Lazer Beams

Birkat Ha'Ilanot: Blessing of the Trees

Once a year, during the Hebrew month of Nissan, we have the special mitzva of making a blessing over (at least two) blossoming fruit trees. According to Kabbala, this blessing is deeply significant, and helps correct the soul that is reincarnated within the tree. That soul is forever beholding to the person that makes the blessing, for he or she has done a great favor in helping that soul attain its tikkun, or correction.

You have only six more days (until Monday, May 5, 2008) to fulfill this wonderful mitzva. All you need are two blossoming fruit trees within reasonable distance of one another (i.e. that you can see both at the time of making the blessing).

For your convenience, here is the blessing,

In English: Blessed are You, Hashem our God, King of the Universe, who let nothing lack in His universe and created within it good creatures and good trees in order to give pleasure to human beings.

In Transliteration: Baruch ata Adonoi, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, she-lo chisar be-olamo klum v-vara vo beriyyot tovot ve-ilanot tovim lehanot bahem bnai Adam.

In Hebrew:  ברוך אתה ה' אלהינו מלך העולם שלא חסר בעולמו כלום וברא בו בריות טובות ואילנות טובים להנות בהם בני אדם

Thanks to my brothers-in-emuna-arms Reb Nati and Reb Akiva of Mystical Paths, here we are performing the mitzva here in the Land of Israel, in a citrus grove near Moshav Beit Chilkia, between Ashdod and Jerusalem.

"M'kimi" - the personal freedom song

"He raises me from meager dust, from the trash heap He has lifted the destitute; to seat me with nobles, with the nobles of His people." Psalm 113:7-8

The above passages are the story of my life. Pesach not only is the national freedom holiday, put my personal freedom holiday, when I thank Hashem especially for liberating my soul via Torah, tshuva, and emuna.

"He raises me" in Hebrew is "M'kimi," from Psalm 113 that we'll all be saying during the Hallel prayer on Pesach."M'kimi" is the song that my cherished friend Rav Yosef Karduner and I are singing together in the following clip (click on the embedded video below), our way of wishing you and yours a joyous Shabbat and 7th day of Passover (plus 8th day for our friends overseas) with true freedom of the body, mind, and soul, amen.

I want to send an extra heartfelt thank-you and blessing to all of you who have given so much of your time, talents, and resources to help Emuna Outreach spread the message of hope and faith to the far corners of the world. May Hashem bless you always, and grant you all your heart's wishes for the very best, amen.

The Story of Passover

Here is a short film clip that dramatizes the story of Passover, courtesy of Tsofar.com . A hat tip to Sarrah Herman from Ramat Bet Shemesh.

MiPeninei Noam Elimelech

Here's wonderful news for English-speaking lovers of Chassidic thought and folklore. For the first time ever, you can now obtain a delightful collection of "pearls" from the writings of the famed Chassidic master, Rebbe Elimelech of Lizhensk. This monumental work is the product of a rising star in contemporary Chassidic research, Rabbi Tal Moshe Zwecker of Ramat Bet Shemesh. We here at the Beams have had the privilege of a sneak preview of Rabbi Zwecker's outstanding work, and are pleased and proud to give this important book our wholehearted recommendation and endorsement. This book will give a new dimension to the English-speaking Shabbat table, as well as enable English speakers to taste the beauty and sweetness of classical chassidus.

We extend our prayers and blessings for Rabbi Zwecker, that Hashem will enable him to continue to spread the light of the Baal Shem Tov and his disciples in the world, amen.

Apples and Bananas

The following clip (with a hat tip to Robert Solomon from Baltimore) is a Beam's tribute to a magnificent rabbi that touched the souls of thousands of people, one of the greatest English-language darshanim (lecturers) the Torah world ever heard, Rabbi Avigdor Miller of blessed and saintly memory. Rabbi Miller has always been a tremendous influence in my life, and a shining example of what a rabbi should be. Here is a rare clip, where he talks about the wonders of an apple:

Meanwhile, three people have asked me to repost our clip about what we can learn from bananas. Here it is, with pleasure: