CHAZAQ's Torah Talks #173 Rabbi Avraham & Netanel Dadoun - Achieving Your Goals

a person can have a a connection to all types of Torah right but when a person has he knows how to live like a Jew when we're talking about living like a Jew going like a Jew like we're saying then then not only he's going but his family is going his community is going whatever whatever stage he is in life he's he's he's continuing that path and that path can only be done through through diligence in learning [Music] welcome to Torah talk program with special guests we have with us all the way from welcome what a what AIT thank you it's good to be here it's great to have the ra here we've had this to be online in various different Shing classes now we're in person so uh we're going to be speaking about achieving your goals before we get that if we get a little background about the guess okay about myself I guess so okay so um I live in we have a and I give I'm studying in in um monetary law and um and I give also on class on on zoom and I'm also part of child organization I give sh to rabbis around the world yes amazing my brother big he runs really the all we do and myself I you know we have a a few years ago I I became a in London so I fly to London a week a month that's how it works and obviously in London The bedin Works differently than in in America we have the whole infrastructure of the whole community in one place so everything got to do with u if it's you know M if it's which is monetary law if you have gutin anything got to do with you know marriages and divorce divorce laws if it's got to do with um and and and and and really um you know burial questions from the you know from the from the synagogues um even you know we have a whole we have a whole gal process there and you know we try to you know to create an infrastructure for each Jew there in the community and giving that I also run the in and you know we're here come to visit such a special day today and amazing the brothers unbelievable yeah you know continue strong continue spreading the light I know work on a personal level we're going Vis him hear more about it momentarily so we're going to be discussing achieving your goals so how does one achieve one's goals okay so in every area you got to achieve your goal you have to have a Target what you want to get to um and give yourself a you know a time schedule you know how I'm going to get there small steps at a time in the right direction and of course you want to take advice from people that already done it before you right like the says uh you want to get out of a maze out of a mess find someone who's already gone out of there been there done there thank you and tell me how do I get there and every small step in the right direction that helps you to get to your Target and that applies to every area in life definitely when we talking about ch's gos especially in Judaism we're talking about ch's Gos in in learning Tor and becoming a better Jew in all aspects and the former Chief RAB of Israel used to say to say that each each Rabbi each person has his own has his own connection towards the Torah whether it's through whether it's through whe it's through through mid each person has his has his own position so in every position a person does whether it's whether it's whether it's Jew or whatever it is a person has to have goals like uh like my brother says you know one has to have Target oriented uh goals so one when like when one's making a business right he needs to have goals What's happen on the first quarter what's happening first year what's happening in the third year what's my you know what's my goal in 10 years time and that way he can actually you know see how he's programming but if he's coming and he's just saying you know we'll just we're just sit I'll try my best put my best effort and people try hard they spend a lot of time and effort but they have to make they want to make sure they're going in the right direction so I would say first thing you've got to write down your goals what it is right and the F and the second thing is to pray to Hashem yeah that you pray to God that great let you to achieve where you want to get to in every area so how does uh one connect with regards to reaching goals but in Tora but especially with regards being that we have ihi international institute the topic of as well so is very um you know it's it's a specific part of Torah it's not all of the the whole of Torah but the gives you a different sort of aspect tells you how to live how it tells you of course of course only says you how to live but I think I think when when coming to there's a bit of perhaps a misconception you know we we you know sometimes we're delving in in the and in the sometimes and sometimes in the at the end of the day the has a basis to what it's going on it's not just two at the end of right there's a basis of um there's depth of there's understanding of when it comes even to there's intrinsic parts right so when a person's going towards needs to know where he's going you know means you know you know going to go and to like like yeah is to walk and to go so you want to be going in the right direction and when you're doing it the right way the way has wants you to go so you're studying the properly and then you realize there's lots of cases that you need to discover which is not written down in your two at the end of the and you need to know where the basic of comes from right he accepted and then you have the structure of how the Torah came down the Tora first you have the m then the then you have the until today so you have to know the you know the descending order how it Formed basically the today and you need to have a guidance a teacher and I I say and I say this I say misunderstanding a person can have a a connection to all types of Torah right but when a person has he knows how to live like a Jew when we're talking about living like a Jew going like a Jew like we're saying then then not only he's going but his family is going his community is going whatever whatever stage he is in life he's he's he's continuing that path and that path can only be done through through diligence in learning and having theal approach in everything that he's doing one second what's this about what used to say used to I remember he used to used to walk on the street he used to say this is you know this is a problem you know if what happens if someone fell here you know how would they do go this and everything became became be yeah became a person exactly exactly part part of part of a person's life is is is is is the depth of and a person can really you know gain so much from knowing how to be a Jew you know he can you know he can learn G and he can learn D can he can learn these things at the end of the day he could be he's not acting as a Jew should be acting and um and you know just just as a parable right if a person has a you know a bigger a bigger ver he can he can put much more inside than anything else so when person knows what he's going like a je and he's and he's growing like that then eventually he'll he'll he'll achieve that that he needs you know in order to and often we find ourselves stuck right everyone even even I get stuck so you know in questions so we have shim you know you ask someone who knows May better know but and and and you can and and every case can sometimes be very different from other especially when we talk about monetary law every case is is different and to to understand the case properly and to know what's going it's it's it seems It's you know and and the really really the way through is like we're saying we're achieving one's goals through you know small steps like we're saying obviously through praying that we have help from also know when you're looking as a Jew you want to live your life getting connected to Hashem okay so it's just one way when you look at your at the life through just think what's the right thing to do now what's the right what does want for me to do when you're living like that then everything becomes a question and you change the way the way you live the way you work the way you moving forward and another good thing about is when you you have a stra sense of achievement because you have to plan this is what I want to learn listen I want to learn properly of right and approach be like it should be uh x amount a day it should be uh going to a class what do you suggest approach for one that listening this tell us whatever his heart desires whatever his heart desires his heart desires and he also desires how much time in the day a person can put towards you know doing and sometimes a person needs to start off you know with something that that he's connected to topic speaks to him speaks whatever speaks to him that's where he should start he should open his heart should set a time and then let let let the time you know do it how do you say that in English heart you feel it passion in your heart we going in One Direction Right everyone has different things that they enjoy and their love where does that come from Hashem put that into you you have a desire to do something you give a talent for it and Hashem wants you to follow that up so even if you have one desire for a certain type of that's what you should be learning it's not just telling you do what you want no listen to your heart follow that bring out the rest in yourself and and and I think and I think when someone follows one's heart one gets to it his potential so he might have a goal which is like this high but if he follows he sees that really his goal is much much higher and and and with the I'm think with you saying when you're going with the passion of your heart you can really achieve you know want to we speak about 24 hours a day and I say it there much more than 24 hours a day just if you if you're living with you know you're living with your heart if if we know what does inak there's not enough time in the day to do what he does so how does he do it cuz he does with all his heart so made the heart is something which is uh intang definitely does it with the heart and he has also a lot of good people working with him and I think that's that is true and I think also that also or anything you want to achieve you need to reach out to other people to help you share the goals with other people that want to achieve the same thing is always two is better than one but two is not just better than one cuz 2 plus two one plus one is two but each one compliments the other and brings out the best in them that means when I work with you you bring out the best in me I work with you get the best in you and that's the beauty of am you everyone helps each other and we come the best Nation wanted us to be it's a synergize which make one plus one is three saying really that creates a different a different sort of you know approach you saying that if person doesn't have the time you should get and say this teacher how do I do this who can help me yeah you we're not we're not created on this world on our own right hasem wants us to be synergized with others 100% even though it says each person can say world is created for me for me so all the people who around me who I can I can I can I can you know be partners with in order to share a vision to to continue to to continue the learning to thrive in the learning to in the learning can can you can go from that from a class from a mentor from a rabbi amazing rabis could you give a practical implication of putting this into [Music] action I think I think the best practical implication of of of really achieving to to an extended level maybe that's that's what we're we're referring to as everyone achieves you know his goals what he thinks can he can achieve but can he achieve something which is you know slightly beyond what he's achieving yeah so you need you want to have a structure that's what you need you need the rabbi who a leader people that can work together with you share your vision your goals and you work working together properly with the books together and when you have that framework like you have with normally in like in a CO where you're studying from the original text uh you're doing revising what you're learning you have people to talk to about the learn make sure you're getting the understanding right right reviewing it right you know maybe taking tests on it on speaking to each other and getting ready to the actual practical side of the that would really be the ideal Way D would agree toly and at the end of the day there's a certain spectrum that person needs to understand when it comes to because the end of the day you have the which is the right then you have the the the commentaries on the gar which are and S you can stop there right and then and after this you have the tour and the BET then you have after the and you have the commentaries on the then you have the later comment trees on so the spectrum is very wide you get L you can get lost how how do you decide where where do I start where do I stop where do I continue I think I think the great thing that the Chief rap of Israel have done the rut what they did was create sort of a systematic procedure so a person can achieve those goals so it sat with its you know great assembly let's call it right and decided you know which commentaries are important more important than others of course they're all important Central essential which are the you know you know the the intrinsic one one needs to one has to learn no matter what no and and the extras and then they set um tests you know three times a year that you know 40 years ago when it started there were a few now there's hundreds and hundreds of um that take these tests um they they set three times a year and they have there's maybe 20 types of test that one can take different topics different topics this is for R and this is for this is this is for right and that's and and and how do and how do they grow because they have a system right there is a system in place they they they they follow through with this with this system and that's why we have many many in Israel on they made the study of T but they made it academic in a way that means that RAB is also qualified in that they study and also gives them a big passion to try strive to achieve their goal because they have a goal they have a Target it's very specific they know what they need to know and they end up knowing properly and they feel a great sense of achievement up to the point I know also people that they're not ranim but they wanted to do the test of the no just for their own self self yeah we wouldn't believe it even though someone is older older man and he's already he said I want to get my own and he did it and you see he he utilizes his time you know everyone has the same amount of time during the day but someone wants to maximize his time is people have goals they have a drive and this pushes them forward and that I think the beauty that they have this is a great that some people had they may you know put this in Brackets regarding is um speculation speculation when we're talking about um academic to turn to turn academic and sound doesn't sound correct doesn't sound right and and it sounds like like we're trying to make it um you know more more secular and the the answer to that is that no we're making it Kad Kad kados right when we're making it that you can indulge in all the commentaries if you want and you can indulge in all the you know all what's needed but at the end of the day there's something that that will you know that will FOC that will be focused on track on what you're doing it'll be Target orientated right it's in a way so so so what's happening now in Israel is that you have um who are learning and they're theying and the end of the day they have to take these exams in order to to to proceed in in where they're going and now that's I think that's a very important point because a lot of a lot of people have that difficulty and they say well you're going to tell me what you're going to learn now you're going to tell me which is better who are you to tell me you know it this I I you know I really want to learn the want to learn the rash want to learn this you know and and at the end of the day we say you know it's fine you know learn whatever you want to learn the way you want to learn but just to know if you want to get up the know that this thing you're going to be tested on and that's really something you need to keeps you focused on it all I think also that's the beauty you know when has made in this world we have the Torah world and uh we're taking the good points from the academic side right remember yeah and we're bringing that also to T to use that as a way to serve hasem and I think this is really what Judaism represents because we have a deep Heritage and a past but we're still moving forward with that so we take everything we're deep connected right like Adam is a man is like the tree of the field and what tree tree is rooted in the ground you're well rooted in the past in our Torah what we've received from our teachers and we take that and we take everything hashem's given us around that and we move forward and then we can grow into beautiful tree bring off beautiful fruits and that's which is a righteous person who grows like the palm tree palm tree he grows tall and he puts all his efforts into his fruits and got beautiful juicy fruits he like a cedar tree very wide and Broad and brings shade so he gives off beautiful good things and he also creates shade the good for benefit of the people and he himself is big I mean that's what a rabbi is that's kazak you know that's exactly that is theak a great example here he puts all his energy into all the and you see what the programs that he runs how much he puts into all the all the all the youth and the adults and the young adults just the beginning que and yor going forward and him you see what a great man yeah everyone loves to be with him great to if the RAB could share with us the vision of ihi International [Music] Institute so the The ihi International Institute was established um close to four or five years ago I would say and it developed like we said it developed it developed with time and um and maybe I'll share with you you know just two very very short stories um that can show you how a person doesn't matter how old he is doesn't matter how young he is do matter how much time he has can achieve his goals in can achieve his goals as a completely different human being and can and can then give over to the community so I merited you know to teach someone and he went to learn in medical school School in Columban University he came to me from col he was in the col yes and after half a year he got into colum University everyone knows how difficult is to get in and he said to me he said to I don't want to leave Israel you know listen I said we have Israel you know we he went to he told me he said listen we need religious doctors out there and we need professionals and if you can go there that's what you should be doing and he didn't know if he'll get in you know the year later so he said to himself yesen this is this is the opportunity let's let's take it on he literally came to me with with a passion he said Rabbi but I want to continue learning I want to continue doing a systematical you know doing test you know knowing the D knowing how to go about knowing what to learn first and at the end of the day um I just said to him you know what you know you know we'll try you know I'll try to send you you know monthly test we'll try to see how you're going if you have any questions if you know you're not sure where to go how to do it then we'll show you the way way and he went to Columbia University and and of course yes he he finished he just just became a just finished his his diploma and I can say that after four years he said he said you know I don't want to be I don't want to be a I don't I don't do something small I want I want to learn I three hours a day he said to me listen you really had the he said he said he said April and October you know those are the times it's really focused you know medicals he he was he was a clever Chap and he said listen yeah after four years he had finished medical school right and he knew backwards and I can be made I that his exams were like no less no less and I knew from the back end I spoke to people in Los Angeles and they told me listen this we know he's a student in medical school but which Medicals give on Friday and on afternoon this is you know you know how is this possible I said person has a Target he has a goal he can achieve it and I don't know how many people what they do in their medical school time but if there is any free time especially in such universities but if someone puts his mind to it and says you know this is what's important to me this is the time I have great and and the second one so we just saw that was like a window of opportunity because you see somebody who really wanted to do it and he could do it and he achieved it and all we had to do is just give him the framework and that's what we do in ihi someone doesn't have that privilege to be in the col but we give him everything that you need as if you would be in the col and you can be even in University and still achieve achieve in so even if would have taken that same in would have taken two years but took him four years but he got there in the end and that's what we feel we need to do we need to be there to help every person and that's the vision of II everyone can and you're there on your own there's people there who's done it before there's people there can help you with it and that's what we try to do it's like a maze it really is you trying to go through no way we have we have large professional stuff in but we have all the and all the you know all the gear all it's where to work and and it's it's very fruitful and other beautiful examples you know we have a website IH tor.org so we get all sorts of people coming to us you know so you know really careful you know how to take what to take if to take you know the world is very we got we had someone and he asked me do you accept senior citizens wow you that was the question and I'm like I don't see I don't see an issue you if you if you learn in is you know how to learn right someone can vouch for you then you know we can we can make it work and he said to me how long does it take to do I said listen your depends how many hours you do a day but you know you roughly about five years so he said to me listen I don't know if I'll be alive till then well I'm going through a disease identify my life to then but you know what I'm going to set a goal to myself and this is and and this is my goal for Life obviously with no question at all we accepted him with you know we give him special he's he's in his 70s and he said this it's never too late I want to make sure I've done that and this go really gave him a lot of obviously we set him a VIP program which is what we do as well if a person needs um whatever in whatever situation he is tailor made schedule and it's a TA it's tailor made for him but we we're reaching the level of the chief rabant of Israel in Israel itself we're doing that in the diaspora with is the for of Israel for is backing us and he's continuing and he says you know keep going do not stop that's why we're here in New York to to see more people who are interested in the program it's it's I think that the beauty is to see such a wide spectrum of of people to go out there and to learn you know as it says that H the righteous H it says he used to he was uh everyone knows the story right that he was he was so so poor that he couldn't get into the B mid because they used to have to pay for the BET mid right and it was snowing and he couldn't and he couldn't come to the and he couldn't come to the the BET mid so he went up to the roof to hear from the window and and all the snow went on him when he came in the morning they saw whole they had to you know they had to revive him to and they said he teaches you know even if you're poor you need to learn Torah and then thear tells us even if you're rich you have to learn Torah and even if you even if you're elderly you need to learn Tora and even if you're in medical school and you don't have time this you need to learn Tora and even if you're a rabbi of the community and you feel that you know you have to learn Tor and when I say Tor I mean tor when I say I mean in the of mean the depth of the insights of the to go inside to get to the end of like we said before that means that what does HM want in his world he he wants that the area around you is the area of a person when you walk around you look around and you think what's the what doesm want me to do and that's the aspect and I think that's the message you know for everyone that can take them with him you're never too busy and you're never too old to achieve your goals in amazing amazing so we have a c we have the a final message we've had so many gems so many that that that's the message more no matter what the situation is in your life no matter where you are no matter what it's never too late you're never too busy and you're never too late if someone can do medical school and do and someone's senior citizen who got a disease and he's fighting his illness and he can put his goals he said it's never too late to achieve your goals you can reach there's people there to help and people want to see you succeed and that's what we want to do everyone we take on we just want you to be i t that's it we work around everything whatever difficulty you have we have a team we have a staff and we're going to work around you and we want to see special thank you to my friend at they introduced II toak and uh a very special shout out to your dear brother-in-law Daniel my cousin and very inspiring I I do this for myself [Music] and learning take to I know the leading leading Rabbi and I just want to thank all those you know in kazak and involved to make this this podcast Happ to thank all of our podcasts and platforms that are hosting kazak Tor talks Tuesday nights 8:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time k.org live chq.org special thank you to our friends at to time for hosing kazak Tor talks special thank you to our friends at Daily getting a dollar day goes a very far away we encourage them to look into that so than din bear behind the camera entire kazak staff and team and board members and supporters for helping keep the organization alive and strong and to collaborate with amazing individuals like rabis and Redemption that was great that that wasn't great it was amazing you're awesome it's great two thumbs up [Music]