Lazer Beams

This week at BreslovWorld

This week's edition of BreslovWorld has something special for every member of the family. For Dad and for gig brother, there's Rav Shalom Arush's lesson from The Garden of Yearning, The Eyes, about how the eye sees and the heart covets. There's also another installment of Tzvi Fishman's acclaimed Secret of the Brit, which discusses Wasting the Life Source. I can't begin to tell you how many wives have told us that their husbands have become so much pleasurable to live with since they've been reading our articles about personal holiness, namely shmirat eynayim and shmirat HaBrit. That's exactly what we hoped for. Also, for Dad to feel really good about himself, we are pleased tp present part 2 of Will Power, which is part 10 of Rabbi Pinchas Winston's Be Positive.

Here're some goodies for Mom: The Melitzer Rebbetzen, writing exclusively for BreslovWorld, talks about the meaning of being a homemaker in part 1 of Emuna in a Woman's World. If you haven't yet met the Melitzer Rebbetzen, this is a unique opportunity. A Glimpse of the Garden is Alice Jonsson's portrait of the world as we'd like to see it.

Teenagers will want to read the poignant letter of a 14-year old with divorced parents that feels unloved and uncared for in The True Loving Father. For our younger readers, there's a new episode of Little Nachman, beautifully illustrated by Rebecca Shapiro.

For those interested in Kabbalah, Rav Avraham Greenbaum teaches this week about Keter. And, if you like science, read about the secrets of the sun The Song of the Sun.

This week's Torah portion is Tazria, and it's also Parshat HaChodesh. For your enjoyment, here's a Chassidic Pearl for the Shabbat table. Have a wonderful week!   

Breaking the Chains of Emotional Slavery

Sunday night, March 30 (tonight), Yeshivat HaMivtar-Torat Yosef in Efrat will be having a special program of chizuk and preparation for Pesach entitled, "Exodus 2008: Breaking the Chains of Emotional Slavery," with Gai Tzvi Mintz and yours truly. If you're anywhere in the Bet Shemesh - Jerusalem - Gush Etzion - Hevron are. The program is open to the public. Get a babysitter, give your wife an opportunity to get out of the house and enjoy herself, and come on by.

As always, you can hear Lazer's weekly emuna update every Sunday Tamar Yonah's Weekend Edition of Israel National Radio at 4:30 PM Israel time which is 9:30 AM EDT, 8:30 AM Central, 7:30 AM Rocky Mountain, and 6:30 AM West Coast.

Emuna News Special Report: The Sword on Israel's Jugular

Israel faces its greatest existential threat in its history. At this very moment, every single city, town, and village between the northern border and Dimona is a push-button away from oblivion, for the triple menace of missiles from Syria, Hizbollah, and Iran rest like a sharp sword on Israel's Jugular. The fact that the Israeli media and the Israeli government are hiding this unequivocal fact makes it no less acute. One cannot demand from leaders and their mouthpieces that lack principle, conviction, foundation, and a basic common sense to tell the truth to the people.

Our veteran readers and friends know that we are anything but doomsday prophets. Those who know Rav Shalom Arush shlit'a (photo, left) know that he is the happiest of people and always smiling. But of late, as one of this generation's holiest and righteous men, he has taken the burden of the Jewish people, particularly those in Israel, on his shoulders. In the last two months, he has aged ten years. His eyes are bloodshot from crying to Hashem, praying for the people of Israel for hours on end.

Last night, Minister of Commerce and Industry Eli Yishai came to see Rav Shalom. Eli Yishai (photo, right) briefed Rav Shalom on the security situation and the missile threats from Iran, Hizbollah in Lebanon, and Syria. He also asked Rav Shalom to pray for the army since one of the Israeli Army's highest ranking generals - a completely non-religious individual - approached Yishai after a Defense Committee meeting in the Knesset and begged him to mobilize the tzaddikim in prayer, because the army has no answer to the missile triple-threat. If the south of Israel has become so vulnerable to home-made Hamas Qassam rockets, then they surely have nothing to answer the threat of Syria, Nasrulla, and Iran.

A reliable Emuna News source told us earlier today that Israel is so badly rushing the USA to expedite the delivery of 100 F35b's with vertical take-off capability because defense authorities are afraid that Israel's airfields will be incapacitated in the first round of missile fire.

Hizbulla's missiles have all of Tel Aviv in the cross-hairs. Yet, Olmert continues to fiddle like Nero and Tel Aviv continues in its campaign to be gay-tourist capital of the world, Heaven forbid.

Just a few days ago, Rav Elyashiv, one of this generation's foremost scholars and lawgivers, said that the current existential threat that Israel faces is greater than the danger on the eve of the Holocaust.

After the Nazi Holocaust, people all over the world shrugged their shoulders and said. "We had no idea!" With everything we've been yelling about here at Emuna News, no one will be able to say, "We didn't know." Folks don't want to know. Knowledge of today's facts necessitates teshuva.

Israel's domestic intelligence chiefs just this week admitted that Abu Mazan and the Fatah are no peace partners, for soon the Hamas will sieze the West Bank also. Emuna News told you that over a year ago. Soon, Hamastan will become a 4th missile threat from right next door to the center of Israel. Yet, the Neroic Olmert-Barak anti-emuna further hastens national suicide by sending more arms to the PA. Like in Gaza, these too will eventually fall into Hamas hands.

Update: Three hours after this post was published, the Jerusalem Post published its leading headline that Defense Minister Barak is afraid of a Hamas takeover in the West Bank. Once again, Emuna News is way ahead of the media and the politicians.

There is nothing in this report that's new other than verifications of what Emuna News has been saying for the last two and a half years since the second Lebanon War when a much weaker Hizbollah than today succeeded in firing 4000 rockets on Israel, which led to a million people fleeing from their homes.

The people of Israel stand in the shadow of a dark cloud of severe judgment. We must drop everything and return to Hashem. For those that think we're daft, pour yourself another expresso and delete the Beams from your favorites list. For those of you that have the slightest trust in me, please do your utmost to strengthen your emuna and do genuine teshuva.

I'd much prefer posting a pleasant musical video clip like we normally do on Fridays. But now's not the time. The people of Israel worldwide must wake up. If you think you'll be cushy in Thornhill or in Great Neck while missiles are falling on Israel, you're wrong this time. Hashem is judging us this very moment. The evening of Shabbat Parah is time to purify ourselves. Let's invoke Divine compassion by turning the tides of assimilation and spiritual contamination with a worldwide return to Hashem. Our lives depend on it.

This week's Torah portion is Shmini and it's also Parshat Parah. Here's a Chassidic Pearl to embellish your Shabbat table too. Shabbat Shalom and blessings always.

Dovid Slays the Goliath of Depression

Usually, when I publish reader's letters to me, I change their names and identifying information in order to preseve their privacy. Dovid Smith, who wrote the letter below, said, "I feel like yelling on the rooftops - I want the whole world to know what Rav Arush's and Rav Brody's emuna CDs did for me!" So, instead of Dovid from Portland becoming Danny from the East Coast, he'll stay Dovid from Portland.

Dovid's letter is also a shining tribute to the wonderful Portland Orthodox community, many of whom are Beams readers. His experience shows how a kehilla can literally save lives. Hopefully, other communities will follow in Portland's footsteps, and open their hearts and homes in outreach.

Dovid himself is a kiddush Hashem, showing how with emuna, a person can beat the battle with depression, analysts and pills. Let's hear it straight from Dovid

Dear Rabbi Brody,

This is Dovid from Phoenix, I've written to you before. Well, so much has happened in my life I wanted to give you an update! I've moved to Portland, Oregon to begin school - and while school plans are being sorted out by Hashem so many other wonderful things are happening.  I work for a sister company of the one I did in Phoenix (where I asked you about my beard and how to handle their insistance I shave it off - and ended up fired, Baruch Hashem) -  my having a beard here is no problem at all! 

I live in the heart of the orthodox community here, I've found a shul I really feel like I can belong and participate in and I've just been given so much by Hashem.  I listen to your CDs every day at work in the morning - it's so nice to have that time with just you, me, Hashem and the bakery oven to spend together learning and growing in Emuna. Other people are listening to the CDs with me now, asking questions about emuna and how I'm so happy working what seems to be a "dead end job" - but it's not a dead end job at all, it's exactly where I should be until Hashem takes me to the next place.

I have met so many people here, I've been so blessed.  I felt so alone in Phoenix and left out of the community - but I didn't know how to be part of a community. Here I have a shul, I have friends, I have opportunities to do SO many mitzvahs - I had a great time just last week delivering shalach manos with another guy all over the area and I realised how special a community it is when I had so many to give for my friends - and so many friends to give to. 

Hashem has blessed me so much with parnossah (income - LB), I have exactly what I need all the time.  (Which reminds me to look through your catalog and see what Rav Arush-Brody CDs I need to add to my collection when I get paid tomorrow bli neder). I always used to worry about money - there was never enough, I was always behind on my bills - but now I think the repeated listenings have started to sink in and I don't worry anymore. 

I have been able to find so many beautiful places here to walk and practice hisbodedut, the scenery and peace is just incredible. In Phoenix it was always too hot, or I was too tired or whatever, but here everything is different because I'm different.

There were so many challenges it seemed - I was being evicted because I couldn't find a job in Phoenix, I was registered for school but had no money to pay, I came to Portland with nothing but my seforim (religious books), tefillin, a few kosher dishes and some clothing - and your CDs.   I found a job, I found a kosher living situation - I found my life. My schooling is falling into place, I have wonderful friends, I have everything I need because I kept listening and followed Rabbi Nachman's advice.  Even when I wasn't sure, even when I didn't know what I was doing I just put on a smile, said "Gamzu l'tova!" and kept going, and Baruch Hashem it's all going so well.

I have been free of antidepressants for about 5 or 6 months now, I eat better, I feel better, I LIVE better, all thanks to Hashem.  Everyone needs to know that they just have to keep going and keep davening for emuna - as it says "He opens his hand and provides for every living thing."   My thoughts of suicide have disappeared, my attitude is 180 from where it was in the past - even my... other challenges are past.  No drugs, no therapy, just emuna, encouragement from your CDs and Rav Sholom Aruch's teachings and holding on tight to the Torah and Hashem.

I look forward to adding to my collection soon and learning more about Breslov.

Dovid Smith

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Earlier today, "Candy Stein" came home from her analyst with a bottle of antidepressants in her handbag. She has been going through the ringer lately. She wrote me an email saying that she listened to "Hashem Loves Me" and "Why are You Sad", then went to Lake Michigan for an hour-long stroll to talk to Hashem, and she then through the bottle of pills in Lake Michigan. Someone must warn the fish!

Obama and Aliya

  Not only does Hashem do everything for the very best, but Hashem has a fantastic sense of humor.

For example, Haman did more to advance the Teshuva movement among the Jewish people worldwide than any rabbi ever did. Every day in purgatory, Haman is showed how he brought so many Jews closer to Hashem - this for him is the supreme torture.

Hashem continues to laugh. Since Aliya from America is the lowest it has been in years, Hashem has made a presidential candidate out of a slick-tongued freshman senator with no experience that rubs shoulders with a bunch of major-league Jewhaters like General Tony McPeak and Preacher Jeremiah Wright. Obie and his cronies are doing more to encourage Aliya than the Jewish Agency and the Israeli Absorption Ministry combined.

It doesn't matter who you vote for. All the politicians are funny little puppets with Hashem pulling the strings.

Shepherd's Purse

An American tourist once asked a Jerusalem rabbi how religious Israelis succeed in having such large families? The rabbi answered, "It's because Shepherd's Purse grows wild by the roadside all over the Land of Israel."

Lately, I've had numerous letters from women that complain of lengthy menstrual cycles that leave them few days of purity and reduce their chances of pregnancy.

Rebbe Nachman says there's no such thing as despair. Save your money, don't run to the gynecologist, and don't fill yourself with pills. There's an easier, more natural way to become clean on the 5th day, so with hefsek tahara and 7 clean days, the unpure period is reduced to 12 days. With ritual immesion in the mikva after sundown of the 12th day, a woman's chances for pregnancy are highest, since for many women, ovulation is on the 13th day of the cycle.

Here's all you need to do (I learned this remedy from the great Rabbi Yisroel Yaacov Fisher ob"m of the Eda Haredis in Jerusalem): Gather 5 or 6 young green leaves from a shepherd's purse plant that grows all over the place here, at roadsides and on empty lots. If you live outside of Israel, ask your local herb specialist for the leaves. Wash them off in cold water and make sure they have no bugs in them. Then, boil them in a small tea kettle with water, letting the herb tea brew for about 5 minutes. It may be a bit bitter, so sweeten the tea with a teaspoon of honey. Drink a glass of this tea on the mornings of the 3rd, 4th, and 5th day of the menstrual period. Before sundown of the 5th day, you'll hopefully be clean as a whistle, so you can begin counting the 7 clean days and therefore immerse G-d willing at the end of the 12th day of the cycle.

This remedy has worked for many families in Israel. Hopefully, it will work for you too.

Read more about Shepherd's Purse here and here.

Bankrupt, with a Chance for a New Life

Dear Rabbi Brody,

I'm 54, and married with no kids. Until a few months ago, I was a very successful in mortgages and real estate with a seven-figure annual income. After a series of tragic misjudgments together with the dive of the mortgage market and things beyond my control, I went under. Not only have I lost my income and my business, but my life is down the drain.

My wife is quite spending oriented, so as long as she had money to blow, our marriage was OK. Now, there's barely food in the fridge, and she's threatening to walk. Meanwhile, my house is like a zoo, while I'm living with a she-tiger who shows nothing but fangs.

I don't feel like I have anything else to live for. Although I'm not that religious (casually traditional), I know that suicide is a bad number for a Jew (or any other human). Even so, although I don't have the guts to blow my brains out or to slit my wrists, I would like to take a nice calm overdose of sleeping pills and not wake up in the morning. Before I do, is there some way you can help me? I'm interested to hear what you have to say. Thank you, RC from Long Island

Dear RC,

When a person's whole life is money, once he loses his money, he loses his will to live. But, when one invests in Torah, spirituality, and helping others - nobody can take that away from them. You tell me who the better investor is.

If the disdainful description of your materialistic spendthrift wife is true, then it sounds like the only relationship you have is both your names appearing on the checks. If you want to rebuild your life in the same fashion that you've lived it up until now, maybe it's a good idea that you pop the pills...

Don't be an idiot, RC. Open your eyes and look at the tremendous favor that Hashem has done for you. Had your seven-figure income continued, you'd have never seeked The Almighty; you'd have gone through life and missed the boat. Money won't buy you neither piece of mind nor a plot in Heaven. Spirituality will. In the end, you'd have to cover all the markers you left behind in this world anyway, and that's really bad news.

Being poor has its advantages. Our sages say, "Numerous assets - numerous worries". Now that you don't have the business to worry about, I suggest you invest your energies in the direction of spirituality. Enroll in a Judaism Seminar (Try Aish Hatora or Ohr Sameach in your area), and find out what life's about. Explain to your wife that there's more to life than the country club, mah jhong, and shopping. Start living like a family and have Shabbat meals together. When's the last time you two strolled in the park with each other? Start now; I guarantee you that you're more important to her than your money.

Only the challenge of a spiritual rebirth can give you the will to keep going. You need it to build a healthy relationship with your wife as well. I don't think she's as shallow and materialistic as you say she is - you're probably projecting your own self image on her. Get started with a change of priorities - remember, money is a means, not an end. Once you start seeking Hashem, He'll take care of your financial worries too. It's never too late to learn how to invest in spirituality. Give Torah and mitzvas a try. In my neighborhood, almost everybody has a below-poverty-level income, yet most are smiling and fulfilled. You can be too. Remember, the dollar is dying, but Torah is as alive as it ever was. If you take my advice and seek Hashem, you'll soon taste a sweetness of life and a rejuvenation of your marriage that you never dreamed of. Best wishes for your success and blessings always, Lazer Brody

Introducing Hezy Levy

Several days ago, the Beams gave you a sneak preview of Hezy Levy. Today, you can read all about him in this week's new edition of BreslovWorld. Amazingly enough, Hezy is much better known in Europe than he is in the USA and in Israel. Yet, I have no doubt that he'll be a rising star all over the world, especially since the modern-day troubador made such an enormous sanctification of Hashem's Name in front of the whole world. The article also contains two high-resolution film clips of Hezy singing in the European Music Festival for Peace, and two fantastic MP3's. This is a must read, see, and hear.

Talking about must-reads, BreslovWorld was swamped with warm comments about the Melitzer Rebbetzin's cyber debut last week. She's now back with an amazing dose of Jewish woman's outlook entitled "Can You Create Angels?", which tells all about preparing for Passover.

Where do you go when you need to strengthen your emuna? To Rav Shalom Arush, of course. This week, Rav Shalom talks about emuna without doubts.

In this week's Kabbalah lesson, Rav Avraham Greenbaum explains how Hashem structured creation to assure a person's free will. Rabbi Pinchas Winston talks about will power, and Tzvi Fishman elaborates on the importance of guarding one's eyes in Windows of the Soul. Alice Jonsson ponders the aftermath of the Mercaz HaRav massacre 2 weeks ago.

On a lighter note, we have a special Passover cleaning section. Rebecca Shapiro presents Breslev Kids with part 3 of Little Nachman.

This week's Torah portion is Shmini and it's also Parshat Parah. Here's a Chassidic Pearl to embellish your Shabbat table too. Have a wonderful week!

Decline of the Dollar

Last year at Purim, the US dollar was worth nearly 4.50 NIS (new Israel Shekels). This year, it's worth 3.39. That's a whopping 25% decline in one year.

Israelis with greenback-dollar savings have been taking a beating on paper. In search of advice as to whether to dump for a loss and salvage what they can, or to hold on to the greenbacks and pray for better days, many folks have turned to this generation's tzaddikim for advice.

Depending on the tzaddik you go to, you might get a complete opposite answer. Rav Eliezer Berland said publicly in one of his recent lessons that the dollar is degenerating fast, and by Rosh Hashonna 5769 (this coming September), it won't be worth a wooden nickel. Therefore, according to Rav Berland shlit'a. folks should dump the greenbacks while they still can.

On the other hand, the leading Sephardi Kabbalists and the Gerrer Rebbe shlit'a have told people to hold on to their dollars, because the greenback will make a big comeback.

So who do you listen to?

First of all, according to Chassidic thought, when the tzaddikim of this world are at odds with one another, it's a sign that the same debate is going on in the Heavenly Tribunal.

The historical precedent is the Napolean-Russia War of 1812. Back then, the tzaddikim were also at odds with one another. Rebbe Menachem Mendel of Rimnov wanted Napolean to win the war, because he thought that the Jews could serve Hashem much better under the French Emancipation. The Koznitzer Maggid and the Chozeh of Lublin wanted Tzarist Russia to win the war, since they thought that emancipation would be a mortal blow to the Jews, and that it would lead to a drift away from traditional Judaism. The same debate between the tzaddikim was also going on in the Heavenly Court; that's why Napolean's campaign in Russia was so bitter and bloody. In the end, the Koznitzer Maggid and the Chozeh gained the upper hand, therefore Napolean lost.

If I'm not mistaken, the same debate is going on right now in the Heavenly Tribunal. Rav Berland wants all of Israel to trust in Hashem only, to learn complete emuna, and not to depend on flesh and blood. Therefore, he wants the dollar to die, so that all of Israel will turn to Hashemn and not to the greenback. The Gerrer Rebbe and the Kabbalists think that the Jews will serve Hashem better when they they have money in their pockets, so they want the dollar to be strong. The Heavenly Court will make it's decision according to what is most beneficial to the Jews; in other words, how the Jews can best serve Hashem.

* * * * *

To my dear brothers and sisters overseas - don't think that the value of the dollar abroad doesn't affect you. While the property values of Five Towns are going down and down, the property values of Ramat Bet Shemesh, Yad Binyamin, and other places in Eretz Yisrael are doubling. These are hard facts that anyone can verify.

My suggestion is that you bet on Israel and Moshiach. Trust in Hashem, and not in the dollar.

Happy Purim!

The Gemara in tractate Gittin (57b) says that Haman's grandsons are learning Torah in Bnai Brak:

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Purim is a great time for teshuva and a time when Hashem answers all our prayers. Ask for whatever you want today. Many of us are like lost sheep - we need Hashem to bring us back in the flock. That's exactly the subject of the following song that Yosef Karduner and I are singing in the following clip:

A happy Purim and a wonderful Shabbat.

This week's Torah portion is Tsav. Here's a story and a Chassidic Pearl for your Shabbat table.