R’ David Sutton — The Bitachon Haggadah

[music] Welcome to Inside Arts Crow, where the books that we read and the people that write them come to life. It's a pleasure to welcome yet again to Arts Grow Studios, Rabbi David Sutton. Shalom and thank you so much for coming again. >> Thank you, >> Rabbi Sutton. It's so exciting to see that you are entering into the realm of people who wrote Hagadas. The single most published safer is the Hagada. >> I hate to correct you. Go ahead. >> But I have Hagada. >> You you already have one. Yes. Oh my god. >> It's called the Spartic Heritage Hagada. Co-authored by with Rabbi Eli Mansour close to 20 years ago. >> Okay. I'm not totally honest. >> You were still a kid then. So >> we won't hold you responsible. >> So but Rabbi Satank asked you a very crass question. Why is this Hagada different than all the other Hagadas? >> Very good. Well, it's all in the name. I don't know if there exists a I have to thank Aaron Zawitz for that idea. The he told me, you know, you got to put out a basada. I said, okay. >> Which is a slam dunk because isn't that what the seder is about? >> Yes, the seder is about that's absolutely that's that's the goal. >> Okay. But in typical Rabbi David Satan fashion, you were not satisfied with just writing a pirishanda. you gave us a task, a mission um to prepare for PES. So talk a little bit about how this Hagada works. >> Okay. So I'll tell you where it actually came from. Um we put out I think you interviewed me on the uh daily dose of preparation for the Yamaha. >> Correct. >> Great safer by the way a lot. >> What's interesting is art school doesn't always believe in me. How do how do I know when that happens? when they print a thousand or 2,000 copies and say okay look we're putting it out 60 for a shauna how many are we gonna sell anyway we'll put out a thousand 2,000 and I'm always happy when someone says we call the bookstores they're out they're out of books they did not fathom that Claudius wants over 5,000 copies >> to prepare for a shashana and we can figure out what claustrol wants by arts girls book sales I was recently at the gooda convention And a friend of mine, Dr. Avi Michelle spoke and he was speaking about Sha Bias and marriage and how we don't really have time to put into our marriage and communicating. And his proof was from an art scroll book. He said Art Scrolls Dinner Done sold volume one over 100,000 copies. And he said >> volume two as well >> 70 or 80 at that time was 70,000. He says what is he says I use the book. He says what is it? He says, "I want to make dinner with a tinfall bake pan. I don't want to have to shop for cumin. I don't want I want to have and throw out the pan and not have to clean anything." And it means over a 100,000 people don't have time to make dinner. That's an indication that Claus has no time. And to praise Claus from the fact that thousands of people went out and bought a safer Because they said, "Hey, I want to use the 30 days before rashana to get ready." That told me that wants to get ready. >> They made the time. >> They made the time. Exactly. They made the time. There wasn't dinner done for they made the time to prepare. So I said, "Let's try the same thing for Pes." So besides this being the Hagada with a daily dose of preparation. We love that term daily dose because that way it puts them into bite sizes and for 30 days beforehand and you could ask me why 30 days. For 30 days beforehand you can already start getting ready for the s >> why 30 days. >> So what's very interesting is there's ani that says the reason why we startash is 30 days before a holiday after prepare for the holiday. The source for is pes >> right. So on on pim you're supposed to be getting ready for bas already. So this is the ultimate daily dose of preparation. You need 30 days the grand grandfather says that starting from 30 days before that there's already the he says the kak of the sitra the negative force is getting weaker and we slowly chisel away for those 30 days. So there's something in the air 30 days before pesak. Now, it's a little bit of a challenge because people are busy cleaning for Pesak and so on, but we have to find the time. >> So, when somebody needs to take a pause from Pesak cleaning and put their feet up for a second, they shouldn't just sit there and veg. Take it out and don't just prepare your home, prepare your heart. >> We also have to be, you know, cognizant and aware that many people go away for >> Pesa. >> So, they definitely have the month before that should be their pray. If you can't prepare cleaning your house, at least prepare for the seda. >> Rabbi Sutton, I just heard just I'm just understanding a beautiful marketing thing. Let's go to every PES program and they should send all the participants one month before the safer. >> That's a great idea. >> Is that a great idea? >> I love that. Okay. >> Okay. I'm I'm going to be on a pesak program for a little bit. So maybe I'll give them the idea. Great. >> I got a commission. >> Yeah. >> Okay. That's fantastic. Um so now let's let's take a moment and understand the importance of preparing for the seder but the seder itself. So I know that you spend a lot of time going through what I think is the important part of the seder itself. So bring us into what you're preparing for and how the preparation gets you into the right mind space or just the right focus to make your seder what it's really supposed to be. >> So uh I can't go through an interview without quoting Rula who I gained from greatly >> and one of his pet peeves were was that we're not fulfilling forget about the not [laughter] forget about that. What are we supposed to be talking about? And for years I did this in in the Torah center where I teach is I always started it's like a lot of times you know you teach you teach uh anything you teach previs you always you know the first per they say let's start from the sixth per you know you always start from the beginning we never get to the end so similarly people get burnt out they start okay we have our seder you know we'll give all the on then we'll go to okay he's the who's the Russia They both say, "What's the difference?" They're both asking the same question. >> And that Gamatria guy, you know, the Gamatria guy, >> Kate equals 190. And and then we'll go and start talking about all the different And then when time we get to say Lamad, fast forward, >> that's it. >> You're out of here. >> Yeah. Gone. And it starts singing the song of Hisham. Then great. >> What is the seder? So it's based on a PK. What's item and the malam says this is where the text was based on it's the brisk no let's okay then who you tell which son there are four sons so we're telling you what to do there's a thing called hagada this is the manual it's not every night right good to your son when at night why by okay >> right it's tonight it's tonight and then it says after all that laymore tell the story so I have a manual that tells you when to who and how and imagine I tell you why you give a speech and here's the manual this is what you're supposed to speak about to whom you're supposed to speak about it and when and you get up and you say okay let me tell you when I'm supposed to speak about this to whom I'm supposed to speak about this and what I'm supposed to say but you didn't say anything and that became your speech the seder starts the Rambam says this it's a Mishna the Ram says call is going on this part of the seder which is there's four and pareso and we take those four and we break them down and we daren every line of those everything about those arami ovi and we keep on going down those we take a And we break it down and we darian. What does it mean? Um that uses a term of uh vanitak. Okay, let's go back to parish and tell them what it means. So we're analyzing these forukim. These fourpukim are the the the the short version the what's those cliff notes. cliffnotes instead of making me read the whole schmos the era the whole the whole you know what these four have everything in it and I'm going to refer you back to when it happened but this is the structure and that's why for the 30 days beforehand that's what I did I took 30 lessons out of these four sukim average of about 10 lessons per pock or so and that >> and you're the pic master so >> I love I told you that I love sukim. So everything's in those sukim and you can now again you have 30 days to really get your material ready. If you have to present something you know you're selling a product you want to present it. You put a lot of time in getting ready you have to sell to your children. So now you got what am I going to say? You got to put in the time and say this is where it's at. I'm going to understand these What does that mean? What's going on here? Uh, what? >> Where do you even find a sword? >> What sword? >> Yeah. >> Uh, what does also have to do with a mat? And this is where it's at. And you know, >> so so practically how >> what does miss mean? What does miss mean? I don't know what's miss >> I saw that it's beautiful how >> what's miss I don't even know what it is the the Ramas says you have to understand the words you're saying other than the story what does it mean forget the drasas that's the story you got to tell the story so how do we transition I think many of us grew up for whatever the reason is we were the generation you know post Europe post we were you know we came to America and there was a lot of focus on learning and therefore we learn say night we ask questions and and this and that. How do you get your mishb to understand that? No, that's great. We have eight days of pes to talk about every and say, but tonight tonight it's about these and tonight it's about how do how do how do we get there? That's what Shabba is for. That's beforehand. And interesting, I don't know if we we mentioned this. Um, we also have a pre and a post. >> We didn't talk about it yet, which is so cool. >> There's a lesson on there's a lesson on on on on the on shabas and afterwards there's postgame show. There's a yashir there. So, it's going to it'll get you ready before and continue afterwards as well. >> That's beautiful. And you know what? Before I went to tell you this before, but like if people are willing to buy a book and prepare for 30 days for Russashana for themselves, let's call a spade a spade. What won't we do for our children? That's our life. So it behooves us to prepare and everyone says that if you want to have a successful seder, you need to prepare. And yes, even if stuff goes down at the seder and your children are your children and that fairy tale sader that you thought you were going to prepare, you don't have. But at least you'll have something to go with or at least you know what the most important thing of the entire seder is. So that's that's great. >> And it's important to note that ladies have the equal responsibility of a to men. There's no difference. They have to understand it. They're responsible. No difference. So for those ladies that like to have daily doses, don't shy away from the as if it's a man's job. It's >> at your seder. You use that approach where you take these forukim and you really try to unpack it. 100% that's >> okay I can I can I come to the sentence for one >> s this is very interesting can I come to your seda that's a very powerful line one of my favorite detra here is if you look in the msub they're the similar that are the end of mak so you all know the story is walking you saw this this one in there >> no but I know it goes walking behel And he sees he hears the Romans partying and they're crying and he laughs. Why are you crying? And the Romans are are are celebrating like this and I shouldn't cry. And he says, "So why you why are you laughing?" He says, "Because this is what happens to those that destroy them. Imagine what's going to happen to us." Then they go and they're walking onto Harabas and they see a fox comes out and they cry and he laughs. And again he says, "Why are you crying? Why you laughing?" And they say, "This is the place." And he says, "No, there's a tunas. If once one will be fulfilled, the other two is for both stories and means you reframed us. You gave it a different way to look at things." And they said, "Where did you get that power from? Where did it come from? Where does all your come from?" And the answer is the seda. And they said, "We want to spend the seda with you." >> Oh, beautiful. So that's why they came to Rika because that is the the the generator and that's why we say again I'm not going to go all through all the deta again is 52 what [laughter] that's like a staple you must say that by every say every rebi teach what in the world you see I have no idea so now in that it it gets into it's about regular keshma by every night of the year. What what's going on with you? And by the way, that puk is said by is said by the sedar night. It's in it's in the So what do you bring in for what's the answer is the of the is that your for the whole year is better you I'm sorry of every day of the year where does it get its energy from from the site. So therefore Miller said he want to tell you you want to know how you know if you did a good job tonight let's see how your keshma sounds tomorrow and the next day >> exactly now we're ready for keshma we did such a good job now now we're ready to test it out let's see how our keshma looks >> I always thought about this like why is the reframe they came in there it was after the came with arvis >> and they went to say Okay, that's how I I always understand >> going from correct. >> Very nice. Beautiful. >> And I think that if you walk out of your seder and you have a sensation of amuna, you know that you were a strong link in that chain. Kasa, another interesting question which I I was wondering you this is do Ashkanazim and Sardam have a different Hagada or it's the same? No, it's almost identical. There's minor minor differences. The order of man is a little different. Um we say instead of lyricists to show it's the raam's gear. So not to view yourself but to show others to act it out. >> Do you do you do you walk around? >> You put it on your shoulders right and you ask you know where you're coming from where you're going to to act it out but otherwise it's >> and you don't do sharim on after the seder. >> We do. >> Oh you do? I thought >> we don't do shim on on on I think you do it on Shabas. >> Right. Oh yeah. You know by the sader you do. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> Okay. Okay. So this because this this seems like it's a regular straight up arch curl ashkanaz. >> Right. Right. There the differences is uh we make uh we only make a bra on the first and the third cup. You do all four cups but but the minor differences the basic is the same. >> Okay. Because I I was looking this this looks like a classic arcohag on one hand. >> It is. It is >> but it's very t not typical in terms of the pir and the approach and etc etc. >> Okay. So let's say I have I buy this. I prepare each day. I come to my seder. How do I remember like so many beautiful thoughts different tyra it's just like it's it's like a a crash course and then you come to the test and you're like it all flies away from you right so the answer really is what I I like to do is my father by Sherman does this he has his hagada and he has stick notes with little notes that he took not he didn't write it on the side he puts little stick notes and he has his and every year I I've gone to his seder for years I'm talking about I don't know 20 years every year we see he live I live on East 10th. He lives on East 9th. We go to a Seda and it's it's an inspiration. You know, here by Nasen Sherman, >> I was going to say you have the editor-in chief of Arts Girl. >> He prepares every year. >> Wow. >> He doesn't just go into it. He prepares. >> He doesn't say the same thing every single year. >> No, no, he prepares. when he goes to he goes to you know somebody else's house he brings his other with him it's not like okay I got it >> that's that's amazing you know I think in my own life you know I was I had this arm with my parents with both sides of my grandparents so there's certain parts of the misra that are there and they got it from their parents we're yaki so we sing a we sing a German like we sing whatever this thing temple but each >> right each of us has our own little approach but >> it all has the same purpose which is >> what's interesting is co I haven't been to my father's sed for years co he was in our house >> so well doing the sed he asked us what does pesak mean >> I don't know what does pesak mean jump >> rashi says >> a rashi says right exactly means ramanus and we were like he was asking a lot you know he's he's my father's a very analytical person he was bringing out a lot of things that like he was the one that brought Miss what does miss mean? I have no idea. We took out Gadas and we see and we we you know what we're saying what are we saying over here you know so that's the uh and and what you're saying about Rabbi Sherman and just about you know let's say have a we prepare so much for our child's wedding and we do this and we do that then the hall and the clothing just so many things [clears throat] of preparation why because the wedding is so special if it's I think it's fair to say that the single most important night of the year for the parent child relationship or the home is Seder night. Doesn't it behoove us to spend a little bit of time and just prepare so that the seder to maximize the seder to the best that it could possibly be? So, thank you, Rabbi Satan, for uh helping to make us a little bit easier like said for giving us for giving us the cliff notes on that. Rabbi Satan, as you're as you're going through the hagada and you're preparing for this safer, do you think that this year your pes is going to be different because of all the transformational things that you wrote in here that maybe you didn't know before or did you know everything? You just put the suckensator right into here. >> No, I definitely uh did a lot of extra research cuz you know you have to fill in blanks like you need a thought on nerds, you need a thought on this, you need a thought on that. So it definitely pushed me >> who's thinking about >> right or just know what you know what the what the message of each uh each section of the say there was that was a you know a push to you know you had to fill in every every piece like you know you're missing a piece on this so you know you don't necessily have a piece on everything. So >> there is definitely beautiful. It should be with so much. I'm looking forward myself to going through this. I'm definitely going to put it on my desk and use it. >> And I hope that the landl this year will have not just a a daily dose. It'll have a an infusion of betan. And uh keep writing Rabbi Sutton because we're using it. Uh we're we're buying it. We're consuming it. And if they print a thousand of these, you tell them. Tell them, "No, no, no. 10,000. 10,000." Because if we're able to do 6,000 for ourselves, imagine what we could do for our kids. >> Great. >> Lots of Thank you so much. >> Thank you.