Emuna Beams

The Desert Owl: Psalms 100-102

In my old army days, I was on a lone navigational maneuver at night deep in the Negev Desert. No one was around. I suddenly heart a scream in the night, like a young person in dire distress. It was unnerving, to say the least. Then I saw the rustling in the branches of a lone acacia tree not far away…

One Crucial Choice

Imagine that during Rosh Hashanah of last year, an angel world would suddenly appear and reveal everything that would happen this year. What would you do if you had advanced knowledge of the Hamas onslaught on Simchat Torah, the hostages and the impending war?

Renewing the Brain: Likutei Moharan, Torah 35, Part 2

It's not enough to guard our brains from so-called intellectual disciplines that are outside the realm of holiness. We must renew our intellect constantly. Rebbe Nachman shows us how.

A New Song: Psalms 96-99

Imagine the age of Moshiach and the Holy Temple. After He subdues Amalek and triumphs over Gog and Magog, Hashem will no longer hide His countenance. In the presence of His power and majesty, all the earth will be singing a new song.

Rucking: The Dream Exercise

Rucking is the dream exercise that combines both cardio and resistance training. People of any age can ruck. It even appeals to people who don't like exercising. Just take a walk on your favorite riverside or wooded path with a weighted rucksack on your back. Here's more about this great activity:

Etz Chaim: The Tree of Life

We recite the "Etz Chaim" prayer after reading the Torah portion, when we return the Torah scroll to the ark. I love trees and the imagery that our Torah is a tree of life. Before I became a rabbi, I was a tree-fruit farmer. Even the symbol of my old IDF unit is a very famous Israeli oak tree that overlooks the Sea of Galilee. With that in mind, I composed this melody, which I hope you will find soothing and inspiring. In this recording, I am playing the native-Israel flutes. Yosef Karduner and Guy Tzvi Mintz are playing guitars and singing. Enjoy this.

A Clean Brain: Likutei Moharan I, Torah 35, Part 1

The human brain is quite similar to the hard disc of a computer. Just as your computer has a certain memory capacity, so does your brain. Professionals are careful in protecting their computers from needless files and programs that waste memory space. All the more so, people must protect their computers from worms and viruses. The same goes for the brain.

Voice of the Big Breakers: Psalms 93-95

The forty-foot-high waves crashing down on the Pacific Coast are a tiny testament of Hashem's power and glory. The power and glory of the Creator is His royal garment, which no one possesses but the King Himself.

Stay Young!

For busy people, here's an important message in 28 seconds; here's how to stay young until 120. 

The Power to Persevere: Likutei Moharan, Torah 155

A lack of motivation leads to laziness. That's only the beginning of the downward spiral because laziness leads to sadness. If a person lacks the power to persevere in any endeavor, he or she can forget about success. Perseverance requires motivation. So where do we acquire motivation, especially in spiritual endeavors? Rebbe Nachman provides the answer.

The Protective Force: Psalms 90-92

Star Wars is nothing compared to the battles that a soul must endure. If people had completely spiritual eyes, they couldn't live long. They'd faint in fright. The atmosphere is full of toxic enemy and lethal forces, both physical and spiritual. The "Protective Force" is our only safeguard.

"Hashem is with Me": Inspirational Talk with the Maglan Commandos of the IDF

The Maglan* commandos of the IDF are one of Israel's most elite units. They're far from the limelight and few people know what these quiet yet powerful heroes do. Rabbi Lazer Brody was their guest yesterday; here is a 6-minute segment of the inspirational talk he delivered there. It's especially timely for the month of Elul. The talk is in Hebrew, with English subtitles.
*Hebrew for "Ibis", a quietly determined bird