Bold and in quotes: Original text of Baal HaSulam
Regular: Commentaries of Rav Laitman
lowercase italics: emphasized words
Capitalized italics: transliteration from Hebrew
Question: I wanted to ask a question, but I no longer want to. As a specialist in the field of philosophy, I provide the systems of Nikolay Gafman and Maslow (that triangle with five levels) to my students and force them to think what level they are actually on: are they alive or inanimate? In other words, inanimate is the “I,” the inhabitant; the next level is vegetative—money; the third level is authority, the fourth is knowledge, and the fifth level is beyond the barrier. They respond to these questions. They are interested. Thank you.
I have nothing to say because you did not ask me anything. You simply stated what you are able to state. I can only say one thing: you were a philosopher and you remained a philosopher. At one point we spoke about you moving to Moscow and beginning to study normally there. But you stayed where you were, behind your Buddhism. I am not arguing. All of these religions, faiths, or methods have a rational particle. If need be, at times we should somehow use them to begin our dissemination.
I am not in favor of Kabbalah and against Buddhism, although, in general, I am familiar with that philosophy. However, the fact of the matter is that, in general, there is nothing in that method except wishes. That philosophy does not prescribe how to realistically use the human nature and precisely create a human society under a natural, proper, and absolute knowledge of the Upper laws. Therefore, the initial explanation can be given even by referencing Dalai Lama. That’s not important. However, eventually, after one or two lessons, if you won’t go into meditation of some sort, or bows and dances, you will need to present a serious concept (I mean for those who will want to comprehend it, not the general public). You will, all the same, need to explain Kabbalah to them. Well, go ahead, try!
Question: I have a question regarding our newspaper, “The New Generation,” and the dissemination of it, taking into account Russian specifics. First of all, who do we make this newspaper for? Second of all, how do we disseminate it? How can we do this?
Do it the natural way. The circumstances in our country have changed. The country has abruptly entered a general political, social crisis, plus there occurred this last minor war and various other problems (the president, the prime minister, the national controller, and the leader of the national bank all being put in jail, one after another, and so on). All of this creates a kind of tension in society, an uneasy state. Plus, we’ve lost a war, which did not solve anything and only intensified all the problems. All of these things have caused such circumstances that there has emerged a possibility for a massive ideological attack on the entire Israeli society as a whole. As you understand, there are five million people there. Of them, one million are Russian speaking. Therefore, we began to publish a newspaper.
I got this idea the natural way because of such circumstances in Israel. Therefore, we began to publish a newspaper. It is in Hebrew. We are currently working on the fourth edition. We release it once every two weeks and hoping to do it once a week. In general, it is directed at the Israeli people. It is completely tied to all those specific problems that are manifested in the country—their specific outward appearance. At the same time, the first edition of the Russian paper came out and was successfully disseminated. It is almost a reflection of the Israeli paper, excluding the part that speaks of the various personal impressions, stories, and experiences.
Our paper consists of five parts, roughly speaking. There is one main part, which focuses on a Kabbalistic concept, but it is described in a very simple manner, on the level of the most ordinary person. After this, we have the laws of the universe. This part too is extremely simple, attractive, and has a completely different appearance, not that of moral teachings, precepts, or a lesson in physics. Then there is a part called “Kabbalah Campus,” or an actual lesson, with some little drawing even. Then, we have personal impressions from someone who comes to Kabbalah (how he searched and so on), some story. Then there are also movie stars or whoever else, how they come to us, how they study, and the questions they ask.
So, that’s the newspaper. It’s intended for everyone, all kinds of people. It includes quotes of German, French, and other philosophers, what they say about Kabbalah, how they see it, and so on. We are counting on a very broad circle of readers, people who are inspired by scientists, philosophy, different celebrities, stars, and so on. This is how we present our concept, and so far, we are successful.
How should we do this in Russia? I think the idea itself is correct. In general, all the parts of the newspaper are chosen correctly, at least for now (it is very possible that they will transform into some other forms with time). We should use them as a basis and begin to try writing them according to the circumstances that surround us today. As they said some time ago, during the times of the Soviet government, “socialistic in content and national in form.” In other words, inside it should be a newspaper, which includes all the ideas of general development of course: the general law of nature; where we are being driven; why we receive such blows; what the initial problems (purposeful problems) that humanity was supposed to experience were; and so on. All of this is internal. However, externally, it should be written in the form of stories, appeals, various incidents, accounts—what is customary in your society. In Kazakhstan, it could be one thing, in Ukraine something else, in Russia yet something else, and so on.
As I can see on the screen, you have people watching from Germany, Austria, America, and many other places. I am very pleased to see people on the screen that I personally haven’t seen in a long time. And now I find them here, on your screen. I am very happy to see all of you. I regret not being with you physically. But on the other hand, some time later, during a Congress, I will explain why this happened, and you will see how necessary it is.
We brought the first edition of the newspaper that was released in Russian. We will continue to make these Russian newspapers in Israel because, as I’ve already mentioned, one out of five million people in Israel is Russian, and there’s also a great number of Russian-speaking people in other countries of the world. With time, I think we’ll send this newspaper to the United States and other countries. But overall, they can take it off the Internet, publish it, and disseminate in Russian if they want. They can also make an English version or versions in other languages.
For Russia, it’s the same. Take it as your basis and think how to express it further, for your society. If need be, we will help you. With pleasure, I read over all the materials and change them if need be, anything from the simplest short story to banners, quotes, and expressions. So I’m ready. If you want to release your own newspaper somewhere in Rybinsk, for example, I am willing to carefully look over the entire newspaper every time, and give my opinion regarding each section.
I don’t think that’s the way we should do it for now. However, we should think about what this paper, the New Humanity, should be like and how you can disseminate it. The most important thing is to start from the end—dissemination—to see whether you are able to do that. Then go back to the sources, meaning the financial aspect, the work itself, looking for people to write, etc. You should force everyone to write, try out everyone. All of a sudden, you find such talent and such ability in people who did not seem capable before. Definitely try to find these people amongst you. In addition, try every person in several different subject areas. Some people write from the heart (this could be narratives, which should be in the newspaper), others write better about science, others can tell great stories, others like to pick apart different parables, and so on. From all this, a newspaper can form.
Question: Can we and should we use the sources of mass media to promote the topics of dissemination and altruism in a very straightforward manner?
As a rule, the sources of mass media want various “scoops,” scandalous stories, and other things people are attracted to. So if you can begin to submit your ideas to some sources of mass media in such an entertaining form, you should try to do that. Each magazine has a section where this material can be placed. We should quickly translate all of these newspapers for you. There are only three of them, and now we are releasing the fourth. I am working on it already. You will be able to seek out many different stories and interesting parables from all of these newspapers. Then you can put them into practice and begin to express the necessity to the public.
If you are dealing with various scientific press agencies, you can place our articles about the general law of the universe, altruism, the work of the living organism; the similarity of the human society to this live organism; how opposite we are to it and the fact that we suffer due to this. Our society is like a cancer organism that has completely disintegrated and exists only owing to the fact that it must survive in spite of that, at least in some minimal scope, and reach the goal of creation. We can gradually write about all of this and begin to show it to people.
But again, under no circumstances should we point to Kabbalah as the source for understanding our mistakes or for attaining a higher state. Otherwise, you will be forced to plunge into such explanations and rejections of various slanders and accusations that you will have neither the strength nor the opportunity for anything else. However, when you don’t position yourselves in association with Kabbalah, then you explain everything naturally and simply, from the incentive to do good to all of mankind. It’s doubtful that anyone will speak up against you in that case because hardly anyone ever speaks up against altruistic organizations. It almost never happens.
Even Nazis, communists, nationalists, and the like won’t be bothered by you. They simply add their concept of unification to all this, and it seems to them that it will bring people to a better state. But consequently they will understand that if any part of the body or any organ egoistically stands out from the rest, it receives a tremendous blow from the back, from the laws of nature. Therefore, all of these fascist and other similar organizations will be forced to fall to pieces ignominiously in the end, having caused tremendous harm to themselves and others. Thus we should simply avoid contact with them. But it’s doubtful that they will get in your way if you won’t position yourselves in association with something outside of our inner culture, or let’s say Russian society, if we are talking about Russia.
Question: You brushed me off, but I was trying to tell you that Nikolay Gafman is a new phenomenon who has accepted the system of Kabbalah. They give Kabbalah in the form of this pyramid, and it is one hundred percent the same as yours. It simply needs to be given in a deeper form to the students. But they are people off the street…
I can tell you one thing: good luck in everything possible. What idea, where, and how to transform it is irrelevant. Any incentive to unite, to connect, even if it doesn’t go hand in hand with the laws of nature, is fine on these low, beginner steps. The resolution is still low and the need to raise the perceptibility is lacking. There is no clear aiming point to the goal in the complete range of perception. It is still blurry and distant. You know, when I fly transatlantic, I just fly in the direction of the Atlantic Ocean, and that’s it. Then, as I get closer, the frequency continues to increase.
So, for now, that’s not important. There was a reason for the spreading of those teachings, including those from ancient Babylon. If all of those eastern teachings, even religions, had been in their pure form, they would all talk about the same goal, only on the corporeal level. Then, when a person begins to gradually delve deeper into them and begins to receive blows from behind, a point in the heart begins to form in him. After that, he will seek out the true idea, which speaks about the most refined layer of the unification in the mosaic, and which is called Kabbalah. But in the meantime, it is completely irrelevant.
I understand you. I know that for now you exist on such a level where you are unable to even distinguish or give a precise distinction of one from the other. That’s irrelevant. It will come. I am very happy that you are here. I haven’t heard anything about you for a few years, and I’m very happy to see you. We still need philosophers for the time being.
Question: What’s the sense in disseminating this idea of a happy and carefree corporeal life to ninety-nine percent of humanity, if right from the start… [inaudible]
Let’s suppose, one percent of humanity engages in direct attainment because the point in the heart aches within these people and there is nothing else they can do. As Baal HaSulam says in the beginning of his Preface to the Study of Ten Sefirot, if one has the question, “ Ma Taam Be Chaeynu?” In other words, “What’s the meaning of my life? Why do I suffer? Where am I coming from, where am I going, and how should all this lead me forward?” If this subconscious question, which constantly drills me from within, drills my brain and my heart, if it is sitting inside of me, then what method—the “what” and the “how”—is of no importance to me. I unwillingly, like a charge in an electric field, aspire to the source.
Whether I want to or not, I come to the source regardless and cannot leave, cannot come off from it. I could hate this “Kabbalah,” this “Laitman,” etc., but what am I to do? Do you understand? Kabbalists indicated that students should be “beaten,” “dragged around,” etc., in order to distinguish whether they actually have that point in the heart or are they merely sitting there and warming their behinds.
However, for the time being, there are only a handful of these people in the world. They develop individually. That is the part of the world destined to develop an ideology or system, to be the peak of humanity and lead all of humanity to fill that empty spot in the mosaic or puzzle. Our part needs to do that.
However, you need to lead all of humanity regardless, while it only knows how to amorphously, passively suffer. Gradually, more and more people, different layers of them, will come to you, draw closer, and begin to understand. However, there will still be those who are incapable of being like you, simply incapable. The point in the heart will emerge in everyone, but as Baal HaSulam says in Shamati, article eighty-six:
[It is said of the future that although the Creator will obliterate egoism or the evil inclination, the ego of human beings…] Yet, some evil and righteous do remain.
This article is called Ve Yaven Arey Miskenot.This means that even in the Final Correction, there will still remain the wicked and the righteous. We aren’t talking about somewhere on the path, over the course of the next few dozen years, while we’ll be gradually nearing correction and closing the gap left to us by the freedom of will, filling it in the general Universe. Even in the FinalState, when we will have already achieved all that, Baal HaSulam says that “there will nevertheless remain the wicked and the righteous.”
What do we mean by “the wicked and the righteous”? The righteous are those who attain the primary cause and the end or the goal of all creation and consciously are situated inside of this puzzle. The wicked are those who are still unable to do that. It is not that they cannot correct themselves, consciously attain and understand it all for the time being; they can’t do it at all. That’s the way they are arranged, and they constitute the inanimate part of the pyramid.
Imagine the inanimate part of the pyramid. Do you know what it’s like? Imagine the Universe: the inanimate matter, which is billions and billions of tons in comparison to the vegetative matter on the terrestrial globe, the animate matter, and the human matter. Are they commensurable? Can you imagine this pyramid? The inanimate nature constitutes 999,999,999 tons, which cannot move on their own and are therefore called inanimate. You need to direct this part of humanity after yourselves through the forces that you apply toward it. It has no spiritual power. It only has spiritual power to listen to you.
Look at what Baal HaSulam writes: “The wicked differ from the righteous in that the wicked are unable to distinguish the egoistic steps in themselves.” They are unable to completely correct themselves and therefore, while correcting themselves, they are unable to reach an independent, constructive movement ahead toward the execution of their mission, their freedom of will.
So, what should they do? He says they should:
…be dust under the feet of the righteous…
That means they should listen to them in all the rules of conduct, built in such a way that it is as if they see the invisible. In other words, the righteous decide for them what to do and explain it to them. Those wicked, who are incapable of distinguishing that, agree and seemingly stick to the righteous (that is what’s meant by being the “dust” under their feet, or to obey them completely). Hence, everyone together, the entire integral part, enters a perfect, comfortable state. Take even our organism. Just look at how many enormous systems are present in it! And they are controlled merely by such a small part of the brain.
Therefore, I repeat: those who have a point in the heart need to receive completely separate instructions, explanations, a completely separate knowledge system that will give them the opportunity to self-realize and also to carry along the inanimate parts of humanity that each person needs to carry from within. Hence, you are the representatives of millions of people, hundreds of millions even, whom each of you, according to the root of your soul, needs to bring after you. I am telling you this in a completely certain manner. I see this very realistically. Everyone sitting in this auditorium and those in the whole world, who study and feel a pressing need for it, feel not their own need but that of the millions of souls that push them ahead and await a solution from them. All of this is your responsibility.
You need to properly picture the structure of the Universe and the structure of human society, the structure of the souls or Adam, the common soul. Then you will have no problems with this. You will understand how you can present your idea to them. They are small, like children, and they will understand that they will be better off that way; they will become smarter and will begin to do something for themselves, like children. Children also like to create something, understand something. However, you need to understand where their limits are and work with that, fill them properly from yourselves. It’s not simple, but it is an objective, a responsibility.
Even when the government of a country guides and works out some laws, it uses recommendations of scientists, philosophers, sociologists, and the like. Then, gradually, through various institutes and academies, it forms more and more regular laws that are presented to the society. No one explains the whole system to the society—where it all comes from. It is set out in the form of laws, to match the society, its mentality, its history, and so on. You should act in the same manner.
Therefore, what you study, or what I teach you, I teach you because we are the head of this entire process. However, the other portion of humanity is like the body with respect to the head. They will simply carry out what you present to them in the proper form. They need to realize and willingly join you, adhere to you, but, in general, it will be you leading them.
For this reason, there are some parts of our science that cannot be given to them. They will not be able to understand them and that will disturb them. They will not be able to understand in the same manner as we can’t understand today: Is everything in the Creator’s hands or in our hands? Is everything predetermined? What can I compare it to? There still remains much confusion in us, and this confusion cannot be resolved at all for them. The instruments needed for inner analysis and solution are lacking. In you, these instruments are gradually developing, and you will solve these issues. However, this is not the case in them.
Look at what Baal HaSulam writes in item 2/11, The Last Generation:
The laws of the ideology, which are the same for the whole world, are the following: to work for the benefit of the people to the extent of our capabilities, and above that if needed, until hunger and thirst will vanish from the whole world. In spite of the fact that a human being is a diligent worker, he will not delight in the environment more than those who are behind, in order that the level of life would be the same for all. The same applies also to the spiritual.
This means that even on a non-spiritual level, everyone is completely equal—absolutely everyone receives the same thing. What do we mean by that? Even on the animal level, not everyone receives the same thing, because, for example, I need to eat two dinners and someone else needs three, and for another person just a half is enough. In other words, every person receives the same part with respect to himself. And Baal HaSulam writes, “The same pertains to the spiritual. However, in the spiritual sense, only special people should engage in this according to the degree of their necessity, and not everyone.”
Look at what he writes: “Not everyone is equal on the spiritual level.” “Only special people,” he writes. He is talking about the last generation, the ideology of the last generation. “Only special people” should be responsible for ideological development, the basis, and spiritual guidance. Only “special people according to the degree of their necessity,” meaning those in whom this necessity is evidently expressed. “An organ similar to the Supreme Court will be enforced, and every one wishing to contribute to spiritual life will be required to receive permission from this court,” meaning for studying the ideology and development. This spiritual court won’t simply consist of jurors. As you can understand, it will consist of great Kabbalists, who will understand who is addressing them and whether or not there is a need.
Why am I saying this? Even today we should understand that we can’t simply throw Kabbalah around everywhere; it is incorrect and works to our own detriment. It should be a selective, proper, and step-by-step dissemination. This is especially the case today, when we are entering such a broad development of dissemination. We should understand who we are addressing and approach them with mercy, love, and an understanding of the small, almost insignificant, capability to absorb what we are saying. We need to treat the rest of humanity like babies and be as kind as we can.
I often hear our guys in different countries going to disseminate almost by force. It cannot be done by force. We already passed this stage in Israel. We should try to do it through love and, of course, wrap it in the most appropriate covering for the person. How do we act with children and even with ourselves? Yes, even with ourselves! If I’m offered a medicine that I need (like right now, I am taking lots of different medications because of high blood pressure), if I am offered a medicine in a sweet covering or a regular one—regular medicines are very bitter, aren’t they?—of course I’ll take the sweet one. So, why do you want to give bitterness to others?
Question: You said that we can begin to disseminate through altruistic organizations. There are such organizations as the Center of Rerich’s Heritage in Russia, and mostly in Samara. They believe that the world can be saved by spreading beauty. They collaborate with different museums in Russia as well as aboard. They disseminate different literature of philosophical nature. They have their own foundation, based on philosophical systems of ancient Greece and the East.
We tried to get in touch with them, and in general, they are willing. They have your books. They tried to read them and understand them like regular sciences, didn’t understand anything, and put them aside. The books are quietly sitting there now. They don’t understand it. I tried to speak to them, but they have their own foundation, which they use to protect themselves with. I got the impression that they don’t understand. They also give half-hour lectures for four years, three times a week. However, the whole concept revolves around the physical world, so to speak.
What’s your question?
Question (cont’d): How can we work with such an organization? On what basis can we do it? And should we do it at all?
This is what I would do. There are many of these kinds of organizations in the world. I often met with them aboard and participated in the common congresses. There is a persistent need to meet and try to work with them, without positioning ourselves in association with Kabbalah. Again, without positioning ourselves in association with Kabbalah. We can call ourselves “The New Humanity,” “The development of new knowledge” based on anything at all, different philosophers, etc. Then you will not be perceived through preconceived notions.
There is no need to give them the books that you study because there is a clear indication to Kabbalah in them. In other words, you have your own one-sided, very confusing, and mystical point of view. Who knows what Kabbalah is? In general, everyone is scared of it. There is so much piled up around it: everything from pornography of Madonna to black magic and whatever else. For the time being, Kabbalah sounds like anything from mystics to lechery in the world today. It could be anything, really.
I am not even mentioning anti-Semitism and all of that bias. Try to explain that it is “this” and not “that.” I believe that we definitely shouldn’t do that. I repeat, don’t explain it to them at all because they do not have a point in the heart. And if they do, it will slowly come out, and then you will find that you can give them a little more knowledge. However, initially, until you might be able to tell them anything from Kabbalah, don’t talk about it. Then they will interpret you the right way, like one of their own.
You will naturally participate along with them, naturally enter their organization, naturally begin to understand, see what’s right and what isn’t, what goes against and what agrees with us, and objectively begin to show them how it really is. “The laws of nature are such and such…” Use various philosophers and scientists (Rerich, Solov’ev, Dalai Lama) and introduce any possible concepts from Kabbalah. You will arrive at a general, common to all mankind, proper theory that we need to live properly.
Everyone speaks of love and interdependency. Everyone says that all of humanity is a sole organism. This is understood by all the altruistic organizations. Explain it to them the way a Kabbalist explains it to those who are like “dust under the feet of the righteous” as we read just now, meaning those who can understand what needs to be done but not where it all comes from. We should explain that our society needs to change in such and such way. In what way should it change? Kabbalah speaks of the succession and transformation of the society.
I believe that we should work with these organizations and disseminate through them, particularly through them. And if we’re going to do it on our own, we should still depend on them and work together, so that we wouldn’t differ in any way. For example, you are from Samara. There are people from Chelyabinsk, Rostov, etc. There are numerous organizations of that sort everywhere. Go ahead, be like them, be colorless. Then you will be perceived properly. And within them, in a sweet covering, begin to present your method, basing it reasonably on the laws of the Universe.
So, you aren’t taking it from somewhere in ancient Babylon, and it isn’t as though something just popped into your head. Present it properly and scientifically. I believe this is the main goal in our dissemination. You should understand that this congress that we are conducting is only for you, those who are inside. However, on the outside, we should not position ourselves in association with Kabbalah at all. We should enter all the altruistic organizations, which are solely concerned with humanity’s well-being, without a dash of nationalism, or, on the contrary, going above nationalism, in favor of someone or against someone. We are just in favor of goodness. Then within all that, we’ll be able to introduce Kabbalah in the proper manner.
In essence, it only differs from all these good incentives in that it holds a sensible instrument within. How to do all that? It is what all of them lack. If you’ll begin to act within all of those organizations, you will find that it’s possible to gradually show them that on top of their own ideology and their own incentives, a power can also be added. And we shouldn’t name this power, but it’s the power of Kabbalah.
Question: I participate in dissemination. Along with all the positive things I encounter when I come across a person who understands where to get the answers to many questions, I also come across others. These are aggression from the church, negativity from authorities, politicians (because every other politician might as well be in a frock), and those for whom all this sounds somewhat wrong. My question is: will a certain structure be created that will deal specifically with dissemination? Any Russian person comes home and is afraid to open his mailbox. The information that he gets his hands on (a newspaper on the street, a newspaper somewhere else) can have a negative influence on our pursuit.
A minor blow is stronger in sensations than great pleasure, and sometimes in response to aggression, we become unable to do anything.
You are just confirming once again that only the decision to disseminate the concepts of Kabbalah without calling it Kabbalah can help us avoid all the prejudice and barriers that each of us has in regard to any limited in spectrum, or historically inclined, ideology.
If right now I were offered some ideology belonging to Indians or some other nation, why would I want to learn about it? What for? Don’t we have our own stuff? I would have a hostile reaction to all these things. And that is particularly the case with an ideology from Israel. That’s complete nonsense altogether. Should I begin to study something that disgusts and repulses me? Every person has these inner prejudices and doubts. I, too, had them, even though I am Jewish.
We don’t need all that. Come to a level where you are dealing specifically with the humanity and the laws of nature, which you are explaining to the other person. Cross out or sterilize, all of our texts. You will never be able to prove to others that by Israel we mean the point in the heart, which aspires to the Creator, and for that reason the Kabbalistic group received such a name once, and the nation itself today has nothing to do with that name. You will waste so much energy on this and you still won’t be able to convince anyone because they don’t have that point in the heart inside. They will not be able to find an adequate and proper conception to your words. Therefore, your attempts are initially doomed to fail.
You can only explain all that to a person with a point in the heart, who has the incentive to return to his root. He initially comes from the point “ Yashar (straight) to El’” (Israel), the movement toward the Creator. Then you can explain to him that “this is called this, and that is called that.” Therefore, the Torah or Kabbalah speaks of one person rather than some nation or anything else. But that’s only in regard to a person who has the point in the heart. For this reason, with you, we talk openly and operate with these words, relating them more or less properly to the forces or properties that they represent.
However, a human being that does not have a point in the heart will not be able to place your words with the right and true forces and actions. Therefore, your attempts are doomed to fail and under no circumstances should we do that. If I give a presentation at some international forums (you can see how I presented in Tokyo or Arosa), or even when I present to our beginner groups (Chili or Santiago, for example), do I explain Kabbalah to them as Kabbalah? I change everything around and say it in different words, without hoping that they will immediately properly transform these spiritual concepts inside.
Hence, we need to create a completely new language. In essence, it already exists; we merely need to cleanse ourselves and have a proper understanding. Our main problem is to draw a clear line between what we study, the sources of Kabbalah for the development of our souls for those who have a point in the heart—that is our inner stuff because we relate to it inwardly and we are this way according to the structure of our souls—and those who we need to explain it to, who do not have this point in the heart. They will never be able to understand correctly what we explain to them in Kabbalistic terms. We need to explain it to them in the terms that exist in this world.
And this pertains to newspapers, lectures, participation in some other forums or organizations, etc. You need to act like a scientifically-enlightening organization. There should be no Kabbalah at all! You are not religious. Why should you be associated with that? You are not presenting anything but the science about the correction of humanity.
To tell you honestly, I don’t understand why we need to talk so much about dissemination. After it is clear that we need to somehow go from being a wolf to being the Red Riding Hood in order to present to the world what it needs, like to a little child, in a comfortable form for it, we need to simply sit down and think about how to do that.
First of all, we should renounce everything Kabbalistic with respect to the world. That is your closed affair; engage in it internally. However, with respect to the world, you should position yourself not as Bnei Baruch, the Kabbalistic group, but just as it is written here before us, “The New Humanity.”
Question: When we disseminated for the “points in the heart,” we were sure that we were carrying across a message because we disseminated the sources. However, if we begin to disseminate for the masses now, without Kabbalah, talking about altruism, the crisis or whatever else, how can we be sure that we are not disseminating philosophy or communism? What’s the instrument? How are we different? What are we carrying within?
There is in fact no difference between using Kabbalistic words or using words society is accustomed to. The idea stays the same. You are not lying about anything or cheating yourself or trying to tell them something untrue. You are simply trying to explain using words that people can understand and relate to and a style that will be perceived by them in a favorable manner. It is for their benefit. In general, if you begin to re-write all of our articles and concepts, describing them in this simple human language, you will create particularly the system of dissemination you are asking about. You do not need to change anything within.
Go ahead, try to do this, and you will see that you’ll remain yourself: direct and not deceitful. Simply constantly clothe yourself into the person you wish to deliver this to. Whether you’ll be guided by concern and love for the person—a realization of the need for him to understand it properly and take it close to heart, because it depends on his good will, his freedom of will—or a desire to prove you are right, will determine whether or not it will be realized.
“Beating the person with a stick” won’t help. You need to explain it to him in a beautiful manner, so that he wouldn’t forget it today or tomorrow, but would begin to live with this idea and begin to advance on his own, from within. What you give to him should serve as the initial energy for his movement. Can you imagine how you need to instill this message into him and how correctly and properly for him it should be perceived by the person? Build dissemination based on all this.
Question: Let’s say this concept of the sufferings that await us—the wars and so on, the egoistic stimulus, or a tense inner state, which adds to dissemination—that’s for the body. However, my question is: Is it possible to disseminate in the form of something fashionable? In other words, instead of it being hidden somehow, where every person carries it inside, can we make it fashionable for young people to wear t-shirts saying something like “The New Humanity” and so on? And on that note, since all of us perceive according to two opposites, won’t there arise a niche for those who will resent this idea? While there will emerge a critical mass of people who will be involved in this, won’t there emerge the same amount of people fundamentally against it, just to be against something?
In respect to disseminating through different fashionable forms, as you’re saying, I believe it’s incorrect. We tried to disseminate this way some time ago, even though I was against it from the start. However, students and newcomers in particular tried to convince me that’s the way we should do it because people will perceive it in a beneficent manner. Nothing good came out of that.
You should disseminate in your own style. Even though you are doing it for those who do not have the point in the heart, it should be done in a way that you can explain it and present it to people. It may unwillingly turn out to be slightly scientific, moralizing, and “from above downward,” but that’s you. You can describe it through stories of some sort about the experiences of a human being and how he comes to the truth; how one searches for ways and does not know what his sufferings depend on. You can involve famous people who ask questions and are trying to find the answer, and who describe their search. That usually appeals to people because people try to be like these celebrities.
You need to seek out a multitude of these various channels toward people. However, within all of these channels there should be you. Don’t mutilate yourselves by various forms that contradict your message. There is no way to express Kabbalah through dances, symphonies, or ballet. It won’t work. You still need to express it in the form of human experiences. Therefore, you can get someone more famous, a scientist maybe, who explains this from the point of view of his respectable science. However, it will still be a scientifically enlightening part, on one hand, and artistic, describing the inner world of a person, on the other, nothing more than that.
I haven’t seen any more successful attempts to make it more modern or pop-like, with the Kabbalistic concept being perceived through it. It won’t work. Writing smash hits on this subject won’t work. Do you understand? Hence, don’t go too far and begin to search for some strange methods. In addition, the external form says something of the inner form. You will not be able to present Kabbalah in the form of pop to those who are ready to hear you. It usually doesn’t interest them; they usually don’t accept it. They just don’t. This form is withdrawn from inner, clear, and deep meaning. It shifts the person to a self-intoxication of a sort, pulling him away from the deeper layers or thoughts. Therefore, it just doesn’t work. It’s not worth it.
The simplest thing is to write out all of our concepts in a scientifically popular form, on one hand, and in an emotional or artistic form speaking of feelings, a search, disappointments, finding, etc., on the other. And yet another approach to this is through the experiences, searches, findings, and opinions of famous people (big scientists, as well as actors and the like). In essence, these are three channels for explanation.
I’d like to repeat this to you once more: what is of most importance is the truth that will be revealed in the connection between you. That is most important. No science can do that. We need to find that law of integral and mutual understanding and interconnection inside ourselves, the men and the women alike. I am hoping you’ll be able to do this at the congress, and the fact that I’m not there can help you in this respect.
You need to think about how to further search for the truth. You are situated in an eternal movement with your souls, and you need to find on your own what is called the Upper World in your connection with each other. I spoke about this more than once: the Upper World is not something that descends from above. We learned what it means to attain the Universe, to attain the [Upper] World: it is what a person attains on the inside. If we unite amongst ourselves and attain the connections between us, those connections are what bring us or create this vision of the Upper World in us.
Our world today is a reflection of our inner properties. In the same manner, the Upper World is a reflection of our future properties, if we raise ourselves to their level. Therefore, all of your answers and all of your spiritual future depends solely on the extent that you will be able to unite with each other, at least a millimeter more closely. Precisely at that unification, you will find a new property, a spiritual property. As soon as you’ll be able to depart from yourselves, even slightly, with respect to your common Kli, that is, in fact, the crossing of the Machsom. This is what I wish you to attain at this Congress.
Don’t depend on anyone, including me, only on yourselves. When I’m not here, let it serve as a warning for you of the fact that you are independent in this, and you are obliged to realize this.
Good luck.
[Round of applause]