Ari Goldwag - Bo - Revealing Spiritual Mountains

you're listening to the weekly partial podcast recorded with hashem's nevering assistance in Israel 2016 this week's para is par in our para we have the completion of the 10 makis the 10 plagues and the Jewish people are released from their bondage in Egypt now there's something very interesting which I like to share with you and speak about which happens in this week's paraa which at first glance may seem to not be so clear what it has to do with G what it has to do with Redemption nevertheless as we're going to see in the Mish it's a central Focus actually of redemption so we're going to uncover a mystery here we're going to uncover something that one may have missed quite easily this is what it says the beginning of chapter 12 God spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt and he said this month is yours it's the first of the months it is the first for you of the months of the year this month of Nissan the month of gula the month of redemption the month when the Jewish people were redeemed from their slavery and they left their bondage in Egypt to to go and serve Hashem to enter into a covenant with God this all happened in the month of Nissan the first month of the year as we speak about it's the month month of the spring it's usually April time it's the time when the whole world is coming out of its bondage so to speak it's the time when the winter is ending the spring has come we start to see the growth that's apparent in the world now besides for the actual narrative itself within which the Torah is telling us that on the 10th of the month so there's going to be an obligation for the Jewish people at that time to set aside an animal which will be later brought on the 14th of the month as a pascal lamb so but the Torah itself is telling us something very important here in regards to Nissan in regards to this month in regards to the concept of R Kesh of the new moon of the concept that the Jewish people are going to base their calendar around the moon what is the idea why is this specifically over here also very interesting is that we know that this is the first of The Commandments to the Jewish people as a whole the first of The Commandments the first of the Mitzvah that the Jewish people are to receive from Hashem in their relationship with Hashem the first of them all is indeed this mitzah what is the idea that the first Mitzvah is right here right here in the story in The Narrative of The Exodus of the Jewish people leaving Egypt what is so foundational about this concept of rodes or the first of the month and more specifically the fact that the month of Nissan is the first of the months of the year typically when we think about what's rashash what's the beginning of the year we think of of Tish of rashash of sukus of yum Kipper of those months that happened in the fall but the the Torah is telling us that for the Jewish people in a very deep way the month of Nissan is the beginning of the year the spring is the beginning of the year so what is the idea behind this why is it here in the middle of the story of The Exodus so there are two different M I'd like to share with you the first of which is a med shim the verse in the songs of Song of Songs in chapter 2:8 says the sound of my beloved is coming it is skipping along the mountains it's Jumping On The Valleys so the me says like this that this voice called the voice of my beloved what is this voice is referring to the voice of Hashem it's the voice of God who is our Beloved the Jewish people's beloved and that voice is jumping it's skipping about so to speak we'll see what that means but that voice is the voice of G it's a voice of redemption that hasm is coming to redeem his people it's the voice that we heard then the time of The Exodus it's the voice that we're going to hear in a future time when it's time for the Final Redemption we have three different sages who shared with us their opinions about this verse the sages says says who is the voice of my beloved how does God speak to us as it were who is the agent it's a reference to to Moses Moses came and told amazing news to the Jewish people he said this is the month this is the month the month of Nissan is the month that you are going to be redeemed so when Moshe said this to the Jewish people so they responded to him and they said they said Moses what are you talking about how is it possible that we are going to be redeemed there are three different tinas there are three different statements that the Jewish people are going to make saying why it doesn't seem right it doesn't seem possible that they're going to be redeemed it doesn't seem like it's really the right time first of all we know that hem said to Abraham that the Jewish people are going to serve this strange nation which is a reference to Egypt they're going to serve them and they're going to be under their Affliction they're going to be afflicted by them for 400 years how long have we' been here we've been we've been here only 210 years so the timing doesn't seem right M responded and he said to them hasem wants to redeem you he's not looking at your calculations is skipping over the mountains what does he mean he's skipping over the mountains you know what the reference to is with these mountains and valleys it's referring to end times and Eber times Eber times are times when you have an extra year you have an extra month in the year like this year is an ior it's a it's a it's a leap year we have in the Jewish calendar we have extra months in different years in order to align the the solar calendar with the lunar calendar so there are different times that are wrong with sugal that are more that it's more possible for for G to occur there are times when this Redemption is possible there are times that if you make the calculations this is an end time this is a time when there's an Eber there's an extra spiritual concept extra spiritual realm a transcendental realm which is being brought down into our realm and that's more of a time which is possible for G to occur Hashem says don't make any calculations don't think that you know when mhia is going to come I'm telling you says Moshe that skips over is going to skip over all of your calculations all of the different possibilities the things that you thought was when mashia is going to come when the G is going to arrive the Redemption is going to happen this is the month this is the time right now is when this Redemption is going to occur sh as ver say this is your month this is the month which is the head of all months just like the head sticks up above the body it's the so to this is the and this is is the head of all the months this is the time of the year and this is the time within the time of the entire world MOS was telling the Jewish people that is going to stick up that there's going to be a g you're going to see something much greater much greater there's going to be Redemption the continues with the second opinion like we said who is the voice of my beloved how does Hashem speak to us who is the who the agent it's m it's Moses at the time when Moses said to the people of Israel that this is the month that you're going to be redeemed they said to Moses how can we be redeemed we don't have good deeds we don't deserve to be redeemed so Moshe responded and said to them since God desires to redeem you is not going to look at your evil Deeds to whom is he going to look but he's going to look at the righteous and at their actions for example who M's father and his court those righteous individuals what does it mean that God skips over the mountains and he jumps on The Valleys in it means that God is going to look at the courts is going to look at those things which are referred to as mountains like the verse in in Judges chapter 11:37 says refers to the fact that that someone is going to go to the Bas he's going to go to the courts and the verse refers to these courts as mountains so we see that God when it when it speaks of the fact that he's he's skipping on the mountains it means that he's going to the mountains he's looking at the mountains even though yes the Jewish people don't have the MIM that they desire they don't have those good Deeds that would Merit them the Redemption nevertheless they have righteous amongst them who have good deeds and God skips as it were God doesn't look at the negative God looks at the positive and thereby he redeems the Jewish people and in this month you're going to be rede this is the month this is the head of all of the months the SAG said a third opinion as to what was back and forth between MOS between Moses and the Jewish people like we said in the previous two opinions the voice of my beloved is a reference the voice of mos when he came and he said to the Jewish people this month is the month that you're going to be redeemed they said they said to Moses how are we going to be redeemed all of Egypt is full of Filth from our serving idolatry we're serving idolatry how is HEM going to redeem us we are unfaithful to hasem so he said back to them since God desires your he wants to redeem you he does not look at your idolatry he skips here he's skipping over the mountains the mountains that are referred to that he's skipping over that he's not touching are the idolatries like we we see that there's a reference idolatry as mountains vers in Hosea 4:3 on the mountains on the heads of the mountains they're going to be they're going to bring idolatrous sacrifice and in this month you're going to be redeemed as a verse says this is your month this is your month so now as we read these three different M the three different explanations within the medish so the question that really pops out there are a few questions the first one that pops out is that every time it it keeps saying you know like there's something that you would have thought but don't think that why because this is the month that you're going to be redeemed this is the month that you're going to be redeemed it's almost like somehow the thought that you have the mistake that you're making somehow is is you think that you're you're in the valley you think that you don't deserve to be redeemed you think you aren't on the top you think you aren't on top of that mountain of redemption sh says no you are on top top of that mountain of redemption this month this is the mountain what is the idea what is the depth of the idea that Nissan is somehow some the very month itself is something which causes the Jewish people to be neol to be redeemed they thought that they're in a valley when it comes to time they thought that it's not yet the time it's not yet the G the time hasn't come no Nissan is here now all of a sudden it's possible for Redemption they thought that don't have good deeds they thought they're in that Valley of bad Deeds hasem says no Nan is the month of redemption they thought they're in this Valley of of idolatry and they don't deserve to be redeemed or they're on this mountain the wrong type of mountain so to speak they're on the mountain of idolatry they don't deserve to be redeemed says no you you making a mistake you're on the wrong Mountain you think you're on the wrong Mountain but you're on the right Mountain you're on the mountain of Nissan what is the idea what is the concept here what is what is the depth of this idea that is called that it's a mountain in time as it were what is the ca what is the depth of it so I'd like to share with you one more medish which really brings home the depth or the idea behind this verse this concept of of n the first of the months it's the mountain in time it's that amazing time of gula of redemption the me says like this when the Jewish people left Egypt God said to them there is no greater month than this that is why Nissan is called the first it's the the head of the months Nissan is something amazingly powerful it is the first of the months now the measure is going to tell us that there are a number of other firsts there number of other things that are referred to as reine as the first and and for that reason they are also Mountains they're also also powerful they're also very strong very high it's the first for you as it were God is also referred to as the first the verse refers to in Isaiah 44 verse 6 refers to God as the first and the last God is the first what does it mean the first soon we're going to see what the first is Zion which is a reference to Jerusalem Jerusalem is also the first sh the verse says in Jeremiah 17:2 God's Throne is from the beginning from first the place of our Temple the place of our holy Abode of God's holy Abode so Jerusalem is also referred to as the first interestingly Esau is referred to as the first sh as the verse says the first one came out the first born was as the Messiah is referred to as the first as it says in Isaiah 4 41 27 the first of Zion who's the first one who's the first individual of Zion he's about to come here he comes is a a reference to mhia the messah he's referred to as the first let God who is referred to as the first come let him come and build the temple which is also referred to as the first Zion the center of Jerusalem let him come let him come and collect as it were pay let the the dues be paid from Asa from isau who shik is also referred to as the first the let the Messiah who's called to first come in the first of the months as the verse says this month is is yours the the first of the months it's the first of the months what is the idea of the first what is the idea of the first especially when we speak about Hashem Hashem is the first but he's there there is no other right we talk about God as as one God is one doesn't mean that one as opposed to two God is one he's all inclusive so what does it mean that Hashem is one that he's the first what does it mean that the the bdes is the first what does it mean what is this what is this idea what is the concept here and I think that the depth of this idea is when we speak about the first we speak about the first month we speak about the first that the Zion that Jerusalem that the B the temple that God as it were the first we saying that there's a spiritual Mountain there's a spiritual Mountain there's something out understandingly spiritual Transcendent all inclusive that's there when we see that thing when we look at that concept whether it's a concept of time whether it's a spiritual concept whether it's a physical concept it's a mountain it's it's a it's the first of the months it's the highest of the months it's God as it were there's something Transcendent and all inclusive that's there that's being represented a mountain you know think about it when we speak about a mountain we the Jewish people receive the Torah on the mountain on har seni the Jewish people come to access God on a mountain everything in the Physical Realm is an expression of something spiritual and so when the Jewish people want to meet God and when they go up to a mountain it means that they're rising up it means that they're transcending they're coming to a physical Place Which is higher in order to get to a spiritual Place Which is higher to connect to God but that mountain isn't something which is only true in a physical sense there are also mountains in time there are times that are more mugal that are more possible that are more open that are mountains there there there are times that are sticking up where where naturally at that time it's more possible to connect to Hashem to connect to God to connect to spirituality to connect to something Transcendent and there are people there are individuals who are righteous who have more my Ty have more Good Deeds have more actions have more Transcendence within them they have more they they have transcended they have risen above on on in spiritual terms they've risen above others and those sik mashia is the one the Messiah is the one who will be greater than all people he will be someone who is re who is first the concept of the first is that mountain it's that one who is above others it's the first one it's the one that rises above it's the mountain it's the it'ses who's got himself as it were who is all inclusive who's that mountain that we're trying to reach up to and also it's important to understand that asov Esau was somebody who had tremendous spiritual potential unfortunately he squandered that potential but he still stood as someone who was reing who was first he was someone in the Physical Realm who was first he was very developed physically he had amazing physical abilities and to this day asov and those who foll in his footsteps those people are the ones who are first in the physical world and there there a mountain as well in a certain sense but they're a false Mountain just like a idolatry is something which can give a person a spiritual High somehow it's something which a person when they when they sacrifice to the idol somehow they get high spiritually and that's why it's also on a mountain but it's a false Mountain it looks like a mountain but it's a false mountain and now let's return to the original magish because over there there's an amazing idea which is hidden there it's really beautiful and that is that there are so many mountains there so many things that seem to be mountains and it seems like either we're on that mountain or we're not on that mountain it seems like we think we know what's Transcendent we think we know what going to be the point of G of Redemption how we're going to get into a relationship with Hashem but Hashem says to us there's a mistake that's going on you're mistaken you think that there's a special time and it's true there are special times that that it's more possible access Hashem do you think that you know when the actual time is when the G is going to happen when the whole world that Revelation is going to happen when the whole world will know that Hashem is there you think you know when that time is you think you know when the Kates is the end is you think you know when the eore is when that Transcendent aspect is impregnated into the world and comes down into the world you think you know but you don't realize that there's something so much deeper there's a time that's so much deeper it's called Nissan this is a Time this is a month where you don't even know you don't even realize that you're so much higher than you thought you were that you're so much your mom is on the mountain already you don't realize it that you think you have no mind some time you think you have no good deeds but there are mountains around you says Hashem they are sadik their righteous ones I'm not going to look at the the lack of good deeds and you wonder so well how you going to redeem me how you going to redeem me and the answer is you're in Nissan you're on the mountain already you don't even realize it but you're naturally on the mountain already you think you're in you're on a different Mountain you're on the wrong Mountain you're on the mountains of idolatry Hashem says no no no no no I'm skipping over those mountains and I'm landing on a different Mountain which you also happen to be on you're on the mountain called Nissan you're on the mountain of gula you're on the mountain of redemption you didn't even realize it you didn't even know it but that you're already on the mountain Nissan is that month when the whole world starts to Bud and rout and all everything's coming and and and the trees are turning green again the grass is growing the the the world is wakening Awakening but that's just a that's just a physical manifestation of a spiritual reality that Nissan is ours it's the Jewish people's God is saying it's the month of redemption belongs to you you're always you're you have you have no idea you don't even realize but you always have access to Redemption you always have that ticket cuz you're already on the mountain I was thinking about it in terms of the fact that entire Jewish people almost almost everyone no matter where they are no matter how far they are no matter if they are serving idolatry no matter if they don't have my they don't have good deeds they don't have mitus when it comes to pesak when it comes to Passover when it comes to the Exodus we all were late we're all sitting there at our Passover s saders eating Mata we're sitting there we're we're joining together and we're acknowledging that this is our month that this is our month of gula it's our month of redemption that we're all on the mountain already we may not think that we are we may think we're in the valley we may think we're on the wrong Mountain we may think it's not yet the time for us to have a a spiritual connection to God through the tah through our through our Judaism but hasem tells us this is your month this is the first of all of the Mitzvah this is the foundation of Judaism it's the foundation of the Jewish people that no matter what you're always on the mountain you're always you always have access to Redemption to a true relationship with Hashem I want to bless you and please bless me back hasem should help us to realize that we're on the mountain yes we need to try to scale the mountains of of Good Deeds yes we need to try to be righteous yes we need to steer away from the mountains of idolatry but Hashem should help us to recognize that no matter what we are already on that mountain no matter what we have a relationship with Hashem and that's a relationship which we get to see within time when it comes to Nissan it becomes openly manifest becomes openly clear should help us to be able to access that mountain to climb that mountain to see that we're already there at the peak of that mountain thank you so much for listening have a wonderful shabas this podcast was made possible through the gracious donations of listeners like you for more podcasts like this please visit www.wag.com or search on iTunes Ari goldwag [Music]