Lazer Beams

Everywhere I Walk, I Walk in the Land of Israel

In continuation of our Eretz Yisroel series this week, here is a clip of Guy Tzvi Mintz and I singing Rebbe Nachman's famous quotation, "Wherever I walk, I am walking in the Land of Israel." A basic tenet of Breslever Chassidic thought is to strive to move to the Land of Israel. Even if one can't, one should yearn so much for the Holy Land, that one's thoughts and feelings are actually here. The more you love someone, the more you think about them.

This week's Torah portion is Vayakhel. Here are wonderful commentaries that you can use for your Shabbat table, including a Chassidic Pearl and a Chassidic story. The Beams and BreslovWorld wish you a wonderful week.

Attention London: A Tzaddik is Coming to Town

Rav Shalom Arush shlit'a will be visiting London from March 6-9, 2008. Londoners, go see him and ask him for a bracha - tell him Lazer sent you. You'll be doing yourself a tremendous favor, more than you can imagine. Here is his schedule .

Emuna News Update: Ashkelon under Missile Attack

Our neighboring city of Ashkelon became the target of brazen Hamas and Jihad escalation from Gaza today; by 3 PM, already eight long-range GRAD missiles had hit the city, for the first time making direct his on residential areas. Also, one missile reached the northern entrance of Ashkelon, which is a mere 6 miles south of where we live in Ashdod.

At approximately 6:45 PM, another 2 missiles fell in the north Ashkelon area. I was in a field south of Ashdod and could hear the blasts. There have been casualties.

Just yesterday, Defense Minister Barak said that there's no need to include Ashkelon in the early-warning "Red Alert" system deployment.

Our anti-emuna appeasement government is more dangerous to Israel than outside enemies. May Hashem protect us from them. The army's hands are tied, because Condi had tea with her puppet Ollie this morning and she told him to show restraint.

Ashkelon to Israelis is like Miami or Fort Lauderdale to Americans. Would Condi call for restraint if 10 Katyushas landed in Fort Lauderdale? And in an elementary school, a college, and in a hospital? When it comes to Jewish blood being spilled, they call for restraint. A familiar tune...

We need Moshiach now. No politician or political party can deliver the goods that we need.

Update: Todays dozen-plus missile attack on Ashkelon has changed Barak's mind. Ashkelon is now under "Red Alert" deployment.

More Blood on Holy Soil

The Holy Land of Israel is so alive that she breathes and talks; she'll even tell us prophecies and the news. We only have to open our eyes and ears.

After a period of rain, overcast, and smog, Wednesday was a beautifully sunny day. The fields east of Ashdod dressed up in a yellow carpet of wild mustard (see Eretz Yisroel series, Part 3, immediately below). Along the Lachish river bank, where I went for personal prayer, wild red poppies sprouted up.

The poppies looked weird; they lacked texture (see above undoctored photo), and looked like drops of blood in the field. I had a strong feeling that my beloved homeland was speaking to me, but unfortunately, didn't understand the message.

In the evening, everything became clear. While I was contemplating blood-looking flora in Ashdod, blood-letting missiles were falling in the Sderot and Ashkelon area, as far north as the Barzilai hospital 14 minutes down the road from where I live. Ronnie Yihya, 47, was killed. The poppies were telling their story - the holy Land of Israel mourns a fallen son.

The Eretz Yisroel series, part 3: Milk, Honey, and Wild mustard

My love affair with my blessed homeland of Eretz Yisroel is no secret. This land has a soul, a pulse, and breathes like a human. If you listen closely enough, you can hear her singing Hashem's praise all day and all night long. She sings a symphony in a thirty-part harmony that can revive any parched human spirit. She widens one's cognizance; no wonder the Talmud says that the air of Eretz Yisroel makes a person wise.

Yesterday - for the first time in several weeks - the sky over Ashdod was crystal clear and deep blue, like the color of the Heavenly throne described in tractate Menachos. With Hashem's loving grace, the sun emerged from the dispersing cumulus clouds, and literally within a day, a magnificent carpet of yellow flowers covered the countryside east of Ashdod. You don't have to strain your brain to guess where a person could look for yours truly on a day like this.

The pungent aroma of a several concentrated acres of wild mustard flowers is intoxicating. To my surprise, the grapefruit orchards had started to bud and blossom also - a few weeks ahead of time - perfuming the air with no scent that Chanel could ever duplicate. Having past the mustard fields and the orchards, I reached the Lachish River, usually dry for 7 months of the year, but whose bubbling waters were now flowing with the rest of Hashem's symphony. Wild anise and mint were growing by the riverside, a heaven on earth.

My Israel has nothing to do Labor, Likud, Kadima, or the religious parties either. I don't spend 2 seconds a day thinking about the Hamas. Politics and politicians have no place in a such a divine sanctuary. My sweet homeland is a haven of milk, honey, and wild mustard; a place where I can raise my children in Torah, be close to Hashem, and walk out in the fabulous orchards and exquisite fields, sharing the scent of the citrus blossom with the bees and the riverbank with the bullfrogs, where all of creation - the soil, the flowers, the trees, the kingfishers, the jackals, and the deer all join me in the praise of our Creator. In my world - Hashem's Holy Land - things are peaceful and uncomplicated. Life has the flavor of a golden peach in sweet cream.

The Eretz Yisroel Series, Part 2: The Kotel, Emuna, and Redemption

Imagine what it feels like to be here praying in such an atmosphere. Indescribable.

The Divine Presence never leaves the Kotel HaMaaravi, the Western Wall remnant of the holiest place in our history - the Bet HaMikdash. If one needs any kind of salvation, the Divine Presence is available 24/7 - you don't need an appointment. In the holy Land of Israel, especially in Jerusalem, and most of all at the Wall, one feels Hashem's presence.

Our Talmudic sages therefore make a seemingly stiff statement when they say (Kesuvos 110b): "Anyone who lives in Israel resembles a person who has a G-d; anyone who lives outside of Israel resembles a person who has no G-d." Rebbe Nachman of Breslev elaborates on this concept, and teaches (Likutei Moharan 7:1) that emuna, prayer and miracles are dependant on Eretz Yisroel. In other words, outside of Israel, one cannot attain the level of emuna and prayer that one can attain in Israel.

Rebbe Nachman of Breslev also teaches (ibid.) that the redemption of our people is dependant on emuna, the pure and complete faith in Hashem. Conversely, lack of faith prolongs the exile and diaspora.

In the same vain, Rebbe Klonimus Kalman, author of "Ma'or VeShemesh" and prime disciple of the Noam Elimelech, writes (Ma'or VeShemesh, parshas Behar) that the material abundance outside of Israel blocks the light of spirituality, and is therefore counterproductive to emuna, whereas in Israel, the brighter lights of spirituality are at the expense of a lower level of materialism.

In light of the above, living in the Land of Israel is conducive to developing higher levels of emuna and spirituality.

According to the above teachings, anyone who strengthens his or her faith, comes to Israel, or does both is making a direct contribution to hastening the Geula, the full redemption of our people Israel, and the rebuilding our our Holy Temple in a united Jerusalem, soon and in our days, amen.

The Kotel and Temple Mount at twilight

The Eretz Yisroel series, Part 1: The Kedusha of Kinneret

The southern end of "Kinneret", the Sea of Galilee, as viewed from the west. The purple hills in the background are the Golan Heights. To the extreme upper right of the photo is Bashan, which is today part of Jordan.

After this morning's prayers, the Melitzer Rebbe shlit'a had a faraway look of yearning in his eyes. He turned to me and said, "It's about time we returned to Rebbe Shimon (Bar Yochai's gravesite at Miron - LB) and thank Hashem for all of our remarkable blessings." Prayers go straight up from Miron. "This time," the Rebbe continued, "I want to go somewhere that overlooks the Kinneret, so we can sit and learn for a few hours before sundown".

Strange, I thought to myself, the Rebbe never expressed such a desire before. He said the word "Kinneret" as if it were his long-lost love.

The Rebbe caught my thoughts, and then revealed something phenominal: "Eretz Yisroel is holier than all other lands (see Mishna, Kelim 1:6 - LB). That holiness manifests itself by seven different spiritual lights that illuminate the seven different sections of the Holy Land, corresponding to the seven spheres of Chessed to Malchus. Kinneret receives her illumination directly from the Shechina, the Divine Presence."

The Rebbe is simply longing for the Shechina; so am I. We're waiting eagerly for the redemption of our people, when the Shechina will illuminate all of Eretz Yisroel in an indescribably exquisite splendor. One look at the Land of Israel in all of her glory will make everyone forget about the senseless and meaningless material idiocies they chased after their entire lives. Soon, very soon, amen.

"Kinneret receives her illumination directly from the Shechina, the Divine Presence." Exquisite photo by Yuri Peress.

Menachem Herman, and more!

Here's a Jewish-music trivia question: What do Rav Shlomo Carlebach ob”m, the Diaspora Yeshiva Band, Mordechai Ben David, Avraham Fried, Chaim Dovid, Michoel Streicher, Musa Berlin, Ohad Moskowitz, the Toldos Aaron choir and Reva L'Sheva all have in common? The answer is that they've all had their music enhanced with Menachem Herman's electric guitar, his voice, his musical arrangements, or all three.

Considered by many the best lead guitarist in the world of Jewish music, Menachem has a list of musical achievements as long as your arm. He's a combination of outer fireball and inner peace, and a good example of how Rebbe Nachman of Breslev helps his followers to develop their potential to the hilt.

Menachem now has a new project - Emuna music with his Emuna band, which means spreading emuna all over the world with his music. Read the whole story about Menachem Herman and Emuna on this week's exciting new edition of BreslovWorld.

Yaacov Dovid Shulman tells us more about what Rebbe Nachman of Breslev writes about music. Rav Shalom Arush teaches the right way to approach personal prayer.

Who wants a crazy Breslever for a son-in-law? Rabbi Lazer Brody answers the letter of a young Litvish kollel student who dared to pick up a Breslever book, and the stormy outcome of such a "felony". Rabbi Pinchas Winston shows us the way to positive thinking and success. With Tzvi Fishman, we learn what the Zohar teaches about personal holiness. Rabbi Avraham Greenbaum teaches another superb lesson in Kabbalah.

If you're a Noahide and somewhat confused, with Alice Jonsson's Guide to the Noahide Perplexed your worries are over. And, if you're a child between the ages of 3 and 103, and you don't feel so good about yourself, read Rebecca Shapiro's delightful series for Breslev Kids, The Flakefoot Falcon. This week, we're up to episode number five, where Frankie the Flakefoot discovers that there is something he can really do better than anyone else.

This week's Torah portion is Vayakhel. There are wonderful commentaries that you can use for your Shabbat table, including a Chassidic Pearl and a Chassidic story. The Beams and BreslovWorld wish you a wonderful week.

The Root of our Ills

A Ukranian peasant felt pain in his left arm. He went to his local village doctor, and the doctor gave him an ointment to rub on his arm. The peasant felt better for a day or two, but soon the pain returned even stronger than before. The peasant returned to the local village doctor, who referred him to a big specialist in Kiev. The peasant made the long journey to Kiev, and after much searching, finally located the specialist's address.

The peasant complained to the specialist about the fierce pain in his arm. The doctor took one look at the arm and told the peasant to take off his shirt. The bewildered peasant asked, "Doctor, why must I remove my shirt if my arm hurts?"

The doctor placed his stethascope on the peasant's chest, smiled patiently, and answered, "I must examine your heart. What you feel in your arm is only radiated pain. The root of the pain is in your heart."

* * * * * * *

There isn't a single one of us who doesn't have a problem that hurts - some have health problems, others have financial difficulties, many have marital issues, quite a few have grief from their children. Some couples don't have children at all, and still others long to find their soulmate and are lonely in the meanwhile. If I have alluded to your particular problem, simply fill in the blank. We all have our ills, whether physical, emotional, spiritual, or interpersonal. Most of us think that an "ointment" of a raise in salary or relief of our localized problem will end our ills. Wrong.

The root of our ills is Jerusalem - the lack of our Holy Temple and the Divine Presence withing our midst. Rather than crying out to Hashem, we are tacitly agreeing to the dissection and ultimate surrender of Jerusalem, the heart of the Jewish people.

My dear friends in London, Melborne, Toronto, Miami Beach, Los Angeles, and elsewhere - don't think that Jerusalem is the Israel's problem alone; it's just as much your problem too. You are limbs that extend from the same heart that is known as Yerushalayim and Bet HaMikdash. When we here at the Beams are crying out for Jerusalem and Moshiach, it's because our national cure depends on a healthy heart - Jerusalem and the full redemption of our people. With the Divine Presence within our midst, there is a limitless blessing of abundance for health, happiness, and everything we need.

Here is a moving film clip that shows pictures of the Westen Wall and the Temple Mount, with the beautiful background music of an Oriental Jewish rendition of Psalm 147, verses 12 and 13, where Jerusalem and Zion praise Hashem. Enjoy it. Please, do yourself a favor and pray for Yerushalayim.

Finally Here

The hate rhetoric and the threats against us are just part of the scenario unfolding before us, that Moshiach is fast on the way. Let the dogs bark. I prefer to enter Shabbat on a more pleasant note.

My good friend Ari Goldwag, with a beautiful voice and a beautiful soul of a young man that learns Torah all day long, expresses our anticipation for Moshiach beautifully in his new song, "Finally Here," which the Beams is happy to share a sneak preview of. Below the lyrics is an mp3 so you can listen and follow Ari's beautiful song. The song also expresses our frustration with our brothers and sisters that are deafened by the noise of materialism, so they can't hear the sound of the Shofar that's getting louder every day.

G-d willing, we hope to do a feature article about Ari in the near future.

FINALLY HERE, lyrics and music by Ari Goldwag

As he walked home from yeshiva,
a sound reached his ears
clear and majestic, unmistakably near
Joy filled his heart
HE'S FINALLY HERE!!! Moshiach's finally here!!!

He ran all the way home
said to his dad,
"Did you hear it - the shofar
or am I going mad?"
"Not now, my son,
can it wait 'til later, when the business news is done."

CHORUS:

Where is our hope, our faith, our pride?
Where's the desire, the love deep inside?
When we say we want Ben Dovid to come
We can't fool ourselves or the Holy One.

She heard it, at first faintly
a note long and clear
steadily the sound grew
'til it was all she could hear
Joy filled her heart
HE'S FINALLY HERE!!! Moshiach's finally here!!!

She rushed to the kitchen,
got on the phone.
"Sister, can you hear it
or is it me alone?"
"Can you call back tonight?
I'm facebooking now, so I hope it's alright..."

CHORUS

When we finally hear the shofar
After all these many years
Our emotions can run deeply
moving us to tears
Joy will fill our hearts
WHEN HE'S FINALLY HERE!!! When Moshiach's finally here!!!

We must strengthen our hope, our faith, our pride.
We can find the desire, the love deep inside.
When we say we want Ben Dovid to come
We can reconnect to the Holy One.

Ari Goldwag: Finally Here

This week's Torah portion is Ki Tisa. Have a wonderful Shabbat, with blessings from the Beams, Emuna Outreach, and BreslovWorld.