Women at the Congress 2009
Rav Michael Laitman's, PhD discussion with Gilad Shadmon
December 24, 2008
G. Shadmon: At the congress last year, we spoke a great deal about the role of women, the role of women in relation to that of men, etc.. Women have now written a letter to us in these words:
“A great deal has been said to us, endless questions and answers, yet the issue is still not totally clarified in our hearts. And now, at such a significant point in time, the need again arises for introspection and clarification, sensing our deficiency, in our quest towards preparing our hearts and revealing our common pain, along with understanding what still needs to be done. For if we had clarified that up to the final detail, the desired goal would have already been realized.”
Rav Laitman: They are right. I have only one thing to say: no matter how much we explain the role of women, after each explanation, this question will arise again. Because the women’s deficiency can not thus be filled, it can’t be satisfied. Accordingly, that same question, that same deficiency is revealed again. That is a sign of the positive deficiency that women have, one which is the foundation of our entire reality, “woman,” “Nukvah,” the female, Malchut.
Therefore I am not surprised that the same thing keeps coming up, and I am also willing to explain it further. But let’s give a simple answer: There is not such a big difference between the role of men and the role of women in our world, here and now, causing women to question what they need to do. Just as a man asks what he needs to do, a woman also needs to do the same things: to study along with educating children, maintaining the household, organizing the group.
More than half of humanity, sixty percent, are women, so, thank God, there’s enough to be done. Children add on twenty percent, so eighty percent of humanity are women and children, while only twenty percent of humanity are men, say from twenty years old, or from fifteen years and up. So, we are talking about such a huge mass, eighty percent of humanity, who are asking “What do we need to do?
Everything necessary for correction is before you: studies, dissemination, in addition to connecting with others for the sake of dissemination. Nothing is being hidden or rejected; on the contrary, we need that strength.
We understand that if those eighty percent, women, were unified and determined towards the goal, we would certainly attain correction. That is because men, if they would like to or not, by nature actually end up listening to what women say. As written in the case of Abraham, “Listen to what Sarah tells you.” So we have a big problem with women, that you do not realize how important your work and dissemination actually is, and how it is the decisive factor in tipping the scales in the world’s favor, towards correction.
So instead of asking, please let’s begin working, on the radio, television, creating films and books for children and women. Begin! I know of thousands of our women from all the continents, who translate, prepare material and produce. We need more, we need more. More and more and more unification; and more and more and more dissemination. But don’t wait for the men or ask what do men have that we lack. Women have the same things.
G. Shadmon: In other words, this pain is positive and natural.
Rav Laitman: It is a natural pain, it is positive and I do not want it to disappear. It also will not disappear, because no matter how many positive things you tell women, along with providing answers, this question will continually arise. It is natural and correct, but still, let us implement it.
G. Shadmon: You mean that implementation is in dissemination.
Rav Laitman: But not just dissemination. Tell me, in what way does Kabbalah provide men with more work to do towards the world’s correction, than it does for women? Women are required to study. She is also required to connect with others for the sake of dissemination, raising children, certainly. All of the dissemination of material, preparation of our materials, video, audio, written material, Internet, everything; more women work with us than men. So what is happening here? Rather, what is happening is natural, women constantly ask ”Why am I lacking?” And so it shall be until the end of correction. So let’s take the reigns in our own hands, particularly women, and attain the end of correction. Everything depends on you.
G. Shadmon: Does the fact that there is a global crisis now change women’s work in some way?
Rav Laitman: No, it only requires more dissemination. Again I say that women and children can disseminate much more than men. Not backstage, in the preparation of material and quietly do all sorts of things in preparation and dissemination, but in dissemination on women’s channels, a woman to women, women to children. It’s the type of dissemination which is boundless, with no restraints along the way. That is how we need to participate. Unfortunately, in the meantime, we only have three or four women who work on all of our programs for women, and that is surely not enough.
Children can be added as well; educating and dealing with children, preparing them for new programs. Women have the power of creativity more than men, since she is destined by nature to work with children, so they have more fantasies, they have more imagination. And we need those strengths. Actually, the dissemination to women and children is entirely handed over to women. Whoever knows how to do it and can do it—only you. I strongly ask you to understand that in all sincerity, the ball is your hands.
Let us hope we will succeed. Thank you.