Emuna Beams

Where does Moshiach get his power from? How will he conquer the world? What will change in our lives once he arrives and is in our midst? Rebbe Nachman reveals these deep secrets and more.

Humility is a wonderful trait, the opposite of arrogance. One who attains humility saves himself untold grief and circumvents many of evil's ensnarement. The Almighty cherishes every morsel of effort that a person invests in seeking humility, as we learn in today's lesson on the classic book of ethics, "Ways of the Righteous."

Where does the soul of Moshiach come from? What is the source of Moshiach's power? Will he really be able to triumph over the whole world? How? Today's lesson answers this and other important questions...

Arrogance is the first "gate," or chapter, of the classic ethics book "Ways of the Righteous," which we learn in today's lesson. The author addresses this character trait first because it's the root of many additional character flaws. In fact, it's the most damaging of negative character traits. Learning how to avoid it is therefore the foundation of character refinement.

Challenges don't knock people down. Negative thoughts do. With that in mind, today's podcast is an emotional rescue squad. If you're feel worry, depression or anxiety, try this proven ploy.

A bloke in the back was drinking his beer. One of the patrons in the pub hushed up the party: "The king's in the pub!" His mates thought that he was daft... This is an encouraging parable about life's difficulties.

The Gemara speaks cryptically about a majestic wave in the ocean with a white fringe of fire at its crest. Rebbe Nachman warns that the wave, which appears to be so beautiful, is none other than a killer rogue wave, the evil inclination in disguise. The white fire at its crest is a lethal dark-side angel. Today, we learn how to fend off the danger.

"The Ways of the Righteous" is one of Judaim's prime guidebooks to character refinement and improvement. We humans have the bodies of mammals but the souls of angels. The more we strive to refine character, the more our souls can channel our bodies in the upright path. This wonderful book teaches how to do just that. Today's lesson introduces us to the art and challenge of improving our character.

A pilot's life depends on his trusting his instrument panel rather than trusting his own logic. For a person to survive emotionally, he or she also must depend on a much more reliable source than their own clouded judgment.

When a person speaks words that shine with charm, they glow in the heart of the listener. That glow makes a deep impression in the listener's heart. Words of prayer that emanate from a soul with with emuna - malchut - attain charm when coupled with the wisdom of Torah - chochma. Together, they glow and make a lasting impression Above.

A Noahide's prayers are not written in any prayer book. They are written on the walls of the Noahide heart.

On Sabbath Day after the Torah reading, we return the Torah scroll to the ark and sing "Etz Chaim", two moving passages from Proverbs 3:17-18. This is King Solomon's metaphor that the Torah is a Tree of Life. Here is an original melody that came to me during hitbodedut (personal prayer) under the starry sky of one beautiful Sabbath evening here in the south of Israel. This recording features Guy Tzvi Mintz on guitar and vocal with yours truly on Native Israel flutes and background vocal. I hope you enjoy it, for it's a piece of my soul that I'd like to share with you. Feel free to download as you like, courtesy of Emuna Beams.
To enable you to sing along, here are the lyrics, by King Solomon, in Hebrew, English transliteration and English translation.
עֵץ-חַיִּים הִיא, לַמַּחֲזִיקִים בָּהּ;    וְתֹמְכֶיהָ מְאֻשָּׁר
דְּרָכֶיהָ דַרְכֵי-נֹעַם;    וְכָל-נְתִיבוֹתֶיהָ שָׁלוֹם
Etz chaim he, lamachazikim ba; v'tomcheha m'ushar.
Dracheha darchei noam; v'kol netivoteha shalom.
She is a tree of life to those who cling to her; her ways are ways of pleasantry and all her paths are peace.