Lazer Brody's Blog, page 9

Don't Go it Alone

Why in the world did Hashem give us an evil inclination, which deliberately incites us to go against His will? Rabbi Shalom Arush answers this question in his feature article Don't Go it Alone this week on Breslev Israel web magazine. Don't miss it!

Also featured this week:

Rabbi Lazer Brody - Klipot: Peeling the Peel

Racheli Reckles - The Four Wives

Gedalia Fenster - Pursuing Happiness

Vladimir Melnik - Breslev: Marytyrs and Memories

David Ben Horin - Freedom Fighters

Shai Mor - The Boy and the Noose

Lori Steiner - Avoiding the Confusion

Enjoy and have a fantastic new week!

The Masterpiece

Shavua Tov! Hashem is perfection and so is His creation. Therefore, as every part carries the characteristic of the whole, you too are perfection. Today's lesson will show you what a masterpiece you really are���

Parshat Yitro: The Way of Progress

In the week's Torah portion, Hashem gives a cryptic, seemingly illogical directive to Moses, something he must necessarily do before receiving the Torah and something we all must do as a prerequisite for progress. Enjoy today's mini-lesson and have a lovely Shabbat!

The Beauty of Creation

The subject line used to be reserved for my third son, because I'd never seen a more angelic face in my life. I mean, all of my kids are equally as gorgeous and I really didn't mean what I just wrote.

Anyhow, I've decided to share the most coveted title in the world with this mountain, located in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Just look at this spectacular scenery.

No, really look at it. Contemplate standing at the base of this majestic mountain and taking in its awesome beauty. 

I could have put my Yaacov's picture in here and told you to do the exact same thing, but that wouldn't make me a very good mom, would it? I mean, isn't it illegal in the parenting bylaws to admit that one kid is smarter/better looking/more well-behaved than the others? 

David ran away from me last week with the excuse that he "had to work" or something lame like that. I was like, "Yeah, poor guy. You have to have a business meeting at one of the world's top ski destinations. And don't give me the nonsense that your client's company is based out of Jackson Hole!"

During the three days he was away, I sent him threatening texts warning him that he had better not even DARE think about setting foot on that ski slope! Uh, uh! If I be stuck here wit' 5 crazy kids, there ain't be no way u'z goin' skiing! 

Supposedly he didn't ski, but I will never really know. I should have tracked his phone.

So! 

How gorgeous is this mountain?

Isn't it amazing how gazing at nature has the ability to bring out an awe of our Creator? Unfortunately, many people stop at nature. Meaning, they're in awe of nature itself. 

But for some reason, they may not want to ask the simple question: Who created nature? 

To admit that it wasn't created by some evolutionary fluke would mean that a person would have to admit that something created nature. And if something created nature, that means that there's something in charge of creation. Which would mean that if something's in charge, concepts like randomness and chance might not hold water any more.

But that's a discussion for another time. 

Let's talk about the believers like you and me. 

There are many times we just don't feel connected to G-d. We're down, we're burdened with life's challenges, we're uncertain about the future, and so on. 

It's understandable and normal.

But you want to know a simple way to reconnect with Hashem? It's simple, really!

Just look at nature. 

Take the time to notice the beauty in the details. Really look at all of the designs and shades that go into a simple flower. A butterfly's wings. The bark of a tree. A bird's coloring.

Nature is spectacular. There's no greater testimony to Hashem's Glory than nature. 

And if we stop to appreciate nature, we'll get a tiny yet moving glimpse into the awesomeness of G-d. And this glimpse will take our breath away. 

Yes, even you guys up north who are getting pounded with snow and ice, find something in nature that you can appreciate. Even if it's flowers at the supermarket. Anything!

Appreciating nature is such a simple and profound way to build emuna, gratitude, and awe of Hashem.

So don't wait! Find something beautiful to stare at today!

Something, not someone! You crazies, you. 

~Racheli

Garden of Wisdom, Lesson #81: Belief in Tzaddikim

In order for the Clever One to prove that there is no king, he has to go out of his way to prove that the miracle worker is a hoax, because if he doesn't, he would have to acknowledge the king. Today's lesson will help us understand many things we see going on today:

The Masterpiece

The above image represents a painting that should be hanging in the Louvre or Metropolitan Museum of Art and selling for a minimum of $26 Billion. You see here a montage of Hashem's creation, from macro to micro - the skies, the fingerprint and the DNA chain. This is an original masterpiece that no one can duplicate.

Cherished brothers and sisters, you too are original masterpieces; I'll prove it scientifically in today's lesson.

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

Dead Sea Rivers

Thanks to Amir Aloni, we have a breathtaking view of the Dead Sea area in our exquisite homeland, after the recent rains and snows this blessed winter have brought the Dead-Sea area alive. You'll love the Native-American flute in the background too, and I'm sure that all lovers of Israel will enjoy this as much as I do...

Happy Tu B'Shvat, Planted People!

Above photo, 2000 year-old olive tree in the Lower Galilee that dates back to the Second Temple

Tu B'Shvat is so spiritually and emotionally overwhelming for someone who loves Hashem and our holy Land of Israel. It's all about our roots that go so deep down in this hallowed land that Hashem promised to our forefathers and gave to us over 3,300 years ago. Our Nomadic and usurping Arab neighbors can't understand, but we are a Planted People, planted deep in the Holy Land, from which we shall never budge, amen!

My feature article this week on Breslev Israel web magazine, The Planted People, is perfect to read at your Tu B'Shvat table. When you finish it, you can check out these other great articles:

Rabbi Shalom Arush - That Little Voice

Gedale Fenster - Ten Essential Life Lessons

Racheli Reckles - How to Kill Your Marriage 

Lori Steiner - Ten Steps to Redemption

David Perlow - 80/20 Parenting

David Ben Horin - Circumventing 5 Cs

Terry Hayes - The Noahide Struggle 

Enjoy, and may you be blessed with wonderful fruit of every type, arbor and human, amen!

A Tu B'Shvat Prayer for our Children

Tu B'Shvat is the time to pray for good fruit, both of the tree and of the womb. Enjoy this and have a splendid New Year Tu B'Shvat!

Tu B'Shvat: Israel's Answer to the World

Tu B'Shvat this year is Sunday night, Jan. 20 - Monday, Jan. 21, 2019

The nations of the world, in protesting our right to the Land of Israel, claim that all the other religions are fine with living in a variety of countries, so why must the Jews have their own land?

Many Jews don't know the answer to this seemingly-probing question. Yet, the answer is surprisingly simple. It also explains why we have a special New Year for trees, when it's a special mitzva to plant trees all over the Land of Israel.

In his very first statement of his classic elaboration on Torah, Rashi explains prophetically that in case the nations of the world will call Israel thieves for occupying Canaanite land, then know full well that Hashem created the world and He parcels it out to whomever He chooses.

King David says that Hashem gave us the land of the Canaanite nations so that we would "guard His laws and observe His commandments" (Psalm 105:45) on this hallowed land, as the Torah instructs.

When a Jew is honored with an "aliya" to the Torah, he says two blessings - one before the Torah reading and one after the Torah reading. The latter blessing is especially interesting: "Blessed are You, Hashem our God, King of the universe, for giving us the Torah of truth, and planting posterity within us; blessed are You, Hashem, who gives the Torah."

Our sages called the Torah, the "planting of posterity". Why "planting"? Trees are planted, but why Torah? And, what does this have to do with the Land of Israel?

As Rashi explains, the Land of Israel is not like any other land - it is Hashem's special Holy Land. The Torah explains an entire array of special commandments that must be observed in the Land of Israel, yet need not be observed elsewhere. Many of these commandments deal with with trees and fruit, such as orla, trumot, maaserot, prat and olelut, just to name a few.

The Shulchan Aruch, or Code of Jewish Law, forbids a Jew from selling a non-Jew anything that is still rooted in the soul of the Land of Israel. In other words, one may sell a non-Jew an entire ton of Israel's finest grapes, but he may not sell even one lone grapevine that is planted in the holy soil of Israel. The Gemara gives two reasons for this prohibition: First, since Hashem gave the Land of Israel to the Jews specifically for the purpose of performing the Torah's commandments, one may not give or sell any portion of the land, no matter how big or small. This in itself is one of the Torah's 365 negative mitzvoth known as Lo Techanem. Second, by selling or giving any portion of land to a non-Jew, one is obstructing the performance of the required mitzvoth that pertain to that portion of land, which constitutes a desecration of the land's holiness.

Planting is so important in the Land of Israel, that if a person has not yet harvested the first fruits of his vineyard, he is exempt from military service.

With all the above in mind, what's so significant about planting trees in the Land of Israel? And why is the Torah said to be "implanted" with us?

The Prophet Jeremiah said that the sign of our final redemption will be when you see Jews coming back to the Land of Israel and planting vineyards in Samaria; that's happening right now, and that's what the BDS Movement and all our other enemies are fighting against...

The Torah tells us that he who plants, especially in the hallowed Land of Israel, is he who is connected - he sends forth roots, deep in the ground. The deeper the roots, the stronger the connection. The Torah is also called the "Tree of Life", for those who cling to it. In this respect, the Torah represents our spiritual clinging to Hashem - for the Jewish people are rooted in Hashem, as Rebbe Shimon Bar Yochai says in the Zohar - while the trees we plant in the holy Land of Israel signify our physical clinging to Hashem, to His holy land, and to His commandments. So, just as we rightfully celebrate our anniversary of Torah every year on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan, we annually celebrate our New Year for trees, every year on the Fifteenth of Shvat. Happy Tu B'Shvat!

Footnotes: 

    The prohibition of eating fruit from a three-year old tree or younger

    Typically 2% of the yield that is given to a Cohen

    10% of the yield that is given to the Levites; there are two additional types of tithes, for the poor and for the purpose of spending in Jerusalem during the time of festivals in the Holy Temple

    Enabling the poor to glean fallen and lone grapes left over after the grape harvest

    See Yora Deah 141:7

    See Tractate Avoda Zara, 21a

    Numbers 7:2, mitzva number 284 according the the Sefer Chinuch

    Numbers 20:6

    Proverbs 3:18

    Jeremiah 31:4