Lazer Beams

A Tour of Ancient Ashdod

Come see a gem of history and archeology that many Israelis aren't even aware of - ancient Ashdod.

This week's Torah portion is Bo. Have a wonderful Shabbat!

Good Morning...

Overcoming Difficulties

You are invited to a front-row seat in the Chut Shel Chesed Yeshiva to hear this week's emuna lesson, "Overcoming Difficulties" which will show why we have difficulties in life and much more. Click here to see and hear.

Quote of the Month

"With   hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this  is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance? " --Jay Leno

A big Beam blessing to the Sausen family

Mama Rochel and Jewish Outreach

Do you remember the miracle story about Rochel Imenu in Gaza that was later confirmed by Rabbi Mordechai Eliahu? The whole country is now talking about it - check our what our good friend Akiva writes.

Pretty please, Mr. Mitchell...

President Obama's new representative to the Middle east is George Mitchell, 75. In his proposal to freeze what he calls "Jewish settlements in the West Bank" (in proper English one should say, "Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria"), Mister Mitchell has vehemently voiced his objection to what he calls "allowing natural growth in West Bank settlements." Mitchell wouldn't be running off at the mouth without the boss's OK.

One of my sons with his wife and five children live in Modiin Illit, a thriving Torah city that Obama and Mitchell refer to as a "West-bank settlement", since it's a few meters on the other side of the pre-1967 borders. You know what that means? According to Mitchell and his boss, I now have to ask them for permission to have more grandchildren.

Now hear this, Mr. Mitchell: The Torah commands us to be fruitful and multiply. Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar tried to play god and they got burned to a crisp. Let's hope that you and your boss don't fall into the same trap.

Stupid comment of the day undoubtedly goes to Kadima's chairperson Tzipi Livni, who tried to discredit her contender in the upcoming Israeli elections on the grounds that he'll ruin our relations with the USA. Since when is that a consideration, Ms. Livni?

The Beams proposes a new criteria: How about looking for a candidate that will improve our relations with Hashem? Can you do that, Ms. Livni? We certainly don't think so.

Chronic "Borrowers" and Unpaid Debts

Dear Rabbi Brody,

My next-door neighbor is constantly borrowing things - a pint of milk here, a couple eggs there, etc. etc. Sometimes - especially before Shabbos or a holiday - she knocks on my door three times a day. Each time, her request is "minor", but the stuff adds up to tens of dollars every month, because she "forgets" to return what she borrows. My husband is a grad student, and we're certainly not wealthy, so we feel the loss. I'm careful about telling the truth, so I don't want to say, "sorry, I don't have what you need" when I really have it in my cupboards. I'm building up a lot of inner frustration and animosity toward the neighbor, yet I'm afraid to ruin the peace. Would should I do? Thank you, D.W., Ohio

Dear D.W.,

First of all, as a rule of thumb and good practice, always write down what you lend a person, the exact amount or item, and the date...

A gentle reprimand will release the pent-up frustration. When you don't express yourself, as you yourself have seen, you accumulate animosity. The Torah forbids us to harbor hate in our hearts toward another person. The only way to avoid the hate trap is to tell your neighbor - gently but candidly - exactly how you feel.

The next time your neighbor shows up, invite her for a cup of coffee, sit her down, and explain that according to religious law, one who fails to return a loan is called a wicked person. All the crying and chest-beating in synagogue on Yom Kippur can't rectify the crime of one unreturned potato. Also, the Zohar says that a person cannot achieve his or her rightful place in heaven unless they've repayed all outstanding debts. A person must suffer an entire reincarnation for a debt of a few pennies or more, and who says that your next go-round on this earth isn't going to be twenty times worse that this go-round? Also, religious law requires that a loan should be given only upon signing an IOU in front of two witnesses. Why? Many times people conveniently "forget" the money and/or items that they owe others.

Finally, explain to your neighbor that with all good intentions, you and your husband simply can't afford to be a free-aid society to the entire neighborhood. Unless the neighbor repays and returns all her outstanding debts, tell her that you won't be able to continue lending, for her own good.

If the neighbor accepts what you say, you will have done her a phenominal spiritual favor in this world and in the next. If she walks out in a huff, then at least she won't have the chutzpa to continue asking for things. Either way, you're the winner, and you've taken the load off your chest. The important thing is to avoid negative feelings toward another human at all costs. With blessings always, LB

Up Tight?

Have a wonderful, relaxing, and fulfilling Shabbat Va'era.

A Ceasefire with Hashem

Only the Beginning

For most of the soldiers, the Gaza War is over for the time being. For others though, the struggle is only beginning. Behind the names on the prayer and tehillim lists that are circulating, there are soldiers that have paid the price of Israel's defense with their own limbs - courageous young men fighting the tough road to recovery that's just as tough a spiritual and emotional uphill battle as it is a physical one. Some of these young man are amputees; others have been crippled and will have to learn to walk again. Each has his own story and his own inner issues. Emuna Outreach is doing everything it can to augment medical treatment and physical therapy with the type of spiritual therapy - emuna enhancement - that will be conducive to the wounded soldiers' faster and more complete recovery and rehabilitation.

Do you remember a Mother's Emuna Story from ten days ago? Her son Moshe, a new Oleh from Miami who has been in the IDF for slightly under a year, is a valiant young man who lost an arm in a bombardment in the south of Gaza. Moshe is undergoing tremendous pain, a known phenomena among amputees known as "phantom pains," where the almost unbearable excruciating pain seems to be coming from the newly missing limb. Moshe and I have spoken several times on the phone, and 2 nights ago, I went to visit him at the Orthopedic Rehabilitation Center at the Tel Hashomer Hospital outside of Tel Aviv.

Photo above: Moshe and Rabbi Lazer

Moshe is amazing - all he wants is to return to his unit. His rehab will take a few months, and once his wound heals, he'll be outfitted with an artificial arm. Meanwhile, he's in tremendous pain; we're trying our best to help him keep his mind off the pain with loads of books and CDs.

While at Tel Hashomer, we spent  time with other wounded soldiers in rehabilitation, making a special effort to visit the new-immigrant soldiers. Ivgeny Viernik is an NCO in the Givati Infantry regiment who came to Israel from the Ukraine. Ivgeny was shot in the leg by a sniper, but he too is a brave trooper that doesn't utter a word of complaint.

Photo, above: Ivgeny and Rabbi Lazer

Emuna Outreach wants to thank all of our generous contributors who enabled us to distribute so many books and CDs among the soldiers of the IDF and the civilians in areas under missile attack during the recent war. Many people told us that the books and CDs played a big part in keeping them strong under super-stress situations.

For our wounded soldiers, this is only the beginning of new challenges and lives that will see drastic changes. Let's pray for their full recovery in body, mind, and spirit, amen.