Emuna Beams

The story of Purim is the story of the true national leader of Israel. It begins with Abraham, continues with King David and then with Mordechai. It will soon culminate with Moshiach. Our past is our future. One cannot understand current events in Israel without understanding the events that led to the miraculous downfall of our enemies. The tyrants and traitors of old are still with us today.

The debate that's ripping Israel apart: should Yeshiva students be drafted into the army or not? Who really protects our country, the soldiers or the Torah scholars? Rabbi Lazer Brody, who has been on both sides of the fence, answers...

A person is capable of attaining much higher levels of spirituality than he or she thinks. One's spiritual potential has no bounds. An adequate cleansing of the soul brings an individual to the lofty level where his or her face can reflect the heavens.

In this world, it appears that the cruel and powerful are the ones who succeed. Don't envy them;  their success is temporary at best. In the context of Divine justice, which prevails ultimately, the mighty fall yet the weak and humble inherit the earth.

A distraught teacher was having terrible disciplinary problems with a boy in his class. He sought advice from the great Rabbi Shmuel Halevi Vozner, of blessed memory. This is a 90-second must-hear for both parents and teachers. 

A person must learn to function in two types of situations. Most everyone can function in favorable times, when life is looking up. Happy are the spiritually courageous who can function in trying times, when things are looking down.

If Netflix could reproduce even a small portion of the drama in this week's Psalms, they'd break all box-office records. No screenwriter could imagine how King David, a hostage with no dream of escape, finally made his way to freedom.

All over the world - between wars, natural disasters and political unrest - people lack a clue as to what's happening to them, especially when they are decent people living decent lives. How do we cope when something painful happens to us, especially when it hits us after we did a good deed or finished praying. What happens when we can neither see nor understand what the Creator is doing to us and why? Today's podcast answers.

One cannot possibly attain Divine honor if he or she has a contaminated soul. The cure for a contaminated soul is penitence, or teshuva. The evil inclination gets its vitality from the spiritually-contaminated blood in the left side of the heart. A special type of teshuva, which we learn in today's lesson, can rid the heart of such blood and starve the evil inclination. This is a key to attaining humility, spiritual health and Divine honor.

A soul feels parched and stifled when it lacks Divine light. It also feels dull and unexpressive. King David provides a triple-strength remedy to rejuvenate the soul. You'll feel so good that you'll soon be singing your own new song.