Lazer Beams

17th of Tammuz - Where do we go from here?

Today, Tuesday, is the 17th day of the Hebrew month of Tammuz. It's a day of calamity in Jewish history, most infamous as the beginning of the 3-week siege of Jerusalem that resulted in the destruction of our second Holy Temple by the Romans on Tisha B'Av, the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av nearly 2000 years ago. As such, the 17th of Tammuz marks the beginning of the annual period known as "The Three Weeks," a period of lamentation where we curtail celebrations such as weddings, and we refrain from other joyous activities such as listening to music. During the last nine days before Tisha B'Av, we refrain from drinking wine and eating meat, except on the Sabbath. Please note that there are differences in customs between Jews from different backgrounds. At any rate, The Three Weeks is a special time for soul-searching and self-assessment. By our judging ourselves, we mitigate harsh judgments we may have incurred in the Heavenly Court.

Let's do a bit of national self-assessment, trying to be as honest and objective with ourselves as we can.

My old wrestling coach in high school pasted a sign on the ceiling of the gym, that read: "If you can read this sign, you're losing!"

It seems that we've spent a lot of time on our national backs lately. Why?

Simple. It's the old stiff-necked mentality that thinks you can be a winner without Hashem.

Folks, we can't fight our way out of a wet paper bag without Hashem. Hashem has us backed up against a wall, because He wants us to realize this basic fact. If we had Hashem with us, we could tell the Turks to take a long walk off a short bridge. We could tell the USA that we'll build in Beitar, Kiriat Sefer, and Maale Edomim whatever we want and whenever we want. We could tell Gaza that if Gilead Shalit is not home safely in an hour, they will no longer have water or electricty.

Hashem is showing us His power, and we don't appreciate it. Iran - in the meanwhile - has backed down from its planned showdown with the Israeli Navy in the Meditteranean; not because they're afraid of us, but because Hashem has put fear in their hearts. Nasralla and Assad - with all their missiles and bravado - have had a case of wobbly knees also. It's not our doing, but Hashem's.

Rather than saying, "Thank You, Hashem," our errant countrymen are planning marijuana-legalization and gay-rights parades. That's what's called getting in Hashem's face, and it's done with government backing. No one has the right to tell others how to live their lives, unless they're drilling holes in the floor of the same boat that we're teavelling on. Yes, beloved brothers and sisters - Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, black, white, ted and yellow - we're all in the same boat known as the holy Land of Israel. Deny the Torah and you deny our right to this tiny but cherished piece of real estate.

Those of you who have added the wonderful dimension of emuna to your lives have become winners. My biggest joy has been watching your success. It's now time to become winners on a national level and to make emuna Israel Government official policy. Wait and see how everything turns around for the very best. Have an easy fast.

The Greenhouse

 

One of the first things in child education that I learned from my beloved rabbi and spiritual guide Rav Shalom Arush, may Hashem bless him, is that criticism and comments destroy a child. Parents hate criticism and comments, so why do it to their kids? A child's home should be a greenhouse of warmth and sunlight – smiles, compliments and positive reinforcement are the water that helps a child's soul bloom like a beautiful flower.

Some kids become stifled – either they're afraid to say a word, because they know they'll be shot down with criticism, or else they can't say a word, because unthinking egotistical parents have robbed them of their self confidence. Such kids remain recluses all their lives – they're the butterflies that never come out of the cocoon or a withered plant that never received enough water and sunlight to flower and to grow new leaves.

A major sickness of twenty-first Century kids is that their parents are selfish babies that are self-indulgent in their own pursuits. Rather than giving their kids personal attention and quality one-on-one time, they buy their kids "goodies." Not long ago, I was a guest in the home of a well-to-do family; the kids had bedrooms with their own phones, computers, DVDs, and wall to wall toys. Yet, the mother was never home, for she enjoyed her outside-the-home status as a major macher in the community. When the father wasn't in the office, he was on the golf course with his clients, casually sealing deals and looking to make more money. No wonder the kids were spoiled brats, nervous, an undisciplined. Emotionally, they were like kids from Biafra – starving.

Continue reading The Greenhouse on this week's issue of Breslev Israel web magazine.

Also in this week's issue:

This coming Tuesday is a fast day, the Seventeenth of Tammuz. Rabbi Pinchas Winston tells us about The Lessons of the Seventeenth of Tammuz.

Rav Shalom Arush writes about the spiritual root of the most catastrophic day in Jewish history in One Night's Crying.

Rav Kook zatza"l teaches us the lesson of this week's Torah portion - Pinchas - in Refining Zeal.

Rivka Levy asks a basic question about certain things in life - Worthless or Priceless?

Chevruta is part 11 of The Baal Shem Tov: The Early Years, a delightful series for the entire family.

Soul Essence is part 23 of Rabbi Erez Moshe Doron's gripping spiritual allegory Warriors of Transcendence.

You're Welcome is Bracha Goetz's poem about having guests.

Don't miss these fantastic new CDs, on sale now at Breslev Israel's online store:

1. Man and Woman, One Soul - this is a must-hear for men and women alike, to solidify your deep relationship with your spouse.

2. I Believe, a musical CD with an emuna message (Lazer's English narration), featuring the Shalom Banayich boys choir.

More exciting new CDs on the way soon, G-d willing. Have a great week!

Introducing "Calming Waters"

Surprise! Here's a sneak preview of our new album "Calming Waters", 100% music for the soul with no lyrics or narration whatsoever. Ten out of the eleven melodies are my original compositions, given to me as a free gift from Hashem during personal prayer out in the fields, seashores, and hills of our beloved Holyland. Israel's soil, flaura, and fauna are intertwined in this music, which will certainly heal and gladden an aching soul. Musical accompaniment, arrangement and production by my cherished spiritual brothers Menachem Herman and Jeff Horvitch. This particular track is "Tree of Life", composed in loving memory of Jeff's mother who passed away in South Africa recently. G-d willing, the CD will be released and available in about 4 weeks at Breslev Israel, www.breslev.co.il.

Don't Force the Issue

Here's Rabbi Lazer's eye-opening weekly lesson where he talks about the weekly Torah portion and current events, telling things with no chocolate coating. Grab your favorite beverage and sit down to enjoy Don't Force the Issue.

Iran on War Alert

Rumors are spreading like wildfire all over Israel this evening. Some say that the Israeli Air Force has landed in Saudi Arabia. Others say that Israel's strike force is poised for attack in Azerbaijan, on Iran's northwestern border. More flotillas headed for Gaza could trigger an explosive confrontation in the Mediterranean.

What's going on?

The Slonimer Rebbe says this is the end of days. He wrote yesterday in a letter about the High Court of Justice, "If I thought the justices believe in what they wrote, that the school in Immanuel is based on racial discrimination, I probably would have acted differently. But since I have no shadow of a doubt that they know the truth, that their words are lies to the core, this is a struggle between faith and heresy, between sacred power and impure Satanic forces? A struggle that we’ve always known would break out at the end of days.”

Rebbe Nachman of Breslev also says (Rebbe Nachman's Discourses, 35) that the end-of-days struggle would be between epikorsus and emuna, between heresy and faith.

The enemies from the outside don't scare me. The war against emuna does, because when you fight against emuna, you're declaring war on Hashem Himself.

Teshuva is the order of the day. The wake-up calls are screaming at us. It's high time we come close to Hashem. Emuna is our only hope.

Update: Iranian ship changes course to challenge Israel; The ship said to be manned by revolutionary guardsmen and suicide bombers.

Time for Unity

This post is a personal answer to the dozens of emails that have asked me for further clarification about how we view the Emmanuel affair.

I thank Hashem for my beloved rabbi and spiritual guide, Rav Shalom Arush, may Hashem bless him always. I also thank Hashem for enabling me to be a part of Breslev Israel, Rav Shalom's outreach arm headed by my brother-in-spirit Yosef Nechama, and the Chut Shel Chesed Yeshiva, which Rav Shalom personally heads.

In our Yeshiva, Ashkenazim learn alongside Sephardim. You can find white Jews learning with black Jews. There's no dress code as to the color kippa you wear, but as far as people go, we are religiously and zealously color-blind. The fastest way to get kicked out of our Yeshiva is to say something derogatory about another group or spiritual leader in Judaism, even those who radically oppose Breslev or Rav Shalom. Rav Shalom does not tolerate hatred and discrimination. But, the Yeshiva has very high standards as to personal conduct, academic demands and adherence to religious law that all must uphold.

I am a strong believer in Jewish integration, for I believe that it's the key to ending the intramural hatred that corrodes our people from the inside. My beloved partner in life is a Sephardi; not only is she a dream wife and mother, but she's a brilliant Rebbetzen that's just as home in every shelf of the Jewish-thought library as she is in the kitchen. Since my origins are Ashkenazic, our home is the best of all worlds.

Yes, Jews have the right to continue in the ways of their fathers. Let those who want to have their own schools - teaching in Yiddish, Ladino, English or whatever they please - do so. Let there be equal funding for every child of every taxpayer.

Personally, I believe that the insulation of the closed-door schools leads to selfishness, false pride of superiority, and hatred. The advantages of Ahavat Yisrael and unity in an integrated atmosphere greatly outweigh the any advantages of an elitist Yiddish education. Speaking lashon hara in Yiddish certainly doesn't make it kosher. Personal holiness, excellence of learning, and a high level of religious ethics and morality are what really counts.

If a school doesn't accept your child because of your ethnic background, be happy - Hashem is doing the best for you. Who wants to learn in a place where they're not wanted?

I hope that more and more Torah institutions learn to take the Chut-Shel-Chesed approach. With Lebanese and Iranian boats on the way to our beaches, and the area as tense as a bowstring, who can afford the luxury of intramural hatred and separatism?

The 15th of Av, amongst other things, is a joyous day in the Jewish calendar because it was then that the twelve tribes of Israel were allowed to marry each other. So why revert back to separatism? We have the three dangerous weeks between 17 Tammuz and Tisha B'Av - beginning next Tuesday, June 29 - to traverse before we reach the 15th of Av. We can't afford any more Emmanuel fiascos; I urge the plaintiff to get the case out of civil court and solve it through mandatory Halachic arbitration in the very best rabbinical court. Where there's segregation, discrimination, separatism, and intramural hate, everybody loses.

The Truth about Sholom Rubashkin

We highly commend Professor William Anderson for being the voice of reason and moral courage in telling the truth about Sholom Rubashkin. His article is a must-read.

It's no longer fashionable to be an overt anti-semite in the West. They just simply lock up Jews like Pollard and Rubashkin and throw away the key for posterity in the name of justice.

A Beam blessing to our good friend Hillel in NYC for his help in the above post.