Lazer Beams

Don't Act Like a Bulldog

How in the world does a person want marital peace if he comes home with the expression of a bulldog on his face?

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.

Imitating Others

Even if a crow wears a coat of elaborate white feathers and walks around saying "gobble, gobble" all day long, he still won't be a turkey...

Whenever a crow tries to imitate a turkey, he's doomed to frustration, for he'll never succeed. The same goes for humans.

People imitate others for two main reasons: First, they have low self-images and lack confidence in themselves; and second, they're incognizant of their own individual talents and aptitudes.

One of the most important points of spiritual awareness is the knowledge that you are unique. The Almighty has given you personal qualities and abilities that no one else in the world has, so that you can perform your own special mission on this earth. When you try to imitate someone else, you fail to accomplish your own task, and ultimately become frustrated and unhappy. Being yourself and cultivating your own special skills are the key to happiness and fulfillment.

Dealing with insult

If we knew the blessings that happily accepting an insult (especially from our wives!) invokes, we'd beg for insults. See here:

Anger part 3 - How to come home at the end of the day

First of all, we apologize for the faulty Beams transmission yesterday; our server, Sixapart-Typepad, had a massive power outage it its main facility in San Francisco. That's par for the course on Tisha B'av, and all for the best. Baruch Hashem, everything is back up and operating.

Here's part 3 of this week's anger series; today's clip is a short 4-minute coaching session taching a husband how to come home at the end of the day. Internalize this lesson, and it'll make a big difference in your marriage.

No More Anger - part 1

Many people are asking why I've been quiet on current events lately. Truthfully, I'm a lot less concerned with Achmedinejad, Assad, and Abu Mazen than I am with the dog-eat-dog way people treat one another. No enemy of Israel can harm a Jew until one Jew harms another. That's why we here at the Beams, thanks to our wonderful Emuna Outreach crew in Bet Shemesh, are devoting this week to uprooting anger. As soon as we do, our enemies will fall on their faces - wait and see. Enjoy the series and have a good week.