Lazer Brody's Blog, page 304

Negev Flash Floods

One of the first things a soldier or a hiker in the Negev desert learns is not to sleep in a wadi (dry river bed). It can rain dozens of miles away, but if water flows down from the mountains into the wadi, the wadi becomes a raging river that can flow as fast as 80 MPH. That means that if you're hiking in the area of Shivta or Avdat, and it rains on the Jordan border 40 miles away, a torrent of water will reach you in a mere 30 minutes. The flow of water can be strong enough to wash away a tank.

Thank G-d, we've enjoyed rain the past few days in the south of Israel. Here's a clip from last year that shows what we're talking about:

Rav Yitzchak Kadouri, zatza"l

Rav Yitzchak Kadouri of blessed and saintly memory, the Kabbalist leader of our generation, departed the physical world 6 years ago at the age of 110. Since today is his yahrtzeit, and it's a mitzva to see the face of a true tzaddik, so here is a rare clip with Iraqi Jewish music in the background, for the Rav was born in Baghdad. 

Starting at 6:30, you'll see his funeral in Jerusalem, where 300,000 attended. Also pictured are Rav Mordechai Eliahu ob"m, Rav Ovadia Yosef, Rav Biniahu Shmueli, Rav David Basri and other leading spiritual leaders of this generation. May Rav Kadouri's holy neshama intercede in our behalf, amen - we certainly need it!

Bright Beam Blessings to David Walker, for providing us with the video clip.

The Negev

The Negev desert is an amazing place for personal prayer. You can walk in the wadis or almost anywhere in the wilderness and feel that you're walking in the footsteps of Avraham Avinu, who roamed the Negev from north to south and from east to west. Here's a short clip that shares the feeling:

Rebbe Nachman's Chariot: A Tribute to Moshe Chaim (Mark) Fisher ob"m

I hope that my tears won't short-circuit my keyboard. There are many stories about dedication in spreading emuna, but few can compare with the story of Mark Fisher. A terminal illness was mercilessly and systematically gnawing away at Mark's body. All he cared about was encouraging the other oncology patients in the world famous Sloan-Kettering Medical Center in New York City. His heart's desire was to utilize every last moment on this earth to spread Rebbe Nachman's teachings – particularly the light of emuna – so that there wouldn't be a single patient in the hospital who didn't have the benefit of this medicine for the soul.

* * *

Elijah the prophet was walking and discussing Torah with his prime pupil and disciple, Elisha. Suddenly, a chariot of fire with horses of fire descended from the sky. The horses and chariot separated between the teacher and his pupil, then took Elijah in a storm skyward to the Heavenly abode (see Kings II, 2:11).

Elijah's exit from the physical world is one of the most dramatic accounts in the whole Tanach. Yet, we underestimate our own times, the threshold of the long-awaited Messianic age. Our generation has been blessed with hidden tzaddikim who also have left this world in a manner no less dramatic than Elijah in his chariot of fire. Let me tell you about one, whom Hashem gave me the privilege of knowing – Moshe Chaim (Mark) Fisher of saintly and blessed memory, from Flatbush in Brooklyn.

January, 2011

Mark's body was hit really hard with the nasty big "C", the disease whose name we don't like to mention on our lips. Yet, his phenomenally optimistic emuna-filled mind and heart ruled his tormented body. In January of 2011, just a mere year ago, I saw Mark in the flesh for the last time. He had just gone through a stiff radiation treatment but he came directly from the hospital – chemo bag and all – to hear me speak that night in Flatbush.

Continue reading the moving continuation of Rebbe Nachman's Chariot in this week's stimulating issue of Breslev Israel web magazine in English.

Also featured this week:

Rabbi Shalom Arush: The Illuminated Mind

Rabbi Nissan Dovid Kivak: The Secrets of Torah

Rabbi Avraham HaCohen Kook: Egypt and the Mayflower

Zev Ballen: Just Relax

Dovber Halevi: Like A Fighter

Rivka Levy: Doctor of the Soul, Life of Brian

Yehoshua Goldstein: Don't Get Shot

Sandy Sasson: Time to Pray

The Beams and Breslev Israel wish you a fantastic week!

Beautifully Bashful

This week's emuna lesson talks one of the gorgeous characteristics of the Jewish people - busha, or bashfulness. This lesson is designed especially for the current period of the Shovevim, which is ever so conducive for making progress in the area of personal holiness. Enjoy and have a great week!

Parshat Vaera: Don't Forget a Favor

Hashem teaches Moshe Rabbenu an important lesson in basic gratitude: don't do the slightest harm to anyone or anything that ever did you a favor, as you'll see in our minilesson about this week's Torah portion: 

Lecha Dodi

The Holy Ariza'l and his disciples used to usher in the Shabbat by praying out in the field on late Friday afternoon. I dream of ushering in the Shabbat on our gorgeous Ashdod riviera sometime. Meanwhile, someone had a similar dream and put it to film, together with Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach of blessed memory singing his classic rendition of Lecha Dodi. I'm sure you'll love this as much as I do:

Click here to download this week's Chut Shel Chesed Parsha Sheet in English, courtesy of Breslev Israel and edited by our sweet friend Rabbi Yehoshua Goldstein. Shabbat Shalom!

Returning a Favor

My very cherished friend and spiritual brother Yosef Karduner has given us much joy with his exquisite melodies. Now, it's our chance to return a favor and make Yosef happy: his mother is dangerously sick with the nasty big C. Let's all flood the heavens with prayers for the miraculous recovery of Shoshana bat Miriam, Yosef's mom.

Bitachon: Trust in Hashem

Bitachon, or trust in Hashem, is one of the most misunderstood concepts in Judaism.

I asked my beloved teacher and spiritual guide, Rav Shalom Arush shlit"a, for his definition of Bitachon. Here's what he says:

"Bitachon does not mean that I trust that Hashem will fulfill my wishes; Bitachon means that whatever Hashem does, I trust that He's doing it for the very best."

It's All for the Very Best

One of the foundation principles of emuna is that Hashem does everything for the very best. There are no exceptions to this rule, whether or not we understand how a given tribulation or difficulty can possibly be for the best or not. As hard as we try, we can't understand what and why Hashem is doing. But, when the brain kicks out, emuna kicks in.

Minor tribulations frequently spare us from major suffering. Take for example humiliation in public: someone mops the floor with us in such a way that we're humiliated in front of hundreds of people, like in synagogue on a major holiday. Such an ordeal is more than enough to save a person from a head-on collision, a heart attack, a stroke, or a direct hit from a Katyusha rocket; that is, if we accept the ordeal with emuna. Sure our face is flush with embarrassment, yet we react with emuna and not with rage and clenched fists. A bit of insult is a gift from Hashem, a purification and correction of our souls, and an atonement that eradicates stern judgments. It's a priceless tribulation that keeps our health and income intact.

We don't look for insults and humiliation, but once we get them, we should thank Hashem profusely.

True strength is when we have the strength to react forcefully, but we don't. 

We don't ask Hashem to punish whoever it is that's tormenting us. Yet, don't envy such a person; they have chosen the path of negative deeds and that's why they are negative messengers. Yet, they will have to pay the price of their actions.

In light of the above, don't envy a journalist who deliberately slanders an entire group of people with the express purpose of perpetrating hatred for his own popularity or monetary gain.

Just remember, the negative messenger is only a stick in Hashem's hands. But, even if we get hit with the stick, it's all for the very best. Thank You, Hashem!