Lazer Beams

"M'kimi" - the personal freedom song

"He raises me from meager dust, from the trash heap He has lifted the destitute; to seat me with nobles, with the nobles of His people." Psalm 113:7-8

The above passages are the story of my life. Pesach not only is the national freedom holiday, put my personal freedom holiday, when I thank Hashem especially for liberating my soul via Torah, tshuva, and emuna.

"He raises me" in Hebrew is "M'kimi," from Psalm 113 that we'll all be saying during the Hallel prayer on Pesach."M'kimi" is the song that my cherished friend Rav Yosef Karduner and I are singing together in the following clip (click on the embedded video below), our way of wishing you and yours a joyous Shabbat and 7th day of Passover (plus 8th day for our friends overseas) with true freedom of the body, mind, and soul, amen.

I want to send an extra heartfelt thank-you and blessing to all of you who have given so much of your time, talents, and resources to help Emuna Outreach spread the message of hope and faith to the far corners of the world. May Hashem bless you always, and grant you all your heart's wishes for the very best, amen.

"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.

Adraba: Unity is the Key Word

Rebbe Nachman of Breslev teaches that within every cloud, there's a silver lining. In other words, even during the darkest hours, one can find an encouraging beam of light.

The Mercaz HaRav massacre has left the world of observant Judaism with a refreshing new and strong sense of unity. Many of the greats of this generation from Chassidic, Lithuanian, and Sephardi circles paid condolence calls to Yeshivat Mercaz HaRaz and to the bereaved families. Russian and Ethiopian Jews are embracing while consoling one another. People are forgetting differences and remembering our common denominator - Hashem, His holy Torah, and His holy Land of Israel which we all cherish. A Satmer chassid from New York told me that the Satmer Rebbe shlit'a cried like a baby when he heard the bitter news of the Mercaz massacre.

Hezy Levy and I want to continue the momentum, so here we are out in the field sing Rebbe Elimelech of Lizensk's famous "Adraba", a song that teaches to look for the good in our fellow man. Unity is definitely the key word. 

This week's parsha is Vayikra and Shabbat Zchor. Here are some goodies for your Shabbat table including a Baal Shem Tov Story and a Chassidic Pearl. The Beams and Emuna Outreach wish you a wonderful week with good tidings.

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Attention Israel Residents! Don't miss the Melave Malka this Motzaei Shabbat at the Main Auditorium of Moshav Yad Binyamin, featuring Yosef Karduner and Rav Lazer Brody, 15 March, 2008, 8:15 PM

Dibbur Shel Teshuva: A few Words of Teshuva

This week is Shabbat Shekalim and Parshat Pekudai, as well as Shabbat Rosh Chodesh, which means that we'll be reading from 3 Torah scrolls on the Shabbat. May we all hear good tidings, amen.

Everywhere I Walk, I Walk in the Land of Israel

In continuation of our Eretz Yisroel series this week, here is a clip of Guy Tzvi Mintz and I singing Rebbe Nachman's famous quotation, "Wherever I walk, I am walking in the Land of Israel." A basic tenet of Breslever Chassidic thought is to strive to move to the Land of Israel. Even if one can't, one should yearn so much for the Holy Land, that one's thoughts and feelings are actually here. The more you love someone, the more you think about them.

This week's Torah portion is Vayakhel. Here are wonderful commentaries that you can use for your Shabbat table, including a Chassidic Pearl and a Chassidic story. The Beams and BreslovWorld wish you a wonderful week.

Finally Here

The hate rhetoric and the threats against us are just part of the scenario unfolding before us, that Moshiach is fast on the way. Let the dogs bark. I prefer to enter Shabbat on a more pleasant note.

My good friend Ari Goldwag, with a beautiful voice and a beautiful soul of a young man that learns Torah all day long, expresses our anticipation for Moshiach beautifully in his new song, "Finally Here," which the Beams is happy to share a sneak preview of. Below the lyrics is an mp3 so you can listen and follow Ari's beautiful song. The song also expresses our frustration with our brothers and sisters that are deafened by the noise of materialism, so they can't hear the sound of the Shofar that's getting louder every day.

G-d willing, we hope to do a feature article about Ari in the near future.

FINALLY HERE, lyrics and music by Ari Goldwag

As he walked home from yeshiva,
a sound reached his ears
clear and majestic, unmistakably near
Joy filled his heart
HE'S FINALLY HERE!!! Moshiach's finally here!!!

He ran all the way home
said to his dad,
"Did you hear it - the shofar
or am I going mad?"
"Not now, my son,
can it wait 'til later, when the business news is done."

CHORUS:

Where is our hope, our faith, our pride?
Where's the desire, the love deep inside?
When we say we want Ben Dovid to come
We can't fool ourselves or the Holy One.

She heard it, at first faintly
a note long and clear
steadily the sound grew
'til it was all she could hear
Joy filled her heart
HE'S FINALLY HERE!!! Moshiach's finally here!!!

She rushed to the kitchen,
got on the phone.
"Sister, can you hear it
or is it me alone?"
"Can you call back tonight?
I'm facebooking now, so I hope it's alright..."

CHORUS

When we finally hear the shofar
After all these many years
Our emotions can run deeply
moving us to tears
Joy will fill our hearts
WHEN HE'S FINALLY HERE!!! When Moshiach's finally here!!!

We must strengthen our hope, our faith, our pride.
We can find the desire, the love deep inside.
When we say we want Ben Dovid to come
We can reconnect to the Holy One.

Ari Goldwag: Finally Here

This week's Torah portion is Ki Tisa. Have a wonderful Shabbat, with blessings from the Beams, Emuna Outreach, and BreslovWorld.

Hareini Mochel

This song is a guarantee for a peaceful sleep at night. See why:

Jerusalem of Gold

I was thinking what I could do to make people yearn for Yerushalayim. After the Six-Day War in 1967 when Jerusalem was recaptured from the Jordanians, Naomi Shemer wrote a beautiful song called Yerushalayim Shel Zahav, or Jerusalem of Gold. Sung by Shuli Natan, it became Israel's unofficial national anthem. You can't hear the song with a dry eye. With Hashem's loving help, my dear friend Chezi Levy, Israel's favorite troubador, will now sing the song for you right here at the Beams:

I'll be seeing Chezi this coming Sunday, G-d willing, at his home on Moshav Udim right near Natanya, and will be interviewing him for BreslovWorld, our sister site. From there, I'll be continuing north to Moshav Nir Etzion, for our monthly lesson in Likutei Moharan in Hebrew. For those of you in the Hadera-Haifa area, you're more than welcome to join us. Maariv is at 5:45 PM followed by the shiur at 6 PM.

This week's Torah portion is Truma. In addition to the other wonderful commentaries, you'll find a Chassidic Pearl on this week's parsha as well as a Chassidic Story. You're more than welcome to make printouts of these goodies, which you can use to lead a lively, inspiring, and uplifting Shabbat table. Have a joyous and peaceful Shabbat and weekend.

Be Happy, it's a big mitzva

G-d willing, Guy Tzvi Mintz and I will appear in a special evening of joy, inspiration, and song for women and girls entitled, The Secret of Spiritual Blossoming is Joy, this coming Sunday night, 13 Shevat (20.1.08) at 8 PM in the main shul of Bat Ayin, Gush Etzion. The program will be in Hebrew. Here's a taste:

Don't forget this Motzaei Shabbat either! G-d willing, Yosef Karduner and I will be together this coming Saturday night in Mevo Modiin (19.1.08) at 8:30 pm, for an enjoyable evening of emuna and song entitled, "Personal Growth, Like the Tree of the Field." The program is in English and the whole family is welcome.

This week's Torah portion is Beshalach, also known as "Shabbat Shira." Our sister site BreslovWorld has plenty of thought-provoking articles including a Chassidic Pearl and a story for the Shabbat table. With all these resources at your fingertips, there's no reason why your Shabbat table can't be a wonderful family experience, and no reason why you can't sound like a Rebbe. Just wait and see how your family looks at you in admiration when you talk Torah and tell stories at the table. May Hashem bless you with a superb and joyous week!

King Menachem Solo

So many people wrote and requested to see more of King Menachem, that we're posting another clip for your weekend enjoyment. G-d willing, the Beams will have more exclusive previews of the "Emuna Rock" project in the near feature.

A lot of people ask why Menachem plays a guitar that doesn't have a head to it. That's simple - Menachem thinks for the guitar - his head works for both. Enjoy your Sunday!