Don't Divide The Baby! - Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook’s Eretz Chefetz 12:5 by Rabbi Aaron Goldscheider

all right Booker to everyone good morning good morning Booker to great to see everyone nice uh nice to be here together and we begin with the dedication Beno okay uh we have the uh the this morning to continue our learning and a very very special very special piece from cook and a a topic that is in topic that's very important for today and that is the topic of unity ofus Andel and this is essentially the the major theme of the last chapter the last paric of eret and uh what we're going to do today is we're going to begin actually we usually begin with the the mimer with the piece from rev cook but in order to understand this piece and to appreciate it we need to begin with another section and this is taken from tanak it's one of the most famous I would say it's one of the most famous sections of tanak and uh the story of schomo H and it's about 10 versus 10im which we're going to see now I noticed that they they stapled The Source sheet uh yeah it's a little bit off so the you're looking it says M on the top but that's not the first page the first page number one you should see there should be a number one at the top I do have them numbered there's a number one and it says MIM perim at the very top of the page so this is how we're beginning today you only have two pages okay so there there are copies in the on the back table I'm sorry Cab's on the back table okay so here we go so this is a story that everybody in the room knows that everybody has heard and um I'm not sure if you've studied this story you're seeing the psim in uh inside as we say so we're going to see the psim we're going to see the verses we're going to run through it it's about 10 10 psim but we'll see this is going to be our backdrop and um a very very beautiful application of Ru cook so here we go here is the story and there were two women who were prostitutes Z and they come to the King this is and they stand before the king one of the women say the following both of us live in one house together and I gave birth in the house and on the third day the other woman who was living in the house with me also gave birth to a child the two of us are living in the house together there's nobody else who's there in the house just the two of us and the child died of The Other Woman and what did she do she got up in the middle of the night she took the child from me I was sleeping and she put the baby in her chest in her womb and and the child who died she placed in my and I woke up in the morning to nurse my child and the child was not living and I look carefully in the morning and that was not the child that I gave birth to that is not what happened it's the living child that is my child low and the other woman says I am the mother of the living child and they continue to speak before the king before that one woman is saying that the living child is hers and the other is making the argument stating that I am the mother of the living child so here famously what do do we all are familiar with this bring to me a sword and they brought the sword before says let's cut the live child in half let's give half the child to each mother we don't know which one is the real mother the one the mother who is the the mother of the living child says to the king because the mercy that she had for her child please my master give her give her the living child do not kill this child and what does The Other Woman say G she shouldn't have it I shouldn't have it cut the baby in half thank you very much thank you and this is the key line and the King answered give her the living child do not kill the child heo that is the mother of the living child the one that was willing to give away the child and the one God forbid the one that said to cut the child in half that certainly cannot be the uh the mother of the child the entire Jewish people heard of this episode this judgment and they were uh they had awe of the king they saw that he was a king who had theim that he was a man of God the wisdom of God within him to do judgment and this is the beginning of the reign of SCH so this is a I'm sure we have heard this story I would say it's one of the most famous incidents of all of n of all of Na outside of Torah and um a very very beautiful a beautiful story I guess not not so beautiful in certain ways but a beautiful beautiful lesson about the love of a mother for a child and ruk is now going to use this story is going to uh illuminate the idea of this story so let's look at the following we turn now if you can find this page two there should be a two on the top of the page and this is now Ru cook we're in the last chapter of eret and which is per andet this is ha this is the fifth piece that's found in the chapter and here we have Riv cook and uh we'll see also the the beautiful uh the beautiful WR and the Beautiful idea of R so there is a there are different opinions difference of opinion how do we go about dealing with the CLA with the community of Israel now now we do find that in our time that there are many that are there are many that are not following not observing to the Torah that they lift up the the deel the banner of hefu which means that they are they're very uh very proud to say that they're not observant of Judaism that they're not living a Jewish life and there are those that are very even proud of that badad they lifted very high there are those who say that for this reason we should make a separation a distinction within the nation of Israel and those that are the kosher Community those that are the observant of community that are lifting up the deem they there are those who make the argument let's not have anything to do any relationship with those that are rejecting Judaism so there are those that are looking at the Jewish community and having this discussion what do we do with the fact that there are so many people that are not observant and we have observant people maybe we should just kind of have own communities kind of our own gated communities with religious people and let's really not have much to do or anything at all to do with those Community let's kind of create a a separation between the two that's really the healthiest thing that we can do yes uhuh right okay no no I think you no you make a very good point you make a good point and that is that those on the other side would say those that are proud of it and those that are really rejecting and rebelling their you know their allegiance to Judaism we should really make a we should make a we should make a a cut we should make a separation from them so there are those that are making that argument or the other side is the middle of line Fort we continue oh or possibly the importance of having Shalom of having peace that that really is the overriding factor and again interesting kind of putting out this you know this discussion or these two sides I think these sides are being debated today to some degree in the religious in the observant in the non-observant community right how do we how do we deal with one another so is there room to say that we really should kind of create a separation we have a religious community let them kind of do their own thing or do we try to create more of a cohesive Nation so here are now the words of rev cook and this is very important rev Cook's response so those are the two possibilities he says he says the very essence of this argument of these two sides it's only because there's loneliness a spiritual loneliness within the nation of Israel that we have not yet ascended to a purity which is really the character of the nation of Israel that we're really we're not we're not getting at the the essence of the nees of who we are as a nation but we're we're on our way we're we're we're moving in that direction ruuk says the following in this line he says if we're even having this discussion it's only because we are lowly and spiritually lowly we should not even be having a discussion that that presents the possibility that there should be divis Division and viess within the nation of Israel even to have that discussion reflects badly on the Jewish people and it's not the essence of the Jewish people it's not who we are and it's only because there's what he what he calls a shlut there's only there's a loneliness a spiritual a spiritual jth within the nation now here he writes the following and here now we're going to get to the his uh his illumination or elucidation of the story that we open with from tanak to these two camps these two camps Z this story is really the story that's reflected in the two prostitutes or the two harlots that are coming before schl Sho that statement that was made bring me a sword right the idea bring me a sword and let me cut the the baby let me cut the body in half that's really just a test that's just a trial in other words to put it out there that there's a possibility that we're going to cut the baby in half cut the body in half that was just testing what was going to be the response to that so to here if we're going to um suggest let's cut the nation in half let's separate the the two parts of the nation from one another that is that that's that's purely a test in other words that's not something that we that we take seriously is that's part of the what it means the the Kingdom of Israel that must be pushed aside and there's that idea that we're going to kind of split the nation fracture the nation that something the one that says let's cut the baby in half what is that those are murmurings the same word in English murmurings those are the murmurings that are bate that come out that become apparent which is the truth of the enmity the that she feels within in other words the woman that could say yes let's cut the baby in half there's something there's something very wrong about that that's coming from a very very bad place and uh if somebody is saying that about the nation of Israel that let's take one community let's put them here let's take the other community let's kind of separate from one another that is that that's the idea of gizor that's the idea of cutting the body in half that's part of to to say something like that is to to say something like that woman said like that that prostitute said cut the B baby in half nobody should have you know either you know should have the baby let's just both take half of the baby and on the other side but the mother who is the merciful mother the mother who is the true mother she says give my child away give my child to The Other Woman to do not do not cause a death to the baby so Andes the uh the spirit of of Holiness meaning the the the word of God calls out to give her the baby that is the mother so first of all the gamar asked the question how was schl certain that this was the mother maybe she outsmarted schl would she knew if she were to say don't cut the child that she would get the child maybe she was smarter than schom and she kind of strategized to do that the gamar says the following and this is what the uh what r ends with in this piece that it'ses in says that in that Court there is was able to have a kind of and if you look at this second column in that ofo it says how did know it ARA maybe she was engaging in trickery maybe she was strategizing maybe she was smarter than schl so says the that wasn't just schl who was smart enough who was wise enough to to kind of read what was going on it was the word of God it was the word of God the word of God said do not cut the child give this child to the mother who says that the that the body that the the baby should not be cut in half so for rev cook rev cook sees this story is not just a story of mothers and not just squabbling over over the baby of prostitutes that are arguing with one another but this really represents and with a NV with scho and with the word of God it represents Amel as a whole and I think that's how we can understand by the way at the very end of the uh at the very end of the story there's a beautiful PK that we read as the Jewish people saw what happened and they called outo the Jewish people saw the greatness ofel that he was the king of Israel I'll take a question or two but I just want to point out one other thing this if you look on the page the page before this section from from the navi this story this well-known story of schl when is it read as a ha it's actually chosen as one of the aoras we only have a handful of aoras when is which with what what paraa what story in the Torah do we read this Mikes and by the way it's rare actually that we read this of Torah you might be asking yourself I don't remember reading this a Tor we rarely read it why because kanaka falls out amik 90% of the time on shabas so we're always reading the special aor for khaka but this is the aor for Mikes and what's the story of mikat it's the end it's reash it's where the brothers and Yosef where we have the potential of the split within the family and it's only the next para as Yehuda comes before so what is this par all about why did choose this to be the a for mikat because it's not just a story of two women of two harlots and schl it's the story of Amel and it's rues it's the word of God that says that calls out to the Jewish people do not split the body do not split the baby do not split my child the Jewish people are to remain one it's more important than anything okay any yeah there was a question to right okay so every so every yes so so every um so every situation needs to be addressed and addressed properly but as a as a principle as a principle as a foundational principle our approaches and the priority that am isra that we want to be together we want to find a way to be together there's nothing more important than that that's the message of schlomo and the brothers yes to say this whole concept yeah yeah yeah there's a famous story that he right that he dresses that he asked to go change clothing with them and he puts on the clothing of the of the khim and they put on his uh his beasha and his hat and they're dancing together and he says you see we're really one just on the outside we look different but we're really the same we're the same so yes this is one of especially for all of us that been studying R cook together this is one of one of his guiding principles one of one of his most important teachings and we see this what a beautiful idea to take that story and to take that episode with schl and to apply it in this way in terms of how the way how we see amus the importance of remaining together so I want to highlight two two um two other sources with you in terms of the uh what it means to be together and to be one in the ofel and two other re personalities who lived in the same time of Rook R mayor Sim Vince the M was considered to be one of the G Torah of the previous generation and uh and a line from the NV as well who was a rebi of of the uh of Rook so we turn now to page three which I think in your in your little packet it's the first page uh but it's it's page three so look at this page it should have a number three on top it says mayin so now we this is a this's a classic teaching of the m one of a very very beautiful idea and it brings us back to the giving of the Torah we often we we highlight the idea the Jewish people being one and then the Jewish people say the following the P says now before they say they first say in they say we will do all of The Commandments and actually the M raises the question which is an interesting one how is it that a Jew can do all of the commands ments because a Jew cannot possibly do all the Commandments there we all talk about 613 Commandments we're all obligated 613 T mitzvot but the truth is we don't do tag mitzvot and it's not possible for any Jew to do tag mitzvot so he writes the following there are those MIT tah that are for the there are Mitzvah that are only Ley Mitzvah anybody here leyas Ley okay so you have special Mitzvah being AAS any Coen in the room oras okay AAS Coen yeah there areas foras there are things that you can do that I that I will never be able to do and then there are those and relate to a kingin foran they're those people that own property anybody own property I don't own any property here I'm renting so there are people that own property ubas anybody own a house here one person right we're all renting okay so there areos if you own a house there areos if you own property but there are a lot of people that don't and never will only the entire Jewish people as a whole only the with the entire Jewish people can the Torah be fulfilled be observed is as we all know beautifully the gar sh that we are all arus that we're all intertwined with one another AR like the word like you put up an a what does an a do an a brings everyone together in one in one place in one one and when everybody does what they need to do the Bas Coen and the BOS Ley and the Coen God and those that own property and own and own uh Fields when everybody does their mitzvot now we have have everybody keeping tag Mitzvah but we need everyone in order to do that it's just an interesting way to think about t Mitzvah I think we usually think we have all the Mitzvah and we're all obligated but in a sense the Torah was given in such a way that a single individual is not able to keep the entire Torah that means we're all interconnected with one another and he quotes a that you are sheep of my flock says God you you are interesting phrase you are a single person you are one you're one entity all of is is one and a way to look at it says the there are those people who are like the heart of the nation are like the heart of the Jewish people they're those they're like the head we find these terms in the Torah so what part of the body are you are you the hand of the nation the foot of the nation the ear of the nation the nose by the way we need all of it we want all of it we want the brains we want the heart we need eyes we need hands we need ears so we're all we're all playing our part says the uh the and just to read this last line four lines down that you every single Jew has their part to play your Mitzvah yourz Your Role And when everybody does it together who SH now we are a single nation so that's a way of looking at and how do you break the nation as R cook says we cannot possibly cut the body we can't break the nation in half we we need one another there's no way to be MIM the 613 mitzvot without everyone together the rebi of Rook was the the Berlin ofan he's studying vin with the NV and the NV is famous for his Parish on the Torah and he has an introduction to the book of bra in that introduction he calls the book or he says the book is called saer and this is a famous introduction of the uh of the NV why is it called Saar that's one of the the names one of the the the nicknam special names that's given to the first book of the Torah and he claims because the AOS were that they were unique not Sim they were yes so he talks about what was unique about the AOS and there's one sentence that I want to highlight from his introduction and he talks about in this introduction the um the unfortunate circumstance of what happened in the time of the B mdash destruction of the B mdash where there wasam the temple was destroyed because we didn't love one another there was enmity hatred between Jews and he writes the following to try to analyze exactly what happened there so from the word up rashnu do you see that I think I put a little bracket next to the word p rashu it's halfway down in the where it says did I put a little bracket there I think I did okay good so he say we explain we have explained that in that generation in the time of the bash you had people that were righteous and people that were saintly andal Torah people were learning Torah so how is is it that the was destroyed but they were not what does that mean he's going to explain in a moment but it means the way that they interacted with one another and kind of a lack of respect that people have for one another now that's an important line so what's the according to the in their hearts they questioned or they were that they did not think highly of people of others around them if somebody acted in a way which was not like their way not like their do right they wore a different kipa they they had a different Min hog they acted a little bit differently so they they began to judge there was Judgment of those people and they judged them vorus that they were ready to use those terms or aporus that they were writing them off they were quick to write them off as an and um and that was the problem which led to a real kind of hatd where there was actually murder so the key line here for me the way that I understand this or what I wanted to share is the Judgment of others to be quick to judge others to label others that's what was happening according to n that was the that they were guilty of and what that led to so that's something that we need to be very very careful of when we talk about the Aus of the nation the Oneness of the nation we have to be very very sensitive very U very careful about any judgment and any labels because he's talking about that as well that they were quick to call that person at Sidi and aias that they did that and that that that led to Terrible Things yes there was a question or two speaking to the right right okay it needs to be done very sensitively we touched on that last week as well and it's part of our learning this morning again if if the ideal is is Shalom if the ideal is piece you're asking the question if the other side is acting in a way that that you find inappropriate how do you responds again it's it's you know every case is needs to be addressed as you know individually but um but I think the the goal is sensitivity the goal is respect the goal is uh is trying to find trying to find a a peaceful place yes did you that's right if I knew the right if I knew the answers um but I think the the but the lesson is an important one the lesson the lesson is uh the lesson of trying to find peace of being very very careful in terms of language in terms of Judgment of others that's the that that that's the starting point and a very very important you know very important very important lesson okay and that the ideal again as we started with which we'll look at right now the ideal that that we have to find every way to keep our nation together to create a Unity that there's Brotherhood to do everything that we can and to see that as as the highest priority so we we turn out to page four page four we'll skip that last s for now we'll come back to that another time so R cook has a beautiful uh I would say it's one of his most famous poems he wrote poetry as well one of the unique aspects of R Cook's life is that he was also a poet he enjoyed writing poetry we have a lot of poems of Riv cook and um this is I would say one of his most famous poems not going to see the entire poem but what is called the four part song and in that he describes the soul of every person and we've looked at this in the past that there are those that are a soul that wants to en Noble their own soul that uh that one is thinking about their own life individually and how to have an attachment and closeness with Hashem and then there are souls that are attached to the nation there are souls that are attached to all of the nations of all of humanity and then there are souls Souls that are attached to all of creation and and and He suggests that it's really that a Jew is is is one who combines all of all of those factors right all of those special features um that I want to just just to to highlight what he speaks about when he speaks about the attachment to the nation of Israel what it means for a Jew to be attached to the nation and to feel that close connection to am Israel and I think that's I think it's somewhat unique to to living in Israel and and for everybody in the room is as well as we'll see in a moment so he writes the following this is the second line you see that and here we'll see the beautiful poetry and writing of ruk there are those people V and there are those Shar there are individual there are those amongst the Jewish people that sing the song of the nation that they feel that close attachment to all of am he leaves the circle the his individual soul that's not enough for him right just to just to DAV and to keep shabas and to keep kosher to kind of care about to be concerned with my own spiritual life that's not large enough for for that soul that he doesn't see that wide enough just to be concerned with his own life maybe with his own family with his own children right he has a he has this desire to connect with and to be concerned with the entire the the the entire nation Al that's not the ideal he doesn't see that as the ideal to be concerned with his own spiritual growth he desires the O he wants something much higher the strength of a of something that's that's beyond just himself who and he is D there's an attachment a clinging with great love and uh with ad with ad in a how do you translate in a very nice in a gentle way in such a beautiful way with all of Kess Isel it's not enough for him his concern for himself and again I would add maybe for his family and for sort of his inner circle he has a great desire to be a part of the nation and the love that he has for the nation that is is drawn to the nation is concerned for the nation and you know reading this and I think about people that have made Aliah I think that's part of what has brought people on Aliyah where a person feels I I want more I want to be I I want to be connected to the nation and and part of part of what's happening with all of am is and building AR Israel and building the nation he says there are souls he says yes the opening which we skipped over there are people that are kind of satisfied with just their their own spiritual growth it kind of goes through life like that that's a beautiful thing also right to I'm concerned my daving and my kasus and my family and my community but he says there are those that there are souls that go beyond that there are souls that feel the nation and want to and want to feel the pulse of the nation and be a part of that and what does that person do V the third line down V Iman with a nation who sha he sings the song she sings the song of the nation m that person feels the pain the pain of the nation right very much what we're going through today and I think what it means to live in Israel today that we're feeling right the pain of the nation and to see the losses rahmanan every every day every other day to see soldiers and and to read that and to feel that is is what it means to live here what it means to live in Earth Isel and again I mentioned this in the past when I was back home for pesak and I was reading about what was happening in Israel I felt a little bit of a disconnect it felt like far away I was reading it but I wasn't I wasn't feeling it in the same way and R cook said that's part of and what's so special about being in Israel and and being a Jew that's connected with the nation as a whole that we're singing sha we should do a lot of that right the celebrations of our nation and there are souls that that sing that song and then the way those that feel the the pain and those that feel a great sh a great happiness in the hopes of Israel that they connect with the hopes of of the nation of Israel again not just with your community with the hopes of your sh and and you know what's happening on on your blocks which is important also but again a soul that's connected in a much larger way the person thinks great thoughts or elevated thoughts such a person is very much connected with what has the history of the Jewish people what has happened in the past o and the future of the Jewish people right such a soul is connected with the future and again I think I think for many of us we've come to Israel we've made alah because we feel that there's there's a great future we want to be a part of that future the sense of redemption of moving towards a better day and to be a part of that to play our part in that in in in in every way and every day that we're here in the last line and I'll just to translation here and tries to understand its inner spiritual nature with love and a wise heart so this Riv cook says is a what how he describes poetically right a soul a person a Jew who's connected to the nation that love that the person has for the nation living living with the with the heart and soul of the nation and I think that's very very beautiful and again getting back to sort of the opening where we started that we can't possibly see says R cook the idea of Act of fracturing the nation in any way of making any division within the nation there's one nation that we're part of this nation and we want everyone to be a part of this nation okay one last uh one last source and I want to share I think two uh two stories with you to conclude so Riv cook uses this uh I would say as as a par Paradigm the story of SCH as a uh as a paradigm for Oneness not to not to split the baby not to to break the the body in half God forbid the need for Oneness there's another story that comes much earlier in the Torah that we're all familiar with which I think also highlights the importance of togetherness and really this prayer for for Oneness and that is Yakov as he's about to end his life really we're the last words of yakob to his children so yakob said say he asked all his children to come together and he says I want to let you know what's going to happen at the end of days and he's on his deathbed and these are the last the last message of Yakov to his children the PK says and this is Source two right the middle of page four come together let me let you know what will happen the end of days come together they came together and they listen the mid asked the question what are these terms there are two words that are used here for Gathering and hiu like the word kibuts that we know so there are many op many different opinions in the midash what it means I'm going to bring one opinion this is the rabbis all together what what does it mean ver what did he mean BYU and he he wasn't just saying come meet me in my house 10:00 Sunday morning let's all get together for brunch and I'll and I'll let you know what's going to happen at the end of days those words have much more profound meaning what does it mean he was giving a command what does it mean he was telling them be together do not have do not fight with one another and that is going to be the key for that's how we're going to come to the days of mashiach and if you read on in the just highlighted one other did I put that in a little box yeah okay good so the very good so the midash goes on to say the following this is we could we can highlight these words so the midrash based on this teaching that yakob said come together and that will be the end of days in other words if you don't have mlus if you find a way to live in Brotherhood and peace and loving one another that's that's what's going to bring the end of days says the midash when the Jewish people become an when you become one nation attached to one another prepare yourself for the g once that happens if you are together if there's Oneness in the Jewish people that is a Telltale sign that is prepare yourself the Gula is here that's going to be the key for the Gula and I think it's true for us today in Israel as well with everything that's going on all the difficulties the war we need to be that's the message of this midash and the message of ruk we need to be unified we need to for there to be Brotherhood we need never to to name call and and it's that togetherness that Unity that's going to give us strength to overcome to be Victorious and and for the Gula for the ultimate Redemption okay I want to end with two uh with two stories one is a story from um from R Cook's father we don't know that much about uh about R Cook's father his name was schlomo zman cook he was also a great Rabbi not as famous as his son Ren cook and the story takes place on this shabas what will be the shabus of korak so he was invited to be in a community for chabas and he was a guest speaker on chabas and commun this is the father of R cook of schlomo zman cook and uh as they as they uh as they escorted him in welcomed him somebody whispered to him that there's a m a major makus that's going on in the community right now and we like you in your Dr or sometime over shabas if you could kind of address that on the shabas again it was Paras korak so ruuk got up shabas morning and he said the following he said that in our par we have the story of korak of course this happens to be here we're talking about this morning of of mes and splintering the Jewish people that's the message that's of that's the whole theme around Paras korak this coming chabas so he said if you look at the paraa you'll see what happened where there was argument and uh you have korak and the the Earth opens up and swallows korak and his followers but it seems that afterwards that the the argument or sort of that divisiveness or questioning mtion Aon has still not been quelled in other words there's still questions about that and at that point God says that you are to collect all the mat you are to collect all of the all the staffs from all the tribes and you're going to bring them in together with the staff of Aon and on the staff of Aon that there will be a blossoming of flowers and almonds on the on his staff and with that that will be a sign that Aon has been chosen by God and enough and enough mlus so interesting that you know whatever you'll look at the paraa and we'll all study the paraa this week that that was also necessary that you had the first part of the paraa with korak we're all familiar with that but another there was another step that was necessary as well so R cook said the following there's a mishna that that speaks about almonds that deals with almonds and that's again that was on the staff and again why almonds of all things that to see that the staff of Aon that it that it flowered and it that it grew almonds like that sounds very very strange so he said there's a mission that talks about almonds and it says there are two kinds of almonds I have an almond tree in my in my yard so there's they're almonds that start off being sweet and then they become bitter as you leave them on the tree and then there are almonds that are bitter and they become sweet that's what the mishna says two types of almonds and and and maybe different hos for for each of the different kinds of almonds so RAB cook said that's true of a mlus as well when it comes to mlus in a community or M is with others so sometimes it starts off sweet in other words we're com of somebody we believe he deserves to be ostracized from the community whatever may be there's a little bit of sweetness in that in that mlus everyone kind of gets on board and this person is pushed aside there's a little bit unfortunately a little taste of Sweetness in mes but then ultimately what happens over time it's not so sweet and where there is mes there's uh there's bitterness in the end even if you felt that it was kind of like the right thing in the beginning even if it had a little bit of a of a positive taste but he says when it comes to making Shalom the opposite is true you know when you're when you're not getting along with somebody or you haven't spoken to somebody or trying to make peace with somebody else in the beginning it's bitter right it's hard hard to make that phone call hard to reach out hard to sit down with that person and to talk about and try to make amends with somebody there's bitterness in the beginning but when you get over that right when you get through that bitterness there's a lot of sweetness afterwards so he says that's the message MZ that's the message of Paras korak and why almonds of all things just realize that it's there may be a little bit of sweetness when you start a mlus you're happy to knock this person whatever it may be but ultimately that's going to be very very bitter in the end again but when it comes to making peace maybe a little bitterness in the beginning but a lot of sweetness at the end okay so that is uh that's one story The Second Story and I'll end with this is a story and I'm going to read this story to you this is a story that is found and I credit the story to a good friend RAB Judah Michelle in a book called bad a beautiful safer which is really about chuva and he's one of the writers for Tor tidbits he's the head of Hask those that are familiar with the the program Hask he's there now up in the Catskills and uh he has a beautiful safer about chuva and this is a story that I want to uh I'll close with and I just want to I'll read it to you and here it is before his distinguished 50-year career career as a senior surgeon at adasa Hospital Dr nakum Cook was beloved for his righteousness and dedication to the members of the Jewish underground in pre-state Israel and served as the unofficial doctor of the iron a man by the name of Dr nakum Cook now during The Six Day War Dr Cook was a supervisor at the emergency military field clinic at bolm hospital in Jerusalem and worked day and night as a supervising physician in the triage room in the midst of frantic raging battle decisions in the field Clinic were made at a diing pace wounded soldiers were arriving on stretchers in Desperate condition and there was a constant need to make life and death decisions and prioritize treating those victims whose lives could be saved a young Soldier this 1967 Six Day War a young Soldier evacuated from evacuated from the warfront arrived at bolm unconscious and severely wounded his leg barely attached to his body you know where Bolam hospital is you familiar where it is yeah it's still there today on Strauss the doctors tried everything but soon realized that they had a terrible choice to make if the young man was to live he had to lose his leg Dr Cook however adamantly insisted that the attending doctors do more to save the soldiers leg from amputation with a steady flow of injured soldiers coming in the medical to medical team team felt that there was not time to Del deliberate the matter again but Dr Cook continued to insist that they not give up on the limb in the face of Dr Cook's persistence and despite their Collective opposition the doctors reviewed the case once again emerging from the operating room a short while later their faces beaming with joy The Soldier's leg had been saved the medical personnel at bolm were astounded what had made this one doctor so focused on saving a limb why had he persisted so forcing the colleagues to rethink their initial diagnosis the answer Dr Cook gave is both powerful and instructive this is Dr Cook now speaking my great uncle was the great sadic and O Isel yiten cook who shared a message I carry with me each time I treat a patient in surgery when I entered the field of medicine my holy Uncle implored me to always bear in mind that just as CLA Israel is one nation and no individual Jew can be cut off from their people a surgeon must do everything within his power to ensure that a person is given a chance to stay whole my uncle spent his life reaching and going Beyond his limits to maintain the casare with Jews who many consider to be far away refusing to allow them to be cut off from knesset Israel my uncle RI cook spent his his precious time traveling to the most shim across erit Israel to connect with Jews of different walks of life and subjected himself to intense criticism opposition and shame for the sake of ensuring that no Jew would ever be amputated from his people and the last sentence when faced with the painful possibility of conducting emergency surgery to remove a person's limb I'm Guided by my uncle's insistence on never giving up hope neither spiritually nor physically okay so that is the uh that is the story beautiful story and yes it's one of the beautiful lessons of of R cook of remaining always remaining together how important it is today we should take this as a uh as auk as an inspiration to love every Jew to love one another that there should be a a Oneness and with that everyone have a wonderful day I'll take a question please last week I and the solders of the