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Hashem Open My Lips: Together for Tefillah, a project of the Consortium of Jewish Day Schools
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Auto-generated transcript. Not time-synced to the video.
Okay. Thank you, Rabbi. Thank you, uh,
all those involved. Uh, I don't want to
leave anybody out. I don't know who was,
but Morita texted me earlier tonight and
I'm sure Moradasa I don't want to leave
anybody out, but thank you for including
me and involving me and I I helped
myself to one and I'll go out with my
father maybe and he'll talk to me about
Fila and then we'll qualify as a parent
and child for our $20 voucher. who who
is not inspired and motivated by that.
So I'm I'm super excited and grateful.
Um I also want to give a shout out to my
friend Rabbi Yemen for his leadership
and his vision and putting this
together. And it really is exactly what
Israel needs. It's a soothing salve on
the open wound of the Jewish people who
are living in a time in which we more
than ever need to connect and turn to
the ribon shalom and to use prayer to
feel anchored and connected as the winds
around us are blowing with anti-semitism
and assimilation collectively nationally
but also individually I don't know
anyone who's not going through a
challenging time themselves in whatever
area or arena of life and the place we
turn to the arms we collapse into are
those of the almighty the shalom we do
through Davening is our talking to
Hashem. When we learn Torah, Hashem is
talking to us. And any relationship
needs conversation and communication.
Every relationship needs us to dedicate
time. And that's what Davening is. It's
identifying and allocating time because
it's meaningful to have a conversation.
There is no relationship, not marriage,
not parent and child, not friends, not
business partners, that if you neglect
spending time and if you neglect
communicating that the relationship can
thrive, let alone even survive. And our
relationship with Hashem is no
different. It needs the time and it
needs the communication. That's exactly
what is and that's why this initiative
is really fantastic. I'm excited and
honored to be part of it with the shar
tonight. grateful to the consortium of
Jewish day schools for putting together
this uh curriculum and also echoing the
same sentiment. It's this partnership.
It can't happen without it. A child can
learn all about file in school. If they
come home and don't see parents davin,
then it's unlikely that they're going to
be able to connect with it. If you stand
in shul
depending when you come to shu with your
parent, what time they get there, do
they talk the whole time? Are they
running out and escaping from davening?
Do they need to engage certain
substances to numb themselves just to be
able to survive davening? What's the odd
that that child is going to find meaning
and turn to when they need it? If the
parents running away from it, so it
needs the school and it needs the
modeling of teachers and it needs the
curriculum and the Torah. It needs the
parent and it needs the home and it
needs the example and of course it needs
the shul to be able to provide that
environment. That's exactly what this
is. And it's really um it it's hard to
believe or hard to say a breakthrough to
be able to have a program that creates
that partnership and connection. It
should be obvious, but like many or most
of the greatest things in life, it
wasn't until now. And so we're very
grateful for it. So I think you have in
front of you a curriculum. I believe
this was prepared by Rabbi Penner. So
everything Rabbi Penner does is
wonderful. And this is uh no exception
to it. And we'll make our way we'll add
some things to it. We're not going to
keep you too late. I don't know if the
refreshments in the back were meant for
before, during, or after, but I see the
coffee. And I wouldn't blame you if you
go for it. In in Bokeh, like 8:10 at
night is like 1 in the morning in other
communities. You know, 8:10 in Bokeh
timing. I always say we're the same time
zone as New York, but we're like an hour
or two, you know, ahead or behind,
however you see it. So, uh, please help
yourself if you need caffeine to get
through. I don't take it I don't take it
personally at all. Why is this so
critically important? It's not in I'm
I'm going to try to follow what was
given but also share some other ideas.
The Gmorra lists and the rabbis say that
there are four things that need every
day. There are four things that require
us to reinforce and to work on. And one
of them is fela and that's so important
to know because it's so reassuring and
validating. If you struggle, I struggle.
I struggle. We say the same thing every
day, three times a day. And it takes
time if you're doing it right. It's not
something you gloss over or you just
dismiss. And it's hard in the multimedia
world in which we live in which you know
I'm involved in this a little bit and
the whole discussion of the experts in
that area. How long can a video be
before you le lose people? What's the
maximum length of a real? Is it 60
seconds or 90 seconds? But if you go
beyond that, you've lost people. And
here we are, not 60 seconds or 90
seconds talking to Hashem, but here we
are asked to come to Davening, which
takes time, whether you're in shul or at
home, it takes time and it takes time to
do it right. And that's hard. It's
really hard. We need to be engaged and
entertained and we need multimedia. And
to just open a sitter or a static text
and think you're going to connect with
it, it's really hard. And that statement
of that it needs that it needs
reinforcement is is not sad. It's
validating and it's saying stick with it
and keep to it and it's worthwhile
because all good things in life are
worthwhile and they take time. I won't
take the time now. I I saw an article
recently I saved maybe I'll write an
article based on it someday soon which
was the science of why we love to see or
say or sing things over and over again.
What do you love more? or the song that
comes on that you've been listening to
for 20 or 30 or 40 years that you know
every word and you know every drum solo
and guitar solo and you anticipate
everything that's going to come or the
new song that you're not yet sure you
like. Every new song is not good till we
heard it several times and maybe it
makes it onto our our playlist and
people who have their favorite assuming
appropriate things to watch. So they
watch that same thing. Oh, I love that.
I love that show. I love that movie. I
love it from my youth. And there's a
whole science to why in fact there's
something positive about we know what's
coming, we can anticipate it, we can
predict it, we're ready for it, we're
emotionally braced for it. And when I
saw that article that was about music
and about media, I thought immediately
about feel about Davening because even
though we're saying the same words
again, see it as your favorite song. See
Davining as the great playlist that you
know it's coming. You can brace
yourself. You're emotionally prepared.
You anticipate my favorite braha is my
favorite sentence. This is the line I
love. This is the song that we have. and
you're all ready and you're all ready
for it. So the repetitiveness of it, the
redundancy of it is not something that
should drive you away from it or make
you sad, but lean into it just like we
do in other areas of life and ride the
waves of it to really be lifted to be
lifted by it. So let's get to some of
these sources and we're going to in this
introduction begin with the opening of
the Amida. And I'll give you a little
shameless plug if you enjoy tonight and
even if you don't, we have something
called sitter snippets. We began many
years ago. We started at Moda Ani. The
opening words we say when we open our
eyes in the morning and we're actually
up toward the very end of the Amida.
We're closing in on snippet number 700.
There's six minutes approximately or
supposed to be uh in length. And we've
made our way through Davin exactly for
this reason. And I didn't do it for
anyone else. I did it for myself because
spending the time to prepare to make my
way through those words of the sitter
from Modi through the end of the Amida
and hopefully we'll keep going well
beyond has opened my eyes and helped me
understand because if we don't know what
we're saying then how can we be expected
to say it or say it with meaning at all.
So the opening of the are these words in
source number one
my master open my lips and my mouth will
declare your praise. People mistakenly
think that you take three steps back and
as you take the three steps forward you
say but that's incorrectly
you should say when you've already taken
three steps forward and when you are
beginning when you're ready to when
you're ready to begin even the three
steps forward we said it half half an
hour but this is so hard this is one of
my my favorite topics do you know why we
take three steps forward I can't help
but share because it was last week's
para last week's paraud
approaches Yoseph to confront him and
demand and that Binyaman be let free to
go back and return with him. There are
three places in the Torah that the word
vayash is used. Aram fights for stone
vayash he approaches god. Yehuda steps
up for his brother vigash. He approaches
Yoseph. And the third is harlawi
vayash as well stands up and advocates
defends the honor of Hashem. The Ramadan
of Mosh quotes the who says the reason
we take three steps forward because the
word vayash means to approach one vayash
two vayash three vayash when we step
forward for the amida we are stepping
forward in the footsteps of a yehuda and
elyah and interestingly they each
stepped up to advocate for a different
population who's a advocating for a
advocating for the wicked evil terrible
people of stone and you see the power
is not only to stand up for the
righteous but even those who are
struggling who are not righteous and to
davin on their behalf. does it for
Saddam Yehuda Davin's for a brother the
primary purpose we step forward why
Hashem I'm here on behalf of my brothers
and sisters of Israel and ali
sorry not no yeah dav's for for Hashem
Hashem's honor the bal are dishonoring
Hashem and sometimes you see the use and
power of even to stand up for the honor
of the almighty who relies on us for
that as well and this is a critical idea
A that davening is not only about me, my
needs, my wants, what I'm lacking, what
I what I hope for. Davening is on behalf
of others. The three vayash when I step
forward, I approach the amida. Literally
approach the amida. Three steps. My
three steps forward are I'm here on my
behalf certainly, but also for not only
the righteous, even the wicked. I'm here
for my brothers and sisters, and I'm
here for even the honor of Hashem. And
then only when I take those three steps
forward am I ready to begin. I learned
in Katzilla day school the great Rabbi
Adam Englander I think he introduced it
maybe he didn't but the idea of taking
those three steps forward I I try to do
it myself I learned in that holy middle
school ding there of taking a deep
breath there is the pause that he used
to have before gal because a person
should pause center themsel anchor
themsel eliminate distractions and be
present and mindful for this critical
conversation that's called the amida
it's called the amida because we stand
when we
to Hashem. The rest of everything
leading and building up to it, we're
talking about Hashem, but we're not
talking to Hashem. Everything after it,
we're talking about Hashem. We're not
talking to Hashem. The only part of all
of DI that we're talking to him is the
part that we stand for, the we stand
before God. And that's why we don't
disrupt. The Mishna says, even if a
snake was wound around your ankle, even
if a king is interrupting your
conversation, when you're talking to the
king of kings, you don't interrupt. Of
course, if it's a dangerous snake, it's
different. But we don't interrupt for
anything. Unlike other parts of Davin
that we do when we're talking about God,
we can interrupt the conversation to be
like God and have the courtesy of
answering others. But we're talking to
God, we don't interrupt for anything.
So, we take those three steps forward.
Take that deep breath. Lean in. Be
present for this conversation. And we
begin.
Hashem, open up my lips. Let my mouth
tell, let it declare your praise. Why do
we introduce the amida with this phrase?
Why do we introduce the three blessings
of praise and then the 13 of requests
and then the three blessings of thanks?
Why do we start with open my lips, open
my mouth? Yeah, I've been doing that.
I've been here for a while. I've been
here since
a halakma.
It's by the time I get to the I'm all
in. I've been here for a while. Now I
say open up my lips because this is the
amida. This is it. This is what we're
working for and towards. This is the
conversation says source number two
is the recognition that everything's
from.
We recognize will I be successful in
this conversation.
It's really kind of counterintuitive and
ironic. I say, "Hashem, I'm about to
have a conversation with you." And my
first prayer is a prayer that I have a
good conversation with you because it's
so hard because our mind so easily
wanders because our best ideas and our
longest shopping lists and all the
things we have to get to come to us when
in the middle of the Amida. Because we
can start those three steps forward and
the next thing you know we're at the
three steps backward and we don't
remember anything in between. It is so
easy to be distracted and if we're going
to be successful in this critical
conversation that we need his help and
somewhat sort of paradoxical or ironic
we says
what we're beginning is Hashem open up
my lips let me ask for the right things
focus on the right things be mindful be
present be intentional let this
conversation go well it's a prayer that
our prayer go well because even prayer
needs prayer it's so difficult and it's
so easy to fail and to be unsuccessful
to be distracted that even our prayer
needs prayer. It says that's what Hashem
is. It's asking Hashem for help to say
the right things. Not only that we
enunciate the words correctly. Not only
that we're mindful and present and not
distracted while we say it, but also the
amida itself. I like to give this
metaphor. Maybe you've heard it from me
before. It's one of the great ideas
Hashem ever put in my head. I think um
tila
I'll give you the example maybe you
relate to it a little bit imagine it's
your anniversary it's mother's day
father's day it's a birthday so you
remember and now you need to communicate
some affectionate nice idea so you take
out a napkin and a pen and you write
dear and the best day of my life
happened when we got married and made
the world better your birthday and and
you write on the you hand it to the
person the person says are you serious
I appreciate the sentiment. It's very
sweet, but the back of a napkin, that's
the best you could do. Where's my card?
So, the next year you go and you spend
some obscene amount of money on a card
stock piece of paper that some Hallmark
poet wrote for you and you buy the card
and this one's perfect and it says it
all and it's poetic and it's also funny
and it also has a pop out and it also
has a musical thing and it's amazing.
The perfect card. You buy the card, you
put it in the envelope, you come and you
say happy birthday, happy anniversary,
happy Kaneka, happy and you give the
card and they open the card and they say
it's it's written beautifully and it's
really nice and the author of Hallmark
or American greetings for my own
mishbuck I better say American greetings
the wife family. So it's beautiful but
you have no personal sentiment. There's
nothing that you want to add. You
couldn't even bother underline, you
know, the double underline, the single
under all the things we do to make it
look like we actually read the card and
care about the card and the card
communicates how we feel. And you
couldn't write something else
afterwards. So, what's the right thing
to do if you know what's good for you is
to both get a card, not use the back of
a napkin, but not just hand the card,
also write something into the card. The
amida is the card. Anchesola,
infinitely greater than hallmark and
American greetings put together times a
billion. Anasdoll the man of the great
assembly authored the Amida. They gave
us the card. This is the template. This
is the script. They had the wisdom to be
able to anticipate
the needs, universal needs in all places
and at all times. These are the
universal needs we have. So we say the
template, we deliver the card to Hashem.
But he looks at us and he says, "You
have nothing personal, nothing going on
in your life, no connection you want,
nothing you want to say to me." So the
amida really is this card. And what
we're supposed to do as we say it is for
each braa particularly the 13 blessings
in the middle the ones of request and
supplication we're supposed to identify
what do I need. So in that pregnant
pause before the Amida in the Rabbi
England or deep breath after Hashem's
what should you be doing is review the
day that is ahead think about what do I
have ahead okay my kids got a test
please let them even though they didn't
study adequately nevertheless let the
questions be the things that we did
cover and somebody has a doctor's
appointment and my livelihood I got a
big business meeting I got to close a
deal and when we think about what we're
going through and what's in the day
ahead. We will be dying to be able to
write our own language into the template
and script that is the amida. Don't
deliver Hashem just a blank card. Write
in your personal life, your personal
journey. Write in your diary of what's
taking place your day. What do you need
as help? What's happening? What is to
come? Put it in the put it in the
first explanation. Why do we introduce
the with
because I'm praying that my prayer be
successful. Hashem, let me think about
the right things. Ask for the right
things. Praise you in the right way. Let
me remember to be grateful and thank
you. Hashem, let it flow. Hashem, let me
connect. Hashem, let me be mindful.
Hashem, let me be transformed. Hashem,
all of that is in those few words. All
of that is in those six words. Hashem's
in six words. We're including I'm dabing
for the tells
that the early it means early pious
righteous ones who aspired for that life
and lifestyle they would meditate an
hour before davening then they would dav
for an hour and then they would come off
of davining for an hour afterwards.
say that today we do that with the
zimra. Our psyuk zimra represents that
effort to anchor ourselves to gather
ourselves to focus ourselves. We don't
do it for an hour nor is ding an hour
nor do we have an hour after davening.
We are a generation that has condensed
all of it enormously but we do prepare.
And why why is the gumar telling us
that? Because it's impossible to have
this conversation if you're not going to
prepare. Are there any meaningful
conversations you go into life without
thinking it through, without preparing,
without knowing what you want the
outcome to be and what's the best way to
get there? What will you say that will
be effective? And what should you avoid
saying that will be counterproductive?
So that's the preparation to the Hashem
says is where I prepare myself. What am
I trying to accomplish? What am I trying
to achieve? What do I need to ask for
whom am I standing? And why am I turning
to him and surrendering to him? Why do I
believe he has all the answers and he's
capable of anything that I need? That's
our time before the we went from an hour
before
to just six words.
That's the time we allowed ourselves to
get ready and be ready and to have that
conversation. Source number four and
explains again how challenging it is,
how distracting, how difficult deting
is. So, if we don't work hard, if we
don't prepare, if we don't get ready, if
we don't focus and center our thoughts,
we have no shot. We have no possibility.
I'll tell you a little secret about your
phone. People don't know this. It's a
good thing you're sitting down. It's a
little secret for you. Do you know that
you're allowed to put your phone in
airplane mode even when you're on the
ground?
You're allowed to put your phone in
airplane mode. Better yet, don't even
have your phone anywhere around you
while you're diving. Because research
shows that just having your phone in
your pocket, even if it's off,
is going to make you feel like there's
things coming in, there's things that
are happening, the things I need to see,
the things I want to respond to, things
I need to know, even if it's off. But if
you put it at a distance, if you leave
it away from you, then you're making the
effort. You're demonstrating, you're
really preparing that I'm in a
conversation that I don't want to be
disturbed. Leave the phone. If you're
coming into shu, leave it in your car.
If you're dabbing at home, put it in the
other room. If you have to have it on
you, turn it on airplane mode because it
is so hard that unless we do everything
that we can in our favor, it'll be
nearly almost impossible. Write source
number six.
What is the what's the work that happens
in the heart of the
mitzvah is not necessarily to d well but
to make the effort. The outcome we can't
necessarily control. We'll do our best.
There are million things that come into
our mind. But the question is did we
make the effort? Did we prepare? Did we
work? It's work. It's called avoda.
Davening well takes work. But also
conversations in marriage and parenting
and business negotiations, they take
work. They're worthwhile. If you have a
successful business negotiation, the
outcome is worth it. If you have
conversations in marriage when you don't
feel like it and you're not up to it, or
you're having conversations to resolve
differences, they're well worth it for
the relationship, the closeness, the
connection that it yields. as a parent
raising a child where it takes
conversations often difficult ones
communicating it's work it's time it's
effort when you're exhausted but it's
worth it if you have the outcome of the
child please God that you're hoping to
mold and shape that you're hoping to
inspire and daming is worth it it's
called avoda it's called work because it
takes effort and it takes work and as
much as we wish I wish it came naturally
just want to meditate and reflect and go
for a walk on the beach and connect and
commune and fabang and have a kumz sing
to Hashem. It doesn't happen that way.
Maybe at times it does and we should
bottle and capture that. It's wonderful
and beautiful, but it takes effort. It
takes work. It's called for a reason
is an appearance before the King of
Kings. When we realize we're standing
before him, we may lose our ability to
speak. So, we have to ask Hashem for
help. When you consider before whom
we're standing, when you think about how
he's almighty and all powerful, we can
freeze. You know, many years ago, and
I'm saying this not to flex, I'm saying
it to make a point, so please believe
me, but many years ago, back when
Florida was a swing state, and Palm
Beach County in particular mattered and
our zip code determined outcomes of
elections, remember the hanging chads?
that election was decided by like our
voting district by a few people who went
or didn't go. So it mattered. So only
because of those reasons I was invited
to a series of meetings at at the White
House. And I remember the first one I
went to with members of the
administration was during President
Obama's first term which you remember
did not get off on the right foot on the
pro-Israel community. I'm not sure it
ended in the right foot with the
pro-Israel community. So there was a
series of meetings with a small group of
of rabbis and Jewish communal leaders.
So I was going to it and I remember it
was my first time there in the west wing
of the white house in the Roosevelt room
leaders of the administration one of the
meetings the president himself joined
and I remember before I went thinking
about if I got a chance to speak what
would I say and I was I learned with our
former congressman who was a dear friend
and we used to we used to learn para
together and I told him I got this
invitation and I'm going and he said to
me and I'm so grateful to him for it he
said everybody else around the table all
the others who are invited, most of whom
it will be their first time there.
They're going to be mesmerized by the
room, by the aura, the White House, the
Roosevelt room. And it is, it's
everything they say, and it feels
special. You get goosebumps just being
there. And they're going to freeze.
They're going to forget why they're
there. And they're not going to speak
up. They're going to be so enamored and
so grateful just to be in the presence
of such power. They're going to say
respectfully, and they're going to
listen, and they're gonna, I want to
understand. And he said to me, he said,
"Look around the room. Take it all in.
pinch yourself and be excited and let go
because you're there because there are
things to say and say them and I did and
I'm proud of what I said in that meeting
and at those meetings but that initial
feeling that you have ladah a billion
times over a trillion times over you
stand in front of the king of kings and
you say you're powerful you control the
universe you're infinite omnipotent who
am I what am I how can I speak to you so
says
open my lips don't let me just be
mesmerized don't let me just surrender
don't let me become passive. Let me
recognize this is my invitation. This is
my moment. This is my chance to say what
I want to say, to ask for what I need.
This is my chance. Let me not forfeit
it. Let me not lose out on it. Let me
rise to the occasion. Let me say it. The
manic says similar.
This is request for permission and the
opening of prayer. This is what we're
getting at. Now source number nine put
it here in the source sheets sort of
cryptically but I want to expand upon it
because this is what I've always found
most meaningful about this
that we open the amid with
me Hashem and let me speak to you. Why
does Hashem need to forgive us? Forgive
me and let me speak to you. Why do we
need forgiveness? So I want to call your
attention to where this is this that we
begin every
open up by lips. It comes from Psalms
chapter 51.
Anyone know what the theme of that of
that paragraph of Psalms is
confronting the fact that Nasavi has
given him significant rebuke over the
episode with Bacha. He sees a beautiful
woman bathing on another building and he
is drawn to her. She captures his
attention and she's married to Urya who
he pulls back from the war and he sends
back to the front lines and the whole
episode is the part in school that kids
pay attention to. Most teachers skip so
[snorts] it's the only part kids
voluntarily read on their own and it's
difficult and it's complicated. And the
Gar says do not read it the way it
seems. Anyone who says to if you say
David made a a sinned then you're making
a terrible mistake. Now the notes that
anyone who says David sinned is making a
mistake. You're not supposed to say it
but you know who said it.
Whereas
he says Hashem I failed you. I made a
terrible mistake. We're not supposed to
say it because there's a whole
calculation and technicality because had
signed a get before he went off to war.
So when he died retroactively the get
had taken place. So by the time David
was with BVA she was already a single
woman. Well if you're the defense
attorney you'll advance an argument you
will definitely win the case. So we
should not say David sinned because
technically he didn't. But you know who
says he did.
I made a terrible mistake. And this is
that capitol where is recognizing and
owning up to the mistake that he made
because
rebuking him for it and he admits it and
he accepts it and he owns up to it and
now he's not sure how after he
recognizes he's made such a terrible
mistake. How is he going to come back to
Hashem? How's he going to talk to
Hashem? Does Hashem really want to hear
from him? How do you begin that
conversation? How do you make amends?
How do you reconcile? How do you repair
the damage that's done? You don't even
know what to say. You don't even know
where to find the words. So
says, "Hashem,
please open my lips. Please give me the
words." Have you ever been either the
party who hurt someone or the party who
was hurt and now you haven't spoken and
you haven't spoken in a long time and no
one knows even how to begin the
conversation? Sometimes you could be
sitting there and looking at each other
and hemming and hawing and it's really
awkward and there's no eye contact and
no one's know one knows even how to
start the conversation. Someone is hurt
so bad. What do you say? What do you
even begin? How do you say? So gave us
license. What I think about with this
is gave all of us license because you're
gonna say, you know, yesterday I made
all kinds of promises to you and then
last night I stayed up late and I was
scrolling. I was watching you and I
wasn't watching everything I should be
watching or thinking everything I should
think or doing everything I should do.
And now you get up for shakers and you
say, "What am I going to do to Hashem? I
made him these promises at marv last
night. Look how I failed." Hashem
gives us a license and he says Hashem
wants to hear from you. Hashem, open my
lips and help me. And then after made
all these promises, I'm going to be the
best person ever. I'm never going to
fail again. And then you went off to
work and you forgot, neglected Hashem in
life, whatever you were doing. And now
it's time for Mikah. And you say, how am
I going to drag this conversation? How
many times am I going to promise Hashem
that this time it's going to be
different? And now I'm supposed to talk
to him. He wants to hear from me. What
words am I going to say? So David said,
"It's okay. This is what you're gonna
use to open every conversation.
Hashem, I got it. I know it. I'm working
on it. I'm a work in progress. I'm
sorry. But open my lips and let me have
the conversation. Let me find the right
things to say. Believe in me and let me
believe in myself and let me believe
that this is worthwhile and this is
something that's true and something that
I should do. So that's what these
opening words
to me are really all about. They're
about first of all, we saw prayer is a
gift.
of
the recognition that everything is from
Hashem. I need I need good health. I
need success. Anything good I'm going to
get, I need to get from Hashem.
Including if I'm going to have a good
feel, it's only going to come because
Hashem helped me and allowed me to have
it. And therefore, the first thing we do
in ding to Hashem is that we dive into
Hashem. That we dive into Hashem. The
first feel we offer is that we can dive
in successfully. of lublin. Second is
that it's permission. Hashem, we're
knocking on your door. We're not going
to be intimidated. We're not going to be
enamored. We're not going to lose our
tongue because we're going to sit there
and be in awe of the Roosevelt room.
We're standing in the King of Kings.
We're going to forget, not know what we
want to say. We're asking for permission
and we're formulating our words and
we're going to remember that we're here
for a reason. The Mish we saw spent an
hour thinking about before they dabbed.
That first meeting at the White House, I
got to Washington and I remember I I
went there's a park opposite the White
House and I remember sitting on a bench
in that park with a pen and notes. I was
just thinking through meticulously
precisely if I get to speak, what am I
going to say? What words? How long will
it be? What will be my inflection? What
do I want to ask for? What's important?
What should we focus on? Everything. You
know, I've been thinking this week I I
don't have an opportunity. So, this is
the opposite of a flex. It's
embarrassing. But if I had an
opportunity, BB's in Florida, really
should be at Bocertton Synagogue.
President, if if you got to spend two
minutes with Prime Minister Netanyahu,
spend two minutes with with the
president, what would you say? And I
remember I spent an hour at that park
and I thought through every single
specific word and I still remember on
the flight home that night, I still
remember. I remember two things. I came
out of the White House. I called my
wife. I told her how excited, how
amazing, what I said, the exchange we
had, how special it was to be there. And
she was excited for me. And then she
said, "But don't forget tomorrow's
garbage day. So when you get in tonight,
no matter what time it is, don't forget
to bring the garbage to the curb." And
I'm so glad she did. I always bring that
as an example of it's really important
to have people around you who keep you
grounded. Never become too full of
yourself no matter where you were, what
meeting you were in. That was one thing.
But the other, I remember the whole
flight of home, I was really ashamed.
The whole flight home, I was so
embarrassed because I remember thinking
to myself, every day, three times a day,
I'm in the Oval Office. I'm in the
Ribonum's Oval Office. I have an
audience with the King of Kings who
determines the outcome of everything.
And and
it's not this president or that prime
minister or this adviser or that cabinet
member. It's all whatever we need for
ourselves or for our people. And do we
put in the preparation? I remember how
ashamed I was. I never put in a fraction
of the preparation for a conversation
with Hashem that I did for that
conversation in the White House and I
was embarrassed. But that's Hashem's
focus. Take that deep breath. Think
about why you're there, what you want to
ask for, what matters, what we need, and
what counts. And lastly,
but no matter how far we've fallen, no
matter where we think we are, know and
remember, Hashem wants to hear from you.
I sped this last Shabas for those who
didn't hear it. Um also the three steps
forward the don't forget three steps
forward dominating not only for
ourselves we're there to advocate and
ask on behalf of others as well but I
said those words the says it could have
said that Yehuda spoke to Yseph. Why
does it say the says
that while Yehuda was talking to Yoseph
outwardly he was talking to Yseph
inwardly he was talking to Hashem. But
why the word? So the
says because a person might say to
themselves, you know, Yehuda made a lot
of mis mistakes. Again, it's not me,
it's the Torah saying it. But Yehuda
failed to save Yseph and bring him home.
Yehuda and the story with Tamar on our
list of things that teachers skip and
children run to fill in for themselves.
The story of Yehuda and and Tamar and
Yehuda could feel I'm inadequate. I'm
unworthy. Who am I to speak to Hashem
right now? So, what's the word the Torah
uses? says,
"Hashem tells us, I'm always
approachable. No matter where you are,
no matter what you've done, no matter
how far you've fallen, no matter how
inadequate or unworthy you feel, no
vigash, approach me because I'm always
approachable." You know who's always
approachable? A parent. No matter what
our children, if they're in trouble, if
they need us, if they're calling for us,
we say, "Come here. I want to hear from
you. You could fall into my arms. Let me
hold you. You could tell me anything. I
want to help you." So, Hashem says, "I
am forever approachable.
That's Hashem's.
Hashem says, "I'm approachable. Approach
me. Don't worry about where you've been
or what you were doing. Don't worry
about the promises you made just the
last time that you davened. Hashem's
I will help you open your lips. I'm
giving you license to dav and ask again.
This is just a forbice. This is a little
bit appetizer to what the series is all
going to be about. If all of us can work
on it and take it more seriously and
focus and focus, turn the plane to
airplane mode. Turn the phone to
airplane mode. Leave it in another room.
Leave it in the car. Don't bring it into
shul. Demonstrate for our children and
for ourselves. This matters. This means
something. I put as much attention into
this as I do anything else. And that the
outcomes of our lives depend on these
conversations called because our rabbis
tell us you can't have success in
anything you do. Anything you do. You
want the winter break vacation to go
well. You want to have the money to be
able to afford to go and do it. You want
us to be healthy enough to go on it. You
want whatever outcome we're working
towards. None of it can happen without
asking for it, without dening. So,
Hashem should help us center ourselves
and focus. Hashem should help us open
our lips and find the right words.
Hashem should help us take this together
for seriously with a bagel and a coffee
and locks and cream cheese and elevate
us all that all of our should come from
the heart and therefore Hashem should
answer all of them for the good. Thank
you so much for coming tonight.
We