Kedoshim: 15 Incredible Opportunities in Davening to Love the Jewish People

Okay, good evening everyone. Welcome everyone to tonight's year parshas kedoshim. And the sheerim of a dedicated by the Israeli family. Nishmas Malka bas Yosef She should be for her family. Safer kodeshim I got to turn this is sponsored by Dr. Akon mashpachtel eliezer akon. Rifka bas and Ben tziya Cohen. We have a new dedication for all the Wednesday night sheerim for the upcoming year. Beginning with tonight a dedicated by Mrs. Herman leilui nishmas her husband of shabsi benish Ben Moshe who passed away on chof zayin nissan she just he just passed away one of the founders of the diaspora yeshiva and our marbitzei torah in eretz yisrael for many decades. He he's a baruch. Tonight's year is dedicated by my dear friend leilui nishmas his grandfather's his grandfather whose yahrtzeit is vov yar that's tonight yeah that's tonight. Mordechai Yaakov ben Rebbe Yehuda Leib gan eden timnu chasai should be a for his whole family. We have an amazing topic but you're going to have to bear with me first. First of all upcoming pesach sheini many attribute pesach sheini to the yahrtzeit of Rebbe Meir. So you say what am I going to read about about Rebbe Meir after it's Rebbe Meir's yahrtzeit? Do you have any reading material about Rebbe Meir? You wouldn't believe it. You can't believe this. I just happen to have some reading material on Rebbe Meir. First of all lashon hakodesh elokah deMeir anini then you get it in English but there are things in one that are not in the other. Rebbe Meir baal haness eternal children of Hashem it's now available in Yiddish Rebbe Meir baal haness und die eibige kinder fun fun Hashem yisborach der chiddush fun em getlichen tanna Rebbe Meir and this way by the way yesh if you get the English then you can learn Yiddish. You can open up learn Yiddish. Also it's available in Spanish. And tomorrow it's going to be published in pocket size. So you could take advantage of that. Also for the upcoming lag baomer. By the way you know when lag baomer is this year? This year it's on the 33rd day of the omer. You heard about that? The safer lag baomer the mystical power of lag baomer Rebbe Shimon bar Yochai in the zohar kodesh. There are some very exciting books in the work. Ben Ish Chai this one the one that I've been telling you about with the leather cover it's being published by artscroll you can participate in this publication as well as the topic of tonight's year which is the subject of ahavas yisrael of the Chofetz Chaim. Sefer ahavas yisrael first published in 1928 going to be published now for the first time in English annotated with stirring essays. And tonight's year is going to be a very important chapter in the upcoming safer. Parshas kedoshim lo sikom do not take revenge siter don't bear a grudge as pnei amechah to another Jew. Vi ahavta lereiacha kamocha love your friend like yourself. Ani Hashem So you're thinking yeah I love my friend like myself it's a good thing this guy I don't like him because he's not my friend so I don't have to every Jew is your reia. There's reius vi ahavta lereiacha kamocha. In years past we spoke about the following topic. We have a tradition from the Arizal that before davening begins you should accept upon yourself the mitzvah of vi ahavta lereiacha kamocha the Ari even formulated a liturgy to say harini mekabel al atzmi mitzvah assei shel vi ahavta lereiacha kamocha. So you say when am I supposed to think about it? You know you know the answer already. You don't even take your phone out of the car. You already leave in the even better yet you leave it in your house. You will why bring it in the car in the first place? You know you can't bring it into a shul that you know already. So what are you going to do? You're going to leave it in the why would you leave it in your car you're endangering your phone. So you leave it at home. So now you have you freed up so much time. On the way to shul one of the many things to think about. By the way walking to shul is a treasure mine of things to think about. One of them is you say harini mekabel al atzmi mitzvah assei shel vi ahavta lereiacha kamocha. It's already codified by the way the Arizal talks about this in number nine in shaarei kavvanos. The Arizal says kodem she adam yesader tefilasi kenesses before you arrange your tefilah in shul tzorech she kabbalah alav mitzvas vi ahavta lereiacha kamocha and you should have kavvanah to love every Jew like yourself. And the Arizal says by thinking that you incorporate your tefilah together with the tefilah of the tzibbur. It's already codified in the Magen Avraham Magen Avraham siman mem vov seif katan alef he says kodem tefilas shacharis yekabel alav mitzvah assei shel vi ahavta lereiacha kamocha. We already spoke about this we had an entire shiur on this subject. What we're going to talk about tonight is 15 occasions in davening to mekayem the mitzvah of vi ahavta lereiacha kamocha. Now what how? I can't even think of any. If my friend would have his phone with him then I could be mekayem the mitzvah of vi ahavta lereiacha kamocha by telling him my dear friend please do not bring your phone into the shul you're disturbing the entire shul. It's like bringing a foreign item into the beit hamikdash. Would you bring an icon into the holy of holies? So kindly leave your phone out. But my friend already knows the rap he's already heard the shiurim. So he's not bringing it in so what other opportunities do I have to mekayem the mitzvah of vi ahavta lereiacha kamocha? So we're going to begin some of these we've mentioned in the past and a bunch of new ones. The Ari another Arizal for those who recite leshem yichud. Now leshem yichud is if you is not does not really go with nusach ashkenaz. Nusach ashkenaz and do leshem yichud is not part of nusach ashkenaz. This leshem yichud is part of the the liturgy of the Arizal. Nusach sfard is we're not going to get into what exactly it is but it's not technically part of nusach ashkenaz. But it it was the leshem yichud was legislated by the Arizal. The Arizal says before you do a mitzvah or before you give tzedakah you should say as follows leyachda shma de kudsha berichu shechintei I want to unify kudsha berichu and and the shechinah. I want to do it bechilu urechimu with with fear and with love. Lechaber yud kei im vav kei to connect the yud kei with the vav kei. And I'm doing the mitzvah beshem kol yisrael in the name of all of Israel. In the name of all of Israel. I'm doing the mitzvah and then the Arizal taught when you do a mitzvah I'm going to give you an example. You're going to count sfirah tonight. What was last night? 20? Okay good. Yeah? You're going to count sfirah tonight. Before you count sfirah the Arizal says you should say I'm counting sfirah beshem kol yisrael. I'm doing it for all of kol yisrael. And I'm going to explain that it's very important. Actually we have a tradition that this predates the Arizal. The Rashbam the son of the daughter of Rashi on his deathbed he asked his family and his students to go out and he then revealed to one of his closest talmidim and one of the secrets that Rashbam revealed to his talmidim is that when you donate tzedakah let's say you're going to give a thousand dollars to the shul give a thousand and one dollars give an one extra dollar and have in mind the extra dollar is is on behalf of the Jewish people. And say to yourself quietly prutah zu ani nosein beshem kol yisrael. And there's a safer shaarei chotzer who says the remez to this is naso tintein lo you should surely give him velo yeira levavcha betitzocha it should not hurt you when you give it ki biglal davar zeh because of this matter. What does the pasuk mean it should not hurt you when you give it? So says the Rashbam says the safer shaarei chotzer because when you give tzedakah add on a tiny bit extra. So you say why should I add on a tiny bit extra? It it hurt enough that I gave the first thousand dollars why am I adding a dollar? No the added dollar you should give beshem kol yisrael and don't feel bad ki biglal hadavar hazeh yevarechecha Hashem elokecha because of this matter Hashem will bless you. So when you do a mitzvah you should think I'm doing the mitzvah beshem kol yisrael. So right now you're in this shul in this holy beit haknesset. What are you doing? You're learning torah. You know you're doing doing right now. Who are learning for? For me? For my soul? You should think I'm learning Torah for all of Klal Yisrael. Oh, I'm learning for all of Klal Yisrael. You know that most of Klal Yisrael don't know how to learn Torah. Most of Klal Yisrael don't learn Torah. Most of Klal Yisrael 90% of the Jewish people they never heard of Avraham Avinu. You know you know that? You know that nine out of 10 Jews don't know the pasuk Shema Yisrael Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echad. Nine out of 10 Jews you could sit across from them and say, "Have you ever heard the words Shema Yisrael Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echad?" And they're going to say, "Is that an Indian incantation?" They don't know Shema Yisrael. They don't even know that you said Hebrew words. 90% of the Jewish people Most Jews never heard of Avraham Avinu. They never heard of Moshe Rabbeinu. They can't tell the difference between James Madison and Yeshayahu Hanavi. But you had the fortune of a Jewish education. Maybe even went to Yeshiva. You know how to do mitzvahs. Don't be selfish. Don't do the mitzvah only for yourself. Do it for your people. Do the mitzvah for your people. Which mitzvah should I do for my people? Every single mitzvah you do. No, if he doesn't want to do the mitzvah then that's his problem. I'm doing the mitzvah. I want to get oil in my butt. No, you have responsibility. You if Hashem gave you the the good fortune to know how to learn Torah and know how to perform mitzvahs, you have a responsibility to do mitzvahs for the Jewish people. When should you What should I think? Every mitzvah I do I should think I'm doing it b'shem Klal Yisrael. You know, sometimes people say here I'm I'm living in America. What can I do for the soldiers in Gaza? What can I do for the soldiers in the Golan? What can I do for the soldiers in Lebanon? What can I do for the Jewish people in general? The answer is there a lot of things you could do. Every single mitzvah you do, now whether you say l'shem yichud or you don't, I don't say it. I'm I'm a very I'm an Ashkenazi man. I'm I'm keeping the same nusach of my ancestors for 1,000 years. I'm not changing. I didn't change. For 1,000 years Ashkenazi, but before I do a mitzvah, I still try to think I'm doing it b'shem Klal Yisrael. So we just created seven opportunities in the morning to have in mind that you're trying to help the Jewish people. Now, here's the point. There's a siddur called Siddur Da'as Kedoshim. The Da'as Kedoshim was the Aishal Avraham of Buchach. All the good kulos are in the Aishal Avraham of Buchach. Any good leniency you've that that is out there are in the fine microscopic print of the Aishal Avraham of Buchach. He was the Gaon Natsum. He's known as the Buchacher. He had the Da'as Kedoshim, Rav Warman. I had the privilege when I was living in Queens, I used to daven next to Rav Warman who was the Rosh Yeshiva of Hebrew Academy of Nassau County. And he was a talmid muvhak of Rav Bleizer Silver. And he had a chavrusashaft with Rav Moshe Feinstein. And his seforim were niskaabel with great haratzah by many gedolim including the Steipler, the Shevet Halevi. And he was a descendant of the Aishal Avraham of Buchach. And he had a yichus briefel in his house tracing him back to the Rav Warman of the Aishal Avraham Buchach. He writes in his siddur that whenever you do a mitzvah b'shem Klal Yisrael, you should think I'm therefore fulfilling the mitzvah of loving another Jew. In other words, I'm now putting on my tefillin. And one of the thoughts I'm having besides thinking I have kavana to mikayem the mitzvah of tefillin. You know you have to think that. If you just put on tefillin and you don't have the formal thought that I'm fulfilling the mitzvah of tefillin maybe you will receive reward for other mitzvahs you do that day. But we pasken mitzvahs tzerichos kavana. You need to have a formal thought before you do a mitzvah that you're doing the mitzvah. And besides the thought that you're having you're putting on tefillin to remember yetzias Mitzrayim, l'maan tiya Toras Hashem b'ficha ki b'yad chazaka hotziacha Hashem me'eretz Mitzrayim, you should think that probably 95% of Jews unfortunately don't wear tefillin. And I'm putting it on for the team. I'm wearing tefillin for the team. I'm wearing tefillin to protect the Jewish people. And when I wear tefillin, I'm doing it because I love the Jewish people. I love my team. I love my nation. I love my people. And if you think when you're doing the mitzvah, you're doing it b'shem Klal Yisrael, have in mind you're doing it to fulfill the mitzvah of v'ahavta l'reiacha kamocha. Cuz you love Jews. So that's a lot of new opportunities to love Jews. So I've been thinking about this for a long time. How many mitzvahs d'oraisa do you fulfill in Shacharis? Where you could have in mind I'm doing the mitzvah for the Jewish people and thereby I'm fulfilling the mitzvah d'oraisa of ahavas Hashem again. And we're going to understand another a new reason. We started off the shiur by saying that in years past we we explained why the Arizal says you should start off davening with the kavana of hareni mekabel al atzmi mitzvas ashei shel ahavta l'reiacha kamocha. The first occasion to fulfill v'ahavta l'reiacha kamocha is when you have that formal kavana. You before you even start davening, you think I accept upon myself the mitzvah of v'ahavta l'reiacha kamocha. But now we're learning every time you perform a mitzvah, you think you're doing the mitzvah for the Jewish people b'shem Klal Yisrael and it's a fulfillment of v'ahavta l'reiacha kamocha. So how many mitzvahs do we do in the morning? You ready? You could correct me. If you could think of another, I've got seven. Okay? Seven mitzvahs d'oraisa that you do in Shacharis. Mitzvah number one is tallis and tzitzis. So before you put on your tzitzis, by the way, tzitzis also you have to think I have kavana to mikayem the mitzvah of tzitzis. Also, I have kavana to wear tzitzis l'maan tizkeru va'asitem es kol mitzvotai v'yisem kedoshim l'Elokeichem. I'm wearing tzitzis to remember all the mitzvahs. You should think I'm putting on tallis for the team. I'm putting it on for the Jewish people. We're going to see What does that mean putting it on for them? What's going to do to the guy who's not putting it on? How am I helping him? >> [clears throat] >> But we're going to Tzitzis is number one. Actually I'm going to start with a different one. We're coming back to tzitzis. First mitzvah you do in the morning Modani, it's not a mitzvah d'oraisa. Okay? Birchas HaTorah. Birchas HaTorah is going to be the first mitzvah you do. Birchas HaTorah. Baruch Ata Hashem Elokeinu Melech HaOlam asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu la'asok b'divrei Torah. Even before The best thing is you say it in your house before you come to shul. Or you could say it in shul. Birchas HaTorah is a mitzvah d'oraisa. Many are not aware that Birchas HaTorah is a mitzvah d'oraisa. It's a mitzvah d'oraisa to make a blessing in the morning on the mitzvah of talmud Torah. That's number one. Number two, tzitzis. Number three tefillin. Number four, Krias Shema. Yeah? Krias Shema. It's a mitzvah d'oraisa to say Shema in the morning and Shema night. Again, you have to make sure you do it at the right time. Shabbos morning you daven at 9:00 minyan, they're usually not going to make it. So you have to say it before. When you daven Mincha Maariv back to back also, you said it too early, you'll have to say it again after tzeis hakochavim. But Krias Shema in the morning You ready? Next mitzvah d'oraisa you mikayem in the morning ahavas Hashem. Loving Hashem. When do you mikayem it? When you say the pasuk v'ahavta es Hashem Elokecha. So you should think I have kavana to mikayem the mitzvah of ahavas Hashem and I'm doing it for the Jewish people. That guy down the street doesn't even know who Hashem is. He never met him. They haven't been introduced yet. But I'm I'm I'm helping him. I'm doing it for him also. That's number five. Number six Number six is remembering that God took us out of Egypt at the end of Krias Shema. Ani Hashem Elokeichem asher hotzeisi escha me'eretz Mitzrayim. Before you Before you say that, think I have kavana to mikayem the mitzvah d'oraisa of remembering Hashem took us out of Mitzrayim. And I'm doing it for the team. That guy down the block didn't even know the Jews were ever in Egypt. He didn't know about that. But if if only he would know. He would want He would want to be part of this. So I'm doing it for him. And number seven, at least once a day the Rambam says there's a mitzvah to pray. Mid-Oraisa you got to pray once a day. So before I start Shemoneh Esrei or at some point in the tefillah, think I have in mind to fulfill the mitzvah of prayer. And think I'm doing it for the team. We just located seven We identified seven places in the davening, seven mitzvahs d'Oraisa that you should think you're doing it for the Jewish people and you're doing cuz you love them. I love them? But the guy when he when he parks, he blocks half my driveway. Can't stand him. Can't pick your family. If your brother would do it, you wouldn't be happy, you'd be annoyed with him, but you'd still love him. You might want to kick him in the shin, but you would never tell him you would want to kick him in the shin. And in your heart of hearts, when he makes a wedding, you're happy for him. And when he does well, you're happy for him. Cuz you love him, he's your brother. That's how you have to think about every Jew. And when you do mitzvahs, you should have in mind you're doing it for the team. You're taking You're the You're the representative of the team. Those are seven occasions to make kayem the mitzvah of vi'ahavta l'rei'acha kamocha. May I read you the words of the Mesillas Yesharim. Take a look at number six. Mesillas Yesharim writes toward the end of the sefer in be've'er chelkei hachasidus. He says that a very important principle in piety is toivas hadar that you're doing a mitzvah for the benefit of the generation. Look at these beautiful words. She'heinei ro'i l'chol chasid. It is worthy for every righteous person she'yiskavein b'ma'asav that he should have in mind in his actions l'toivas dorai kulai for the benefit of the whole generations. Now see Remember we we mentioned we we mentioned what exactly am I assisting another Jew if I'm doing the mitzvah and he's not doing the mitzvah? No, what you should have in mind is l'zakosam. I'm want to bring them merit. When I wake up in the morning, I go to shul, I am praying, I'm putting on my tallis, I'm putting on my tefillin, I'm saying Krias Shema, I'm loving Hashem, I'm remembering Hashem took us out of Mitzrayim, I'm doing it to bring merit to the Jewish people because most of the Jews, unfortunately, look, that's what happens. We're in galus for 2,000 years. What do you want from them? They've been persecuted for 2,000 years. They basically they you know, they're they're just worried about keeping themselves alive. You know, a person should think if only they had the opportunity that we were given, they would also they would also be uh uh doing things for the team. But unfortunately, they didn't have such good fortune. So you should think you're doing mitzvah to bring them merit. And you know what else? U'l'hagein aleihem, to protect them. I put the tallis over my head and I'm wrapped in it. I think this mitzvah should protect the Jewish people. It should protect Jews in Yerushalayim, in Bnei Brak, in Haifa, in Eilat, in the north, in Iran, in Brooklyn. Even Jews Have in mind Jews should be safe in Brooklyn because you did a mitzvah. So whenever you do a mitzvah, you should think you want to bring merit to all of Klal Yisrael and you want to protect them. Like Chazal say, "Imru tzaddik ki tayiv ki pri mala'im yocheilu she'kol hadar ocheil mi'peirosav." The tzaddik does mitzvahs so that the whole generation should eat the fruits. And then the Mesillas Yesharim says it is the will of Hashem that the righteous of Klal Yisrael You say, "Yeah, the righteous. Yeah, go you those righteous over there." No, you're the righteous. You. You know how to read the word Shema Yisrael? You're the righteous. You're already top 10%. You're already top 5%. You're on honor roll already. You went to a Jewish day school and you could read the aleph beis and you know you you know how to put on a pair of tzitzis? You're already you know you already graduating with with awards. The Mesillas Yesharim says it is the will of Hashem that the righteous of Klal Yisrael be mechaper for all the other levels. Like Chazal compare the dalet minim. You have the esrog. It tastes good and it smells good. But then you bring in these The esrog is like the big tzaddik. He has Torah, he has ma'asim tovim. But then you bring in these guys who are you know, the the arovos. They don't know anything. They don't do anything. Schlepper, you know? You bring in He's I don't know what he what he he's he's a tinok she'nishba. He never went to yeshiva. He doesn't He He doesn't even know he's Jewish. You have this uh this other species. The guy knows a little learning. He never did a mitzvah in his life. Some other guy does mitzvahs, but he can't even read a black gemara. He comes and he holds it upside down. And the esrog comes and he he helps everybody out. Hashem says, "Take all the other guys. Take all the schleppers and put them with the esrog and the esrog's going to bail everybody out." So you got to be an esrog. That's your job. It's your responsibility. Then the Mesillas Yesharim says, "V'zeh tzarich she'ya'aseh b'kavanas avodasav." So you need to do this with the thoughts you have when you serve Hashem. "V'gam bitfilaso b'fo'al." So A, you do it when you have kavana when you do a mitzvah. I'm davening for the Jewish people. I'm putting on tefillin for the Jewish people. I'm counting Sefiras HaOmer "B'sheim kol Yisrael." And also to specifically daven for them. We're going to come back to that. We're going to come back to that. So we've now identified seven places in davening where you can be mekayem the mitzvah of vi'ahavta l'rei'acha kamocha. To love other Jews. To be unified with the other Jews. Off the record. Yeah, off the record. I don't like when people say um oh those those people they're just sitting and learning. And what are they doing for the Jewish people? They're you know, let them get a job or let them be productive members of society. What are they doing for the Jewish people? They're protecting the Jewish people. On the other hand, you can't say that we're the ones protecting the Jewish people and if we were to do our job, nothing else is needed. That's not the right thing to say either. You have people who are literally putting their life on the line. They're physically endangering themselves for the physical protection of the Jewish people. There has to be a recognition that there are people members of the Jewish people who are going to physically uh have a certain self-sacrifice. And they have to be appreciated and valued and cherished. But on the other hand, with the recognition that there those who are dedicated to avodas Hashem are providing a a very significant protection. And they have to work together. They have to realize they're a part of the same team. But if they don't If they feel they're not part of the same team, that's a big issue. That's a fundamental crack in the foundation of Klal Yisrael. Movi- Moving right along. Another opportunity to focus on the unity of the Jewish people and this is an idea we've spoken about so many times is Krias Shema. We mentioned many many times over the years from the Vilna Gaon, from the Sefer Chareidim, the simple meaning of the word Shema. So aside from the fact that Shema is a mitzvah and when I do the mitzvah, I think that I'm doing it for the team. I'm doing it for all of Klal Yisrael. What does the word Shema Yisrael mean? So he said, "It means Well, if you will have What does a word mean? How are you supposed to know what any word means? We look in the ArtScroll Siddur." And in the ArtScroll Siddur it says, "Hear, O Israel." Now, the ArtScroll Siddur is available on artscroll.com. Did I ever tell you what else is available on No, I'm not going to go. Okay. "Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one." That's one explanation in Shema. However, the Vilna Gaon says the word Shema means to unify. Unite Israel. Now, where do we see such a uh source? What basis is there that the word Shema means to unify? The Sefer Chareidim is brought number seven where the Vilna Gaon is found in Aderes Eliyahu in Bereishis Beis pasuk dalet. The Sefer Chareidim is perek perek ayin dalet that the Sefer Chareidim of Rabbi Elazar Azkiri says the Mekubalim teach Shema means together. Like in the Navi, "Vayishama Shaul es ha'am." Shaul galvanized the people. So listen So you say, "Why are we uniting when we say Shema? Isn't this a declaration of faith?" So we've explained many times the Jewish people are the ambassadors of God. The state of the Jewish people reflects the state of Hashem. We're about to declare God's unity. The thing is if we're fragmented and we're disparate and I'm Shevet Reuven and I don't like Shevet Shimon and you're Zevulun and I can't stand Zevulun and we're fragmented into 12 parts, then what does it say about God? That's not We're not reflecting well on the unity of the creator. So, in order for us to declare God's unity, you know what we say? Sh'ma Yisrael, unite, oh Israel. And when we unite as guy echad ba'aretz, then the we're reflecting the unity of our creator, Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echad. The unity of the Jewish people reflects the unity of God. So, when we say Sh'ma, that is a wondrous opportunity, because that's literally the words we're saying, Sh'ma Yisrael, unite, oh Israel, unite. So, it's a time to think about your love for your people and how you feel united with the rest of the Jewish people. That's literally what the declaration of Sh'ma is. You'd rather think, hear, oh [snorts] Israel. Who exactly you're talking to? Anyway, I you know, you go to shul. One guy There There are 100 benches. Each guy has his own bench. So, who are you talking to? You're You're addressing your neighbor. You say, Sh'ma Yisrael. So, yes, simply you're addressing your neighbor, but it also means unite, oh Israel. Says the Vilna Gaon, says the Sefer HaRedim, Krias Sh'ma is another opportunity to mekayem the mitzvah d'Oraisa of vi'ahavta l'rei'acha kamocha. Here's another interesting one. Take a look at number 14. We say in the V'zos HaBrachah, Vayehi b'Yeshurun Melech, God was king in Yeshurun. When b'hisasef roshei am, when the heads of the nations gathered, yachad shivtei Yisrael, united all the tribes of Israel. Says Rashi, d'var acher, b'hisasef, b'hisasvam yachad b'agudah achas, when they gather together as one group, v'shalom beinayhem, and there's peace among them, hu Malkam, Hashem's the king. God is only our king when we're united. V'lo k'sheyesh machlokes beinayhem, not when there is fighting. When there's infighting, God says, go get another king. So, in order to be Oh, so this is another reason why it's so important to unite when we say Sh'ma. Cuz when you're saying Sh'ma, you're accepting upon yourself ol malchus Shamayim, the yoke of the kingdom of heaven. Now, in order to have a kingdom, you need to have a king. But if you're not united, then God says, I'm not your king. So, in order to say Sh'ma, of course, you need to unite. If you don't unite, then you can't accept the yoke of the kingdom of heaven. There's no kingdom. The king's The king booked. He He's not interested in you. He doesn't want you as a subject. In the Sefer Shaarei Yeshayahu, which is a pirush on the siddur, he says, based on this idea, we understand in davening, we say, Shirah Chadashah, shibchu ge'ulim, l'shimcha al sfas hayam yachad kulam hodu v'himlichu v'yamru. Why do we say yachad kulam hodu v'himlichu? Why do we say united, they all coronated Hashem? You You ever pay attention that? Yachad kulam hodu v'himlichu v'yamru. Because if they're not yachad, they can't coronate Hashem, cuz Hashem doesn't want to be the king. Whenever we talk about proclaiming God as sovereign, it's always preceded by the unity of the Jewish people. Otherwise, Hashem doesn't doesn't want to be the king. So, that's another occasion the Sefer Shaarei Yeshayahu points out, another occasion to focus on your love for the Jewish people and your stirring yourself to unite with the rest of Klal Yisrael is when you say, Shirah Chadashah, shibchu ge'ulim, l'shimcha al sfas hayam yachad, yachad kulam hodu v'himlichu v'yamru. That is occasion number 10. I I If you don't have the number, we'll go over it. That's occasion number 10. Yachad kulam hodu v'himlichu v'yamru. Number 11. You ready for this? Do we have any genuine Sephardim here? Full-fledged Sephardim. Your father's a Sephardi? We are what country? You follow the Ben Ish Hai? No. Any You're Moroccan. Okay. Moroccans are Sephardim. Ah. There's another There's somebody answered on the Zoom. Does it Does So, we have two Sephardim. I'm going to tell you the minhag of Sephardim. Now, when I say the minhag of Sephardim, I'm going to tell you meaning the minhag of what Sephardim should be. Have I ever seen this? I'm not going to answer that question. The Ben Ish Hai says, when you get up to daven, you should put your feet together. Okay? Davening, it's not like you're hitting a putt, okay? Feet together. People They say, "I put my feet together, I'm going to I'm going to walk I'm going to fall over." Okay? So, practice. Go home. I don't know. Get weights, balances, or come to shul with like weights on your feet. This way you won't fall over. It's okay. If you train If you practice long enough, you'll be able to stand straight with your feet together without toppling over. If you need any support, there's support groups for people who are challenged by putting their feet together. They meet every Tuesday evening. Nah. I'm not allowed to say where they meet. Okay. You have to keep your feet together, b'yosher, in order to be similar to the Malachei HaSharet. It says about them, "V'raglayhem ragel y'sharah." The minhag of Sephardim is before they daven Sh'moneh Esrei, they they check out their surroundings. They They They do a surveillance. They look behind them to the right. They look behind them to the left. And they like motion. There're motions going on. What are What What are they What are those Sephardim doing? That's a general question, but specifically about this No. Specifically about this. No, you know I love Sephardim. Most people out there, they think they think I'm Sephardi or something. That's That's the only reason I could do that. I could say that. They make motions to guys next to them. They They motion to the guy on the side. They motion. It's like some kind of uh baseball things. They're signals they're exchanging. What What's going What are those Sephardim doing? You know why they do this? They want to become They want to be similar to the Malachim. We just said in the Berachas Krias Sh'ma, "V'chulam mekabelim alayhem ol malchus Shamayim zeh mizeh." When the angels accept the yoke of heaven, they don't just say, "Okay, I'm going to do my I'm going to accept my yoke of heaven. You know, get out of here. You get lost." And they're not like competing with each other. They do it to each other They do it together. Like they motion, "Okay, you ready? You ready? You ready?" They motion to each other. V'nosnim reshus zeh lazeh. They give each other permission so that they all do it united. So, therefore, they want the Sephardim want to be similar to Malachei HaSharet, who are are who accept upon themselves ol malchus Shamayim one from another, and they give permission one to another to reflect their unity and their love for each other. That we're all doing this together. We're all going to daven together. We're all going to be mekabel ol malchus Shamayim together. We're all going to praise Hashem together. And then the whole tefillah is elevated when the shul is davening Sh'moneh Esrei b'achdus, as opposed to I'm taking my three steps back. No, I'm looking around. Where Where is Binyamin? Where is Zevulun? Where is God? Okay, you ready, everyone? You ready? Three, two, Baruch Atah Hashem, Go'el Yisrael. Says the Ben Ish Hai, similar to the Malachei HaSharet is the minhag of the Sephardim, because you know, Sephardim are like Malachei HaSharet. I had to say that, cuz otherwise he's going to be upset. Okay? And he says, the Rav Nosson Shapiro, meaning the Megaleh Amukos, gives a kabbalistic reason for this. And therefore, says the Ben Ish Hai, the bottom line is, even if no one's around, you should still you should still do the motions. You should still look behind you. You should motion like you're you're doing this together with the Jewish people. So, another occasion. Now, Ashkenazim, we don't do this. We don't do it. I'm not telling you should do this. No. Don't look behind you, okay? Don't Don't look around. Don't motion to anybody. It's not going to end well. Nothing good's going to come from it. But the point is The point of this is that when you're davening Sh'moneh Esrei, you should think, "Okay, it's not just my Sh'moneh Esrei. I'm doing this together with the Jewish people. Where I'm going to stand in the Kodesh HaKodashim, and I'm going to have in mind that to incorporate my tefillah together with the tefillos of all of Klal Yisrael." Now, by the way, it's very interesting. In uh the Maharal of Prague's brother wrote a sefer called Sefer HaTiyul. There's a commentary on the Sefer HaTiyul called Peiros HaTiyul BaPardes. Does anybody know how many books in Tehillim? There are five books, like Chamishah Chumshei Torah. Technically, Tehillim ends perek ayin beis. We once discussed how the second book is really the last book. It ends with the words "Kalu Tfilois Dovid ben Yishai." That's the end of That's the end. It says it's the end. "Kalu Tfilois Dovid ben Yishai." So, that means the ends with the words "Kalu." Kalu is Rashei Teivois for Ve'ahavta Lerei'acha Kamocha. So, you say, "What?" No, it is. Kalu, Chof, Kamocha. Lerei'acha, Ve'ahavta. Those three letters stand for Ve'ahavta to indicate that a successful prayer is one that is incorporated with the prayers of the Jewish people. Okay, so that is number 11. Now, let's come to 12, 13, 14, and 15, the last four. There's a Sefer Olas Tamid from the Tzadik Reb Shmuel Hominer. And he talks about how important it is to Daven for other Jews. Not just to do Mitzvois for them. Not just to have in mind that your Mitzvois should protect them and should bring them merit. And to unite with them, but you should pray that Hashem should help other Jews. The Olas Tamid says that it's possible that if somebody just Davens for themselves and they don't think about the struggles and the pain that other people are going through, it could be they'll be punished that they won't be answered in their Tfila. Because a person should think "If I was in pain, a person should think, "What if I was experiencing the pain that that person had? Would I Daven? Yeah, sure I would Daven. So, why am I not Davening now?" So, then says the Olas Tamid, then it's a violation of Ve'ahavta Lerei'acha Kamocha. If you were experiencing that, of course you would be praying. You would be crying your heart out. So, then but that person is experiencing it. Shouldn't you feel for him? Shouldn't you be concerned for him? Therefore, he says that part of Ve'ahavta Lerei'acha Kamocha is praying for the welfare of other Jews. Now, back to the Mesillas Yesharim for a moment. A person should think when they say Selach Lanu Avinu Ki Chatano. Now, everybody has enough sins to worry about for themselves. Probably. Yeah, right. Baruch Hashem, everyone has enough things for themselves. But, the guy down the block, he doesn't know about Shabbos. He doesn't know about Kashrus. So, you when you say Selach Lanu Avinu, you should say, "Hashem, forgive the Jewish people. Forgive Jews in my neighborhood. Forgive Jews all over the world." When you uh the Mesillas Yesharim says, you "Baleil al Dorei Lechaver al Me Shetzorech Kapara." You should pray for your generation, for those who need atonement. I know someone down the block. He needs a spiritual boost. He could use He could use someone to shake some sense into him and make him, you know, see things a little bit clearly and have a have a more accurate recognition of his responsibility in this world. I know somebody who needs to do Tshuva. When you Daven and you ask "Sei Hasheveinu Avinu Don't just think Hashem help me do Tshuva. Help the Jewish people do Tshuva." When you say the the Mesillas Yesharim, "Ulehashiv Betshuva Me Shetzorech Kapara." If you look in the Arizal in Shaar Hakavanos number nine, the Arizal says, "You have somebody who has some type of illness." You have somebody who they can't walk. They're they're stuck in bed. You're praying for them? You have somebody who has uh an infection. You have somebody who has uh a chronic illness. You have some You we we don't have to give examples. Everybody knows a Yidden who are suffering from from uh all kinds of ailments. One should Daven for their friends, their neighbors, their relatives, people they hear about, people they know about. It's a responsibility. And when you do so, you should think you're being Mekayem the Mitzvah De'oraisa of Ve'ahavta Lerei'acha Kamocha. It's a critical part of Davening. You say Boreichainu. You ask Hashem for Parnassa. You know somebody who needs a job? So, you should try to help him find a job, but at the very least, you should pray for him. Yeah, you know somebody who needs to make some more money. You know somebody who is struggling financially. You should Daven for And when you say Boreichainu, it's a Mitzvah De'oraisa of Ve'ahavta Lerei'acha Kamocha. Therefore, is there any wonder, even though in years past we spoke about the Arizal who says that you should you should start off the morning by saying, "Hareini Mekabel Al Atzmi Mitzvas Asei Shel Ve'ahavta Lerei'acha Kamocha." But, it's such an appropriate introduction to Davening because one of the the dominant themes of Davening and one of the most frequent opportunities that you have in Davening is the opportunity to Mekayem Ve'ahavta Lerei'acha Kamocha. Okay, we're going to give the official list now. The first opportunity is when you start off. Number one, when you have the Kavana in the morning before Davening, "Hareini Mekabel Al Atzmi Mitzvas Asei Shel Ve'ahavta Lerei'acha Kamocha." Then you have Birkas Hatorah. You think I'm doing it for the Jewish people because I love them. That's number two. I'm putting on my Tallis for the Jewish people because I love my team. I'm putting on my Tfillin for the Jewish people because I love them. I'm saying Krias Shema for them. I'm loving Hashem for my friend down the block who doesn't even know who Hashem is. I'm remembering Yitzias Mitzrayim. I'm Davening Tfila. I'm Davening for Klal Yisrael. When I say Shema, the words literally mean, "Unite, oh Israel. Come together as one in order to accept Hashem as our king." When you say right before Shmoneh Esrei, "Yachad Kulam Hoidu Ve'himlichu Ve'amru." We're in order We're remembering that when the Jewish people accepted the Malchus Shamayim at the Yam Suf, they did it Yachad. The Ben Ish Chai says before you start Shmoneh Esrei, you check your surroundings. You motion to your friend. You you know, you sort of speak galvanize each other. Let's go. Shmoneh Esrei together, Biachad. When you say Selach Lanu and you Daven for Kapara, Mesillas Yesharim says pray for the atonement of Klal Yisrael. When you ask Hashem to help us do Tshuva, you ask Hashem help Klal Yisrael do Tshuva. When you pray for healing, for Refua, you're Davening for all Yidden. When you pray for Parnassa and for livelihood, by the way, this is amazing. The Aruch Hashulchan says, we'll sort of end with this. That if you hear a Jew make a Bracha, look at number 13. Even if you just hear the end of the Bracha, you can answer Amen. Even if you're not Chayev in that Bracha. Says the Aruch Hashulchan, if you hear Can I have a Seder? If you hear someone make a Misha Berach, Misha Berach Avraham Avinu Yitzchak Avinu uh You know, somebody gets an Aliya. Misha Berach Avraham Avinu Yitzchak Avinu Yaakov. Yitzchak Avinu Yaakov She'alah LaTorah. Bischar Zeh Hakadosh Baruch Hu Yima Yishmereihu Ve'yatzileihu Mikol Tzaros Vetzukah. Koneig Lo Machla. Ve'yishlach Lo Bracha. And you're busy reading your Gemara or your Parsha Shiur. Uh what the You know, the Gabbai, you know, the Mo Mo Shmo, he's giving a Bracha to this guy who he's getting an Aliya. I need to interrupt what I'm doing. I'm not even paying attention to his Misha Berach. No. Stop. Stop what you're doing. Listen. Your friend, your brother, Mo, is giving a Bracha to Berel. He's saying, "Berel, Hashem should Yishmereihu Ve'yatzileihu Mikol Tzaros Vetzukah. Koneig Lo Machla. Ve'yishlach Lo Bracha Ve'hatzlacha. Kol Ma'aseh Yadov." I care that Hashem gives him Bracha Ve'hatzlacha. Im Kein Stop learning your Gemara and you shout out, "Amen." And says the Aruch Hashulchan, have Kavana to Mekayem the Mitzvah De'oraisa of Ve'ahavta Lerei'acha Kamocha. When you answer Amen to a Misha Berach to a random guy, this This is the most surprising Mar'eh Makom. He says, "Ki Sheshomei'a Oiseh Misha Berach Le'echad, Nachon La'anois Amen. Uvezeh Mekayem Mitzvas Ve'ahavta Lerei'acha Kamocha." If If that Gabbai was giving you a Bracha that you should become a millionaire, would you want to him to stop what he's doing and say, "Yeah, Amen." You would want him to stop. So, do it for him. And have in mind you're being Mekayem a Mitzvah De'oraisa of Ve'ahavta Lerei'acha Kamocha. That That one is not even on the sheet. That's not even one of the official 15. It's like an extra treat on top. It's a cherry on top. Answering Amen to a Misha Berach. But, really there uh one should try to have in mind to Daven for other Yidden for whatever they may need for their families, for their health, for their welfare, for their success, for their happiness. And this is all part of the mitzvah of the and it gives us added insight into why that result says as an introduction to feel in general, you should specifically have in mind how much should we have have a great night everyone. Call to. Okay.