Lazer Beams

A Young Woman's Call for Help

See Call for Help at Dr. Zev Ballen's Emuna Therapy blog.

Shabbat Shalom

This week's Torah portion is Ki Tisa. Enjoy our weekly Torah portion sheet. and have a great Shabbat!

World-Wide Prayer, Tomorrow (Fast of Esther) at 11 AM

The Beams joins our brothers and sisters worldwide who are joining together in beautiful unity at 11 AM - each person at his own local time - to say five Psalms: 28, 32, 79, 92, and 22. The beauty of this is that our brothers and sisters in New Zealand will start, and 23 hours later, our brothers and sisters in Alaska will finish. Hashem's Heavenly throne will be adorned with our Tehillim around the clock, which will undoubtedly invoke Divine compassion for Klal Yisrael - we sorely need it.

For your convenience, You can download the The 5 Psalms can be downloaded right here.

It's a big mitzva to be part of the community. Al Tifrosh min hatzibur! G-d bless, an easy fast tomorrow, and a happy Purim!

Emuna for Macs

Here's great news for Mac owners who had trouble viewing my weekly emuna lessons until now - you can now view WMA movie files on your Mac in one of the following ways:

1. Download Flip4Mac, an application that will enable you to view Windows-made movies on your Mac

2. Don't worry if you can't see the embedded lecture on the main post: go to the adjacent right hand toolbar and click on the name of the lesson you want to see (newest at the top of the list).

3. Another possibility is to download Parallels and to run Windows on your Mac, but that will cost about $80, depending on which version you download.

Hopefully, our very talented tech crew at Breslev Israel will soon develop a Video page application that's compatible with Macs too.

Time for the 99% to Be Heard

We here at the Beams and at Emuna Outreach disdain hatred, especially the type of hatred that waves the flag of zealotry and religious fanaticism. We condemn any acts of harassing another human - physically or emotionally - especially in the name of Torah. True Torah is a tree of life, and all its paths are peace. We therefore endorse the following article by Rabbi Yakov Horowitz:

Time for the 99% to Be Heard

By Rabbi Yakov Horowitz

The ongoing violence in Beit Shemesh by hooligans has taken an even uglier turn recently as it is being directed against school-age children and their parents. It is now receiving front-page international coverage due to the involvement of Israeli elected officials at the highest levels.

As the colossal Chilul Hashem and distortion of genuine Torah values is escalating, it is incumbent on decent Jews worldwide to do our part to distance ourselves from this behavior and loudly proclaim that this is not the way of our Torah. It is of paramount importance that we do so not only before the media and the world at large, but also that we explain this to our impressionable children in the starkest of terms. Our work with children and teens over the years has clearly indicated that "Hate Does not Have an Off Button" – meaning that the toxic message of intolerance is one that has long-term harmful effects.

Many people in our community insist, “Everyone understands that these are a small bunch of radicals who do not have the support of any rabbinic leaders.” But that is simply not the message resonating around the world nowadays.

The 1% is getting all the media attention due to the passiveness of the 99%.

Several years ago, readers of this website conducted our own peaceful “hafgana” (protest) when the demonstrations in Eretz Yisroel were spinning out of control, by writing respectful emails to the editors of The Jerusalem Post and Ha’aretz condemning the violence in the clearest terms.

By all accounts, it was very successful as each of the papers received more than 100 emails from Jews worldwide. The Jerusalem Post designated a letters-to-the-editor section, where they printed many of the responses and actually wrote a column noting that there was a grass-roots movement by charedi Jews worldwide condemning the violent behavior.

We respectfully ask that you do the same at this critical time – with the eyes of the world focused on Beit Shemesh. Kindly take a few moments to cut and paste this message or write something along these lines and email them to

letters@nytimes.com

letters@jpost.com

feedback@haaretz.co.il

“As a Torah Jew, I am deeply distressed by the harassment and violence in Beit Shemesh – all of which is diametrically opposed to the teachings of our Holy Torah. Lest our silence be misconstrued as passive acceptance of this behavior, we condemn it in the strongest terms, as do the vast, overwhelming, majority of Torah Jews worldwide.”

We ask that you show public support for this effort by posting your name and the city where you live as a comment on the bottom of this thread so that members of our community and the media at large can see that this is a broad-based effort.

Thank you very much for your time and may this effort be helpful in restoring k’vod shamayim.

Rabbi Yakov Horowitz

Help Shalom Rubashkin

On Friday, September 16, 2011, the Eight Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a draconian sentence on Shalom Rubashkin, a sentence which is essentially a life sentence for him and his wife and 10 children.

We now have a unique opportunity -- for the sake of justice -- to express our outrage for this sentence and actually make a difference. If it can happen to Shalom Rubashkin it can happen to anyone! Just click here:

http://wh.gov/gWM

The White House has released just TODAY a new tool to allow people to influence goverment called "We the People." It is essentially a petition site, and they promise: "If a petition meets the signature threshold, it will be reviewed by the Administration and an official response will be issued. And we’ll make sure that the petition is sent to the appropriate policy makers in the Administration." The White House promises an official response to every petition that garners at least 5000 signatures in a span of 30 days. I just signed, and mine was signature #8362, so now we are doing our part to grab the administration's attention.

By doing what we can to help Shalom Rubashkin get a just hearing, Hashem will unboubtedly give us a merciful and just hearing on Rosh Hashana.

Freeing Gilead Shalit: The Best Way

Rabbi Lazer,

I am the campaign manager for the "Free Gilad Shalit!" Billboard effort. We are trying to raise money to put up this billboard near the UN. I have been in touch with the Shalit family and they want to see it go up. I am looking to reach as many people as possible with this message. I am hoping you could write about my efforts and post the link to the campaign on your blog (also maybe to your facebook and twitter). I also have high profile endorsements from Alan Dershowitz, Nonie Darwish(of Arabs for Israel) and radio show host LiAmi Lawrence (I spoke on his show). Any help with getting the word out is greatly appreciated as are all monetary donations large or small. Feel free to contact me directly with any questions. Here is the link to the campaign. Here is an article written about this.

Thank you,Gal Sitty, Campaign Manager - Free Gilad Shalit Billboard

(818) 929-4118, gsitty@yahoo.com

B"H

Dear Gal,

I have tried to contact the Shalit family several times and never received a response. You won't like my answer, but when you're losing the game, you either change the coach or change the strategy.

The Shalits continue with their political activism, and it has not yielded results. Your billboard project is a continuation of what is in my humble opinion, wasted effort.

Rather than appealing to flesh and blood, all of us should be appealing to Hashem for Gilead's release. If the Shalits would strengthen themselves in emuna - not change their lifestyle or necessarily become observant but simply begin appealing to Hashem and asking others to do so - this would create a magnificent sanctification of Hashem's name that would undoubtedly invoke phenomenal Divine compassion that would lead to miracles.

This is certainly not the response you requested, but if you truly care about Gilead ben Aviva, you'll forward this letter to Noam and Aviva.

Breslev Israel, Emuna Outreach, and I would be willing to do anything we could to help organize an emuna campaign all over the world to get a million people to pray for Gilead's freedom. In any event, as an act of friendship and good faith, I am hereby publishing your letter on the Beams.

With blessings always, Lazer Brody

Image, below: Rabbi Lazer praying at the holy gravesite of the Baba Sali in Netivot for Gilad Shalit's release. Please join us and pray for Gilad ben Aviva - don't stop until he's home safely!

 Photo by David Bader