Lazer Beams

Are We Really Independent?

See Lazer on Israel National TV speaking about the true meaning of Israel Independence, right here.

Emuna News prediction: Expect another civil war in Lebanon. Thanks to Nasrulla and the Hizbolla, with Assad and Achmedinejad's sooty fingers in the stew too, the anarchy of the late 1970's is returning, and it doesn't look like the weakling pro-Western regime in Beirut will be able to hold on. The CIA is no match against Syrian and Iranian intel on the latter's home turf. If the CIA had any brains, it would be fanning the fires of Sunni and Shiite hatred within Syria, to give Syria a taste of her own nasty medicine that she concocts in Lebanon. But, if the CIA had any brains it wouldn't be the CIA.

Hashem is doing everything for our ultimate welfare, so don't worry folks. The more we strengthen ourselves in prayer, in emuna, and in Torah, the more Hashem will fight our battles for us. An hour of hitbodedut (personal prayer) will save ten hours in the bomb shelters. So, let's all talk to Hashem for an hour a day.

This week's Torah portion is Emor. We hope you have a lovely Shabbat and weekend.

Psalm 102: Observing Israeli Independance Day

Many people have written and asked how I celebrate Yom Atzma'ut - Israeli Independence. I do so by praying at the Holy Western Wall remnant of our Holy Temple. Particularly, I say Psalm 102.

For Your servants have cherished her stones... (Psalm 102:15)

You (Hashem) will arise and show Zion mercy... soon, may it be Hashem's will.

For Your servants have cherished her stones... we cherish every pebble in our beloved land, all the more the holy stones of the Kotel, where the Divine Presence always hovers

Then the nations will fear the Name of Hashem... not when the Jews acquire sophisticated weaponry, but when they cherish every letter of the Torah and every grain of sand in the Land of Israel

For Hashem will have built Zion... after we do our part by spreading emuna all over the world.

Moral Commando

Dear Rabbi Brody,

I am non-jew aka a Ben Noach and do my best to live according to the sheva mitzvosBnei Noach. Regardless, I will say that it is my fervent hope to convert one day, though I am fully aware that there is no obligation to do so. After graduating college I joined the US Army and I am currently part of a special operations unit in Iraq. This brings me to my question about war. What is the proper mindset according to Torah that one should have during war? Being in a special operations unit we do some sensitive operations, as I sure you have an idea, and on one hand I don't want to lose my aggressive edge that I am known for when I kick down a door, but I don't want to become a calloused individual who loses that ability to feel compassion and warmth. I am sure that you are familiar with the rough exterior that often comes with special operations unit guys and I a don't know exactly how to balance it. Do you have any insight on the matter? With appreciation, B

Dear B,

Thanks for your letter. Feel free to stay in contact with me. G-d willing, we'll be happy to send you spiritual care packages of books and CDs to Iraq. The Torah teaches us not to rejoice in the fall of our enemies, even though we have to do our job to subdue them. The Torah also teaches us to avoid being kind to the cruel or you'll end up being cruel to the kind. Focus on Hashem, ask Him to protect you and give you strength, then implement your training to the best of your ability. Yes, kick downthe door wherever there's a suspected terrorist behind it; don't give candies to the little kids in the street because they might have bomb-belts strapped to them. Be decent, but be aware. Don't forget that the enemy is cruel and fierce, with no sentiments for human life. Blessings and in your corner always, LB

* * * * *

After writing the above answer, we heard the bitter news of the Baghdad bombing. Emuna Outreach and Lazer Beams wishto convey our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and to all who mourn the fallen heroes that gave their lives to uproot terror and evil in the world.

Just call me Prude

Dear Rabbi Brody,

I just broke up with my boyfriend and one of the reasons that I did so was because I found out that he enjoys an extremely weird and disgusting type of pornography. I just felt defiled and dirty thinking that I was associated with someone who enjoyed those kinds of things. My friends tell me that it is normal for men to look at pornography and that they can't help it and that I was being a prude. What are the Jewish responses to the subject of pornography and why men tend to be attracted to it much more than women?

Thank you very much, Myra in Houston

Dear Myra,

I'm really happy that you broke up with the porno fiend...

You are a sensitive, very special person who deserves much better. I'm positive that the old boyfriend didn't respect you. Porno hounds are only concerned with their animal appetites, and are therefore incapable of truly relating to another person in a relationship. As a rule, their prime concern is getting what they can. Giving comes from the holy side of the spiritual spectrum, while taking comes from the impure, dark side. Don't be upset, The Almighty will be sending you someone more deserving of you.

In college, people used to call me "jock", "straight", or "square" because I wouldn't touch grass and drugs, when most of the campus was high all the time. What do you care if people call you a prude? Must your body be a public domain or your mouth speak filthy language so that people will say you're "in"? You don't need their garbage. Keep yourself on a moral pedestal because you are a king's daughter and not a cellar chambermaid.

Woman are on a naturally higher spiritual level than men. That's why they are not required to learn Torah. Unless a woman has sorely damaged her spiritual self, she won't be turned on by porno; the opposite, she'll be disgusted like you were.

It is very normal for men devoid of any spiritual cognizance or development to be blue-movie fans and porno junkies. The Almighty gave us a sexual urge for two good reasons: One, to procreate; and two, to bring happiness to our partner in life. Sex, like nuclear energy or anything else in G-d's universe, is a power that may be used for good or for evil. While some use sex to raise a family and to bring peace and happiness to their marriage, others use it to exploit other people, to make money, and to express their basest of urges. Such humans are spiritually inferior to animals; the vast majority of bird, animal, and insect species use their sexual drive only to reproduce.

The Almighty gave us the Torah to raise us above our basic animal selves. One who observes the Torah achieves a spiritual level beyond that of an angel. Judaism absolutely forbids porno in any way, shape, or form. The human body is tantamount to a sanctuary, and must be respected accordingly. Specifically, the Torah forbids looking at clothed women for the sake of sexual enjoyment; looking at porno pictures (which transgress several other prohibitions) is much more serious. A porno fiend destroys his own soul, and creates a tremendous barrier between himself and G-d's divine light. Once a person becomes severed from G-d, heaven forbid, there's no limit to his potential for spiritual and emotional corruption. For example, a porno hound will lie and steal - sometimes even kill - to satisfy his appetites.

Now, Myra, people will be calling me a prude. That's OK; PRUDE stands for Proud Respectable Undaunted Dedicated Enemy of ignorance. Blessings always, LB

Our Future is Where our Past is

Remnants of Ashdod's ancient port and fortress; modern Ashdod sprouts in the background.

Today's Ashdod is a blatant microcosm of greater Israel. One part of town is every bit as Chassidic as Mea Shearim in Jerusalem, where a Yiddish speaker doesn't have to know a word of Hebrew to get by. There are round-the-clock prayer minyans, Torah lessons wherever you go, yeshivas, mikvas, and benevolent aid societies for anything you can imagine. My neighbor's wife has a gamach (free loan fund for money or a needed commodity)for pacifiers of all sizes and shapes, so if a baby loses his or her pacifier in the middle of the night or on Shabbat, there won't be crying all night long. Everyone is engaged in some kind of community service.

Because of our prolific birth rate (praise and thanks to Hashem), the government and the grossly anti-religious Israeli press are alarmed and afraid that in a few years the law of Torah will democratically defeat the leftist oligarchic banana-republic type regime. Therefore, they maintain a constant flow of satanic propaganda against those who devote their lives to Torah. I don't want to direct our dear readers to such trash, but one can see such anti-religious incitements and ignorant essays on many Israeli news websites daily. The result? A decadent society. So, on the other end of town in Ashdod, there are neighborhoods where pork is freely sold, where organized crime rules, and where a narcotics user can find the substance of his choice on any street corner, among the other sicknesses of an anti-Torah society that are available on the same street corners.

Israel's only right to exist - in Hashem's own words - is if its people observe the Torah on this sacred land. The Palestinians can certainly point a finger at those who defile the Holy Land and shout, "Who are they to uproot us from our homes?" They can't say that to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who hold Hashem's deed to this land and who are committed to the uncompromising observance of Hashem's commandments in the Holy Land of milk and honey.

Now hear this: the felafel republic's reliance on military might and American aid is like a cripple relying on toothpicks for crutches. Nasrulla and his 2000 or so rowdies taught the anti-emuna government a painful lesson that the latter refuses to learn. Today, the Hizbulla - with the help of Syria and Iran - is more than a band of rowdies. Ollie & friends have no military answer to the threat from the north. $30 billion of American aid won't help either. Maybe Condi and Bush can buy Ollie and Barak, but they can't buy those of us who put our trust in Hashem.

There is no military answer for secular Israel. Israel's only chance for survival is a total reliance on Hashem and a return to our roots. Our future is where our past is. Without that past - the tradition handed down to us generation after generation in an unbroken chain since Mount Sinai - there is no future.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe of blessed and saintly memory said Didan Notzach - we'll be (literally, 'ours will be')the winner. He was right about everything else, and he isn't mistaken here. Emuna is spreading like wildfire, all over the world, and Emuna Outreach is pouring as much fuel on that fire as it can. We shall overcome, with Hashem's loving grace, amen.

Marrying a Niece or Cousin

Dear Rabbi Brody, am I allowed according to Halacha to marry my niece or my cousin? Would there be any medical or genetic dangers? Thank you, YY from the Tel Aviv area

Dear YY,

Your superb question is mentioned in the Gemorra, tractate Yevamot, 62b, on the bottom of the page. Indeed, our sages both encourage and bless anyone that marries a niece. Rashi states that the Gemorra is referring specifically to the daughter of a sister; since a man naturally loves his sister, says Rashi, he will have a special affection for a wife who is the daughter of his sister. The Tosephos argue as follows: Rabbenu Tam agrees with Rashi, and says that the mitzva is to marry the daughter of a sister specifically (more than a brother), because the daughter of a sister will bring her husband good fortune and sons who resemble the father. The Rashbam disagrees with Rashi and with Rabbenu Tam, and says that marrying the daughter of a brother is just as good a mitzva as marrying the daughter of a sister. The Rambam, in agreement with the rationale of the Rashbam stipulates (Hilchot Issure Beia, 2:14), that it's a "mitzvat khakhamim", a rabbinical ordnance, to marry a niece, whether she's the daughter of a sister or a brother. As far as practical Halacha goes, The Rama rules that Ikar HaDin (Principle Halacha) is, "It's a mitzva to marry the daughter of a sister", then adds, "There are those who say that it is also a mitzva to marry the daughter of a brother. (See Shulkhan Oruch, Even Ezer 2:6)." In other words, the Rama tends to agree with Rashi and Rabbenu Tam, but doesn't ignore the Rashbam.

As far as the second half of your question, the Melitzer Rebbe shlit'a in the name of his grandfather, the holy Shatzer Rov of blessed and saintly memory, that ever since Abraham married his niece Sarah, there has been a blessing among Jews for marrying nieces. Also, the Shatzer Rov wrote that the doctor's warnings about hemophilia and other genetic or medical flaws as in the case of the European monarchies does not apply to a family that observes halacha, most specifically, family purity and refraining from forbidden relations. In short, if you have a worthy niece, whether the daughter of a brother or a sister, you are allowed to marry her; not only that, but you will merit the blessings of our sages from the Gemorra. In any event, I strongly urge to test for Tay-Sach's disease before you even begin approaching the prospective match.

As far as cousins go, the Shatzer Rov (see "Or Ganuz, parshat Mattot/Massaei) says that whenever the Torah says "good", according to esoteric tradition and the Arizal, there is an eternal blessing. Hashem told Moshe Rabbenu to tell the daughters of Tslophkhod to marry their cousins (see Bamidbar 36: 5-13), and the Torah says "tov" about it (ibid, verse 6). From here, the Shatzer Rov zatza"l says it's very good to marry a cousin. If it worked for Bnot Tslophkhod, it'll work for you. It's worth noting that quite a few of the Melitzer Rebbe's 12 children are happily married to cousins. With Blessings always, LB

3 Levels of Gratitude

Today's mini-talk takes us to a little wooded niche by the Mediterranean, one of my favorite spots for personal prayer. Let's talk about the most important element in serving Hashem and in marital success - gratitude.

Melitzer Rebbe's Erev Shavuot Message to the Web-viewing Public, 5767

This is the first time in cyber history where a major Chassidic Rebbe specially addresses the web-viewing public.

I was 98% sure that the Melitzer Rebbe shlit'a would refuse when I first approached him with the idea that he address the internet public. His agreement to do so, in order to reach those who may never have the opportunity to see or hear a rebbe in their lives, makes me realize that he is even a greater tzaddik than I thought he was, who fears no one other than Hashem.

Emuna Outreach and the Beams is pleased to introduce you to the Melitzer Rebbe Shlit'a, Grand Rabbi Naftali Moscowitz, who bears a personal message and blessing for each of you. The Rebbe has also allowed us to publish his address, so that anyone who wishes can write and ask for whatever blessings or advice that he or she may desire: Grand Rabbi Naftali Moscowitz, Rehov HaTzivoni 7, apt. 14, Ashdod, Israel, 77571.

Welcome, Melitzer Rebbe:

Weakness or Strength?

This beautiful letter from our esteemed friend Bernard Antin in Michigan is a must read, and a wonderful capsule of Torah-type thinking:

Rav Brody shlit'a,

Some suggest that the Jewish lack of outrage over the Erez Levanon HY'D murder is a sign of national weakness. Erez Levanon H'YD ZY'A was not weak; his cursed murderers YM'S are weak. To paraphrase the Hadran prayer said at the conclusion of a volume of Talmud,  "We run and they run  etc"; We are selfless and they are selfless;  We are selfless to build and bind heaven and Earth and they are selfless to destroy and create chaos in creation.

As our zayde Yitzchak proclaimed there is the Voice of Yaakov and the Hand of Esav. Our memorial to Erez ZY'A is to live Torah as he did, live in defiance of Jihad either the Islamic or the lefist jihadesque assault on Jewish identity, destiny, heritage and values in Eretz Yisrael and Torat Yisrael. Instead of violent rage let our defiance be that Evil will not move us, Evil will not taint our faith. The Nazis YM'S feared the Talmud Jude more than any other enemy. The Rebbe Reb Elimelich ZT'L, ZY'A taught saying shema should as a proclamation of Faith before all of Jewry's enemies. Draw  strength from Hashem and His Torah, we need  patient yearning for the time will come soon that the day of Mashiach is at hand.

Kol tuv

Bernard Antin   

The Sanctity of Jerusalem

For weeks, I've been receiving mail asking why I'm silent on the issue of the rescheduled Impurade for November 10. Here's your answer:

Today, M is top-echelon in the Israeli law-enforcement establishment. Over 30 years ago, when he was a young captain, he sprained his ankle on the way back from a very dangerous recon mission on the other side of the border. Hobbling along in treacherous mountain terrain, he sprained his second ankle. Now, he was grounded altogether. M's sergeant, the unit intel NCO, put M in a fireman's carry and carried him for an entire mile and a half until they reached the Israeli border and safety. The sergeant suffered back pains for years afterward. M promised the sergeant that if he'd ever be in a position to return the favor, he would.

*****

M promised me that there would be no parade. We shook hands and parted - our meeting on a country road in the Judean hills 3 weeks ago took 9 minutes. Knowing that there would be no parade, I saw no reason to kick a dead horse, especially a gay one. Yet, neither M nor I realized that the Israeli Attorney General would override internal security and safety considerations for the free-speech "right" to blaspheme Hashem, His holy Torah, and Jerusalem. M sent me a cryptic message of apology: He said, "A lawyer with a fast Ford outraced the patrol car that blocked the circus". M is not religious, but he's a loyal Jew that's devoted to his country and his people. He and his colleagues certainly didn't need an additional headache of these proportions. I interpreted his message as meaning that the Ford Foundation controls the Attorney General that overruled the police veto of the Impurade.

In short, all the demonstrations, the rock-throwing, and the chaos is pointless. The petitions and the letter writing are a waste of time. The matter is out of our hands and no longer part of our free choice. Hashem's fingerprints are all over this: The Impurade route will now go between the Government compound and the heretical university, and it's taking place the exact week that we read about the Sodomites in the Torah. Coincidence? There's no such thing...

We have all tried every ploy we know to stop the Impurade. Once we've done our best, we should sit back with emuna and let Hashem run the world. Our free choice is to try and stop the parade. Apparently, for Divine reasons that we can't understand, Hashem is deciding otherwise. Whatever Hashem does is for the very best. Sometimes, Hashem gives the evil rope so they can hang themselves with their own negative choices.

I continue to pray to Hashem that this fiasco be cancelled anywhere within Israel's borders. Prayer is both my free choice and my form of protest. Thinking that we can stop the Impurade by force is a total lack of emuna. The trash-burning and egg-throwing delinquents need to learn what it means to be a Jew.

Hashem, this is Your affair - my job is Torah, prayer, and spreading emuna in the world.

One important closing thought: Raising a hand against a fellow Jew is a heinous sin. Let everyone calm down and let the Impurade march around its home turf of the Knesset, the government offices, and the faculty of Archeology. Lets get back to more important things.