Lazer Brody's Blog, page 302

Without the Branch, There's no Fruit

Dear Rabbi Brody,

I became an observant Jewess about 3 years ago, when I was 17. Today, I have a wonderful schedule and I love my life and learning - I'm studying to be an optometrist in the morning, and in the late afternoon I attend classes at a Jewish Women's Seminar. But, I have a fly in my ointment - my parents.

My parents are lovely people, but their world is still at the level of 9 to 5 followed by dinner and popcorn in front of the television. Although they respect me, they embarrass me all the time. I've told my father a million times that he can't shake hands with my girlfriends, but everytime I bring one home he sticks his hand right out. I've tried to explain to my mother the severity of slander and idle gossip, but she says everything about everybody. Even worse, all this gives me a nasty guilt trip; after listening to lectures from the best Torah teachers one could wish for, I come home to two people who only seem to be interested in what's for dinner and what's on TV. It's hard for me to respect them, and that's a big test, since I'll be living at home at least for another two years or until Hashem sends me my intended (please make a blessing for me). Please give me some advice on how to accept my situation with emuna. Thank you for being there, Rabbi. With sincere appreciation, Karen from New Jersey

Dear Karen,

First of all, I'm glad that you're still at home; the advantages of your sanctity far outweigh the peripheral aggravation you have from little details at home. Please forgive me, but I must take exception with the "fly in the ointment" metaphor. Maybe your mama isn't a Lakewood rebbetzin and your dad isn't a Rosh Yeshiva with a Homburg on his head, but I'm sure that they're wonderful people to merit a daughter that's devoting her life to Hashem. Remember, they are simply the products of their environment, much like babies that grew up in captivity. They never cast away Yiddishkeit, for they never had it. There's a lot of headway to give them the benefit of the doubt.

You can influence them best by being a kind, considerate, understanding and loving daughter. Please don't preach and don't look down on them. Concentrate on your own soul-searching and self-improvement. The more you show compassion for your parents, the more Hashem will have compassion on you - that means you'll find you bashert (intended) with considerable less hassle.

You don't have to respect your parents' lifestyle, but Halacha requires you to give them absolute respect. Since this is the month of Shvat, let me explain in terms of a fruit tree: Fruit can't develop on its own; it must grow on a branch. You, as a baalas tshuva with a bright future, are the aromatic fruit. Your parents though, are the branch you grow on. One doesn't eat the branch, but without it, there's no fruit. Don't forget that, and you'll be fine - I'm glad you wrote. May Hashem send you your true soulmate in the nearest future, amen. Blessings always, LB

Weekly Emuna Live Broadcast

Happy Tu B'Shvat! With Hashem's loving grace, our weekly emuna lesson and live broadcast will take place today (Wednesday) at 7:15 PM local time at our newly remodeled Chut Shel Chessed Yeshiva, 13 Shmuel Hanavi Street, Jerusalem, on the ground floor in the main sanctuary. Everyone is welcome, both men and women.

This week's lesson is entitled, "Day and Night" and as always is open to the public - both men and women are welcome. You can see today's lesson live right here at 9:15 AM in LA and the West Coast, 10:15 AM Denver, 11:15 AM Mexico and Central, 12:15 PM EST, 5:15 PM in the UK, or 7:15 PM Israel time. As soon as we can, G-d willing, we'll post a link to the lesson for all those who couldn't see it live.

Tu B'Shvat: A Lesson about Roots

Tu B'Shvat this year is Tuesday night, Feb. 7 and Wednesday, Feb. 8

People ask what a "New Year for Trees" is all about.

The Torah says that "man is a tree in the field." We, the People of Israel, are certainly like a tree.

In the Holocaust, we lost 6,000,000 leaves and were left with bare branches. According to the Iranians and their proxies who are at this moment aiming 200,000 missiles at us, we're dying altogether, and - in their words - it's a matter of pushing the button and a mere 9 minutes for them to finish us off. Utzu eitza v'tufar...

What our enemies in every generation fail to understand is that our roots are deep and mighty. Our 3,800 year-old spiritual taproot cuts through the boulders of time and reaches Moses, then back to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Just as our enemies can't see our roots, they can never uproot us.

On Tu B'Shvat, the trees look dead. But don't be mistaken - soon they shall flower in all their glory.

Maybe we look dead now with all the threats from the outside and all of our unity-and-tolerance problems from within. But don't lose heart. When we lease expect it, Hashem will redeem us and send Moshiach, and the Jewish people - like an almond tree in Shvat - will blossom and rejuvenate in all our glory, in our newly rebuilt Holy Temple in Jerusalem, soon, amen! Happy Tu B'Shvat!

The Gift of Trees

Tomorrow is Tu B'Shvat, the New Year for trees.

Why do Jews celebrate the New Year for trees? Trees are exemplary in many ways. If your roots aren't deep like a cedar's, then you easily wither. When you're flexible like a date palm, you can survive strong winds, the rough times in life. Trees only do good - they give shade, fruit, prevent soil erosion, and shelter animals and birds. In survival school back in my regular army days, a carob tree was my home for three days up in the mountains of the Galilee. Not only did it provide me with shade, shelter, and a good hideout, it fed me as well. We humans should imitate trees.

In case you haven't noticed, I love trees. My major at the College of Agriculture at UM College Park was deciduous orchards. When I was a farmer, I planted thousands of trees in the foothills of the Shomron ridge and in the Golan, Negev, and Sharon Valley as well.

Now, dearest brothers and sisters, I have presents in advance for each of you in honor of Tu B'Shvat:

For women: The best face cream in the world - take a ripe avocado, peel the skin and take out the pit, mash it in a dish and add a squeeze of lemon juice (natural only, no substitutes). You now have the best facial treatment in the world. Let it sit for half an hour while you're reading your favorite book or listening to a relaxing CD, and wash it off. Your face will now be young, radiant, and replenished with an abundance of vitamin B6, which retards aging and keeps your skin soft and smooth.

For men: Need a super charge of energy before an important meeting, on the tennis court, or at the office? No time to eat? Put down the junk food! Take a dried date, open it up, remove the pit, and check it for worms. Insert a whole toasted almond, and close it like a sandwich. You now have a tasty snack with readily available high quality carbohydrates and protein to supercharge your system.

For Kids: The Brody's have a dynamite natural non-chocolate chocolate spread: Take a cup (180 cc)of organic whole-seed tehina (sesame paste), add a heaping tablespoon of organic carob powder and four tablespoons of honey. Mix all the ingredients together. You get a fantastic spread that's both super-healthy and tasty. Instead of other sweets, use this spread on bread like you would peanut butter or chocolate spread.

Enjoy!

Judean Dream: It's Here!

With endless gratitude to Hashem, Breslev Israel is delighted to announce the release of Judean Dream, our exquisite new CD collection of original Land-of-Israel melodies composed and played by yours truly and beloved spiritual brother Guy Tzvi Mintz, with Yosef Karduner and Daniel Ahaviel. This is a CD like nothing you've ever heard before. It's not pop-Chassidic entertaining music, but melodies that penetrate right to the soul and bring you closer to Hashem. These melodies were born and recorded in the Judean Hills, the same region where King David tended his flocks and played his lyre and flute while composing the Psalms. Judean Dream is now available online at the Breslev Israel store. If you want to close your eyes and feel like you're in the Judean Hills, and if you want a taste of true inner peace and joy, add Judean Dream to your music collection. The CD comes with a full color brochure and all the lyrics in Hebrew, English, and transliteration. Sweet dreams with Judean Dream!

Damaging Chatter

Israel's Prime Minister warned his cabinet ministers yesterday to stop all the talk about a prospective strike on Iran, calling it damaging chatter. Yet, the Prime Minister's chatter is more damaging than anyone else's. The Torah warns against bravado, attributing one's success to "the might of my right hand" (Deuteronomy 8:17). Blatantly ignoring the Torah, the PM says: "the only thing that ensures our existence, security and prosperity is power." 

We here at the Beams disdain politics and support no political party. Yet, we vehemently take exception to the PM's unfortunate statement and ask forgiveness from Hashem for this crass bravado and most damaging chatter. We know the only thing that ensures our existence, security and prosperity is Hashem. Ein Od Milvado - there is nothing or no one but Hashem.

Family Tree

For those that don't know, I studied agriculture in university and my specialty was deciduous orchards. I love trees and have planted hundreds all over Israel, from the Golan to the Negev. Tu B'Shvat - the New Year for trees and once of my perennial favorite days - comes out this coming Wednesday.

The Torah tells us that "Man is a tree in the field" (Deuteronomy 20:19). Interestingly, we automatically refer to our ancestral background as "the family tree." On a superficial level, just as a tree branches out from trunk to branches to twigs above ground – and branches out similarly below the ground, with a root system that looks like an upside-down tree – so do we branch out in two directions. From us to our children to our grandchildren resembles the tree branching out from the trunk above ground, and our parents, grandparents, and successive previous generations are our "roots" below ground, which we don't always see.

Yet, the concept of family tree goes much deeper. Any change at the base of the trunk has a profound effect on the branches, then subsequently on the twigs, and ultimately on the leaves and fruit. For example, if a tree farmer sees that the branches are brittle, the leaves are yellowish, and the color of the fruit is pale, then it shows that the tree is suffering from an acute lack of iron. All the farmer has to do is to give the tree an adequate dose of iron at the base of the trunk and a good dose of water, and presto! Here's what happens:

The iron-fortified water is absorbed from the soil into the roots of the tree. It now travels up through the trunk, the branches, the twigs and to the fruit and leaves by way of long thin tubes called xylem.

Water and nutrients move up the xylem through a process called capillary action. Capillary action allows water to be pulled through the thin tubes because the molecules of the water are attracted to the molecules that make up the tube. The water molecules at the top are pulled up the tube and the water molecules below them are pulled along because of their attraction to the water molecules above them.As such, the iron-fortified water reaches the furthest extremities of the tree and replenishes them. Soon, the branches become stronger, the leaves greener, and the fruit brighter.

The Torah is compared to water (see Isaiah 55:1). Just as Hashem engineered the amazing process of capillary action which moves nutrients and water from the soil and trunk up through the tree, we have an equivalent spiritual process called Ma'ase Avot Siman L'banim – "the deeds of fathers are signs for sons", namely, what one generation does has a profound effect on future generations.

The Gemara tells a poignant story about trees and concern for future generations in a tale about the great tzaddik, Choni Haagal (see tractate Taanit 23a):

Continue reading Family Tree at this week's online issue of Breslev Israel magazine.

Also featured this week:

Rabbi Shalom Arush: Eyes that Shine

Rabbi Nissan Dovid Kivak: Three Pillars of Happiness

Rabbi Avraham HaCohen Kook: Blessings on Miracles

Zev Ballen: Enemies of Hashem

Rivka Levy: The Veggie Tzaddik

Chaya Ovadia: Shaping Up

Yehoshua Goldstein: Let it Shine

Have a wonderful week!

Believing in The Tzaddik

This week's 40-minute emuna lesson speaks about an important aspect of emuna - believing in tzaddikim, the righteous spiritual leaders of each generation. Enjoy, and have a wonderful week!

Ramat Bet Shemesh Aleph, Sunday Night Feb. 5, 2012

Hishtadlut: When and How Much?

This week's 12-minute mini-lesson on the Torah portion answers some vital questions:

1. How much hishtadlut (effort) must we do in accomplishing a task?

2. When does hishtadlut override prayer? In other words, when do we stop praying and start doing?

3. What does a person do if he can't make aliya at this time, despite the urging of many tzaddikim to do so?

Here are your answers:

Prepare for Shabbat Beshalach (Shira) with Breslev Israel's gorgeous Torah portion sheet, which you can download here. Have a wonderful Shabbat!