CHAZAQ's Torah Talks #218 Rabbi Mordechai Kraft - The Secrets of the Hebrew Alphabet

Look at the word kev. You know that's [music] a sad place. It looks like it's an end. You rearrange those letters. [music] It spells bokeare. [snorts] Boare which means in Hebrew morning. Bokeare means warning. Warning. It's not an it's not a goodbye. It's a good morning. So [music] in the word kev we have three two processes. We have the burial and we have a decomposition. But it's leading to [music] a new beginning. It's a boer. >> Hab the next world. So right there we have, you know, we have something [music] just so, you know, you know, just so insightful. Today's episode is sponsored by Borism Tax Planning and Advisory. Schedule your free tax strategy session online and get started now. Call us at 212-430-6881 to learn more. >> And welcome to Khazak's Torah Talks with special guest. We have with us very dear friend of Kazak, Rabbi Morai Craft from EMTT Barab. Rabbi, >> thank you. >> So good to see you. Thank you very much for joining us. And we're going to be discussing the secret of the Hebrew alphabet. A very exciting topic. But before we get to that exciting topic, we get a little bit background about the rabbi and the great work here in VA. >> Sure. Thank you. First of all, you know, thank you very much for having me and uh >> and and showing me around the Kazak office and I'm enormously impressed what's happening here. >> Honored to have been partners and uh really really just been doing the same work for for so many decades together. >> Strength and strength, continued success. >> Thank you. So just what I'm I'm I'm doing right now, I'm the one of the co-directors of EMTT outreach, which is uh we're on we're on campuses, we're involved in in with young uh young professionals, we're involved with young couples. We're really trying to work with with really the college age and the young professional community and trying to expose them to the beauty of what we have in terra. And I guess the way we do it is is is through teaching and through through uh experiential Judaism as we call it, experiencing a shamatau and taking them away to places, trips um including Poland and places like that where we have to just discover ourselves and and of course the objective is to get to Israel and to and to learn and to study and to to really bring out the the Shabbat. >> That's right. 100%. And uh there's no question about how Shabatones and trips has a massive effect on students and we've seen it on a constant basis and uh continued success ra continue doing >> the magic of what we have is really our Torah. >> That's right 100%. That's what it comes down to. It brings out the Torah. >> Just have to show it, display it. Our job is just to present to not get in the way as we say. >> 100% 100%. So, so Rabbi, so some people think that Hebrew is just another language, you know, uh, oh, I speak English and I speak Russian and I speak uh, Chinese or Spanish. Uh, could you explain to the audience uh, what makes it different or holier? >> Sure. Sure. You know, this topic, you know, Hebrew as as as we call lashes, the we call a language which was distinct, different, and kesh in Hebrew really means powerful, passionate. It's it's a language that brings out the essence of something in such a unique way. And I've been a student of it, you know, for a long time. I'm fascinated by it. And and I've discovered that it it's it's a we're able to display concepts in Judaism like in no other way and and people are touched by it. It's very meaningful. Um you know, I guess to understand it a little bit, the Hebrew language, we refer to it sometimes as the DNA of creation, which is a very interesting way of of talking about a language, >> you know. And sometimes I I um I I ask a question when I open up and give lectures on this. I ask questions and and a question I ask is, you know, is there a language that's comparable to? So let me ask you, Rabbi, if I asked you that question, what would you say to me? What is there a language that that you would say maybe Hebrew is comparable to? >> I I wouldn't compare Hebrew to any other language. I would I I wouldn't think so. Lashes >> lashes. Yeah. Yeah. So sometimes people say you know maybe Greek which is true because it has a root system or maybe it's not in Latin because also built on roots or hieroglyphics because it's symbolic and things like this or maybe Aramaic which is a sister language. Arabic also is a cogn derives from Hebrew as as we know but the language that that I choose always to say and it's a little bit counterintuitive is actually the chemical language. the white >> the chemical language. >> Interesting. >> Because the thing about the chemical language, you know, if I say water, I don't know what water means, but if I say H2O, >> I understand exactly what it means. We have two hydrogen and one oxygen, you know, if I say NCL, I know that it's sodium and chloride, you know. So, the the words themselves and the letters of the chemical language at least give some description of the chemical parts of what we're trying to define. So Hebrew is like the chemical language in that in it in in that the letters themselves will actually describe and define the essence of the word in many way like DNA. You know if you look at DNA what's DNA? DNA is telling you the genetic composition of of of of the gene and from that we could discover every part of the human organism of the body. It's all right there. And the and the basis and the premise of Hebrew of I called you mentioned the the language was distinct and different is that it's was the first act of creation. >> Exactly right. >> Is through >> and with the through Hashem creates the world. The first act creation in the Torah tells us is the act of creation. And in fact, this is not just in our mystical thinking. We say it every day. >> That's right. >> Blessed is the one who spoke and the world came into existence. >> Or we say everything came through into existence through his word. So, Hashem created reality through speech. And what was the first act of creation? the creation of these these letters which we call the olive through tough olive through tough and and actually 0 through nine in terms of numbers and with it God took these letters and spoke reality into existence as we say and and and a fascinating concept you almost imagine like um playing Lego you know you have a you have one piece here one piece there and you you combine it together so Hashem does it through speech he spoke it and and maybe that's some of the fascination that I always had with the I always been fascinated by speech you know in fact one of the the my My my my earliest introductions, you know, in my my spiritual journey was I was exposed to a lecture on on lash on forbidden speech and I was at that time I was a young college student. I I was blown away by it that the toy has such sensitivity to what we say and how we say it and and something which always reg you know resonated with me that that speech is so important. You can build worlds with speech. And as we know, you can destroy worlds with speech. >> Your words can build worlds. >> Your words can build worlds. And you can destroy words. >> That's right. Life and death is in the hand of the tongue. King. >> So the kids say, you know, sticks and stones will break my bones, but names will never hurt me. One of the great lies. >> Yeah. >> You know, fake news, [laughter] >> right? Words words can destroy. >> Definitely. >> And they can create and they can build and and and that's why what we say as Jews is so important. and how we say it, what we don't say and and offering encouragement and just trying to build because Hashem creates a world with words and that's some of the power of of of of speech that we possess. So how's it translated the language? You know when we look at the language a little bit [snorts] what what do we see you know unlike hieroglyphics or Greek or things like this? So a Hebrew letter there's many Hebrew letter has many different facets to it all 22. For example, the shape of the letter is important. You could learn about the letter just by the shape. You could learn about the letter by the sound of what it is. You could learn about the letter by its numerical value, which we call gimatrias as we know. >> And you could learn about the letter by the first time the letter appears in the Torah at the beginning of a word. That word actually teaches the meaning of the letter. For example, you know, it's a where's the first time a bait begins the the beginning of a word in the Torah? Beginning of a word. Well, besid it's a preposition, but where does it actually begin a root of a word >> bar the next letter that word bar create? We know the letter bait means a bite, a home of something that you create. And it's not something you build, you create. Where do you create? That's what you create on the inside. By the way, we also you create a home. You don't build a you know, you might build a house, but you create a home. So very much the b is talking about the creation of the real inside of the home. So we see the consistency in it and of course we have the meaning of the letter. Every letter means something. Alf alloof the champion bait bite house gimmel gamal camel dala delore hey it's a hard one to actually give the is a hook things like this. So you combine all of these tools all these keys you get the meaning of a letter. And when you get the me the letter, you can start looking at words and and we understand almost like you're looking at at different molecular compound like taking it apart and bring it back together and you get the true essence of what the word is. So if God created the world through speech, you know, and he gave us the letters, all we have to do is analyze the letters and we understand what God created. So so many concepts that we're looking for, we want to understand just by looking at the word, we understand it. And and and sometimes it's not what the English word says it is. It's not it's almost the opposite of what the English word says it sometimes. So the study of it is is enables one to really understand what does Hashem intend in his statements and what he means and often times in even the work that we do you know with with you know with Bal Chuan bringing people back to Torah which is what EMTT is all about and and your work and you know we share in that people have questions and and and and don't understand certain concepts and a lot of times because they're translating people words into English or other languages and they're not saying the the essence of May I may I give one example? Sure. You know, for example, it it it people are bothered by the word punishment. >> You know, that punishment it doesn't make us feel warm and cozy with, you know, punishment. I I don't we don't want punishment. >> That's not something that that warms us up to wanting to be involved in this relation with the Almighty, you know. So, I said, let's look at the word in Hebrew. The word in Hebrew is we know is onish. >> Onish, right? So you look at the word although the the first letter is the wordin. I in Hebrew means an eye. Every time you see that in which means an eye. That letter always tells you to look at something deeply. Look in for example analysis to to be interested to to use the eye to look. In fact the the letter I I you know I looks a little bit like an I to some extent. The nunshin that follows nash those two letters in combination always mean the same thing. They always mean to fall back. For example, a a you your nisher in Hebrew means to shear a sheep cause the wool to fall away. >> Or you have for example um a neure an eagle something was fell off from the ra bald eagle something fell away for the feather fell from the head. Or for example, we know the example of the Torah of you take an axe and you don't tighten the top and the axe part falls off hit somebody. It's calling the falling back. So we hear the nashin. So what's onish? Onish is when God brings some Hashem brings some pain to our life or some difficulty and and and we have difficulty explaining it and and it's painful or or and we sort of ask Hashem like why over here and then the word is on look deeply perceive that you've fallen. It's a wakeup call. >> Wow. >> It's not retributive. It's not trying to pass back. It's it's got to look fell. That's all one word. >> It's like a father that you [clears throat] know uh rebukes or punishes a child. It's not because he doesn't like the child just wants to put him in the right direction. And how much more is our father in heaven whenever he uh I guess punishes >> on right >> so you speak to to someone who's hasn't you know you want to initiate them into what our thinking is about all of a sudden the word onish becomes something warm like you're saying you I want to know my father's interested in me I want to know he cares about me but it's not a punishment as we imagine it in a very harsh strict sort of um retribution is look you fall that's >> wake up wake up get wake up do sha that's all that's all I love you >> so the this the the words and understand the language can be so helpful just in explaining what we believe and and we could sort of just push through all the fog of of confusion and help so many people so many young Jews and and help ourselves come back to really what the Torah is trying to project to us >> very very very powerful ra so so one that doesn't understand Hebrew how does one still connect to the holiness or the power of uh of these letters and words. >> So, you know, certainly if if one understands Hebrew, it it's it's it's it's such an advantage. You know, when you speak to Israelis and those who are familiar with the language, it um you know, it explodes in front of them. So, with those who aren't yet initiated into it, you have to take it slowly, but they get it. And and you go example by example. And when they do, when they begin to see the patterns and you explain certain letters, they begin to understand, begin to see And um I believe it's effective very effective you know I I I mentioned I I've done some lectures over this for a number of years they've been on on on tying time for many decades you know and it's and I see a lot of people who are watching it have never been exposed to the language >> and and yet are very moved by it and and it's because it it just it's so they're stunned by the exactitude you know and and they can't believe a language can be so descriptive and can have such insight into into reality and when they begin to see that it just wakens them up and and and I sometimes feel you know when we do you know when we do presentations or or seminars or where we're trying to to show what we call like you know maybe the foundations of faith or the truth of Torah. So we talk about prophecies that that only the creat we talk about um codes sometimes as we go inside the Torah or we show you know the magnificence of of how we survived throughout history. But I feel maybe the most powerful lecture we can do is the lecture on the Hebrew language >> because people are interested in how to live their lives and they're interested in what things mean. What does love mean? You know what does um have you mentioned? What does punishment mean? What's truth? And all of a sudden the letters just open it up and expose it and it it becomes so real and and and how could a human being have created such an exact language that's so it's a very so I think that >> it's an eye opener. >> It's an eye openener and and people are amazed by it >> 100% >> and stuns them and and like wow this is like I want to know this language and I I hope the message will be I want to know the Torah which is written in this language. >> 100%. The rabbi mentioned love. The word for love in Hebrew is aava. The root [snorts] word is which means to give to give. The more a person gives, the more love they have towards. That's why parents love their kids so much because they're constantly giving to the child to whether they're feeding or changing or burping or whatever it may be. >> Right. The more you give, the more you love. You're right. And and it, you know, which so obvious to us, but it's because maybe we we know that conceptually, we understand it. But sometimes ask that question to a college crowd, you know, define love for me. >> And and and they're stunned. They don't know what to do with it. you know maybe sort of platitudes or you know or core popular songs but to get the essence that you're saying that love is a function of giving is a function the more you give the more you love and in fact that's in the words maybe I demonstrate that to just what that means a little bit >> please please you know 100% >> yeah so if you know the word love in Hebrew is is the word aav looks like this aav >> show and Uh we have a word the al if the he and the bait. So to understand love and of course we want to know how to love and we want to know what love is and we want to know how to create it. So if we look at these letters the letters themselves actually just teach it. First of all let's look at the olive for a moment. This letter here is called the alf. So alf is is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet which numerically is one oneness to it. Olaf if you want to pronounce it how do you pronounce an olive >> the way you're saying it >> what's the sound like bait is a book >> gibble is a good olive is a how would we pronounce the olive [clears throat] >> so we teach our children that uh no sound oh so I'll pronounce an olive it sounds like this >> did we hear it that's There is no sound because it always represents something which is a bridge between the physical world and the spiritual world or it represents some aspect of Hashem which obviously you can't put sound around and and look how consistent that idea is there's no pronunciation or the letters do pronunciation you look at the shape you know all the Hebrew letters by the way are there 22 letters they're they're composed of only seven shapes so just if you want to be a scribe you have to know seven shapes we know So that a olive is composed of vav and two yuds. That's the way we write it. Two yuds and a vav on on the side of there. Numerically if we just do a numerical analysis of just the shape of it. So yud well we know the numerical value is 10. So we got 10 10 numerical value of vav is is six. That of course is 26. 26 is a famous number for us because this guy vi don't want to write it out that we know that's God's name is Jud B which is 26. So again the consistency no sound is composed of three letters which numerically the same numerical value of God's name. It's the first letter of the Heb alphabet which is one God's oneness. It also means alf. What does alf mean? Alf, it's the meaning of an alf. Alf means like in Hebrew is alf, the the general, >> the powerful one. In fact, in English, we have some derivations of that. For example, that very powerful animal that arises amongst all the other mammals. He's called the the elephant, >> the powerful one, the one of great height and size and power. Or for example, in English, we have a word aloof to be above everyone else. >> It all comes from the alf. So the idea of alf is is this idea of something great like a general. It's very interesting. It's it's where no sound numerically one. The word alf means the powerful one. It uh is composed of three letters which numerically are 26. Interesting. First time you see an alf at the beginning of a word in the Torah. What is it? >> Elohim. >> Elohim. Interesting. A name for God. here the consistency shape first time it appears in the Torah sound uh numerical value numerical value of the letters itself and it's really even you know it's um you can even go more with that you can even say more examples but just want to hear the consistency what the olive is so whenever there's an olive it always has to do something which is spiritual you can't get your hands around something which is above this world there's always an olive and the truth of the matter whenever an olive will appear in any word in the Torah, it will have something to do with a connection with something which is above this world either our nishama or with you know for example you know a human being I'll just write above it if I may if you could see that a human being is an Adam is a human being what does it teach us about a human being well we have an olive >> we have an isha there's something which is spiritual about us and we have dam which is >> blood. Human being is a composition. We're a composite of of of of two opposites. Something which is an olive totally spiritual and d which is totally physical. And of course the job of a human being is to balance those two. Say I'm not just here with my blood and and I have to uh relate to my I have to remember I have a body you know. So we have to create that balance which is the Jewish vision to how do we balance an olive with the blood you know. How do we do it? >> Body and soul. body and soul. For us, we know that's Shabbat. You know, is it spiritual or physical? It's both. We're in that balance. But any word that has an olive will always express that idea of a connection to God in some way. So, let's look at the word love for a second. So, love, we have an olive. So, just on a simple analysis, let's look at it like this. Alf numerically is well, first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, it's one bait numerically, second letter of is to that's that's nice and clear. What does the letter hey mean in Hebrew? Well, every letter has a meaning. Alf, the aloof, the champion, the general, bait, bite, house, gimmel, gamal, camel, dala, delador, hay. What does hay mean? Well, you know, let's use one of our cues, one of our clues. Where's the first time a hay begins a root of a word? a really I'll say a root of a strong word in the Torah because there's haya I don't want to go to that right now but we could explain it but where does it begin the root of let's say a strong word in the Torah strong verb or any any word where he begins is part of the root >> the fact that the beginning is hash >> well hash there it's a the definite article it's not really part of the the uh >> it's not part of part of the root we don't see it until we get to the story of Joseph and when the brothers come down to come down to Egypt what does Joseph say to them He says hey here the letter word hey which means give them seed give them food and there we learn that the meaning of the letter hey is give so interesting so just on a very simple analysis of love what do we have b what's love when one gives to two love is a function of giving to another When one gives the two >> powerful, >> it's so powerful and so simple and so meaningful. >> We're looking for the definitions. >> That's the essence of the word. >> Want to know what love is. Who doesn't want to know what love means? But you know, we could even take the analysis a little bit deeper if we wanted to. You know, uh, you know, if we want to say like this, sometimes we ask a question. Maybe the question could be, well, what generates love? What type of gift? What type of giving would would create a deeper love? Is it is it is it the diamond? Is it the the beautiful home, you know, is it the uh is it the Lexus, you know, or is it a a a thought of Torah? Um a beautiful Shabbat table, a compliment. So, you know, I sometimes ask this question to students and obviously know they know what I want them to say. But I want to show them why we're going to say what we're going to say. Because what does the letter teach us? What does the word teach us? Well, one gives to do too. But what should you give to the two? What should you give to the bait? What should you give to the other olive? Give to the bait. Give them an olive. What does it mean to give them an olive? Give them a connection to something which is above this world. [clears throat] >> That's a thought of Torah. That's a beautiful Shabbat table. Give them a connection to their own. That's Allah who lives inside of you. That's a compliment. You show first of all, I really value your patience, your kindness, the way you're so considerate, the so self-centered. That's showing a person really what's inside themselves. That's a real compliment >> and that builds love. The value of the gift is really when you give an olive. Of course, we need to give other gifts too, you know, don't get me wrong, >> but the word is so so meaningful in describing what love is and how we create love and what is the gift that needs to be given. And maybe it answers a lot of our questions that we have. You know, why maybe so many relationships don't work or aren't succeeding in the way we'd like them to succeed is because maybe we're not giving the right thing. >> 100% true. There's a very well-known thing that a husband is doing very well financially and he gives her the credit cards and he gives her the diamonds and he gives her this and she's still not happy. >> Yeah. Right. >> Now we can understand giving he's giving the wrong >> right he he would like to give the right gifts but doesn't know what it is and and and again when we could when we see this and we see how the Hebrew language just just lays it out. So when Hashem created the idea of of love, he took an olive, he took a h, he took a bait and he spoke it into existence of. And now there's a concept of love. We understand love. So just work backwards, dissect the letters and and we get we get insight into the concept that the world the the world seeks. We're looking for this. Every popular song is just asking this question. Who is it asking this question? What it is? And we have the key, you know. You know, so I think the answer to your question like you know what enables the non-Hebrew speaker to un to get insight, you know, excited by it, it's just demonstrating it because we do crave love. We do crave understanding for these ideas. We want to know how to get there and we say, "Wow, that's a key. That's a road map. It's like where'd you get this road map?" >> Very very true. So, so what would you say Rabbi is the great secret the so the secret behind the Hebrew language you know the the secret is is really this is as we've mentioned this is really act this is the way Hashem created reality created the world and that the letter has so much insight and so much meaning there's no language like that in the world you know that I I I mentioned you know the chemical language so okay so you know we call salt NAC CL but why we call sodium sodium the chloric chloride that's uh that's we've just chosen it's a random randomness >> the fact that we could find in the letters so many cons so so much consistency both in sound shape meaning numerical value meaning of the individual letters of each letter that type of consistency is is is something which is is is so perfect and so consistent throughout every word that that you know there's no language like that. It's a lashes and and we're privileged to possess it is one of the things we thank Hashem for chose us from all of all the languages >> so that we have access and possession of this is God's gift to us. It's a really enormous gift to the Jewish people and and and you know that's something which I I really want you know our students to see and understand to know we have something which is is a formula. You want to unlock meaning in life. You got to get to the language. You got to go right to the core right to the DNA. >> Rabbi I enjoyed so much the the breakdown of that word. Could we just do for the sake of uh the the crowd the listeners another word please Rabbi? >> Sure. Sure. I'd be happy to. >> I I really enjoyed it. >> Yeah, sure. You know, um no, I could just It's really it's it's limitless what we can do to be honest and and I keep growing and understanding it both. So, it's also, you know, like studying a science. You just keep going down and down and getting more information and I continue to be amazed. But, you know, sometimes uh you know, um just simple things I like to look at. You know, for example, let's say, you know, you know, I like the word like emtt >> truth. [snorts] >> The word truth organization. >> Yeah. We like I like the name, right? It's a good name for us. I think that's really what we're about and and you know, trying to teach to honestly and trying to deal with honest with truth. >> So, you know, just >> there's there's a few famous things about first of all has two legs. >> Yes. >> Because the truth stands forever. She doesn't have >> Yes. EMTT also is the first letter is alf. The first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. >> Yes. >> Me is the middle letter and tap is the last letter. >> Right. >> From beginning, middle and end you have to say the truth. >> Yeah. Beautiful. Beautiful. And exactly. You know, and you could you could take that concept and and really work with that that as you mentioned truth is first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, the middle letter of the alphabet, the last. What is truth? Truth is perspective. And of course that idea is so important when you want to teach us. For example, you know, why do bad things happen in this world or things that we perceive as as bad? And so sometimes we often talk about it as a a keyhole perspective. You're looking through a keyhole, you know, and you see a guy with a mask and you see a knife and you hear a scream and you know, >> he's a murderer. >> Yeah. You push open the door and Yeah. What do you say? It's the dentist >> exercising a, you know, exercising an infected mer. And so the keel perspective is limitation of what we see before us. The word truth is you got to look from beginning, middle, and end. there's something you haven't seen and something that you will see. So all all of a sudden you have to say what I'm seeing is just one limited perspective. I'm not seeing the truth necessarily. You know whereas you mentioned the word sheer which means falsehood. Sheer which means a lie. She these three letters actually come at the same place in the Hebrew language. They're right next to each other which means a lack of perspective and of course in the wrong order notes >> but that's limited perspective is a lie. >> Interesting. You know take numerical value also says something very beautiful. Alf is one me is 40 and uh and tough is 400. >> So you add that together you get 441. That's the gamatri. If you add those numbers together again it's called gamatria cotton like a small gamatria which is nine. So 9 is an interesting number because this is a mathematical principle. 9 * 1 is 9. 9 * 2 is 18. 1 + 8 is 9. 9 * 3 is 27. 2 + 7 is 9. 9 4 is 36. 3 is 9. 9 * 5 is 45. 4 + 5 is 9. Where are we? 96 is 54. 4 is nine. 9 * 7 is 63. So see is 9. 9 * 8 is 81. It was nine. You know 99. Then you have nine. I say 9* any nine. You multiply nine by any number. Always go back to the nine. That's a mathematical principle and that's what truth is by the way. No matter what form, shape, size, color of yamaka >> it's in, if it's truth, you'll detect the truth. [snorts] You know, the truth will always rise to the surface. It's an interesting concept. So the word itself speaks to it you know you know or for example you know let's say uh a word like um you know even even the word you know person goes to a cemetery and they go to the whatever >> the kev [clears throat] they go to the kever >> same as boke interesting right look at the word kev you know that's a sad place it looks like it's an end you rearrange those letters it spells bokeh bokeare which means in Hebrew morning bokeare means morning it's not it's not a goodbye it's a good morning which why I tend to think in English the word morning m r n i n is a homonym is as as morning m o r n i g morning and morning and by the way radios are letters again by the way it's rakav rakav in Hebrew means to decompose so in the word kev we have We brought two processes. We have the burial and we have a decomposition. But it's leading to a new beginning. It's a book. >> Haba the next world. >> So right there we have, you know, we have something just so, you know, you know, just so insightful or or you know, I I like to say this one over also if uh, you know, it's um I like this one very much. If you look at the word mankind again, the human being Adam. So we mentioned that Adam means a human being and again we know there's an olive, we got a soul, there's dam, we have blood. It's interesting what makes the human being unique is something very interesting. We're very different than the animal kingdom as we know. And the reason is we can use speech to have relationship with the almighty. That's what differentiates us. We're >> able to articulate and we know speech is a function of the nishama that that Adam became a a speaking creature when he breathed into as the title we know says he gave a mama. So speech is the soul speech our ability to speak. When we speak we're emulating Hashem in the deepest possible way. And and again that's what we can create through speech. We can change people's lives with speech. Yes. We we know that as as teachers and rabbis. We we know the power we have and and and who you know because it's it's from the nishama speech is a shaman and when a nama speaks to ana by the way it's very powerful >> it's not for tonight's discussion but I always think you know that you know the way to detect that is through silence that when a person allows themselves to be silent and doesn't allow the the the body to hijack the speech so to speak the real speech comes from the shama >> and people can really communicate you have to learn the art of silence as we My grandma and what did I learn? I learned silence. That's what you learned from the sages of silence. I want to learn wisdom. >> You know such wisdom and silence because >> when you want to silence the wisdom can enter >> it enters and it comes out the body doesn't hijack it as we say that's lang it doesn't hijack it. So I tell people sometimes even I said you so dating advice my my my dating advice a little counterintuitive. say, you know, you want to have a good conversation on a date, you know, going nowhere, you know, people, everyone can relate to that, especially young guys, men and women. I said, you have to cultivate a little bit of silence before you respond. Silence the body at the moment. Just not not in a not in a weird way and not in a uh you uncomfortable way, but little silence and what you'll say often times will come from the shama and that's powerful. That will enter, as you mentioned, enter the other person the shama and he'll or she'll respond back with something deep. Also you're talking also there's dialogue >> by dating advice. We'll do another podcast. >> We'll do another podcast. [laughter] Getting advice through speech. How to understand speech is powerful. >> But I'd like to say like this that that what what makes the human being different than really the animal kingdom is that we do have speech as we know. And we can have a relationship with our creator through something which we call prayer. >> Yeah. >> Which is through speech. And the word you know we use is the word mitel. Just write it out there. mit like that to pray mit right which means mit pale you know it pel in Hebrew means actually to judge so mit pal it's reflexive means to be in a state of judging so one went actually before the almighty in prayer one is actually analyzing oneself through that conversation you know when we're asking for $10,000 I need $10,000 a down payment on the new uh you know on the new Mercedes like you We don't feel like we're really who we're supposed to be. But I need the money because I want to build the room with a shower. So guests should be comfortable. You know, you understand yourself through your requests. You meet me pel your self analysis. But I would suggest something like this that you know how did God create the human [clears throat] being. He create the human being by taking an olive which represents or is is the is the spiritual core of our nishama. No sound oneness and combines it with damal which means love and we have the synthesis the human being but if if this is the DNA of a human being it means that the most important aspects or every aspect of a human being has to be revealed through the olive and what really makes us different than the animal kingdom is that we can have a relationship with Hashem through prayer which we call mit pal it must be encoded you know because this is DNA DNA encodes the entire genetic structure it's all there is all there the DNA so where do we see the idea that the essence of the human being is that they can have a relationship with Hashem through mit through prayer these three letters where do we see that so well watch this if I write out these letters I write out the olive I'm going to spell it I'm going to speak it out it's called I'm going Take the letter olive and I'm going to write the word olive. I write the word olive. It spells like this. Olive. Lammed. Okay. Olive. I take the doll. I speak out the dolllet. Dalot. I spell it like this. Doll. Mhammed. Tough. I take the mamm and I speak it out. I say it. I have me. Me. Me. Like that. So I have alf dollar me. So if you look at this for a moment well if I take the first letters I have an alf dollar and a me of course that spells >> them. So and if you would you tell me what would you read if you read these letters backwards start on this side read it backwards. What's it spell >> le? It's amazing >> encoded in Adam by just writing out the letters speaking it out in its in its long form as we call it. What do we have? We have what makes the human being >> different than the animal kingdom that we can have a relationship with the almighty >> by being meat. That's DNA. >> That's [snorts] amazing. >> But I'll tell you one time I was giving this lecture one time. I remember I was at St. John's a long time ago and a particular young woman. She said to me, "Rabbi, that's not true. It doesn't spell mit pel. It spells mitt lapel. Mitt lapel. Does spell mit pel mit lapel. >> So I stopped and I thought about I said two things. I said first of all I said number one still pretty good isn't it? What are the odds that we have all the letters of mid pal almost in perfect order in the word adam and that's what makes us different than it's pretty good. >> But I thought about a little more and I thought to myself look at that mit la what order? What what letter is out of order? The P. >> What does letter P mean in Hebrew? Pen means a mouth. >> You know what prayer is? Hashem says, "I want to give you I really do, but I want one thing. I want you to ask me. >> I want your needs to be the building block of a relationship. Open your mouth. Teach your mouth to ask. Just rearrange one letter. Put the pay in the right order. >> Put the mouth teach. Teach the mouth to open. Just put the pay in the right order. That's all asking of you. So I thought I said no that is. It's not in the wrong order. It see exactly what prayer is to me. You have to put your mouth in the right place. That's all you need to do. Wants to give us what we need to have. >> Amazing. Talking about the the the word for family in Hebrew is mishba. >> And the word for happiness is >> Yes. >> The the difference is the >> difference is the Yes. Yes. >> You want the family. You have to keep your mouth doing your mouth like this, >> you know. And um >> so many other examples. I I enjoy this very much. You should never, you know, may I just have one more. I'll just one more if I have a moment. You know, just >> you know, I always say this that that you know, Hashem created the world through speech. Again, you know, the world it's all speech and and that's why our speech is so important. Again, that's and that's really the the hidden message of reason we're always pushing about the importance of not speaking lashar about lion to speaking good and positive >> we create worlds of speech and we just struggle with speech we know that and and and that that that resonated with me in my my early spiritual journey that's what I was inspired by that these ideas [clears throat] but the Torah is coded speech you know we have to understand speech on a deep way that inspired me a little bit to just to get inside the language and and to share it with others but you know it it's interesting if God creates the world through speech what does that I mean he really created something from nothing which he ish as we say and how did he do it through speech. So I like to say like this it's very interesting you know whenever you see a magician so a magician >> you don't say it yet a magician you got to hear the whole the story behind what does a magician always want to do a magician wants to really pretend they're creating something from nothing. M >> you know the only one who creates out of nothing is Hashem but that's that's the illusion they want to create like look at this hat it's empty you know and then they're going to pull out a rabbit that's something from nothing that's the illusion they're creating and it's interesting that the when when a magician speaks so throughout the world they have a formula for that which is >> abracadabra so interesting in the sephyats which is attributed to no other than abraamino the opening line the sephyats where he the book of creation we describes the aspect of creation. So it opens up like this. He says, "Abara, Kadabra, Abara, Kadabra." The opening line of the safety ser, the book of creation is abara. [snorts] Kadabra, abra means I will create as I speak. Abara Kadabra. Abara Kadabra. [snorts] Abracadabra. >> Unbelievable. >> So, you know, the world unknowingly has known this all along that God created the world through speech. >> And therefore, it's the language and the letters of the Alphabet which indeed are the the building blocks of the entire creation and of every concept and and everything that we're looking for can be found right there in that beautiful Hebrew language which we possess. >> Unbelievable. More crafts. Very very very inspiring. We have a a mean haga custom. One last final message for our broader audience. >> My message is we we have to know the language. Got to know it. >> Got to study it. Got to learn >> and know >> people the book. That's why we learn >> with this language and and do everything we can to know this language and uh and um >> any books or any uh any ways that you suggest for people to explore more to learn more >> to find um yeah you know I do have something online just if people want sort of an overview of this is called the Hebrew language de of creation which has been you can see but to to learn the language just to learn the language even just to know it you know read modern you know even just to know Hebrew you're already in it and the more we could study it and know it and and and even take classes, get a teacher. It's get to know it. Familiarize yourself with it. It's it's it's it's it's worth it's worth the time. It opens up everything. It's it's a different different to feel a different prayer, different are different, you know, it's it's a different discussion as we see. We understand concept doesn't mean punishment negative. It's a different word. So to get to know the language, do whatever we can. Um I wish I could recommend one book. It doesn't really work the way to learn it. You got to do it. It It's learnable though. It's logical. It's a lo It's not like English, which is illogical. I'm happy I'm an English speaker. I could never learn it, you know. It's not like other languages. You can learn it. There's logic to it. And once once we get it, it's a root system. Have to know suffix and prefixes. And you can do it. You can do it. Everyone can do it. Everyone can know it. And it's yours. It's ours. And and and we possess it. Let's It's It's one of the most beautiful treasures that Kosh has gifted us. craft amazing amazing Torah talk, the secret of the Hebrew alphabet. And we want to thank the rabbi for all that you do for the community and for this spending your time together with Torah Talks. Want to remind everyone at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Tuesday nights Torah Talks with special guests, the feedback has been amazing. I want to thank Robbie [music] from Kazak. he's been uh you know filling in for me as a host for the last two who knows how many episodes [music] but we appreciate the feedback. If uh you know anybody has suggestions for future guests please feel free to reach out to Kazak [email protected] infochq.org. Thank you to behind the camera [music] for all that you do and for the media and editing etc. And uh we want to remind everyone any child that you know of that is in the public school system. Kazak's mission [music] is no child left behind. Every Jewish child deserves Jewish education. Reach out to the organization for your family, [music] friends, neighbors, whatever it may be. Over 2,000 is have already been transferred [music] many more. And we should only hear and thank you. Appreciate it today.