Lazer Beams

Lazer's Story

For all the folks that want to hear how I became a Baal Teshuva, here's Tovia Singer interviewing me on Israel National Radio two weeks ago. A big Beam blessing to Cookie from Alabama.

This week's Torah portion is Bamidbar. The Beams and Breslov World wish you a week full of smiles.

It Really Works

Dear Rabbi Brody,

In case you don't remember me with all your mail volume etc., I'm Peter from Kansas City who wrote you about my financial difficulties three months ago. You told me to listen to Respecting Your Wife and First Place, and told me never to criticize my wife and to be sure a give a tithe to charity. To be honest, I thought your advice was off the wall. Then again, a little voice in my head said, "Hey, Peter - you're the one that asked his advice. He called it the way he saw it. Maybe you should listen?" Well I did, and not only has my marriage never been better but 2 weeks ago I landed a job with better hours, nicer people, great bennies on the side, and catch this - $12,000 more a year than I've been making. And guess what - I owe different people the sum of $12,000! Can you believe it?! Your advice and your CDs really work! The good Lord is great and thank you Rabbi for bringing us all closer to him whether we're Jews or not. May you have continued strength in your holy work, an appreciative Peter from KC

A Baby named Emuna

Hello Rabbi Lazer...

 

I had the most amazing Shabbos and I had to share it with you. 

 

Both of my older kids were at the youth groups and my baby was asleep.  It was 3:30 in the afternoon, and I was going crazy.  I had finished 2 books, my husband was asleep and I certainly couldn't read anymore.  So I took my dog out thinking I would do some hitbodedot and see where Hashem led me. I ended up at the playground and I ran into some friends. I stayed and shmoozed awhile and on my way out, I ran into a mother I from my son's school.  I found out that she had recently moved into my (frum) community and that she and her husband were new to the orthodox thing and her husband was having a harder time with it.  So naturally I said, have you read the Garden of Emuna?  Well, of course she hadn't.  So I ran home to get one of my copies and ran back to give it to this woman.  I think I have given out approx 10 copies already!!!  She left and I sat down with one of my friends.  She was telling me about our friend's baby naming that morning.  I had met this friend a few months ago and told her to read Garden of Emuna.  She ordered it and is in the process of reading it.  Yesterday morning she was sitting at home nursing the baby while her husband was at shul naming her.  She was going to name her Chava Baila and she just kept looking at her thinking it wasn't right for her.  She looked down at her copy of Garden of Emuna (which of course happened to be sitting right there, Baruch Hashem!!!) and screamed!!!  CHAVA EMUNA!!!!  But she was home all alone, so she prayed to Hashem that one of her friends would stop by her house on the way to the shul.  Knock Knock!!!  Our friend just happened to be stopping by!  Long story short, our friend RAN to the shul to stop the ceremony.  She burst into the shul just in the nick of time!  And now, because I told her to read the book, Chava Emuna has her beautiful name. 

 

I was so rewarded this past Shabbos by Hashem. He let me see emuna with muy own eyes. I just had to let you know.  Once again, thank you thank you thank you thank you and thank you thank you thank you to Rabbi Shalom Arush.  May Hashem bless you both with much deserved peace and happiness, Penina from the USA 

The Recoil Principle

The physical world teaches us about the spiritual world, as we'll see in the following 6-minute film clip. The exquisite background music is an original song composed and performed by David Dome.

Is Jewish Nationalism Kosher?

Here's this week's emuna update from this past Sunday's broadcast on Israel National Radio, thanks to Cookie from Alabama:

Chayim Zvi's Miracle

Dear Rabbi Brody,

 

Before Pesach I was in the US for the unveiling of my mother's tombstone. I spent every available minute reading The Trail to Tranquility (I'd already read B'Gan Ha'emuna in English). When I landed back in Israel my husband informed me that our younger son had been hit by a car the day before.

 

I took a deep breath and said, "This must be good. It has to be good. Tell me all the details."

 

Well thank G-d it really was miraculous. The list of miracles is huge, but in very short: he only broke his leg and jaw, and everything was simple to deal with. Because they had to anesthetize him for the jaw repair they also put pins in his leg which makes the whole process go much faster and more comfortably.

 

But that's not the miracle I want to tell you about.

 

The incredible lovingkindness that we received as a gift from Above, the incredible revealed siyata deshmaya (Divine assistance - LB) that no one can miss, that the "secular" person sees, is this: Because he landed on his face (and doesn't have a mark, by the way) they did a CT scan. And Rav Brody, they discovered a brain tumor!!!!!! They discovered that he has an operable, well-located, not small tumor in his cerebellum. We are going to Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv on Monday, G-d willing, to have it removed. Thank G-d we were able to connect with the world-reknown pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Shlomi Constantini, and KUPAT CHOLIM COVERS IT!  I told Dr. Constantini that we believe that Hashem is in charge and runs things, and his response was, "I love your emuna'". Isn't that wonderful?

 

Please please please publicize our gratitude to Hashem and daven for my son Chayim Zvi ben Henye Devorah. The surgery is scheduled for 21 Iyar - tomorrow. You can read our updates on our blog www.chayimzvi.wordpress.com and I will also try to email you after the surgery but it might take a day or two because I don't know when I'll get back to my computer.

 

People ask me how I can be so calm, upbeat and positive and I just tell them that Hashem is giving me the strength and the peace of mind. What greater indicator of His love do we have than the revelation of the tumor?

 

Blessing on you for your good work, Rabbi Brody. You prepared me for this as if you'd been sitting beside me. Thank you.

Devra Ariel
Mom to Elisheva, Akiva, Shira Rina, Chayim Zvi and Moriyah

All of us here at the Beams and at Emuna Outreach are praying for Chayim Zvi's successful operation and speedy recovery, amen!
 

Amazing Learning Opportunities for Young Women

If you're a young woman between the ages of 17-35, single, and you're looking for more out of life, I have just the place for you - a dream atmosphere in the holy and pastoral setting of the Judean Mountains south of Jerusalem, a place where you can grow emotionally and spiritually with the deep blue sky as your only limitation. Is there really such a place, you ask? The answer is yes - Midreshet B'erot Bat Ayin.

I get loads of letters from parents of girls who haven't found the right Bet Yaacov, or just don't fit in the school in their area. I get more letters from the girls themselves, who can't stand the rote and stifling atmosphere of many schools. Still others wish they could learn something expressive and creative, like art, music, or gardening. Then there are the many girls who write me about their being force-fed Navi and halacha, but with no soul because their teachers never mention a word about emuna. Well, young ladies, I have an answer to all these problems too - Midreshet B'erot Bat Ayin.

This past year, Hashem has given me the privilege of getting to know the Midrasha and its faculty first hand. They are not only tops in their field, but a breath of fresh air.

This summer, there will be a number of seminars and workshops in Midreshet B'erot Bat Ayin, including a Women, Art, and Emuna seminar, a Tu B'Av Soul Connection seminar, a Creative Hebrew Ulpan, and a special seminar In the Path of our Mothers.

Here's more great news: You don't have to know a word of Hebrew to attend the Midrasha. Midreshet B'erot is also a perfect place for newcomers to observant Judaism, as well as for non-Jewish young women who seek a serious learning program in preparation for conversion.

For more information, contact the staff of Midreshet B'erot, and tell them that Lazer sent you. You won't be sorry. Wherever I go in Israel, I meet Midreshet B'erot graduates with big smiles and beautiful lives. Don't say there's no place for you.

Coming soon, G-d willing - news about the exciting new fall semester 5769 program at Midreshet B'erot Bat Ayin, that you can read about here at the Beams and at BreslovWorld.

Happy Lag B'Omer! May Rebbe Shimon Bar Yochai plead in our behalf in front of the Heavenly Throne, amen. Here is a film clip to share with you the atmosphere of Miron:

This week's Torah portion is Bechukotai, and it's a Shabbat "Chazak", where we complete this year's reading of Chumash Vayikra (Leviticus). Have a wonderful Shabbat with a joyous and safe weekend.

Rebbe Shimon Bar Yochai

With Hashem's loving grace, in a few hours, we'll be off to Miron. I'll be tapping my feet all the way to the tune of "Rebbe Shimon," a lively Jewgrass song written and performed by Robbie Zev Ludwick and The Sinai Mountain Boys, as you're about to hear, together with a slide show from Lag B'Omer of last year.

Emuna Update: B. Hussein Obama

Here's a recording of this past Sunday's Emuna News Update on Israel National Radio, where Tamar Yonah and I took a look at what Hashem is doing by making an anonymous freshman senator a leading candidate for the US Presidency. A big beam blessing to Cookie from Alabama for her contribution to this post.