Lazer Beams

A cloud here and there

So many people crave comfort-zone lifestyles. Yet, you can't be a champion unless you break out of the comfort zone. In spirituality as well as in athletics, pain makes gain.

The difficulties in each of our lives are all from Hashem's lovingkindness, to help as grow and realize our potential. Without the challenges that force us to develop and mobilize our capabilities to the hilt, we'd all probably wallow in the muck and mire of mediocrity. Hashem wants us to be our best, so He sends a cloud here and there to block the sunlight and clear skies.

Sunsets would be boring without a few clouds. The clouds make the suns rays look spectacular.

The periodic difficulties in our lives only make Hashem's salvations look more spectacular. When you think about it, rising to a major challenge really does make life more beautiful.

Evil Speech: Like a Worm

Yehudit via Julie sent me the following thought after reading our Worm editorial on Breslev Israel:

"In the car this morning, I made an effort to do five minutes of hitbodedut (personal prayer - LB). I'd felt kind-of, well, yucky, for hearing different stories yesterday from different people about subject matter that would fit into the lashon hara (unwholesome speech - LB) spectrum. I was asking Hashem what it was about yesterday - and the two incidents - that I should be learning. Then it hit me. This morning, I realized my computer had been infected - attacked, really - by a virus, a worm, something unkosher in the hard drive. My computer was rendered useless.

"I put two and two together. Like viruses or worms, lashon hara slithers its way into your ear and lodges itself into your brain...and your soul. It proceeds to tempt you to slither it on to another person. I so wanted to share what I'd heard with my husband, but there were distractions with the kids and the phone and - well - I didn't get the chance.

"I realized I'd be better off not to discuss either stories with anyone. And so I killed the virus, the worm of lashon hara. And my husband did the same with my computer today. Now if only I had these lightbulb moments more often!"

The above thought really sinks in - like a worm... Thanks so much to Yehudit and Julie for these special thoughts.

Nick's Story: Stop Complaining!

Our "Right to Life" week here at the Beams has been showing how many so-called "handicapped" individuals are umpteen times more productive than the millions of so-called "healthy" people that waste their time and their seeking bodily gratifications, contributing zilch to mankind.

There are amazingly heroic individuals with physical limitations. Let's remember them the next time we feel like complaining about anything. First, listen to our Stop Crying CD. Then, watch the clip below, all about Nick Vujicic - a guy that makes all the Rambos of the world look like wimps:

Important Notice - Rabbi Lazer's Shiur resumes today!

After our recent overseas speaking tour and Chanukah break, our weekly emuna lesson open to the public at the Chut Shel Chesed Yeshiva will resume today, Wednesday 6PM Israel time (11 AM EST), Shivtei Yisrael Street, Jerusalem. We hope to post a link to the video replay of the shiur by the end of the week, G-d willing.

Quote of the Day

"A bitter person is never grateful, but a grateful person is never bitter." Lazer Brody, Stop Crying CD

Influential speech

Speech without thought is like a body without a soul. A person who speaks without thinking utters empty words, and empty words don't have the power to cast a lasting impression on the listener's heart and brain. Therefore, if you want to influence others, it's a good idea to think before you speak.

The holy Rebbe Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, of blessed and saintly memory said (Kedushat Levi, parshat Vayigash), "Words spoken from the heart penetrate another heart." In other words, when a person fervently believes and acts according to what he says, his words will have the power to influence others. Simply stated, we must practice what we preach for our words to be cogent.

The Yetzer Hara (Evil Inclination) tries to make us speak impulsively. Usually, the result of impulsiveness is remorse. When we allow our brains to filter the words that reach our lips, we don't make mistakes.

When someone asks you a question, you certainly have the right to pause for a moment, take a deep breath, contemplate your answer, and then say it. "I have to think about your question for a while," is always a legitimate answer. Any marksman knows that shooting from the hip is much less accurate than taking careful aim.

Shooting from the lip is even worse than shooting from the hip.

Daughter of The King or Classroom Queen?

Dear Rabbi Lazer,

I'm 16, in the tenth grade, and very unhappy. My best girlfriend is really popular at school and shul (we're conservative), and I'm not. In all honesty, I'm just as attractive as she is, and my grades are just as good as hers. At first, I thought maybe my clothes were out of style, so i went out and begged my mom to buy be the same clothes as my girlfriend. But, at any party or function, people flock to her and I feel like a tagalong. Its really the pits. I do my best to talk and act like my girlfriend, but she's considered campus queen and I'm ignored. Rabbi, can you give me some kind of spiritual advice to make me popular too? I know you're busy with serious problems, but this is hurts me a lot, so please try to give me a quick answer. Respectfully, Melanie from Delaware

Dear Melanie,

Imagine that a tractor didn't like its own appearance, and tried to imitate a Mercedes. The whole world would laugh! Then, the tractor would neither perfom its function as a tractor - plowing fields, etc. - and certainly would fail miserably as a Mercedes. On the other hand, if a Mercedes tried to do the job of a tractor, it would get stuck in the mud and fail within a minute.

Melanie, The Almighty gave you your own very special package of abilities and aptitudes for performing your task in this world. When you try to be someone else, you have a double failure: First, you can't succeed in being the other person, because you lack the emotional, intellectual, physical, and spiritual tools that Hashem gave to that person. Second, when you attempt to be someone you're not, you fail to develop and to utilize your own unique Heaven-imbued attributes and skills.

The Talmud teaches that when a person seeks prestige, prestige eludes the person. Stop trying to be popular, and don't try to imitate your girlfriend. Be yourself: How? Act, speak, and dress in a manner that's natural and comfortable for you. Often, it's better to sit at home reading a good book, writing a poem or an entry to your diary, or baking a cake for Shabbos than it is hanging out with a bunch of peers just wasting time. Also, stop tagging along as your girlfriend's prime groupie. Accept the fact that she's classroom queen. You should start fulfilling your own role as a cherished daughter of the King (Hashem) - the daughter of The King beats the classroom queen any day of the week.

One additional important point: When high school boys flock around you, they're not looking to discuss European socioeconomics or the theory of relativity. Being popular with them is dead-end cheap popularity. Genuine popularity comes from being an upright human - compassionate, kind, charitable, modest, yet firm and courageous in your beliefs. The entire world respects such a bold nonconformist that stands up to his or her principles. Do you know why? Because Hashem respects such a person. When The Almighty is pleased with a person's actions, He grants that person a divine aura, an indescribable spiritual light that emanates from from the face and serves as a magnet to attract other people. Possessing such a divine aura is genuine popularity.

May Hashem help you make the right choices in life. Blessings always, LB

Frowns and Smiles

When you frown at other people, you rob them of their happiness. They ask themselves, "What did I do wrong? Why is he or she mad at me?", and they lose confidence. Frowning at other people is tantamount to taking your anger out on them. No one has the right to air frustrations on one's fellow man. On the other hand, a smile is an act of compassion, whereby you brighten your fellow human's day.