Lazer Beams

Rav Yehuda Zev's Legacy

Rav Yehuda Zev Lebowitz of saintly and blessed memory was a Kabbalist and hidden tzaddik as well as a Holocaust survivor. Little is known of him, for he lived his life far away from spotlights. Yet, his word carried tremendous weight in the Heavenly realm. What many don't know is that he was one of Rav Shalom Arush's principle spiritual guides. Rav Yehuda Zev, a holy man with the eyes of a sonogram, could not stomach anything other than absolute holiness. Many big rabbis were therefore afraid to approach him, for he could smell if they were the real deal or not. He loved Rav Shalom. He didn't leave much in the physical world, but he bequeathed his tefillin to Rav Shalom.

Before he died, he told Rav Shalom three things, the first two of which have materialized:

1. Uprisings and infighting will sweep through the Arab countries;

2. Bibi will not be able to attack Iran; Hashem will use other means as He did with Sadaam Hussein.

I don't want to repeat the third thing that Rav Yehuda Zev said, for it hasn't materialized yet. But, I urge our cherished brothers and sisters outside of Israel to start praying and planning to make Aliya, the sooner the better.

Negev Flash Floods

One of the first things a soldier or a hiker in the Negev desert learns is not to sleep in a wadi (dry river bed). It can rain dozens of miles away, but if water flows down from the mountains into the wadi, the wadi becomes a raging river that can flow as fast as 80 MPH. That means that if you're hiking in the area of Shivta or Avdat, and it rains on the Jordan border 40 miles away, a torrent of water will reach you in a mere 30 minutes. The flow of water can be strong enough to wash away a tank.

Thank G-d, we've enjoyed rain the past few days in the south of Israel. Here's a clip from last year that shows what we're talking about:

Rav Yitzchak Kadouri, zatza"l

Rav Yitzchak Kadouri of blessed and saintly memory, the Kabbalist leader of our generation, departed the physical world 6 years ago at the age of 110. Since today is his yahrtzeit, and it's a mitzva to see the face of a true tzaddik, so here is a rare clip with Iraqi Jewish music in the background, for the Rav was born in Baghdad. 

Starting at 6:30, you'll see his funeral in Jerusalem, where 300,000 attended. Also pictured are Rav Mordechai Eliahu ob"m, Rav Ovadia Yosef, Rav Biniahu Shmueli, Rav David Basri and other leading spiritual leaders of this generation. May Rav Kadouri's holy neshama intercede in our behalf, amen - we certainly need it!

Bright Beam Blessings to David Walker, for providing us with the video clip.

The Negev

The Negev desert is an amazing place for personal prayer. You can walk in the wadis or almost anywhere in the wilderness and feel that you're walking in the footsteps of Avraham Avinu, who roamed the Negev from north to south and from east to west. Here's a short clip that shares the feeling:

Rebbe Nachman's Chariot: A Tribute to Moshe Chaim (Mark) Fisher ob"m

I hope that my tears won't short-circuit my keyboard. There are many stories about dedication in spreading emuna, but few can compare with the story of Mark Fisher. A terminal illness was mercilessly and systematically gnawing away at Mark's body. All he cared about was encouraging the other oncology patients in the world famous Sloan-Kettering Medical Center in New York City. His heart's desire was to utilize every last moment on this earth to spread Rebbe Nachman's teachings – particularly the light of emuna – so that there wouldn't be a single patient in the hospital who didn't have the benefit of this medicine for the soul.

* * *

Elijah the prophet was walking and discussing Torah with his prime pupil and disciple, Elisha. Suddenly, a chariot of fire with horses of fire descended from the sky. The horses and chariot separated between the teacher and his pupil, then took Elijah in a storm skyward to the Heavenly abode (see Kings II, 2:11).

Elijah's exit from the physical world is one of the most dramatic accounts in the whole Tanach. Yet, we underestimate our own times, the threshold of the long-awaited Messianic age. Our generation has been blessed with hidden tzaddikim who also have left this world in a manner no less dramatic than Elijah in his chariot of fire. Let me tell you about one, whom Hashem gave me the privilege of knowing – Moshe Chaim (Mark) Fisher of saintly and blessed memory, from Flatbush in Brooklyn.

January, 2011

Mark's body was hit really hard with the nasty big “C”, the disease whose name we don't like to mention on our lips. Yet, his phenomenally optimistic emuna-filled mind and heart ruled his tormented body. In January of 2011, just a mere year ago, I saw Mark in the flesh for the last time. He had just gone through a stiff radiation treatment but he came directly from the hospital – chemo bag and all – to hear me speak that night in Flatbush.

Continue reading the moving continuation of Rebbe Nachman's Chariot in this week's stimulating issue of Breslev Israel web magazine in English.

Also featured this week:

Rabbi Shalom Arush: The Illuminated Mind

Rabbi Nissan Dovid Kivak: The Secrets of Torah

Rabbi Avraham HaCohen Kook: Egypt and the Mayflower

Zev Ballen: Just Relax

Dovber Halevi: Like A Fighter

Rivka Levy: Doctor of the Soul, Life of Brian

Yehoshua Goldstein: Don't Get Shot

Sandy Sasson: Time to Pray

The Beams and Breslev Israel wish you a fantastic week!

Beautifully Bashful

This week's emuna lesson talks one of the gorgeous characteristics of the Jewish people - busha, or bashfulness. This lesson is designed especially for the current period of the Shovevim, which is ever so conducive for making progress in the area of personal holiness. Enjoy and have a great week!

Parshat Vaera: Don't Forget a Favor

Hashem teaches Moshe Rabbenu an important lesson in basic gratitude: don't do the slightest harm to anyone or anything that ever did you a favor, as you'll see in our minilesson about this week's Torah portion: