Emuna Beams

Ein Od Milvado - there is no one but Him. Hashem is everything. We need not look anywhere else for anything we need in material or spiritual abundance and salvation. For anyone who yearns for inner peace, Hashem is your one-stop shopping address. Today's lesson teaches us the first of the 13 Principles of Emuna.

After we review parts 1 and 2, we see the completion of the dramatic turnaround. The Simple One becomes a wise and successful national leader who rises to the pinnacle of success. The Clever One falls into ignominy and finds himself neck-deep in the evil-angel's swamp...

Why bother learning emuna? Why bother searching for truth at all? What difference does either make? Modern society says, "Let me enjoy my life and don't bother me with the details." The problem with that type of attitude is that a life oriented toward appetite – fulfillment and material enjoyment - never attains what it seeks, let alone lasting happiness and fulfillment.

Guide for the perplexed: Rabbi Lazer Brody explains why Israel had no other alternative than making an immediate preemptive strike against Iran, its military infrastructure and its nuclear facilities. This is a current-events report with an emuna orientation.

An inherent law in creation is that the Creator lowers the haughty to ground-level zero but uplifts the humble above the clouds. No one should ever disdain another human being, for often, there's a turnaround, as Rebbe Nachman shows us in Part 2 of "The Clever One and the Simple One."

Rebbe Nachman's classic tale inspired me to compose this melody. Not only is this my favorite story, but the "Simple One" is my favorite character. It's the story of the underdog. Wherever he goes, people are smarter, stronger and more talented than he is. He's the brunt of endless ridicule and disparagement. He has one major virtue - simple emuna. Rebbe Nachman shows us where that takes him. See the lyrics below in English and in Hebrew. Credits: Guitar, arrangement: Guy Tzvi Mintz Violin: Daniel Ahaviel Melody, Lyric, native Israeli flutes: Rabbi Lazer Brody English I'll tell you a story from old, about a simple person with a plain mind. Despite that fact that people ridiculed him, by virtue of his innocence and integrity, he became the Viceroy of the kingdom. People call me simpleton But that just suits me fine I don't look at other folks I'm happy with what's mine So what if they have a high IQ And I'm not very smart They complain all the time But I'm happy with my part.   Everyone makes fun of me But I really do not care It's better to be a simple guy Than some high-brow debonair.   עברית אספר לכם סיפור מימים ימימה, על איש תם עם שיכל פשוט. למרות שכולם לעגו לו, בסופו של דבר, בזכות תמימותו וישרותו, נהיה משנה למלך. זה מעשה שלו וזה מעשה שלי למה לנו לסתכל ולדבר על אחרים אז מה אם כולם חכמים ואני תמים לרוב הם תמיד מתלוננים ולי תמיד טוב...   כל העולם צוחק עלי בלב כה רם אך טוב יותר להיות תמים ולא להיות חכם!    החכם אוכל אומצת בקר ואני אוכל פרוסה הוא רודף תענוגים ולי אין שום תאוה הוא אף פעם לא מרוצה ולי יש הסתפקות החכם תמיד מדוכא אך אני תמיד מבסוט!   כל העולם צוחק עלי בלב כה רם אך טוב יותר להיות תמים ולא להיות חכם! 

No other creation in the universe has the attribute of free choice, for no other creation has a Divine soul, a human soul and an animal soul. By learning the anatomy of free choice, we see how the human can rise higher than an angel or lower than a beast of burden.

Like all of Rebbe Nachman's tales, "The Clever One and the Simple One" is a kaleidoscope. Superficially, it's a guide to success and happiness. On a deeper level, it signifies the battle between simple emuna and intellectual sophistication. Today's lesson introduces us to our two protagonists.

Who doesn't yearn for a stress-free life? Is it possible? As we see today, when one border becomes quiet, another border flares up. Even if someone tries to avoid the war in Israel, they'll encounter antisemitism in France, the UK, Canada and the USA. There's no escaping. But we can cope, even be happy. We only need to learn a bit of spiritual anatomy…

This amazing 2-minute message reflects the simple conclusion of an IDF infantry soldier in Gaza. The question, "Do we know what we're fighting for" helps us reassess our priorites in life.

Despite the cryptic inferences in this story as in all of Rebbe Nachman's tales, we can understand on a personal level. This tale maps our individual journey of searching and finding Hashem.

Only seven short weeks prior, the People of Israel were still slaves in Egypt. But now, they willingly accepted a different type of servitude, accepting the yoke of the Torah and its commandments. They had no idea of what to expect. Three Hebrew words changed the course of history. The greatest sound and light show that the universe ever saw was about to begin…

How can a Jew possibly survive a world full of tyrant kings, inquisitions, pogroms and worse? Rebbe Nachman's tale provides the unexpected answer, which is also a template of world events, past and present…

In our fourth and concluding lesson in the Book of Ruth, we see the roundabout measures that Hashem takes, within the apparent framework of nature, to fool the Evil Inclination and bring Moshiach.

The discovery of vaccines shows that there's no discrepancy between science and Torah. Since the Torah is the Almighty's blueprint for creating the world, all the true scientific knowledge is in the Torah. Many of our sages, such as the Gaon of Vilna, the Shatzer Rov of London and the Chazon Ish were mathematical and scientific geniuses...

Let's see how the Lost Princess describes our own journey in life. If we look carefully, each of us can see ourselves and our particular challenge in life mirrored in this story...

Who would believe that a chance encounter between one of ancient Israel's most esteemed noblemen and an impoverished foreign convert would change the course of history? Welcome to Chapter Two of The Book of Ruth…

Rebbe Nachman of Breslev tells a series of deep, thought-provoking tales, the first of which is the "Lost Princess." This tale unlocks the secret of both the general redemption and of our innermost selves.

Chapter One of The Book of Ruth is a lesson in Hashem's precision Divine Direction of the world, all its creations and each of us in particular. Elimelech, the richest man in ancient Isreal, thought that he could outsmart the Almighty. He learned the hard way that his efforts were in vain. Yet, Hashem uses his free will to bring Moshiach…

In one of his most encouraging teachings, Rebbe Nachman shows how a person can attain eternal life. A person who hears this lesson is no longer afraid of death. Don't let this world confuse you.

We don't need Hollywood or Netflix. If you want to enjoy a poignant love story, open the Book of Ruth. You'll also encounter a deep moral and social message that you'll never find in Hollywood.

We have no idea what we're accomplishing on Seder night. Our sages tell us that it's Hashem's favorite night of the year. The entire Passover Seder is about gratitude. There's an individual message for everyone in the family as well as our guests. No one is left out.

The most important of Rebbe Nachman's teachings is about hitbodedut, personal prayer, one's intimate private conversations with the Creator. Discourse 25 of Part II deals with this vital subject. We learn that each of us has the priceless birthright of our own personal relationship with Him. This is an asset greater than anything, which only a fortunate few take advantage of.

The Pascal sacrifice, the Tenth and final plague and the Exodus of Egypt are the subjects of this lesson, the third of our "Story of Passover" series. The events took place 3,337 years ago in the Hebrew year of 2448 (1312 BCE), and it's a story of emuna that continues on to this very day.

Could you believe that a brilliant investment banker would be gullible enough to sell his twenty million-dollar mansion in Beverly Hills for a mere thousendth of its value? Listen to today's podcast, which exposes the sly methods of the Yetzer Hara, the evil inclination, who is capable of getting any unsuspecting person to sell his or her priceless soul for a pittance...

In our concluding lesson of Torah 55, we learn a beautiful upward spiral. The more we enhance emuna, the better we pray. The better we pray, the closer we get to Hashem. The closer we get to Hashem, the more we become purified. That way, even a person outside the Land of Israel can attain the aspect of the Land of Israel, which is a special holiness.

Welcome to part 2 of our "Story of Passover" series. In this lesson, we learn how the Almighty chose Moses as the leader of Israel. He sends Moses on a fateful mission to Egypt. There, Moses has a series of dramatic confrontations with Pharaoh, which culminate in the Ten Plagues.

Today's podcast shows how to convert one of the most dreaded tasks of the year into something sweet and enjoyable that we can do with a song in our heart. If you guessed that we're talking about cleaning for Passover, you're right…

How do we overcome evil when all the odds are against us? Rebbe Nachman teaches us all about the cogent spiritual weapons at our disposal, especially prayer and the merit of our holy patriarchs.

Welcome to our 4-part series on the story of Passover. This series of lessons aspires to give us a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Passover holiday. The more the story of Passover becomes alive in our hearts, the more meaningful our observance and celebration of the holiday, especially Seder night. Our first lesson presents the series of events that led up to Passover, and specifically, how the Israelites became slaves in Egypt.

Megilat Esther, the Scroll of Esther that tells the Purim story, seems like a rapid series of events that happened within a year. Actually, though, the Purim story transpires the events of 13 years. It begins when Achashverosh ascended to the throne of Persia in 3392 (369 BCE) to the time when the Jews overcame their enemies and celebrated the first Purim in 3405 (356 BCE). So too, the decades of significant events that lead to the full redemption of our people, will also come together to form the Megilla of Geula...

In prayer, we must direct our voices exclusively toward the Almighty. When we do, we correct three different voices that mislead us down errant paths. Such directed prayer has the power of a ritual sacrifice in the Holy Temple... Download the Learning-aid chart for this lesson  

Today's lesson concludes the Book of Psalms. How do we know when body and soul are in healthy synchronization? With every breath a person takes, he or she revitalizes the body. The soul praises Hashem with every breath…

The Miser wanted to rid himself of his wife in the worst way. He couldn't divorce her, because then, he'd have to pay her a large sum of money. He asked the local rabbi what to do...

Abraham compared himself to dust and ashes. This was not mere humility, but advice to his offspring until the end of time.

When a person begins to pay attention to every blessing, his or her entire outlook changes dramatically for the better. By observing and acknowledging each Divine gift, one no longer takes them for granted. Suddenly, he or she discovers a new joy in life.

At times like this, when we are all walking around with hearts that are shattered into smithereens, we face a major challenge to our emuna. The evil inclination yells in our ears, "How can Hashem allow something so cruel, so barbaric and so sadistic as the murder of Shiri Bibas and her two angelic red-headed sons, 4-year-old Ariel and 3-year-old Kfir? Why do such unspeakable atrocities happen to such pure, good and innocent people? Let's get some answers and try to make sense of the insanity that's going on all around us.

Rebbe Nachman explains that once the tzaddik's eyes are strengthened, he is able to perceive Hashem's justice. He becomes aware that whatever seemed unfair and unjust was simply a magnificent expression of Divine love.

The most important thing a person must remember in this turbulent world is that he or she is not alone. That's not all. To avoid disappointment, a person must realize that there is no one on earth to depend on but Hashem. As King David says, Hashem alone is my lot in life and I'm never alone.

Rebbe Nachman explains that our only right to the Land of Israel is when we connect to its holiness. Yet, how can it be holy if the Divine Presence is in exile? By virtue of our holy matriarchs and patriarchs – and in their merit – the Divine Presence is with us. So, without a connection to our forefathers, the land is contested, and the evil gain the upper hand.

King David tells us that without Hashem, he would have been bipolar. When he's high in the sky, Hashem is there. But when he's about to crash land at the bottom of an abyss, Hashem is there too to catch him. We learn that we're never alone and that there's no need to be afraid.

What do we need a Holy Temple for? Here's a 3-minute message from the holiest place on earth.

Everyone yearns to have money. Yet, why is money so difficult to obtain? And, if people care about their money, why do they lose it so easily? Once we learn what we need to do to guard our money, our lives become much more pleasant.

"The Holy One, blessed be He, showed David the destruction both of the first Temple and of the second Temple" (Tractate Gittin 57b). David, in his holy spirit of prophecy, laments the destruction of our Holy Temple even before its time. He implores us not to forget Jerusalem ever, not even for a moment.

Should Haredim serve in the IDF? Israeli media personality and spokesman of Hevron Rabbi Yishai Fleisher interviews Rabbi Lazer Brody. This interview is not at all politically correct, but truth has nothing to do with political correctness. Here's what we need to know to make an equitable draft law.

Ultimately, all war will be futile. The holiness that accompanies joy will nullify the evil in the world. The nations will bring every exile back to rebuilt Jerusalem, arm in arm.

All of heaven, earth and the world beyond cannot contain Hashem's glory. Yet, in His love for Zion, Hashem chose to make it the eternal dwelling for His Divine Presence. As such, all blessings flow forth from Zion, the place of His Holy Temple.

The soul in the brain yearns to connect with its source, the Ein Sof, or Divine Light of the Infinite One. Yet if it succeeded, it would be instantly rendered into nothingness. When "Chaba'd" races toward the Ein Sof, the "Keter" stands in the way. A tremendous collision occurs, but something wonderful happens…

King David describes the future redemption, which we all yearn for. We shall witness the ingathering of the exiles and our joyous return to rebuilt Jerusalem, Then, the centuries of tribulations will fade like a passing dream…

Nur was a naive young Israeli girl who married a handsome young man who treated her like a queen, until it was too late. Her husband, a Bedouin, turned her into an abused slave, forced to milk the goats the day after she gave birth. Every year, Yad Achim rescues dozens of young women like Nur. Now, Emuna Beams has joined forces wih Yad L'Achim...

After our review of the first four parts of Torah 24, we learn that "Keter" is the crown of the ten spheres. It not only illuminates the intellect, but it serves as the regulator, or spiritual limiter, of the Divine light that reaches the brain.