactivity is a universal phenomenon, and say evidence of hyperactivity can be seen in historical figures such as Mozart or Einstein. Smith argues that hyperactivity, as we understand it is rooted in social, cultural, political and economic changes of the last half century.

My Comment: Kabbalah explains that the increased activity of children is caused by humanity’s growing egoism, and this is now the norm. What we must change are the educational norms and systems, so they will be in line with egoistic growth.

Kabbalah gives us knowledge about human nature, which is egoistic, and thus allows us to develop the correct approach to the problems of growth and maturation, in children and adults alike.

Financial Crisis Sets Back Competitiveness Of The US And Other Nations Worldwide

2009-06-05T09:49:00.000-07:00

“Denmark finishes first in stress test on competitiveness, Unites States comes in 28th” The stress test is an analysis of which countries are better equipped to fare through the crisis and improve their competitiveness in the near future … Despite finishing first in the overall World Competitiveness Yearbook rankings, the United States finishes 28th, underlining the concern of the market with the depth of the crisis and the time that it will take to solve it.

Between the 18th and 30th positions comes the group of larger exporting nations led by China (18th), and which includes Taiwan (21st), Brazil (22nd), Germany (24th), Japan (26th) and Korea (29th). Ireland (25th) could have been higher in terms of resilience but the suddenness and the magnitude of the real estate and the financial crisis have probably taken the country aback.

The UK (34th) is in a disquieting position; just as is France (44th), Italy (47th) and Spain (50th), stressing how much the recovery in these countries may be hampered by structural rigidities.

Russia, in 51st position may not have had enough years of economic growth to consolidate the structure of its economy and to create the necessary buffer to cope with a crisis of this magnitude.

My Comment: Nature is swiftly pushing us to look for a solution, and the regular means won’t do the job. This is obvious to all the leaders, political and economic alike.

The solution lies on the social plane: we have to change the social relations. For the first time in history, this is possible, because, as the proverb says, “hunger drives the wolf out of the woods.” Any country that will accept the method of egoism’s correction from egoism to altruism (which must be done through education, not coercion) will set an example for the whole world.

“Altruism” Is Genetic, And Therefore Egoistic

2009-06-04T08:31:00.000-07:00

Oxytocin and the genetics of altruism” In the study, “The Oxytocin Receptor (OXTR) Contributes to Prosocial Fund Allocations in the Dictator Game and the Social Value Orientations Task,” by Salomon Israel and colleagues, the researchers measured altruism in 200 students, based on how each chose to divide a pool of money with another unknown individual. Their hypothesis, based on various past studies, was that the hormone oxytocin is important for social interactions in general and for human altruism in particular.

My Comment: It is impossible for a person to do anything that is not for personal gain. This is what our instinct dictates, similar to how it makes us care for our children and fellow countrymen. Everything is controlled by a program - one that is egoistic. What the researchers are seeing are the external expressions of this program, which is encoded inside us. They are observing the program when it is realized in matter - in the biological and genetic material.

Kabbalah, on the other hand, teaches us how to correct the program itself. And the method to doing this is also pre-programmed by nature. Doing anything else will only bring about a resistance from nature, which will be externally expressed as disasters, crises and suffering.

What Is The Soul?

2009-06-03T08:13:00.000-07:00

You claim that our souls determine the state of the world, which presumes that we have great wisdom and experience. On the other hand, you say that we are like animals and that there’s nothing left of us after our bodies die. What does that say about our wise soul which determines its future incarnations?

My Answer: The soul is the property of bestowal. If you have acquired this quality through the study of Kabbalah in this life, then you have a soul, and you feel your eternal existence through it. But if you haven’t acquired it, you will have to return to this world to do it.

A Story About Joe Smith And Global Interdependence

2009-06-03T08:11:00.000-07:00

Joe Smith began his day by waking up to the sound of the alarm clock (made in Japan). While the coffee was brewing in the coffeemaker (made in China), he shaved using a razor (made in Hong Kong). He then put on his boxers (made in Sri Lanka), jeans (made in Singapore) and running shoes (made in Korea).

After making breakfast using an electric grill (made in India), he took out his calculator (made in Mexico) to see what his budget for the day was. After verifying the time on his watch (made in Taiwan) against the time on the radio (made in India), he got into his car (made in Germany), filled it up with gas (made in Saudi Arabia) and took off to search for a well-paying American job.

Back home after another unsuccessful day, Joe sat down at his computer (made in Malaysia) to relax a little. He put on his slippers (made in Brazil), poured himself a glass of wine (made in France) and then turned on the TV (made in Indonesia) wondering why it is that he can’t find himself a well-paying job in America. However, he hopes that the American president – made in Kenya – can help him!

My Comment: And if Joe were to examine the constituent parts of all the above products, he would realize that their production involved all the countries of the world!

Humanity Is A Closed System

2009-06-02T09:41:00.000-07:00

We are all connected together in the system of souls as one. But how can we have a positive influence on the collective consciousness, which is full of hatred?

My Answer: To do this, we have to feel that we don’t have a choice, that we are getting close to self-annihilation, to a life that is worse than death, and that we can’t avoid this. This feeling will make people want to connect to others. People’s nature, the egoistic desire to receive pleasure, will drive them to it. People will desire this because it will be the only way to feel good.

Even now, we are capable of “giving for the sake of reception,” for example, when we pay for something we need at a shop. Even this simple transaction is a small sacrifice. There is no such thing in the animal kingdom or with little children. In other words, this does not come from our instincts.

However, every person has to understand that he has a responsibility to connect with others correctly. And people should make every effort they can to learn about the right connection. Humanity is a closed system, and like in every closed system, everything must be aimed at supporting and preserving unity, balance and harmony. If these are broken, then every member of the system will suffer. One part of the system cannot feel good at the expense of another.

This is the wisdom we have to teach people. Everyone in the world has to learn the new rules of conduct in the world we are living in today.

In Kabbalah, Seeing Is Believing

2009-06-01T10:37:00.000-07:00

How can you prove that your method is the only one that can realize the goal of creation?

My Answer:
1. I do not want to prove anything to anyone. Kabbalah conceals itself instead of attracting people to join its ranks. Only a person who truly desires it will reveal and study this wisdom. There is no coercion for anyone to come or leave, just as there are no limitations or prerequisites for the study of Kabbalah.

2. You are demanding for the future to be revealed, in order to have clear evidence that the study of Kabbalah is authentic. Yet, this would only be possible if the study happened at the level of this world. whereas the study of Kabbalah elevates a person higher. In Kabbalah, “to see” something means to actually feel it with your senses. If you are able to see and feel the final outcome, your future, without changing your perception, then the method you used did not change you. Therefore, this method does not make a person similar to the Creator.

3. “A person should always study where his heart desires,” “There is no coercion in spirituality,” “Teach a student according to his way,” and other similar proverbs of the Kabbalistic sages tell us that it is forbidden to persuade, convince, or prove anything to anyone. You can only show a person how to develop, so he will start to see the spiritual world on his own according to his level of development.

This is Kabbalah’s approach to a person’s development: there is no coercion, just examples. Any other method is considered coercive and does only harm to a person and to the world.

The Recipe For Happiness

2009-05-31T10:22:00.000-07:00

Am I correct to understand that those who study Kabbalah will end up happy because they will understand reality and will feel well. But those who don’t study it will be unhappy and will remain in the state of suffering and need. Is this true?

My Answer: It is true, but on the other hand, everyone is connected to everyone within the general system of the souls. Therefore, it is impossible for anyone to feel goodness as long as someone else feels evil.

A person encounters many obstacles in the process of correcting his egoistic nature. These obstacles include those caused by his connection to all people. On the other hand, the world must still experience more suffering in order to desire correction. There is no other way for humanity to advance.

Question: The change we have to make is to create new relationships with people, that will be based on love for one’s neighbor. Will this also solve the problems in the world that are caused by improper relationships between people?

My Answer: This is precisely what will revoke all the misfortunes in the world! There is no problem in the world other than the improper connection between people. When there is a lack of the right connection, the Creator is concealed, and when we reveal the right connection between us, we reveal Him.

The return of the right connection between people is called “the return of the Creator into the creation.” The connection between people is called the Creator, from the word Bore: Bo - come, and Re - see. We see Him inside the connection between us.

This is why the commandment to “Love your neighbor as yourself” is the most important commandment, encompassing all of man’s corrected actions.

Unity Among People Is Unique In Nature

2009-05-30T08:47:00.001-07:00

Why can’t our human society reach the state of mutual guarantee naturally, while staying on the animate level like cells in a body?

My Answer: A human being is far too complicated a creature to connect with others this way. Here’s why.

Egoism becomes qualitatively bigger on each level of nature, going from the still level, to the vegetative, to the animate, and the human. The bigger an object’s egoism, the more individualistic it is, and the more incapable it is of uniting with others. Therefore, as one develops, one feels more separate from others.

Nowadays, it’s not only the psychologists and sociologists, but also the economists and the politicians who are discovering that the world has become interconnected and therefore we - humanity - must unite. However, they believe that they are able to do this using a corporeal method, and that everything will settle down if only we create a world bank, a world government, a world upbringing, and a world-wide connection.

However, after having a few more meetings like the recent G20 summit, they will begin to understand that they lack the method to unite. Unfortunately, before they realize this, people may have to go through great suffering, including a lack of safety, a feeling of disorientation, total powerlessness, and universal grief. People cannot bear to be in a state of uncertainty, since constant alarm is worse than death. Our minds cannot function under such circumstances. Yet all of this may happen in order for us to realize that the only way to achieve unification among us is to rise above our egoistic nature.

This is not so on the still, vegetative, and animate levels, where all of nature and its parts are instinctively, naturally interconnected. They supplement each other and interact with each other harmoniously, without any freedom of choice or any decision-making.

Unification between people, however, can only be achieved when each person does it consciously. Unlike the other levels of nature, the Creator did not just make us unite by giving us instincts for this. Our unification is possible only if we acquire the quality of bestowal and love, where everyone participates and joins with everyone. To do this, we have to rise above ourselves and our egoism, and achieve the Biblical commandment of “love your neighbor as yourself.”

This is how the quality of the Creator will be revealed among us, and we will become similar to Him. We will then understand why He acted this way in regard to us.

Friends Are The Key To A Long, Healthy Life

2009-05-30T08:41:00.000-07:00

”What Are Friends For? A Longer Life” Researchers are only now starting to pay attention to the importance of friendship and social networks in overall health. A 10-year Australian study found that older people with a large circle of friends were 22 percent less likely to die during the study period than those with fewer friends. A large 2007 study showed an increase of nearly 60 percent in the risk for obesity among people whose friends gained weight. And last year, Harvard researchers reported that strong social ties could promote brain health as we age.

My Comment: This is because the energy of life lies in the unification of individuals. To the extent people unite as one whole, in spite of the egoism that pushes them away from each other, they become similar to the Unified Upper Force, the Creator, who is the Source of Life.

Let Us Open The Faucet Of Love For Each Other

2009-05-29T11:22:00.001-07:00

You say that if a person has a natural inclination to help the needy, this is not the same as loving others. Can you please explain what “loving others” means then?

My Answer: “Love of others” is a special quality that comes to a person during the correct study of Kabbalah. This quality enables a person to sense the interdependence between everyone and the need to fulfill others through himself. It is similar to a lover who wants to fill the object of his desire.

“Love of others” begins from its opposite – the revelation of hatred, rejection and separation from others. This is how one first feels when he reveals his complete dependence on others. It is as though the faucet that dispenses the air you breathe is under someone else’s control. One reveals that he is completely and utterly dependent on the whole world, and everyone is dependent on his kind behavior toward them. He reveals that he is the only one who determines his state by having good or bad relationships with the world.

Every day, this sensation of dependence grows and one becomes more reliant on others in order to receive basic necessities such as water, bread, work and security. This is how the global, integral system is revealed to us, and we start seeing the Butterfly Effect in action. At the same time, we also reveal our hatred toward each other and that our egoism produces this hatred in all people of this world!

The image of utter interdependence among all people that is being revealed to a person makes him desire to “open the faucet” for everyone. And this is what “love of others” is.

Conditions for Women's Spiritual Advancement

2009-05-27T14:47:00.000-07:00

Women need fewer conditions to advance spiritually than men do.

Kabbalah states that if a man wants to advance spiritually, he is obliged to marry and have a family. It is his responsibility to fulfill these obligations. Otherwise, he cannot advance spiritually.

A woman, on the other hand, can advance spiritually even if she is not a mother or a wife. Moreover, if she has the means for existence, she may also choose not to work. That is, in comparison to a man, a woman is relatively self-sufficient and can grow spiritually without many external conditions that apply to men. Thus, from the spiritual point of view, she is a considerably more perfect creature than a man.

A man has to overcome himself, to constantly convince himself that it's worth staying on the spiritual path. He is less susceptible to spiritual advancement than a woman, who naturally aspires toward everything spiritual. She is ready to accept, feel and understand all of the spiritual transformations that are happening in her. She yearns for this.

The need for the spiritual ascent is manifested much more in a woman. She feels unsatisfied with our world, disappointed in family and work. A man looks for foolish passions, such as football, beer, friends and so on, and then gets lost in them. He lives pursuing false goals. A woman is unable do this. She perceives emptiness more internally and acutely. She cannot appease herself with such petty goals and temporary painkillers. More often she embarks on a spiritual search and comes to study Kabbalah.

We see this happening all over the world. More than half of the 1.3 million students studying within the framework of the Kabbalah Institute are women.

Eve - Just a Tool in the Creator's Hands

2009-05-27T14:46:00.000-07:00

Adam and Eve are two forces of nature that were tricked by the Creator to perform the sin.

In the book of Genesis, Eve is depicted as treacherous, seducing and cunning, as breaking the laws. And Adam is a kind of martyr who is being led and tempted by a woman. Can we learn something from this about a man and a woman in our world?

As tempting as it is to say 'yes,' Adam and Eve do not describe a man and a woman of our world. They refer to spiritual forces which bestow (man) and receive (woman), meaning two forces of nature. This is, in fact, the Creator and the created being. The Bible talks about the connection between them, how the created being derives pleasure from the Creator, is filled by it and then becomes an egoist. This is the sin, the fall of the souls into this world and so on.

In other words, the story of Adam and Eve is about our highest spiritual roots and it isn't about a man and a woman. We are descendents of Adam and Eve, but they are the spiritual forces that gradually materialized and reached this world after thousands of steps.

In Eden, the female part called Eve wanted to become even more sanctified and to rise even more. Therefore, it wished to copulate with the male part and to ascend to the level of the Creator. This is what is written and that is what these forces - these souls - understood. In this manner, they become close to the Creator, to bestowal.

Eve didn't do anything wrong. She brought everything into development. Adam himself wasn't able to perform this sin, but with her help it was done. They were tricked into it by the Creator so that they would sin, because the whole chain of events has to come down into this material world. And from it, we have to reach the highest spiritual level once again.

Kabbalah Chronicles

2009-05-26T11:42:00.001-07:00

The Rambam (Maimonides) wrote that when the whole of humanity was deep in idol worship, one man could not go with the flow. His name was Abraham. He pondered and searched until he found the truth: that the world has only one leader. When he discovered this, he realized he had discovered life’s eternal truth and ran to tell the world. Since then, the world has had a method that reveals this truth. Today this method has a different name—“Kabbalah”—but it is essentially the same. If we open our hearts to it, it will teach us why things happen, and how to make them happen better.

Past
In Chapter One of The Mighty Hand, The Rambam (Maimonides) describes how there was a time when people knew that there was only one force governing the world. He explained that once they all forgot it, no one knew this truth, and people believed that there were many forces in the world, each with their own responsibilities—for food, reproduction, wealth, health, etc. But one man just couldn’t grasp how all these forces followed the same cycle and obeyed the same rules of appearance and disappearance, life and death. Through his research of nature, this man, whom we now know as Abraham, discovered that there was really only one force, and all other things are partial manifestations of it.

Once he discovered this, he began to spread the word. Challenged by having to explain a concept that contradicted everything his contemporaries believed, Abraham was forced to develop a teaching method that would help him reveal it to them. This was the prototype of the teaching method we now call “Kabbalah” (from the Hebrew word Lekabel, to receive). Today, Kabbalah teaches us how to discover the single guiding force, and by doing so, receive infinite joy and pleasure.

But Abraham's discovery was no coincidence; it was perfectly timed to counter an outbreak of egoism and selfishness that threatened to destroy the state of love and unity that humanity had been living in up to that point. This is what the Bible means by the words, “And the whole earth was of one language and of one speech” (Genesis 11:1).

Unity, or altruism, is a powerful force—it can make its users invincible. Up to the time of the Tower of Babel, this was the natural way of life. Everyone knew about the one force and were united with it. People experienced it as part of their lives, and didn’t need to work on their unity because they had no egoism separating them. This is what the Bible means by “one language” and “one speech.”

But as soon as they began to develop egoism, they wanted to use their most powerful tool—unity—for their own benefit. This prompted the Creator’s concern: “The Lord said, ‘Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. …and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them’” (Genesis 11:6).

To save humanity from its own egoism, the Creator, the single force discovered by Abraham, could do one of two things: disperse humanity and thus prevent a catastrophic clash of self-interest, or teach people how to overcome their egoism.

The latter option had an important benefit: by learning how to unite despite their growing egoism, people would gain deeper awareness of both themselves and their Creator. They would have to study the Creator because their present level of unity had collapsed under their new egoism. Therefore, they would have to obtain a greater “portion” of bonding straight from the source—the united force of nature, or the Creator. And to do that, they would have to enhance their knowledge of Him.

This is why the Creator revealed Himself to Abraham. This is also why Abraham was such an enthusiastic disseminator of his method. He knew that time was of the essence: either he taught his people how to unite, or they would be dispersed.

As we learn from both the Bible and the ancient Hebrew text, Midrash Raba, Parasha 38, the Babylonians spurned Abraham's offer. He then fled from Babylon and began to teach while roaming “from town to town and from kingdom to kingdom, until he arrived at the Land of Israel” (Maimonides, The Mighty Hand, Idolatry Rules, Chapter 1).

Despite many hardships and challenges, Abraham’s teachings gained some support, and those who supported him helped him share the knowledge with others, filling the ranks with “new recruits.” In time, one lone fighter for truth had grown into a nation whose name symbolizes the one thing they had in common: “the nation of Israel.” Israel, as the great Kabbalist Ramchal explains in his Commentary on the Writings, is a combination of two words: Yashar (straight) and El (God). The people of Israel are those who have one desire in their hearts: to be like the Creator, united by altruism, as opposed to their Babylonian contemporaries.

The collapse of the Tower of Babel was not, however, the end of the story, but only the beginning. Humanity’s egoism continued to grow because the Creator still wanted people to overcome it, and thus gain a deeper awareness of themselves and the Creator. For those who wanted to remain egoists, this would mean even greater alienation. New nations formed and new technologies created new weapons. These were intended to guard nations from each other or to subjugate them. But for those who wanted to overcome their egoism and unite despite it, an upgrade of their method was necessary.

This was Moses’ cue. As in the case of Babel, the solution to the intensifying egoism was to escape it. But Pharaoh wasn’t simply an evil king. He actually brought Israel (those who want the Creator) closer to the Creator. In Kabbalah, Pharaoh is the epitome of egoism, and the only way to escape him is to unite since, as we’ve seen before, unity makes you invincible because it makes you closer to the Creator. To defeat Pharaoh, Moses returned to Egypt after his escape, united the people around the same idea that Abraham promoted many years previously, and once again helped the people to escape.

But this time, Israel defeated a much more powerful egoism. Pharaoh was not like Nimrod, King of Babel; he could not be defeated by one determined man. Defeating Pharaoh would require a whole, united nation to overcome him. And because this would require a systematic teaching for a whole nation, Moses wrote five new books (The Pentateuch), which are basically an adaptation of Abraham’s teachings for an entire nation.

But this did not complete the Creator’s will. He wanted the whole world to know that there was only one force; this is why he taught it to Abraham, who then brought it to his fellow Babylonians. While Moses’ Torah was a big step forward, since it elevated a whole nation into contact with the Creator, it was not the end of the road. The end of the road will only come when the whole world is in touch with the Creator, experiencing the unity that the ancient Babylonians did, before the first outbreak of egoism. Put differently, the end of the road will arrive when all of humanity reclaims what it once had, and then lost. This reclamation is very important, since you can only reclaim something when you know what it is. This is indeed the goal of creation: to teach us who/what the Creator is, and to have us reclaim Him/It.

Present
The “present” started about two thousand years ago, when The Book of Zohar was written and then concealed, and Israel went into its last exile. Just like Abraham and Moses in the “past” stage, the “present” stage had two giants of its own: Rabbi Shimon Bar-Yochai (Rashbi) and The Holy Ari (Rabbi Isaac Luria). Rashbi’s Book of Zohar is, as the book itself states, a commentary on the Torah. Just as Moses explained Abraham's words to the entire nation, The Book of Zohar is intended to explain Moses’ words to the entire world. This is why it is written in so many places that The Book of Zohar is destined to appear in the time of the Messiah, at the “end of days.” This is also why Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag, the great twentieth-century Kabbalist, wrote that the rediscovery of The Book of Zohar is proof that the days of the Messiah are here.

As always, the only antidote to intensifying egoism is unity. And the greater the egoism, the more important it is for people to unite. While, at first, uniting Abraham's family was enough, when Moses fled from Egypt, he then had to unite a whole nation in order to succeed. Today, we need to unite the whole of humanity. Egoism has reached such an intensity that without uniting the whole of humankind, there will be no salvation for humanity.

The middle stage in the process of humanity’s recognition of the Creator was very different from the first. It was a time of subtle growth, when the tool to unite humanity—the wisdom of Kabbalah—was being refined and improved in dimly lit rooms and in small, inconspicuous groups. This is why the two most significant works of that period, Rashbi’s Zohar and the Ari’s Tree of Life, were hidden as soon as they had been completed. They resurfaced many years later, and in the case of The Zohar, even centuries later.

Future
The “future” started in the 1990s. In 1945, Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag, also known as Baal HaSulam (Owner of the Ladder) for his authoritative Sulam (Ladder) commentary on The Book of Zohar, predicted that the last stage in the spiritual evolution of humanity would begin in 1995. Similarly, the Vilna Gaon (GRA) wrote in his book, The Voice of the Turtledove, that this stage would begin in 1990. Many other Kabbalists made similar predictions, leading to the conclusion that the future is already here, and now is the time to finally defeat egoism and unite as one.

Humanity’s entire history consists of battles against egoism and attempts to unite despite it. Today, most scientists agree that man’s self-centeredness and misunderstanding of nature’s rules are the causes of all that is wrong with our world. Baal HaSulam wrote about it in the 1930s and 40s, but in those days, he was a voice in the wilderness. In recent years it has become evident that without changing ourselves, the world will not change for the better. In fact, we are ruining our planet and our society in so many ways that solving the problems separately will not be possible. To solve our problems, we need an inclusive solution, and such a solution can only be found when we transform human egoism into altruism.

In his article, “Peace in the World,” Baal HaSulam writes that if we unite, every single member of humankind will personally experience the Creator in the deepest sense of the word, for it is written that, “they shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them” (Jeremiah 31:33). The wisdom of Kabbalah has been prepared as a method that can do just that: unite, and experience the Creator. In his “Introduction to the Book of Zohar,” Baal HaSulam wrote that if we integrate Kabbalah in our day-to-day lives, we will complete the goal of our creation, and we will be “of one language and of one speech” and at one with the Creator, never to part again.

The Origin of Kabbalah

2009-05-26T11:38:00.001-07:00

The science of Kabbalah is unique in the way it talks about you and me, about all of us. It doesn’t deal with anything abstract, only with the way we are created and how we function at higher levels of existence.

Many Kabbalistic books have been written about it, starting with Abraham the Patriarch four thousand years ago, who wrote a book called Sefer Yetzira (The Book of Creation). The next important work is The Book of Zohar, written in the second century CE. The Zohar is followed by the works of the Ari, a renowned 16th century Kabbalist. And the twentieth century saw the appearance of the works of Kabbalist Yehuda Ashlag.

Ashlag’s texts are best suited for our generation. They, as well as other Kabbalistic sources, describe the structure of the upper worlds, how they descend and how our universe, with everything that’s in it, came into existence.

Yehuda Ashlag’s textbook Talmud Eser Sefirot (The Study of the Ten Sefirot) is designed as a study aid with questions, answers, materials for repetition and explanations. This is, if you will, the physics of the upper worlds, describing the laws and forces governing the universe on the spiritual realm.

This material gradually transforms the students, because when searching how to experience the spiritual world, one gradually adapts oneself to the spiritual laws described in the textbook.

The science of Kabbalah does not deal with life in this world. Instead, by studying this system we re-attain the level we possessed before we descended. During this ascent, the study of Kabbalah builds within the student a system equal to the spiritual system.

To ensure the spiritual benefit from the text, we at Bnei Baruch study only authentic sources, focusing on those that have been written for the purpose of assisting the spiritual progress of the student. These sources are

Why Spirituality?

2009-05-26T11:34:00.000-07:00

Kabbalists discovered that our desires for pleasure evolve by five stages:

The first, and most basic desire, is the desire for food, health, sex, and family. These are necessary desires for our survival.
The second stage is the aspiration for wealth. Here we think that money guarantees survival and a good quality of life.
The third is the craving for honor and power. Here we enjoy controlling others, as well as ourselves.
In the fourth stage appears the desire for knowledge. Here we think that having knowledge will make us happy.
But only when the fifth, and last stage of desire appears, we become attracted to an unknown "something" that is beyond us. Here we feel that connecting to this unknown "something" can bring us greater and lasting enjoyment, and we search for ways to make this connection. This desire for something higher is called "the desire for spirituality."

The Spiritual Root of Medicine

2009-05-25T11:26:00.000-07:00

If we convince the whole world to play a game for one day where everyone will do nothing but bestow, then humanity would feel the flavor of bestowal. Would this action draw enough Light to correct us?

My Answer: Any doctor knows that there is almost no medicine that can cure a person immediately. This can only happen by virtue of a miracle, but not a man-made medicine.

A person could drink a drop of poison and die, or he can use it to create a medicine. It is no coincidence that the symbol of medicine is a snake. It is a known fact that every medicine is poison, but not every poison is medicine. When poison is used as medicine, it is taken in very small dosages and over the course of a long time, until a person is cured. This is the law of correcting the animate body, and the same law holds for correcting the soul.

Why is it that a person can die instantly from taking a drop of poison, but he has to take it for months in order to be cured? This is the consequence of a spiritual process: the breaking of the unified soul into parts. This breaking was carried out from above, and therefore it is instant, whereas the correction, the re-unification, and the cure occurs slowly, depending on us.

Why did the breaking of our souls and the need for correction occur even before we came to this world? It happened so that in the process of our correction we would elucidate the cause, the process and the goal of creation, thereby forming ourselves in similarity to the Creator, the Upper Force of Nature.

And since a person had to reach similarity to the Creator (who is called in Hebrew Bore = Bo - come, and Re - see), this process takes so much time, namely 6000 years, from the first attainment made by Adam, to the last one.

The World We See Is A Picture In Our Brain

2009-05-24T17:58:00.001-07:00

You saying that everything we perceive is the picture that our brain depicts against the background of white Light, from Reshimot that constantly emerge from our memory into our consciousness like links in a chain. Therefore, what we take for external occurrences are actually pictures that are played in our mind.

I agree with this, but there is one thing that confuses me: what happens in case of an accident, when a car (a picture in my brain) can physically damage the brain itself, and even cause my whole body to die?

My Answer: Your problem is that you perceive part of the picture as taking place outside of you, and part of it – as happening inside. This is what causes the confusion.

"Higher" Education: How to Raise Happy Children

2009-05-23T11:20:00.000-07:00

Practical suggestions on education and for solving conflicts between parents and children.

"Education does not create anything new, but rather reveals what is already hidden within a person." (Rav Kuk, Essays of the Raiah, p. 100)

One can find valuable tips in guidebooks on raising children. A good tip can very often save months or even years of indecision and frustration, and help families out of dead end situations. However, we frequently encounter questions or situations that "catch us unprepared," and leave us wondering if we are capable of responding appropriately. In such situations, our response typically amounts to a perplexed smile or an obscure hum, covering up our lack of knowledge and great indecision as to what actually is the proper thing to do.

Being aware of children's developing curiosity and of many parents' distress, we decided to collect a few practical suggestions in each issue based on the authentic wisdom of Kabbalah, which relate to issues of the soul, to education and to the huge questions of little people. Enjoy!

An Answer to Every Question

Being parents will never be an easy job. In addition to long sleepless hours and concern for children's support and welfare, we find the most difficult and truly challenging task of all - supplying answers to each question they raise. Surely many of you are familiar with the scenario in which the sweet child opens a pair of huge, curious eyes, innocently looks you straight in the eye, and mercilessly shoots questions relating to the meaning of life and its purpose. In such cases, it doesn't really matter if you're a Dr. Spock fan, or a fervent reader of Tracy Hogg (author of the popular best seller, "Baby Whisperer"), you will most probably be left without answers, as the answers to these questions are not found in books.

That is precisely why we have chosen to dedicate the first tip of this section to the question of how to answer those huge questions asked by the little people growing up in our homes. Should we tell them what we think, even if the answer is not so "easy to digest", or should we evade a confusing answer, and leave them to cope with the question at a future stage in their lives?

Always tell the truth, but be consistently gentle.

"Be direct with the child, direct to the end, otherwise you will not gain his trust, since a child is sensitive to any falseness, as benign as it may be." (Yanush Korchak).

Above all, realize that children are sensitive by nature. If they detect that anything is being concealed from them, it can disrupt the entire system of mutual trust and respect with their parents. Therefore, if you hold important information or deep insight regarding life, don't hide it from your children. They are thirsty for that knowledge.

It is always preferable not to hide the truth from children, however, there is no need to burden them with issues they are still emotionally unprepared to handle. Practically speaking, if the truth is not simple, try to simplify and adapt it to the child's world of imagery, in a gentle and non-threatening way, so as not to pressure them. Remember that every story you tell your children comes to life and becomes real. It is your obligation as parents to be sensitive to the emotional and mental development of your children. Only in accordance with their emotional maturity, will you be able to reveal an additional level of the wisdom of life that you have accumulated over the years.

Therefore, sometimes it is better to wait for the demand for additional knowledge to come from the child himself, so he feels he is not being "pushed" into something he did not even request. His expression of willingness signals you that he is ready to absorb a deeper response. Lend an attentive ear and follow his reaction to the things you tell him, that is how you will be able to ensure that you are not burdening him too much and confusing him.

If you do not know the true answer to questions, don't be afraid to admit it, but don't evade your responsibility towards them to search for the answer, together with the children. As Albert Einstein once said, "What is important is to not stop asking questions."

The Secret to Child Education

2009-05-23T11:17:00.001-07:00

Children will always want to be like adults. So if we want them to behave differently, we should first learn to do it ourselves

From the very first days of a child's life, we try to teach them the art of communication. We want children to "play beautifully," so we organize holidays and birthdays for them. We are concerned how to maximize their free time, and we spend considerable resources on educational games and training manuals for them. We are pleased when other adults can appreciate our children's intelligence and good manners. But we often forget that almost every day while children are at school they have to take the exam "for survival" among their peers.

Adults are always ready to meet children halfway, forgive and pity them, whereas in their relationships they have to fight with "fire and sword" for their rights: demand and give in, attack and defend, get used to their peers hostility towards them. And in spite of how much effort we spend to create an oasis for the child's happiness and prosperity, his real life happens outside our house.

There, in the big world, a child immediately has to learn to play according to different rules. He can see that the success and prosperity are earned with a lie, intrigues and brute force. But we ourselves have written these rules. Without taking notice of it, we accustom children to a policy of double standards. Every parent has roughly the same thoughts: "I am ready to do everything for my children to do well. And not just do well, but better than others."

With this "better than others" thinking we are slowly but consistently sawing the bough we sit on. At first children will subconsciously and then consciously adopt the rules of the game. The world is divided into "us" and "them" and if "they" stand in the way of our interests, they immediately become an ‘outlaw'. Outside of "our" law. Needless to say, we can see disastrous results of such an outlook in everyday life.

Is there an alternative? Kabbalah argues that yes, it exists, and by this way the interests of all will be taken into account. This means that regardless of affiliation to a certain group of people on social, national, religious and other grounds, every person is guaranteed respect for his vital interests. This will become not only the letter of the law, written in the constitution, but also inner aspiration of most people.

This is possible provided that everyone without exception follows the rule "anything that you hate, do not do to your friend". Simply by adhering to this rule, life would literally change, for the better, right before our eyes.

And children? Children will always want to be like adults. If we, the adults, begin to behave in another way, children will immediately imitate us. In kindergartens, schools and in the street, new games will appear in which children will learn from each other to live in a world of good. Therefore, the best that we can do for our children is to start with educating ourselves.

Humanity Is Tired of Wars

2009-05-22T07:25:00.000-07:00

The world is suffering from a crisis. Sometimes people say, “I have suffered and I don’t want to unite with anyone.” In other words, people prefer to be secluded and to worry only about themselves. After all, no one takes care of them. Can it be that instead of uniting and realizing that the world is integral and global, people will, on the contrary, shrink into their shells? What will happen then?

My Answer: This is a real danger. The crisis can lead to nationalism in many countries, and then Nazi regimes and wars. Baal HaSulam, the great Kabbalist of the 20th century, wrote about this.

Nevertheless, after the Nazi regimes and the third and fourth world wars (which are possible but not necessary, according to Kabbalah), and after all the suffering that they will bring, humanity will still reveal the truth.

However, today Europe has reaches a state where it no longer wants to go to war, since it is exhausted from the previous wars. Europe has shed enough blood to learn this lesson.

However, the rest of the world has not yet gone through sufficient internal suffering to reach the same realization. The same realization can be attained through analysis, by looking at history and scientific data, or it can be reached through suffering and war.

This is why Baal HaSulam talks about the existence of two paths to the new world. And this is why we, his followers, are doing everything we can to eliminate the second path - the one that leads to nationalism, isolation of countries, and war.

The Crisis In Science Indicates a Need to Change Our Consciousness

2009-05-22T07:23:00.000-07:00

In order to rise to the “human” level, to a level higher than the animate, one must acquire the quality of bestowal and love toward others. This is called “faith above reason” - bestowal above reception. and it enables a person to come out of himself and his egoistic nature.

Science is going through a crisis while it develops on the egoistic level. Meantime, humanity has gradually risen to a higher level, where everyone is interconnected as one body. From now on, the only way we can understand and reveal Nature is by becoming one whole. By making this change in our consciousness, we will reveal a deeper layer, new connections, forces and dependencies in the world around us.

But until we change our egoistic perception of reality to an altruistic one, our sensations, desires and thoughts will not allow us to overcome the knowledge barrier that we are stuck in. It is imperative that we rise above our egoistic reason to the altruistic reason. We must step outside ourselves, to a feeling that seems completely irrational to us today. This is why the subject of my PhD thesis was: “Kabbalah – The Irrational Method for Attaining the World.”

Paul Krugman: The Capitalist System Lies at the Foundation of Our Problems

2009-05-21T06:54:00.000-07:00

At the end of his new book, economist Paul Krugman writes:

“One can safely claim that the role of today’s ‘capitalism,’ regardless of what one might call it, as the optimal method of combining individual freedoms, democracy, security, social and economic human rights, economic efficiency and social justice – must be reanalyzed as to the extent in which this system lies at the very foundation of our problems.”

Paul Robin Krugman – American economist and political writer. Holds a PhD from MIT, currently a professor at Princeton University. Awarded a John Bates Clark medal. He is a famous columnist for The New York Times and a laureate of the Adam Smith (1995), Recktenwald (2000) and Prince of Asturias (2004) awards. Honorary member of the Muenchen Economic Research Center (1997) and Group of Thirty. Awarded a Nobel Prize in Economics in 2008 for his analysis of the trade theory and problems of economic geography.

Anti-Semitism and the Economic Crisis

2009-05-21T06:51:00.000-07:00

In order to assess explicit prejudice toward Jews, we directly asked respondents “How much to blame were the Jews for the financial crisis?” Among non-Jewish respondents, a strikingly high 24.6 percent of Americans blamed “the Jews” a moderate amount or more, and 38.4 per cent attributed at least some level of blame to the group.

My Comment: They are right, but on the other hand, see Items 70-71 of the “Introduction to the Book of Zohar.”

It’s Impossible to Run Away from the Global Egoism

2009-05-13T10:21:00.000-07:00

Our egoistic development has brought us to a state where we can no longer be satisfied by the little things. But even as our own nature causes us to suffer, we cannot do anything about it. So why do we have to go through failure, suffering, and a life of constant stress? It is in order to reveal that our egoism is evil, and to realize that we have to get rid of our egoism, despite the fact that this seems impossible.

We have no choice: since we cannot reduce the egoism, we must correct it. The phenomenon that is taking place now is completely unprecedented. Today, the will to receive pleasure is growing more than ever and showing us how powerful it is. In fact, it is becoming global, and it cannot be reduced, brought back to the old limits.

People cannot restrict themselves and go back to a simple life, because their egoism is becoming global. One cannot disconnect from the whole world. One can’t say that he doesn’t care about anything and hide away on a piece of land, where he will grow his food and live his life in privacy, leaving others on the other side of the fence to make sense of their world on their own.

The force of globalization and integration has come into effect, and we are all under its influence. The more the general egoistic desire to receive pleasure is revealed in the world, the more we will see how integral it is, and how much it is connecting all of us to each other. And we will then be forced to rise above it!

The Condition for a Business to Survive: Consume No More Than the Necessary

2009-05-13T10:19:00.000-07:00

How can a business survive without making a profit? This sounds like a utopia.

My Answer: The economic condition is very simple: a business will survive economically-speaking if it is aimed at benefiting the whole of society to the maximum. For example, a supermarket should sell products whose prices differ from the wholesale purchased goods only as much as necessary for the business to cover all of its expenses. The calculation is made to ensure that one consumes only what is necessary for one’s existence, like a cell or an organ in a body, which is part of an integral mechanism.

Thus, the profit that the business makes is there only for ensuring that the whole business can lead a normal existence. Any profit beyond this is harmful, like excessive food for the body. There should be no accumulation of money and no additional income.

Of course, every manufacturer keeps a safety margin in case of unforeseen circumstances, similar to how our organism creates a reserve of energy in case of sickness, in order to be able to compensate for the fluctuations. But in general, this is how every business should make its calculations today.

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The Power of Women

2009-05-08T12:22:00.001-07:00

Women should realize that in their hands lies great power. They are the ones who can change the world. How? By understanding and fulfilling their spiritual role in the world, just as they understand their role in the family.

Women naturally know how to organize the family, how to make it all work, how to care for children, husband, and kitchen. They should understand equally well that they have an inner ability to know how the world has to be organized according to its spiritual root. They should also know that they have the power to make the men execute their will.

We see that humanity is becoming a small house, a small village. Men have tried numerous times to lead it, but it hasn't brought us much good. So the problems that are surfacing today make the women feel that they must come forward. Let us hope that men will listen, yet it is essential that women will know what to say.

A Woman's Happiness - Today It's More Than Family and Career

2009-05-08T12:21:00.001-07:00

Women demand the spiritual status equal to that of men.

We are living in a very special time. Children leave home at a young age; relationships between couples are not as close as they used to be. Today, women are in the same social circles and have the same power as men and in many cases even more. As a result, the feeling of emptiness and attempts to find fulfillment and happiness are no longer related to family or even a woman's professional life.

Although it is still important to a woman to be content with her husband, children or grandchildren, as well as with her professional life, this is not enough for her. Her ego is so developed that it breaks through the fences of the family, the work place and even the nation. It wants spirituality.

This yearning for spiritual fulfillment has increased during the last 15 - 20 years. Before the current generation, there were a few cases here and there, but it did not occur by the thousands as it is today.

These days remind us of the times of Abraham, who formed the first Kabbalistic group in ancient Babylon. In those ancient times the women who attained spirituality were by the men's side. They were on a spiritual level equal to that of the men. The great prophetesses, such as Dvorah, Hulda and others reached spiritual levels even greater than the men's. People lived in realization of Godliness, and children were taught these truths from an early age.

But after humanity's decline from spirituality, we rarely saw women Kabbalists. There were a few who reached spirituality, from the times of the destruction of the Second Temple until our generation, but they were a limited number.

Today, however, whether we like it or not, we are going back to that same early state in which humanity was united as one man in one heart. Because of this women have to be on the same spiritual level as men. In other words, the spiritual downfall of humanity that led to the devaluation of the woman's spiritual status has to be remedied in our days.

Hence, today, we have to answer the demand that comes from so many women. It isn't just a demand but a true need.

Kabbalistic Texts Contain a Unique Quality that Ensures a Successful Partnership

2009-05-07T07:47:00.000-07:00

Want to strengthen your relationship? Read Kabbalistic texts together!

There are special Kabbalistic texts that discuss partnership and togetherness. When a couple reads them together, this greatly reinforces their spiritual connection, bringing peace and harmony into their home.

When husband and wife spend 15 minutes a day reading Kabbalistic texts together, this brings a unique quality into their relationship that has the power to resolve all of the problems they have between them. It's because these texts contain great power.

Moreover, the only person to whom you can reveal all of your feelings - is your spouse. It is forbidden (impossible) to speak to anyone about your deepest feelings and your inner experiences on the spiritual path - with the exception of your spouse. In sharing their feelings, the husband and wife complement one another, and together they advance into spirituality.

Fairytale Love is Just That – a Fairytale

2009-05-07T07:46:00.000-07:00

True love exist only in the spiritual world.

If you think that finding the love of fairytales will make you happy, think again. The love of fairytales isn't really love, but the use of others for self satisfaction.

What we normally call love is the egoistic satisfaction of one person by another, whether it's sexual satisfaction or any other kind of fulfillment we receive from another person. And clearly, this isn't love.

Then what is love? Love is when you don't pay any attention to yourself, but you take the desires of another person and try to fulfill them in exactly the way they would like. In other words, you turn yourself into a vessel of fulfillment for the other person. This is real love, and it exists only in the spiritual world. And there is no difference if it is a man or a woman - what's important are the desires, the soul.

In contrast, when we talk about love in this world, we are really talking about attraction and pleasure that are brought about by hormones. If we were to disconnect a person from his hormonal system, he wouldn't be able to feel "love." This again shows that what we usually think of as love is just an egoistic desire to enjoy. Sometimes this desire can even be cruel, desiring to receive fulfillment at the expense of another person.

Hence, the love we read about in fairytales is really an illusion, and does not exist in reality. It's because all of our desires are based only on the desire to fulfill ourselves. Even when we give something to others, we do so only because it gives us pleasure. Our action of giving is meaningless because what really matters to us while performing that action is what we feel.

The Truth about Virtual Relationships

2009-05-07T07:45:00.001-07:00

Virtual relationships are the product of our own imagination.

Many people today create "virtual romantic connections" on social sites such as Facebook. They meet other people, share pictures, and even fall in love with their virtual partners!

The reason we are so drawn to our virtual partners is because the connection we make with them is non-material, detached from physical contact, and even "spiritual" in a way. Since we're not tied down by any physical limitations, we're let free to fantasize as much as we want to, to attribute all the best qualities to our virtual significant other, and to raise our connection with them "into the clouds," so to speak. We convince ourselves of how special this connection is, and that it's an opportunity to reach beautiful, perfect love.

But unfortunately, it's all an illusion. Over the Internet, a person's physical features are hidden and his inner aspects emphasized. One can express himself in any way he wants to, but the problem is that we lose sight of reality as we become unknowingly immersed in this game. We forget that we aren't dealing with a real person, but with our own imagination.

When we see someone in real life, in person, then we can tell whether they really have certain traits or not, and we can see whether those traits are real. On the Internet, however, we only see a (carefully selected) picture and read a few lines that are more likely than not to be lies - and we go off imagining things that are completely unrealistic. However, the moment we meet our virtual partners in person, this sweet fantasy bubble bursts.

It’s Impossible to Run Away from the Global Egoism

2009-05-06T10:56:00.001-07:00

Our egoistic development has brought us to a state where we can no longer be satisfied by the little things. But even as our own nature causes us to suffer, we cannot do anything about it. So why do we have to go through failure, suffering, and a life of constant stress? It is in order to reveal that our egoism is evil, and to realize that we have to get rid of our egoism, despite the fact that this seems impossible.

We have no choice: since we cannot reduce the egoism, we must correct it. The phenomenon that is taking place now is completely unprecedented. Today, the will to receive pleasure is growing more than ever and showing us how powerful it is. In fact, it is becoming global, and it cannot be reduced, brought back to the old limits.

People cannot restrict themselves and go back to a simple life, because their egoism is becoming global. One cannot disconnect from the whole world. One can’t say that he doesn’t care about anything and hide away on a piece of land, where he will grow his food and live his life in privacy, leaving others on the other side of the fence to make sense of their world on their own.

The force of globalization and integration has come into effect, and we are all under its influence. The more the general egoistic desire to receive pleasure will be revealed in the world, the more we will see how integral it is, how much it connecting all of us to each other. And we will then be forced to rise above it!

Today, It's Spiritual Relationship or No Relationship

2009-05-06T10:54:00.002-07:00

Relationships without a spiritual connection cannot survive.

Today it is practically impossible for a man and a woman to maintain a good relationship over time, unless there is a spiritual connection between them. It's because their egos clash one against the other and destroy their connection. Today there are countless divorces, and most relationships fall apart, because our egos are "on fire," and they only grow bigger with time. The beautiful verse, "Man, woman, and the Divine Presence between them" - simply does not exist in such couples.

So what does it take to create that spiritual connection between them, the only thing that can remedy their relationship? Having a spiritual connection means that both partners know the reason for their existence - to embark on the spiritual journey and attain the spiritual goal of life. Then they will have something that truly connects them, they will be in a mutual "cell" together, and the verse "Man, woman, and the Divine Presence between them" will really come true. In other words, they will feel the revelation of the Divine Presence - the Creator.

The Spiritual Root of Cheating

2009-05-06T10:54:00.001-07:00

Intermixing of male and female qualities at the spiritual level leads to cheating, betrayal and sexual deviations in our world.

Certainly, no one likes being cheated on. But as much as we'd like to write this unfortunate phenomenon off as "purely animalistic behavior," in fact there is a spiritual root behind it because every phenomenon in our world must also exist in the spiritual world. So what is this spiritual root or reason for our cheating? In Kabbalah, it's called "the breaking of the vessels."

This means that once, we were all united in one common soul, but then this common soul broke into many parts. This "breaking of the vessels" caused all the parts to become integrated in one other, and as a result, each broken part now contains a female part and a male part. Hence, the male parts contain female parts and vice versa. We even have each other's hormones!

This intermixing of our qualities is not only the cause of cheating and betrayal, but also of all the sexual deviations in our world, such as homosexuality and deviant sexual identity. And these phenomena are evident in our times more than ever before because we've arrived at the "lowest level" of discerning the breaking of the vessels.

The male and female parts do not see exactly how they should interact with one another. In the ideal, spiritual state, the male and female parts are positioned one against the other - the man opposite the woman. However, in our state - after the souls broke, descended and became intermixed with one another - each one took on qualities that belong to others. This is why we desire different kinds of pleasure from different sources.

However, if we rise above our search for these different pleasures and aspire for spiritual pleasure, then we will see who is our true partner on the spiritual path. This brings us to the famous verse, "Man, woman, and the Divine Presence between them." If one's greatest value in life is spirituality, then he (or she) will find the right partner in life, his "other half" who will be together with him on the spiritual path. And together, they will attain adhesion with the Creator.

In the meantime this may sound utopian because in our current reality it is difficult for us to see and understand how it can really happen. But as we continue advancing toward correction and spirituality, we will understand this more and build a good future filled with trust and loyalty.

Spiritual Sex

2009-05-06T10:50:00.000-07:00

Sexual union in our world comes from the spiritual union between the Upper Light and the soul, called “Zivug de Hakaa” by means of a screen. In this spiritual union between the soul and the Creator (the Kli and the Light), the Creator or the Light is the male part which bestows, and the soul or Kli is the female part which receives. In the process of correction the soul (Kli) acquires the property of bestowal, and then it is ready to accept the Light in order to satisfy the Creator’s (the Light’s) desire “to bestow.”

The process of union (merging, Zivug – spiritual coupling) happens in the common desires of both “to fulfill the other with pleasure,” to feel pleasure only to the extent that will give pleasure to the other partner. Hence, what happens is a constant comparison of common desires and intentions (in the Rosh of the Partzuf, before reception inside its Toch), which becomes expressed in our physiology as the movements of sexual intercourse, preceding the outpouring of the Light of Hochma (Ohr Pnimi, semen) into the soul (into the Kli, from the Rosh into the Toch of the Partzuf).

These alternating and progressive mutual movements are meant to create a complete desire in each spiritual partner, by way of interrupting and resuming contact. This creates the possibility of wholesome pleasure: when this level is attained, the Light passes from Peh to Toch - the pleasure enters the desire, as written in the Torah: “As an arrow hits the desired target at the desired time, in the desired woman, and in the desired place.”

Thus, when one’s soul attains full correction, one views sex as the physiological expression of the spiritual connection. And if there is no spiritual connection, then there is no incentive or reason for a bodily connection.

All of Humanity Is the Body of Your Soul

2009-05-06T10:48:00.000-07:00

Imagine that this person has been in an accident and is on the verge between life and death. His entire body is broken and he lies lifeless on a stretcher. (This is not so far from the truth, since the shattering of the souls is like an accident.)

If he could feel that the only way for him to come back to life is with the help of his friends, he would no longer hate the idea of a mutual guarantee. He would understand that he doesn’t have a body of his own, but only a point. And his entire body - the arms, legs, brain and everything else – is something he can only get from others. He will only get these body parts if the others will sacrifice theirs for him.

This is a mutual guarantee. It is when in addition to the single point you start out with, everything else that you receive comes exclusively from your connection with others. This is because the desire to receive does not exist in the spiritual world; only the desire to bestow exists there. Therefore, one does not live at the expense of oneself, but at the expense of the sacrifices made by all humanity. They constitute your body.

You are only a point, whereas humanity is the body of your soul. All these people must provide you with the organs you need. If you will love them, and if they will be connected with one another, then the force of the mutual guarantee will bestow all that is necessary to every one of us.

It’s good that people today are already beginning to understand that they do not want to be in a mutual guarantee with others. However, once they will learn that they cannot survive on their own, people will desire the mutual guarantee. And then they will realize that they do not have the strength to attain it by themselves. They will passionately desire for the law of Mutual Guarantee to govern them, but will only discover that they are unable to attain it or practice it.

That is when they will cry out so loudly that they will receive this quality from above. And from that moment on, they will become the Creator’s slaves rather than the Pharaoh’s slaves. This will happen by virtue of their desire to have another power, a different authority, rule over them. This authority is the force of bestowal, instead of their innate egoism.

Why Are We So Preoccupied with Sex?

2009-05-06T10:40:00.000-07:00

The spiritual root of sex is the soul's unity with the Creator.

In the spiritual world, the soul is united with the Light, and this union is called Zivug - coupling. It constitutes the unification of two parts of creation - male and female, and is the greatest pleasure that can ever be - the soul being filled by the Light of the Creator.

This spiritual coupling also has a branch or copy in the physical world, the world of matter. This is why we are so preoccupied with sex - it is the ultimate pleasure in this world, and the root of all of our desires in this world.

Sex is the basis of all our thoughts, because its root is the soul's union with the Creator. This union is the final goal of Nature, and everything that happens in the world is determined by the final goal. This is why we just can't avoid thinking about sex. Our attraction to the opposite sex and to pleasure also come from this final state - the adhesion with the Creator, called "Zivug" (never-ending sexual union).

The pleasure we feel from sex is a perfect example of the difference between physical and spiritual pleasure. We spend so much time and effort thinking about sex, and we imagine that it will give us enormous pleasure, but in fact our pleasure vanishes into thin air the minute we reach the peak of sexual satisfaction. Before we really had time to enjoy this feeling, it is over and we find ourselves once again striving for another moment of pleasure.

This is what happens in our world, because the pleasure that fills the desire immediately neutralizes it. No longer having the desire, we stop feeling pleasure. It leaves us feeling empty, and as life goes on, this emptiness only grows bigger. This is why it is written, "One leaves the world with half his cravings unfulfilled."

Spiritual pleasure works very differently because being in spirituality means having the ability to receive the Light with the intention of giving pleasure to the Creator, to the One who gives you the Light. Hence, in spirituality, coupling or sex is continuous and eternal, and it only grows stronger all the time. As a result, one feels eternal life and perfect fulfillment that constantly gets bigger. Obviously, this is very different from the pleasure we feel in our world, where we can only feel momentary pleasure followed by emptiness.

This is why it is written that ever since people fell from the spiritual world into our world, only those who attain the spiritual world still feel the real taste of copulation. The true, spiritual pleasure is attained when two opposite parts of creation - male and female - merge together and are filled by the common Light.

Subconsciously, in our souls, we all desire this coupling because we were created for it. On some level, we all aspire to feel the spiritual world because it is the only place where we will find true, lasting pleasure

What does the Story of Adam and Eve Mean in Our Times?

2009-05-06T10:39:00.001-07:00

Our ego is the snake that prevents us from being able to love someone else.

The meaning behind the story of Adam, Eve and the snake is actually very simple. The snake represents the ego that became revealed between Adam and Eve, the man and the woman. And that's really all there is to the story.

For example, suppose that a happy, young couple falls in love. They hug, kiss and laugh together, go to the movies and the beach. Then they get married and begin living together, and everything is wonderful. They're in the Garden of Eden.

And suddenly - the snake (the ego) arrives. They suddenly begin arguing. Then they begin taking advantage of each other and making private calculations, such as "How can I get him/her to be the way I want them to be?" This happens to us because the snake (the ego that's inside us) prevents us from being able to love someone else, and makes sure that our love is egoistic from the start.

Under these circumstances, the closest we can come to love is to surrender our egos in day to day life as much as we can. However, this still doesn't solve the problem at the root, and does not enable us to experience real, unconditional love. This is where Kabbalah offers another solution: to correct our soul at the root, or to correct the snake that separates us from our partners.

To do this, both partners must realize that there is a goal to their lives that's above this world. Then they will also realize that they can only attain it by having a partner in life, someone who will go through the spiritual path together with them. This is the meaning of the verse, "Man, woman, and the Divine Presence between them." It means that in order for us to attain the Divine presence, spirituality, we must connect with each other correctly.

Then, instead of taking advantage of each other, Adam and Eve will complete each other. And the snake, instead of driving them apart, will become the driving force that pushes them to reveal the Upper Force - the Divine Presence, or the Creator.

Equality Between Men and Women: Good or Bad?

2009-05-06T10:26:00.000-07:00

A woman fulfills her role by being opposite (and not equal!) to a man.

Men's and women's roles have become so blurred that people are confused about what the ideal roles of men and women are supposed to be. This has affected the relationships between men and women, and has even caused people to become confused about their own identities.

As much as we desire to create simple, plain equality - according to our understanding of it, in the end it does not benefit men or women. It does not make our lives more balanced, harmonious, fair or happy - and that's because the way we seek to create "equality" goes against the laws of nature.

Instead of learning how to arrange our lives from nature, we have been thinking that we are above nature and inventing our own rules. Yet our lives prove that we are, in fact, part of nature. Hence, we have to let nature teach us how to create perfect relationships between us and live in harmony with one another.

This is exactly what the wisdom of Kabbalah enables us to do - it reveals nature's laws, enabling one to see the best way to act toward others, whether toward men, women, children, or the whole world. Without this knowledge, it is impossible for us to arrange our lives in a sensible way. Rather, with every passing day, we will only experience more problems and suffering.

But how did the confusion around our sex roles begin in the first place? After all, the relationship between men and women is only unbalanced among humans. In the animal world, for instance, the male always supplies the female with everything she needs. The problem with humans is that everything operates according to the ego, and not according to the duties one sex has toward the other. Precisely the ego has made our relationships and gender roles unbalanced.

So what is the balanced way for us to build our lives? It is written that a woman was created to be help against a man. That is to say, a woman fulfills her role and provides the help needed of her precisely by being opposite (not equal!) to a man. To be opposite to him means to help him attain the spiritual goal, and this is how they both attain it.

What Do Kabbalah Books Teach?

2009-04-27T13:34:00.001-07:00

Kabbalah books teach the structure of the spiritual worlds, and how each of us can get there. A Kabbalah book is like a tour guide. If you want to travel to a new city, you’d probably want to use a tour guide to tell which are the best places to go see, the best coffee shops and clubs, and where you don’t want to go because you won’t like what you will find.

Similarly, Kabbalah books tell you how the spiritual worlds are built, which “places” are more fun, and which are not. Of course, these are not physical places, but spiritual states that any Kabbalist experiences.

Another thing that Kabbalah books tell you is how to find the spiritual reality. If you want to go somewhere in this world, you need a map to that place, and a tour guide for studying the place itself. In spirituality, the Kabbalah books will do it all for you-“show” you where the spiritual world is, “drive” you there, and show you around.

Who Can Study Kabbalah?

2009-04-27T13:32:00.000-07:00

When Rav Kook-the great 20th century Kabbalist and the first Chief Rabbi of Israel-was asked who could study Kabbalah, his answer was unequivocal: “Anyone who wants to.” In the last one hundred years, all the Kabbalists without exception clearly stated, and on many occasions, that today Kabbalah is open to all. Moreover, they said that it is a necessary tool in resolving the global crisis that they predicted would come, and which we are facing today.

According to all Kabbalists, Kabbalah’s hiding days are over. The wisdom of Kabbalah was previously hidden because Kabbalists feared that it would be misused, and misunderstood. And indeed, the little that did seep out evoked numerous misconceptions about it. Because Kabbalists state that our generation is ready to understand the real meaning of Kabbalah, and to clear up the past misconceptions, this science is now being opened to all who wish to learn.

What Is Kabbalah?

2009-04-27T13:31:00.000-07:00

The wisdom of Kabbalah is a scientific tool for studying the spiritual world. To explore our world, we use natural sciences such as physics, chemistry, and biology. But natural sciences study only the physical world we perceive with our five senses. To fully understand the world we live in, we need a research tool that can explore the hidden realm, that which our senses cannot perceive. This tool is the wisdom of Kabbalah.

According to the wisdom of Kabbalah, reality consists of two forces, or qualities: the desire to receive and the desire to bestow, to give. Since the desire to bestow wants to give, it creates a desire to receive, hence its more commonly used name “the Creator.” Therefore, the whole of creation, including us, are manifestations of that desire to receive.

Using Kabbalah, we can work with the fundamental forces of reality-reception and bestowal-to our benefit. It doesn’t only teach us the design of creation, but how we can become designers, as omnipotent and as omniscient as the original Designer of reality.