Lazer Beams

Holocaust? No, it can't happen here...

Famous last words of German Jews prior to Kristallnacht: "No, it can't happen here..."

American Jews, ever so comfy, say the same thing today. With oil up to $120/barrel and the value of the dollar down by over 30%, with a waning economy and increasing unemployment, it's only a matter of time until the ground really starts burning under the feet of American Jews. Why? Whenever a nation's economy gets squeezed, it's blame-the-Jews time. Besides, Hashem wants his American kinderlach here in Israel, exchanging their golf and country club membership for a true Torah lifestyle. Since the destruction of the Holy Temple, whenever Jews have it too cushy in the Diaspora, the mad dogs of antisemitism start barking and ultimately bite. Two prime examples are pre-Inquisition Spain and pre-Holocaust Germany. America really fits history's template like a glove. Now, with the Pollard #2 (suspected spy Ben Ami Kadish) affair hitting the fan, you can really expect some serious anti-Jewish animosity in the USA.

Thanks to our Emuna Outreach staffer in Alabama, Cookie Dalton, you can here a segment of my comments on the gathering clouds of American antisemitism from my latest broadcast on Israel National Radio:

"Drosh-Zemer" by Rabbi Amnon Yitzchak

Image, left: Lazer with Rabbi Amnon Yitzchak

The Beams, Emuna Outreach, and I congratulate our esteemed and cherished friend, one of the world's greatest outreach rabbis, Rabbi Amnon Yitzchak shlit'a, for his revolutionary new musical concept that's taking Israel by storm.

Rabbi Amnon told me earlier today that he is gravely concerned for the fate of our people with enemies tightening a noose around us, so he initiated a way to reach tens of thousands of secular Israelis fast. His new concept of "Drosh-Zemer", telling the stories of Torah by way of a popular musical motif, is taking off. The Israeli media has been giving him major exposure, both in newspapers and on radio.

With popular singer Erez Yechiel (of Tikkun Klali fame) singing the lyrics of Rabbi Amnon, their first song entitled "Moses, Faithful Shepherd" is literally off the charts. The Beams is proud to be the first English-language site to introduce Rabbi Amnon Yitzchak's "Drosh-Zemer", samples of which you can hear right here at Shofar.net.

We pray for Rabbi Amnon's success, for his success means expediting the full redemption of our people, soon, amen.

Emuna News Special Report: The Sword on Israel's Jugular

Israel faces its greatest existential threat in its history. At this very moment, every single city, town, and village between the northern border and Dimona is a push-button away from oblivion, for the triple menace of missiles from Syria, Hizbollah, and Iran rest like a sharp sword on Israel's Jugular. The fact that the Israeli media and the Israeli government are hiding this unequivocal fact makes it no less acute. One cannot demand from leaders and their mouthpieces that lack principle, conviction, foundation, and a basic common sense to tell the truth to the people.

Our veteran readers and friends know that we are anything but doomsday prophets. Those who know Rav Shalom Arush shlit'a (photo, left) know that he is the happiest of people and always smiling. But of late, as one of this generation's holiest and righteous men, he has taken the burden of the Jewish people, particularly those in Israel, on his shoulders. In the last two months, he has aged ten years. His eyes are bloodshot from crying to Hashem, praying for the people of Israel for hours on end.

Last night, Minister of Commerce and Industry Eli Yishai came to see Rav Shalom. Eli Yishai (photo, right) briefed Rav Shalom on the security situation and the missile threats from Iran, Hizbollah in Lebanon, and Syria. He also asked Rav Shalom to pray for the army since one of the Israeli Army's highest ranking generals - a completely non-religious individual - approached Yishai after a Defense Committee meeting in the Knesset and begged him to mobilize the tzaddikim in prayer, because the army has no answer to the missile triple-threat. If the south of Israel has become so vulnerable to home-made Hamas Qassam rockets, then they surely have nothing to answer the threat of Syria, Nasrulla, and Iran.

A reliable Emuna News source told us earlier today that Israel is so badly rushing the USA to expedite the delivery of 100 F35b's with vertical take-off capability because defense authorities are afraid that Israel's airfields will be incapacitated in the first round of missile fire.

Hizbulla's missiles have all of Tel Aviv in the cross-hairs. Yet, Olmert continues to fiddle like Nero and Tel Aviv continues in its campaign to be gay-tourist capital of the world, Heaven forbid.

Just a few days ago, Rav Elyashiv, one of this generation's foremost scholars and lawgivers, said that the current existential threat that Israel faces is greater than the danger on the eve of the Holocaust.

After the Nazi Holocaust, people all over the world shrugged their shoulders and said. "We had no idea!" With everything we've been yelling about here at Emuna News, no one will be able to say, "We didn't know." Folks don't want to know. Knowledge of today's facts necessitates teshuva.

Israel's domestic intelligence chiefs just this week admitted that Abu Mazan and the Fatah are no peace partners, for soon the Hamas will sieze the West Bank also. Emuna News told you that over a year ago. Soon, Hamastan will become a 4th missile threat from right next door to the center of Israel. Yet, the Neroic Olmert-Barak anti-emuna further hastens national suicide by sending more arms to the PA. Like in Gaza, these too will eventually fall into Hamas hands.

Update: Three hours after this post was published, the Jerusalem Post published its leading headline that Defense Minister Barak is afraid of a Hamas takeover in the West Bank. Once again, Emuna News is way ahead of the media and the politicians.

There is nothing in this report that's new other than verifications of what Emuna News has been saying for the last two and a half years since the second Lebanon War when a much weaker Hizbollah than today succeeded in firing 4000 rockets on Israel, which led to a million people fleeing from their homes.

The people of Israel stand in the shadow of a dark cloud of severe judgment. We must drop everything and return to Hashem. For those that think we're daft, pour yourself another expresso and delete the Beams from your favorites list. For those of you that have the slightest trust in me, please do your utmost to strengthen your emuna and do genuine teshuva.

I'd much prefer posting a pleasant musical video clip like we normally do on Fridays. But now's not the time. The people of Israel worldwide must wake up. If you think you'll be cushy in Thornhill or in Great Neck while missiles are falling on Israel, you're wrong this time. Hashem is judging us this very moment. The evening of Shabbat Parah is time to purify ourselves. Let's invoke Divine compassion by turning the tides of assimilation and spiritual contamination with a worldwide return to Hashem. Our lives depend on it.

This week's Torah portion is Shmini and it's also Parshat Parah. Here's a Chassidic Pearl to embellish your Shabbat table too. Shabbat Shalom and blessings always.

Obama and Aliya

  Not only does Hashem do everything for the very best, but Hashem has a fantastic sense of humor.

For example, Haman did more to advance the Teshuva movement among the Jewish people worldwide than any rabbi ever did. Every day in purgatory, Haman is showed how he brought so many Jews closer to Hashem - this for him is the supreme torture.

Hashem continues to laugh. Since Aliya from America is the lowest it has been in years, Hashem has made a presidential candidate out of a slick-tongued freshman senator with no experience that rubs shoulders with a bunch of major-league Jewhaters like General Tony McPeak and Preacher Jeremiah Wright. Obie and his cronies are doing more to encourage Aliya than the Jewish Agency and the Israeli Absorption Ministry combined.

It doesn't matter who you vote for. All the politicians are funny little puppets with Hashem pulling the strings.

Doron: Story of a True Tzaddik

Doron Mahareta (left) of blessed and saintly memory HY"D was one of the eight Yeshiva students that were massacred last week in Yeshivat Mercaz HaRav in Jerusalem.

Last night, I paid a shiva (condolence) call to Doron's family. Every single type of Jew was sitting together, from Ethiopians to Polish Chassidim, from knit kippot to Yerushalmi white kippot, from jeans and sandals to long black frocks. Too bad that it takes a martyr of Doron's magnitude to unite everyone.

One of the rabbis from Mercaz HaRav told me the most amazing story you'll ever hear about Doron's dedication to learning Torah, a story that competes with the Gemara's account of Hillel's near freezing on the roof of Shmaya and Avtalion's Yeshiva (see tractate Yoma, 35b).

Doron wanted to learn Torah in Mercaz HaRav, one of the best of Israel's yeshivas. But, since his early schooling was in Ethiopia, he lacked a strong background in Gemara. The Yeshiva rejected him. He wasn't discouraged. He asked, "If you won't let me learn Torah, will you let me wash the dishes in the mess hall?" For a year and a half, Doron washed dishes. But, he spent every spare minute in the study hall. He inquired what the yeshiva boys were learning, and spent most of the nights and all of his Shabbatot with his head in the Gemara learning what they learned. One day, the "dish washer" asked the Rosh Yeshiva to test him. The Rosh Yeshiva politely smiled and tried to gently dismiss Doron, but Doron wouldn't budge. He forced the Rosh Yeshiva into a Torah discussion; the next day, he was no longer a dish washer but a full-fledged "yeshiva bachur".

On weekends, when Doron would come home to visit his family in Ashdod, he'd spend the entire Shabbat either in the Melitzer Shul or the neighboring Gerrer shtiebel learning Shulchan Aruch and its commentaries. Three weeks ago, he finished the entire Shulchan Aruch and principle commentaries. Doron achieved in his tender 26 years what others don't attain in 88 years. He truly was an unblemished sacrifice, who gave his life for all of us.

The next time you want to close the Gemara to watch TV, think of Doron. The next time your son doesn't want to do his Torah homework, tell him about the price that tzaddikim like Hillel the Elder and Doron Mahareta paid to learn Torah. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if Doron wasn't a reincarnation of Hillel. May his holy soul beg mercy for the grieving nation he left behind, amen.

The Root of our Ills

A Ukranian peasant felt pain in his left arm. He went to his local village doctor, and the doctor gave him an ointment to rub on his arm. The peasant felt better for a day or two, but soon the pain returned even stronger than before. The peasant returned to the local village doctor, who referred him to a big specialist in Kiev. The peasant made the long journey to Kiev, and after much searching, finally located the specialist's address.

The peasant complained to the specialist about the fierce pain in his arm. The doctor took one look at the arm and told the peasant to take off his shirt. The bewildered peasant asked, "Doctor, why must I remove my shirt if my arm hurts?"

The doctor placed his stethascope on the peasant's chest, smiled patiently, and answered, "I must examine your heart. What you feel in your arm is only radiated pain. The root of the pain is in your heart."

* * * * * * *

There isn't a single one of us who doesn't have a problem that hurts - some have health problems, others have financial difficulties, many have marital issues, quite a few have grief from their children. Some couples don't have children at all, and still others long to find their soulmate and are lonely in the meanwhile. If I have alluded to your particular problem, simply fill in the blank. We all have our ills, whether physical, emotional, spiritual, or interpersonal. Most of us think that an "ointment" of a raise in salary or relief of our localized problem will end our ills. Wrong.

The root of our ills is Jerusalem - the lack of our Holy Temple and the Divine Presence withing our midst. Rather than crying out to Hashem, we are tacitly agreeing to the dissection and ultimate surrender of Jerusalem, the heart of the Jewish people.

My dear friends in London, Melborne, Toronto, Miami Beach, Los Angeles, and elsewhere - don't think that Jerusalem is the Israel's problem alone; it's just as much your problem too. You are limbs that extend from the same heart that is known as Yerushalayim and Bet HaMikdash. When we here at the Beams are crying out for Jerusalem and Moshiach, it's because our national cure depends on a healthy heart - Jerusalem and the full redemption of our people. With the Divine Presence within our midst, there is a limitless blessing of abundance for health, happiness, and everything we need.

Here is a moving film clip that shows pictures of the Westen Wall and the Temple Mount, with the beautiful background music of an Oriental Jewish rendition of Psalm 147, verses 12 and 13, where Jerusalem and Zion praise Hashem. Enjoy it. Please, do yourself a favor and pray for Yerushalayim.

Preparing for Shavuot: The Barometer of Successful Torah Learning

Our sages teach that all of Torah centers around loving our fellow human as we love ourselves. Apparently, this is an odd concept: What do the laws of Kashrut, Shabbat, or tefillin have to do with brotherly love? The following video clip, filmed in the gorgeous Judean Hills between Gush Etzion and Hevron, provides the answer and gives us food for thought in preparation for Shavuot, the holiday that commemorates our people's receiving the Torah on Mount Sinai.

Orthodox Jewish Unity - it's for real!

Have you ever seen a boxer warm up by pounding one fist into his other open palm? No, he wasn't trying to smash himself; he was warming up to pound his opponent.

Back in my active military days, we'd perform manuevers and dry runs of missions against other Special Forces squads; sometimes we got carried away and kicked the daylights out of each other. In the end though, our united spear would pierce the enemy.

The arch-enemy of the Jewish people today is assimilation. Intermarriage and Xmas trees in Jewish living rooms concern me 100 times more than the Hamas, the Hizbulla, or that baboon in Tehran who's threatening our people every other day. Why? The last 3 decades of the American Jewish holocaust has claimed 100 times more victims than five-and-a-half decades of Israel's ongoing struggle with the Arabs.

So, when I saw assimilation and Jewish self-hatred knocked out with one of the best written blog-post punches I've seen all year, I had to congratulate the author; Here's what I wrote:

B"H, 29.12.05

Shalom, Dov Ber!

Your post from Dec.7 - "A self-hating Jew, etc" - is sharp enough to slaughter a chicken; it's absolutely superb, and one of the best pieces I've seen all year. Blessings and best wishes for a joyous Shabbos Rosh Chodesh Chanuka. Warm regards from Eretz Yisroel, Lazer Brody

For those who may not know, Dov Ber's razor-sharp pen has been dangerously close to my jugular on more than one occasion. Nonetheless, Dov Ber responded to the above letter with the dignity that didn't surprise me:

29.12.05

Thank you for the complimentary words.

I know we've had our differences, R' Lazer; I hope you know that all disagreements between us are in the spirit of the Ramban and the Ibn Ezra. (l'havidl)

See more here: http://dovbear.blogspot.com/2005/02/great-moments-in-torah-commentary.html

Warm wishes from the United States of America, DovBear

For background material on "ritcha d'oraissa", see the above post and learn how two Orthodox Jews can confront each other with flaming swords in the mutual search for truth. I answered Dov Bear as follows:

B"H 30.12.05

I never doubted otherwise.

It's impossible for two Jews of our respective Hashkafas (outlook, philosophies - LB) not to collide every once in a while. Throughout our history, not only the Rambam and the Ibn Ezra (as you so adeptly wrote), but the Rambam and the Ra'vad, the Ramban and the Ma'or, the Shach and the Taz, just to name a few. So, we're in good company; just as an army needs both a Navy and an Air Force, Hashem needs both Dov Ber and Lazer. The clincher comes down when we're faced with an enemy from the outside - then, we're brothers that fight side-by-side under the same flag.

You can therefore quote me in any forum as saying: Dov Bear has fantastic attributes - candor, loyalty, truth, courage, a razor-sharp mind, and he flatters no one. So what if we think differently? He's a brilliant writer and analyst, and he'd be anybody's dream chavrusa (Talmudic study partner - LB).

Many lightweights use 'Machlokess' (disagreement - LB) among the orthodox as an excuse for not observing the Torah. The world needs to know that we can drop bombs of "ritcha d'oraissa" (anger, or fire of Torah - LB) on each other's heads, but yet we have no argument about Shabbos, kashrus, tefillin, and family purity. When the going gets tough, i.e. in the face of an outside enemy, man - do we pull together!

Please don't let our friendship get in the way of smashing me whenever you see fit. Take care and G-d bless, with success and nachas in everything you do. Yours always, Lazer

I therefore have bad news for the enemies of the Jewish people in general, and the enemies of Orthodox Judaism in particular: Curtail your premature joy when you see Orthodox Jewish bloggers like Dov Bear and Lazer sparring - this is intramural, between two brothers. We have no disagreement as to all 613 mitzvas of Torah or the importance of learning Torah. Our slashing swords unite in our fight against assimilation and in our efforts for the future of Orthodox Judaism. The two fists that look like they're pounding each other are actually the hands of the same fighter. Orthodox Jewish unity is for real.

G-d willing, in the coming days, we hope to publish the eye-opening continuation of the Dov Bear - Lazer dialogue.