Lazer Brody's Blog, page 352

A time for renewal

One of the main things I did during my hitbodedut (personal prayer) at Rebbe Nachman's gravesite in my recent trip to Uman was to take a good, hard look at The Beams and the direction we hope to be taking during the previous year.

The recent cyber face-lifting of the Beams (I hope you like it) is a reflection of our resolve for a renewed inner dimension as well. Politics and religious debates are a hopeless and utter waste of time; you can see the news and bashing on dozens of other web sites and blogs. My energies will be dedicated to spreading emuna, inspiring people of all backgrounds, and helping them make their own personal connection to G-d.

I believe that Emuna - the pure and unshaking faith in Hashem - is the key to personal happiness, our national survival, and world peace. Most people - clergymen included - have no idea what real emuna is all about. That's why Lazer Beams will be dealing more and more in emuna. Personally, I'd rather have an intimate reader-family of 600 emuna-seekers than the 4-5,000 news seekers I was getting daily when I was writing about current events. 

I'd like for Lazer Beams to be a cyber oasis of emuna, and a place for you to come and just feel good about yourself, knowing that Hashem loves you and that we do too.

Psalm 92: It's Good to Thank Hashem

This Sunday in NYC

 

Never forget

Quote of the Day

"A bitter person is never grateful, but a grateful person is never bitter." Lazer Brody, Stop Crying CD

Advice for the day

A wise person doesn't get himself into situations that a clever knows to wiggle out of. Lazer Brody from Lazer Beams

Thought for the day

It's nice to be smart, but it's smarter to be nice. Lazer Brody, from Lazer Beams 

Mattia Ben Cheresh

Mattia Ben Cheresh was a holy Tanna and a student of Rebbe Meir. He was an unbelievably holy individual who is the role model for all times about personal holiness and guarding our eyes. His holy gravesite is therefore a special place to pray for personal holiness and guarding our eyes.

The Midrash Tanchuma tells the story of how the Yetzer Hara (evil inclination) tried to tempt Rebbe Mattia, who sat all his days in the house of study occupying himself with Torah. The Midrash says the splendor of his countenance shone like the sun's radiance of the sun, and that he was as handsome as an archangel. Never in his life had he raised his eyes to look at a woman.

Once, Satan passed by became full of envy when he saw Rebbe Mattia. The Satan asked, "Is it possible that there is a righteous man entirely without sin in the world?" He instantly flew upstairs,stood before Hashem and asked, "Master of the universe, Matia ben Heresh: what sort of man is Mattia ben Cheresh in Your sight?"

Hashem: "He is totally righteous."

Satan: "Give me permission, and I will tempt him."

Hashem: "You will not prevail over him."

Satan: "Nevertheless!"

So Hashem gave him permission. The Satan went found Rebbe Matia imbersed in Torah. So he appeared to him in the guise of a beautiful woman, the like of which there had not been in the world since the days of Naamah, Tubal-Cain's sister, on account of who even archangels went astray.

Satan (as a gorgeous woman) stood in front of Rebbe Matia, who refused to look and turned his back.

Satan went around and again stood in front of Rebbe Matia. When Rebbe Matia turned his face to still another direction, Satan was once more in front of him.

When Rebbe Matia saw that Satan [in the woman's guise] turned up on all sides, he said to himself: "I'm afraid that the evil inclination is about to overcome me and cause me to sin. So then what the tzaddik do? He summoned one of his disciples, who acted as his attendant, and said to him: "My son, go and bring me fire and nails."

After the pupil brought them, Rebbe Matia passed the nails through the fire, then plunged them into his own eyes.

When Satan saw this, he was shaken, all but knocked out, and left Rebbe Matia.

In that instant, the Holy One summoned Raphael, the angel of healing, and said to him, "Go and heal the eyes of Mattia ben Cheresh."

When Raphael came and stood before him, Mattia asked, "Who are you?"

Raphael answered, "I am the angel Raphael, whom the Holy One had sent to heal your eyes."

Mattia: "Let me be. What happened has happened."

Raphael returned to the Holy One and reported to Him, "Master of the universe, thus-and-thus did Mattia ben Ceresh answer me."

Hashem said, "Go and tell him: From this day and henceforth, fear not. I guarantee you in this matter that, throughout your days, the evil inclination will have no control over you."

When Mattia ben Cheresh heard Hashem's guarantee from the angel, he was willing to accept the angel's healing and was healed.

* * *

Rebbe Mattia's holy gravesite is on the outskirts of the village Aiblin in the Central Galilee, pictured below. May his holy memory protect us, amen!

 

Rabbenu Bachiya ben Asher

I'm temporarily away from my beloved homeland of Israel in North America, but my thoughts never leave the Land of Emuna. From time to time, The Beams features glimpses of some especially holy places over here. We hope you enjoy them.

Rabbenu Bachya ben Asher lived in Spain in the mid 1300's. He was a student of the Rashba (Rabbi Shlomo ben Aderet), who was a student of the Ramban (Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman, or "Nachmanides"). As such, he was deeply immersed in both the revealed and esoteric sides of Torah, strongly influenced by his teacher and his teacher's teacher. Rabbenu Bachiya's classic work in "Rabbenu Bachiya on the Torah", an exquisite, classic commentary on the Five Books of Moses.

Rabbenu Bachiya is buried near Hukuk in the Upper Galilee in a cave alongside his students (monument above the cave in the photo below). May his holy memory protect us, amen.

 

That's the Way God Planned It

My current book project, next in the holding pattern after the recent release of The Garden of Riches, is "Gates of Gratitude," the English version of Shaarav B'Toda, the latest book out by my beloved rabbi and spiritual guide, Rabbi Shalom Arush. Shaarav B'Toda has had a meteoric takeoff with Hashem's loving grace; it looks like it might become even a bigger smash bestseller than The Garden of Emuna, which has already sold way past a million copies.

Good Lord willing, "The Gates of Gratitude" will be a practical and inspiring guide to the meaning of individually-tailored Divine Providence and how expressing our gratitude to Hashem so dramatically influences our lives for the better.

Our job as "light unto the nations" is to get the whole world to thank Hashem and praise His name; this hastens Tikkun Olam, the correction of the world, when all men and all nations will live in harmony. That's what the Prophet alluded to (see Isaiah 11:6) when he said that the wolf shall dwell with the sheep and the cow and the bear shall graze together. 

With that in mind, here's a treat: Billy Preston singing his classic "That's the Way God Planned It" - soon, all the nations of the world will hopefully be singing Hashem's praise in their own beautiful way. The lyrics appear below the film clip.

Why can't we be humble
Like the good Lord say
He promised to exault us
But no-one is away
How men be so greedy
When there's so much left?
All things are God given
And they all have been blessed
That's the way God planned it
That's the way God wants it to be, be
That's the way God planned it
That's the way God wants it to be, be
Let not your heart be troubled
Let mourning sobbing cease
Learn to help one another
And live in perfect peace
If we'd just be humbler
Like the good Lord say
He promised to exault us
But love is the way
That's the way God planned it
That's the way God wants it to be, be
You better believe me
That's the way God planned it
That's the way God wants it to be, be
I hope you get this message
Where you won't others will
You don't understand me
But I'll love you still
That's the way God planned it
That's the way God wants it to be, be.

We miss you, Billy.

Have a great Shabbat and weekend!

A Bright Beams Blessing to my spiritual brother and cherished friend Menachem Herman for his contribution to today's post.