Lazer Beams

Why Hang with Turkeys?

It's pretty embarrassing to hang with turkeys when you can soar like an eagle:

29 Iyar: A Special Day to Pray for our Children

Today (Thursday) is the 29th of Iyar according to the Hebrew calendar. Jewish tradition teaches that today is an opportune time to pray that our children grow up in health of body, mind, and soul. The best known prayer that our people have been using for hundreds of years is "A Parent's Prayer" composed by the holy Shl"a, a 17th Century Scholar and Kabbalist who is buried near the Rambam in Tiberias. As a service to our readers, Artscroll.com sent us a PDF with the prayer in Hebrew and English, which you can download here.

We've often said that the most important part of raising happy and successful children is praying for them. The 5 minutes that you take to say the Shl"a's prayer will be one of the best investments you ever made.

Prayer for Guidance

This simple prayer is the key to clarity and success:

Controlling all of Creation

Rebbe Nachman of Breslev teaches (Likutei Moharan I: 34), that every individual has the potential of being a "righteous governor". Certainly, each of us has the potential of being righteous, a "tzaddik", for the prophet said, "And your people are all tzaddikim!" (Isaiah 60:21). A tzaddik has the special ability to govern over all of creation.

Reb Natan of Breslev explains (Likutei Halachot, Yora Dea, Mila 4:16), that "Creation continues to exist and function by virtue of Israel's service to Hashem, and their blessings and praise of Him, blessed is He." In simple terms, every creation fulfills its purpose in the universe thanks to the prayers and songs of Israel, thanking and praising Hashem. For example, when Israel blesses Hashem for creating the sun, moon, and stars, they glitter and illuminate! As such, the Israel that controls nature is virtually above the level of nature; nature cannot control Israel.

Rabbi Alexander Ziskind of saintly and blessed memory writes explicitely (Yesod VeShoresh HaAvoda, Gate 3, Section 5) that Israel governs over creation and that creation must comply with Israel's directives. In his elaboration of Psalm 148, he notes that a person in this lowly physical world has the power of commanding all the creations – both in the upper worlds and in the lower worlds – to praise Hashem; they are required to obey, as a fundamental law embedded in the very fiber of creation. Anyone who realizes that his or her prayers, Psalms, and songs of praise have the power to dictate orders to all of creation will surely acquire a burning desire to sing constant songs of thanks and praise to Hashem; these songs of thanks and praise are a scepter in a person's hands that enables him or her to rule over nature.

Do you know what that means? With songs of thanks and praise, together with emuna, one can order bacteria and viruses to leave the body, and they must adhere!

All of creation sings to Hashem. Why don't you join in?

Wings of a Dove

People ask me where I get the stamina to hold up under such a gruelling tour schedule, for each road trip is usually 17-21 days with multiple daily engagements and often more than 18,000 miles of traveling. The answer is, I get my energy - and everything else I have - from Hashem. But what keeps me going is my daily hour of personal prayer. I'd like to share with you this pictorial diary of the places where I was privileged to do personal prayer during one of our USA speaking tours two years ago. Yes, you can speak to Hashem in the USA too (only from Israel, it's a local call). The background music is from the Madregot, two fantastic Israeli singers, who sing Ever Cayona, "Wings of a Dove". Have a great Shabbat!

Dear God: The Pure and Innocent Prayers of Children

Our entire video staff at Breslev Israel got together to produce one of the most moving and charming clips you'll ever want to see. This clip is universal, completely non-denomenational, showing children's pure and exquisitely innocent relationship with G-d. We hope you enjoy this.

Calling Out to Hashem

It's been a while, but we just received a clip of an evening of song and inspiration that we had during a Melave Malka in South Manchester four years ago, together with my dear friends, renown guitarists Rabbis Danny Bergson and Mitch Goodman. Enjoy it and have a great week!