Lazer Brody's Blog, page 356

Parshat Noah: Tzaddik and Emuna

Thanks to Breslev Israel and the Chut Shel Chesed Yeshiva, we now have a mini lesson on this week's Torah portion. The video of the Parshat Noah lesson is 9 minutes long, which you can see here. Have a wonderful Shabbat and Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan!

Daughter of The King or Classroom Queen?

Dear Rabbi Lazer,

I'm 16, in the tenth grade, and very unhappy. My best girlfriend is really popular at school and shul (we're conservative), and I'm not. In all honesty, I'm just as attractive as she is, and my grades are just as good as hers. At first, I thought maybe my clothes were out of style, so i went out and begged my mom to buy be the same clothes as my girlfriend. But, at any party or function, people flock to her and I feel like a tagalong. Its really the pits. I do my best to talk and act like my girlfriend, but she's considered campus queen and I'm ignored. Rabbi, can you give me some kind of spiritual advice to make me popular too? I know you're busy with serious problems, but this is hurts me a lot, so please try to give me a quick answer. Respectfully, Melanie from Delaware

Dear Melanie,

Imagine that a tractor didn't like its own appearance, and tried to imitate a Mercedes. The whole world would laugh! Then, the tractor would neither perfom its function as a tractor - plowing fields, etc. - and certainly would fail miserably as a Mercedes. On the other hand, if a Mercedes tried to do the job of a tractor, it would get stuck in the mud and fail within a minute.

Melanie, The Almighty gave you your own very special package of abilities and aptitudes for performing your task in this world. When you try to be someone else, you have a double failure: First, you can't succeed in being the other person, because you lack the emotional, intellectual, physical, and spiritual tools that Hashem gave to that person. Second, when you attempt to be someone you're not, you fail to develop and to utilize your own unique Heaven-imbued attributes and skills.

The Talmud teaches that when a person seeks prestige, prestige eludes the person. Stop trying to be popular, and don't try to imitate your girlfriend. Be yourself: How? Act, speak, and dress in a manner that's natural and comfortable for you. Often, it's better to sit at home reading a good book, writing a poem or an entry to your diary, or baking a cake for Shabbos than it is hanging out with a bunch of peers just wasting time. Also, stop tagging along as your girlfriend's prime groupie. Accept the fact that she's classroom queen. You should start fulfilling your own role as a cherished daughter of the King (Hashem) - the daughter of The King beats the classroom queen any day of the week.

One additional important point: When high school boys flock around you, they're not looking to discuss European socioeconomics or the theory of relativity. Being popular with them is dead-end cheap popularity. Genuine popularity comes from being an upright human - compassionate, kind, charitable, modest, yet firm and courageous in your beliefs. The entire world respects such a bold nonconformist that stands up to his or her principles. Do you know why? Because Hashem respects such a person. When The Almighty is pleased with a person's actions, He grants that person a divine aura, an indescribable spiritual light that emanates from from the face and serves as a magnet to attract other people. Possessing such a divine aura is genuine popularity.

May Hashem help you make the right choices in life. Blessings always, LB

Weekly Emuna Live Broadcast

G-d willing, our weekly emuna lesson will be broadcast live today (Wednesday) at 6:00 PM local time from the Chut Shel Chessed Yeshiva, 56 Shivtei Yisrael Street, Jerusalem. Since the main study hall of the Yeshiva is being renovated, the shiur will be broadcast from the young-men's yeshiva across the street.

This week's lesson is entitled, "Tiny Tribulations" and is open to the public, both men and women are welcome. Don't miss it, because it could literally save your life.

You can see today's lesson live right here at 12:00 AM EDT, 5:00 PM in the UK, or 6:00 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.

Gideon's Courage

With the so-called peace talks going on and all the overt and covert threats from world leaders against us, we sorely need a leader like Gideon.

Hashem doesn't want us relying on military strength. Gideon the Judge went to war against the Amalekite and Midianite oppressors with with over 30,000 troops. Hashem told Gideon that his army was too big, so Gideon sent 20,000 home. With 10,000 left, Hashem said the army's still too big - they're liable to claim that the victory was the result of their military might. In the end, Hashem sent Gideon into battle against the then-strongest army in the Middle East with a mere 300 trumpet-blowing soldiers who drove the enemy out of Israel.

Here's a short video clip that we filmed 2 years ago at Gideon's gravesite in the hill-country of Ephraim in Samaria, our holy Land of Israel, which is ever so timely today:

Jerusalem and the Freeze

Will the building freeze in Jerusalem and in our holy homeland be extended? That depends...

After the Six-Day War in 1967 when Jerusalem was recaptured from the Jordanians, Naomi Shemer wrote a beautiful song called Yerushalayim Shel Zahav, or Jerusalem of Gold. Sung by Shuli Natan, it became Israel's unofficial national anthem. With Hashem's loving help, my dear friend Chezi Levy, Israel's favorite troubador, will now sing the song for you right here at the Beams:

If we yearn a little more for our holy city, perhaps we won't lose entire chunks of it. In fact, to strengthen our threatened hold on our beloved homeland, we must immediately strengthen our emuna and our love for Hashem, His Torah, His holy Land of Emuna, and for each other.

Politicians don't decide what will happen here, Hashem does. The politicians haven't made the building freeze in Judea and Samaria, Betar and Kiriat Sefer; Hashem did. Whether or not the freeze will be extended is up to Hashem, not to the politicians; they are only rubber stamps of Divine Will. So, to thaw out the building freeze in our beloved homeland, we have to thaw out our relations with Hashem. How? Less material and bodily appetites, and more Torah and emuna. Fast. There's no time to waste.

 
Lazer and Chezi learning Likutei Moharan together: strengthening our Torah and our emuna will strengthen our hold on our beloved homeland  

The Love Barometer

 

Real love is only possible after marriage, when the two partners have a mutual commitment and a common goal. What people in today's world refer to as "love" is basically nothing more than animal urges and Hollywood-style flash-in-the-pan infatuation that is ever so short-lived as soon as those urges are temporarily satisfied. To be candid, lust is not love, and many people discover this only after they've been badly hurt and taken advantage of. I don't want that to happen to anyone...

Continue reading The Love Barometer in this week's issue of Breslev Israel web magazine.

Here're more great reads this week:

Rebbe Nachman of Breslev's Seven Lamps.

The Equalizing Principle by Rav Shalom Arush.

The Ancient Scroll by Rav Erez Moshe Doron.

Winds of War, part 2 of Solomon's Trains by our dear friend Yaakov Bar Nahman.

Don't miss Rivka Levy's Litmus Test or Rabbi Pinchas Winston's Insensitivity.

The Walk of the Righteous is about this week's Torah portion, Noach.

Important Notice: Employment Opportunity with Breslev Israel!

Do you love Rabbi Shalom Arush, Rabbi Lazer Brody, and emuna?  Would you like to help people and spread emuna around the world?  Do you live in Jerusalem?  The English portal of Breslev Israel, the website for Chut Shel Chessed Yeshiva, is looking for someone who is well versed in the teachings of Rabbi Shalom Arush as translated and brought to an English audience by Rabbi Lazer Brody to work part time in the evening, from 5PM - 12AM Sunday - Thursday.

Must have a thorough understanding of Rabbi Arush's books and CDs, basic computer competency (especially Microsoft Office) and excellent phone and customer service skills. Phone sales or customer service experience preferred, enthusiasm and energy a must.

Excellent English skills required - a working knowledge of Hebrew a big plus.

Please send your Resume and a cover letter explaining your familiarity with Rav Arush's teachings to staff@breslev.co.il. You can also call Rachel Tzipporah at 02-532-3339 ext 2 (English) from 3PM - 7PM.

Here's wishing you a wonderful week and a healthy winter!

Science and Torah

It's funny how many claim that science refutes Torah, with proofs of paleontology, carbon 14, etc. Rav Zamir Cohen has put out a gorgeous new book in Hebrew, "HaMahapach (the Revolution)" which shows that science and Torah are really in the groove. My simple mind asks a question - How is it that the scientists purport to know what happened millions of years ago, yet deny the hard historical fact that 2 million men, women, and children saw the revelation of Hashem on Mount Sinai a mere 3323 years ago? This latter fact has been passed down from father to son and from rav to talmid (teacher to student), so that's why I go with the simple faith of our forefathers. Also, if it was good for the previous generations' spiritual giants, it's certainly good for me.

It's utterly absurd to think that anyone could have been capable of pulling the wool over the eyes of such intellectual and spiritual giants as the Ramcha"l, the Vilna Gaon, Rebbe Chaim Volozhiner, Rebbe Nachman of Breslev or the Chofetz Chaim. Stories do change and develop over time, no one can argue with that. But the holy Zohar warns that our Torah is not a mere collection of "stories", G-d forbid, but precision Divine wisdom. That's why our sages throughout the generations believed in every iota of Torah.

If you're not genuinely happy in life, try clinging to that wonderful Divine wisdom that's readily available to you. How? With emuna, of course.

Just call me Prude

Dear Rabbi Brody,

I just broke up with my boyfriend and one of the reasons that I did so was because I found out that he enjoys an extremely weird and disgusting type of pornography. I just felt defiled and dirty thinking that I was associated with someone who enjoyed those kinds of things. My friends tell me that it is normal for men to look at pornography and that they can't help it and that I was being a prude. What are the Jewish responses to the subject of pornography and why men tend to be attracted to it much more than women?

Thank you very much, Myra in Houston

Dear Myra,

I'm really happy that you broke up with the porno fiend...

You are a sensitive, very special person who deserves much better. I'm positive that the old boyfriend didn't respect you. Porno hounds are only concerned with their animal appetites, and are therefore incapable of truly relating to another person in a relationship. As a rule, their prime concern is getting what they can. Giving comes from the holy side of the spiritual spectrum, while taking comes from the impure, dark side. Don't be upset, The Almighty will be sending you someone more deserving of you.

In college, people used to call me "jock", "straight", or "square" because I wouldn't touch grass and drugs, when most of the campus was high all the time. What do you care if people call you a prude? Must your body be a public domain or your mouth speak filthy language so that people will say you're "in"? You don't need their garbage. Keep yourself on a moral pedestal because you are a king's daughter and not a cellar chambermaid.

Woman are on a naturally higher spiritual level than men. That's why they are not required to learn Torah. Unless a woman has sorely damaged her spiritual self, she won't be turned on by porno; the opposite, she'll be disgusted like you were.

It is very normal for men devoid of any spiritual cognizance or development to be blue-movie fans and porno junkies. The Almighty gave us a sexual urge for two good reasons: One, to procreate; and two, to bring happiness to our partner in life. Sex, like nuclear energy or anything else in G-d's universe, is a power that may be used for good or for evil. While some use sex to raise a family and to bring peace and happiness to their marriage, others use it to exploit other people, to make money, and to express their basest of urges. Such humans are spiritually inferior to animals; the vast majority of bird, animal, and insect species use their sexual drive only to reproduce.

The Almighty gave us the Torah to raise us above our basic animal selves. One who observes the Torah achieves a spiritual level beyond that of an angel. Judaism absolutely forbids porno in any way, shape, or form. The human body is tantamount to a sanctuary, and must be respected accordingly. Specifically, the Torah forbids looking at clothed women for the sake of sexual enjoyment; looking at porno pictures (which transgress several other prohibitions) is much more serious. A porno fiend destroys his own soul, and creates a tremendous barrier between himself and G-d's divine light. Once a person becomes severed from G-d, heaven forbid, there's no limit to his potential for spiritual and emotional corruption. For example, a porno hound will lie and steal - sometimes even kill - to satisfy his appetites.

Now, Myra, people will be calling me a prude. That's OK; PRUDE stands for Proud Respectable Undaunted Dedicated Enemy of ignorance. Blessings always, LB

Father, renew my soul!

Here's the lively conclusion of a wonderful song & inspiration evening that Shlomo Katz and I did together last year in Ramat Bet Shemesh. The tune we're singing is one that has taken all of Israel by storm; the melody is by Rebbe Shlomo Carlebach of blessed memory and the words are by my beloved mentor and spiritual guide, Rabbi Shalom Arush shlit'a.

The Hebrew lyrics say: "It doesn't matter what happened in the past, the important thing is to start anew. Father in Heaven, renew my soul!" The English in the clip is just some fun and ad-libbing.

I have pity on those that only have one day of Thanksgiving a year. For us, every day is Thanksgiving, with double thanks on Shabbat and quadruple thanks on Chanukah. Shabbat Chanukah is therefore the most powerful day of thanks in the year. Here's wishing you a great Shabbat Breishit.