CHAZAQ'sTorah Talks #210 Rabbi Noach Light - Me & You Becomes We

It's interesting that that gamar in Brahas you quoted about a person who's coa mako who establishes his place. >> So the uh the prevalent understanding of that gamarra is having a place in shul a certain spot. >> However, there were those who learn that the gamarra is actually referring not to a place in shul but choosing a shul >> actually having a place. This is my base kinesis. It doesn't mean that I can't do it elsewhere, but there there's a place that I feel connected to and I have a responsibility for it [Music] and welcome to Torah Talks Kazak's program with special guests. We have with us all the way from Florida a dear friend of Kazak. Welcome. >> Thank you. So good to have the Rabbi Hashem and we're going to be discussing and talking about you and me becomes we an exciting topic. But before we get to the topic, a little bit background about the rabbi and the great work you are involved with. >> Well, first of all, thank you so much for having me. It's really a pleasure and a to be here just walking up the stairs to the Khazak studios here and seeing all of the incredible of Hashem and people working on placing ch children in yeshivas. It's really uh it's very inspiring. It's our busiest season this summer. The new September school year. Try to get as many kids as possible. >> What are the numbers? I'm curious. >> Over 2,000 Nish children have already been transferred from public schools to Yeshiva since the Yeshiva place and division started a few years ago. >> Thousands of more have been coming to after school programs, Sunday school programs, teens vision program. But we have to do more and everyone watching all over the world, especially Florida, there's a lot of work to do there. >> Yes. Yes. >> Make sure to reach out to continue with that. >> Amen. Amen. So my background, I grew up in Los Angeles, went to Valley Torah High School, had a great experience there. After high school, went to yeshiva and Aratus Israel for a year. Um, and after I went to Florida for a couple years. It was actually Rabbi Binyam Luban. When he was in Aratus, he he taught in the yeshiva there for many years. I was there during his last year. So, a few of us followed him to uh to Florida when he became Rashiva and Torres and uh after a few years in Florida, I went to Queens and spent a while here in Queens. >> That's how I got to know the rabbi. Yeah, >> that's right. You go back a long way and that's where uh got married, started a family, learned in Kal and Kafitim, did other things around the tri-state area. And then in 2012, the summer of 2012, we uh went to Bokeh. >> Well, so I've been hearing actually a lot of great things happening in Bokeh in the Rabbi's community. Uh if you could tell us a little about about that and the mission uh that the rabbi has and the goals uh and maybe other communities can learn as well. >> So we we got to Bokeh 2012 uh in East Boka, right? Bokeh is a very big place in Barakam. Hundreds of uh of yin the main community in Bokeh that was started almost 40 years ago that's more in central Bokeh and we were when we got to East Bokea we were the 15th family. >> Wow. >> So not quite mamish the pioneers but um not that long after. And we we went there because it was an opportunity you know the the potential was was ripe to really try to build something from the ground up and to have a real kahila. uh kahila is something that >> yeah community it's something that bisman that nowadays doesn't exist as much um we live in a world where in a in a thriving robust Jewish community you could have hundreds of shs you know there many different options for where to davin which is a real blessing on the other hand that does create a challenge where if I'm going to choose to dav in here Friday night because it's close by and then Shabas morning I'm going to dive in there because they have a better kittish you know but for for this particular week I'll go there it could create almost a sense of uh spirituality based on convenience >> and the idea of really having a sense of of aas of responsibility of attachment to a particular place to a particular group of people becomes something that uh that you might not have as much of >> right. >> So the goal in building a community or at least to to participate in that was to hopefully create an environment where it was a real kahila, a real place where people would come together and uh and have that sense of responsibility for each other and and grow through that that camaraderie and go grow through that sense of uh mutual and shared vision. So we moved in 2012 with 15 families >> and now Barashem we have over 100 families. >> Wow. >> You know not necessarily to our credit there's a lot of different factors co included >> you know that has made Florida in general South Florida especially a real destination. Um if this person becomes mayor of New York that'll create even more of a destination. But uh it's been an amazing experience. Really has been. We're starting a collo this coming lol and it's hashem. >> Amazing. >> So that's very exciting. >> How many guys for now? >> So we have five families who uh who just moved in during the summer >> and that's going to be a major boost for the community. >> Game changer for sure. >> It's going to be a game changer. The cola in the sh makes the walls with Torah throughout the day has a very big effect not only in the sh but the entire community >> 100% >> it shields it protects very very important so hence the title you mean becomes we the importance of community and the word community is the word unity >> that's right >> we have to have unity getting all together >> yeah now the goal of community or the goal of that that that unity that's created is to spread hopefully well above and beyond your little bubble, >> you know. But the way it works is is that if we don't start off with at least having something tangible that we feel a part of and we feel a responsibility for, it's hard to have that, you know, overflow onto others, >> right? >> So, it's a not not an end of itself, but it's a it's a very powerful way of creating more of an outward look in life in general, >> right? 100%. I totally agree with what the rabbi said about the fact that people that live in areas let's say for example Queens Brooklyn my lake whatever it is there's a lot of different options for but a person that has a permanent place for his prayers okay the god of god might be with him is accepted much more you have you fill in a certain place and you don't forget in the car which is a very big issue or you don't uh leave it and forget run it's so many pluses uh to it and you have a sh has a connection to arav to a rabbi which is also very very important because many times a person can go to a rabbi and the rabbi could give it an certain answer to this individual and a certain same questions a different individual but a different answer why is that because depend on an individual where he's handing life and the only way to know that is if you have the rabbi that has a relationship with you so in the sense you and me becomes we we build that community that's very very important >> it's interesting that that gamar and brahas you quoted about a person who's coa mako who establishes his place. >> So the uh the prevalent understanding of that gamarra is having a place in shul a certain spot. >> However, there were those who learn that the gamarra is actually referring not to a place in shul but choosing a shul right >> actually having a place this is my base kinesis. It doesn't mean that I can't do it elsewhere, but there's a place that I feel connected to and I have a responsibility for. >> Yes, 100%. Very, very important. Very, very true. So, Rabbi, we're entering the month of an beloved love is for me. It's it's a time of of and for which means good uh you know is blown and many people are thinking about themselves and how do we change ourselves? So, how do we change the me to to we? How do we change the the focus of an individual trying to work on himself to get others involved as well? >> That's a great question. There's a beautiful uh beautiful idea from Rabbi Al Salanter, >> famous founder of the Muser movement. the founder of the Muser movement and he spoke about one of the most powerful things we can do during the month of El as we get ready for Russash Shana is to become someone who's an ishak which literally means a person who is for the masses and that itself is transformative because what I'm doing in my in my of odis hashem in my spiritual growth is so much more than just thinking about me and my family, which is natural and it's healthy and we should be thinking about ourselves as well, but it's it's creating it's it's broadering our horizons to be able to see that there's so many other people out there that potentially I could be helpful to and by by being part of it Seabore by feeling connected to a community that's probably the most tangible realistic way of becoming more of that Isaac being a man of the masses. is um Ravula who was also a great leader of uh the Muslim movement. Yes. >> Yeah. His grandson Kazak Torto talks. >> Oh yeah. Okay. Amazing. Amazing. So Ravula has a letter about this topic where he says that the idea of being evaluated on rashashana um very much depends on on who I am and what my goals are obviously. So he says based on the concept of ribbel sal if I'm striving to be an ishako I'm trying to be a person who's really focused outwards what can I do for others so then theim the merit of of everyone is is is part of my merit as well because I'm connected with kal no matter how great an individual is standing before hashem with only my own merit only my own accomplishments it's not going to be that impressive right but if I create this this internal reality that I'm really looking outward trying to uplift others so then that's that merit of others is part of my own >> 100% so how does one you know tangibly able to do such a such a thing >> I think the first step is is trying to think of something small something realistic what can I sign up for what can I do it doesn't have to be an ongoing uh job. But if I come into Shaw a few minutes early and I see that, you know, the tables aren't really straight or the chairs are out of place, let me uh let me do something to make it more of a beautiful environment. When people walk in, I was speaking to a man, a principal of middle school. Uh middle school boys are difficult when it comes to davining as you can imagine especially min >> because min is after a whole day and these kids are exhausted and they're just coming in from playing basketball. So how in the world do you like try to get middle school boys to davin with any sense of decorum after a whole day and he said something very powerful. He said I've tried everything. We have incentive programs, you know, we have prizes, but the thing that made the best difference was just making sure that the base medish was set up nicely when they came in, >> right? How you come into an environment very much >> very big effect. >> Yeah. So little things like that where I'm just doing something, I'm I'm I'm doing a real misa. I'm I'm I'm engaged in a behavior that's actually helping others. that helps create that personality of I'm working for others not just myself >> 100% and as a rabbi of a shul circle I could totally relate to the rabbi is talking about but the chairs not being in the right place and the table not because there's the learning there's the praying and domining there's so many different factors should be known that mo the greatest of our you know effort that that we had uh that gave us the Torah who was his successor who took over for him none other than what is mid tell us why why was he Mats successor to be the successor because he would set up the benches would set up the chairs he would he would fix up the so so don't don't take it lightly >> little things go a long way oh powerful >> big people my Rabbi Aaron walking had a beautiful quote big people are made up from small actions >> big people and small actions you know every single word is a gem we really appreciate the rabbi coming uh last moment I see the rabbi in the area I'm like rabbi you're here you IC joint talks. We've been talking about this for a while to come. We really appreciate the rabbi has so much on his plate and nice to see the rabbi on the phone and the ke and all these great things happening. So we have a custom a final message for our tour talks for our broad audience. Rabbi >> final message. Okay. Well, first of all um I dav that that you and the entire organization have continued success and all of your incredible work on behalf of Kalisro. um just seeing what's happening in this building and knowing how it's reaching uh ballad convos or it's you know really all throughout America is something that's so special so you should have continued and braha >> amen >> and thank you so much >> and we dab on behalf of Israel that we should just see basuros to good things we should see our hostages being released today >> we should see shalom throughout the world and we should have the g of shalma you know the final redemption all of Israel coming together as soon as possible. >> Amen. ASAP. Thank you very much for your time, for your words of wisdom, for the inspiration, for all that you do for the continue growing. Thank you everyone for joining us Torah Talks. Tuesday nights 8:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Kazak.orglive chazq.orglive. Special thank you to the various different platforms that host Kazak Torah Talks. Many, many platforms. The feedback has been just been amazing. I'll be honest with you, it's very very hard to do this every single week, week in week out. But we're constantly being stopped everywhere we go, everywhere we see people. And they tell us that they listen to it. They're constantly listening to it and they're getting inspiration. So we're going to continue with God's help to continue doing it. Special thank you to Natar behind the camera, our media director. Special thank to our audience today, David Sadik, for joining us today. This is great. And shout out to our friends at Torah Anytime. uh for hosting this podcast. Shout out to our friends at dailygiving. A dollar a day goes very far away. Want everyone to look into the organization daily.org. Uh unbelievable they do. And see the complete redemption. Amen. [Music]