Lazer Beams

National Defense Strategy: Quality vs. Quantity

On December 14, 1973, only a few short weeks after the termination of the Yom Kippur War, the Lubavitcher Rebbe of blessed and saintly memory gave a remarkable talk how a modern army must bebased on high-tech and sophisticated warfare rather than masses of men and armaments. The IDF, which is talking about a radical reorganization, is only now waking up to what the Rebbe said 40 years ago. In this amazing clip, the Rebbe also explains why we need an army even though it's Hashem who is fighting our battles. This is a rare clip and a must-see:

The Noam Elimelech and the Nazis

Today, the 21st of Adar, is the yahrtzeit of the holy Rebbe Elimelech of Lizensk, aka "Noam Elimelech", of blessed and saintly memory.

When the Nazis entered Lizensk in Poland they found a group of Jews praying at Rabbi Elimelech's holy gravesite. Upon seeing the Nazis approach, the Jews dispersed in terror. The Nazi soldiers began to desecrate the tomb. They first removed the stone cap from above the grave and began digging. When they uncovered Rabbi Elimelech's corpse, they saw a body pure and whole as on the day of his burial a century-and-a-half previously. What's more, the tzaddik's face radiated a heavenly aura. Upon witnessing this holy phenomena, the Nazi soldiers themselves dispersed in a terror, and the Jews who had been praying there were spared certain doom.

May the Noam Elimelch's holy soul intercede in our behalf, amen!

The Sadigora Rebbe, zatza"l

With tearful eyes and a broken heart, we're sorry to inform you of the passing of the
Sadigora Rebbe, Grand Rabbi Avrohom Yaakov Friedman of saintly and blessed memory, this morning at the age of 84 in Bnai Brak.

No other great Chassidic leader in this generation so represented and fought for everything we here at the Beams hold dear. The Sadigora Rebbe was not only a monumental scholar of Torah and a man of utmost holiness and impeccable character; he was a lover of the Land of Israel and a fierce fighter against relinquishing territories to those who repeatedly vow to destroy us. The Sadigora Rebbe was a true spiritual leader and a rare gem of an individual. We mourn his passing and pray that he will intervene for us by the Heavenly Throne. 

10 Teveth: Rebbe Natan's Yahrtzeit in Pictures

Image 1, above: Praying by the holy gravesite of Rebbe Natan Sternhartz, 1780-1845, known as "Rebbe Natan (Nosson in Yiddish) of Breslev", Rebbe Nachman's prime disciple, who wrote down all of Rebbe Nachman's teachings. Today, 10 Teveth, is his "yahrtzeit", the anniversary of his passing from the physical world. The gravesite is located in Breslev, Ukraine.

Image 2, above: Rebbe Natan's gravesite, outside view.

Image 3, above: The Bugg River and the view of the Ukrainian countryside from Rebbe Natan's gravesite in Breslev, Ukraine.

Image 4, above: Personal prayer along the banks of the Bugg River, at the same exact spot where Rebbe Natan would spend hours pouring his heart out to Hashem.

May Rebbe Natan's holy and immortal soul intervene in our behalf, amen!

A Lasting Connection with the Tzaddik

Shabbat Chanuka reminds me of my great grandfather, who died some 26 years before I was born.

My maternal great grandfather, Reb Yankev ("The Blacksmith") Podrub from Grodno, Belarus (formerly Poland) was a legendary figure in the annals of Stolin-Karlin Chassidus. He arms were like twisted steel, but his disposition was extremely gentle. Although he was a blacksmith. he was also a Talmudic scholar. He worked so that his little brother, Arie Leib, could attend rabbinical yeshiva. Ultimately, Arie Leib became the head rabbi of Meretch in Lithuania and one of the prime students of Rav Chaim Ozer Grudzinski, ob"m.

The renowned "Yanuka" of Stolin, the famous Rebbe Yisroel Perlov ob'm who had over 20,000 Chassidim, would stay in Reb Yankev's house every Shabbat Chanuka when he'd visit his chassidim in Grodno. Even more, The Stoliner Rebbe - who loved horses - insisted that only Reb Yankev shoe his horses. From what the old Stoliner Chassidim told me, the Rebbe loved my great-grandfather's pure and simple emuna and the innocence in which he served Hashem.

What was so special about Reb Yankev? He never spoke small talk. Even at work, he'd mumble tehillim and mishnayot. Also, his trust in Hashem was phenominal - he'd only work long enough to earn that same day's bread with one extra kopeck; he saved the extra kopecks in a jar all year long, and then at the end of the year, he'd use the money to travel to his Rebbe in Stolin for Rosh Hashanna. As such, my great grandfather lived his connection with the tzaddik all year long.

The minute Reb Yankev finished his day's work, he'd fly up the stairs to the Stoliner shtiebel, conveniently located on the second floor over the smithy, and open up a Gemara. Grodno lore holds him as one of the hidden tzaddikim of the area, may his blessed memory be cherished always.

I heard the above stories and many more from my grandmother Kailie of blessed memory, from Rav Yitzchak Kulitz of blessed memory, former head Rabbi of Jerusalem, who as a little boy saw my great grandfather, and from Rav Benyamin Adler shlit'a of Jerusalem, whose uncle knew my great grandfather well, and from the elderly Stolin-Karlin chassidim of Jerusalem.

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Trying to emulate my great grandfather, I set aside twenty dollars every week and put them in a special envelope marked, "Uman - Rosh Hashanna." That way, I live Rosh Hashanna with my beloved Rebbe, Rebbe Nachman of Breslev, all year long.

I know that alte zaidie (Yiddish for great grandfather) has nachas (gratification) that his great granchildren are continuing on in the way of Torah and Chassidus. You know what that means? The Greeks and the Hellenists lost, and so did Hitler and western assimilation. With simple emuna, we shall continue to overcome, with G-d's help. Have a wonderful Shabbat Chanuka and new month of Teveth!

Mattatyahu's Courage

Image above: the holy gravesite of Mattatyahu son of Yochanan, the High Priest (Cohen HaGadol), father and spiritual leader of the Maccabees

Happy Chanuka!

Part of my preparations for Chanuka included a moving and indescribably inspiring visit to the holy gravesite of Mattatyahu Cohen HaGadol, whom we remember every time we say the "Al HaNissim" prayer during Chanuka. He is buried in a cave in a forest, about a kilometer north of Highway 443 near Mevo Modiin.

Mattatyahu and his sons fought a double war - not only against the Syrian Greeks, but against the 95% of the Jewish people who had become assimilated Hellenists. But because of his steadfast, unwavering and uncompromising commitment to Hashem, to his emuna, to the Torah and to his homeland, he was able to overcome all obstacles and instill the fire of emuna and total dedication in the hearts of his brave sons and daughter.

Where did he get his strength and courage from?

Nothing gives a person strength like clarification of the truth. A person who knows the truth and who lives according to the truth is as fierce as a lion. He is not willing to live a lie; so, if you take the truth away from him, he'll no longer regard his life as worth living. That's why our ancestors in every generation all the way back to our forefather Abraham were willing to sacrifice their last breath and heartbeat for our faith in Hashem and our Torah.

Mattatyahu and his sons Yehuda, Elazar, Shimon, and Yonatan knew the truth. For a servant of Hashem, life is worthless without Torah, emuna, and holiness. The Hellenists fooled themselves while trying to dilute the truth and appease the Syrian Greeks, but the latter wanted to destroy it altogether and to substitute it with a life of pursuing bodily amenities.

Did Hashem send our souls down to this lowly earth just for another piece of steak, another fling with the opposite sex, or another NBA game? Those who waste their lives in the pursuit of material appetites are neither happy nor fulfilled. What's worse, they haven't devoted a single minute to clarifying the truth.

21" biceps won't give you courage. Truth and emuna will.

If the Prime Minister of Israel would clarify the truth, no foreign pressure in the world would sway him a single millimeter. If a teenager would clarify the truth, then he'd say no to the stupid things that his peers are doing. If a Jew outside of Israel would clarify the truth and ask himself what Hashem really wants from him, he'd start planning to book a flight for himself and his family to Israel as soon as possible. If a woman knew the truth, she wouldn't care if her neighbors called her "nebby" or "yachna" for dressing the way Hashem wants her to dress.

Mattatyahu and his sons were masters at truth clarification. They weren't willing to live for two minutes without the truth. That's where they derived the courage to fight a virtually impossible war. And that's why they won.

While we're basking in the holy light of the Chanuka candles, let's ponder the real meaning of this beautiful festival that commemorates the miracle of the few prevailing over many, the pure prevailing over the impure, and the light prevailing over darkness. Let's remember the dedication and commitment of Mattatyahu and his sons. Let's strengthen ourselves and carry their torch of Torah and truth, no matter what the odds. We can do it. All we need is emuna. Happy Chanuka!

Rebbe Nachman's 202nd Yahrtzeit

Wednesday night and Thursday, the 18th of Tishrei, is the 202nd yahrtzeit of our beloved Rebbe, master, and spiritual guide, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov (1772-1810), of blessed and saintly memory. 

G-d willing, there'll be a Yahrtzeit celebration in the gigantice Succa of our Yeshiva - Chut Shel Chesed, Shmuel Hanavi 13, Jerusalem, at 8:30 PM Wednesday evening. Everyone is invited, and with Hashem's loving grace, you'll be able to see Rav Shalom Arush and me there. Moadim L'Simcha - happy holiday!