CHAZAQ's Torah Talks #196 Rabbi Yochai Cohen - Life & Legacy of Rav Meir Mazuz

One day I told my mother I want to go to Hashem we find a ride to right before my a few days before my after the rabbi is running into his room and I just kissed his hand but I didn't have time really to sit with him and I was so upset I really wanted to sit with I see a family member and so he told me don't go and take you inside with me I went with him so called me I was sitting in front of him said no no come sit next to me he took me I sit next to him I was shaking I couldn't believe that I'm sitting next and he asked me where you learning he said he I said send him regard for me. I love him. He's great. He's this. I told Rabbi I'm in by the with the kids. I'm not I'm not in the you know and the I don't see him still. You have to know is it is it I saw the love and and this is personal to me how he loved [Music] Moses and welcome to Torah Talks Kazak's program with special guests. We have with us all the way from Brooklyn. We're going to be speaking about the life and legacy of Arav mayor Mazat who unfortunately just recently passed away the famed Rashiv and before we get to the Rav Maz if you get a little bit background about just to add a personal background was the amazing for my wedding and I believe other family members as well and today the rabbi is doing great things. So a little bit about myself. First of all, thank you for having me here. It's a great Hak heard about Hak. It's a it's very strong. U so I grew up in Hashem. Um I learned in for about two and a half years. I was in and then I went but as a family um relashem and we have um um beside that we are students of the rabbi we have also a connection meaning family family connection right so we we saw the rabbi a lot but before that I going to talk about the rabbi I'm going to say a little bit about myself so Um I grew I grew up in BBA and went to yeshiva and then um I went I came to America when I was 19 to be a hazan here in Westchester. Then I moved to I was here in Queens also. I was in Queens. I didn't know that. Yeah. 209, right? Okay. I was there for a little bit. Great kahila. Back then it was very small kahila. And then I uh went back to Brooklyn. I was in Brooklyn. Then I went back to Brooklyn and we have our kila over there after maybe 17 18 years in different sha is growing. Great. We have every Shabbat between the kids the women men everybody is almost 300 people something people and it's just growing and growing and going and we need to to extend we have we need more players. Thank God they're amazing. And we learn different we got we got different different we had to beamesh different between them also as we had to when he came here to America we didn't say I didn't have so many so much connections to him because again I was a kid I was a teenager right I didn't have the time and the understand we understood of course we understood it was the rabbi always me it was the rabbi I never had connection until I came to America and the rabbi came here to collectim. You will come visit often. He came and I I drove him a few times and he came to my house. We had a we had to connect to him and to more different. I want to give a shout out and a thank you to Rabbi Nimni and Rabbi Rakimi who both suggested you want to do a Torah talk about Rabbi Maz, you have to speak to [Music] Rabbi. It's it's my it's my pleasure and my merit to talk about who am I to talk about but you know it's said that a person that's not it's better that he's not going to be born we we we have and the rabbi said not must him not eulogize him but you see what's going on now is fire fire and the said that is because that because of Shabbat because people doesn't Shabbat and Shabbat the rabbi is a Shabbat Shabbat the so when a person is the rabbi Shabbat I heard it from one he said that when a person is not is noting the it's like Shabbat and maybe this is the reason so we really have to pray to Hashem that going to stop all of these problems that is going from to a problem. Amen. And like the chief rabbi of Israel of the videos have said, "How can we not utilize?" The rabbi has not utilized but crying we're allowed to. And the rabbi and another thing he said was very powerful is that uh is is that of his father we're going to get to in a moment that of all the people that he knew only two people knew really mama shas the entire kamar everything one of which was raus the other one was rabbi. So if you would say Rabbi one mida, one character trait that exemplified who Rabbi Mayor Mazuz was, what would you suggest it would be? Before I going to answer this, I I I have to um introduct a little bit about about what I want to say. Um you know, we have so many we have a lot of and the Torah that we have today in our generation is not 100 years ago. 100 years ago they didn't have so much to the way how we have today. Um but there is one thing that we missing today is mid character character traits. This is we're missing a lot. And what's the difference between learning to serve that it's better to to be next to the to see him more than to learn it's to learn from him and you see the you see the character traits and something that's we it's it's known but we saw it with our eyes about is the anava humbleness that he has is something unbelievable. You cannot really imagine this person. He knew all Torah besides us. I'm talking about everything. Anything that you just going to point, you know. And not just know, he was expert. He was expert in everything. Besides also different uh different knowledge beside Torah knowledge. He had knowledge of everything. Math, algebra, astronomy, everything. Talking about math, I'll never forget my brother Shabari reveal as a cpher when he came to Ra Mazus on the spot. He started giving numerical values for preand was he was known with with his gimat and everything. People think he was a gimmach rabbis. Gimach rabbi that was just one of the Yes. He was he he was a giant. And when he gave him a little bit of cavod, a little bit honor, a little bit of cavod honor, the rabbi was mash felt like somebody pinching him. He felt and I saw it many times and there is a by the way there's a special um famous video that somebody said is a blessing that you when you say the big big rabbi and he say the blessing that Hashem gave from his knowledge to this rabbi right this is the and the rabbi stopped him in the middle of the bara and he tell him there is no gdola and I'm not gda and he was screaming wow it really bothered him bothered him you can see it on YouTube we can see it all over but it really bothered him that someone he said that is Gdola or Marana Gon when I said few times when when I supposed to um introduce the rabbi every time he was don't say Maran don't say the rabbi don't say this haram say my name that's it that's I don't need more than that you saw it you saw it you saw the and this is something that you know what could be a big if it doesn't Having mid is Torah is nothing. How many people are going to university today learning Torah? The Torah is belong to nothing because there is no it's not Sham it's not real and a person really learn Torah but humble this is different this is different level this is different level and you see why we are why we follow why we follow and most of Israel today follow because the head and I believe also He had crazy and this is the of course because of the because he was the most humble person. Right. So you mentioned uh I know for a fact that there was some sort of a kesher some sort of a connection between Mazat and Zatal. Right. Maybe the rabbi could elaborate. Uh so I there is there is a connection and there are few stories about I'm going to say a story something that is known and then I can say something about me personally that the connection between um so the rabbi said when he came from Tunisia about 40 years ago um from Mus was originally from Tunisia Tunisia right and he they met they met aliyah they he went there Israel after that he his father got murdered from Arab Palestinian that he was uh that he was in Tunisia he got them murdered he got yeah and the family two years later they they went to Israel and the rabbi he couldn't learn Torah at that time he was he was so hurt and not just hurt um upset and you can say whatever you want to say he couldn't learn Torah he tried to finish one tishuva one answer that his father wrote he wanted to finish it to publish the book he couldn't he couldn't take the pen and sit and and and write the chuva he was so um so sad about the death of his father and not just regular death it's a somebody murdered him killed him was something very was terrible for the family I think the father's name is the old that you see the right this is after his name. And when when he came to like I said he it was it was very hard for him to see to to open a book to open a book. It was very hard even for him. Um I'm just learning from here one thing that's every person can go through um um a crisis difficult right um difficulties and but in the end you're not allowed to stay there. M because if was in such a crazy difficulty in his life and he went out from it in the end I'm going to tell you how. So it's a it's a lesson to us that every person that you and every person go through a crisis or through um whatever um difficulties or challenge whatever the end of the day you have to go out of it. It's going to be today tomorrow or next week doesn't matter but you have to go out of it and continue your life. This is something big lesson that we can learn from him by the way. So he went to beta there's a sha the big sh in bak I I grew up there near there and we pray there one guy told the rabbi that is going to give a speech in the shul next to it there's a next to the persian the mashad so over there he's bringing he's is giving every mabat I remember as a kid that we prayed had mash for years. They they had a special chair and it said this is the chair of Isel the chief rabbi remember this chair now it's not there was growing up they had this chair over there and uh and heard about this uh this speech and he said if said that the rabbi said everything by heart I have to listen to him go listen to him he went to listen to and he said more than three hours the rabbi was talking and talking and talking and talking and and hum and midrash and all everything in three hours. And the rabbi said, "I couldn't move from my chair until 12:00 at night." Wow. And when he came home, he asked his wife asked him, "It's too late. What happened to you?" The rabbi doesn't go to our clubs. Where you going? Where you went? So he told her it's unfortunate to the rabbi I didn't speak in in cemetery said what what are you talking about and he told her I I went to hear and he spoke so beautiful that if you were to talk in cemetery all the dead people are going to come back to life this is unbelie unbelievable uh yes that's the rabbi he was he he really loved since even before they had a they had a chuv Mazuz's father. He wrote some answers to Alad and Alvad wrote him back. So there was a dialogue between the rabbis. But then it was the time that the rabbis really got to know each other more and um brought him into Tel Aviv. Also gave a shu and in Tel Aviv and our brought him into Tel Aviv to be the rabbi that speaks before him rabbi before. Yes. So for a few years he was the before and this is also so you had this is the connection that the rabbis had and you see in the you see in the books the love the love that you had to that it's like like a son she adopt him like a son and he loved him and he knew the the greatness maz the was a genius by the way he was a genius he wasn't a regular It's not he's not here talking about regular man another rabbi he was a genius first different level and beside all the things that he that he had and the midot and everything because usually a person is genius he had he has something to be proud about right I'm a proud I'm a genius listen listen to me I know everything he said many times don't listen to me if you have a different rabbi don't listen to me you have different opinion don't listen to me you sit down on a valid he didn't take it personally Never. So one time I went to this is the personal story. Yeah. Before mitzvah I I I was dying to go to see him face to face and to see with him. We saw him in occasions in different time that he came to Ben. I saw him many times but to see listen I'm in and I learn is very it was very uh difficult to go to. One day I told my mother I want to go to I really want to go. She told me one day somebody going to take you will find a right to somebody took me to until the house of I got right before my a few days before and I got over there the pray and I see how after the rabb is running into his room and I just kissed his hand but I didn't have time really to sit with him and I was so upset so upset I really wanted to see with all of a sudden I don't know from where I see a family member that's he told me what are you doing here you bin and he was very close to also he was the driver of before Aamazi is a loved him very much this is your family this is my yeah this is my my aunt this is my aunt's father meaning my my my my uncle married to to this lady my aunt and this is her father and he had a meeting with him meaning he waited for so he told me don't go I'm going to take you inside with me I went with him he spoke to him about his business and this and that and after going to him said who is this guy what do you want and he said he has bar mitzvah and he want called me I was sitting in front of him said no don't no come sit next to me. He took me. I sit next to him. I was shaking. You know, I had a camera in my in my uh in my pocket. I couldn't take it out. I was sh I couldn't believe that I'm sitting next to and um and he asked me, "What are you learning?" He said, "I said send him regard for me. I love him. He's great. This this I told him, Rabbi, I'm in the mat by the with the kids. I'm not I'm not the you know and I don't see him still you have to know he's the I saw the love that they had and and this is personal to me right how he loved B mazus maybe like maybe 20 25 seconds the rabbi was just praising mazuz wow and I felt when I left first of all I left million dollar because of the because that's I was next But I felt also the love that the rabbi had to mus to my to my Shiva. It was it was it was a big it was a big thing. And every time when a ham came to to yeshiva we felt we felt the the the importance that is like when all the big rabbis and there's there are many rabbis that came that I didn't even mention that had a lot they they had a lot of respect to this yeshiva and we felt as students we felt very important we're in this yeshiva we belong belonged to this rabbi and it was something something special powerful 100%. So of all the years that you know of maz, what would you say that the zatal he would give over messages? Obviously the great and if there would be one thing that sticks out that he would give over to others, what would that be? Um I'm thinking about um the there were a few things but I'm thinking about the main thing that he always taught us as students. continue learn and make sure that you're learning the right way. The right way. Learn the right way. Do not believe people that tell you that this is written until you're going to open the book and see it inside. You have to open the book and see what you heard. And if there's a question, never be afraid to ask the question. A person that's shy is never going to be able to learn. Never never going to ask questions. You must ask questions. And if you think that there's a mistake after that you really you look into it you're allowed to say that there's a mistake. Don't be afraid from mistakes and a lot of people in this generation couldn't take it because he was very straight. He was a very honest and straight guy you know he had two opposites he had from one side that I am nothing that we discussed right but from the other side he had this gava that's be something that you are and don't be afraid if you have some you have a question or you see someone that's even greater than you that making mistake it's okay to to make sure that is true to because Torah it's not for my It's not for for angels, for us. And we can make mistakes. And he said, "And if you're making a mistake, you have to make sure to say I'm wrong. You have to know how to say I'm wrong." If you're always going to say, "No, me me." You're losing the you're losing the humbleness. And this is something that we learned from him. And I I see it until today. every time that I spoke to him many times about about things and and I saw I saw the when I said something right he was like wow right important he gave us he gave us the the the to make sure that we understand that what we said is good and don't be afraid to say good things because we have many good new things that you think, write it down. This is so the way how he's he educate us as a rabbi. Make sure that first of all, you said the right thing after you checked it and if there is something that you're wrong or somebody wrong, admitted that you're right, admitted that you're wrong, right? You must admit. And I saw it um when I wrote when I wrote my uh my first book last year. I I published my first book perm. So it's there's a but having the name of the author in the in the title. So you saw it. I am I think I am maybe I'm the last guy that he gave us to his book was last year I got as maybe he gave another one or two I was one of the last people that got that to to his book and he wrote me a nice letter and he wrote my dear friend I am not your dear friend I am a student rabbi he looked the and he he went over the book mean through the book and he start to look each page next to the old book maybe 10 minutes the old book and and he had his uh complaints this is not good this is good this is do this this and you see that he was like he's like in is in he know and 10 minutes 10 minutes like this chick everything I I went crazy I said you sure you went through everything yes you went over And it was it was I had really that he wrote me as because at that time he was really sick last year he start to suffer a lot right and um I had so every time that you say something good make sure say it and every time that you're wrong make sure to say it too this is uh this is his uh you're reminding me now when I had this I've met him many times but the last time I met him was uh very complimented about the work that we do. It was very uplifting. You're reminding this is the words. Yes, you're reminding me right now of that. So, it's a big loss for Sarah. Big big big loss and uh the the family is continuing the the brother is without understanding his way is doing great job of we have a huge memory that we see him here. Yeah. came to my the last two years he came right to discuss and encourage people to get involved with the we have a custom and Torah talks which is a final message for so I before the final message I want I want to add another story sure we love stories a personal story that I had with mazuz and it's another another um uh angle of mazuz the beside the gadola the man that he he has in him was a the end of the day he was a man beside that he was an angel was a man and I remember my father shalom he's um he's a plumber I call him the plumber the holy plumber because he's in and all the rabbis all the he go at the houses he see everything and he had a to be to be a plumber for one love very And um one day I came, I was maybe 11, 12. Uh I came home from school and the phone ring home and I I pick up the phone and shalom. Who is this? May maz said haram maze maz. I said haram. Yes. Maz like this. He said please tell Abba that I want him. I need him. And I was jumping. Abba. My father came. Araus cold father call him back and he needed my father. I went with my father at that time to and besides that I learned in the Shiva we have also um a family family my my uncle is married to his to his sister right so you know they told me that there's a picture that I'm sitting with maz and he's laughing me and him laughing there's a nice picture and they they made it they made it big this picture they took it and they make it big and they give it She was crying was crying tears and the reason is I think because it was very hard to see Mazil laughing very hard to see him laughing he he suffered so much suffered suffered suffered so much healthwise healthwise yes beside health yeah his wife his daughter also passed away when he was every day of his life and um he suffered because he fell from third floor he from third floor. Yeah, it it fell from the floor. Um um also all the details of running a yeshiva and and fundraising. It's a lot healthwise meaning healthwise he suffered and the last the last seven years of his life. I think he had also the the so he's a man that suffered so much still behave so nice to people still learn Torah. It's crazy. This is this is not a Benadam. He's not a man. and he's a is mal he's an angel. So I went with my father to to Ara's house and I was really happy to go with my father. My father fixed everything in this and the rabbi asked me questions and spoke to me and talk to me like like I'm his friend like made you know he let me feel so comfortable not because it's the rashisha. So usually you're scared next to your rashiva. No, he let me feel like his son and I was in his house and my father fixed the the problem was in the kitchen and then um and then he made sure that my father going to get his payments he didn't my father told later it's okay it's okay no he made sure to pay him you see the anaval that he had and like I said before he always told us and this this is the final message be who you are you should always Stay. You born Yohai. Stay Yohai. Don't try to be Moshe. Don't try to be Ishak. You know why? Because Yohai there's a reason why his name Yohai and why he came to this to this world was the purpose of this world and meaning for him here in this world. So stay who you are. And this is a strong message that you can learn from like him because how you can be a big like be strong you know and like I said before he suffered so much he can say you know what today I don't have time to learn right let me let me lay down and this is what we're doing at the end of the day we we go through something even small we're laying down we don't have time we don't have power we don't have strength leave me alone on. No, he suffered and he still did for Israel, for the Torah, for the Shiva, for everybody. He loved, by the way, he loved every OD every like his son. I saw it. I saw it many times. I have a maybe if I have I have another minute for I have love it. Yeah. I have my my cousin, my second cousin. He learned the yeshiva and he left the Torah world. He left to go to work to go work and more than that. I don't want to I don't want to say even more than that. Um and then he went to the army. He went to you know he's working in Rafael and you know is the company that building the iron dome in Israel. So um and he he left he left he left everything. And when Alamaz was in my in my house, he also this my second cousin also came to me and he was in my house. This is here in New York. Here in New York. Yes. And I I brought him to was so happy to see him because he was his closest one of the close students, right? He learn is is a giant Jew by the way. This guy is is a genius. He's a genius. A mass genius. I'm telling you, I'm not I'm not saying I'm somebody that is genius and he's not genius. He's really genius. And he was talking with Maz about but math, algebra, this and that. And he was talking and listen for me was like Chinese, Japanese. I don't understand what he what he's saying over there. But they spoke and I saw I saw the I saw the love that the rabbi had for him. And he told me like this every time bring him to me. I want to see him again and again. I by the way I didn't spoke to him since then. My my second cousin I need to call him really because the rabbi really loved him. He loved him. It's unbelievable the love that he had to him to any Jew. Doesn't matter with the kipa, without a kipa, with the small kipa, big kipa, you know, the kipasuga, the white one, the black, doesn't matter. Doesn't make a difference. He didn't care about it. He had a is and people in the the news they talk about yeah he spoke about those and it says he spoke as a as a leader sometimes you need to you need to say things and so there is nothing to do but visual he and he told me and then the next time when I saw him he told me I have to tell you two two thank you meaning thank you twice. Wow. said first that you brought no to me that you brought him to me. Second that you gave me a book. I gave him two old books from from the was a first print or second print. Uh and he was very happy. So he he didn't forget it. He didn't forget. Yeah. I have to say two thank you two times. One for no and one for this. And it was from Isl remember. He remembers everything. It's unbelievable. that he had and like I said before the fin the final message that you can take it's really be met be really be who you are be yeah this is this is the the the the goal this is the the the the line that you have to draw and be be proud of yourself you are Yehudi you're a gem you cannot you cannot think ah I am nothing I'm this yeah I am nothing said to Hashem My soul supposed to be but to yourself to yourself you have to understand that you you are jam the world was created for me right have that mindset powerful thank you for the resurrection and we all come back together with all the loved ones all together. Very special thank you to Rabio Kaikon for coming and being the life and legacy of Arab mayor Mazatah. Special thank you to uh the various different platforms that hosts Kazak Torah talks with a special emphasis and thank you to our friends at Torah anytime. Also special thanks to daily giving. A dollar a day goes a very far away. We encourage everyone to be a daily giver. It's an amazing concept auction. Great things are happening. Also a special thank you to Natan behind the camera and the entire Kazak team and staff. Uh send us more requests and updates and uh and feedback. We get so much great feedback. It's unbelievable. And that's what keeps us going. Over 195 episodes and [email protected] infochq.org. Thank you. Thank you to all. Amen. Amen. [Music]