Emuna Beams

Cry Today, Laugh Tomorrow

Our sages tell of a wise old man who sits at a crossroads and warns travelers, "There's a road whose beginning is rocky and its end is smooth, and there's a second road whose beginning is smooth and the end is rocky." The wise man is relating a fact of life that applies both to material and spiritual endeavors, as we learn in the following thought-provoking parable.

Lower Body Flexibility Warmup

Lower-body flexibility is critical for functional fitness and for athletic success. Warming up the lower body properly improves performance and heightens chances of victories. What's more, it saves injuries. Hamstring tightness causes tight and weak glutes. Therefore, the body compensates and hip flexors become even tighter, especially with men. When the body compensates, posture and power go out the window and in comes such ailments as lower back pain. Don't go there! Do a proper warmup before every workout. Even if you're not an athlete, do these four hamstring-glute stretches that we demonstrate in the vid:
1. Hug Yourself while bending forward at the waist and gently rocking from side to side.
2. Touch your toes and/or go as low as you can until you can palm the floor.
3. Do the Pilates alternate single-leg impulse stretch.
4. Do the alternate one-leg kneeling stretch.
Enjoy and be healthy!

Against All Odds

Moshe, a sergeant in the Israeli Navy, had beads of sweat on his forehead; tears glistened in his eyes. "The newspapers don't write about the miracles and the Divine Direction that we all saw when that missile hit us. I ran to my bunk on the deck right below the landing pad. It was charcoal; my metal bunk was completely melted down and all my possessions were ashes. If I hadn't been detained in the chapel and in the dining room for Shabbat meal, I'd have been charcoaled too. I haven't stopped thanking Hashem since..."
Israel's turbulent history transcends all logic, military and otherwise. It's beyond nature to the extent that experts in military history and strategy understand everything but Jewish history. That's exactly the subject of our lesson today. Hashem's personal Divine Direction is constantly defying nature and logic.

Moshiach, Emuna and Love of Hashem

In this clip from the holy Western Wall in Jerusalem, we learn the true meaning of emuna and how to expedite Moshiach's arrival. Do we really love Hashem? The more one loves someone, the more one thinks about them. Let's ask ourselves how often we think about Hashem. Once a week? Once a day? Once an hour? More frequently? That's likely the first and most important question of self-assessment.

Diamonds and Distress

Packed up for their very first outing in their brand new SUV, the family left city limits. As they entered the highway, a speeding truck swerved into their lane and collided with them. Fortunately, the cars airbags functioned perfectly and the whole family wore seat and shoulder belts. The car was a total loss, but the family emerged unscathed. That is, all except their 7-year-old son. He was unconscious with a concussion, and maybe even a fractured skull.
What could possibly be good about the above situation? The family saved up years for the new car. They had not yet clocked two hundred miles on it. Yet now, it's a total wreck. What's more, their little boy is now in the hospital and the situation is critical...

Stay on Your Track

Each of us has a designated path in life that takes us to our destination. What's that? It's the successful accomplishment of our goal and mission in life. We're happiest - and safest - when we stick to our own track. Today's lesson will help you avoid tons of grief, negative emotions and wasted time and energy.

Doorstep Delivery

Today, we learn all about Divine Direction in making a living. Contrary to what Western society thinks, one doesn't have generate income by working around the clock. We'll also learn four easy ways to assure an adequate income.

Heaven-Sent Bread

It doesn't matter whether there are pandemics, lockdowns and layoffs. Today's podcast is the key to an easy and adequate income.

The Tomato Lass of Lisbon

How does a person find a true soulmate? What is entailed in finding a soulmate? Let's get some answers...

Brodie Meets Brody: Maintaining a Healthy Lower Back

Welcome to the functional fitness "Brodie meets Brody" series. Here, world-class exercise physiologist, strength and cycling coach Menachem Brodie (NSCA-CSCS, USAC-PBT) teams up with Senior Fitness Trainer, Health Coach and Nutritionist Rabbi Lazer Brody (CHC, CPT, CHN). Today, they show how both women and men can maintain a healthy lower back at any age. Most important, we learn how to avoid the day-to-day back injuries the come from improper lifting. What's more, we'll even learn the right way how to pick up a baby. A must-see:

The Costly Clean Shave

The young man looked in the mirror. He didn't like what he saw. He asked himself, "How can I go to an interview looking like this? It's ridiculous to wear my best when my stubbly face looks like I'm a drunk from the gutter!" Yet, he knew that shaving during the 3 Weeks was a serious breach of Jewish faith, for it shows that the transgressor is apathetic about the destruction of the Holy Temple. He was at war with himself. He felt that his career and his future were at stake, so he decided to ask the great Rabbi Moshe Feinstein what to do...

Royal Emissaries

Is there a contradiction between Divine Direction and free will? If Hashem directs everything, like we learn in the first principle of emuna, what's left for us? We find our answer in a most unlikely place. The frogs come to enlighten us.