Discriminating Distinctions (Rabbi Aaron Fine) (Halacha - Jewish Law)

okay [Music] where a Goodwin uh begged me to give the today and so we got like 20 minutes so we'll do the best we can so the question that we're going to deal with is uh something that uh my father-in-law sha spoke about many times and something that he heard from hisin and I learn thein so it's all coming from the same source so if you notice the the the distinction a difference between the AL of and only in the does it end off with this Proclamation that we have to be there's this of we don't find that at all in the of this issue of so why is that so why is there that uh uh accentuation on that point of more by kanah than by Pur someone asked me uh two weeks ago he gave this she and last week about the uh gave the sh he asked why is there no Mish about Kaneka why about no M this is a very famous question that many many different answers that are given to to this I heard yesterday someone gave an answer because Kan even though we won the war but 90% there was a lot of infighting amongst the Jews 90% weren't for the W Wen for the victory so therefore was a little bit of disgrace therefore it wasn't recorded in we're going to try to give a a different answer why is there no M about the truth is the already deals with this on some level because talks about it talks about the PM and says is the last Nest that ever happened the last public Nest [Music] right says is is the end of the night also es the last last of the N what are you talking about es the last of if you know a little bit of History khaka happened 200 years later 250 years later say Esther was written is allowed to be written down but is not allowed to be written down so it's a nest that we're not about not allow to be written down so the here is actually talking about whether it could be canonized the here is talking about that the Esther we know we have one of the books in the Bible are Esther and we don't have a book uh at not apocryphal that is uh about about the the kanaka that's what the talking about here the khah is not canonized not part of the 24 SP of of of of tanak but already here we see thear put puts this point out there something unique about Kana that shouldn't be written down it shouldn't be recorded on paper so what about let's try to get a handle about that what is it about kanah that is not recorded at all in and as we see even it seems to get short it seems to not get get get AA for itself so the gar in in G says the I believe it's in yeah it says the like this if I write more most my tah it will be become foreign it will be considered foreign it become alien says what does that mean if I write WR my Torah become alien so says that I didn't write why didn't I write T because if I wrote T it'll become alien it become foreign meaning it'll be kidnapped by the because we know that at the time of Kaneka the Greeks actually uh kidnapped the T we know that they had the they took the it's called SE they uh that they took the T and translated it like my father-in always like to say it was translated and cataloged in the in the Greek University so why were they able to do that because it was written it was right in front of them was right in front of them so was they able to get it translated and they also could say that they have the to but the to they never got why did they never get it because it wasn't written down they didn't have access to it that's exactly what the is saying in thei you think I'm gonna write all of my Torah I'm gonna write even no no no I'm not writing then it's going to become alien it's going to be kidnapped and it's going to become uh appropriated by by by by foreigners that's the way uh that's why T learns over here right look the that I did right look what happened look at the tragedy that happened and the gar says a little bit later a little later couple lines down the says and that's why thek says that because of I was able to make a BRI what does that mean what does that mean what what what does a bris mean the Pu is saying here that the main bris the main Covenant that we have with is based on why because what does a what does bris mean usually when you have a bris a covenant that means they're two their people part of the agreement and some people are out of the agreement right you got NATO Russia is not part of NATO right that the reason why you have NATO is to get to get to not include Russia if everyone's if everyone's on friendly terms there ain't no one fighting you don't need a bris right you don't need it the the the the definition of birth means of a covenant means a treaty means you're excluding someone else right that's what it means these people are in the Covenant and the other ones are out of it right so that's exactly what the that's really what thear says to them is saying over here the is the vehicle is the gives the allowance that we have a covenant with why is the allows to have confidence with at the end of the day the had it too right the Christians got the Old Testament too they all have it also so there's nothing unique about the T there's nothing so what what is it that that what what is it that that manifest that shows that we are different that we are part of a bris that other people are not not part of it to is the only thing that we have and they don't have it that's what makes us special unique singular that's what makes it that we have this Covenant with so the two go together because is not written down that is what allows us to actually have this special relationship and the special G the Covenant the the original treat like the gr says the gr points us out that when we say in the in the um what do we say so we say what are these two things says it's exactly what we're talking about is if you remember the history when we got to the Torah on the second day Hashem says Okay I want to pick I want to make a covenant with you I want to pick you as and on the second day before the Torah was given there was a whole entire ceremony of Kus given and speak of D and there was a bre that preceded four days before mat on the sixth day of seven we got the actual rules the actual Torah itself but proceeded that was the what the bris right that's what we say that talk about before we got the Torah that they actually is a treaty a covenant oh later on we find out exactly what okay now that we're we have a treaty what exactly are the details of it what exactly does that uh what do that make us responsible to do okay that's so here comes it comes out like this if you think about it this we have a rule that we just mention could not cannot be written down to be written down like we said so besides the fact that it is a maybe a bigger iser than all other a in a sense but it's much more than that it this of cannot be written relates to be it's pre Torah it's so important it actually precedes the Torah it's an is that has to deal with the bris it has to do it has to deal with what the whole entire Torah is predicated on cuz the whole pred the whole Tor is predicated on that we have a covenant that happen on Bay s that that's where it all starts the Torah is finally given a couple days later this din that cannot be written down it's not just about a particular mid of a particular din it has to relate with our covenant with this what is what creates the and assures that we we have this treaty and unique connection with so is much more it's a much more deeper is with this we can understand even after we do have M we know that at the end of the day was written down in some ways thear talks about the reason was we had no choice we had to write it down because we started forgetting and because of the diaspora but if you notice if you ever learn mnas it's not written very well right says no there's no order says sometimes there are pieces that are missing M right the gamar says that uh like we said that there's no order and there are things that are missing so why is that so why is it written that way right and we say lot of is missing a lot of information said you got to look at other so why is that so why is it why is that way oh the answer is based on what we're saying the the the even though for excellencies we had no choice we had to write it down but we still wanted it to remain a to we still wanted to remain that the only way any person will be able to understand if he has a rebi and someone relates it over to him he still needs that b aspect but I don't understand if we say that there's no isra anymore there's no is anymore you're allowed to write it down so just write it down normally it says we say that's it there's no for anymore so what is this issue of well we want to retain some of the Bal if there's no no is the answer very simple there is no is you could write it all down in principle is doesn't apply anymore nowadays because it'll be because things will be forgotten and because of diaspora but it's not the issue that we want to retain some of it because of the iser aspect we want to retain some of it because of the bris as aspect if we're going to write it all down maybe there won't be any iser but that's it then there's no more Covenant between us and the because the whole Covenant the whole bris this whole uniqueness that we're singular and we are separated from the rest of the and they can't appropriate the is by Dent that it's not written down well so again it's not that we don't write it the MN well because of the is is doesn't apply anymore per se but it's something that has to do with much more deeper than is it has to do with how we how we retain a relationship with how is it that the Covenant applies only to us it's about how we retain our distinction oh about the bris so we have to maintain some aspect of even after it is even after is written down right for example where do we find the same type of concept we know that there sometimes you have to Y you know for the three cardinal sins you got to give up your life but there's that that you have to even give up your life for a shoelace if the Jews wear a certain type of shoelace a black one and the guy say with a red one you have to uh give up your life if if it's a time of govern a government decree against Judaism in in gen in general you got to give your life even for the why is that so I don't understand when tell you to wear different color shoelace now it's a bigger iser now all it's a bigger a to wear red shoelace instead of a black shoelace call you could wear any color shoelace right so understand the street cardinal sins it's a very very big iser nothing to do with what the G told you to be over not over it's in itself inherit is a very big is you got to give your life for that you don't got to give your life but if the time of sh if it's a time of of organized governmental uh basically trying to destroy Judaism well then you got to give up your life even for what's going on the answer is very simple it's exactly what we're talking about it's nothing do with nothing to do with is nothing to do with how big the is is it has to do with what the government is trying to do at that point trying to say that you are have no Covenant with it's not about the is it's about the Covenant it's about do you have a connection to it's about are you distinctive is there a distinction that you have to give up your life for not because of is it's because what it represents what represents is when they're telling you not to just like a Jew they're telling you there is no Judaism in the sense in the sense that there is either there's no God or there's no special relationship with that you have with God so therefore that you do have to give up your life but not because of is the same thing over here yes your lot of like the down but we still have to retain some of and there's no is anymore per se it's right down T but we still have to retain something a vestage of this law that you can't back down because it's about who we are it's about if we're basically we it's about about our distinction that we are we have a treaty and Covenant and we're different unique from from from from the oh so now now we have a little bit of a handle why it is so important that the that that the khaka story is not written down not only written down in the like we said in the T it's not written down in M either what is the if you look at the med the says the was the first time you know whatever you whatever you you going to go to every speech and say you this you want that they wanted this they wanted that but bottom line is what they wanted to say was they wanted to say that there's nothing distinctive about you Jews and there is no special relationship that you have you could have your culture you could have your culture whatever you like we have our culture you have your culture that's fine but there's nothing intrinsically special about you and you don't have any rights to God there is no God or is a God but he likes everyone equally and there's no favoritism there nothing singular nothing unique that's what they wanted that's what they wanted they didn't say you can't do all the Mitzvah they said the certain Mitzvah those Mitzvah that make them the most distinctive make make them seem the mo the most the most Salient because they had nothing against a culture you want to have a culture you have a culture we have a culture yeah can have your we have our but what they were against what they didn't like it that the Jews felt that they have some type of Monopoly on God they have some type of special treat some type of cidence with the that that the uh Greeks don't have and that is exactly why the Greeks are the ones who who was the ones who kidnapped the to who was the one who translated the Greeks right T right right that he they did the uh the sep he they the ones who translated it so they were trying to show that they were trying to show there's nothing unique about you and we could have the Torah too you could have our philosophy we could have your philosophy it's so wonderful and that's why the T since it wasn't written they weren't able to sabotage it but if they weren't able to kidnap it but if it was written they would they would they would have they would they would have recorded that too to say it's open field everyone's the same everyone's equal oh so it comes out like this if you think about the N of Kana and what the represented it's exactly parallel to this concept of T can't be written down it's exactly the same thing the the the nest is parallel to this law what was the N about there is a distinction CL is is different we do have a treaty with we are unique we are singular the are not in that treaty and what do can't be written down it's exactly that why can't tell written down what we just see in the gar it can't be written down in order that we should retain our distinction so they actually are parallel so therefore of course khaka can't be written down the whole point of Kaneka is to bring out our distinction and the way you bring that out that that our singular connector so of course is not going to be written down in in the sure not it'll be antithetical to what the whole entire idea of Kan was and the understood all this and since they understood all this they took it to a further Next Level even M they said don't have even M even after there was a het to write down MN and to write it down to some inscribe it in some type of written form but for kanah they kept it at its purest form what's the purest form no MN because since kanaka represented the quintessential to bring out the quintessential concept that we're we are disconnected from the rest of the world and we have a treaty Witham so Kan we keep the purest form of can't be WR and we do not have a we do not have a for that's the reason oh so so what does it have to do with so we know that in in Hebrew the word uh could actually mean two different things right in Hebrew could mean two different things admitting right right a little bit we learn learn could could we admit also mean thanks right to same word right so is that just by happen St it's worked out that the word admit and the word SS happen to come from the same in Hebrew it comes from the same chish the same root it's actually the same word the answer is no of course not in Hebrew makes lot it makes a lot of sense because uh people don't really like to rely on other people right right you everyone wants the meal I'm My Own man I did it on my own I don't need help from anyone else I'm self-sufficient self-reliant right but once in a while you have to admit that you need someone's help right once in a while you do need and certainly people in a sense we have a natural instinct not to want to believe inam or not to want to connect with him because basically that's saying that we're admitting that we need him all the time so it's it's hard it's hard for people to that's one of the uh blocks of why someone would not want to believe that in God because that means he created me that means I he did everything for me that means I need him right so in order to [Music] admit in order to sank you first have to admit what does San you mean you're basically admitting I needed something from you if I don't need anything I don't have to thank you right so that's why in Hebrew the word uh means admit and thanks right it mean because the same thing what do you when you sank what are you doing you're admitting that I needed you and that's why you're thanking someone that's why it comes from the same shes where do we see this uh most profoundly theing we say a minute later say what are these two things why we say we are we use the preface a minute later we say the answer is simple means we are admitting we admitting to you when you say you're admitting to someone I admit to you like Ruben says I admit to you that that I owe you $1 thousand right so when you say we use the preface I admit to you doesn't mean thanks over here means I admit that that's why you talk a minute later we say and now we're thanking you Al Al means four so so the first M it means I'm admitting that that's why you have the prefence she and a minute later we say which is the same roote but over there it actually means we're thank you there you don't say she we say I'm I'm thanking for so here just in daving every single day you should see that it's the same words but actually means two different things but also means the same thing okay so where do we see uh this opening the Torah we see opening the Torah that yud the name what called Yehuda why were they called Yehuda Leia says now I'm really GNA thank why said now I'm really because she knew that uh there are four mothers basically or there were four wives so simple math with each person she got three and she got four so she got an extra she got more than she seemingly was her lot that says oh now I'm really gonna thank because she realized she got more than than her than her co-wife right so we see this concept of is definitely more the obligation to do if you get more than everyone else so what do we saying here in Kaneka we're saying that we there was a fight there was this question is everyone the same or not everyone the same are and the is are there any dis between them just different cultures it's just everyone you know do what they want and everyone could live the way they want but everyone is equal and no one is better than anyone anyone else that was a fight and the truth is about the T shav part there is no in a sense there is no difference between the they got the we got it but we got something extra credit we also have the T and that was the whole entire fight that the wanted to say that no we are distinct we are different we have something more than the rest of the world we have some special treat we are singular we are unique oh you're unique singular that was the whole entire issue about Kana the a special special like we said by when you get something more than anyone else there is something you definitely have a to thank admit it that you got more and thank so when that's what it was about about whether there's something special about CLA or not and it was decided that yes even though there are 8 billion people we believe that there's something singular about us something unique we have a a single a treat of single Covenant and that is that that is basically manifest here by there was a special reason and a special inion for that was that more what was that more than because at the end of the day it came out that the also got so at the end of the day in that sense they also have something connection with us right but then but what is Kan about no we're still distinctive this still something special about us and that is represented the of that can't be uh that it cannot be written down but I want to just make a very important point I'm sure you all notice that it's not like us Jews say that the of Y you know the science and the Arts and the we don't we don't belittle it for for a minute we don't belittle what what the Y gave to the world like the P says T itself says that we we appreciate what Yin is it's say the question is okay great this math the science it's amazing it's all amazing but as you as Jews what's your job like a plumber and a doctor you need plumbers trust me you need plumbers but but the doctor shouldn't be okay but you're the doctor don't be the plumber is that believeing the plumber no you can't live like the doctor won't be going too far without the blumber so that's so so there's no question that Math and Science and all these things are galic there's no question about it but our job as Jews this is our distinctive job this is what we do we learn the Torah you know we could argue Torah is more deeper more intellectual You could argue that yes or no maybe yes maybe no I I happenly think that it is but that's not irrelevant it's irrelevant it's definitely it's definitely T key is definitely something that's otherworldly and that's our job this is what we have been that is our iction and this is what we've been set aside to do so we should never belittle but that's what y want to say y want to say no it's all the same there's nothing there's nothing special about you there's nothing distinctive about you we have it you have you could take some of us we could have some of you it's all good that's why they said what was this issue that they said Bo the point is we could all inter mared that was the point there's nothing special about you nothing special about us all one say here we are in 2023 couple well I don't know how two and a half thousand years and we're still uh singularly special and we are keeping the torch light and we are remaining with our covenant and treaty with especially through Ty