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Hechaltzu chptr 14a- Ego comes in different forms, Reb Aron Strashele, Reb Shmuel Gurary- RC Dalfin
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So good day. We're learning uh the
country. We're now about to embark on
chapter 14. But before that, I do want
to read uh the introduction quickly
that's in this textbook that we've been
using. And if you don't have it, just
listen please. So this is an
introduction to chapters 14 and 17.
In these chapters, the Reb Rashab
revisits the theme that yeses ego can
taint a person's divine service and
create discord between individuals and
within a community. He explains that
even okay between individuals and a
community now you understand that why
did the Rashab write his countress?
Remember what I told you way in the
beginning? It's because there was
discord in kabad in a kabad community in
au. So now in chapter 14 through 17 THE
RASHAB SOMEHOW ADDRESSES THAT. OKAY,
let's continue.
It is possible that one may ultimately
be seeking his own satisfaction
to the chagrin. I'm adding these words
to the chagrin of the community.
Moshe, he wants the window open because
he's hot.
Ah, everyone else is cold. He don't
care. Don't sit next to me. Go sit in,
you know, the other side of the shoe.
Or, uh, someone says the minig was for
years the rabbi taught us this way and
now you're going to the and you're
changing the min things like that. Let's
go on. To avoid this problem, one needs
one needs
to need it's a mistake. One one needs to
cultivate
an approach of bit
humility.
Similarly, even aa inspired by humility
and anguish can be tainted by yesesh by
ego. Deep down a person
[clears throat and snorts] may feel a
certain sense of gratification from the
very fact that he has come to experience
the that humility and anguish.
Moreever he will seek to make himself
feel greater by disparaging others. When
he sees someone else's success whether
in divine service or in material matters
instead of being happy for him he is
envious.
True that Rashab explains envy can be
positive but only when or but only when
one's service is characterized by bit.
By contrast when a person is is is
bloated with yeseshas his envy breeds
friction and discord. At this point
the rebashab distinguishes between yeses
and other character flaws. A typical
character flaw is associated with a
specific negative quality, a product of
one of the seven impure emotive
attributes. Such a flaw can be
corrected, even transformed and
channeled positively for use in the
realm of holiness. By contrast, yes, ego
is a comprehensive failing that drags a
person away from holiness altogether and
leads to all the other negative traits.
It is therefore crucial to carefully
identify any traits of yeseshas and root
it out of our characters entirely.
based on the above concepts that Aba
answers some of the questions raised at
the beginning of the mimemer explaining
the specific nature of clip of Midian
which represents discord and baseless
hatred and is therefore the antithesis
of God's name utavaya
the clip of midon is more harmful than
that of the seven
idolatrous
Canaanite nations. Whereas the seven
nations
reflect the specific emotive attributes
of Kipa. Midyan is a broader problem
that characterizes Kipa as a whole and
thus stands in direct opposition to the
unity inherent to godliness. That is why
the war against Midun is described as
exacting exact the retribution of God
from Midun for the two are diametrically
opposed. Let's look inside now chapter
the two methods of that we mentioned
earlier of
humility.
There still could be within these two
sacred
is some residue of of of of ego and
conceit.
And he explains
when we talk about the first style which
is
to serve Hashem with joy.
Surely there could be a residue of ego
brings this. In other words, the the
notion the notion of love, attraction,
warmth lends itself to I am still there.
I have the love. I have the attraction.
[clears throat]
IT VERY MUCH COINCIDES with
because when we talk about is this is a
very deep point
true joy and emotionalism
means it's felt but it doesn't mean just
it's felt it means it's felt in a ego
oriented way WHEN A PERSON GETS ALL
EMOTIONAL
The ego is there. I think I told you the
story of the great and the
right who later split with the with the
but he was into emotionalism and once he
be he went into a state of ecstasy and
he jumped on the table and the said to
him
arro
his name was arro
down in other words
you're being we sense the refined ego in
your emotionalism. HE WENT INTO A STATE
OF ECSTASY. BUT THE felt that it wasn't
PURE ECSTASY. IT WAS ECSTASY BASED ON
SOME RESIDUE of Yesesh.
That's what we mean by murb. This by the
way is a very very um difficult and
refined complicated issue that kabad
deals with in various myorim and it's uh
it's a challenging one. In other words,
HEY, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE SOMEONE
WHO DOESN'T serve Hashem. HE'S A GREAT
SERVANT OF HASHEM AND HE SERVES HASHEM
WITH AVA.
But within the Ava there is a a some
leftover some feeling of ego still
there. I'm in love with God. The I am in
love. The I is the problem. THE LOVE OF
GOD IS GOOD BUT THE I LOVE THE GOD. Like
I told you yesterday Rabbi read spoke he
read this letter about his mutin. And he
said and the rebba writes about the
shabud he I told you this yesterday
right he says that when I was speaking
to him and learning I didn't feel that
he is the big RASHIVA HE'S THE BIG
SCHOLAR AND THE REBBA SAYS this is set
you this is not MOST PEOPLE DON'T HAVE
THIS MOST people you feel them them
themselves in what they teach in what
they learn in what they contribute it's
it's an
And that's what the is talking about
here. So with even within the
there still is a yes. Let's continue
the content of this person's love and
attraction and yearning who
it is TO FULFILL HIS WILL, his desire.
HE WANTS TO BE CLOSE TO GOD.
If this in there because this is so in
this scenario therefore what's mixed
into this is called
selflove
and self-realization.
You know, when you when I read this and
I think about it,
it it it's in in a way it's not in a
way, it's so true. And and that's why
you have to really really check yourself
out if you're really being genuine 100%.
The 99% is for most people's great, but
it's not 100%. And and and by the way,
if the Rashab says that we could he's
he's he's he's criticizing criticizing
this, that means you can attain it where
you're not felt. The ego your ego is not
felt in the pursuit of the emotional
ecstasy for Hashem, love of God.
As it says elsewhere, look what he says
in the parenthesis. Look, look at this.
WE NEED ADVICE. WE NEED an
how one's once and love and one's joy
should be totally you with B.
This was the actual service of Arin the
high priest
when he elevated when he lit the candles
of the minora.
You know what Aaron was doing with look
what it says what he was doing he he he
drew he drew down which is bal into the
candles which the candles are the
emotions.
Yes is sir
but it was because he did not offer the
the corbutos the gifts that the other
tribes did. So he had he had a feeling
that he was missing out on something and
he was rewarded with this aod of
lighting the manura for for his his all
his generations but initially he had he
had a why come I'm not included
so that is a literal reading of the text
and the the commentaries and then that's
correct what the rashab is sharing and
this is I think from the alterb yet
maybe even from the BMP and the Mid is
is a deeper concept that
that his motivation and
expressed itself because he felt he
didn't get a chance but really what was
driving him was thema within Aon to to
exude and that the the BL within the
NOS.
Yes. So the answer to your question is
that alpine
it see it seems like a different reason
a contradictory reason I understand what
you're saying but the rashab is
is is is
I would say another way I would say
another way you're talking about the
rashab is talking about when he did the
avod he's not talking about why he did
the avod
what you what you so we could answer
that very simply that way. But I I I was
thinking even deeper that that itself
that motivated him to feel that way is
because
Hashem wanted him and Hashem saw him as
an embodiment of which is B TO EXPRESS
ITSELF in mid and that was for him not
is like pure is is pure is pure B the
is that within the
of elevating the midos
that should be it should be predicated
on the that's a big that's
so the rash now senses that we need to
explain this idea and he does the idea
is that the ble of
came from the shining in of what's into
his soul the superal light
we explained earlier
one meditates upon the greatness and
exaltedness and wonderness of the
infinite god
that's when the god's eminence that's
when hashem shine
is goes into the person's soul
And this being that it's pure, it's pure
godly life impacts the person's soul.
There needs to be preparation of the
recipient, right?
um a heart transplant, a lung
transplant, the kidney, whatever. You
can have the kidney and the heart and
the lung there and they're all
[clears throat] functioning, but if the
macab if the recipient
there's issues in the body and I mean
the is of course the doctor knows better
what I'm talking about and maybe could
correct me if need be, but the isab has
it has to be a match, right? The same
thing over here. Moshe, you could have a
gavaldic, right? People went to the Reb.
You think everyone that went to the Reb
was inspired.
No. And if you think so, YOU MAKE A
MISTAKE. PEOPLE, SOME PEOPLE WEREN'T.
WHY NOT? CUZ THEY WEREN'T A MABBLE. THEY
CAME IN WITH A PACKAGE. THEY CAME IN
WITH AN agenda or they just didn't work
on themselves. They said, "Oh, but Baba,
I hear he's a great sadic. HE TEACHES
TORAH. LET ME TAKE a a ride into Quran
Heights. Let me go into Fabang." No.
You have to be a mabo. You you have to
work on yourself. You know, you have to
refine yourself and realize that you you
know you're you're stuck in in in in
Yesesh and here is a who's a servant of.
So when you go with that attitude, it
makes an impact. That's what the says
here.
Behold, if the preparation of the
recipient is such that he look he feels
the goodness and the tastiness in the
exaltedness and in the wonderness of of
the infinite Hashem.
He'll have ecstasy. HE'LL HAVE GET
TURNED ON. But there's always the yesesh
that's left. Why? Because in his
preparation, he never rooted out his
yesesh. His yesesh is still there. The
little eye. Famous story that
he didn't come out. One
and all the are waiting for him to come
out. And he said they finally came out.
He said, "It took me a long time uh to
to get rid of the he wanted to dance
with me. I don't want him to dance with
me. Get out of here.
There's dancing.
But who's who the
LITTLE HORSE IS COMING ALONG. YOU'RE
DANCING. I WANT TO DANCE WITH YOU. BUT
YOU'RE A STICKER. I want to dance.
Right. So the said, "No, no, no, no, no.
First become NO HORSE. THEN I'LL LET YOU
dance with me." Okay, that that was the
implication of his words. So the Reb
Rashab is saying something similar here.
is saying that if the macab if the
recipient hasn't [clears throat] you
know reached the point of ble then that
then the ecstasy that that that that's
given to him through the shine of god I
is one that is going to be tainted
it's tainted
it's tainted blood
because it's not pure let's continue
therefore the first has to be the
preparation OF THE RECIPIENT
TO SENSE THE GODLY light
on its own. Don't don't put God's light
into your sear, into your image, into
your box.
you know
had discussions over the year you know
how people they have an idea and based
on their IDEA THAT'S HOW THEY WANT THE
GOD'S inspiration orb's inspiration you
understand I need this and this for
myself therefore I'm looking for a
certain reba or a certain teacher a
certain mashp or rabbi to fulfill that
need very nice but that's yesesh that's
all about you it's not about Hashem.
It's not about the sadic. The the WHOLE
IDEA OF HASHEM THE bit to Hashem or B to
a Reb sadic is COMPLETE SUBSERVIENCE TO
THE HIGHER to the HIGHER ENERGY FOR THE
SAKE OF THE energy not NOT HOW I WILL
benefit from it. the famous story where
the schmugari lived you know the 18
1800s into the 1900s and he was a very
big contributor to the marash and the
rashab and he was a lumber salesman he
had many different business in katuk in
Ukraine
very successful and then they came they
told him one time that the logs went
down the the river and it was all you
know it was a uh a um a a Jamaica uh
like um rainstorm, a hurricane,
whatever, and you lost all your money.
So they said, "Are you still?" And and
and the Reb
or the Marash or one of the two, THEY
GAVE HIM THE ADVICE TO GO INTO THAT
business and do that business deal. So
they said, "You're still of the of the
of the Reb.
He gave you advice and you lost all your
your money." SO HE SAID
NOW AM I
JUST NOW I BECAME A real
you got it [laughter]
to be a when when when you're making you
know everything's going fine and dandy
and everything else it's no big deal.
It's it's your image of of so it's JUST
STRENGTHENING THE YOU THE YESESH the the
[laughter]
we shouldn't be no is looking for you
know to lose their they have to have a
neg a negative experience to test
themsel whether they're true or not but
when it happens and it does happen in
different ways in our life don't bow out
don't bow out you know forever
right for many that were very close to
and others, they could have forget about
cracking up and, you know, going to an
asylum. THEY COULD HAVE SAID GOODBYE,
GOOD LUCK. You know, we're we're working
for Msiah thousands of years and and the
Reb is pushing, you know, this thing and
it didn't happen. No, that's not aid.
That's a that's your own agenda.
you. That's what I said when after
Gibble Thomas the hardest thing for Baba
JASS AT THAT TIME WAS TO ACCEPT GOD.
YEAH. The same God that the guy near
gets these Israelis with the cuckulus to
believe in God in one God. And in in in
in our way is the same thing, right? Who
took the reban
doodle? God [laughter] took a takes a
prison. So David took so that means it's
the will of God.
Does that mean I shouldn't try to do
everything else to bring back that and
everyone else to absolutely what I'm
saying is that's you know that's the
point are are you really connected is
this really for the or is it for your
same thing and the same as with a beard
and with the everything else in
everything else we do
when when people now I'm not talking
about when someone has
you know a mental illness situation
which it does happen to to very good
normal people. The stress it it it does
hurt and kill, god forbid. That's that's
an ex that that's an exception. That's
not what we're talking. We're talking
about someone who's not not that way.
And all of a sudden, h
I used to go by the Reb, the person
says, AND GET DOLLARS, so I had to have
a beard.
Now that the Reb is not giving out
dollars on Sunday, and I don't have to
pass him by and look into his eyes, and
he look into my face. Let me start
playing with my beard. BUT YOU'RE AID
THAT always had a beard. It's not that
you didn't have a beard. What? What are
you doing? What? What are you doing? Oh,
the Reb is not around. Oh, so that's the
type of Reba you had. Or like Zolan Pner
Pnner would say, I heard him say it once
that his in the name of his father of
Shan P was in Pittsburgh for years. He
had this argument with someone says I
don't believe in God. God forbid an
atheist. So he said to him, the God THAT
YOU HAVE IN MIND, I don't believe in him
either.
and [laughter] that God I agree with
you. So it's always the image the
creation that we create in our mind that
is the that's what he's saying over
here. Let's continue.
But if it's not that way, if there is
true, then it will impact you.
So if you accept the God's light in the
pure state without your agenda then
later your joy and your taste and your
emotionalism with joy and it's
now you see
the word he adds the words
what does
mean you know it means simple English
get out of the way.
There is BTO is proactive
is just let the shine and get out of the
way
in Yiddish it means
in English PUT YOURSELF ASIDE PUT
yourself to rest the means putting aside
right the place
in other words your essence your should
be placed aside don't get in the
And and this is even that's the point in
this in this here this is even a deeper
than or better said this is true B true
B is
and and this too we've seen people and
see that have B but at some point they
just can't get out of the way they and
it's very refined but that's remember
years ago it was elections at Crown
Heights for the for the rabbi for the
RV.
It's a it's a right a prominent
position. They had a they had different
candidates speak in 770 and one of them
who had the he came from such kabad
lineage with such a pedigree I mean and
he was a a buck and shas and in zera I
mean right
and it was it was voted or it seemed
that way that he's not going to get the
position but rather an American
uh well not an American a
European/american
uh person who became became a big he was
getting the position
and HE STORMED OFF THE platform
and people couldn't believe it like
you're THE TRUE
FATHER was a secretary by the previous
etc etc you're the bianas
he is in your eyes just a a a Johnny
come lately you about he wasn't about
THE SHUVA BUT YOU know we say you know
he CAME HE'S AN ADJUNCT TO KABAD HE HE
HE JOINED the club you know he wasn't um
born into it and you're THE ONE THAT
STORMS OFF BECAUSE YOU CAN YOU CANNOT
TOLERATE THAT YOU LOST THE vote
there's the word
you gota you gota you got to It's over
the side. So, and so this a moh is even
[laughter] you're shaking your head. I
see this a
is
you know this is why just an aside
the real
they didn't make a big deal about what
you know and who you are. It was all
small change cuz they made a big deal by
the Jew that has
or I told you there was a there's a
maybe well in California when he was in
the yeshiva Montreal in Kabad in the
Yeshiva someone told me they saw the the
Mashak
um little booklet where he took
attendance
7:30 starts in Kabad yeshivas by his
name FOR THREE FOUR FIVE YEARS THAT HE
WAS YESHIVA WAS A A CHECK EVERY single
day.
But he wasn't the biggest head. He he
you know he liked learning. He tried but
there was that were better better knew
much more but they didn't have checks
next to the name every day but he did
inad
a we call this cabus oil. He is the real
McCoy. Not the big the big with the big
and
he's good but he's better because he has
kabil
is the same thing. So
you should know and the ourb in a way
changed within that this should be the
case. Do you know that the rebel was not
fathomemed by any and all of these
Russian? And there's no question after
they came out in the 60s and 70s, he
asked them to come up to the Beimma when
he blew because they were in the gulag
and futifas and bashetski you know all
the wor the the kaset you know the
sailors right that's a different but if
you [laughter] tried if you tried you
know flowering um the rebba with oh my
it meant nothing to him nothing nothing
and by the way it's based predicated
on's motto for
that writes in the introduction to
he says anyone that's willing to work
and to d and to learn and to prove their
character is a is my boy. Yes. Yes. User
was don't tell me who your grandfather
was tell me who you are.
>> Yeah. Exactly.
But you know a lot of people say that
but they don't live they don't they
don't live that way and and and I don't
want to go into it but including grabbas
I mean I don't want to go into it but
you know it's who's sitting with you on
the airplane right or who's you know
funding whatever with this raman from
Toronto
>> wanted to see him and give $1 would give
out dollars for each person at the time
was 134 million the told this is what
they say I didn't you know the reb said,
"I don't want to see him. This this I no
thank you." Cuz he he went against
something that the Reba said the week
before, two weeks, whatever. So the
said, "I'm not ready to see him yet."
You know, 134 million I'm handing you to
give out to every Jew in the world. No,
thank you. You can't buy him with money.
It didn't It didn't exist. So this
is a very important thing. We'll
continue to We'll continue Monday. By
the way, Monday, we are going to learn
the regular time. I my schedule doesn't
allow it. I wish I could do it earlier,
but it it just doesn't work out. My wife
has to take the car. Whatever the case.
Anyway, HAVE A GREAT SHABAS and we'll
see everyone on Monday at your time is
going to be my 2:45, right?
>> When Yeah. When when when do you guys
change the CLOCKS THIS
>> SHABAS? We're just one week. One week.
Yeah. So, it makes it easier.
Okay. Z doesn't have a great chabas. Any
good chabas? Byebye. Bye.