Ari Goldwag - Emor - Running and Building

You're listening to the weekly parsha podcast with Ari Goldwag recorded with Hashem's never ending assistance in Ramat Beit Shemesh, Israel 5778 2018. This week's parsha is parshas Emor and just a quick plug right before we get into the parsha, I want to just mention that I have a brand new CD that just came out. Spoke about the crowdfunding which Baruch Hashem we saw a tremendous amount of support and the album is coming has come out. You can get it digitally. Currently, you can get it on mostlymusic.com, iTunes and if you want to be inspired by beautiful music that's you know, upbeat and happy and makes you want to dance and also beautiful slow ballads that are inspiring, check out my new album. It's called Lo Nafsik Lirkod, Never Stop Dancing. And you can type my name into Google, Ari Goldwag and the album name Lo Nafsik Lirkod and it will bring you to where you can enjoy it. This week's parsha parshas Emor. So, chapter 23 verse 15 describes the time period that we're in currently, which is the Yemei Haomer, Sefiras Haomer. The pasuk is going through the different holidays and the korbanos, the sacrifices that are brought on each holiday. And the Torah tells us Sefiras Haomer Shabbas. The second day, the day after Yom Tov, the first day of Yom Tov of Pesach, we start counting Mi Yoma Viachamis Amart Tenufa from the time that you bring the Korban Haomer. We start counting down or up uh Sheva Shabbasos Temimos Tiyana, count seven complete weeks. Verse 16, Ad Yimochras HaShabbos HaShviis, until you complete the last day of the seventh week. Tisperu Chamishim Yom. You get to the 50th day. Seven weeks times seven days is 49 days. The 50th day is the day that follows. U'k'raftem Mincha Chadasha LaHashem. So, there's an obligation to bring a special sacrifice. It's the day of Shavuos and there's a special sacrifice that's brought which we will uh mention. But, what I'd like to do is I'd like to share with you a beautiful piece from Reb Chaim Friedlander in his sefer on the parsha and in parshas Emor he has a discussion of the concept of Yetzias Mitzrayim, of the leaving Egypt and the aftermath of that, the counting down counting up to the receiving of the Torah. What is the the essence of the way that the Jewish people approach the world in getting away from the the Yetzer Hara, the evil inclination and the forces in the world which are neged the Ratzon Hashem, which are which are uh contra to the desire, the will of God. So, here is the piece I'd like to share with you. It's very beautiful and it speaks about uh gives us an introduction and speaks about our time, the time period that we're in right now counting down to Shavuos or counting up to Shavuos these 49 days, Yemei HaSefira. We're on today for us in Israel right now it's day 34. And throughout the world. Devarim B'Yetzias Mitzrayim. So, the name of this piece is that the way of serving God is has two distinct levels. One is running and one is going out. What are these two levels? Yetzias Mitzrayim B'Chipazon. The the general principle is that when the Jews left Egypt, they did it quickly. Yemei Sefiras Haomer Hem Mekashrim Bein Chag Pesach L'Chag Shavuos. The days of the Omer which we described, we just read about in the verse, they connect between Passover and Shavuos. B'Chol Shana B'Oisa Hazman, every year in the same time. U'V'Yom Kimlo Hashvuos Haruchniyos Shel Oisa Hazman we receive from the special spiritual um Hashpaos of God is bringing down into the world so spiritual power it's unique to this time. U'Leining L'Lamed MeHaYetzias Mitzrayim we need to learn from the way that the Jewish people left Egypt, went out of the impurity. As HaDerech L'Avodas Hashem L'Hagea L'Olam HaBa MeDay Yom L'Yom B'Prek MeYemei HaSefira. We can learn from the way that they left Egypt the way to serve God each and every day and especially in the times of Yetzias of of the Sefiras Haomer, we're counting from Pesach to Shavuos. Moshe Sh'Chag HaPesach he teaches that the essence of the of the holiday of Passover Mesamel B'Karas Agulim Yashiva Ruchni. It represents the fact that we are leaving the spiritual subjugation of the Egyptians. K'Fi She Torah Like we mentioned last week, Egypt is described as a place of a tremendous impurity. K'Moshe Kasuv, Ki Malei'ah Ha'aretz Chamus U'Shachat Malo'isa Zu. The verse describes in speaking about licentious sexual behavior, don't do like them, like the Egyptians. It was a place of an extreme impurity. The Kasuv Rashi, Rashi says Mitzrayim Hayu Mukalim MeChol Ha'umois. The actions of the Egyptians were worse than all of the other nations. Kol Mataras Golus Mitzrayim L'Havi'am L'Nisayon B'Tumas Mitzrayim. The entire purpose of going into Egypt as we mentioned last week was in order to give them a challenge in regards to the impurity which was represented by Egypt. V'Ikar Sh'Golus Mitzrayim Hayisa Yetziam MeGolus Yetzer Hara M'Entas Sha'arei Tum'ah. The main aspect, the main concept of the Exodus from Egypt was leaving the 49 levels of impurity, entering into a brand new place of spirituality. Yetzias Mitzrayim Hayisa B'Chipazon. So, now it's instructive in helping us understand what does it mean to leave the impurity? What does it mean to be godly, to rise up, to be greater? It's done quickly. It's done quickly. Ki B'Chipazon Yatzu Yotsei'nu Mitzrayim. The verse in Deuteronomy chapter 16 verse 3 says, you left Egypt quickly. K'Chein Kasuv, Vayigad L'Melech Mitzrayim Ki Vorach Ha'am. The verse tells us that it was told to the Egyptian king to Pharaoh that the Jewish people had run away. HaYetzias Hayisa B'Geder Shel Bricha. This is the first stage. The first stage is that we run out. V'Chach Nusach Hagada Shel HaRambam, B'Vichilu Yotsei'nu Mitzrayim. The nusach in the Hagada of the Rambam is that we left Egypt in a in a great behala, in a great flurry of action, of confusion. Ach Me'ida L'Choreish B'Yetzias B'Chipazon Eizeh Chisaron Hu. But, we see that when a person leaves a place in haste, quickly so, there's a there is an aspect which is missing. There's something lacking. She'Ari L'Oisa L'Oisa Kasuv Ki L'O B'Chipazon Teitzei'u. We said in regards to the future Geula, the future redemption of the Jewish people, the verse in Isaiah chapter 52 verse 12 tells us that we're not going to leave quickly. It's not going to be it's not going to be necessary for there to be a quick leaving. U'Kein Madua Hayisi Mitzrayim Hayisa B'Chipazon U'Vracha? The question becomes and why is it that when it came to Egypt we specifically had a quickening, a hastening? U'Mah Zeh Ba L'Lamedenu? What does it teach us? U'V'Reshis HaHetzias L'Madregosam She'Yishku M'Entas Sha'arei Tum'ah. So, the concept here is, says Reb Chaim Friedlander, that corresponding to the fact that they were uh completely engulfed, they were Shaku'a in the 49 levels of impurity, Hayisa Muchrachos She'Hayisa Mitzrayim B'Chipazon, it was necessary to leave quickly. Bricha Me'Eitzad Acher, running away from the side of evil. Kach M'Varer HaRamchal the Ramchal explains in Sefer Adir Bamaram page 19, V'Hinei Kein Yisrael Acharei She'Yatzu Mitzrayim Hutzrachu L'Chila L'Vrach, it was necessary for the Jewish people to run out. B'Sod Chipazon In the secret aspect of quickness, of haste. She'Hayu D'Varim She'Lo K'Seder. Everything was out of order. The Jewish people were in a place which was out of order. The Jewish free people are meant to be the highest, loftiest spiritual people. And they're in a place She'Lo K'Seder, out of order. K'Yedu'a B'Seder Layla Shimurim. This has to do with the aspect of the secret aspect of the night of protection, Layla Shimurim. He doesn't say this, but L'Choreish it seems to be connected to the concept of the fact that we sit at a Seder. Seder has to do with and we mentioned this before Pesach, the the concept of the Seder is that things should be brought back to order. Ach Ach Kach Ne'emar B'Nisei Yotzei'u Me'Yad Rama. So, first the way the Jewish people leave when everything is out of order, they have to leave quickly. But, then after that so, the next stage is that the Jewish people are coming out B'Yad Rama with their hand outstretched. What does that mean? V'Hinei She'Yatzu Yetzias Shel Bricha V'Yetzias B'Nichusa. One aspect of the leaving, the first aspect was that they ran out. The second aspect was that they did it in a very comfortable way. B'Yad Rama with an outstretched hand, they were doing it like we're in charge. We're not getting shooed out. K'Ma'amar HaRishon, K'Dei L'Tzeis Me'Tochei Ha'Atum'ah Tzarich L'Chila Bricha. In order to get out of impurity, first you need to run. Al Yish Lo K'Seder Madregos, I'm sorry, Al Yish Lo K'Seder Madregos, it needs to be you're rising up. You're you're popping from the bottom all the way to the top, out of order. K'Vi She'Amar Rabbeinu Rabbeinu Sa'adya Gaon, V'Rachamav HaKadosh Baruch Hu He'ela Isam MeBas Ach M'Entas Sha'arei Kedusha. As our sages tell us, all of a sudden they were raised up from the lowest level of impurity to the highest level of of holiness. That's out of order. Amna Machlei'a Bricha Me'Eitzad Acher, however, after we have left and we have run away from the other side, from the side of evil, Ach She'Tzarich Aliya K'Seder Madregos. Once we've left She'Lo K'Seder, out of order, now we went snap. Now we have to do things in order. Zeh L'Geder She'Yetzias B'Yisrael Yotzei'u Me'Yad Rama. That's the function or that's the aspect of the fact that the Jewish people were leaving with an outstretched hand. I'm sorry, the Ramchal writes. Safe harbor you have running and you have going out in a in a ordered way. Running away is not based on order. That's how you get out of the hand, get out of the power of the other side. But that's not going to last. The the Ramchal says, if you just jump out of the seder, you just jump to the highest level, that can't last. Therefore it's necessary afterwards to come back. Actually it's a little bit weaker. Things have to be done in order one level after another. Which is what we do. We start with Pesach, we have the Exodus, we leave, but then one day after another we have this whole entire period of you may have sphere, we're counting down, we're doing things in order, one number after the other after the other as we get to our scene at the receiving the Torah. Now the Ramchal, I'm sorry, the Ram Freilander brings us a few different places where we see that this is true. We see it in regards and I and I think there's not going to be enough time to read all of them. But let's look at it in regards to Moshe Rabbeinu, in regards to Moses because we have to understand that Moshe Rabbeinu always represents the Jewish people. He is the the Shamak Lolis. He is the soul that includes all of the souls of the Jewish people. He's the great Zadik. He's able to receive the Torah on behalf of the Jewish people. He's able to direct each and every single Jew in their personal Tikun, in what they're supposed to rectify in the world. He understands all of them because he has a piece of all of them inside of himself. Moshe is the Kilo the Shamak Lolis. So when we're going to speak about him, excuse me, when we speak about him, so we'll see that the things that occurred to him also will happen to the Jewish people. Moshe Rabbeinu himself, Moses has to run away from Egypt before the Jewish people leave. Or maybe The Ramchal brings other places where we see the concept of running. We find that Moshe when he was a baby, he was placed inside the Sea of Reeds. It's cuz it represents the fact that he was inside of the the husks of Egypt, the the Tuma, the impurity of Egypt. Egypt should become sub-subjected to the power of Moses. So it's necessary that he first be under their power and break out of their power. So with all of this he's only able to protect himself. That he shouldn't be he shouldn't be affected by the side of evil. He wasn't able to bring them out to freedom till the time came. Therefore during that time he was under the the jurisdiction of the angel it seems of Pharaoh. The the presence of God was there standing there watching over Moses in order to protect him. Okay, So first Moshe Rabbeinu, Moses has to run away, has to escape from the power of Egypt. He has to run off after after he's killed the Egyptian. And he has to find himself in the land of Midian. And by doing so then he gets out of the power. By running away we get out of the power in an unusual way, out of the order of things, and then we can step by step subjugate the the evil inclination and the side of evil to us. Okay? So I'm going to skip a little bit here. Moses who was the redeemer of the Jewish people, so he had to first run out of Egypt. To leave the power of the the angel of Egypt in order that no impurity be attached to him from the impurity of Egypt. Through this he created the possibility. He he was the trailblazer for the entire Jewish people. To be able to leave the power of evil, to leave the power of Egypt by running. as we said before the first way, the first stage of getting out of evil is running away from it suddenly. Cuz if a person does it in a in a measured way, he's going to be pulled backwards. He's going to get he's going to take maybe one step forward but two steps back. However also in regards to running away from evil person needs help from above. In order to be able to detach from the power of evil and to run away. Right, so it's necessary Moshe Rabbeinu himself requires a nice. Right, there's nices, nice and there's miracles going on in the story of Moshe as he's escaping from Pharaoh. And there's nice and there's miracles happening in the story of the Jewish people in order to get out of Egypt. But the next stage is that after running away and leaving over It's necessary to now come in a slow and measured way. Success and found with a foundation. In an orderly fashion. As we see when it came to Moses coming back to Egypt in order to redeem the Jewish people as well. Moshe He has to come and do a constant consistent service. He has to do it in a consistent way. Abriha By running away he completely detached from the impurity of Egypt. Then he had the power and the ability to come back to Egypt and to redeem them. He says we can see that it's something that's hinted to in the fact that he ran away when when his Hashem instructed him to throw down his staff. And then it turned into a snake, he ran away from the snake. So there's a briha, running away. Then he picks it up, picks Hashem instructs him to pick up the mata and it becomes what? It changes from it transforms from a snake into a staff and a staff is something which helps a person walk. So he has to go first from running away, then to going through the process of step after step. Okay, we find this also in regards to Jacob when he ran away from Esau. So first he had to run away and in so doing completely detached himself from evil. Shame. And then afterwards he had this step by step 14 years working on himself, sitting in the base managers learning the Torah in the in the base managers of Shem. Another 20 years in the base of Shulovan. In challenges in the house of Laban. There he created a foundation for himself, he strengthened his level. Then he could come back and come back to the land of Israel. And not be damaged by him. And the Ram Freilander brings a few other examples where we see this and I'm not going to get into them at this point. Okay? But he speaks about the fact that there's a concept here of running away which requires as we said requires a nice, it requires a miracle. There's a rising up when we see a nice, when we see a miracle. So things are out of order, right? That's the concept of a miracle. There's a certain order of creation that Hashem created, the world runs with certain rules. When we see that the rules are out of order, Hashem is, you know, making the the sun stand still, right? For Yeshua, for Joshua. So that's a miracle. Things go out of order. That's something which is a throwing out from the lowest level to the top level. That's the briha, that's the running away. But it has to be followed with an earning and coming back into the order of things and building up slowly in order to get to and to earn that level. Now let's talk about in in terms of and we'll wrap up here. Now we'll talk about in terms of the sphere, the time that we're in right now, which is referenced in our parsha. The days of the sphere are we're coming up and we're building level after level. The assistance time. Nice to become When it came to the Exodus, so the Jewish people are not allowed to eat when it came to to Pesach, not to eat even a semblance, a the smallest amount of chametz of leavening of bread. You might have to look at the whole list of Marah. Because it represents evil and even touching it even the smallest way all of the Shul as in the as much as possible can cause them to be destroyed and brought down. So on Pesach when we bring in the korban and there's a special korban, special sacrifice that's brought, it has to be can't be chametz. It can't be anything, it can't be any semblance of evil. We can't We're running away right now from evil. If we If we are trying to run away from evil, if we even Excuse me, if we even touch it, we're in trouble. Even getting any benefit from it. You can't have it in your house. You can't see it. You can't You can't be around. It was necessary to have complete dissociation from evil and from impurity. When it came to them leaving Egypt, so they needed God's help. God himself suddenly miracles. But it was still necessary afterwards that they should purify themselves. They should purify their souls. the whole entire concept of this fear we're going day after day. One level after another. The first level required The first stage, I'm sorry, required a son running away. But in order to give a foundation to their level, in order to make it real, so then it needs to be a slow and gradual climb, a development. Corresponding to the levels of reality. We have 49 days. 49 days is 7 * 7. So we have seven groups, seven weeks. And the number seven, which is the seven days of the week, it represents the concept of rising in a natural way. The number eight and also the number 50, as we're about to see, which is the number that comes after 7 * 7, both represent the fact that we have gotten to a place which is above nature. We start off with a with a with a jump up to the 50th level. We start off with getting out of the 49 levels of impurity back to the fourth up to the top level, right? And then we have to go level by We get back to the bottom and we count up and we earn it. We create it for ourselves. Hashem gives it to us first and then we have to earn it ourselves. We find in regards to the Jubilee year, it's the 50th number, the 50th year that we count after 49 years of counting. Represents the the the world of freedom. A world which is above the natural order. The Jewish people also ascended one level after another until they received the Torah. By receiving the Torah, they reached that same place of Yovel, which is freedom. But freedom here means freedom from the evil inclination. Freedom from the angel of death, cuz the Jewish people, when they received the Torah, were freed for the moment until they sinned again with the golden calf. They would have lived forever. Freedom. And so when we get to Shavuos, we bring a carbon which is which is completely chametz. It's It seems to be something we're connecting to evil. After we've gone When we're When we're at the first stage, which is bricha, running away, we can't touch chametz. We can't have anything to do with chametz. But once we've passed through all the levels and we've earned that higher place, we get to a place which is so high, so free that evil itself is transformed and can be used for good. We can We can use now the chametz. We can bring it as a sacrifice or as a as a an offering in the temple. And that's the concept here. That's the idea here. So I'll just finish up. We can in this time in the in the times of Sefirah, we can merit to have to access what they experienced then when when the Exodus actually occurred. We can access that spiritual hashpa'ah, that spiritual um power, that influx that's coming to the world by ascending the levels in our service of God until we get to that year until we merit to get to the the holiday of Shavuos when we have perfected these levels. And the bottom line here I think that we see is that when it comes to serving Hashem, when it comes to the yetzer hara, our approach to to fighting the evil inclination has to be We need to recognize that at first sometimes we need to run out of there in a sudden way in order to cuz if I'm if I'm in that area, if I try to get out level after level, it's not going to work. But after I've run out, so then the inspiration can die. And I need to work on it slowly slowly to to work up to that receiving of the Torah. Hashem should help us. I bless you and I ask you to bless me. Hashem should help us to recognize these two stages, to incorporate them into our lives. Hashem should help us to utilize the time of Sefirah so I may building up from Pesach to Shavuos to the ultimate freedom of kabbalas haTorah, of receiving the Torah, the freedom from the yetzer hara, from the evil inclination. Thank you so much for listening. Have a wonderful Shabbos. This podcast was made possible through gracious donations of listeners like you. For more podcasts like this, please visit www.arigoldwag.com or search on iTunes Ari Goldwag.