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.

Silly Gag Order

The gag order on the latest investigation against Israeli PM Olmert seems rather ridiculous when the story was plastered all over ABC News yesterday. Well, that's not the only ridiculous thing going on falafel-regime politics. Wait and see how the Prime Minister wiggles his way out of this too. No, Tzippel'e, you won't be Prime Minister.

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.

The Miracles of Hanit

Image at left courtesy of Haaretz.com shows the Israeli Missile boat "Hanit" being tugged into Ashdod port after having been hit by a Hizbulla missile off the Beirut shore on July 14, 2006, during the Second Lebanon War.

17 October, 2006. A young Israeli Naval sergeant boarded the northbound train in Tel Aviv. I was on my way to a present a lecture in the Haifa area and he was returning to his base in the Haifa port. He sat down across from me, looking at me intently while I was learning my Gemorra. I looked up at him, smiled, said "Shalom aleichem!"

He sighed deeply, as if relieved, and sheepishly asked, "Can I talk to you, Rav?"

Footprints

Today is Memorial Day for Israel's fallen soldiers, may their sacred and gallant souls rest in eternal peace, amen. "Footprints" reflects the mood of the day - the battle scenes are all from the Lebanon War two years ago.

Mighty Machlouf

Mighty Machlouf was a real hero. May his sacred memory be an inspiration to us always, amen.

Sabra Flower

We here at the Beams don't want all the garbage in the news to bring us down. We are therefore happy to report that the sabra cacti in the fields east of Ashdod are beginning to flower in all their magnificent splendor. This is very symbolic, showing how exquisite beauty (emuna) blossoms particularly in an environment of dangerous thorns (the trials and tribulations of this world).

If you click on the above image, you'll get an enlarged version which you can use for wallpaper, courtesy of your friends here at the Beams and Emuna Outreach.

Template for non-Emuna Falafel Republic

A Felafel Republic is similar to a banana republic, but whereas the latter is in South America, the former is in the Middle East.

Here's how to make a Falafel Republic:

1. Tell people you're a democracy for PR purposes, but let an arrogant elitist leftist oligarchy run the show behind the scenes.

2. Be as corrupt as you can. If you're caught, simply appease the oligarchy, build more sidewalk cafes and gay bars, and give territories to the enemies in exchange for 6 months of undisturbed expresso drinking with croissants and butter.

3. Throw idealistic youth in jail.

4. Burn your own birthright.

5. Have some Uncle-Tom yamulka wearers in your coalition - you can buy them for cheap.

6. Create make-believe religious courts that tell bona-fide converts that they're not Jewish.

7. Don't protect your border towns. So what if people can't go to the beach?

8. Concentrate most of the country's wealth among two dozen families.

9. Encourage perversion and a breakdown in family and morals.

10. Stuff your face with greasy falafel today and don't think about tomorrow.

Guess what, folks: Moshiach doesn't like falafel. Wait & see what he does to the Falafel Republic...

Readers Interpret "The Prince and the Mountain Man"

Here are some choice reader interpretations of our allegory from the day before yesterday, about The Prince and the Mountain Man:

Eliana from Florida: The mountain man represents observant Jews who have grown up in the ways of Torah. Through out history they have maintained their Jewish their heritage and have been the protectors and guardians of Torah.  But sometimes we are so vigilant in being the gate keepers that we become unbalanced.  It's not enough to guard the ancient ways. We need to balance it with emuna and a close relationship with our King. The traveller grew up in the world yet, he was always seeking. Perhaps he is not so well versed in the beauty of a Torah observant life but through HaShems loving grace he grew in Emuna. He found the path and is determined to make it all the way back to the palace where he belongs. If the two travel together they will become one. The traveller will gain the pieces stolen from him and the mountain man will recover his true pupose-- the why in his faithfullness to Torah. They will both balance each other and become one. In doing so not only will they reach the palace and be reunited with the King, but they will hasten the coming of Mashiach when all the Kings children will be reunited and live with emuna, Torah, and the King himself.

Leah Rivka: The King is our merciful Hashem. His Palace could be heaven, olam haba, or in my mind I viewed it as the level of having total emuna. The Mountain Man (or the prince that was guarding the palace) was an angel who already lives in Hashem's Palace and so he already has the special understanding or "power/illumination".  This prevents him from being able to really grow more like the Prince is able to. And the Prince is representing the Jews, in particular, those that have lost their way from Hashem, those that lack faith/emuna in Him, or those who have been "kidnapped" and must run away from the robbers (or in our case the yetzer hara and the idol worshiping that we have in our times=money-hollywood-tv-drama-etc...). These Princes who are really Hashem's precious children all have special souls that reflect a tiny part of Hashem's greatness. 

Debbie from Atlanta: We are all sons and daughters of Hashem. Some of us have been given different paths. We all need to reach out to one another, and despite it being scary (being threatened by a gun - in the story), we have to find the strength in ourselves to connect.

Perla from France: Every child of Hashem has the power to shine, and as Rav Shalom Arush Shlita says in the garden of yearning, when a person doesn't have anymore this will to study, and doesn't yearn anymore to Hashem, spirituality, kedusha, his face doesnt shine anymore. As Rebbe Nachman, said when a person comes closer to Hashem, study, and prays, his face is illuminated by Divine Light. The same with hitbodedut, as you said once. Therefore, we should keep our yearning, and for that, praying and asking in our every hitbodedut, the yearning. that we always, yearn for more spiritual, and a higher level. And as you said once, hitbodedut bring us divine light. The palace in your allegory may be, the Garden of Yearning. And the yearning is fundamental. The only fact to yearn, is great itself as Rebbe Nachman said.

David from London: The brothers are a person and the Tzadik ... they share the same scars, Their souls are bound to each other. The Tzadik is returning to The King and it wants to bring the person with him....to inspire him with light to make teshuva. They have to take it higher , to ascend the mountain...to rise above . This is the mountain. The mountain is Torah.The woods are this world without Emuna. The mountain man knows the woods very well. Initially the mountain man is sceptical and mistrusting. HIs personal space is threatened , the Yetzer Hara wants to eliminate any threat but it's knocked off guard by the Tzadik's statement " I am your brother. " The mountain man cries when he sees the scars ( life's hardships) and that the tzadik suffered too, the same tests , the same pain but different consequences. The gates of tears are always open...his prayer begets illumination from the windows of the soul, the eyes. The Tzadik's knowing eyes give much illumination once it becomes known who he is. Suddenly the mountain man is seeing for the first time. His heart is open. The man can see  past the woods , the world isn't dark and he realises that it never was. The man learns that this light can come from him too by returning to the King, follow the Tzadik 's ways and make teshuva. The Tzadik came from the same place as the mountain man. Every blow and hardship he received in the woods managed to help him learn how to defend himself until they became weights he used to make his emuna stronger and stronger.

Danny from Jerusalem: The Mountain Man was raised far away from holiness and doesn't realize his own strength - the power of illumination of the Jewish soul that his eyes represent. The Prince also grew up that way, but has long since fought his way back to the castle. Now, he's doing sorties back in the woods to bring other lost sons and daughters home to The King - Hashem. The whole thing sounds like an allegory about Reb Lazer or Rabbi Arush or one of the Outreach rabbis.

* * * * *

Lazer's comment: The allegory was a vivid dream that I had some while ago. Thank you all for your wonderful participation.

Yom HaZikaron: This Week at Breslov World

This coming Tuesday night and Wednesday are Israel's Memorial Day (Yom HaZikaron) for our fallen soldiers, may their holy memories be blessed, amen. Breslev Israel and Breslov World pay a special tribute to those who sacrificed their lives in behalf of our people and our sacred homeland with stories of spiritual heroism.

  Some memories never fade away. Machlouf Cohen was my best friend all during "maslul" - basic training, advanced infantry school, recon school and NCO school. He was 5'4" and 125 pounds sopping wet, but he had a heart bigger than a lion. To this day, I believe that Machlouf was a hidden tzaddik, for his character was superhuman. Machlouf's story is unforgettable - whatever you do, you don't want to miss this story of total dedication.

Incase you didn't know, There's no Sadness in the World: just ask Rav Shalom Arush. Have you ever wanted to know about the Secrets of the Hebrew Alphabet? See this week's Kabbalah lesson with Rav Avraham Greenbaum.

Here's good news for ladies: a new 2-part article from the Melitzer Rebbetzen titled Star of the Show. Noahide columnist Alice Jonsson has another one of her delightful columns with the Illusive Zone. Check it out. Naturally, we don't forget our precious Breslev Kids with part 8 of Little Nachman, thanks to our exquisite writer and illustrator Rebecca Shapiro from Worry Worm fame.

Rabbi Tal Moshe Zwecker brings us another taste of Noam Elimelech and Rabbi Pinchas Winston begins a new thought-provoking series entitled No Atheists in a Foxhole.

This week's Torah portion is Emor, with a half a dozen interesting articles and stories. We wish you a wonderful week. G-d bless always.

The Prince and the Mountain Man

Here's an original Lazer allegory for your weekend table. Discuss it with the family, and if you wish, send me your interpretations, the best of which we'll be happy to publish here on the Beams.

Left: "Mountain Man" by one of our favorite artists, Russ Voelker.

I was hiking in the back woods of Appalachia. All of a sudden, I met a mountain man in a goatskin jacket and a rabbit-fur hat, wielding a double-barreled shotgun.

"Where ya think yur headin', stranger?" he challenged in a menacing tone.

He didn't scare me, and I simply smiled back at him. "I'm heading up the trail to the top o' the mountain. I'm going to visit The King. You're welcome to join me. By the way, I'm no stranger - I'm your brother."

"The heck you are," he replied, waving his shotgun in my face. "Maybe I'll just pull the trigger and blast you outa my space."

"Be my guest," I told him, undaunted by his silly charades. "You'll simply shorten my trek to The King's palace." I rolled up my sleeve, and showed him that I had scars on the same exact place that he did, and repeated, "I'm no stranger - I'm your brother."

Tears welled up in his eyes. The tears washed away the dark clouds that obscured his retnae. Now, his eyes began shining like the sun. "Prove it that you're my brother!"

"No problem," I said. I removed my sunglasses, and my eyes illuminated the entire dark woods, with an array of lights like Aurora Borealis. "You see," I explained, you and I are both sons of the King. Only the King's children are born with such powers of illumination. Our power diminishes when we leave the palace; but, whenever we cry in yearning for the King, we regain some of our power, as you have now. As soon as we return to the palace, our eyes will illuminate stronger than ever."

I then explained to the mountain man, that when I was a baby, robbers kidnapped me from the palace. I grew up in the woods, suffered hardships and injury, and eventually fought my way back to the palace. Interesting, but the eyes of a returning prince shine brighter than the eyes of a prince that never left the palace. In turn, the returning princes are decorated with medals of valor, and become officers in the King's Honor Guard.

Preparing to Rebuild the Holy Temple

Hashem listens to all our prayers. That's why I thought that the recently-discovered ancient quarry in Shuafat where Herod carved out the massive gorgeous 20-ton Jerusalem stones that became part of our Second Holy Temple would be a special place to ask Hashem to redeem us quickly and rebuild our Holy Temple. See for yourself: