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Don't feel bad if you never had the chance to learn in a Yeshiva or women's seminary. Thanks to Breslev Israel and the Beams, you get a front-row seat to participate in my weekly English personal-growth lesson in the Chut Shel Chesed Yeshiva in Jerusalem (58 minutes long, with superb video quality), entitled Nonstop Joy. Enjoy it, and have a wonderful Shabbat and weekend.
Obama or McCain? Livni or Bibi? With elections imminent in the USA and 90 days away in Israel, many people ask me who they should vote for. Rather than give them my answer, I tell them what Rebbe Nachman of Breslev said (see the Tale of the Clever and the Simple, the ninth of Rebbe Nachman's Thirteen Tales): To rule a nation, one does not need a high intelligence and cleverness, only simplicity and integrity.
Important notice: Rabbi Lazer's weekly English talk at the Chut Shel Chesed Yeshiva, 13 Shmuel HaNavi Street in Jerusalem, will take place today (Wednesday, 29 Oct., 2008) at 5 PM. The general public is invited and the women's section will be open.
King Solomon, the wisest of men, said (Ecclesiastes 12:1), "And there shall come days of which you will say that you have no use for them." What did he mean? The Gemorra in tractate Shabbat (151b) explains that the "worthless days" are the days of Messianic times, when people won't have either reward or punishment for their deeds, because everyone will automatically behave according to G-d's laws. Without a context of free choice and spiritual opposition (the Yetzer Hora, or Evil Inclination), rewards and punishments are meaningless, like a football team bragging that they scored ten touchdowns, only the other team hadn't yet arrived at the stadium.
My esteemed teacher, the Melitzer Rebbe shlit'a, says that it was worth Hashem's efforts to create the world just to hear one Jew say, Baruch hu u'varuch shmo, or blessed is He and Blessed is His name. The Rebbe continues, and says that one Amen is worth a hundred times Baruch hu u'varuch shmo. One Y'he shmay raba in Kaddish is worth a hundred times Amen. That's not all: One word of Gemorra study is worth a hundred times Y'he shmay raba. Therefore, a single word of Gemorra study is worth a million Baruch hu u'varuch shmo; that means that Hashem is willing to create a million universes just to hear one word of Gemorra study. Now, if a person can say - learning slowly - 90 words a minute, then in one hour he accumulates 5400 million reasons for Hashem to continue to sustain the universe. As you can see, the rewards for Torah learning are mind-boggling.
Now, imagine the rewards of a rabbi who devotes his life to learning and outreach, helping others to learn Torah and fulfill its commandments. In addition to his own merits, he reaps dividends from the merits of those he has taught and influenced, along with their offspring until the arrival of Moshiach. The accrued mitzva value for such a "Mezakeh rabim" is beyond human comprehension.
With the above in mind, one would think that such leaders of the Tshuva movement as Rabbi Amnon Yitzchak, Rabbi Shalom Arush, and Rabbi Uri Zohar - may Hashem bless them and all the mezakey rabim, wherever they may be - would be protesting day and night the arrival of Moshiach. Sure, the current spiritual wars are so tough that our holy sages were afraid of what Messianic times hold in store, but the spiritual paydirt is Fat City for those who remain faithful to Hashem and his Torah. If so, you ask, then who the heck needs Moshiach?
We all do. But why?
1. To stop the chilul Hashem, or defamation of Hashem's Holy Name: Every day, some new politician or journalist sprouts like an unwanted weed here in our beloved holy homeland to sling filth about Hashem's loyal sons and daughters, while trampling Hashem's Holy Name G-d forbid, the Torah, and Tzaddikim G'Dolei Yisroel (the righteous leaders of Israel). The chilul Hashem (defamation of Hashem's name) must stop immediately; only Moshiach can put a stop to it.
2. In Israel alone, 1.5 million children are totally ignorant of their Judaism, and don't know the meaning of kriat shma. The Teshuva movement, which all its might, has succeeded in solving a mere 7% of the problem with their dedication-fueled meager resources, bringing about 100,000 children into religious education; even with our greatest efforts, we're not cutting the mustard. Only Moshiach can save all these kids from a dismal spiritual future.
3. Never since the holocaust, has there been such evil decrees as the current one threatening to expel tens of thousands of Jews from their homes, here in the heartland of Israel, Heaven forbid. Only Hashem knows what the future holds in store. For the future of the people of Israel in the Land of Israel, we need Moshiach now!
4. Despite Boro Park and Stamford Hill, the numbers of Jews in the diaspora are rapidly decreasing because of assimilation and intermarriage, which together comprise a spiritual holocaust that only Moshiach can prevent.
A devout Torah scholar can't sit in the comforts of his Williamsburg home and say, "I don't care about the others - my Olam Haba (world to come) is set!" Sorry, pal - Klal Yisroel is like a ship; you may have a berth on the luxury deck, but if someone down in the hold drills a hole in the floorboards, you're going to sink with everybody else.
Looking at our own expected rewards is utterly egotistical. Every single one of has has to bleed and tear his or her clothes at the sight of Chilul Hashem. Every single one of us must pour his or her heart out in prayer that a fellow Jew doesn't lose his home - anywhere - and especially in Eretz Yisroel. Every single one of us has to do everything in his or her power to support Jewish outreach and to spread emuna in the world until every Jewish child in the world carries Shma Yisroel on his or her lips. Every single one of us has to beg Hashem to send Moshiach now in order to stop the spiritual holocaust, and to raise the Holy Shechina (the Divine Presence) from the dust of diaspora, speedily and in our days, amen.
Breslev Israel has a big surprise for our readers this week - an exclusive and very personal interview with our beloved rabbi and spiritual guide, Rosh Yeshiva and head of the Chut Shel Chesed Torah Institutions in Jerusalem, Rabbi Shalom Arush shlit'a. The amazing interview tells how he came to Israel from Morocco, served in the Israeli Air Force's crack pilot-rescue squad, made teshuva, and subsequently become one of this generation's most prominent spiritual leaders whose books and CD lessons have been circulated in the millions around the globe. This is a must read...
Rabbi Shalom teaches an important principle of Shalom Bayit, or peace in the home: never react impulsively. The Yetzer (Evil Inclination) rules for three seconds – once you take a deep breath, you beat the Yetzer and avoid angry reactions. Read all about The Three-second Rule.
Money, money, money - When dissatisfied with what they have, people take risks and borrow money in hopes of making large profits. Instead, they end up saddled with a mighty burden of debt. This is only a small part of what Rebbe Nachman says about people with A Debtor's Mentality.
Here's a timely subject for this week, the week of Torah portion Noah. Is there a chance of A New Flood?
Linda is 17, and she doesn't trust rabbis. She comes from a religious home, but she has a strange urge to be really wild. Check out Linda and Amalek.
Don't let this material world fool you. See The Noahide Focus.
Why put on Tefillin? What's the big deal? As long as we're on the subject of mitzvas, we're proud to present a new series on the Laws of Family Purity.
This week's Kabbalah lesson discusses Perfection and Imperfection in regards to the creation of the world.
Breslev Kids are inviting you to enjoy Part 5 of the Boastful Buck.
The Beams and Breslev Israel wish you a wonderful week with success in everything you do and a lasting smile on your face.
Emuna Outreach, Lazer Beams, and Breslev Israel mourn the passing of Rebbetzen Yamna Arush of blessed memory, the mother of our beloved teacher and spiritual guide Rabbi Shalom Arush shlit’a. Rebbetzen Yamna passed away on 2 PM Friday afternoon 25 Tishrei (24 Oct., 2008), and was miraculously buried on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem right before the Shabbat. Rabbi Shalom is sitting shiva at his mother’s apartment in Petach Tikva, on Rehov Tiveria 30. Those who wish can send condolence emails to breslev@breslev.co.il, which will be forwarded personally to Rabbi Arush. May his mother’s holy soul bask in eternal bliss, amen.
Depressed? Worried? Anxious? Stressed out? Here's a fool-proof plan to help you feel 1000% better in 2 short minutes, without the aid of drugs, pills, or any other artificial substance, and with no need to leave your office or the room where your computer is located:
Follow the following instructions:
1) Remove your shoes.
2) Stand up, and take 3 deep breaths.
3) Click here.
4) Let yourself loose and begin 2 minutes of aerobics (what Chassidim call a Kazzatzke - all you need is about 10 square feet of empty floor space).
5) If you have the stamina, repeat the above cycle for longer-lasting joy.
Happiness gives you a direct line to holiness. Caught your breath? Good - now click on the music link and start dancing all over again.
Feel better? You bet!
Music by Breslev's outstanding clarinetist Chillik Frank, played in Miron this past Lag B'Omer.
Traditionally, we especially await Moshiach in a year following the Shmitta (sabbatical) year, like this year. With that in mind, here's a little post-holiday quiz: Where does the following quote come from?
"It is incumbent to await the coming of Moshiach every single day, and all day long... It is not enough to believe in the coming of Moshiach, but each day one must await his coming.. Furthermore, it is not enough to await his coming every day, but it is to be in the manner of our prayer ‘we await Your salvation all day long,’ that is, to await and expect it every day, and all day long, literally every moment!"
Answer Choices:
a. The Lubavitcher Rebbe
b. The Rambam
c. The Chofetz Chaim
d. The Ben Ish Chai
"C" is the correct answer. Surprised? See Chafetz Chaim, Chizuk Emunah, quoted in Chafetz Chaim al Hatorah, parshat Vayera.
For the Chofetz Chaim, Moshiach and Geula were as imminent as the new day's sunrise. He eagerly awaited both every day of his life.
The Chofetz Chaim used to exercise regularly to maintain good fitness. As the leader of his generation and as a Cohen, he was the most likely candidate while he was still alive for kohain gadol (high priest) if Moshiach would come and our Holy Temple would be rebuilt.
We should all follow the Chofetz Chaim's example, and ambitiously prepare ourselves - spiritually, mentally, and physically - for the coming of Moshiach and the rebuilding of the holy Temple, speedily and in our days, amen. Have a wonderful and healthy winter with good tidings.
The Melitzer Rebbe shlit'a says that life in this world is like a fixed-term rented apartment with a non-renewable lease. When your time's up, you pack your bags and out you go.
In this world, all of us are renters. Hashem's the landlord, and he gives us our bodies as temporary shelters for the soul, so that we can accumulate the gems of Torah knowledge and good deeds that will be valuable to us in the next world.
As renters, we have to pay the rent. If we're smart, we happily fulfill our obligations before the landlord comes pounding on our door. If we don't pay our rent in this world, we pay a severe penalty in the next world.
Succoth reminds us that we all live in temporary quarters, and that we're all at the mercy of The Great Landlord. We have to express our sincere gratitude for every single day that He extends our lease; that's why we need to utilize every single minute for Torah and mitzvot, because we never know when the non-renewable lease terminates.
A glimpse at Lazer's neighborhood in Ashdod - During Succos, we all feel like temporary dwellers
A glimpse inside the Brody Succa
A continued joyful Succos holiday!
You are cordially invited to our cyber Succa at Breslev Israel.
Do you suffer from the semi-annual five-pound gain every Passover and Succoth holiday, with a week of festive meals twice a day, visiting and snacking all holiday long? If so, you definitely want to read Expanding Succoth Waistelines and what to do about them.
Here's our Guide to Succoth (Sukkot) to give you a good general overview of the holiday. Reliable Weaponry tells about the importance of the 4 species. In Pearls of Rebbe Nachman's Wisdom, we see what the Rebbe says about Succoth. Enjoy many more Succoth articles here also.
Succoth also reminds us that we can trust our thatch-foofed Succa much more than we can the crumbling financial world; that's why we have to pick The Best Option. If we're on the subject of money and finance, see Rebbe Nachman on Money - a must read.
Your address for marital peace? Rabbi Shalom Arush and Breslev World, of course! This week, Rabbi Shalom talks about A Husband's Illumination. While we're on the subject of him & her, you won't want to miss Elevating Intimacy either.
This week's Kabbalah lesson deals with Sustaining the World. With Spiritual Roots, we conclude the Garden of Yearning series.
Breslev Kids can follow the action of Part 4 of the Boastful Buck.
Yeshivat Chut Shel Chesed, Breslev Israel, and Emuna Outreach warmly invite you to our annual celebration of Rebbe Nachman's yahrtzeit with a festive meal and dancing in the Yeshiva's giant Succa, Shmuel HaNavi Street 13, Jerusalem, this Thursday night, 16 Oct., at 8:00 PM. G-d willing, you'll be able to meet Rav Shalom Arush shlit'a and yours truly. Meanwhile, the Beams and friends wish all of you a joyous and wonderful Succoth.
