Lazer Brody's Blog, page 17

Garden of Wisdom, Lesson #76: The Heretic's Preconceptions

This week, the Clever One first denies the King's existence, then looks for proof to solidify his ridiculous preconceptions, all products of his arrogance and heresy���

First Light

Tonight's shiur prepares for not only for Chanukah, but for life.

Rebbe Natan teaches that the first light is the strongest light and the most significant, not only in Chanukah but as a basic rule of life that everyone should know���

Don't miss today's emuna lesson and live broadcast from Jerusalem entitled "First Light", 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. 

 

The Deadlift

I love the type of exercise that targets multiple muscle groups, giving you more clout for your minute of exercise. The deadlift fits the bill, doing so much for the muscle groups that compose so much of your total muscle mass - hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors and lower back. What's more, the deadlift is a fantastic strength builder, body stabilizer and - if done right (otherwise don't do it!), it's therapeutic for bad posture. The deadlift is also a functional fitness exercise, for it's the way you should lift any everyday object like a suitcase or a pair of water jugs, not just barbells and kettlebells.

Today, we'll teach you how to do a deadlift. First, see the deadlift preparation vid, then scroll down to see the deadlift instructional vid. Don't forget to pray a few words before your workout and to thank Hashem after your workout. Go for it!

The Day I Decided to Become a CFT

Did I ever tell you about the day I decided to become a Certified Fitness Trainer? What does a rabbi want to do that for anyway? The body is so closely entwined with the soul that many spiritual and emotional ailments are connected to the misuse of the body, so a knowledge of health, diet and fitness enhances spiritual guidance. That's all true, but it's not what gave me the push to devote the time and effort necessary to receive my certifications.

It was the loudspeaker in my neighborhood blaring one winter morning at about 11 AM: "The funeral procession of Avraham Levy (name changed for obvious reasons - the above photo is bogus, just to emphasize the point at hand) will depart from the Central Synagogue on Rotem Street at 1:30 PM." Before long, the walls of the neighborhood were plastered with black-and-white posters announcing his death. Avraham was 46, and he left a widow and 8 kids.

I knew Avraham - he was the nicest person in the world. But, he was grossly overweight. He'd drink coffee with milk and 3 teaspoons of sugar, He drank Cokes instead of water. In the morning after davening, he'd participate in the daily "L'Chayim" that includes chocolate or banana liqueur and rugalach, rolled pastries with trans-fat up in never-never land.

What a waste.

Every morning in the mikva, I cringe when I see so many young men in their 20's, 30's and 40's with cascades of needless blubber rolling down their midsections. These guys outnumber the 6-pack abs Chassidim 8-to-1. Is that what the Rambam wanted?

I detest attending funerals for young people. I don't want to see any more kids orphaned because of their parents' sweet tooth and lack of health awareness. That's why I became a CFT. That's why I started Emuna Fitness and write essays like A Healthy Hanukkah, my feature article on this week's new edition of Breslev Israel web magazine.

Also featured this week:

Rabbi Shalom Arush - A Head Start in Life 

Racheli Reckles - What Men Want

Yehudit Channen - A Cruise and a Camp

David Ben Horin - The Double Protection of Shabbat 

Jennifer Woodward - The Magic Pill

Yehudit Shick - A Coffee Date with G-d

Enjoy, and have a lovely new week!

Scroll down directly below to see the fantastic job opening at Breslev Israel 

Fantastic Career Opportunity with Breslev Israel

Breslev Israel has an immediate opening for a talented, imaginative and versatile fulltime Content Writer for its English-language Department. This individual will responsible for:

Proofreading content for the Breslev Israel website in English and its English-language publications;
Technical writing for the marketing of products on our website in English;
Managing social media in English (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, etc.)

The candidate should be an energetic, self-starting native English speaker with an outstanding command of English grammar and syntax. He or she must have an excellent knowledge of Hebrew as well as proven experience in proofreading and writing, as well as a strong grasp of social media and SEO. Interviews of candidates will be held in Hebrew. The work is based in Breslev Israel's Jerusalem offices. Send CV to jobs@breslev.co.il

Martyrs and Captured Babies

Shavua Tov! Here is the shiur that many people requested. When I wrote that the victims of the October 27, 2018 Pittsburgh massacre were martyrs, a number of voices objected, asking how anyone can deem those who violate Torah as martyrs? With Hashem's loving grace, here are my answers in today's lesson���

Beams Weekend: Rav Shalom Arush and Rav Lazer Brody

For your weekend pleasure, here are two enlightening vids: Rav Shalom Arush on The One who always helps us, and Rav Lazer Brody on this week's Torah portion, Vayishlach. Enjoy them both and have a lovely Shabbat!

*Scroll down to the bottom of this post for some super-exciting news:

Exciting News! Mark this coming Tuesday, November 27, 2018 down on your calendar, and whatever you do, don't miss this event in Modiin, Israel:

Garden of Wisdom, Lesson #75: The Clever One Denies the King

This week, the Clever One officially declares his total denial of the King's existence. In that respect, he tries to turn a nation's entire history into some fantasy-like myth���

Martyrs and Captured Babies

After the October 27, 2018 Pittsburgh massacre, I wrote an essay here on Lazer Beams about the dangers and damages of baseless hate. I also mentioned that the 11 victims from the "Tree of Life" Conservative Synagogue in Pittsburgh were all holy martyrs. A number of voices rang out against me asking how I can call Jews who violate laws of Torah, "martyrs". Many other people were confused, swayed by these voices. I promised to deliver an orderly response to the bewildered, which I will present, with Hashem's loving help and guidance, in today's emuna shiur and live broadcast. Nothing here will be my opinion, but totally the rulings of our great rabbinical lawgivers, particularly those of contemporary times who understood the challenges facing the post-Holocaust era.

Under no circumstances do you want to miss today's emuna lesson and live broadcast from Jerusalem entitled "Martyrs and Captured Babies", 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. 

A Week from Tonight: Lazer & Lazer!

Are you in Israel? Mark November 27 - this coming Tuesday night - on your calendar. Wherever you are, Modiin is centrally located and easy to reach. Lazer & Lazer are back together, and good Lord willing, it's gonna be dynamite. Here's a taste: