A Talk About the End of the World
An Interview with Kabbalist M. Laitman by Journalist Sharon Atia
February 20th, 2005
Reporter: I’d like to talk to you about how I imagine the end of the world. This is a very broad concept, and we need to examine it thoroughly in order to grasp its essence. I think the time for this has already come.
Walk in to any expensive auto dealership with vehicles priced over a hundred thousand dollars, and you’ll see that they’re now short of customers. People see no point in such expensive acquisitions, considering them unnecessary in this day and age. They are content with cheaper models.
Customers have disappeared from jewelry stores — nobody is purchasing diamonds. It’s now considered unimportant to own these luxuries since they’re no longer a means of advancement in life. Video stores are empty because people have concluded that movies are useless.
Do you know what took place in the USA during the Great Depression in the 1920’s and 30’s? People didn’t buy bread, yet purchased tickets to the movie theater!
Reporter: In order to escape reality?
Yes, to escape reality. Doesn’t it help today?
Reporter: I think it’s useless for people to sit for three hours in a movie theater and “kill” time on a movie that doesn’t leave them any hope. Bookstores are going broke, as no one buys novels anymore. Instead of reading novels, people are having their own "stories." Employees are turning to their superiors, requesting a reduction of their salaries in order to work less hours.
Before this, people would regularly request extended work hours to increase their income, and now they insist on reduced hours, wanting to finish work early. Despite the reduction of salaries, people want to devote more attention to their families and kids.
The emergence of third-generation cellular phones no longer generates much interest. After all, what is the sense in acquiring third-generation devices when I don’t really want to see the people I hear on a second-generation device? So why see them?
American space exploration programs have been discontinued. No one is interested in exploring space given that scientists have come to the conclusion that outer space exploration is senseless.
Entertainment programs have been taken off the air because audiences have completely lost interest in them, causing their ratings to drop. Shows such as “Reality,” “Ambassador,” and similar programs have been cancelled. People don’t want to watch these shows, regarding them empty and meaningless.
So nonetheless, what is in demand?
Reporter: For one thing, Kabbalah learning centers are actually prospering. People are coming to study Kabbalah.
Well, at last we have come to it! However, I’m not at all satisfied by what I’m hearing, as it’s only the beginning of our journey. People feel that they’re facing very difficult questions suddenly awakening in them. No one expected this to happen, and people are unable live in peace unless they find the answers to them. Man can’t escape the answer to the question: “What do I live for?” Despite the fact that he has it all, he is not satisfied, and can’t find fulfillment anywhere.
Every time a desire arises in me, I immediately try to fulfill myself somehow: drink, eat, love somebody, travel, understand or see something. And then I come to a point when such desire is revealed within me, that wherever my gaze is directed, I see nothing that can fulfill it.
There is nothing in our world that brings me satisfaction. For this reason, I don’t want to chat on the phone or watch television; I don’t want to see or hear anything—I desire nothing altogether. There’s nothing for me to read, nothing to learn, and nowhere to fly in space. All this is indeed so, as I’ve come to realize that none of these things fulfill me.
Developing throughout all of history, I’ve reached a state where I’m left with the same questions, which arose in me perhaps 5000 years ago. I thought that I’d be satisfied by finding the answers to them during the development process of economy, culture, and society, or by studying social structure, traveling, or engaging in politics. I had hoped that, with the aid of science, I would’ve learned how and where I exist, who I am, and what the world surrounding me stands for.
I have come to a state of attaining everything I possibly could, having exerted much effort, increased my scope of knowledge to the maximum, yet remained emptier than ever with the invariable question: “What is the purpose of life?” I continue to exist in this world with the same question, like a lost child standing in one spot and crying: “Where is my Mommy!” The grown-up has disappeared somewhere and the child is left alone. He doesn’t know which way to go, frozen still, numb with fear and uncertainty. It is in this state that man exists today. So how should man act?
A time ago, people created networks of entertainment, sporting houses, organizing all sorts of trips. Today all of this is gradually losing its meaning. Such simple, natural things like pleasure from food and sex, from contemplating beautiful things, no longer fulfills us. This is the curse of the Serpent: everything you wish for will be found before you, but you will find no pleasure in any of it.
So, what to do? Only one means remains: to immerse oneself in drugs and alcohol. For the meanwhile, these means still provide man with the opportunity to solve his problems by disconnecting from reality. That is, not to enjoy whatever aspect of real life is around us, but to cut off our connection with it.
Two paths of development are possible in these circumstances: either all of mankind will be pulled into drugs, or it will begin to actively fight this phenomenon. But even through drug use, mankind will be unable to find the solution to its problems because the question of life’s meaning will become so sore, so indignant and screaming from within, that man will not be able to tune it out using drugs, that is, will not be able to “die:” come to a complete “loss of consciousness.”
The Book of Zohar and the science of Kabbalah as a whole tell us of these days, asserting Kabbalah should be revealed during these days of crisis in order to solve the problem. It should serve as the medicine—as salvation, the final true and only fulfillment. It is specifically during this time that it will become truly possible to study this science, in order to acquire the answers to the questions, “What is the meaning of life?”, “What is life’s secret?”, and “What constitutes life’s purpose?” And one begins his inner search, understands that this science has something in it for him, and feels a certain luminescence.
But unfortunately, one often falls into in such “trends” in Kabbalah, where he’s told that by studying it, he’ll be able to receive pleasure here, in this world, in the things that he was already unable to find pleasure in before. All sorts of institutes where Kabbalah is taught promise him a good marriage companion, a good salary, success in his business, health, life’s pleasures, and so on.
I heard that there are such trends as “Kabbalah and erotica,” “Kabbalah and Tarot cards,” “Kabbalah and healing”—anything you can think of. This occurs precisely because Kabbalah attracts people, but they don’t yet know what it is, and even while feeling its attraction, they can’t decipher what it is they’re drawn to. And since the present is merely the beginning of the revelation of the science of Kabbalah to humanity, people think that any trend they come upon has something to do with it. Moreover, without any doubt, there are many interested people who “throw” themselves at such merchandise, and then the “science of Kabbalah” is sold to them.
However in essence, as it is written in books, this wisdom is destined exclusively as the method of revealing the Upper Force to a person in this world. If man is aware of the force that governs and watches over him from above, the force that gave birth to him and rules over him, arranging everything in his life, then he’ll receive the answer to the secret of life based on this knowledge and understanding.
It will be revealed to him—why he was born and what he lives for, what the secret is behind the reincarnations that he goes through, and what happens after his death. Man will learn why this entire process is necessary at all and how it must end. Man will find out whether he’s a helpless puppet governed from above or has the freedom of choice to at least somehow change his fate. Perhaps he’ll find out what ought to be changed.
All this information (and even more) is offered to man by the science of Kabbalah, and it is presented in a serious form so that one wouldn’t search for some transient fulfillment to satisfy his thirst for pleasures; after all, if he doesn’t know what it is he lives for, life for him becomes meaningless.
From time to time he grows tired of filling himself with meaningless pleasures along the way — treats himself to some ice cream here, snacks on a piece of chewing gum there, then tries yet something else, thus the minutes, the hours, and his entire life fly by. And once again, it comes to an end. Do I want to find out how all of this will end, and what can I do about it? Why am I drawn to these momentary pleasures at all? I am obliged to understand the entire process and its conclusion.
For this reason, all these contemporary “Kabbalists” who sell various talismans, which supposedly possess miraculous power, help improve people’s health, bring fortune into their lives, etc., under the cover of Kabbalah, will obviously and gradually vanish. People will understand this is not at all what they need, and that these so-called “Kabbalists” can’t provide them even with what they promised. After all, the satisfaction they provide is purely psychological, having no basis except that of a psychological effect on the person.
And then people will come to the true science of Kabbalah, with the aid of which their eyes will be “opened,” and they will discover an enormous world full of light, concealed behind the picture of reality surrounding us, which creates an illusion in the world of there being only us and the reality that we live in. But as it turns out, this reality is merely a very small and limited sphere, which despite it being the center of all living space is very small and surrounded by much greater spheres of an infinite and eternal reality.
This external reality is also intended for man, and it is essential for him to learn to utilize and live in it. And the life he gains when sensing this external Higher reality is eternal. Thus a person experiencing such meaningful changes turns into a perfect, eternal, and happy creature.
This is precisely what the science of Kabbalah is destined to bring us to. However, it’s only possible to attain such changes through inner corrections performed by man by means of studying this science. And then it will become clear to mankind that this isn’t an easy journey, but a path of deep study of authentic books, rather than books concocted by various sellers of Kabbalah.
The modern generations need only three authentic sources: The Book of Zohar, the books of the ARI, and of Baal HaSulam, who was the last to turn to the primary sources preceding him, adapting them into an appropriate form suitable for the souls that descend into this world today and require the science of Kabbalah to reach the Goal.
In essence, Baal HaSulam is the only Kabbalist from all the generations who rebuilt the method of the science of Kabbalah for the generation desiring to utilize and put it into practice in order to find the solution to the problem and reach the Goal of Creation. None of the Kabbalists preceding him wrote in a way, which would be practically useful for a generation desiring to reach this Goal (since they didn’t live in this generation). Hence, most of the work in this field was performed specifically by Baal HaSulam, and to a certain extent, Rav Kook.
The realization of the Goal, the revelation of it through the science of Kabbalah will take place in this world, during our lifetime. But what’s wonderful is that the truth doesn’t require proof, because any fact can be proven or disproved by people who are, in essence, orators by “Godly kindness,” having the capabilities to build polemics and logical proofs. Thanks to this gift, it would seem you could convince people of anything at all, but even if you succeeded in convincing people to think one way or another, you wouldn’t change reality. In this manner, it’s impossible to alter developments destined to occur
The truth is that which must occur without any account for what people may be thinking. It is precisely this splendid and good for all of humanity event – the revelation of the science of Kabbalah – that must occur in the very near future. How we’ll regard it is completely irrelevant. There will obviously be know-it-alls that will begin to spurn this knowledge and bring forth thousands of arguments as proof. There will also emerge a completely different kind of people who will agree with the revelation of this science and find thousands of indisputable facts in its favor.
But this is irrelevant. The process will receive its development, as it is implanted in the general law of reality. And regardless of our desire we’ll come to a state when the science of Kabbalah will be revealed to the whole world, becoming accessible to all of mankind, which will save itself thanks to this knowledge. Moreover, this knowledge will bring mankind to the End of Correction, and then man will unite with eternity and perfection, having reached the level and degree at which he will be equal to the Upper force, truly becoming Human.
This has nothing to do with attempts to find out how to marry successfully or become sexually appealing, succeed in business, remain in good health, or raise children properly. People still believe that the science of Kabbalah can give them these things. They are greatly mistaken, but such is the reality for the time being.
The science of Kabbalah tells us of all the stages awaiting us in our journey: how, by stepping from one degree to another, beginning from the modern age and on, we’ll advance to the state called “the last generation” – a generation that is fully corrected, good, and close in its nature to the Upper force.
Reporter: Do you believe that people will immediately turn away from the transient values of this world and become so accustomed to treating each other in a kind manner that even the sciences will stop developing?
Presently, there is no need to exaggerate so. First of all, these changes will occur naturally due to the fact, on one hand man will lose interest in all the affairs of this world, and on the other hand, he’ll suddenly discover meaning in approaching the science of Kabbalah and uniting with the spiritual world. This is the first factor. And the second factor will be the effect of those misfortunes and sufferings, which mankind will endure due to the fact that it still hasn’t attained the Upper forces and come to a corrected state.
Mankind will come to understand that egoism is the source of all misfortunes, but it won’t know how to deal with it. This is the negative side. However, the positive side is that with the aid of the science of Kabbalah, an opportunity to attain a world truly filled with light and goodness will be revealed. All of these events will occur gradually.
We should take into consideration the fact that souls are different in their nature and character, and not every person is obliged to come to study Kabbalah and become a researcher of the spiritual world. There are people who are drawn to this, and there are others who are not attracted to it at all. But both have a certain connection: whether it is mental or one that manifests itself in physical actions, or in the specifics of the qualities of the soul and the character of the emerging desires— whether closer or further away, everyone is nonetheless connected to the spiritual world. Just as people’s faces don’t look alike, their souls also differ. And this is the way it should be.
Baal HaSulam wrote of those generations (essentially it will be happening rapidly and there won’t be a need for a large quantity of generations) that will be going through this process, how they must build their lives in line with a new understanding, and what the laws of the new world will be. All this stems from that state in which we already exist today, – from our spiritual root.
He, who attains the spiritual root, sees a picture of the future we must reach, and from it, comes to understand how and in what form our life must be arranged. Therefore, the future undoubtedly already exists, and when one breaks through into the spiritual world above time, space, and motion, he sees that the past and future amount to a single whole, and it isn’t difficult for him to see, feel, and understand what constitutes the model of the future world.
This will occur very shortly, since the future has already begun revealing itself, and the spiritual nature specific to it is manifesting very rapidly. Just as two thousand years ago, the destruction of the connection with the Upper force took place over the course of a several decades, so will the rebirth of this connection for all of mankind take place over several decades in the nearest future.
It has already begun, and we are essentially the ones laying the foundation for this process. For this we are grateful to the Creator, and happy to have been honored to carry out this work. With love, we think of the people who will delight in a life, which is eternal and perfect.