Lazer Beams

The Emotional Beggar

Manny from Canada writes:

The other day, I lit a memorial (yahrtzeit) candle for my father, who passed away ten years ago. I really miss him, and at the moment, choked up with emotion and started crying. My wife saw me, and she started to ridicule me, saying, "What are you bawling about?" I just about lost it, but luckily, I didn't answer her. What does Hashem expect me to do with such a callous women? Am I not entitled to a single word of comfort or encouragement? I really need to hear your thoughts. Thanks for your attention and taking the time to read this.

You can read my answer to him in The Emotional Beggar, this week on Breslev Israel web magazine.

My beloved rabbi and spiritual guide Rav Shalom Arush shows how little problems can save big headaches in 500,000% Dividends.

Rivka Levy locks horns with The Hard Questions. Yehudit Levy asks if being tough on your children is Kindness or Cruelty? Racheli Reckles addresses people's misconception that run things in Out of Control. Gila David deals with old emotional baggage in Ice Breaker. Chaya Ovadia sees happiness as The Missing Piece in life. 

Dovber HaLevi introduces us to Joe Cool. Yehoshua Goldstein elaborates on Authority and Personal Example. Zeev Ballen tells us the story of Bert and the Beast.

The Prisoner is Part 56 of Warriors of Transcendence, by Rabbi Erez Moshe Doron.

This week's Torah Portion is Pekudei.

Purim is coming up fast. If you can't make up your mind what you want to give to that extra special person for Purim, Breslev Israel's online store has a load of wonderful suggestions of books, music, and gifts for Purim. Check 'em out...

Breslev Israel and the Beams wish you a wonderful week! 

 

2012: Fasten Your Seat Belts

Here's some food for thought in light of the lightning-fast changes in the world and in light of our posts this past week:

One thing is sure - it's time for teshuva. You don't want to put your head in the ground, especially when the ground is trembling.

Ari Goldwag: L'Olam Lo Eshkach

Here's something lovely to start off the new week:

Three Levels of Speech

This week's 51-minute emuna lesson speaks about current events and today's challenges. Don't miss Three Levels of Speech, and have a wonderful Shabbat!

Parshat Vayakhel: Your Own Special Talent

This week's 9-minute Torah-portion mini lesson is all about the significance of the Holy Tabernacle and what it means to you on a personal level. Click here to see.

Oil and Aliya

Things are happening with head-spinning speed here in the Middle East. Just 48 hours ago, when you could by as many thousands of barrels of oil as you like for $86/each, I wrote here on the Beams to expect the price of oil to double in the nearest future. Well, folks, today's futures for crude hit $100/barrel - a 16% rise in two short days.

One way or another, the price of oil will continue to skyrocket. In Libya, the opposition has seized many towns; nobody's manning the rigs and production is way down - it could be screeching to a halt, but we don't have a reliable source to verify. On the other hand, Madman Muamar Qaddafi is holed up in Tripoli; as a last desparate act, he's willing to cut off his nose to spite his face and either blow up his own oil fields or sabotage the oil pipelines to the Mediterranean. Italy is in big trouble, for it's dependant on Libyan oil. But, when one supplier slows production, the whole world will feel the squeeze. It won't be long before the price-per-gallon in US retail gasoline pumps start shooting upward too. If you want to start a new business in the USA, I'd suggest you consider bicycles - you're bound to succeed.

You don't have to be a PhD in economics to know what the price of oil does to the cost-of-living index. Growing food requires lots of fuel; so does getting agricultural produce from the farm to the urban markets, especially in the winter when there's no homegrown produce. And, even if you do have hothouse tomatoes and cukes up north, it takes a lot of fuel to warm those greenhouses in winter. Food will go up and so will electricity. Salaries won't go up, so the average family will have a financial bind.

Throughout history, who gets blamed when the economy is tight? We both know. Rav Shalom Arush made another urgent call for aliya today. Who's listening?

Why do the Nations Tremble?

The prophet Zecharia tells us in Chapter 14 of his prophecy that in the end of days, all the nations will gather to attack Jerusalem. The same prophecy appears in Micah 4:11 and in Psalms 2:1, according to the Malbim's elaboration of King David's question, "Why do the nations tremble?"

Without emuna, a person won't be able to withstand the fear here in Israel. Yet, Isaiah promises us that we need not worry (see Isaiah 41:14). Zecharia too promises that Hashem will fight our battles for us.

The Land of Israel will continue to be the safest place on earth for a Jew, as long as he does his best to observe Hashem's commandments. Maybe a person would have the gall to violate the King's laws in the outlying districts, but in the King's palace? That's not too bright.

How can anyone turn a blind eye to the fact that the whole world is changing, both politically and geophysically? The volcanos, yesterday's earthquake in New Zealand, the heavy blizzards in North America, the typhoons in the Far East, and the shakeup of governments around the globe are all wakeup calls from Hashem. The more one ignores the alarm clock, the louder it gets. Only a fool puts his head in the ground like an ostrich...

The Arab world will continue to become more radically Islamic. This past Friday, two million people gathered in downtown Cairo of "moderate" Egypt to chant for the "liberation" of Jerusalem, claiming that they're all ready to become shahidim, or suicide bombers. This phenomena will only spread. But, with Hashem's loving grace, our prophets and sages have prepared us. We need to arm ourselves spiritually with more and more emuna to withstand the challenges that will soon be upon us. By the way, strengthening emuna is the very best preparation for making aliya. We hope to see you here soon.