Ask the Kabbalist (June 12, 2008)
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Bold: Questions/Comments
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Regular: Commentaries of Michael Laitman, PhD
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lowercase italics: emphasized words
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Capitalized Italics: Transliteration from Hebrew
Question: More and more women choose not to bring children to this world. I would like to ask your opinion regarding this phenomenon, and why does a woman need to give birth to children at all?
Michael Laitman: There was never such a question asked in humanity, ever. It was always a blessing; as many children as a woman brings. However, in the 20th century, with the development of technology, chemistry and biology, we reach the state where we can completely regulate these things. We have ways of preventing pregnancy; we can know what gender, i.e. a male or a female, will be born. In general, a whole mess started.
Where does all of it come from? The ego that grows, and in the 20th century it leaped. We see it because in the last hundred years we’ve made such a leap in our lives, in technology, in human society.
It’s true that this is development, on the one hand. But, on the other, we’ve developed many ways for the fulfillment of our ego that we created an imbalance with nature, and we were supposed to have developed with it.
Until the 20th century, we also advanced according to our ego, but we weren’t strong enough to do whatever we wanted with our lives. There weren’t any cars, or airplanes or mobile phones, or all the things that we have today, like Internet. G-d forbid; I’m not opposing this. According to my spirit, I’m a man that uses all technologies. I have a laptop; I have the Internet, a web site and video and audio—everything. And I myself belong to the world of science.
But we’ve reached the state where, on the one hand, we have a very great ego. We do not want to belong to anyone. We don’t want to be controlled. We do not want to be limited. We do not want to limit ourselves in anything and along with this we have the ability to do this. We don’t want children; we don’t need children. We can be in a relationship with a woman and not have a desire to have children. Such thing was impossible a hundred years ago. We can get married or not; we can get married a thousand times.
Years ago religions ruled. It was harsher. However, today, social consent is limitless. Therefore, we suddenly feel that we are in a certain condition where we have seemingly exited from democracy and freedom. We don’t know where this freedom and democracy end, and we can do whatever we feel like. In truth, why are we being limited? There is no one to limit us. As a result, we see that society in a way is becoming very, very artificial.
Moderator: So, for example, this phenomenon that this woman doesn’t want to bring children to this world, is this one of the phenomena of the artificiality?
M. Laitman: Yes, and I see this from the side of the woman, or the side of private people who don’t want such things and say, “I don’t want to get married, or I don’t want to bring children into the world. I don’t want this, or to be obliged in that.” I’m looking at the result of it. Does this make anyone happy? Is anyone joyful? I am absorbing the beatings from the public, from the many people who come to me with their different problems. By absorbing these beatings, I mean that I feel what they are going through.
A woman who reaches the age of 40 and nearing 50 and has no children, I feel how she is suffering. Her ego at the age of 20 or 30, until the age of 40, more or less, somehow, it stops her. However, afterwards, she’s very regretful; furthermore, I haven’t seen women that are really happy as result of having “freedom,” so to say.
Eventually this freedom comes to an end at the age of 35 or 40, and then starts the problem if she stays without children. I can’t see this, because, nonetheless, nature is the winner, and I haven’t seen a woman who is happy, ending her life on her own. I’m not saying that there’s a lot of content from children, as a father and grandfather. When you have children, “there’s sorrow in raising children.” But it’s more natural; it’s according to nature and that’s the way it is.
Moderator: Why, on the side of nature, is it convenient for a woman and natural for her to give birth? What is this act of giving birth?
M. Laitman: First of all, we see this, according to all the researches, how natural this is and how a woman suffers if she is not in the process of birth and gives birth normally. We also see, according to the Cesarean birth and natural birth, how good it is for her to give birth naturally and how her body is repaired and strengthens from it. It’s an action that nature demands. Nature takes this into consideration that for woman to end her life in a normal way, she has to have been in the process of birth, and several times during her life.
Moderator: And spiritually?
M. Laitman: Spiritually, we’re talking here about souls. If you do not give the soul the ability to incarnate in our world and realize the role to reach the final correction, if we stop these things, they will come to us as other sorts of beatings. In any case, we’ll have to realize the correction.
From incarnation to incarnation, we perform certain work. Furthermore, this work falls especially on our generation, because now Kabbalah opens for everyone and the correction of souls is, precisely, in this generation and has to take place in the next generation. And, if it is not by the multiplicity of souls in this world (this process we realize in bodies), then by way of suffering. Certainly, by this, we cause ourselves and the next generation great troubles.
Moderator: I know that in the wisdom of Kabbalah everything is explained within the internality of one person. What is this spiritual phenomenon in the personal development of a person that’s called “a woman that procreates children?” I understand that this is the root for the whole corporeal phenomenon. What is it?
M. Laitman: It’s when a person is within his soul, when he constantly develops it. The soul develops by the so-called Light that Reforms, which returns the soul to its source. As it turns out, in its development from one degree to the next degree, a soul has to ascend through 125 steps until it reaches its perfect state. Throughout all these 125 steps that the soul has to ascend, it is during the period of time when a person is still living in this world, in one incarnation, or in a few incarnations. Each time it rises from one degree to the next it means that he is born anew.
Moderator: And this is born from within the woman in me?
M. Laitman: Yes, from within “the woman,” the egoistic desire in me, where we nonetheless, on the one hand, waive it, and on the other hand, we use it. Generally, we raise it to a more corrected degree, and therefore, it’s “the sorrow of raising children,” it’s the sorrow of procreating. And, like it is written in the Torah, by this a person achieves great corrections. In addition [by not having children], we thus withhold spiritual development, spiritual happiness from ourselves, besides the corporeal happiness that everyone knows. Therefore, I see this phenomenon as the ego, which for the time being controls us and stop us from advancing.
Question: I’m almost through The Kabbalah Today book that I received at the bookstand during the book fair. From the book I understand that the source of all the souls of people is from one soul that has divided. We should be united in loving another and in this way the private and the general salvation will come. The question: should we strive to love extremely wicked people? Someone who broke the hands and legs of his children, killed his wife, corrupted leaders? Can the Rav Laitman love the soul of Ahmadinejad, Stalin and Hitler? I would like to have an honest answer.
M. Laitman: Yes, because it is a soul; there is a difference between bodies and souls. People, doing good or bad in the world, have no souls. Soul is a part of Divinity from Above according to its definition —a part of Divinity from Above.
Is there a part of Divinity from Above in Stalin and Ahmadinejad? A part of Divinity from Above means the will to do good, to love others, to do good for others without any limits: like the Creator—“He is good that does good to the bad and to the good,” to everyone. So, if I have such a part, then I’m also Good that does good to the good and bad, to everyone. If I don't have such a part, then I don’t have a soul.
It means that a person in this world has the starting point, like a drop of semen that is still not a soul. It’s just like a drop of semen that is still not a person. You have to put it into the correct place, a guarded place that can grow that drop, and afterwards it comes out as someone alive.
The same pertain with us. In each one of us, there’s only a point called “the point in the heart.” You can develop it by studying Kabbalah and only by the Upper Light, called “the Ohr Makif ” (Surrounding Light). This Light influences us on that same point and develops it. Then it inflates and takes on a certain volume, and within this volume a person feels bestowal and love towards everyone. This is called “he received a part of Divinity from Above;” this is called, “the soul.”
Moderator: Let’s take a Kabbalist, who has to be in “love the other as thyself” towards everyone. Before him is a person, who is extremely evil who did evil things, as she describes in her example. Does the Kabbalist operate towards him “love the other as thyself?” Is he capable of that?
M. Laitman: No, towards him—it means towards his ego, not towards the soul. Ego is the part you have to destroy. However, towards the soul, you have to care to develop it.
Moderator: So, does or doesn’t the Kabbalist love the other like himself, the one who is evil?
M. Laitman: Not the man, but the part within him called Adam (man), which is called “Adameh le’Elyon”— to be similar to the Upper. This figure within, Adam, is called “the soul.” His soul is called “Adam” and he, himself, is a beast. Therefore, it says, “All seem as beasts,” until we develop the soul in each one of us.
People are transparent for a Kabbalist, it’s like it says, “I came and there is no one.” There aren’t any souls. If you look in our world, on the surface of Earth, it’s empty, there’re no people. There are no human beings. Unfortunately, there’re beasts walking on two legs; this is according to the definition of Kabbalah.
I’m not saying this is something bad, but I’m saying that the ego is opposite to the Creator, and therefore, he is not called Adam. Man is from the word “Doma (similar) to the Creator.” Kabbalist is called anyone who has acquired the quality of “love the other as thyself,” like the Creator and then he, according to this adjustment, is called Adam, i.e., similar to Him. He operates “love the other as thyself” towards the inner point, existing in everyone, no matter how horrible it is, because in that point he feels how we are all tied into the system of Adam ha Rishon (the First Man).
Question: What do you think about hypnosis?
M. Laitman: This is a medical tool; however, it could also be for non-medical purposes which people use, and it is an influence of a person on the other. Also, animals have the same things by which they hypnotize one another; there are such things. It certainly has nothing to do with spirituality—it’s a part, which has to do with our body.
Look, you’re walking on the street, and suddenly you feel that someone is looking at you. Are you experiencing something that is spiritual or corporeal? It’s corporeal. Suddenly, I have an anxiety; somewhere, something is happening. Is it corporeal or spiritual? It’s corporeal. We have such inner developed sensations. When the owner of a dog or a cat, G-d forbid, is soon going to die, even though nothing is happening with him, the pet feels this a few days in advance.
Or, they feel there’s going to be an earthquake, even though still nothing is happening. You know with the tsunami—no animal was harmed, they all fled to the mountains. So, is this something spiritual? No, within the living body there’re such powers; only we, since we developed in an artificial way, we are losing our senses—everything becomes vague.
Moderator: Yes, I remember about myself. There was such a period of time, when I lived in a certain place in the south of India which did not have many people and was detached from civilization; no electricity, no water. Although I come from a village in Israel, here was a village of the 20th century, and it was like going back a thousand years. However, I really started feeling things in nature around me that I didn’t feel previously; the sensitivity rises.
M. Laitman: True, the sensitivity rises. Therefore, it’s the same with meditation, hypnosis and all those things. A person can feel nature like animals. We’re not even aware to which extent animals feel nature internally because they are a part of nature. Regarding us, it seems as if we put a certain wall around us, between us and nature. Therefore, to us, nature seems supernatural, supernatural for our senses which lost their sensitivity.
Moderator: So, towards Kabbalah it’s completely naturally, within nature, and it has nothing to do with spirituality.
M. Laitman: No. This is within nature and has nothing to do with spirituality.
I studied bio-cybernetics, however, I did not engage in treatment by hypnosis. I engaged in the systems of the living body, the extent to which every single system in the body is connected to the rest of the systems. And the body in total holds itself in balance, homeostasis, within itself and within the general nature. For me this was, actually, a research: how can we write it down in formulas, so that later we’ll implement these things with different instruments?
Moderator: I understand that the path from here to the Kabbalah was very short. Are there are a lot of formulas in Kabbalah?
M. Laitman: Yes. You see how perfect the body is and how wondrously built, without Kabbalah, religion and anything else. I was a young researcher, and I had nothing to do with those things. However, I saw, according to those wonders that were revealed in the body, what potential it had, and this brought me to inquire further, until I came to Kabbalah. On the one hand, it prevented from me being merely religious, and on the other hand, it pushed me to proceed.
Moderator: In one sentence, can you tell us what our fabulous body is for?
M. Laitman: Only in order to bring us examples from our life and from all the different connections of systems in order to reach a development of the soul. A person is living only in order to develop this point of the soul, and by opening this point, a point that can open up within us, inflate into a place. Then it is there, within that place, that we feel the spiritual world. Therefore, the body is built in a very special way, but everything is for the sake of this.
Therefore, I asked what all of this is for. I didn't see it in the research. All the systems are working and turning, but why? What is this for? No beginning, no end. Consequently, I saw that all of this is built in order to develop within us the sixth sense. I called it “the sixth sense,” which is the soul. Eventually, by the ever growing ego, by the systems that develop more and more and become more directed, and especially due to their coarseness, all the powers of the body are more ready to develop the soul.
Then later I saw that it is written in The Zohar that “necessarily in this generation where the face of the generation is like the face of the dog,” etc., where the ego increases, especially this generation is ready to develop the soul.
Question: How do you, as a Kabbalist, feel people like me? Is there an importance for our investment in spirituality? Do you refer to us as students of Kabbalah? Is there a value to my investment and do you feel it, or more correctly, ‘me’ that is not sitting beside you in the classroom, but behind my TV screen at home?
M. Laitman: First of all, I would say this entire classroom here exists only for the sake of those sitting behind their TV screens and computer screens around the whole world. According to our calculations, which are not exact, since there are many people who do not want to identify themselves, we have up to two million people learning together with us.
Not all at the same time, but at different times. From Sydney to China, Japan and Latin America, North America and Europe in the middle and Israel, there are two million more or less people, and I think there are many more. All of them are studying during different hours. They study for part of the lessons, most of the lessons and especially for these; thanks to these people do we exist. Because whoever is here in this group, these are people that develop the content. These are people that write, these are people that film. Here is actually the advertising team.
Moderator: When we say “here,” we are talking about the Center of Bnei Baruch, where we have Beit Kabbalah Le Am, Israel, in Petach Tikvah where many hundreds of people sit physically before you each morning and learn with you.
M. Laitman: Yes. Maybe we should make a TV movie about it. There are big TV screens on the walls. First of all, about 250 to 300 men are sitting here at night, and we see all kinds of groups on our TV screens, i.e., friends from all around the world who study with us; groups and individuals. What we study is translated online into seven languages in simultaneous translation and also go with the picture. Many people study with us, and they are the main thing for us. Kabbalah has to spread all over the world; the world has to come to correction soon. Otherwise, these beatings and troubles, as you have probably already heard from our study, will continue to come down to this world.
Moderator: How do you, as a Kabbalist, feel these people?
M. Laitman: To the same extent to which I feel those who are here, because, once again, we have talked about the connection between the souls. We have to feel these points, the desires of everyone—all those who want to rise above this world—to connect together in the same structure of Adam ha Rishon.
The moment that we will feel that this structure exists, if we feel emotionally close, like people who are connected and are close to one another; then we will feel connected within. If we will feel it this way and even more, by this we reveal the connection amongst us and the spiritual world—the Creator, the Upper force in between us. Only in between us is He, in the connection between us. By this, we rise to a spiritual degree in this life. Therefore, the main thing for me is to feel that every single day, we are connecting more and more to the system of Adam. I am in connection with all those people who watch us and hear us, and it doesn't matter where they are.
Moderator: When you give a lesson, what, you project towards them?
M. Laitman: Yes, to that same system, of course. I constantly work on that system. This is the main thing for me. I have nothing to project towards the person himself, the corporeal body. I am projecting towards his inner point. Also, I feel and think that many people from our group sitting here and around the world also are starting to feel it.
We are also gathering together in our different forums, in our congresses, international meetings. We invite you also to participate with us, with God’s help, in our next congress that will take place here in Israel in February 2009. Then you will see how four or five thousand people come from the whole world. These are only representatives from those millions that study together. It's the beginning of the new humanity; this is how I see it.
In truth, by this, we give everyone in the world an opportunity to connect to spirituality, to the Creator, above belief, religions, above mentality and the gaps that we have between us. We see how strongly it works. Although they are very different, people feel the extent to which they are close and connected In addition, we see how anti-Semitism comes to an end and the hatred towards Israel. Really, I invite you to participate in this sensation; no words to describe it. You will see and feel it.
Moderator: What message can you give in one or two sentences, that will give power and a push forwards for all those people sitting here?
M. Laitman: I think we have to understand that we have the message, as the people of Israel, for the whole world; we have to realize it as to be Light for the gentiles. First of all, for us to be Light, and afterwards, we will turn to the gentiles. Light is called “Israel,” and gentiles are those who we have to bring them the Light. So, until we reach this state, they will oblige us by their hatred, and the Creator will push us towards this, unfortunately, by beatings and severe pressure. Therefore, let's understand that we have a great message, and we must realize it.
Question: What does food mean in spirituality? In corporeality it is something so important. What is it in spirituality?
M. Laitman: The Upper Light, the abundance that fulfills the soul, is called “food” for it. You eat it by opening the soul. How do you open the soul? By love towards the other, the soul opens up and receives the abundance. As much as you want to love the others, that is the measure to which you are fulfilled.
That's the food for the soul. It includes all the flavors that exist in the world. Because it is the Upper Light, it is the generality of all tastes.
Therefore it says, “Taste and see that the Creator is good.” And this is why it is called, “the Light of tastes” that spreads in the soul.
Question: The mother of a three years old child says that when her child meets the older kids about four years old he sees that they are stronger. For example, they can climb better than he and then he cries because he wants to succeed but can’t. What should I tell him? What instruments should I give him to help him to overcome this state?
M. Laitman: This is good, it will push him to develop. He sees stronger, smarter, or more successful people, and he has a great ego.
Moderator: So what should I tell a child when he is crying?
M. Laitman: Not to cry. You have to strengthen him by saying, “You’re capable of doing it. You can do this.” And push him towards this and help him. However, do not stop him or calm him down. Vice versa; he should develop his ego onwards. Why should he stop himself? All these are just good things, they are given to us in order to advance.
A person doesn’t have to limit himself; to be modest, “I don't want anything, I will sit this way and wait, and whatever happens, happens.” Why? The ego, nonetheless, develops and will oblige us to work; we merely have to navigate it. We have to give a person education, to give them all of the means in order to use his ego for good things. Why shouldn’t he reach achievements? He should develop, be a scientist, he should be great, and he should also be physically healthy; a developed person, respectable person. We have to see a person as successful.
Moderator: And in all of this success, where does the matter of 'Love the other as thyself' get into this picture that you talked about?
M. Laitman: It's a part of this. First of all, we are talking about small children; that’s what she asked, about small children. First, give him everything in order to develop and not to tell him “Ah, that's okay; don't look at him.” It’s like his mother wants to put him back into diapers and that's not good. If he has a desire to be like them, give him the opportunity and teach him. Push him to that. Yes, realize what you have. It’s not good if a person restrains himself. Afterwards, it comes out, also psychologically and physically as inner pressures, and they cause different problems. Vice versa, he should realize himself.
This is regarding the younger ages. However, regarding the older ages, when we talk about self-realization, we talk about inner realization: Why are you living and for what for? Is it worthwhile developing one direction or another? Is it incidental, temporary, or not? Are there other goals? Consider, if you can, taking this and that together?
Moderator: Now, I want to take it to a place of grown-ups; let’s leave the world of children. You said that it is not good for a person to restrain himself and to be successful is good.
M. Laitman: We also continue speaking this way for grown-ups, but in a more critical way. What does it mean for you to succeed? Will you earn another million? Will you be more successful in something else, in conning others? What is success? How do you measure it? Besides that, is it eternal or does it comes to an end after a few moments, and afterward you have to run after another success? Is this how life is? Then you really get tired and die? Is this the way you raise him to the degree of higher calculation? Making a calculation is this worthwhile doing or not?
A mother tells her child the same. However, with a grown-up, we open up his eyes because he can see the beginning and the end of life. Then we turn to him, and we say that there is an eternal goal, and you can reach eternity still living in this world. Please try it.
Moderator: So, a person, who in your eyes is satisfied by the success of this world, is “small change.”
M. Laitman: No, this is a great loss, not small change. It is a great loss for him, because he seals his ability from reaching eternity. A person has great luck that he doesn't know when he is going to die. Because if I knew that for instance, in seven years, four months and two hours and a few more moments that I am dead, then I would already be living with a stop watch. A person sees that he has less time, and it stops him from developing correctly.
So, it's not that we frighten people that soon life comes to an end. We say the opposite, “You can earn much more than you have here. Look, beyond this life which you will continue here, you can touch eternity now, you can identify with your soul, and you will feel the eternal flow of life, the perfection, along with what you have here.” As much as there is, is fine. Kabbalah does not stop a person from the pleasures of this world. It says only transcend a bit more. The Creator wants to open up a whole world for you, and you are satisfied by something extremely juvenile.
Moderator: It sounds to me like the Kabbalists are accountants but of the total account.
M. Laitman: True and therefore, I would say that the developed great egos are within the Kabbalists, but it is used well.
Question: What is the role of the woman in the world in general? What is so special about a woman that does not exist in a man? Are there things in the world that a woman does, which she is unaware of, and thanks to her only, they are accomplished?
Question: Why do men, in my opinion, tend to show that they always know better than women but, eventually, they admit that the woman was right? In addition, they don't learn from it; they simply keep on showing that they know more? Why is this so if it is true?
M. Laitman: It seems a bit childish on behalf of the man. But, it really is so. That is why it is written about Abraham, “All that Sarah tells you listen to her.”
The man, especially, is the subject of correction. Furthermore, the woman prepares the whole correction. Without a woman we cannot continue from generation to generation. How would we continue? Imagine no woman, no next generation.
Moderator: Obviously, but no man, no next generation.
M. Laitman: Yes, but it is a woman who procreates, she does the act itself, the birth and all the treatment of children, and she raises them. She prepares humanity for corrections, no matter what you say. She receives a drop of seed from the man, and then from this drop of seed, she prepares a great person, who is ready, who stands at the beginning of his life. Furthermore, he can continue his life onwards, and then it depends upon him how he goes through life. It all comes on account of the woman.
Therefore, it is possible to say that by this, she is the main part of creation. Because this preparation is the main thing, the fundamental thing, and afterwards, the problem is that men, especially, have to make corrections. Unfortunately, a woman does her part, she also has a part in spirituality besides this, but the main thing in this life she does. However, men later, instead of taking these bodies and correcting them, they began to corrupt them. Therefore, our world is corrupted due to men. And thanks to women, it at least advances.
Moderator: Why is there this inclination that first of all, you agree with this woman that men have something built in that he always has to show that he is smarter than the woman, and she will always be right? This is like a wheel. Is it this way?
M. Laitman: Yes, it is truly this way until they come to the completion of one another in the spiritual development. The fact that men always feel they know better than women results from the root of the soul. The men's root of the soul comes from the power of bestow, but it is corrupted in us. Therefore, the men think that they know how to bestow, what to do, and how to execute things. However, in a woman, her root of the soul comes from the will to receive, to fulfill herself. And, in our way of life it comes in a corrupted way; it’s as if she waits until she receives the fulfillment.
Furthermore, in the spiritual development it begins to correct, and connect together. In corporeality we are as if opposed to one another; in spirituality we cannot develop being opposed to one another, but we have to complete each other. Therefore, within everyone there is a male and female part and also in the development of humanity toward spirituality. Suddenly, you begin to discover that without the female part the group of man is incapable.
I am talking about today, when we arrive at the general correction of humanity. We are now in the beginning of the correction. Without the female part, we cannot advance. And more over, it is especially the women, who actually come to the feeling of necessity of the correction of the soul. This is the foundation to the proper development.
Moderator: Why was it said to Abraham to listen to Sarah in every single thing? She is as if quieter. The woman doesn’t make a lot of fuss like men do, but the bottom line is that she has more wisdom of life.
M. Laitman: Because she is more connected to nature, and a man is more detached from nature. He is more in imaginations, in his different games. They are a bit off the ground. However, the woman is closer to the ground and connected to nature; therefore, everything she says is closer to the laws of nature, and we are in the systems of nature. If a man performs actions that he wishes to achieve, attain and do, according to the woman’s advices, then he’ll succeed.
Question: A 22-year-old person asks, “What does it mean if you feel that you do not want to grow up? When you look at the world on the outside, it’s so dark and sad. I am afraid, sometimes, to leave my house. I am afraid to think about all the things that society obliges me to do, like work, raise a family. For a certain reason, it doesn’t bring me any happiness to think about it, and I don’t want to strive for this. It frightens me and depresses me and, sometimes, there is a desire to return to childhood, fairytales, fantasies, where things are easy and fun. This world is simply dark. What is adulthood in Kabbalah?”
M. Laitman: Unfortunately, lately we have more and more such responses from the younger generation. They don’t want to go into their private life, as if an independent life. They see that the world isn’t good to them. What should one do? I think that a person should lift a bit above this life, to see it as a special, unique opportunity for spiritual development. It’s impossible without learning Kabbalah. Then, when he looks correctly at life, he suddenly can identify things. However, today there are many books of ours which explain this in a relatively easy way that can be understood by everyone.
If we begin to relate to life like an opportunity to acquire something great, then it is worthwhile to go out and live. But maybe a person truly comes into something like this darkness—where there are no pleasures and everyone suffers. He has responsibility for a million different things, and he doesn’t want it. On the one hand, she is right and there is a problem. However, on the other hand, it’s not a problem. One has to understand that our life is finally arranged so that at the end of our egoistic development, we reach that same question: “What am I living for? What is the meaning of my life?” The Kabbalists say that the opening of Kabbalah for a person comes as the result of this question. Therefore, it’s a good question and from it, you merely have to search: what is worthwhile living for?
If a person starts just thinking about this—“I am living, I have no choice! What is worthwhile in it?”—then for sure, he comes to Kabbalah. Then everything opens before him that there is an exulted, shining goal from the Light of Ein Sof (Infinity). However, a person, when he begins to make the first steps towards it, what opens up before him is that he begins to feel not that it’s worthwhile living but begins to give thank for whatever is happening with him.
Moderator: So there are contradictions here? On the one hand, the world seems dark to a person, nothing is worth living for and then there comes the wisdom of Kabbalah that says, “Look what exists above this world and this is the vision of this very attractive, great, exulted goal that will give you the ability to live in simplicity in this world like everyone else.”
M. Laitman: You remember how it’s written that the Creator brings a person to perfection and choice. Within the dark world, he brings a ray of the Light to him from afar. In between the black clouds, a ray of Light comes down to a person, and he gets the feeling that is worthwhile living for something.
Question: My daughter who is 10 years old, asked me, “What for did I come to the world? What should I answer?
M. Laitman: Ten years old is fine. There are children that ask this from the age of six or seven. It’s a very serious question. We think that it’s childish and that soon it will be forgotten. It’s not true. What should she give as an answer? It’s forbidden for us to lie.
Moderator: So, what should one answer?
M. Laitman: The mother herself must learn about what she should answer. Otherwise, how can she answer? What does a person come to the world for? A person comes to the world in order to develop his soul within the body. The body will exist; one way or another, it will live. It doesn’t matter in which way and what place—in Malaysia or here, or in Europe, in America and in what way, it doesn’t matter. Wherever, whoever, whatever I am, there is an opportunity for me to develop my soul—the eternal part and at the time that I am in this life, to unite with this eternal part and to continue my life eternally.
There are two planes here. I live on the corporeal plane, for sure. My body will exist as a beast and minimally, I have to take care of it to exist. But along with that, I can rise to the second degree of life—the eternal one and then I continue with it forever. And, even though here, I come to an end after 70, 80 years, I continue with my spiritual life onwards, limitlessly.
Moderator: Many times I heard from people that this term of “eternal degree” or “live eternally,” it frightens them.
M. Laitman: However, either way we are in this but only not knowing about it. Like a drop of seed, we have to develop ourselves, and suddenly a new life opens up before us—spiritual life filled with Light, filled with pleasure and really fulfilled. So why should I engage on a daily basis with different things and not feel that I have a benefit from them? You live against your desire; people have to give themselves an answer.
Look at the despair in the whole world; it’s the number one sickness. The actual question of “What am I living for?” awakens with no answer, and it’s a true blow to humanity.
Moderator: Why does the term “eternity” frighten people?
M. Laitman: Because they think that it’s the same life like this life, and for eternity. (Laughing)
I am talking about the spiritual degree of “Taste and see that the Creator is good,” i.e., to taste the drop of the spiritual life which is limitless. We don’t understand that we are limited in the five senses. We are always under pressures, always pursuing something; always someone is preparing something unpleasant for us.
It is especially when you rise to the spiritual degree, that you feel you have tranquility and rest. This term of infinite is without limits. It means that you are not restricted. You feel yourself being in a dimension somewhat like in childhood; we feel that everything is open, everything is mine and everything is limitless. The whole world shines for me or something like that. So, is it not worthwhile?
Moderator: Worthwhile.
M. Laitman: So we’ll develop.
Question: Occasionally, I think about death; not from a depressive point of view, but from a scientific point of view. Regularly, I try not to think about infinity, because the moment I focus myself on this, I feel sort of paralyzed like a hole opens up within me. I don’t have the words to describe what I feel. However, to the point, when I am in this state, all the things around me seem worthless and useless. It’s hard for me to picture that one day, I and this whole world will disappear. What will happen to my consciousness? Is it physical, and will it be buried along with my body? If the memory is within the mind, what’s the sense in learning all these things if the mind dies?
M. Laitman: It’s true; all of our life is only in order to develop the soul and feel spiritual life within the soul. However, our body exists and has the privilege of existence only because within it or thanks to it, we exist in it. And along with it, we can develop the soul, which is completely a part of the Divinity from Above that does not exist in our body. The body can exist because as long as we exist in it, we have the freedom of choice to develop the soul, and this is the destiny of the body.
Moderator: So, what do you recommend to a person that has thoughts about death?
M. Laitman: This is very good, but he should develop them onwards. Why did he stop? So, he says it’s not worthwhile living, so I am in despair, I’ll forget myself, I’ll take a remedy, or I’ll start smoking marihuana or something; I’ll go and confuse my brain with different things, only not to be connected to life. This is also an escape and afterwards, you pay for it dearly. Therefore, what I recommend is to think about it but in a more advanced way, in a more purposeful way. This life is an opportunity to reach eternal life, complete eternal life full of Light, and then we feel in it a great value.
Look at all the people who learn with us, how they love this life, and they want to use every single moment of it because they see the goal. If a person feels the goal and identifies with it from afar, he begins advancing towards it, and it constantly opens up and comes closer, then each day, he is fulfilled and uplifted. Truly like I remember when I was searching before I found Kabbalah, life was worse than death. I recognize it with many people that turn to me. So, advance a bit more, and then you’ll feel the Light before you.
Question: A nine-year-old boy has three questions: 1) When was the Creator born? 2) How can I be His partner? 3) Why don’t people have magical forces?
M. Laitman: When was the Creator born? When Adam (man/human) was born, there is no God without Adam and there is no Adam without God, because Adam means our soul. The moment we feel the opening of the soul, suddenly, we feel that something opens up and then what we feel within the soul, is the Divinity. This is called “Divinity” and outside of this, there is no Divinity. There is no Creator without a creature; this comes as a law.
Moderator: How can I be God’s partner?
M. Laitman: By having the same powers and the same actions like the Creator, by this you’ll be His partner. What kind of powers? The Creator has only one power, to bestow good upon everyone. Therefore, if you do the same then you’ll be like God, and according to the equivalence of form with Him, you’ll feel Him.
Moderator: Why don’t people have magical forces?
M. Laitman: These are called magical forces. You’ll have magical forces; you’ll feel limitless. But the problem is that we feel ourselves limited, because we want to fulfill ourselves—bring and bring and bring from all sides—to steal or take or cheat, whatever. Therefore, I am limited, because all the other people also limit me; they don’t want to give me. Who treats me favorably about this? When I come out of my limitation, I turn to others, and I want to give them, then no one interferes.
But there is Kabbalah that explains to me how to do this; it’s not simple. The Creator also gives to everyone, but we don’t feel that He gives. We don’t feel this world as happy. So we have to see this, we have to learn how He gives so that we can receive from Him. We do not feel Him or receive anything from Him. The tremendous power of “good that doeth good” is prepared to fulfill us and give us everything—the eternal life, eternal Light that will fulfill us. We do not receive anything from this; we don’t know how to receive. Therefore, there is the wisdom of Kabbalah—how to receive from God. Then you will feel that you are His partner, because He wants to give, and you’ll receive.
Regarding the question of why don't people have the magical forces, you will have magical forces. You receive everything and you don’t need anything besides this, there is no question. There is nothing else besides that.
If you want to be like God, then you’ll begin to receive from Him. By this you‘ll give Him pleasure; by receiving from Him. This is the greatest magic. What is magic? Magic means things that are not usual in which I can transcend this limited nature and do everything limitlessly, and this is precisely what happens.
Question: How does one know if the internal changes that switch within me or the changing thoughts, as a result of studying Kabbalah, show that I am on the right path? And in general, what does one feel when he studies Kabbalah? How should it influence our daily behavior?
M. Laitman: Regarding the day-to-day behavior, a person doesn’t have to change anything within him. It’s better not to change anything, and, in the eyes of everyone, be like anyone else; to behave ordinarily with everyone according to what is common in society. Otherwise, they might think you are not normal. In truth, nothing has to change. It remains more or less the same. On the one hand, this is convenient for everyone.
On the other hand, the entire change in an inner change. One develops and begins to sense behind what he sees here, begins to feel that there are forces that work, forces that come down to this world, which operate the people and operate him. He begins to relate differently to the world and to people. He begins to feel that he is, with these powers, in a certain partnership. Then he’ll discover the Upper Light that surrounds him and the whole world. He sees that all people are connected to it; he sees one system, and it fulfills and gives him horizons. He begins to understand and feel everything.