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Michael Laitman (PhD in Philosophy, MSc in Medical Bio-Cybernetics) is a scientist, Kabbalist, Professor of Ontology and the Theory of Knowledge, founder and head of the Bnei Baruch—Kabbalah Education and Research Institute, and the ARI—Ashlag Research Institute, non-profit organizations for research and didactic activities in the field of Kabbalah.

Laitman was born on August 31, 1946 in the city of Vitebsk, Belarus. In 1970, he graduated from the St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University, Department of Biology and Medical Cybernetics. During the studies, he conducted research in the Blood Research Institute, specializing in electro-magnetic regulation of blood supply in the heart and the brain. He lives in Israel, married with three children.

In 1976, he began studying Kabbalah, and has been researching it ever since. In 1979, searching new avenues in Kabbalah, he had come across Kabbalist Rabbi Baruch Shalom HaLevi Ashlag (1906-1991), the first born son and successor of Kabbalist Rabbi Yehuda Leib HaLevi Ashlag (1884-1954), a.k.a. Baal HaSulam for his Sulam (Ladder) commentary on The Book of Zohar.

Michael Laitman was so impressed with Rav Ashlag’s son that, as he describes it, “After the first lesson, I knew that this was what I have been looking for.” Soon after, Laitman became Ashlag’s closest disciple and personal assistant, spending the bulk of his time in the company of his revered mentor, and absorbing as much as he could of his teachings. For his efforts and loyalty, the ultra orthodox paper HaModia referred to him as Ashlag’s “house trustee” (September 15, 1991). Among orthodox Jews, a house trustee is considered a genuine follower of his teacher.

After Baruch Ashlag’s demise (1991), Laitman began to teach what he had learned from his mentor, passing on the methodology of Yehuda Ashlag as he studied it with his son. He established Bnei Baruch ("The Son's of Baruch," named after his revered mentor), an organization whose declared goal is to teach Kabbalah to all those who wish it, without any discrimination. Although Laitman never declared himself a Rav (a "great one" in Hebrew, a title ascribed to Jewish religious leaders), his students insisted on calling him "Rav Laitman," saying that in their eyes, he is a great spiritual teacher. Curiously enough, the title Rav “stuck” to him in North America and Israel, and the title Doctor, “stuck” to him in Russia.

Laitman firmly believes that Kabbalah is a science, and as such, belongs to all humanity, and not to any single person or a group of persons. This is the reason he is so insistent on teaching Kabbalah to all people, regardless of age, sex, nationality, or race.

To help in his dissemination efforts, Laitman completed his PhD in Philosophy at the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow in 2005. He also received the title Professor of Ontology and the Theory of Knowledge from that same institute.

Over the years of his studies, Laitman has authored more than thirty books on Kabbalah, some of which aim to provide easy interpretations of Kabbalah, and some provide in-depth commentaries on Kabbalistic sources. Laitman still spends much of his time reviewing traditional Kabbalistic texts and strives to present them as knowledge necessary for all humanity.

In 2005, as part of his efforts to disseminate Kabbalah and integrate it in contemporary pro-social organizations, he became a member of the World Wisdom Council, an organization that brings together scientists and public figures in an effort to resolve the global problems of modern civilization.

Teachings
Laitman delivers his Kabbalah teachings primarily through daily lessons, broadcast live on the Internet, via the organization’s web site www.kabbalah.info. Because the organization operates in the spirit of dissemination to all peoples, the Bnei Baruch site provides free text in twenty-three languages, and the live lessons are simultaneously translated into six languages, before they are uploaded for free download from the media archive.

Awards

 * Man of the Year in Medical Cybernetics, Israel, 1995
 * "For Outstanding Professional and Social Achievements" (2001-2002)

Books in English

 * Kabbalah, Science and the Meaning of Life: Because Your Life Has Meaning (Laitman Kabbalah: 2006)
 * Basic Concepts in Kabbalah: Expanding Your Inner Vision (Laitman Kabbalah: 2006)
 * Awakening to Kabbalah: The Guiding Light of Spiritual Fulfillment (Jewish Lights: 2005)
 * The Path of Kabbalah (Laitman Kabbalah: 2005)
 * The Kabbalah Experience (Laitman Kabbalah: 2005)
 * Introduction to the Book of Zohar Vol. 1: The Science of Kabbalah (Laitman Kabbalah: 2005)
 * Introduction to the Book of Zohar Vol. 2 (Laitman Kabbalah: 2005)
 * Attaining the Worlds Beyond (Laitman Kabbalah: 2002)
 * A Guide to the Hidden Wisdom of Kabbalah (Laitman Kabbalah: 2002)
 * Kabbalah for Beginners (Laitman Kabbalah: 2000)

External Link

 * Bnei Baruch Kabbalah Education and Research Institute