Lazer Beams

Dead Sea Rivers

Thanks to Amir Aloni, we have a breathtaking view of the Dead Sea area in our exquisite homeland, after the recent rains and snows this blessed winter have brought the Dead-Sea area alive. You'll love the Native-American flute in the background too, and I'm sure that all lovers of Israel will enjoy this as much as I do...

Happy Tu B'Shvat, Planted People!

Above photo, 2000 year-old olive tree in the Lower Galilee that dates back to the Second Temple

Tu B'Shvat is so spiritually and emotionally overwhelming for someone who loves Hashem and our holy Land of Israel. It's all about our roots that go so deep down in this hallowed land that Hashem promised to our forefathers and gave to us over 3,300 years ago. Our Nomadic and usurping Arab neighbors can't understand, but we are a Planted People, planted deep in the Holy Land, from which we shall never budge, amen!

My feature article this week on Breslev Israel web magazine, The Planted People, is perfect to read at your Tu B'Shvat table. When you finish it, you can check out these other great articles:

Rabbi Shalom Arush - That Little Voice

Gedale Fenster - Ten Essential Life Lessons

Racheli Reckles - How to Kill Your Marriage 

Lori Steiner - Ten Steps to Redemption

David Perlow - 80/20 Parenting

David Ben Horin - Circumventing 5 Cs

Terry Hayes - The Noahide Struggle 

Enjoy, and may you be blessed with wonderful fruit of every type, arbor and human, amen!

A Tu B'Shvat Prayer for our Children

Tu B'Shvat is the time to pray for good fruit, both of the tree and of the womb. Enjoy this and have a splendid New Year Tu B'Shvat!

Tu B'Shvat: Israel's Answer to the World

Tu B'Shvat this year is Sunday night, Jan. 20 - Monday, Jan. 21, 2019

The nations of the world, in protesting our right to the Land of Israel, claim that all the other religions are fine with living in a variety of countries, so why must the Jews have their own land?

Many Jews don't know the answer to this seemingly-probing question. Yet, the answer is surprisingly simple. It also explains why we have a special New Year for trees, when it's a special mitzva to plant trees all over the Land of Israel.

In his very first statement of his classic elaboration on Torah, Rashi explains prophetically that in case the nations of the world will call Israel thieves for occupying Canaanite land, then know full well that Hashem created the world and He parcels it out to whomever He chooses.

King David says that Hashem gave us the land of the Canaanite nations so that we would "guard His laws and observe His commandments" (Psalm 105:45) on this hallowed land, as the Torah instructs.

When a Jew is honored with an "aliya" to the Torah, he says two blessings - one before the Torah reading and one after the Torah reading. The latter blessing is especially interesting: "Blessed are You, Hashem our God, King of the universe, for giving us the Torah of truth, and planting posterity within us; blessed are You, Hashem, who gives the Torah."

Our sages called the Torah, the "planting of posterity". Why "planting"? Trees are planted, but why Torah? And, what does this have to do with the Land of Israel?

As Rashi explains, the Land of Israel is not like any other land - it is Hashem's special Holy Land. The Torah explains an entire array of special commandments that must be observed in the Land of Israel, yet need not be observed elsewhere. Many of these commandments deal with with trees and fruit, such as orla[1], trumot[2], maaserot[3], prat and olelut[4], just to name a few.

The Shulchan Aruch, or Code of Jewish Law, forbids a Jew from selling a non-Jew anything that is still rooted in the soul of the Land of Israel[5]. In other words, one may sell a non-Jew an entire ton of Israel's finest grapes, but he may not sell even one lone grapevine that is planted in the holy soil of Israel. The Gemara gives two reasons for this prohibition[6]: First, since Hashem gave the Land of Israel to the Jews specifically for the purpose of performing the Torah's commandments, one may not give or sell any portion of the land, no matter how big or small. This in itself is one of the Torah's 365 negative mitzvoth known as Lo Techanem[7]. Second, by selling or giving any portion of land to a non-Jew, one is obstructing the performance of the required mitzvoth that pertain to that portion of land, which constitutes a desecration of the land's holiness.

Planting is so important in the Land of Israel, that if a person has not yet harvested the first fruits of his vineyard, he is exempt from military service[8].

With all the above in mind, what's so significant about planting trees in the Land of Israel? And why is the Torah said to be "implanted" with us?

The Prophet Jeremiah said [10]that the sign of our final redemption will be when you see Jews coming back to the Land of Israel and planting vineyards in Samaria; that's happening right now, and that's what the BDS Movement and all our other enemies are fighting against...

The Torah tells us that he who plants, especially in the hallowed Land of Israel, is he who is connected - he sends forth roots, deep in the ground. The deeper the roots, the stronger the connection. The Torah is also called the "Tree of Life"[9], for those who cling to it. In this respect, the Torah represents our spiritual clinging to Hashem - for the Jewish people are rooted in Hashem, as Rebbe Shimon Bar Yochai says in the Zohar - while the trees we plant in the holy Land of Israel signify our physical clinging to Hashem, to His holy land, and to His commandments. So, just as we rightfully celebrate our anniversary of Torah every year on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan, we annually celebrate our New Year for trees, every year on the Fifteenth of Shvat. Happy Tu B'Shvat!

Footnotes: 

[1]    The prohibition of eating fruit from a three-year old tree or younger

[2]    Typically 2% of the yield that is given to a Cohen

[3]    10% of the yield that is given to the Levites; there are two additional types of tithes, for the poor and for the purpose of spending in Jerusalem during the time of festivals in the Holy Temple

[4]    Enabling the poor to glean fallen and lone grapes left over after the grape harvest

[5]    See Yora Deah 141:7

[6]    See Tractate Avoda Zara, 21a

[7]    Numbers 7:2, mitzva number 284 according the the Sefer Chinuch

[8]    Numbers 20:6

[9]    Proverbs 3:18

[10]    Jeremiah 31:4

Perfect Prayer

Shavua Tov! How would you like to have the ability to pray perfectly and to have those prayers answered? It's possible! In today's lesson, we learn what constitutes perfect prayer…

Parshat Beshalach: Planting the Holy Temple

In the week's Torah portion, Moses prophesizes that he won't enter the Land of Israel, but in the future, Hashem will plant His people there just as He plants a tree. Enjoy this mini-lesson and have a lovely Shabbat!

Don't Forget the Gratitude

This unbelievably inspiring clip from Rabbi Shalom Arush tells the dramatic story of a woman giving birth to a baby that was born nearly lifeless. Look at the power of gratitude in triggering miraculous salvations...

Garden of Wisdom Lesson #80 – Belief in Tzaddikim

In order for the Clever One to prove that there is no king, he has to go out of his way to prove that the miracle worker is a hoax, because once a person sees the miracle worker, he readily sees the king…

Today, we'll learn why it's so important to believe in tzaddikim. Enjoy!

The King's Driver

The man looked out the window and his eyes nearly popped out of his head. The young man who was about to take his daughter on a date just pulled up in the driveway in an $8 million Mercedes-Benz Maybach Exelero. Where did ever get such a car?

What's your dream, a new Mercedes? Or maybe your health is much more important. What are you asking for in your prayers?

Don't think that an $8 million Mercedes-Benz Maybach Exelero is a big deal to ask for from Hashem. You are certainly allowed to pray for it, or for anything else you want.

How would you like to have the ability to pray perfectly and to have those prayers answered? It's possible! Today's emuna lesson teaches us what constitutes perfect prayer, the type of prayer from which you never come back empty-handed... 

Don't miss today's emuna lesson and live broadcast from Jerusalem entitled "The King's Driver", which will take place, G-d willing, on the ground-floor main sanctuary of the Chut Shel Chessed Yeshiva on 13 Shmuel Hanavi Street in Jerusalem at 7 PM Israel time; the shiur is open to the public - both men and women are invited. You can see today's lesson here - the broadcast, as well as our lessons posted from now on - are Mac and iPod compatible. If you tune in too early to the live broadcast link, you'll be sent to the main page of the Breslev Israel website, so try to tune in on time.  If you are not able to view today's broadcast live, then G-d willing, you'll be able to see the video tape of it later this coming week on Lazer Beams. 

Today! Say "Parshat HaMan" to Insure a Good Income

Don't forget to say "Parshat HaMan" today: Segula (spiritually-invoking ploy) for a good income - on the Tuesday of the Parshat Beshalach week, our sages tell us that it's an opportune time to recite "Parshat HaMan", the story of the manna, the Heaven-sent bread that sustained the Children of Israel for forty years in the desert. One should read it in Hebrew if possible, twice mikra and once targum. For your convenience, here is a clearly presented Parshat HaMan which you are more than welcome to download. If you read English only, then I've translated it for you, here: Download Parshat HaMan - English. May Hashem send a wonderful income to everyone, amen!