Michael Laitman and the Bnei Baruch Group (excerpt of the article "On the followers of Rabbi Y.-L. Ashlag, polemics with them, and the Dissemination of Jewish Kabbalistic Literature")

Jonatan Meir

Michael Laitman and His Group "Bnei Baruch"

Jonatan Meir - Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Israel). meirj@bgu.ac.il

This is an excerpt from a much bigger article devoted to several followers of Rabbi Yehudah Ashlag's agenda who are trying to disseminate Kabbalistic ideas and practices outside of the borders of Judaism. This very excerpt analyzes teachings of Michael Laitman, a Russian-speaking student of Rabbi Baruch Ashlag, and his movement "Bnei Baruch", which try to present Kabbalah as science and lead it out of Orthodox Judaism. Author considers Laitman's methodology, his ideas on correction of the world and salvation from anti-Semitism through Kabbalah studies, his social ideal. In this excerpt one can also find analysis of the social context of the movement, Laitman's competition with another representative of New Age Kabbalah Shraga Feivel (Philip) Berg, strategies of gaining popularity and complicated relations with Jewish Orthodoxy.

Keywords: Michael Laitman, Bnei Baruch, Baruch Ashlag, Philip S. Berg, Kabbalah, anti-Semitism, New Age.

Translated from Hebrew by Meir, Jonathan (2007) "Opposition to the 'Followers' of Rabbi Yehudah Ashlag and the Dissolution of Esoteric Literature", Kabbalah: Journal for the Study of Jewish Mystical Texts 16: 151-258. Published with the kind permission of the journal: Kabbalah: Studies of Jewish Mystical Texts, Los Angeles.

Meir Y. Michael Laitman and the Bnei Baruch Group / / State, Religion, Church in Russia and Abroad. 2015. N 3 (33). pp. 192-223.

Meir, Jonatan (2015) "Michael Laitman and His Group 'Bnei Baruch'", Gosudarstuo, religiia, tserkou' v Rossii i za rubezhom 33(3): 192 - 223.

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Michael Laitman and his Bnei Baruch group are engaged in the wide dissemination of Kabbalistic literature of the Ashlag school, with an emphasis on a special method of interpretation. Michael Laitman (b. 1946) immigrated to Israel from the Soviet Union in 1974 and a few years later (around 1980) became a student of R. Baruch Ashlag. At the same time, he was involved in the activities of the Berg Center for Kabbalah Studies in Tel Aviv, where he apparently studied since 1978. He left around 1984, apparently because of Berg's lack of religion. (This information is based on several interviews with the management of the Kabbalah Study Center. They are not mentioned in most of the autobiographical texts of Laitman and his students; it is clear that the mention or concealment of this motive has polemical reasons. In an interview with Israeli journalist Niri Lavana, Laitman said:: "A friend took me to Baba Sali, and we went to study with him; and I also studied a little with Rav Berg, but I didn't stay anywhere for long until I found my Rav R. Baruch Ashlag, with whom I studied for 12 years.") Despite this, all of Laitman's writings clearly show signs of Berg's "teaching," or in other words, the Ashlag teaching as interpreted by Berg; over time, he even adopted some ideas that he initially objected to.

In 1991, after the death of R. Baruch-Shalom Ashlag, Laitman founded the Bnei Baruch Group, dedicated to the study and dissemination of Kabbalah in the Ashlag spirit. This group was registered in 1997 as amuta ("non-profit organization") and it is valid to this day. Laitman's first students were Jews from the Soviet Union; his first book on Kabbalah, published in 1984, was a popular retelling of Ashlag's teachings in Russian. This aspect is the main one in Laitman's activity, which uses the revival of interest in Kabbalah among Russian-speaking Jews, and without this it is impossible to understand his breakthrough to the outside world. Most of his books are published first in Russian, and the core of his group consists of people from Russia. Subsequently, he began to reach out to a wider audience and publish his books also in Hebrew and English, as well as creating websites in several languages.

Laitman's teaching is based mainly on extensive interpretations of the words of R. Y.-L. Ashlag and his son R. Baruch. Its main innovation is that their approach is transformed into a technical pseudoscientific method aimed at:

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to spread Kabbalah for the sake of the upcoming global changes. Unlike R. Baruch-Shalom, he does not behave like an admor and completely deviated from the Hasidic path. R. Baruch-Shalom spoke traditional Hasidic and Kabbalistic language, based on the interpretation of classical Jewish texts, with quotations from the Tanakh and Talmud, and Laitman does not have this layer at all. The use of Ashlag terminology with the addition of a new universal ideal takes the Ashlag teaching out of its original context and gives it a completely new, "New Age" form. As a result, Lightman's attitude to the official religion and to the practical commandments of Judaism is much more complex than that of those to whom he considers himself. As we will see, through a new reading and interpretation, he made some very significant changes in the Ashlag teaching. Lightman's methods are not well known, so we will discuss them in more detail.

The history of Kabbalah as a history of revelation

Like Berg, Laitman describes in his many books the history of Kabbalah from antiquity to the present day, which begins a new stage of its development, as the history of revelation. In several passages, Laitman explains that his teacher, R. Baruch-Shalom Ashlag, "was the last of the great Kabbalists, beginning with the forefather Abraham, and after him there will be no more Kabbalists like him-souls who descend from above, who are ordered by the Creator to descend into our world to correct it - for the Sake of God." all of them"1. In another passage, he said of his teacher: "Rav Baruch was the last of the great Kabbalists of the past, and he kept within himself all the former life of Jewry."2. In the third I wrote in a slightly different style: "My teacher Rav Baruch-Shalom was the last of the Mohicans, the last of the Kabbalists, after whom the great and famous Kabbalists disappeared. Today there are no such well-known Kabbalists as then, but only hidden ones."3. Be that as it may, the teaching of Y. - L. Ashlaga is perceived by him as the "last teaching" before the "final tikkun".

1. Laitman M. Reion im ha-atid (Interview with the future). Bnei Brak, 2003, p. 150.

2. Laitman M. Masa le-olam elyon (Journey to the Higher world). Bnei Brak, 2005, p. 115.

3. Laitman M. Mabat la-kabbalah (A look at Kabbalah). Bnei Brak, 2006, p. 276.

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Since 1995, Laitman has been celebrating a new process: the spiritual growth of souls from below. In his opinion, this is a new stage in the history of Kabbalah, which also changes the relationship between the secret and the revealed; for the history of Kabbalah, as he believes, is a chain slowly moving from deliberate concealment to full disclosure. The year 1995 is not accidental here. The Bnei Baruch group verbally recounts that in 1945 R. Y.-L. Ashlag said, "In 50 years, my books will be read as they read the Davar newspaper today"; and when Laitman asked R. Baruch if he meant exactly 50 years, or if this is an approximate figure, he replied that the speech we are talking about 1995. According to Laitman, at this time Kabbalah should be " revealed to the masses." It is also important that this time coincides with the time of the death of his teacher, R. Baruch Ashlag, and that it was then that he began to vigorously promote the Bnei Baruch group.

In several places, he links the "revolution of revelation" to the return to the Land of Israel and the "abolition of Galut"4. Thus, he asserts that Ashlag, as well as R. A. -I. Kook, however, faced attacks and protests because of his desire to spread Kabbalistic literature and "break away from the habits of galut"5. Their arrival in the Land of Israel at the beginning of the 20th century is symbolic of the "abolition of Galut" or "the end of the age of Galut"; Lightman argues that it is then time to "change the culture and values that the Jewish people acquired in Galut to ancient and original values and culture", meaning that the study of the Talmud must change study of kabbalah. He categorically states (referring for some reason to R. A.-I. The Talmud is a holy book written after the destruction of the Temple by Tanai and Amorai, Kabbalists who had the highest spiritual level. This book is written to shorten the time of exile. And now we have before us books that should bring the time of Deliverance closer, " that is, the books of Ashlag. As we'll see later, this same idea turns out to be the main point of Lightman's attacks on official religion.

Laitman's goal is for everyone to learn about Kabbalistic literature as it is presented in his books and recognize it, not for everyone to actually become Kabbalists.

4. Laitman, Michael. (2005) The Kabbalah Experience, pp. 96 - 98. Kabbalah research institute.

5. Laitman M. Shnei ha-meorot (Two luminaries). R. Ashlag Institute of Kabbalah Studies, 2006, pp. 31, 38.

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This is due to his social ideals, which we will return to at the end of the chapter, but first we will focus on some of the characteristic features of Lightman's self-consciousness, as well as on the methods of spreading his teachings.

Protests and controversy

Laitman says a lot of harsh words about opponents of the dissemination of Kabbalistic literature, meaning, of course, opponents of the dissemination of Kabbalah in his spirit. For most of the opponents of his methods, contrary to Laitman's assertions, do not protest at all against the dissemination of Kabbalistic literature in general; they simply choose other ways to disseminate it or understand it differently.

In all his books we find polemical statements against Kabbalistic activities in Israel and other countries, but he places himself as if above and apart from all this. Thus, he denounces "charlatans" and " so-called Kabbalists "who" sell us heart-to-heart conversations instead of Kabbalah", and opposes "superstitions" that are declared Kabbalah, but in fact give readers only "psychological satisfaction"6. Sometimes his ideas sound quite paradoxical. For example, here is an excerpt from one text:

If you have not yet reached [the truth, i.e. the path of Lightman], this is a sign that your time has not yet come, and you need to mature in "superstitions", that is, use various blessings and talismans or other nonsense that spends money and effort until you become smarter and your spiritual gene-ritmu in the language of Kabbalah-will not lead you to a real place, a real book, or a real teacher [i.e., the Lightman method].7
Elsewhere, he expresses himself even more harshly, attacking not only the traditional institutions of Kabbalah study, but also the methods of Shragi-Fivel Berg and the "kabbalah centers"he created:

6. Laitman M. Mabat la-kabbalah (Vzglyad na kabbalah), pp. 12, 155.

7. Ibid., p. 16.

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Even in Kabbalah itself, there are different types of people: some read the Zohar, indulge in solitary prayers, or believe in talismans, red threads, and holy water. And some just study, and do not build their own scenery 8.

Laitman writes without any hesitation that the stories about spirits and the like that appear in the writings of R. Chaim Vital, and "various stories about miracles" have nothing to do with Kabbalah and "are connected exclusively with the unbridled imagination of a person", "they are nothing more than stories"9.

In another place, he even says, in the heat of controversy, that there can be no Kabbalists outside the Land of Israel at all. He seems to be mainly referring to Schraga-Fivel Berg. He also claims that it is impossible to study Kabbalah outside of Israel in principle (which actually contradicts his own teaching and activities)10. There is no doubt that Laitman tries to present himself as an alternative to Berg and that he highlights Berg's mistakes in order to show that his teaching is better than Berg's and completely replaces it.

Lightman also predicts that Kabbalists who do not follow his path will eventually adopt his method. Here's what he writes in one of his books:

Therefore, all those "modern Kabbalists" who sell talismans for health, success and a good life under the brand "Kabbalah" will eventually disappear, as humanity will see that it does not need it and that all these "specialists" can not give it what they promise, but only provide psychological satisfaction and nothing else. Then people will come to the true wisdom of Kabbalah, which will open their eyes 11.

Various types of Kabbalistic activities, in his opinion, are low-grade phenomena that will disappear when the time comes and the true wisdom of Kabbalah is revealed. Laitman napada-

8. Laitman M. Ha-sefer ha-patuach (Open Book). R. Ashlag Institute of Kabbalah Studies, 2005, p. 19. 9. Laitman M. Mabat la-kabbalah (A look at Kabbalah), p. 155.

10. Laitman M. Havaya u-shma kabbalah (Impression named kabbalah). Laitman Kabbalah Publishers, 2003. pp. 60, 245.

11. Laitman M. Mabat la-kabbalah (Vzglyad na kabbalah), p. 155.

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He refers to the "new age spirit" and claims that it represents the only higher truth, despite the fact that he himself relies on New Age methods. He opposes the "culture of leisure" adopted in Israel and the media, even though he successfully uses the culture of leisure and the media for his own purposes. One of his books, in which he constantly attacks the media and leisure culture, is called Mabat la-Kabbalah ("A Look at Kabbalah") - that is, the title itself hints at the official Israeli news program Mabat.

Deliberate concealment, the apocalypse, and anti-Semitism

Lightman describes the history of Kabbalah not only as a tradition leading to the full discovery of secrets, but also as a history of deliberate concealment that led to catastrophes and anti-Semitism. That is, hiding secrets, especially in our time, inevitably leads to disasters on a global scale. His vision takes on apocalyptic proportions, although in many books they are deliberately toned down. In an interview with a Russian-language newspaper, Laitman talks at length about the apocalyptic horrors that threaten to happen soon, about various wars, about the "end of the Christian era" and the strengthening of Islam; the means against these misfortunes is the dissemination of Kabbalistic wisdom.

Most often, he uses the juxtaposition: torment - on the one hand, Kabbalah as a remedy for them-on the other. The task of humanity is to recognize the "hidden side of reality" and act in accordance with it, otherwise everyone will face great torment. The word "torment "is often repeated in his books:" torment "serves as a stimulus that necessarily pushes people to the right path, or, as he puts it,"a development press". All the hardships, sufferings, and wars are brought upon the world for no other reason than to encourage people to study Kabbalah. When the torment becomes truly unbearable, people will realize that they have read the books incorrectly and will return to the "real Kabbalah."

This is how Laitman explains the meaning of the Catastrophe and the causes of anti-Semitism. In one of his books, in a chapter called "The Jewish Conspiracy", he adapts anti-Semitic ideas to his worldview, using them not only in the title, but also in the essence of races.-

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judgments. For example, in the following passage, Lightman makes an argument as sophisticated as it is unusual:

For the Jew, the question of the meaning of life is particularly acute. The intellectual advantages of the Jews are shown in pushing out this question in more subtle ways than is typical of other peoples, while only they were given the solution - by the forefathers Abraham, Yitzhak and Jacob. The decision was in our hands, and we were running from it. All of Galut's years were essentially years when we closed ourselves off from the real question and didn't want to know anything about it... Our "development" was expressed in the fact that we encouraged and appreciated those who were better than others closed off from this issue. That is, we are in a much worse position than the rest of humanity, and because of us, humanity suffers, because we are a people whose task is to bring the rest of humanity the method of Kabbalah, the method of discovering the highest Light. Therefore, the question of the meaning of life that humanity is asking comes back to us in the form of anti-Semitism and contempt.12
If all this doesn't sound clear enough, then in another book Lightman puts the same idea even more bluntly: "We are guilty of anti-Semitism because we don't do what is necessary to arrive at the method of 'correction' and getting closer to the Creator, and because we don't open this method to the whole world."13.

So, he says, Jews are "guilty" of anti-Semitism because they hide the secret and push it out. Anti-Semitism is rooted in the foundations of the world, "in the nature of the universe," and exists because we do not bring the "light of correction"to the peoples of the world. Here is what he writes about the peoples of the world: "They do not yet know the true reason for what is happening, but they see it as a fact that Israel is the cause of all the evil that exists in the world. And the extent of our guilt will be even more revealed to everyone. There is no other solution but to come to a fix." And his newspaper interview ends with these words:"Anyone who hears what Kabbalah is can no longer be an anti-Semite." 14
12. Laitman M. Elef etzot la-chaim (Thousand life tips). Laitman Kabbalah Publishers, 2005. pp. 9-10.

13. Laitman M. Kabbalah, mada u-mashmaut ha-chaim (Kabbalah, science and the meaning of life). R. Ashlag Institute of Kabbalah Studies, 2005, p. 34.

14. Brandstein Eli. Mekubal aleigem... / / Ma'ariv. March 18, 2003

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Lightman's words sound like accusations: "This is the reason why one should study Kabbalah, but since Jews do not do this, but only do dry fulfillment of the commandments in their external form, they do not correct themselves. And so all of humanity is getting worse from generation to generation. " 15 Moreover, if we do not practice Kabbalah, we will be swallowed up by the earth. He writes, relying on an unknown tradition attributed to R. Y.-L. Ashlag: "The author of the Shulam, the last of the divine Kabbalists, wrote that if we do not understand this in a short time and do not fulfill our task, then the Land of Israel will again come under the rule of the Arabs, the Jewish people will be forced to leave it, and whoever stays here will disappear into the Arab Sea. "16 He confidently promises:" The wave of anti-Semitism will not decrease, but will grow and grow, because we are lagging behind."; "If we don't hurry, we will be hit harder and harder."17
Similarly, Laitman assesses the Catastrophe. In several places, he says that the suffering experienced by the world to this day was inevitable, but we could have prevented the Catastrophe. Here's how he writes::

We might not have experienced World War II at all. Kabbalists, including the author of the Shulam, warned that terrible things might happen soon... We were given all the conditions to return to the Holy Land and be "holy", that is, we could start a completely new life here, a true "gathering of exiles", but we did not want to "gather" together and become one for the common good ... 18

Naturally, Ashlag's words are turned inside out here. Laitman puts the same idea in another way:

The most terrible blow of the twentieth century, a catastrophe like no other, was experienced by the Jews because they did not begin to study Kabbalah in time, that is, at the same time as we returned to physical Israel, we had to raise our spirits internally.-

15. Laitman M. Mabat la-kabbalah (Vzglyad na kabbalah), p. 214.

16. Ibid.

17. Ibid., pp. 215, 219.

18. Ibid., p. 211.

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to the heights of spiritual Israel. We didn't do it, and so the punishment followed. In fact, this is not even a punishment, but simply the forces of nature work in this way. If we do not balance them with our own efforts, that is, if we do not move towards the goal of creation... then the forces of nature work through the peoples of the world and push it in this direction 19.

After a Disaster, he thinks, you should ask, " What did we do to deserve this?" And to this he has a ready answer: "Because we do not fulfill the purpose of creation according to Kabbalah." 20 However, in another place it is stipulated. When one of his students asked if the statement "The catastrophe occurred because Jews did not teach Kabbalah" was scandalous, Lightman replied:

Of course, to say: "By not harnessing the Jewish people to study Kabbalah in order to attract the Light from above, they bring trouble on themselves and on the whole world" is a correct statement. The author of the Sulama explicitly says this at the end of the"Preface to the Book of the Zohar". But at the same time, we must understand that these things are not generally known, that is, it is not that the Jewish people understand that they are obliged to engage in Kabbalah, and deliberately refused to do so, and thus brought Disaster upon themselves. If the people knew this, understood it, and felt it, then they could certainly be blamed for it. Therefore, it is certainly wrong to blame the Jewish people for the Catastrophe, and not the Nazis, because the Jewish people do not yet know that they should spread Kabbalah, and do not know what they are capable of doing and how this wisdom can serve as the key to saving the Jewish people and the whole world.21
You can learn more about this topic from Lightman's lessons. Repeating the above words, he points out that the fulfillment of the external side alone, that is, the Torah and Mitzvot, brings great harm. In other words, it is not only the absence of "internal" activities (as others say) that leads to disasters, but also the presence of "external" activities, that is, the study of the Talmud and the fulfillment of the commandments. Here, Lightman draws an entirely new and radical distinction between "external" and " internal-

19. Laitman M. Mabat la-kabbalah (Vzglyad na kabbalah), p. 219.

20. Ibid., p. 221.

21. Ibid., p. 217.

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alias". The "inner" is completely detached from the" outer", which plays almost no role in the process of"correction". We will return to the question of the status of the commandments in Lightman's teaching later, but in any case, it is clear what the basis of this teaching is: as long as we object to the "spiritual laws" of the world, suffering and calamity will increase. These calamities will eventually force people to engage in the inner side of the Torah, i.e. Kabbalah a la Laitman. He claims that today the world is on the verge of disaster, and sees the only way out in Kabbalah. The purpose of spreading Kabbalah is "to make Jews see the darkness in the world and understand that it hits us because we are the cause of that darkness." 22 "We must wake up," says Lightman, "otherwise it will be too late." 23
The meaning of full revelation and the removal of boundaries

The Bnei Baruch Group proceeds from the postulate that the last stage of concealment of secrets has already passed and the era of great changes has arrived, when Kabbalah must be spread in completely different ways than before: the era of full discovery of secrets, when all mankind will gradually be imbued with the recognition of Kabbalah. This idea is based on the assumption that the "desire to perceive"is increasingly awakening in the world. According to this approach, which is based on some of Ashlag's letters, there is a natural filtering process: not everyone is capable of perception. According to this logic, it turns out that the concealment and disclosure of secrets are connected only with the soul of a person, no one intentionally hid Kabbalah and there is no secret in it, but now there are more people in the world who are able to perceive it. Laitman even says that all Kabbalistic texts written over all generations are no more secret than the cantillation marks in the Torah text. The "secrets of the Torah" are nothing more than private objections to their dissemination. Therefore, there is no problem in distributing any Kabbalistic books these days. Today, every person can learn Kabbalah at any time when "a desire wakes up in him", "a spark in his heart". By-

22. Laitman M. Mabat la-kabbalah (Vzglyad na kabbalah), p. 210.

23. Laitman M. Shnei ha-meorot (Two luminaries), pp. 189, 290-291.

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This applies to both non-Jews and children. In this respect, Laitman is also close to Berg.

According to this view, the study of Kabbalah does not require any training and any special conditions, Kabbalah is a common field of knowledge. This means that there is no need for preparation and that all restrictions previously imposed on the study of Kabbalah are lifted. Sometimes the "permission" that is given in Kabbalistic sources on behalf of the Ari is quoted, and R. Chaim-Vital's" warnings " are ignored. About those who believe that there are age restrictions, or who claim that Kabbalah is intended only for a select few, Lightman says that they are guided by "outdated prejudices." 24
To reinforce his position, Laitman repeats several times in his books that R. A. -I. Cook to the question " Who can study Kabbalah?" answered: "To anyone who wants it." This is the spirit of his book, which is intended to demonstrate the connection and even identity between R. A.-I. Cook and R. Y.-L. Ashlag on the distribution of Kabbalistic literature (in fact, this is nothing more than an attempt to show the identity of the teachings of R. A. -I. Cook and Y-L. Ashlag with the teachings of Laitman himself). R. Kook is depicted there as a passionate advocate for the dissemination of Kabbalistic literature without borders and restrictions. Of course, in reality, R. Cook's position, like R. Ashlag's, was much more complex than is depicted here, and contained not only a passionate desire to discover secrets, but also an understanding of the importance of concealment. Certainly, neither of them lifted the restrictions imposed on the study of Kabbalah (spiritual and physical purification, observance of the commandments, and study of classical Jewish texts).: they dreamed of spreading Kabbalah while observing these restrictions. Difficulty of the R. A.-I. position. Cook's last illness, for example, was seen as a punishment for revealing secrets. This complexity is completely absent from Lightman's teaching: he considers his teaching to be unambiguous, clear, accessible, and final.

24. Laitman M. Mabat la-kabbalah (Vzglyad na kabbalah), p. 221.

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Kabbalah, Science and Religion

Laitman, like Berg before him, sees Kabbalah as a scientific method of understanding the higher world, or a practical approach that follows from the "general universal law". Thus, a Kabbalist is nothing more than a scholar who dispassionately studies the system on which the world functions.25 Therefore, Laitman makes no mistake about referring to texts written by Christian Kabbalists of the past in order to support his claims and find precedents for them: he says that Kabbalistic wisdom has been preserved by "real people, real scientists", which are the aforementioned Christian Kabbalists, along with the Ari and Ashlag 26.

To a large extent, this is due to the biography of Lightman himself, and not only to the "New Age" spirit that permeates his works. Laitman started out as a scholar and in his later publications on Kabbalah continues to hold on to his natural science skills. Describing his journey from science to Kabbalah, he writes:: "I didn't feel at all like I was entering a religion or some new form of something strange or abstract; I felt like I was continuing the very path I was raised to follow, continuing to use scientific methods." Kabbalah, in his opinion, deals only with "the higher world and its laws", and these laws are "constant, absolute and unchangeable". Moreover, the prophets and Kabbalists talk about these laws "just as scientists talk about the laws of this world - physical, chemical, and so on."27
On this basis, he tries to show in various ways that Kabbalah is far from religion and religious dogmatism, including Judaism; and that it is extremely far from everything that is called mysticism. Lightman defines religion as "opium for the people", as a human invention that blurs "the question of the meaning of life", and as a "vague solution"28, or as" a psychological method developed by man in this world" to brighten up human life. He finally dissociates himself-

25. Laitman M. Ga-arevut (Guarantee). Bnei Brak, 2005, pp. 131-133.

26. Laitman M. Kabbalah, mada u-mashmaut ha-chaim (Kabbalah, science and the meaning of life). pp. 212 - 217.

27. Laitman M. Mabat la-kabbalah (Vzglyad na kabbalah), pp. 100, 134.

28. Laitman M. Elef etzot la-chaim (Thousand Life tips), pp. 9, 151.

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He denies religion with the words: "This is only a method of calming down humanity, nothing more." 29 Elsewhere, he writes:

Judaism is hesitant to allow the publication of Kabbalah because of the contradictions between Kabbalah and religion. Religion served as a consolation in Galut and preserved the identity of the people for thousands of years. But it was adapted for a closed society, which preserves what is, and does not open the way to renewal and development. Hence the current prohibitions on the study of Kabbalah, which were once imposed by the Kabbalists themselves. But those who still adhere to the old approach do not realize that now there have been huge changes 30.

At the same time, the Bnei Baruch group "among its own" fully observes the orthodox way of life; at night classes, which are given special importance, all students are present with their heads covered, and women are not allowed there. This ambivalent attitude to the commandments is also evident in Laitman's works, in which he constantly repeats that he does not "return anyone to religion"31. It should be emphasized that antinomian ideas are also present in his teaching.

Be that as it may, there is no doubt that by abolishing the observance of the commandments as a condition for studying Kabbalah, which is explicitly stated in his works intended for the general public, Laitman went very far from the teachings of R. Baruch-Shalom Ashlag, for whom the commandments were the condition and basis for studying Kabbalah, 32 and who said: "The meaning of life and the enjoyment of life lie primarily in the Torah and the commandments: in them is the highest light "33;" A person must believe that even the smallest detail in the Torah is extremely important "34. Therefore, the most important thing for him was the fulfillment of the commandments," even if in the simplest way-

29. Laitman M. Mabat la-kabbalah (Vzglyad na kabbalah), p. 93.

30. Laitman M. Shnei ha-metorot (Dva svetila), pp. 47-48.

31. Laitman M. Elef etzot la-chaim (Thousand life tips). p. 31.

32. See, for example: R. Baruch-Shalom Ashlag. Birkat shalom (Blessing of Peace). In 2 tons. Israel, 2001. Vol. 1. Letters, pp. 198-199, letter 44; p. 225, letter 55.

33. Baruch-Shalom Ashlag River. Birkat shalom, vol. 2, p. 37.

34. Ibid., p. 178.

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35, and he considered it very dangerous to refuse to fulfill not only the commandment, but even just a custom, since in the end a person will consider himself "free" from the commandments as well.36 In the works of Lightman, such ideas are not and cannot be.

Further, religious and mystical experiences are excluded from the sphere of Kabbalah by Laitman, regardless of their content and nature, or, at best, they receive a new interpretation with the help of a" scientific " base. In addition, the characteristic features of Kabbalah as an original form of Jewish thought based on classical texts are obscured; they are contrasted with the methods of" scientific "research and" intellectual "knowledge that allow us to understand the structure of the worlds, the laws of existence and ways to correct the"egoistic nature of man".

Lightman speaks again and again about what he sees as the main cause of modern man's inferiority and suffering, about the impasse that modern science has reached; on the other hand, he presents "scientific and universal" evidence and means as the only and absolute "scientific" solution to this problem. In fact, this is a systematic creation of an illusion. After all, the "science" he is talking about is built from the wreckage of modern science and deals not with our five senses, but with the sixth sense. In fact, the term "science "is simply borrowed to emphasize the authority of his method - and the result is a grand picture of" the end of the old "and"the discovery of a new science." Therefore, scientists must move on to a new stage and create a new "vessel"where all their discoveries will flow.

All this is clearly shown in Lightman's meetings with "scholars" from different countries (some of them are close to the spirit of "new age", others do not have the slightest idea about Kabbalistic literature and its varieties and imagine that Lightman is its authentic representative); in meetings with various famous people, where Lightman attempts to offer a simple and understandable solution to the "global crisis"; and in an attempt to obscure the huge difference between Kabbalah study in universities and other institutions.

35. Baruch-Shalom Ashlag River. Dargot hasulam (Steps of the ladder). Jerusalem, 1996, vol. 2, p. 74.

36. Baruch-Shalom Ashlag River. Birkat shalom (Blessing of the World), vol. 1, pp. 238-239.

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academic institutions - and the study of Kabbalah in the Bnei Baruch group. That's the picture he paints:

If we hold more and more congresses in Israel, where scientists from other countries will come and where Israeli scientists will also participate, then our business will grow and expand... I hope that with the help of Israeli scientists, wisdom will be developed, spread and gain weight among public figures, teachers and cultural figures as well.37
Pseudo-academic activities and propaganda methods

These intentions are reflected, in particular, in encouraging members of the Bnei Baruch group to write dissertations, in attempts to collaborate with scientists, in the establishment of scholarships for students studying the philosophy of R. Y.-L. Ashlag, and in the creation of a quasi-academic curriculum at the college called "Spark in the Heart". This college was founded in 2003 and is a branch of the Bnei Baruch Group in Tel Aviv. It offers classes, courses and evening seminars on various topics in the spirit of the Bnei Baruch organization. It offers a "course of study with a certificate in Kabbalah", or "Kabbalistic campus". It is a pseudo-academic institution, and the "academic program" it offers has only one thing in common with the actual academic study of Kabbalah in Israeli universities: the terminology used in the flyers.

The Rav Ashlag Research Institute also has a similar spirit: This is nothing more than a virtual branch of the Bnei Baruch organization, whose website is identical in content to the official Bnei Baruch website, only with the addition of some "academic" touches. Lightman's goal is to provide "saving knowledge" to everyone, and there are many different ways to do this. Therefore, the definition of Bnei Baruch is given in each publication in its own way. They call themselves the Bnei Baruch Movement, the Kabbalah Study Movement, the Kabbalist Group, the Kabbalah Academy, the research institute, and so on. As we will see later, they also sometimes refer to themselves as" Yeshiva Bnei Baruch."
37. Laitman M. Mabat la-kabbalah (Vzglyad na kabbalah), p. 96.

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at the same time, all the organizations created by Laitman say exactly the same things, only their external form changes. Since the most important thing for them is distribution, they have developed a great sensitivity to marketing methods. Each text opens up a new layer; each time a new channel is created in which everything is said a little differently; each series of books is addressed to a different readership, but they are all elements of a single network.

Dimming the light: more about propaganda and distribution methods

Only one Bnei Baruch audience is barely addressed, namely Orthodox Jews. When Lightman was asked online, " How should a person who is respected by non-religious or religious people be treated if they come to our group?" - he answered:

A non-religious respected person should be allowed to join the group. I don't think we will have such people left, but we need to try. Those who stay and reach the goal are average, gray, not brilliant, not the biggest smart guys. As for the religious ones, perhaps only one in a million will be able to move towards the goal, because education kills everything, and it is impossible to break away from this education! There are plenty of examples of this. I personally do not like to take famous people, they are a lot of trouble, but I simply refuse to take religious ones. Their entourage, family, friends, and rabbis will naturally turn on me and be absolutely right. After all, when a person begins to study Kabbalah, he breaks away from his environment! So I do my best not to touch them. And I accept young non-religious students, I rejoice in them, and they will become Kabbalists and leaders of the next generation.38
However, both these words and Lightman's attacks on the Israeli religious establishment did not stop him when he needed to get recommendations from rabbis for one of the books he wrote. In this book, under the title Schnee ga-meorot ga-gdo-lim ("Two Great Luminaries", 2006), he deals with the identification of

38. Bnei Baruch, forum of the Hebrew website, section "Questions and Answers", 02.02.2003.

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parallels between R. A.-I. Kook and R. Ashlag, or, more precisely, reading the works of Rav Kook in the spirit of Ashlag-Laitman. The book is accompanied by recommendations from several rabbis from the national religious camp: R. Chaim Druckman, R. Dov Lior, R. Shlomo Aviner, R. Yaakov Ariel, and R. Moshe-Yehiel Tsuriel. Of course, if these rabbis had read Laitman's writings, they would have refused to recommend him, since their attitude to Kabbalah study is extremely far from Laitman's. If you put the books of these rabbis and the books of Laitman side by side, then even an outsider will have a great bewilderment. Some of the listed rabbis even expressed their opposition to the widespread dissemination of Kabbalah and stressed the importance of preparing and restricting access to Kabbalistic literature. Shlomo Aviner, for example, just in the same year published a book in which he presented ideas that were opposed to Laitman's, and showed a completely different image of R. A.-I. Kookah in relation to the dissemination of Kabbalah. In this book, R. Aviner also citesresponse of Rabbi Zvi Yisrael Tau, in which he warns those who want to study Kabbalah and writes that the study of Kabbalah is the fate of a select few. It seems that the authors of the recommendations were not sufficiently familiar with Lightman's methods, and perhaps they did not read this book at all.39
Why did Lightman need the recommendations of rabbis whose methods he considers erroneous? Didn't he know that their methods were the opposite of his own? There is only one possible answer: the purpose of distributing the book justifies any means necessary for him.

In general, this book clearly expresses the desire to present Laitman and Bnei Baruch in a new light: the title "rav" is repeated several times on the cover, which is not present in most of his previous books, but his doctoral degree is not mentioned at all, unlike all his other books, where it is strongly emphasized. At the end of the book, Lightman even names his group in a new way:"Yeshiva Bnei Baruch." The book is distributed at a symbolic price in yeshivas and even in shops in the ultra-orthodox Mea Shearim district, which usually do not sell his other books at all.

39. After the publication of this article, all rabbinic recommendations were withdrawn by their authors. - Ed. note.

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The emphasis in this book is on the role of the Jewish people in the Land of Israel and on the dissemination of Kabbalah, while some of the other ideas that are central to the rest of his books are completely absent. For example, here it is difficult to find arguments on the topic "group, teacher and book "(which we will discuss later), the image of Kabbalah as a science, apocalyptic ideas. Lightman, of course, understood that these aspects of his teaching might provoke a protest from this target audience.

About a month after the publication of the book and the beginning of its distribution in the ultra-Orthodox and national-religious sectors, R. Yaakov Ariel expressed regret on the Internet that he had given it a recommendation. Here are his words: "We were misled by Dr. Lightman. He gave us a book that at first glance showed no flaws. We didn't know that he was at the head of a dubious sect. When we became aware of his intentions, we decided to retract our recommendations. Now we are also convinced that the last chapter of the book contains distorted interviews about the study of Torah in our time. Our statement will be released shortly." In an article on another topic that appeared in the press later, he hinted at this as follows: "Recently, sects have been appearing that trumpet on every corner about Kabbalah study circles. They belittle the study of other parts of the Torah and refuse to practice the Mitzvot. Some of them even refer to Rav Kook. There can be no greater untruth. Kabbalah without fulfilling the commandments is a lie, it is its own opposite. " 40 R. Dov Lior, who also gave a recommendation for the book, expressed a similar spirit on the Internet, and then repented of it.

The idea of "multi-faceted" distribution runs through Lightman's books like a red thread. We find something similar in Berg, and the only difference between them is that Lightman speaks openly about everything. For example:

Today, the challenge is to really unite those who show a willingness to unite, openly, with the knowledge and consent of all. And for the rest of the world, which does not know this goal, is not ready for it, and does not know where it is, it is necessary to spread knowledge

40. Ha-Tzofeh (Observer), 15 elul 5766, p. 12.

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in different forms, depending on the audience's readiness, so that it is absorbed as confusion and corruption reigns in it 41.

Lightman anticipates that in the future, distribution methods will change and become similar "to concerts and events where people are excited by sports games or cultural spectacles. Because there are people who will not accept this idea in a more abstract form. " 42 Here are specific distribution instructions that illustrate these guidelines:

Information is conveyed to the general public in a different way than to students. When performing in front of the public, you should not allow surprises and surprises. Because then there is a situation where the necessary reaction is absent, and it does not matter that the viewer is sitting and watching with his mouth open: he does not participate and does not join. It is not allowed for information to be transmitted in a form that does not allow a person to connect to it. In order for the heart to immediately respond to a certain rhythm, the song should be easily absorbed. It is necessary to do only those things from which all unite, all become participants of the project.

Lightman continues:

Therefore, it turns out to be a kind of deception of the human desire to receive: they are promised that it will be good, and this is not a deception, these people will really be good. But they are not told that it will be "good" not with the means that they have now, but with the means that they will have to grow in themselves.44
In one of his books, he lists in detail the principles of distribution, which again reflect the ambiguity of the appeal itself to various "external" audiences. The words "study Kabbalah in secret" he understands, among other things, as "hide the goal from outsiders":

41. Laitman M. Ga-arevut (Guarantee), pp. 60-61.

42. Ibid., p. 136.

43. Ibid., p. 145.

44. Ibid., p. 209.

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When we discuss various issues of attitude to the goal, to the source, we must remember that this does not apply to those who are not in our movement, because the desires and intentions of an outsider, his life aspirations begin to hinder the correct development of the team. When outsiders come to us, we stop talking about things that relate to the inner workings, the group and its goals, and talk about more distant things, from this fundamental point of view.45
This does not negate the task of distribution itself, since only one layer of the "collective" appears in the distribution. Dissemination is understood as a spiritual task: "With the help of propaganda carried out all over the world through books and mass media, not only the transmission of information to the outside world is carried out, but also the spiritual correction of the entire world." 46 Thus, the principle of dissemination becomes an important element - and perhaps the most important-in the self-identification of the Bnei group.Baruch. Therefore, Laitman says that "there is no one to be reckoned with in spreading Kabbalah" and that " anyone who does not fulfill the task assigned to him [i.e., spreading Kabbalah] is a deserter."47. So he comes up with the following paradoxical thought:

Kabbalah does not need to be studied. Kabbalistic wisdom is not meant to be studied. Learning is not application. Application in our world is done through the awareness that there is a "break" and there is a "fix", and not through physical action. Physical action is to spread Kabbalah in society, among Jews and non-Jews, and to explain what the purpose of creation is and how to reach it. Once a person understands this process and agrees to some extent with it, this degree of consent is considered a fulfillment of obligations for them.

45. Baruch-Shalom Ashlag River. Sihot al shlavey hasulam (Conversations about the steps of the ladder). In 5 tons. Bnei Brak, 2004, vol. 4, p. 163.

46. Laitman M. Ga-arevut (Guarantee), p. 126.

47. Ibid., pp. 127-129.

48. Ibid., p. 195.

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Teacher, Book, Group

Despite the openness that Lightman demonstrates when addressing a wide audience, we find the teaching method adopted in his group to be extremely dogmatic. Lightman repeatedly emphasizes in his books that" spiritual progress "and dissemination depend qualitatively on" the book, the teacher, and the group, " and clearly defines each of these conditions. However, this idea goes back to R. Y.-L. Ashlag and his son: they both talked about it and created groups of students with their own laws. However, it seems that here these ideas are completely divorced from the usual Kabbalistic-Hasidic context. If R. Baruch-Shalom Ashlag, like his father, was talking about a narrow group that is engaged in serving the Almighty and studying Kabbalah, differing from the people around them and from other communities, then here we are talking about a group that appeals to all those around them in order to spread Kabbalah and serve as a model of the"future society".

This change also applies to the material being studied. Lightman restricts study to the Zohar, the works of the Ari, and the books of the Ashlag, and declares that other Kabbalistic books and all Jewish classical literature are completely optional. He proceeds from the premise that " one should study the books of the same soul, namely the books of Rashbi, Ari, and Yehuda Ashlag." However, it should be clarified here: it is not recommended to study even the Zohar and the works of the Ari, but only the Ashlag commentaries on them. These comments are the only thing that is studied in his "school".

Sometimes Lightman also speaks of the difference between" books of exile "and" books of deliverance", or of" all modern books "as opposed to" true sources of Kabbalah", of" holy books "and of"books corresponding to the souls of this generation". On various websites on the Internet, Lightman speaks in this context of"authentic sources of Kabbalah." He refers to the book of the Zohar with a commentary on Hasulam, the works of the Ari as edited by Ashlag, other works of R. Y.-L. Ashlag and his son, as well as his own books. Lightman proceeds from the assumption that only these books correspond to the souls of our time, and considers all other books not worth studying.49 For example, someone who reads novels doesn't have a soul.-

49. Laitman M. Elef etzot la-chaim (Thousand life tips). 45, 65, 113 - 114, 163, 191.

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it's definitely developing. Or, in other words (said by Laitman himself): "Cinema, fiction, culture-all this a person creates only in order not to think about the true goal, but to come up with various tricks so as not to feel the blows"; all this is created only in order to "sweeten life"50. As a result, Laitman comes to strange conclusions - for example, about the impossibility of understanding Likutei Mogaran (R. Nachman's book from Bratslav) without the works of Ashlag 51. And, of course, the same rule applies to any thinker and any book.

This restriction applies not only to books, but also to teachers and groups. The teacher is, of course, either himself or his trained students; and the group is Bnei Baruch (we will discuss this in more detail later). In one passage, Laitman even writes that those who are not "strengthened" by books, a Kabbalist teacher, and a group will certainly choose the "path of suffering"; and those who "come to Kabbalah "(that is, to the Kabbalah studied with him) "and give it up" will have to return to this in the next life, because "did not reach the goal." Or even worse: anyone who "breaks the connection" with the group is "like an animal." 52
Group and sectarianism

Lightman replaces the idea of Ashlagian communism with the idea of "mutual guarantee" of "a narrow group of students who are engaged in spiritual work." These are "groups" that study Kabbalah according to the Ashlag method and teach it to anyone who wants to achieve the ideal of "universal guarantee", which is already close. Laitman relies on the words of R. Baruch-Shalom, but it seems that his interpretation is very far from the source. If R. Baruch-Shalom spoke of a "narrow group" that is engaged in the service of God, then Lightman, like Berg, speaks of a group that is engaged in distribution. Lightman also speaks of a "narrow group" (closed) and a broader group (open), and constantly emphasizes in all his books that progress is impossible without some degree of belonging to one of the groups. In one of his books, under the title Ha-arevut ("Ru-

50. Laitman M. Mabat la-kabbalah (Vzglyad na kabbalah), pp. 19, 85.

51. Laitman M. Ha-sefer ha-patuach (Open Book), p. 132.

52. R. Baruch-Shalom Ashlag. Sihot al shlavey hasulam (Conversations about the steps of the ladder). In 5 tons. Bnei Brak, 2004, vol. 4, p. 536.

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However, in his book" The Beginning of the Human Race", 2005), Laitman - unexpectedly frankly - describes a certain process, both internal and external, leading to the realization of the ideal, on the threshold of which, in his opinion, humanity is already standing. Among other things, it describes the "group", its organization, goals and methods of distribution, the path of the individual in the "group", his attitude to "comrades "and the" hindrances " that hinder him from inside and outside. The distance between the group of " Kabbalists "and the" mass " (these terms are often repeated in his texts) is very great; it openly speaks of strengthening a narrow group that opposes the world. All this is summed up by the phrase: "The whole society that is outside the spiritual direction simply does not exist for a person. And the rest of the world, too. " 53
It appears that this book, based on Lightman's conversations, was originally intended for members of the group, rather than the outsider reader, who is described as being "on the other side," in "isolation" and "suffering." This is evidenced, among other things, by the emphasis on the ambiguity of distribution: outsiders are told something completely different from their own. If you think that we are talking about some abstract Kabbalistic circle, then the expressions used throughout the book leave no doubt that Lightman's own group is meant. All this is presented as a commentary on R. Ashlag's treatise "Guarantee", but this is a very free interpretation, completely breaking out of the original Ashlag context.

We will select a few quotes from this book to illustrate the idea of the superiority of a group or circle (based on the model of the Bnei Baruch group or its branches). over an individual:

A person should listen to society. He must understand that he has no reason, that he himself is hundreds of percent wrong, and he must accept the opinion of society, as they say, submit to authority, that is, accept the opinion of the society to which he himself has found it necessary to submit... And if a person has chosen a society that gives him direction, and accepts his opinions, decisions and views on life, and everything that needs to be received from society, and devotes himself to this society, this is called obeying authority, according to what this society dictates to him. And in this way he overcomes all other forces in his life,

53. R. Baruch-Shalom Ashlag. Sihot al shlavey hasulam (Conversations about the steps of the ladder). Vol. 3. p. 171.

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which only confuse it in vain, in order to deal with this. Therefore, a person does not need to do anything else, except to choose a society for himself 54.

Laitman goes on to write: "Society is also a rav, and it dictates what to do, and you need to take its opinion above your own." And then it calls for the following:

To join the society and demand that it show him the goal and brainwash him, as advertising firms do in any campaign to advertise a product: you should pay for it now and get it now, because otherwise it will cost a lot of money and a lot of pain... How does a person come to understand that they need to ask for brainwashing instead of blows? Not from the good life. This idea is not chosen because it is abstract and good, and raises a person above the ordinary human level. But because a person feels bad, and he asks himself: "What is the meaning of my life?" - this question appears only when a person wants to run away from blows, from torment, as any living being runs away from an approaching danger 55.

And if that doesn't clear the picture enough, here's how Lightman answered the question of whether this "society" takes away a person's freedom:

What kind of freedom does society take away from him? After all, before he was subject to his material nature and had no freedom, and now he also has no freedom. Previously, he was also under the influence of some society and could not choose who would rule it, but now he chooses a society to come to freedom. But so far, of course, he's not free. It is still in a state in which it has not yet acquired the quality of freedom 56.

The principle is that a person "cannot contact the Creator except through a group." This idea runs through everything

54. Laitman M. Ga-arevut (Guarantee), p. 112.

55. Laitman M. Ga-arevut (Guarantee), pp. 204-205.

56. R. Baruch-Shalom Ashlag. Sihot al shlavey hasulam (Conversations about the steps of the ladder). Vol. 4. p. 496.

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Laitman's books. They contain absolutely unambiguous statements, such as: there can be no mistakes in this system, because it inevitably leads to correction; one should listen to those who have passed through the "barrier" and "reached the end of the road"; "one should bend down before the group and give up one's Self" 57; one should "listen to the advice of those sages who have discovered the laws of higher nature"58. He sees his company as the direct and only channel for transmitting this information.

In this context, it is not surprising that he spoke about the families of the band members, many of whom do not feel very well about Bnei Baruch and complain that their loved ones are separated from them. He says: "It can't be helped. If a person understands that he can't live the way they want, and that he has outgrown them, and that he does not live to fulfill the wishes of his father and mother, who are at the previous stage, and that he must go forward, then he will go forward"; " Parents relate to Therefore, they should be respected at their level - at the level of material life. " 59 In a similar vein, he answers the question of one of his students: "Why do you need to connect only with your groupmates, and not with others?" (this question characterizes the group structure more than the answer)60. This means that external distribution is only the transmission of texts and lectures, and not an "emotional connection" 61.

In another place, to the question: "How did the Kabbalists write us instructions, if they themselves did not need a group to come to spirituality?" - he answers: 62. When asked about the connection of the Bnei Baruch group with groups of the past, such as the Kotz Hasidim, whom he mentions in one of his books and from whom R. Baruch Shalom actually learned a lot, Laitman replied:: "Read about the group in the articles of R. Baroch-Shalom and in other books of our time [that is, Laitman himself], and not in books of the last century.

57. Laitman M. Ga-dor ga-aharon (The last generation). R. Ashlag Institute of Kabbalah Studies, 2006, p. 37.

58. Laitman M. Mabat la-kabbalah (Vzglyad na kabbalah), p. 132.

59. R. Baruch-Shalom Ashlag. Sihot al shlavey hasulam (Conversations about the steps of the ladder). Vol. 4. pp. 468-469.

60. Ibid., vol. 3, pp. 182-183.

61. Ibid., p. 186.

62. Ibid., vol. 2, p. 194.

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it is no longer our reality, but the souls and conditions of those times. Nothing can be done artificially. If a person pushes himself into an invented, artificial framework, it only leads him astray. " 63 Concerned about how his words will be interpreted, Laitman wrote: "It is important to emphasize that this is not about any new teaching or approach, God forbid, but about what the Kabbalists have been talking about at all times." 64 Here we return to the relationship between disclosure and concealment.

This is one step away from the following statements: "It is better to listen to the prophets and Kabbalists up to our generation and follow their recommendations, otherwise we will definitely bring upon ourselves a world catastrophe." 65 Or in other words :" If we knew what terrible situations we were facing-mass extermination, epidemics, environmental disasters and natural disasters-then, of course, we would think about how to follow the advice of Kabbalists, who prevent all this in advance. " 66
A "Kabbalist" is portrayed as someone who knows the truth accurately and is desperate to pass it on to others. In one of his books, describing the "Kabbalist", Laitman reveals a personal dimension of this topic:

The most violent people come to Kabbalah. It would be correct to define them as devoid of empathy for one's neighbor... When a person who has begun to study Kabbalah has a very strong ego, then his insensitivity towards his neighbor reaches such degrees that he does not feel his neighbor and cannot use him. Those who are capable of studying Kabbalah seem to leave this world and feel disconnected from it. They are unable to connect with other human communities and feel completely alone.67
No matter how one interprets this statement, it is clear that in this case it is impossible to ignore the brutal way of presenting the "group" in his books, which show signs of extreme sectarianism. The Kabbalist's "loneliness" is expressed as-

63. Bnei Baruch, Hebrew website forum, "Questions and Answers", 03.11.2005.

64 Laitman M. Mabat la-kabbalah (A look at Kabbalah). p. 217.

65. Ibid.

66. Laitman M. Ga-dor ga-aharon (The last generation), p. 21.

67. Ibid., p. 70.

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in an "isolated" group. This is especially evident in the description of how to" break "selfishness in order to devote oneself to the group and the teacher who know the "solution", and in the description of" self-depreciation "in front of the group, since only with the help of the group can one find" correction "and"connection with the Creator". We can only guess what the "narrow group" really is, since the fog is deliberately thickened around it. Lightman emphasizes the importance of the group, which represents a model of real life for everyone else, but, paradoxically, this model remains dark, and no one who does not belong to the group knows what is happening there. In any case, this is not a "mystical group" - a term Lightman denies in relation to Kabbalah. This image of the group as a kind of greenhouse for growing Kabbalists, which is isolated from the rest of the world, is repeated in many of Lightman's books, and it seems to correctly reflect what is happening in Bnei Baruch. In this context, a novel written by one of the members of Bnei Baruch, which describes the life of the "Kabbalistic group", is extremely interesting.68
It is not for nothing that Laitman's book" Guarantee "opens with the words of the editor in defense of the idea of a" group "that is supposedly far from"sectarianism". Laitman himself is very careful about this, because he is afraid of possible resistance; he takes care that the spread is gradual in every sense, without pressure on others. But what he teaches us to hide, he reveals himself-right here and in other books.

Altruistic Communism, a group and ideal of Kabbalistic power

Laitman's social ideal is based on Ashlag's texts about the "last generation" and on his idea of spreading Kabbalah. This distribution is not aimed at making everyone turn into Kabbalists, but at making everyone learn about Kabbalah and making Kabbalists rule the world. Lightman's "proclamation" is that the individual, as part of a group, receives the power that leads to " universal correction." This ideal will be realized by a group of Kabbalists "who will establish the laws of behavior in the software."-

68. Shadmon G. Ha-zahal ha-meofef (Flying caterpillar). Tel Aviv, 1999.

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the last generation." In recent years, this program has been described in a number of texts of the Laitman school.

Miraculously, in all of Lightman's books, there is absolutely no description or explanation of the "last stage", whether it is the "last stage" of an individual who has reached the "spark in the heart" and the "sixth sense", or the realization of a social ideal. So, for example, we find the following passage, not marked by excessive modesty, about a person who has reached the "last stage": "A person who has come to spirituality comes to the essence of being. He discovers where randomness comes from and why events in the world happen the way they do. He understands everything and treats everything correctly. Such a person becomes omniscient. " 69 As a social ideal, Lightman offers peace, peace, happiness, etc.on a scale that our ancestors could not have imagined. Here's what he said in a newspaper interview::

After the world is flooded with despair, confusion, and disorientation, people come to Kabbalah as their last refuge. I want to turn my life into a continuous orgasm. So that the pleasure does not stop and is not suppressed because it was quenched. Eternal life, perfect life, life without limits-this is the feeling that you need to come to and that gives you a taste of life. Only Kabbalah can do this 70.

What exactly happens at the "end of correction" stage remains unclear. Elsewhere, Laitman states that it is not allowed to talk about it, because it is "a secret of the Torah." While the ultimate goal remains vague, the main focus is on the path to it and on the mental and psychological struggle that must be waged along this path, in the process of changing and improving the will. So Lightman's call for world-wide correction turns out to be a call to join his understanding of Kabbalah and renounce any independent actions.

Laitman transforms R. Y.-L. Ashlag's socio-economic ideal of a "communist-altruistic society" into an ideal of Kabbalistic power. He talks about it at length,

69. Laitman M. Mabat la-kabbalah (Vzglyad na kabbalah). p. 8.

70. Brandstein Eli. Mekubal aleigem...

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interpreting the words of Ashlag in such a way that the connection between the source and the interpretation can be traced with great difficulty. Laitman confidently says that Ashlag wanted to establish a "spiritual state" together with David Ben-Gurion, but he saw "that the time was not yet ripe for this," and therefore recoiled from politics and began writing a commentary on the book of the Zohar. But today, Laitman continues, times have changed, and " change must come through public opinion, regardless of leaders."71. The extent to which Lightman's words have little to do with Ashlag ideas can be seen from a phrase that Lightman wrote in one of his forewords to the communist texts of Ashlag: "If the author of Sulam had addressed modern readers, he would certainly have written differently."72 That's why he's talking about everything differently now, Lightman. From what Laitman says, it follows that his band is a harbinger of great changes that are about to happen.

This is how he sees the totalitarian "power of Kabbalists":

Kabbalists with understanding will be at the head of all commissions and all channels of power in society, and they will determine who will continue on the path. There will be no possibility to appeal their decisions or cancel them. The concept of "majority opinion" in a simple sense will not play a role in this society. A person who understands the importance of obeying the Kabbalistic leadership and is ready to submit to it as a higher power-this is the kind of person who deserves to be accepted into the society of the last generation. Those who join this society will want Kabbalists to guide them, just as the people sent Moshe to speak to the Lord for him. 73
As if noticing the radical nature of his words, the author softens them a little, but still uses very militant expressions:

To an outsider, the last-generation society will seem like a brutal dictatorship, but we must remember that the last-generation people themselves will want society to be a kind of press, leading to a faster and more efficient society.

71. Laitman M. Mabat la-kabbalah (Vzglyad na kabbalah), p. 225.

72. Laitman M. Shnei ha-meorot (Two luminaries), p. 137.

73. Laitman M. Ga-dor ga-aharon (The last generation), p. 229.

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correcting their selfishness. This society will be a kind of special forces against selfishness 74.

And here's how Lightman sums up his words::

So, the peculiarity and usefulness of the last generation of society will consist in the fact that a group of Kabbalistic leaders will show others how to go along the path to correction. Society will be governed like the structure of a common soul - the soul of Adam-consisting of a higher part that checks and decides, and other parts that execute its decisions. The role of the mass will be to follow as carefully as possible the rules set by the understanding ones. They will be like dust under the feet of the righteous, and they will obey them. In this way, each person will return to the root of his soul, and all of humanity, as a single organism with no gaps between its parts, will unite with the Creator.75
However one interprets these words, it is obvious that for Lightman this ideal begins here and now, in the Bnei Baruch group he founded. Somewhere he said that these global changes will take place "in the coming decades." 76
Translated from the Hebrew by Rachel Torpusman

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Brandstein Eli. Mekubal aleigem... / / Ma'ariv. March 18, 2003

Ha-Tzofeh (Observer), 15 Elul 5766

Laitman M. Ga-arevut (Guarantee). Bnei Brak, 2005.

Laitman M. Ga-dor ga-aharon (The last generation). R. Ashlag Institute for Kabbalah Studies, 2006.

Laitman M. Ha-sefer ha-patuach (Open Book). R. Ashlag Institute for Kabbalah Studies, 2005.

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Laitman M. Mabat la-kabbalah (A Look at Kabbalah). Bnei Brak, 2006.

Laitman M. Masa le-olam elyon (Journey to the Higher World). Bnei Brak, 2005.

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74. Laitman M. Shnei ha-meorot (Two luminaries), p. 137.

75. Ibid.

76. Laitman M. Mabat la-kabbalah (Vzglyad na kabbalah). p. 156.

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Laitman M. Schnee ha-meorot (Two luminaries). R. Ashlag Institute for Kabbalah Studies, 2006.

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