Cult Bnei Baruch Kabbalah

ok. well i think we know the crux of the issue. while i said i am not a member of BB, i have completed 3 semesters and listen to the daily lessons as much as i can while studying other things as well. It goes in spurts where I listen for a few weeks then listen to other stuff, whether religious or intellectual. (I usually listen for an hour or two when I first get to work and I am the only one there. This is how I 'read' the entire Bible and Qur'an - and no I'm not looking for a cookie, I'm just saying that BB is not the ONLY thing i listen to in the mornings). I say I am not a member bc i don't FEEL like one. Anyway, I have been invited to workshops and internet meetings and stuff. massar came up and they said don't worry about it. So i'm not sure about how much they pressure or guilt ppl in general. I don't know. My dream will not be shattered, but it would certainly be more CONVENIENT if BB was all i needed on my journey to unity. I feel like I am in a great spot right now as that I will either take what I need from BB and move on, or BB is legit and then I'm already where I need to be, and maybe I can begin to feel like a member of ISRAEL as they say.

I think this thread has turned into a positive examination on the issue. I found this thread bc of my doubts, and it is funny how defensive I became of BB when I got here through doubting it. We will see. Good luck and love to everyone who has taken the time to read this, and while I'm writing this like a goodbye, I still think there may be more to say in the future.

c.

Good Luck and Take Care.

Beware of these Bnei Baruch people, fakers and very dangerous stuff.

"We should show the entire world that we would not let anyone destroy us. Israel should declare a state of war - we need a military rule, a government of national salvation, a government of generals and colonels - Sharon, Barak, Nataniyahu, whoever is ready to be a military chief, let them decide for themselves. These days we don’t need a Knesset (parliament) where our natural enemies are sitting. Those enemies are the Arab deputies (by the way they don’t hide it) and the peacemakers who paralyzed the people’s will to live on this land. They gave weapons to our enemies and they are responsible for the blood that’s been shed in the past several weeks.

It is not a government of national unity that we need but a military rule, which should take the full force of power and responsibility and make an intense preventive strike against Syria who is our main enemy. We should completely destroy its military machine and the camps where terrorists are trained. With Syria we are even formally in a state of war. It keeps Hizballah as a chained dog and this dog is trying to rip that chain and destroy us. Through it, Iran supports and trains the groups of terrorists who capture our soldiers. It’s now time to acknowledge that the so-called war "Shlom aGalil" was an unjustified attempt to solve nothing. That’s because how can you wage a war against guerillas who are supported and fed by Syria? It is only Syria who is our military adversary, who creates, trains and feeds all our enemies, both inside Israel and on the side of Lebanon. And is the fact that it does not conduct the war from its territory really clears the charges against the enemy?

We should destroy that threat. The Territories should be entirely blocked and a 24-hour curfew should be upheld. Of course, all this assumes complete disarmament of the Palestinian bandits and suppression of any resistance. Everyone, who does not want to live under those restrictions of the military rule and under full military control of Israel, should be deported to Syria (I hope I don’t need to explain why not to Jordan). "

Michael Laitman

[link to www.ummah.com]

[link to www.jesus-is-savior.com]

I'm still not satisfied with any of these arguments against BB. The quote about war is probably the strongest, but it really doesn't address the philosophy.

Again my main argument of why I can't disregard BB and Kab is that it overlaps with other religious texts extremely well. Those opposed to BB have used many of these texts as arguments against it. All the Satan and light stuff is true. They explicitly teach that the serpent in Genesis is 'the desire to be like the creator'. Now we can call that satanism if we want, but we can also compare to Jesus who also said the goal was to unite with the Creator/Father!!! In my view, the dangerous kind of Satanism = individualism. Enslavement to the ego as the source of identity. The attacks against BB are ALL from individualist philosophies. Therefore one must prove individualism to be the opposite of Satanic, and the group identity to be Satanic. Good luck.

Again my method is comparative. The definitions and premises of reading Holy texts that I have learned from BB have made the texts of ALL RELIGIONS COME ALIVE!!! In other words, it has had a unifying effect rather than a dividing effect. Therefore I actually have felt freer to explore more, rather than feel restricted to BB.

Also, BB maintains that Love God with all your heart and love thy neighbor as thyself to be the supreme commandments. Who else said that??? JESUS!!!

The main arguments against BB have been economic and political, and these happen to be strong suits of my education. The arguments against BB are still not convincing. I still do not know if BB is trying to rule the world or whatever. Seems paranoid. As Jesus said, a house divided against itself cannot stand. In other words, if they are evil and fake then they will not succeed so there is nothing to worry about. No one has been able to prove the following:

BB's political philosophy and/or philosophy of identity is NOT like Plato's.

or

BB is like Platonic philosophy, but Platonic philosophy is cult-like, satanic, and/or evil.

Furthermore, what separates BB from all of these new age mysticisms is that they actually have a teaching lineage of which Laitman inherited. They are quite adamant about that lineage. So in that regard one must prove one of the following:

The entire lineage is corrupt

or

Laitman has hijacked the lineage.

I'm open to arguments, but no one has touched Plato (accept one admission of approval of Plato) or the teaching lineage.


Consider me like Glaucon in the Republic... DO YOU WISH TO TRULY CONVINCE ME OR ONLY SEEM TO CONVINCE ME? I am still open to the idea that BB is corrupt, but no sufficient argument has been made as of yet.


Also in one of those links there is references to the communistic aspect of BB. This is the same aspect that exists in Plato. Identity is above the individual. Our modern western culture rejects this notion. That does not prove it to be incorrect whatsoever. I closely studied Marx in my independent studies in political theory. Marxism strayed from Plato in that Marx institutionalized class warfare, either permanently, or as the means to change - whereas Plato saw class warfare as a temporary state of 'fever', his means of change was education. BB consistently and explicitly states it's method as education.

The masters never charge for their teachings. BB is weird in that they do sell books, but that all their books are available for free download. The info is free! Simply having money is not an argument for untruth. This site here charges more to be a member than BB!!! In fact, GLP charges more for membership than does any Secret Society with open membership.

Again, I am being forced to defend BB, where in truth I still have doubts. The reason that I am forced to defend BB is that the attacking arguments are insufficient, and as a seeker of truth at all costs, I will go wherever the truth leads me. Therefore it is my duty to call out bad arguments. At this point I again feel confident in that BB is not a 'cult', but it is much closer to full blown religion.

Until someone can sufficiently answer my challenges above (plato and teaching lineages), as well as the fact that the premises of BB's interpretations of their own holy books make all holy books agree, then I am not convinced.

In closing here is another Christian verse that is in complete agreement with BB's teachings:

[link to bible.cc] ... the link offers a multitude of translations...
"No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us."

c.

For clarification. I said BB is closer to full blown religion. I still would not call it religion, but spirituality and here is my reason:

The premise of spirituality is collective identity.
The premise of religion is individual identity.

In this argument, is see all religions as corruptions of spirituality. Ironically, Judaism as a whole would give me the most trouble with this argument, in that their teachings of collective salvation are most well preserved. But my main point is that the masses read Holy Books with the individual premise, and it makes the books silly and contradictory. So I argue that all religions canonical texts preserve the original intent.

BB could still be corrupt, again, I DON'T KNOW. My main reason for defending it is that BB has provided me with so many teachings that are confirmed by outside sources that it seems extremely unlikely that they would teach the exact opposite of what their detractors claim them to teach.

c.

[youtube] [link to www.youtube.com]

BB advocates this same thing. Is THIS a cult too?


c.

Last Edited by SocraticMeth on 06/18/2012 07:09 PM

Stay Focused. Find out if BB requires 10 percent of your money to be paid to BB. Find out what kind of accountability there is to were the money goes.

We have already determined that to do that I would have to join/participate deeper. That will come through time. I haven't been listening as much recently either (ironically that makes the task at hand more difficult!!). I do certainly agree that we must know this. And as soon as I find out I will let ya'lls know. I'm hoping to get some of my questions answered at some point. Don't worry I'm patient.

c.

Here is a response I received in 2010 from a person who was in the advanced course at the time:


“Another question. I am reading Wondrous Wisdom and have been posting questions on the forum. Mike Kellogg just stated answering me after avoiding me for a while. The last post, take a look if you get a chance,He was stating that the phrase ,love thy neighbor as thy self ,can never manifest here on earth.That Bestowal or Altruism is only a part of the Spiritual and can never be seem in the Physical. If you could share your thoughts I would appreciated it.”

This is the general theme of Kabbalah taught at ARI-BB … and only at BB I think … no matter what we do on earth … on this plane … the corporeal … no action is going to be “pure” giving … when Bill Gates gives millions to Africa Mike would say he is operating out of his ego (his will to receive) and he is actually getting the pleasure because he can look in the mirror and say to himself … “I am righteous” … I am such a good person … so he is really not giving/bestowing completely … only the Creator can do that and that is only what the Creator does because He is “the will to bestow/give” and His will to bestow is “unconditional” … unconditional love

Another example … Mother Teresa … Mike compared her motivation for a lifetime of giving to others, last year, to Jack the Ripper and this year to Hitler … what he wanted to say and he was not able to say it properly was that Jack the Ripper and Hitler operated only out of their will to receive and Mother Teresa likewise only acted out of her will to receive … but he chose a really poor example (and I think it was intentional) because of course there is no real comparison between Hitler and Mother Teresa to be made … he wanted to use the shock factor … but his example was in really poor taste … he should have used Bill Gates to make the point or someone else not connected with “religion” or “Christ” … and he makes this point over and over again until the cows come home … I had a very strong reaction to this because Mother Teresa is one of my favorite teachers … who’s next on Mikes’ list, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Mary (Mother of God), Jesus … well yes they are in the same category with Mike’s and BB’s explanation of bestowal … and according to BB no one is “in spirituality” except Kabbalists … and this is a definition of what it is to be a Kabbalist (if one just studied Kabbalah they are not necessarily a Kabbalist) … one who has crossed the barrier by actually bestowing “selflessly” without any other motivation whatsoever is … the way to do this is “love thy neighbor as thy self” but BB say that is not possible so they try to do it in the “group” the group is a bunch of student with the same GOAL and exclusive to the rest of humanity … they want to bestow and know they can’t but they continually try … this is a slightly higher state called “low Lishma” and only through continued effort and the Creator’s intervention can a person achieve equivalence of form (pure bestowal) with the Creator or Lishma

The idea is that outside the group setting this is impossible and people who think they are doing good are kidding themselves … also the world is ruthless so one needs the protection of the group to actually give or they will be overwhelmed and taken advantage of by the world … people learn how to give in the group setting … by giving to others in the group, it is the SAME as giving to the Creator and this is said to be Bestowal … as the size of the group increases and the shared goal begins to be actualized the whole world is influenced and the consciousness of the whole world raises … one way to bestow is “dissemination” what could be more altruistic than giving Kabbalah to others so they could be SAVED because the whole world is non-spiritual and the whole world will eventually have to come to Kabbalah because it is the only WAY and all other “religions” and acts of good will are futile …

So on the forum Mike and Tony and Rob take the wet blanket approach for all questions … especially with question they can’t answer

Hi Focus,

How do you explain what a dog house is to a creature from Mars who has no clue what a dog is?

Meaning that unless you have crossed the barrier you can’t know … your are from Mars (but there are no Aliens) and Kabbalists are from some other place which is impossible to explain in words so they don’t even try … you only know it when you get there ... and when you get there you can find out what a dog house is … or you can find out what they are talking about … a dog house is a stupid example typical of Mike … I don’t think he is very bright … he can’t even pronounce the word “attribute” and no one corrects him … thing is, I don’t think any of the teachers know what a dog house is because I don’t think any of them have crossed the barrier … they are students like us but have been studying longer but they never admit that … so they don’t know either … only the Rav knows because he has crossed the barrier … question that on the forum and you are dead meat

Another line that Mike uses is “you can believe that if it makes you feel good” this is one of his condescending answers in my opinion that he uses often … if religion of belief in Christ makes you feel good … well that’s OK … but when you cross the barrier you will realize that that was just a dream … a sand castle that your ego needs to hold on to … like Mother Teresa did … poor thing … too bad she did not know the WAY ...which is of course Kabbalah but only BB’s Kabbalah including the Right books, the Rav and the group … the messiah has not come … the messiah is a spiritual force yet to come …

Also meditation, dreams are fruitless corporeal activities … and there are no aliens because they don’t fit into the cosmology of Kabbalah at BB … so go ahead and meditate and spin your wheels and waste time if “it make you feel good” but Mike knows a better way because he believes his teacher has crossed the barrier … he tried a few other things … Taoism (his experience in meditation) … he was a Mason (what degree we don’t know) and probably a Sothern Baptist Born Again type who became discouraged and lost his way and threw out the Christ

Now in the advanced forum … Mark said that some of BB’s students have crossed the barrier on there own in the past several years … perhaps 15 … no names were given and the Rav knows other Kabbalists in other schools who have crossed too … and you are not going to cross the barrier alone no matter what you do … you need the group … and the group, all the people or most of the people in the group will cross the barrier TOGETHER … at the same time … no one can do it alone … in the future by virtue of the fact that they are trying to bestow in the group setting because it is IMPOSSIBE to do so outside the group …

Here is another BB concept … God does not hear the words of you prayers … this is in Attaining the Worlds Beyond … He receive only your feeling when you pray … no language … no words … and Marks said recently without and script6ural reference to back it up that God does not hear individual prayers but only the prayer of the whole soul (group) of which we are only a tiny part … a student asked about this on the forum … his prayer life turned out to be a sand castle in Mike’s view … meaning he believed his prayers mattered and he was heard … but no … this is not the case, according to BB … but “if it make you feel good” then well OK for now …

And of course women are different than men … they are more evolved so they don’t need to study the same material as men … so they are separated/invisible in all the congresses and ALL groups … including the virtual group … they should help the men and thereby help themselves … they should help the group … in the mean time they should not “worry there pretty LITTLE heads about it” but contribute with more “dissemination” … a lot of women have asked why? on the forum … but Mike, Tony and Rob are right there, all at the same time, to reassure them … the women usually back down when faced with 2 or 3 teachers on one post or inquiry … but what amazes me is that some women go along with it and “submit” and tell the newcomers that it is OK … but this is not Kabbalah, it is Orthodox Judaism … they never give scriptural references … they always make assertions that are supposed to be accepted as fact … because Rav says so … but where in the Zohar or another text does it say so? … no one asks …

Where is it stated in scripture that Jesus studied with the Sanhedrin … Tony said “it is known to Kabbalist that Jesus studied with the Sanhedrin” … without backing up the statement … horseshit … I decided not to argue the point on the forum but to leave the forum instead … this is a very anti-Christian statement … and think about it … they don’t want to talk about religion … but it is OK to makes statements like this … but of course they support all religions because they “make us feel good”

Sorry I sound so jaded but I have decided to study some of the BB texts and ignore the so called teachers like Mike and Tony … and also study Kabbalah with other sources which they don’t want you to do … why? … because they can’t answer the questions … and some ideas by authentic Kabbalists say things not in keeping with the BB program and its goal … BB is a world movement … they want to change the world so everyone thinks like them … there is only one WAY after all … Buddhist are delusional … Christians are simple minded fools … and so on … but they don’t come out and say that … and we think like they do “because it makes us feel good” but nowhere do they admit that there are “levels of religious study” that enter the mystical and spiritual worlds … because Kabbalah is the only Way to do that … and Kabbalah at BB is the only authentic Kabbalah … and no one has ever entered spirituality without Kabbalah … so Jesus did not enter spirituality … he must have been kidding himself with ideas that “made him feel good”

I am not trying to discourage you and please don’t let me do that … I think you should complete the fundamental course and intermediate course and check out the so-called advanced course and get into the texts because some of them are important … we need to learn how to approach the Zohar … Mike will always say it is impossible for you to understand ANY WORD in the Zohar before you cross the barrier (more wet blanket horseshit) … yet there are scholars who have tackled the Zohar and one can actually make sense of it … always have open eyes … all the books at BB are free … but so is all propaganda worldwide … I investigated BB with a Google search and found some interesting stuff …

[link to forum.rickross.com]

I think some of the stuff on the Cult forum is right on target and some of it is bullshit … but the letter below is of interest to me because I have experienced this before

I did not find too much and that was a “good sign” but I did find enough to keep me clear headed so I can take what I want and leave what I don’t want behind … I was in a cult before and I know what to be careful of … so with BB I stay on the edge … the closer you get to the center the more is expected of you … the people on the inside give 10% of their income … I found this out because I went to the Brooklyn group one time … they don’t mention that in fundamentals … … I think the Rav is a good teacher … so I will use his lectures in the Archives to dig into the text … but I decided not to go to any Congress … and the Congresses are emphasized … pushed … here is a letter (below) from someone who left BB that I found on the internet through a forum and here is the form link … Mike wrote to this forum and gets put in his place … he doesn’t have edit or censure power on someone else’s forum but he does at BB so no one can really have an open dissuasion or they will be thrown …

Anyway I knew all this stuff when I began study at BB a year ago but I still kept up with the study of the books because I see value in them and I see value in the Rav … I also see teaching values in Mike and the others but I am always looking at what they say for proof … I don’t know if Rav has crossed the barrier … I don’t think he has … I think many teacher in the world have entered “spirituality” in other tradition too … if you read the letter below and follow the link you will find a school which is part of BB that no one mentions … jewish people only and there is only a one-way link to BB and ARI but not the other way around … why? … there is a secret agenda …

I joined Bnei Baruch , a Kabbalah group in Israel, well before the study of Kabbalah became fashionable due to the efforts of people such as Madonna and friends. Bnei Baruch met daily, led by Rav Michael Laitman. I participated actively on the group for more than two years, following every lesson that was hold by the Rav Laitman each morning from 3.00 to 6.00 am. I developed Spanish and Italian departments for Bnei Baruch, regularly giving lessons and lectures.

From the beginning I was fascinated by the teachings of Kabbalah. The depth of the teachings gratified both my intellectual and irrational sides. I undertook an extended apprenticeship in the Hebrew language. During this time I assimilated many ideas which I later used to teach others in Italian and Spanish. At a certain point I started noticing cracks within the theory, cracks in the human and social attitudes of the group. After prolonged deliberation I finally made the difficult decision to leave the group.

I wish to express my thoughts here. This is no more than anecdotal opinion, based on my personal experience, however, I hope it may be helpful to those willing to listen to more than just Bnei Baruch’s propaganda.

Following in the footsteps of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai (Rashbi), Rabbi Itzhak Luria (Ari) and Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag (Ba’al Hasulam), Bnei Baruch’s single, only, goal is that of reaching “equality with the Creator” by means of the “surrounding lights”. On achieving this objective one will attain an inner feeling and understanding of the Creator, the result of individual intention and following the spiritual road-signs contained in the books studied by the group. More precisely, the goal is to reach the intent which somehow activates the surrounding lights contained within the books, resulting in an uplifting of our souls towards the Creator. This is more technically defined as a correction of the egoism of our desires.

Beginners are not able to understand the language of the books, being composed of words that are not used for anything else than to express the Kabbalist’s knowledge of the ‘upper words’. After an extended period of study the words become familiar, even if the student never really knows what they are talking about. Such an understanding happens only when they break on through to the other side.

The way of Kabbalah is considered scientific because it is rational, descriptive, provable, and universal – but then rationalism ends where faith must begin (although to secular people Kabbalah is offered as completely detached from Faith), descriptions may only be truly understood by Kabbalists, proofs belong only to the Kabbalists’ words. As a result, one cannot experience spirituality, and universality is nothing but a pyramidal theory where only those at the top experience direct contact with the Creator, while others have to accept their roles as only supporting.

One cannot discuss, or hold opinions on, the Kabbalist’s writings because it is incomprehensible, however, students are supposed to study daily and strenuously, and to spread the message of Kabbalah all over the planet. This is to develop a tool of acceptance of the Upper Will called “faith above reason”, which will enable the attraction of surrounding lights that will drag them upwards.

My academic studies of science taught me that modern science has a theoretical basis which may be modified if needed. Nevertheless scientific theories are based on pragmatic demonstration, experimentation, an openness to dialogue, the critical use of the ideas of others, and popular fruition and publication of its results. Kabbalah does not meet any of these criteria, and therefore, even if this does not deny the way of Kabbalah, it surely negates the current epithet that Kabbalah is “scientific”.

Bnei Baruch takes the perspective that it achieves a new vision of the world, a view sometimes promoted also by scientists. This comes from theories that refer to, or are derived from the Theory of Relativity and the Quanta Theory. Both theories fascinate modern people tired of hypotheses that limit experience and imagination to this physical world, and they also, on a popular level, restore to science a feeling of indeterminateness and mystery that was lost during the rationalism and materialism of recent centuries. It could be said that these theories modestly reintroduce magic back into science.

Bnei Baruch regularly plays on this new scientific common knowledge to reinforce its own ideologies. Two points are determinant:
(1) subjectivity of reality (referring to the Theory of Relativity) and
(2) interdependence of observer and observed object (referring to the “Indeterminacy Principle” of Quantum Physics).

From the very beginning Bnei Baruch taught that:
(1) We perceive only what penetrates us. The essence of the outside reality actually remains unknown and is called the Creator. We, the human beings, are portrayed as a box with five openings (our senses), through which the outside world enters. No other human experience, except the sensorial, is ever considered (subconscious, imagination, dreams, ESP, etc.). They are said to belong exclusively to the physical world, because their abstract shape could lead us to misunderstanding them for something spiritual.
The bottom line is that our physical senses allow us to communicate with the outside to a certain degree, but they lie about the real essence outside. In order to understand we need to acquire a supplementary sense, called the sixth sense or the soul (technically - “screen and returning light”) which will gradually equalize our qualities with the quality of the Creator. Until then we continue to live in a world of illusions.
(2) Currently, as explained by Quantum Theory, both the observer and observed object are interdependent. This theory is used by Bnei Baruch to suggest that the only way we can get to the Creator’s feeling is by equalizing our qualities with His own. In contrast, our present conditions (called egoism) never allow us to feel Him. This is the goal of all the Kabbalah studies, called “equivalence of form” with the Creator or “adhesion” to Him. In becoming the object one observes, the interference is lost and the two elements coincide.

What is very interesting to note here, and leads us on to the next chapter, is that from the first Kabbalah lesson on life, Bnei Baruch starts to take us in a direction that, although completely underestimated at the beginning, reveals its full power in time. By this I mean the syllogism: What is outside of me is the Creator, and I am supposed to equalize my own inner qualities to Him. The world outside is an illusion created by my perceptions, both physical and psychological, but I have found a place where everyone has the same desires as me (and therefore a common initial quality), i.e. to equalize one’s own inner attributes with those of the Creator. This place is the group and it is outside of me; therefore, in first instance, all I have to do to equalize myself with the Creator is to make myself equivalent to the group (in desires, actions, words and… thoughts).

As a result, from the very beginning, neophytes are directed towards bipolarization of inside-outside, which is found during the studies in many other sources and circumstances, more or less noble.

Bnei Baruch, the Group

Now, what does it mean to be part of this group?
How does this group relate to the outside world?
How does this group behave towards its members?

It is considered a great honor to be part of Bnei Baruch, not because the people within the group are special people, but because the Creator chose them to reveal the Wisdom of Kabbalah and spread it throughout the world – therefore they are special.
This very peculiar situation is supposed to build a strong team spirit between group members, reminiscent of that in the military, which, from an elementary psychological perspective, is very easy recognizable by most Israelis. Bnei Baruch students learn indirectly and subtly to look upon themselves as ‘the soldiers of truth and freedom’. The same morning lessons are often called “struggles”; and in Laitman’s words the act of reaching the first spiritual level is said an “attack”. The group enjoys singing a song in which it calls itself a “commando of strong and special people”. As in the Army, everyone is said to depend on the each other, and the group itself on each and every single “fighter”.

This general attitude is combined together with the inducted feeling that whatever is outside the group, being part of the big swindle (or physical appearance of creation), is fake, low, pathetic and unbearable. As a result Bnei Baruch members measure people who belong to the group and those who don’t in a completely different way from the norm. The group is your life, the air you breathe, your refuge, your family, the gathering of your only friends, your only and exclusive spiritual hope. Outside the group there is no life, people are like beasts (meaning their behaviors and desires are no different from those of animals) and there is nowhere to go. The group owns the Way, the group owns the only tools to possibly reach the target, the group owns the truth. Everyone, once they have been accepted to become one of the group, is indoctrinated to fear finding himself outside!

The group’s behavior towards its members can be summarized by the motto “either with me or against me”. The comparing of opinions is allowed and promoted inside Bnei Baruch, as long as it doesn’t exceed the theoretical limits outlined by Laitman’s teachings. Could it be any different? Should it be?
Unfortunately things become problematic when it concerns the view and treatment of people who have, for one reason or another, left the group. The one who is sent away, or leaves the group for ideological reasons, becomes infected, ceases to exist and ‘dies’. As a rule, people within the group are not allowed to talk with them anymore, nor even look at them and say “hello”. I will try to be more precise with a personal example, and it merely illustrates many other similar cases.

Approximately one year ago, for reasons connected to bad feelings she had collected in the space of two years and partly related to what I’m writing here, my wife decided to leave the group. The women of Bnei Baruch rapidly rejected her, to the point of ignoring her existence. The men simply supported, or even pushed, their wife’s position, or encouraged me that ‘after all she was a bit crazy’. They suggested that this was only a disturbance that, as always, would lead me closer to the target because, for His mysterious reasons, the Creator likes torturing those He loves… Someone said “her eyes are dead”, another tried to convince me to behave like the horse in George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” and told me “work harder!”, others suggested that I should consider getting married again and that a woman after all is nothing but a cow that brings cattle into the world. Most of the so-called friends were apathetic.

Now, the terrible thing is that in other places or ages, behaviors of this kind would surely have resulted in a harsher dismissal, such as lapidation (stoning), mutilation, or other violent abuses of human rights. Only the fact that we are living in more enlightened times spared everyone from falling into such an abyss. Nevertheless, the quality of the facts remains unchanged. To make it clearer, we could call it social lynching. This behavior might be considered normal for a pack of hyenas that fights over a chunk of meat, but it is unacceptable when originating from the “most developed souls” of the world. It is much closer to a sectarian or tribal behavior than to the attitude I expected from those who want to spread the universal religion of “love thy neighbor as thyself” all over the globe.
The sectarian aspect of Bnei Baruch may be necessary to facilitate spiritual work, but it shouldn't lead to harm and disrespect for human life and feelings.

Bnei Baruch and society

Bnei Baruch’s social identity is deliberately unclear. Bnei Baruch is not a religious group – in reality religious life is only superficially respected. It is encouraged by the Rav Laitman as something useful like a tradition. For example, Shabbat is respected in a very peculiar way, the daily lesson is recorded as usual, translated into Russian and English, but posted on their Internet archives with the date of the day after. Bnei Baruch is not a scientific academy, although they like to call themselves “ World Academy for Kabbalah Studies”. On the contrary, its basis is completely different from those of science.

Bnei Baruch is close to a hybrid social movement, apparently apolitical, with a religious background and scientific claims. It hopes to become the leader of Israel’s social renovation and spiritual awakening, and therefore the welcoming organization for all those who will try to reach Jerusalem when the time will come, as written in the prophets.

It is clear to members of Bnei Baruch, or at least to the leadership, that in order to enter massively into people’s daily life they first will have to achieve some kind of social recognition. This target is pursued using all possible media to the maximum extent possible – Internet, radio, TV, books, tapes – and trying to access the Israeli scholastic system by holding courses in high schools and universities. We should not forget the use of stars, as taught by Rabbi Philip Berg, such as Madonna & friends. Bnei Baruch in fact chases VIPs and it has already collected some national stars. Although not apparent, everything is planned.

Unlike Mr. Berg’s organization, these efforts by Bnei Baruch are not for money to enrich the leader. Money is considered important, but only as a means to obtain the real target - control over people, i.e. power. Obviously the group thinks that everything is done to spread God’s will (but how many times on this planet will we have to listen to people who claim to know God’s will?). I want to tell you a short story that helped me understand what is really happening in Bnei Baruch.

During the last Sukkoth celebrations, on the official opening day of their Autumn Congress, a parade was organized. People from ‘all over the world’ marched, like in a troop salutation with banners from their countries of origin, along a boulevard to a stage prepared for the occasion with a fancy illumination, where Mr. Laitman was waiting, sitting on a wheel chair. His family had the ‘seats of honor’ and everyone waved small flags with the logo of the Congress. Laitman then spoke, the Statute of the State of Kabbalah was read, and the flag of the future society hoisted.
All this happened “as a game”, a performance that was supposed to strengthen our connection with the importance of the goal and our loyalty to Baal Hasulam’s message. What actually crept in here was the use of symbols and patterns that throughout history have been used by strong political powers to affirm their supremacy and the supremacy of their leadership.

Laitman believes that Kabbalah will be the ideology of the future world. What is ideology if not a sclerotic system of ideas? When ideas become an ideology it parallels putting animals into a museum, i.e. they are dead. Moreover, every ideology is nothing but a picture, an image of what it represents. The same of an idol which requires total devotion, blind respect and self-sacrifice…and this looks contradicts the second commandment of the Torah: “Thou shall not make unto thee any graven image”.

The structure of the future society, painted in Baal Hasulam’s articles “The last generation” and “The solution”, highlights the passé and utopist social system of a world led by a group of wise Kabbalists. This society, as explained by the Rav Laitman, will have to provide for itself all needed social structures (schools, hospitals, courts, etc.), and all that concerns the community will be managed and solved inside these same structures. Relationships with outside governments will occur only when necessary and their infrastructures used only if inevitable. Nevertheless, their laws will be respected. The State of Kabbalah will be a state without territory that won’t need to fight other states for supremacy, but because of its universal ideal of love, every nation will naturally want to follow its instructions and way of life. (The ghost of Orwell’s “Animal Farm” still seems circling…)

Whoever wishes to enter this new society will have to swear loyalty to its principals and will be allowed to leave whenever he/she wants. The universal religion of “love thy neighbor as thyself” will be the foundation of this new society and everyone will have to work for, and give to, this cause with all his/her heart. The economical principal will be “to give according to one’s abilities and to receive according to one’s needs”. Observance will be controlled by a committee of wise Kabbalists, who will evaluate all particular circumstances and decide which action to take according to their ‘tools of bestowal’ (their connection to the upper will). Their techniques, when the entire world is concerned is something unknown, but surely God will give them the solution.

I conclude by telling you how this group has started realizing its universal ideology of “love thy neighbor as thyself”.
Their Israeli congresses are held in a place called Kfar Sitrin, not actually a village but a secondary school that helps young people with familiar social problems such as antisocial children.
Bnei Baruch had the project to find a place like Kfar Sitrin, or Kfar Sitrin itself, to open a holiday village where people could rest while studying Kabbalah. I don’t know how far along this project is now, but their Internet site reports that the project “Hatzlaha” has begun ( [link to www.kabbalah.info] Thanks to this project, people from all over the world will come to Israel, pay substantial fees, study Kabbalah, serve in the Israeli army (while most students of Bnei Baruch do their best in order to avoid their yearly service callback) and… sojourn in Kfar Sitrin. What does this actually mean?
It signifies that the school, partly private and partly sponsored by the government, will be bought by Bnei Baruch and closed. All the teachers will lose their place of employment, and all those problematic children will be sent back to their families and their pathetic daily issues.
Their Zionist project – open to all those that belong to the “traditional religion”, a smart way to fog the jewish Agency for Israel that sponsors their plans, and at the same time allow people from every religion to take part in their business – starts with the bombing of a few jewish people, but the ‘beastie kind’, those we have seen above who are unimportant.

As usual, the spreading of God’s real will should not stop at anything. “Love thy neighbor as thyself” – Bnei Baruch probably sees the dismantling of Kfar Sitrin secondary school as the best way to start implementing its target.

From Ultimate Journey by Robert A. Monroe ~

There is no beginning, there is no end.
There is only change.
There is no teacher, there is no student,
There is only remembering.
There is no good, there is no evil,
There is only expression.
There is no union, there is no sharing,
There is only one.
There is no joy, there is no sadness,
There is only love.
There is no greater, there is no lesser,
There is only balance.
There is no stasis, there is no entropy,
There is only motion.
There is no wakefulness, there is no sleep,
There is only being.
There is no limit, there is no chance,
There is only a plan.

[link to www.youtube.com]

Could you develop your point please ?

Ok, as there is no reply that could have helped to understand what can can push human being to post such statement, i reported the post as abusive so the owner have to use another ip adress to spread his or her shit there.

Never forget that it is exactly these theories that paved the way to holocaust in past. Nothing has really changed today, apart the hypocrisy that hs grown stronger. The arrival of some charismatic leader in the difficult worldwide siuation we live now would allow even worst.

I regret i could not really grasp from the posts what happened in details to the two persons who seems to really suffer from their experience (my english is bad and things may sometimes be more complicated than they appear).

If some abuse has taken place, its never too late to repair. If not, then a person who has been involved the way that has been described should been treated wigh respect, even if he or she wont necessrily accept the cause that is taken for his or her bannishment.

The only thing i know is that hatred is a poison for its carrier, even if it is sometimes comprehensible and the only react one can have in some context.


A last thing, but its just to check if moderators are faster enough to neutralize a post that goes wrong direction : to the person who posted schopenauer, you seem to be a real son of bitch, remember, i dont hate you, its just a test. :-)

[link to www.youtube.com]

The organization of BB twists what reliable sources say to suit them. The easiest, least detectable way to lie is using the truth as a loose basis. They aren't going to demand that reluctant, new, or fringe members pay maaser. They are going to do it when they feel like you need them more than they need you; when you are a believer, desperate to attain because you've already invested so much time, energy, and personal relationships to attain what they dangle. They claim that you can continue giving to the charities you used to but make it clear they think the money is wasted because it doesn't change anything, the only way to make changes is in the spiritual world. Then they make it very clear that your money would benefit the whole world much better to give directly to them so that we can draw more light through the dissemination the money will pay for. I've seen members so broke they couldn't pay their rent but they're spending every waking moments studying, connecting with other members, and disseminating. And these same people feel GUILTY for not being able to do more!! I was a member for two years. In that time, when told that I wouldn't progress spiritually if I didn't disseminate, I had a big problem with that. I don't feel that anyone should teach or promote anything they are not sure of or haven't attained themselves. When I spoke to other members about this, I was met with the advice that this was something they had gone through as well but once they did it, they were able to progress. The only progression I saw in them was progression in prestige within the organization and in depression, disconnection from friends and family, lying to friends and family because "they wouldn't understand", sacrificing careers, a glazed-over look when speaking to the people while saying programmed things like, "only together", "arvut", "L'Chaim", "go above reason", etc. I'm really concerned about the well-being of these people.

Also, I came up with an idea to raise funds from corporations to finance the "integral education" project. Michael Laitman himself approved the project. I required documentation from the UN about their collaboration with us on the project, but all I got was documentation FROM BB TO the UN when Laitman had been telling all of the members that the UN had signed documents but failed to produce them or needed financial statements required for grant proposal writing purposes after I asked for them multiple times. That didn't sit well with me. They were very excited about the project, why wouldn't they readily share confirming documentation with the public, or even with members? I was then told I wouldn't need the documentation. They have many projects on the go under different names so the public won't know that it's BB as well which also didn't jive with me. The one I know about is called Mutual Responsibility. There's a magazine, "Amalganation" that I agreed to edit for and it was alarming to say the least. The articles I edited only cited Michael Laitman for EVERYTHING. As though because he said it, there was no questioning it. I made an effort to find other sources to corroborate his claims on world issues but came up empty-handed nine times out of ten. They barely give you a moment to step back and reflect. But members do it to each other, they don't know any better just like you don't know any better while you're engaged with them. I only was able to come to my senses after taking a week for myself to get my head straight. The books are not the problem, it's all the crap they feed you. I still think Kabbalah itself is valid but would never study with anyone ever again. You're told to disregard your intuition, that your ego, or "pharaoh" will fight you internally. It's mind-numbing but it doesn't start that way. Only when you become hooked. Don't drug pushers give away some samples first afterall?

There are musicians within the organization who seem to have no creativity in them any longer. The music is painful to listen to...mind-numbing. It's really sad to see the passion and creativity sapped out of someone. Apparently confusion is a good state to be in according to them. In BB you don't know whether you're coming or going and when you ask for assistance, you get empty, brain-dead responses. It's all double speak all of the time.

Glad you made it out!

There are musicians within the organization who seem to have no creativity in them any longer. The music is painful to listen to...mind-numbing. It's really sad to see the passion and creativity sapped out of someone. Apparently confusion is a good state to be in according to them. In BB you don't know whether you're coming or going and when you ask for assistance, you get empty, brain-dead responses. It's all double speak all of the time.


This is a great observation. Does not the Creator create, are we not part of the Creator. If something stops us from expressing creativity is that not a problem? How can you advance spiritually if your creativity is stymied. All cults rely on suppression/repression.

How did you made it out? what did you have to do in order to get disconnected....

ok hi I have been reading these posts and well, I have gotten the same feelings most have written about. I am a new student and I am not liked very much by BB because I am not subservient. I am not going to write full details right now because I would like to finish the first year because if I leave now I will be always curious. I am watching the online videos for now like I am watching a sci fi movie lol. This Laitman is a very sick guy, he is making up most of what is being taught and if you question what you have been taught you will get the most bizarre answers on the online Forum. I was a prior Kabbalah student all I can say about the Kabbalah center is yes it is a business and expensive but I never was taught this weird stuff.What is the saying you get what you pay for...this Laitman Kabbalah can do a number on your head. Big Time ....I know you must be asking why continue, I am continuing because I want to see how crazy it can get . Like I wrote it is like Science Fiction worse than Scientology. Laitman should be put in a nut house and if he doesn't get put away well I pity those poor mixed up people he attracts.

The statement of concern would be : rather a ass or an ox?

Yeah go under cover and see what new info you can get.

Laitman is an egomanic he is teaching much of what Chabad teaches if you open the prayer book you will see all of what he is teaching . It makes me laugh because people actually do not realize it but all of us Jewish students know what is happening Laitman should be put in a mental
hospital have you send his latest video on Laitman.com speaking about the United States election omg if Obama heard and he gets in Laitman is toast...how arrongant this little man is. Mike Kellogg is a delusion fellow he and laitman feel they have reached the status of the Dali Lama.

Just watched this video [link to www.youtube.com] Could you imagine Laitman as leader he has already said in a 2000 interview that Israel should nuke Palestine.He speaks with fork tongue.

[link to checkout.kabbalah.info (secure)]

They now want $3,500,000 US dollars for a new building even though spirituality and corporeality are completely separate according to them. $3,500,000 US dollars equals 14,000,000 NIS (Israeli Shekels) so everyone knows, and property in Israel is cheaper than here in the US. Also they just held a Televangelist-like fundraising event on the 17th and 18th of this month.

Send in your money!!! God needs your money!!! Bnei Baruch will save the world!!! Only need millions of dollars!!!

I wonder why Laitman with all his millions isn't buying a bigger and better CHURCH? LOL

There is also the possibility that Baal Hasulam's writings are all totally evil. Like some type of psychological-spiritual vampirism. The more you think about them, trying to figure them out, the dumber you get. There is actually a line in one of his articles where he says that "sometimes one's soul incarnates in the body of a pig". Jesus once casted demons out of a possessed guy and put the demons on pigs. Maybe kabbalah is just some type of coded-language demonology, and kabbalists are possessed. I mean, what are the odds that he discovered, out of the blue, for the first time in human history, the truth about the soul of humanity? Didn't anyone ever thought of it, or saw the things he saw? Bnei Baruch says that he had a sixth sense to see those things. Why don't we hear about anything even remotely close from other saints or sages? It is more likely he was evil, and created a mental trap to suck people's spiritual and intellectual forces away. Kabbalah takes advantage of people's curiosity and laziness, promising an easy abstract truth that is at least just mental masturbation, and more likely, purely demonic. What is the point to write a book that is unintelligible? I was trying to figure it out somehow, comparing to other things I know about the mind, but it is impossible and a huge waste of time, and I would have to lie to myself to keep doing. I know kabbalah harms me and goes against everything good that I know exists for sure. Do you want some obvious truth? Google "Eucharistic miracles". Nothing abstract about that. Stay away from things that promise secret spiritual knowledge, chances are, they are just trying to take advantage of you. Seek real common sense wisdom, reason, consolidated philosophers. I wasted too much time on kabbalah, but at least now I know better. It's better to read one line of Aristotle than an entire kabbalah library.

I've found this link to report how the Bnei Baruch Cult has ripped you off. I'm not sure what they do exactly as I'm still awaiting a response from them; however, I think it is worth going to this website and sharing your story.

[link to kabbalahvictims.com]

-Charles Lease

Good find Charles come back when you get an answer from them.

Maybe they will walk in on Laitman in the back room counting all his new found riches LOL.