Rabbi Avrohom Walkin | Parashat Kedoshim | A Holy Nation Shall You Be

[Music] good evening everyone uh just passed a few minutes ago um Thursday night I want to thank kak for giving me the opportunity um to spread Torah to the masses and also to Torah anytime for everything they do for the thousands of shum that go out weekly um all over the world for cl so for both kak anytime and obviously big for me that I'm able to do what I do so this week's par now before I even discuss that I want to apologize um in case I stop in the middle of a first few seconds or in case I I look like I'm in pain because I am in pain now I'm not mentioning this to get get well get well cards from people or wishes but I just want to let you know that it wasn't even easy for me to come here tonight because if a few days ago I um I was in I was away for shopas actually and I borrowed one of the places I was by a hotel a scooter and I needed to get somewhere because I didn't have a car so I decided you know what I never used a scooter before I think I'll try it they gave out free scooters my son said come I'll take a scooter with you we'll go to the CVS basically I think maybe I don't know 25 seconds 20 seconds into my scooter ride I was going 25 M an hour didn't didn't know how to stop flew off the scooter landed on the cement broke two ribs a few days ago um my hands are still all cut up and everything and barem I want to tell you through the pain and it is painful it is two broken ribs really painful but I thank Hashem through every second that night with the pain because it could have been worse and I was not wearing a helmet which is really bad I didn't think I was I would need the helmet um but the fact that bar I didn't you know you know break my spine and be paralyzed or even worse hit my head on the cement um is really a nest from Hashem and it's a big lesson that if you have children or it's you do not drive a scooter unless you're going very slow and unless you know what you're doing and wear a helmet that's first of all but so I'm just mentioning that so it's hard for me to talk a little bit it's hard for me to breathe in and out I'm getting better bar but I will say like I say thank you Hashem that it wasn't worse because it could have been worse and Hashem hasem watched over me and like I said through the pain I oh Hashem and if I decide I'm going to continue and not skip the the shear this this week and um we will continue with the shear um I did spend only a few hours on preparation for the year so bear with me if there's a little bit inconsistencies or that I'm uh not as clear as I normally am um so those are the things I first want to mention this week's Parish par kades so everyone knows the first tum of the of the par people that even don't know um mik as much as they should we remember these two do remember these two but the first one is basic that we all know the second says be a holy nation hasem because I am Holy Hashem your God so there's obviously many questions that arise here um but more importantly is what is the P teaching us become H what does that mean be holy what keeping Tor Mitzvah doesn't make you holy following 63 Mitzvah doesn't make you holy listening to your R doesn't make you holy of course it makes you holy so what is this K to you be extremely holy what does that mean so that's always something that always bothered me but all you have to do is learn a little bit do a little research and you get you get a certain Clarity of of what it means secondly the question really is we should be holy because hasem says cuz I am Holy what Hashem wants us to be like him we have to emulate Hashem Hashem is not in the same ball ball game as us yet we're commanded be holy because you have to be like me why don't has expect something that's that's impossible to um for a person to to achieve thirdly we know that it says in the paraa we do know it says that this particular situation mitzvos were actually given B beak with a group that hasem told M gather all of CLA Isel together there were certain Mitzvah that were actually given in a group but these are one of the particular one particular times that actually the B Isel were commanded all to be together and that everything should be said what's the difference usually when hasem told Moshe mitv to teach on to Kal they were always first given to Moshe then mosha taught it to Aon Aon taught it to then it went through Yeshua and it went through the elders and through those people it was seated um to the rest of CLA Isel here Hashem told mosha directly gather everyone and say to them directly so these mitzvos actually were said beak in a gathering and the question arises again another question is why was it done bakel so we have three basic questions here a what does k to you mean why does hasem expect us to be like him that we should be like Hashem holy and thirdly why was this done in a large Gathering of all of so we're going to go to the beginning of the P first and it says like I said first speak to all of so you can learn out from here two things one of them I saw the second thing I thought is what was being mentioned when I saw the first thing I thought this is what he meant and then I that's not what this mafish meant so automatically I came to it on my own so this is the T shot number one number one that it was given in a group to teach chistol a very important thing when it comes for a nation to be holy you need to be holy as a nation it's not a one by one situation CU in anything in life some people are growing some people are falling some people have lapses in their in their R some people are having your redos here you need to be holy all together at the same time you need to try to understand that when it comes to a Holiness of a Nation we need to be all on the same page pretty much as much as we can all the time there's no time for one to fall one not to fall we need to somehow strengthen ourselves that we Are Holy as a nation and what do we see we all see it says K plural it's a it's aan of of of not singular but a plural doesn't Sayes be holy and that motion was referring to each individual separately kados teaches us that we have to be as a nation together holy so I what possible we have to you know what let's he we're going to explain what it is and then we'll see we'll see it's not about if it's possible it's about are we striving to become that and I'll explain to how that refers to in a way good question of how it compared to Hashem now I came up with my ownat that I thought this is what theat was that why was it done Bak to teach you because we are here together each Jew is responsible for the other Jew in other words I mean obviously we're all responsible but here because it was said as a team as a unit as a group that means that if somebody's falling we should be more Vigilant to pick up that other Jew when it comes to Holiness there that we should all be it's almost like caveo I don't want to compare it but almost like a basketball team you have five players if one guy is not holding his weight and not carrying his weight the other four guys are going to come to him and says you know this is a team for you know baseball maybe not as much but certain Sports I don't want to bring Sports into this it's more of a cohesive unit that has to be working together at the same time it's not bowling you need to be on the same Pace all the time to order to have a you know a smooth flowing um situation therefore it was said by to teach you that if someone's falling you need to make sure that he's not somehow do your best whatever that means pick him up even though other Mitzvah you have to do it also but here specifically more because Kad now what does Kad mean and before we get to that we're going to get to how hasem wants to compare us that we have to be like him so I saw an unbelievable shot you have to work on it I saw again I did this only the last few hours but I did see something very very I think telling to me that Hashem is teaching CL the same way I have no connection to you the same way I'm a pish to you I'm separated from Humanity in a certain way the same way we're not on the same page you need to be holy and separate that same way in other words be like me be like me that I am not like you be like me that I'm Hashem and you're human we're separate we're separate you should be separate when it comes to Holiness the same way I'm separate and holy from you in other words learn from me because you can't be like me learn from me because you can't be like me so it seems like a paradox but it's not if you think about it so that's just basically that now what does K mean what does mean so there is famous famous not because I know it because I've seen it in so many that bring down this m between Rashi and the ran of what K means Rashi learns K means and I'm going to read the Rashi actually I don't have with me here but I'll read the rash for youash says separate yourself from Aras and from and from a every situation and every place when you see a fence a g of er where a person has to be ex exceedingly away from a situation of era we see the element of Kus and does he bring down rers yes he does yes he does any I remember I didn't go to the Rashi this week so the essence is that when it comes to era we have to be careful so I had an issue with this I didn't understand what that means because to me personally I you have to do that anyway uh keep away from situations that can lead to ER you would have to do that anyway why is that Kim where is the Holiness of that that's common sense that's regular of the Torah what is the Torah talking about here what is the Torah talking about here so I want to explain to you I want to explain to you that there's something called now Rashi people make a mistake in this Rashi I want to tell you I haven't seen it in the Rashi maybe the other deuk in the Rashi that um um prepare yourself M oh keep away from even things that are M even things that are permitted to you you should stay away from I didn't see this in rash I know the ramban actually does use it on his the ramban actually uses that even something that's mutter to you stay away a little bit Kusa separate yourself be poish from it and we're going to get to the ramban in a minute but I did not see it in Rashi even though people actually say that it seems like that's what Rashi is saying but could be Rashi is saying that but I don't see it in the words that even things that are permitted to you you need to stay away from that what does this refer to so I was debating it a little bit I looked up a little bit I called my brother up so we did come to a conclusion that even things that you would normally be allowed to do with your wife you should be careful with now I had an issue with that I didn't understand that because man if it's something that you're allowed to do um with your isos then that's shom bias so why would you have to not do something that would normally create more shom bias so I discussed it a little more with my brother who knows a lot and I always go to him for uh for questions basically we came to a conclusion that it probably refers to Gim AED what does a GED mean don't put yourself in situations don't put yourself in situations that could somehow lead to a possibility of something happening for example a guy's a businessman he goes to Manhattan is he allowed to to deal in business with a secretary I'm to the secretary in an office he can tell I'm here to see the boss or discuss the business or whoever it is there's a woman that's involved I'm sure you'd be allowed to but be careful be careful even though it's permitted keep your eye on in your head and use your keep yourself holy even and think that to so this is what I came I didn't say that's completely theat that's definitely part of theat now with that and then I'm going to go to the ramban and I'm going to tell you two beautiful stories I got from the medish on on the being careful of what it means to be careful with Aras in Aras the ramban learns that kadosh to means where I told you things that are permitted to you eating is permitted sleeping is permitted and we can go list on and on of different things that are permitted to a person but even when something's permitted be careful be careful minimize your desires minimize you're allow to have this maybe don't eat that who used to do something called Tinus arid and what was the Tinus arid whatever dish he was ever served he would leave over I'm not sure if it was a third I think a third he would leave over oneir of whatever he ate in the corner of his plate even though he was served it even though he can eat it could be it was a small portion but he would put aside oneir I don't eat this I don't eat this amount he paid what even he paid he paid more not to eat it the Kish isn't paying to eat it is to pay and not eat it to control yourself that's the bigger Kish so I will tell you that a person has to be able to in things that are permitted over there he says it the ran uses of I always thought referred to something else but man refers to things that are permitted and you your Glutton this over it you overdo it like chabus an example you know what I don't know if shabus would fall into that category but a guy who eats non-stop on shabus excuse me I don't know if that constitutes um on shus I don't I don't know if a guy sleeps the whole shabas the whole shabas cuz you all low of sleep maybe that's maybe that's overdoing it maybe you don't need those hours it's not the point speak to your local R to your local mechanic to your Mash where everybody holds and what he should do now what I really want to focus on is on the Holiness of a person being careful in AR RI and the two and the two people thank you and the two people um the two stories that I want to mention one of them is a medish Raba and the other one is a yimon but they both refer to Ys they both refer to ysf you know if there is a human being I mean thear tells us that a human being that achieved the highest level of Kad in the most difficult situations and never gave in it was Yar says that if a person comes up to sh and he says listen I was about was good-looking guy I was this I was that I needed to I fell I fell I couldn't control myself he actually going to be said are you more beautiful than Yos the answer is no even if he thinks he was more beautiful than yose everyone thinks he's more beautiful than the other guy but more beautiful if he was not and therefore and therefore a person is not going to have a p to say I had I it was too too uh too involved to to stop so the two Med I want to bring down is the med Raba Med Raba in that talks about the greatness of yose and talks about how how y was giving a to now we do know there a famous by this far than we y the name the name the eyeballs the whole bit well you get it you know I had a student actually I don't want to put anyone down that actually has eyeballs in his car but I had a student seriously that had around 500 500 eyeballs hanging hanging hanging from his uh his uh his mirror over there and and I went over to him I said why do you have these 500 why do you have these 500 um 500 um eyeballs he said I have it because of so I said and if you had 400 you're worried about Aon Hara so I said to him I'll tell you the truth you don't have to worry about Aon Hara CU anyone that sees all these eyeballs in your car is not giving you an trust me you're safe you're safe but I'm not putting it down I don't know where it started from where it originated I do know that most of them are made by G so you know Arabs in Israel I know they the ones who make most of them so one on his own if he feels it's protecting him callot don't forget the element of hasem when you when you do that but anyway so yobu calls over ysep and he tells him I want to tell you something he tells ysep the iron har will never be sched on you or your children the iron ra will never be show on you and the question is why so yob tells y why Theon will not be show it on him and he tells him like this he says that because you guarded your eyes with the daughters with the daughters who came to see you is he says something very beautiful here that when Theos were met ASA when the children met ASA for the first time it says the children went first and then Theos went afterwards to bow down to yose to bow down to ASA but by yose it brings down that he protected his mother from a of even glancing on her he he he covered her up in a way that when he they went to meet asov she he shouldn't notice her like almost like he covered her up and because of that tell us that cannot be because the way he was so careful that as should not gaze upon his mother and to be contaminated by y by by asa's gaze or the fact that ASA would want to maybe you know think about her he was so careful out sne for his mother the yo said I'm going to reward you that the Iron Rock can never be shoulder on you and there was a parisher I don't know which one it is I didn't do the research on it was yakob said a reward is going to be given to you that you're going to have a whole par for you I don't know what that para means but that's not for now anyway continues when went out when he was King and vice Roy in m and he went out in the Chariot the daughters of of of the of the of the of the would gaze upon him they used to throw on him they used thank you they used to throw on him all their jewelry and their ornaments on him so he should get look up he should look up and say oh my God who threw this at me and it says he never once looked up to them he never ever looked up once ever in the entire time he was in m to notice a woman that was trying to get his attention I try to Envision this you're torn away from your father your your Tyra your Tyra your rebi you're torn away from society healthy spiritual theim Society you're torn away from that right also you're in the sickest place in the world in you could you could have been angry atem you could have been been lost confused falling in depression sadness easily have fallen forget about just looking up I'm talking about even from doing a but never once did YF look up and therefore he was blessed that he will have never the shoulder on him so we see the greatness of what kadus means and gim for a human being to be very careful when it comes to Aras be very careful don't you know I I'm going to tell you a little story that's a little embarrassing for me but I don't mind telling you you I didn't tell you where I went where I broke my ribs I have two broken ribs now I didn't tell you where I went I actually went after PES my wife who's a big sh works very very very hard and she's very careful with her wigs I'm not trying to advertise her wigs but she's very careful with her customers to make sure they're happy so she was working besides preparing for PES besides making PES at home till literally an hour before Bening on pesak she was trying to make sure all her customers are happy pesak time they come in beautiful for their husbands on PES so she worked very hard so my son who I have a big I have a son who's a very big S and a big very spiritual never looks in the streets takes his glasses off normal kid very Lakewood but he's a really a mitsu and and we had a debate about going to Florida my wife wanted needed a 34 day vacation she wanted to go to Florida for a few days but she wanted for my son who needs a break cuz he learned 17 hours a day in including Friday and shabas and Sunday yes his vacation is learning all day and night so she felt he needed a break I was very adamant not to take him for a long time for years I don't know why I gave in because I didn't want him to walk through an airport and I'll be honest that's me I didn't walk because I didn't want him to walk through an airport especially not in Florida and I definitely didn't want him to get out of the out of the airport in a place like Florida and I was right it he was careful I mean he closed he took off his glasses and he needs a big prescription he walked in the airp we walked him and he's a normal healthy kid believe me he's a Dar boy very healthy kids but he's very marid he's very marid he doesn't want Trum SE and it wasn't good not for him what neb what I had witnessed just walking in the streets I went to a very from hotel very from hotel the altar I don't know very from everybody there is good and Stark but for the few people that walked into the lobby that were not dressed normally not Jews G normal they're walking around like in a bathing suit and then I need to expose my myself or my children to this so my wife actually told me I didn't think she was she told me that we're we can't come here ever again we can't we can't we're going to have to figure out what to do go how about an N stroll how about walking in the streets it's not the same anyone that goes to a Surf Side over there walks in the streets over there has an idea but we're not going to get I'm not putting down anybody I don't need to but the next thing I want to bring down is y and then we're going to get to the ran and then we we'll end give me this another five six minutes so the on goes like this let see where is it I have it here somewhere oh probably right after this actually yes that the cannot be cannot rule over the children not just y the children of to see the face of and he never noticed even one of them and he never thought about it now obviously you never saw it how you going to think about it but he didn't even Envision a dream in his mind what it could look like okay it doesn't say what the now the point I really want to bring down is the story and I'm sure some of you know the story and I I say it in public school you sure I said it today in my public school I go to public school clubs I'm to go into the lion's death I want to tell you it very imp interesting today because I went into QSI now I'm sitting here dressed like this Yesa guy you know from guy nobody said a word to me I'll be hon no one said a word as a Jew no one said a word to me but I felt and it wasn't just in my mind I saw the eyes looking at me there were a lot of Islamic girls there a lot of Arabic girls there a lot of people that are not even Arab just don't like Jews for no reason you know what I'm saying for whatever reason there and I felt I felt the Gaze but for me to walk in for me to walk into to this public school and I felt like a Mel I felt like a king I almost felt kav like Moshe and Aon when they went to the gate to MIT to come to par to save the Jewish people I'm sure they were looked at as as as as as as as issues I'm sure there were issues when they were walking but you know what I'm sure Moon felt like kings I felt very holy going into these Public School clubs teaching Torah and walking out knowing that I went into the lion's den and I was I was to save to at least give Torah over to these children but anyway I said over the story I follow to kosi yeah let me say over the story so The Story Goes Like This the story of that he was sitting in the all day and all night he was learning day and night the radiance of his face was was the was the radiance of the sun was the radiance of the sun right clas upon of and the the essence of his I don't know what that exactly refers to but almost like the mask the the the structure of his face was also the cler which is interesting they don't have a cler he never ever saw a woman in his wife and this doesn't refer to his wife and this doesn't refer to his daughter um I don't know if he had daughters but it doesn't refer to those people and meant women that were not permitted to him okay one time the what does it mean I love this little shinness everybody like he's probably going to his paperwork over his files he went Monday to work and he's going to his files who he can get tomorrow and he's he's it comes across and and he heard about him what happened he was jealous he said is it possible this child this human being there's a person like this that he never sinned in his life is it possible this person never sinned my list he went and he said in front of the what is he to you what is he to you where do you hold where do you hold of him he is a complete tell it's a nice title to have on your resume or if you if you need someone to call up for you who calls you he's the one vouching for you he tell he knows that he can't do it because he's so holy the couldn't even attack him unless hasem let the Satan couldn't attack him or try to get him unless hasem let said to give me permission and I will test him I'm going to test him I want to see said in go test him yes oh no sorry you can go but you will not be able to get him you're not going to go anyway he appeared to as a woman that we can't even imagine no one should try to imagine no one tried to Envision to have a dgma but a woman that was beautiful that we can't even imagine we just can't imagine not that you should imagine even fell because of their beauty appeared to him right and he goes to the PK so he peered before him on the right side and he turned his face to his left side he put his side him in and went on back and forth said I'm worried maybe I'm worried that I might look at her so what did he do what does this s do the that was taking care of him that at that moment at that time he said to him heavily go get me a fire and a spike go get me a spike and a fire he brought him spikes he put them both in his eyes and he poked his eyes out he blinded himself he shook and and he fell back and he disappeared goal said I want you to go heal him came before who are you said who are you he's blind not that he wouldn't be able to see but he couldn't see in his Kad level he couldn't see him I am oh he didn't even want to notice who it is I am I'm not the woman I I am the that wants me to heal your eyes leave me leave me whatever it was it was meant to be I want it to be leave it let it be he went back this is what he said to me I will be his guarante tell him I will never test you again immediately he was healed call whoever does not look at women for surely with the wife of his friend cannot be on you will never be on person now why would you think you'd be allowed why would you think you'd be allowed with why I'm saying why would I think oh if you don't look at the we not talking about looking badly we're not talking about looking in a in a in a lustful way even regularly be careful you can't just have conversation the says person should be careful that doesn't mean he shouldn't show love to his wife that doesn't mean he shouldn't be there for his wife that doesn't mean he shouldn't take her take Go Walks go on vacations that's not what the ter referring to the Torah is telling you be aware be aware that too much of something is never good good too much of something is never good and a person should be marck bit and careful that when it comes to this situation of Aras a person has to be vigilant more than normal more than regular don't just think ah I'm human don't worry about it I'm not worried you know what I'm not going to fall I have my eyes in my head I get it many people have said those those same words and I know many people neb neb that have fallen when they when they really shouldn't have if they would have been more careful a person has to think especially you going to places like Manhattan I have friends of mine very wealthy friends very I'm talking about in the almost in the billion dollar level if that's called wealthy financially that he'll never I have a friend who will never walk into Manhattan he has a business deal either you do it on the phone either we Zoom it I'm not even walking into Manhattan I'm not going in with a car I'm not going there I have a friend that does this and and he's very moid he's very mockit not to go to certain places that doesn't mean a person shouldn't go places what it does mean that we have to be on guard we have to watch ourselves I didn't even get to the ramban's I'm going to end here but I didn't even get to the ramban what it means to be pished even in things that are permitted to you so I'm going to leave with this but my point is this goes for me this goes for this L you know why did I even go into this not because it's a good feeling when you learn you learn go through a par you go through something and you strengthen yourself you strengthen yourself to be more Vigilant even if it only lasts for a day even if it only lasts for a day if it lasts for an hour if you're vigilant for one hour you accomplish for that hour you should know when I drive down Central Avenue I live in Faraway people are walking in the streets on both sides summertime people are walking especially people are walking Friday afternoon H Central Avenue packed with people I'm telling you I'm not telling you I'm always very careful not to look purposely but I remember sometimes I'm driving and you just your eye catches something time you see people walking and I say to don't look look it could be something just don't look the feelings the empowerment that you get when you do something like that is instant gratification you feel amazing right away it's incredible it's not like you have to wait for Hashem to reward you as soon as you say to yourself I'm not looking I'm not looking I'm going to be more careful when I go into a store and there's a cashier lady behind the counter and you say to yourself obviously you have to be friendly obviously you don't want to come across as a lunatic I get it but there's ways to do it you don't have to extra conversation you can look away even one time like this this first second and then look back just to show that you gave you made yourself a g very important Rashi is teaching us that even in things that we call normal you have to be normal you got to have be part of society you shouldn't be known in the streets as a fanatic or a crazy person you allow to be even in things that you would think are permitted and things that are not the end of the world you want to make sure it doesn't lead to the end of the world I wish you all a good job is like I said I didn't even go to the ramban TR I'll save it but the ramban does learn that a person even in Torah and mitos should be careful in the way he does mitzvos he shouldn't be gluttonous he shouldn't overspend he shouldn't live his wealthy lifestyle and that's what he calls Kos you anyway everyone have a wonderful shice and thank you for joining