The Torah Secret to Inner Strength and Peace - Rabbi Zamir Cohen

Good evening and blessings. Most people in the world dedicate the majority of their time to building things that belong mainly to the physical side of life. Career, home, comfort, pleasure. That's the nature of the world. A person lives in this world, feels the body more strongly, feels the material, the tangible reality he sees around him. And so naturally most of his time is invested in physical matters. There are only a few people who truly invest in their spiritual growth in shaping their character in good deeds in inner elevation and who see this as the essence of life. Of course life in this world requires making a living. You need a home. You need transportation. You need to exist. But the center of life should revolve around the spiritual construction of the human being. Rashi writes in the book of Ecclesiastes that the world is called olam because it comes from the word hm concealment. There is a verse that says he has also placed the world in their hearts. Normally the word olam is written with the letter vav but king Solomon wrote it without the vav. The bible is written without vowels. So it can also be read as heel concealment. He placed concealment in their hearts because the physical world conceals. It hides the spiritual dimension that exists within it. In truth, everything physical in the world was meant to serve as a tool so that a person can build his spiritual world. Let us reflect on a few pieces of advice on how we can bring more spirituality into our lives. More inner growth without harming the physical side in any way. But to consciously invest in spiritual development is something that gives quality of life in this world and also earns a person eternal life in the world to come. It is pleasing in the eyes of God. There are several verses in which King Solomon teaches us almost like a motivational talk giving a person desire and energy to invest in spiritual growth and the foundation begins with a story found in the Talmud. Raban Yohanan Benzakayi was the greatest leader of his generation at the time of the destruction of the second temple. When he became ill, it was known that he did not have much time left in this world, only a few days. His students came to visit him and said, "Our teacher, bless us." For many years, he devoted his life to teaching them Torah. Now, he was about to leave the world, and they wanted a blessing before his departure. They understood that the blessing he would give them now would be deep and powerful. To their surprise, he blessed them with the following words. He said, "May your fear of heaven be like your fear of human beings." He was saying, "I bless you that you should fear God the same way you fear people." The Talmud says that they were offended by this blessing. They said to him, "Our teacher, is that all? That our fear of heaven should be like our fear of people?" He said to them, "If only. May you merit even that." And he explained, "It is human nature that when a person does something he knows is wrong, he looks around to see if anyone is watching. And if someone is watching, he stops." He said to them, "A person who truly merits to feel that God's glory fills the entire world, that he is present everywhere, lives on a completely different level." As God himself says, "Can a person hide in secret places and I will not see him?" Says the Lord. Is there anywhere a person can hide where I will not see him? In darkness or in light, in private or in public? And everywhere the glory of God fills the entire world. They tell a story about the Hafetim. In those days there were no cars. He once traveled from city to city in a horsedrawn wagon with a coachman. Back then, unlike today, there were no cameras, no photographs everywhere. People didn't recognize public figures by their faces. If you didn't live nearby, you wouldn't know what leaders or famous people looked like. The Hetsheim's name was famous throughout the world because of the books he wrote. But people didn't recognize him by sight. As they were riding from town to town, they passed by open fields filled with ripe watermelons, beautiful, ready for harvest. When the coachman saw such fine watermelons, he said to the haets, not knowing who he really was, "Look around. See if anyone is coming close. I'll grab one watermelon and we'll eat it together." But he knew it was forbidden. It was theft. So he said, "Watch for me. make sure no one is coming. He looked around in every direction and no one was in sight. The fields were completely empty. He jumped off the wagon and ran to pick a watermelon. Suddenly, the Huffet him began shouting loudly, "They see. They see, they see." The coachman panicked. He dropped everything, jumped back onto the wagon, whipped the horses, and sped away. As he rode, he kept looking. Right, left, behind, no one, nothing. Empty fields. He said, "What do you mean they see? Who sees?" The halfheim pointed upward and said, "They see. Can a person hide in secret places and I will not see him?" Says the Lord. "Wherever you are, God sees you." And that is what Rabanan Ben Zakai meant. When a person truly lives with awareness of divine supervision, his entire way of life rises to a higher level. It is written in the Schulhan aruk, a person should say in his heart, even in the most private room, who sees me? Because God's glory fills the entire world. It continues by saying that a person's sitting, movements, behavior, and speech when he is alone at home are not the same as when he stands before a great king. When a person is in the presence of a king, his conduct is completely different. Of course, God does not demand that a person behave unnaturally. There are normal human needs to eat, to drink, to live. And this too is God's will. God created the world this way. But there is always yat shamayim awareness of God in speech and behavior. A person says to himself, "God is here. I will not speak crudely even if no one hears me. I will not take money that does not belong to me, even if no one would ever know because God knows. And fear of heaven is not meant to bring anxiety or pressure. On the contrary, it brings deep joy. A person who lives with fear of heaven, who knows that God's glory fills the entire world, always feels watched over. He knows there is someone guarding him. Let's imagine the following scenario. This is a ship in the United States Navy. They send it on a mission, a relatively small ship with only a few dozen soldiers on board. It's sent out knowing that it could be attacked at any moment. The crew is cautious. They operate with tension, with fear, worried that they might be hit. Now, imagine that the commander of this ship receives a message. You are being reassigned. You will now join the fleet escorting the largest, most powerful aircraft carrier the United States has. Today, it's known as the Abraham Lincoln, named after the American president. This is a massive vessel, something enormous, almost like an entire floating city. They tell him, "You'll be part of the escort group. Several ships around it, and you'll be one of them. What do you think happens to the feeling of the soldiers on that small ship? Suddenly everything changes. Look who's next to us. There's an aircraft carrier here. It has advanced defense systems. It has missiles. If anyone dares to launch even a single missile at us, it will be intercepted in midair and the attacker will be struck back immediately. Just look who is with us. And yet this example is pale compared to a person who truly feels that God is with him, present with him every moment, every hour. This is what King David said. The Lord is with me, I will not fear. What can a human being do to me? If God is with me, I am not afraid. What can anyone really do to me? Someone might say, but look, he took a hit. Something bad happened. And the person answers, I trust God that everything that happens to me in life is for my good. What do I want to have good in my life? If God is watching over me, then it will certainly be good. When a person lives this way, he frees himself from anxiety, from pressure, from constant worry about the future, but because he feels that God is with him. And by the way, this is excellent advice for someone who is beginning to feel anxious or already struggles with anxiety. There is some event that worries him, fear about what lies ahead. Take verses from the book of Psalms, words of King David, strong, powerful verses. Write them down. And for a few days, say to yourself, "This verse is my motto right now." After a few days, the verse may lose some of its impact because the words become familiar. That's fine. Then take another verse, repeat it, reflect on it, let it inspire you. For example, in the famous psalm, "The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not lack." There are beautiful verses there, verses of strength, resilience, and trust. When a person repeats these words and truly internalizes them, the Lord is with me. I will not fear. God is here. His glory fills the entire world. Something changes inside him. And one who trains himself to live by the teaching that Rabanan Benzakai gave his students. May your fear of heaven be like your fear of human beings. Says to himself, I relate to divine supervision no less than I relate to human presence. When people are around, I don't act foolishly. And even when I'm alone, I don't act foolishly because God is here. When people are around, I won't watch things that are inappropriate. And even when I'm alone, I won't watch them because God is here. This awareness of heaven leads a person to constant joy in life. Because the moment he is convinced, I'm not doing foolish things because God is here. He is also convinced that God is watching over him and protecting him. every single moment. And in general, the Talmud comments on the verse, "Sinners in Zion were seized by fear," explaining that when a person sins, it can bring anxiety, pressure, and fear into his life. It's not necessarily only because of the sins themselves. But when a person knows the truth is here and he keeps walking over there, when he repeats the same mistake again and again, something he knows is not right, something that is a wrongdoing and he keeps doing it, that brings a person into sadness because the soul feels it. The soul senses I'm not on the right path. But if a person knows that he is on the right path, that he is walking with God, even though there are stumbles along the way, that's different. As it says, a righteous person falls seven times and rises. A person falls and he gets back up. Every fall hurts. After each stumble, a person feels pain and wants to fix himself. And everyone has his own personal path. For one person, the struggle is in matters of personal holiness. For another, it's keeping Shabbat. For someone else, it's gossip and harmful speech. Everyone has their own challenges, their own difficulties. But the person knows the path itself is the right path. This is the way of God. I'm not an angel. So I have failures. But I immediately ask myself, how do I fix this? A person like that fear begins to leave him because he feels that God is watching over him guarding him. The Lord is with me. I will not fear. What can a human being do to me? In fact, even just in the past week, people have spoken to me who suddenly began feeling anxiety and they were afraid to tell anyone, afraid that others might look at them and think that something is wrong with them, that they're not normal, that they've lost their sanity. And that's not true. There are situations where people experience anxiety. If they are able to strengthen themselves through faith and trust and they reach a level where their connection to the creator of the world removes the fear, wonderful. But if that's not enough, there is no reason to rule out medical treatment. One should go to a professional, someone qualified, take the lowest dosage that is truly necessary, not to overdo it. If there is a real need, then use it responsibly. At the same time, continue strengthening faith, trust, and joy through classes, lectures, and books. Duties of the heart has an entire section called the gate of trust. In my book, Keys to Life, we also dedicated a chapter to this topic. And over time, with proper consultation, a person should check whether it's possible to gradually reduce the dosage until he returns to a healthy normal life path. Many times I've told people who were afraid of this issue, worried about how it looks, afraid that something happened to them, that they are no longer normal, know this. King Solomon himself suffered from anxiety. In the Song of Songs, it says, "Behold the bed of Solomon. 60 mighty warriors surround it of the warriors of Israel, each with his sword at his side because of fear at night." He had fears at night. In his case, it was because of what the Talmud describes that he was cast out of the palace, wandered far from his kingdom, and only later returned to the throne. That experience left a deep impression of fear. Some explain that the 60 warriors refers to the 60 letters of the priestly blessing. The blessing contains 60 letters and Solomon engraved them around his room for protection. But the simple meaning of the verse is literal. Real warriors. Soldiers stood guard around him at night because he struggled to sleep due to the fears he carried after what he went through. So if even King Solomon experienced this, there is no reason to panic. Because very often, it's not the fear itself that traps a person. It's the fear of being afraid. That fear feeds on itself. One anxious thought leads to another and the anxiety grows stronger. But when a person understands this, when he recognizes what's happening, the cycle begins to weaken and calm can slowly return. When a person suddenly experiences fear or anxiety and doesn't understand what's happening to him, he starts saying to himself, "What's wrong with me? I'm no longer normal. I've lost my sanity." Then just from the fear of what he's going through, he becomes even more stressed. And that pressure feeds itself. It's like a wheel that keeps turning and fueling itself until the person truly falls into anxiety and no longer knows how to get out. Anyone who has seen people during panic attacks knows how terrible that suffering is. But if from the very beginning the person calms himself and says everything is okay. I'm a normal person. Something happened. I'll strengthen myself. I'll get help from others. If medication is needed, that's okay, too. Until with God's help, I return to a healthy, balanced life like so many others. Then the situation looks completely different. Ignoring it is not the right approach. Some people suppress it, push it aside, and pretend nothing is happening, and they suffer silently. That's why it's important to consult professionals in these situations in order to get out of this state properly. In any case, a person's fear of heaven, knowing that God sees him everywhere, not only helps him withstand life's challenges, but also gives him calm, peace, and joy because he knows that God is with him. And we truly see this among the great sages of Israel. Anyone who reads books about them sees how they lived with fear of heaven, not out of pressure or fear, but out of love and joy. Take for example the father of Rabbi Khim Kanyki, Rabbi Yakov Yrael Kyvski, known as the stipler. He was a giant in Torah and authored the Cahilot Yakov series. When he was young in Russia, he was forcibly drafted into the Russian army of that time. They were taken against their will. His assignment was guard duty. One Friday night, it was his turn to stand guard. Before him was another soldier, and they would switch every few hours. The Russian cold was terrifying, and the army did not provide enough warm clothing or coats. There was only one heavy, serious coat, thick and furlined, that the guards shared. Each guard would wear it during his shift, then pass it on to the next one. When the guard finished his shift, he would take off the coat and give it to the next guard who would put it on and so on. That Friday night, when it was his turn to take over, he arrived and saw that the previous soldier had rushed off. Instead of handing him the coat, he took it off and hung it on a tree branch. There were leaves there, and they avoided using trees. They wouldn't break branches or pick anything. Now he was faced with a dilemma. On the one hand it was Shabbat and taking the coat involved a halik issue. On the other hand this was a matter of danger. Remaining in that freezing cold could cause a person to freeze. So he did something that is a powerful piece of advice for anyone who wants to strengthen himself and feels he is about to fail a test. he asked himself. 15 minutes with what I'm wearing right now. I don't have a heavy coat, just my light one. I have a sweater, a scarf, and a hat. Can I manage for 15 minutes without that coat? He decided that he could. So, he remained like that for 15 minutes, and he began to feel the cold. After 15 minutes, he asked himself again, "Can I manage another 15 minutes? I think I can." He later said about himself that in his youth he was healthy and strong. Not everyone can do that. But with that strength of will, he continued, and so each time he added a little more time and then a little more until he completed his entire guard shift and the next soldier arrived. This is powerful advice for anyone. For example, someone who smokes and now wants to strengthen himself not to smoke on Shabbat, but he feels this is beyond me. I can't handle this. When he feels the craving for a cigarette during Shabbat, he should ask himself, can I hold off for another half hour? Half an hour won't kill me, but after half an hour, I'll smoke, he tells himself. fine maybe. But right now, I'll wait 30 minutes. After 30 minutes pass, he asks himself again, "What's my situation? Am I collapsing? Am I about to faint? Or can I go another half hour?" And he answers himself, "Okay, I can go another half hour." And so he continues, "Even if in the end he does fall and smoke, at least he gained all those hours that he held back." And how much reward does he receive for that self-control? And there are those who keep doing this again and again until suddenly it's Saturday night and they made it through. The same applies to someone who smokes regularly and wants to quit entirely. He should look at what he enjoys. Does he like snacks, certain foods, certain books? Usually the urge to smoke comes during moments of boredom. But if a person keeps himself busy, spending time with his children, playing with them, enjoying family time, singing, learning Torah, going to synagogue, filling his day with meaningful activity, it helps tremendously. But beyond that, let's take this idea from the Rebak of Israel Kanki. Even when you feel like you're about to fall, like you can't withstand the test, tell yourself, let's just postpone it a little and then check again. Can I postpone it a bit more? Every person can discover within himself enormous inner strength that he didn't even know he had. But where did the stipler get that strength? From fear of heaven. From living with the awareness that God's glory fills the entire world. I will do everything I can to fulfill his will. There was a hakic problem with removing the coat from the tree on Shabbat. The branches and leaves made it a living tree. It wasn't just an object lying in a closet. So he did everything within his power. Let me tell you something interesting about Maran Rabi Ovadia Yosesef. It's not widely known, but it's fascinating. Every year on the eve of Yum Kipur, he would buy a new tallet. The previous one was still in excellent condition, almost new. After all, how often do you actually wear it each day? They asked him, "Why do you do this? Why specifically on yum kapour? He explained halaka teaches that a person should recite 100 blessings every day. Someone who prays the full amida regularly easily reaches 100 blessings. In the morning you have the blessings of the dawn. Many blessings there. The amida prayer 19 blessings. Minha another 19. Maiv another 19. And before and after the shama there are additional blessings. Even within prayer alone there are many blessings. Beyond that there are blessings over food. Who brings forth bread from the earth. Creator of various kinds of food. By whose word all things came to be. A person easily reaches 100 blessings. The Talmud says this is a protection for a person. One who blesses God 100 times each day merits divine protection and guarding. Even during times of plague throughout Jewish history, people would emphasize this practice and non-Jews were astonished. During the black plague in Europe, onethird of Europe died, staggering numbers. Among the Jews, there were deaths as well, but far fewer. So much so that they falsely accused the Jews of poisoning the wells. They couldn't understand how it was possible that among the Jews the numbers were so much lower. The truth is that among the Jewish people there is both a natural element and a spiritual element. On the natural level, Jewish law builds hygiene into daily life. A person leaves the restroom. He washes his hands. That's haka. He recites the blessing ashar yatsar. Before eating bread, he washes his hands again. The entire structure of Jewish law places a person on a path of cleanliness and hygiene, something that was not common among the nations in earlier times. Today, of course, many non-Jews wash their hands after using the restroom. But in earlier generations, that was not standard practice. While diseases were spreading wildly, the Jewish people were already living with built-in hygiene through halaka. Beyond that, during times of plague, rabbis would always encourage people to be careful to reach 100 blessings every single day. As our sages teach, this brings protection from troubles, illnesses, and epidemics. There is something very powerful about these 100 blessings. Rabbi Ovadia Ysef once explained, "On weekdays, it's easier to reach 100 blessings because the Amida has 19 blessings. But on Shabbat and holidays, the Amida is shortened to seven blessings. So you have fewer blessings. Still, it's not a problem. You can make it up. Blessings over food." Sheha calls her adama. The blessing of ashy yatsar you can reach 100 blessings but on yum kipur you don't eat or drink so you're missing many blessings. So Rabi Oadia Ysef made sure that before Yom Kipur he would prepare accordingly. Even on regular Shabbat days he would keep fragrant spices in the house different types so he could recite blessings over them. Who creates fragrant trees? Who creates fragrant herbs? Before prayer, after prayer, he would take the spices and bless over them in order to increase his number of blessings. On yum kipur, in addition to spices, he would also buy a new tallet. Why? So that in the morning when he wrapped himself in it, he could recite the blessing of sheanu, adding one more blessing to help him reach 100. How does a person reach such a level that he thinks how can I find ways to reach 100 blessings? That's fear of heaven. It's a person who feels I want to fulfill God's will. I want to bring joy to the holy one. Blessed be he. I love him as he loves me. It's hard for us to love God the way he loves us. But at least to do what is within our power, to want to fulfill his will and make him happy. Such a person feels protected, guarded, watched over, close to the creator of the world because he knows he is walking on the right path. By the way, I mentioned the spices. There's a fascinating story that Rabbi Ovadia Ysef's daughter-in-law told after the Rabbitzin passed away. His son and daughter-in-law moved into his home so someone could take care of cooking and the household needs. A few weeks after the rabbitson's passing, there was a knock on the door. She opened it and saw a man dressed in workclo. Many people used to come to ask the rabbi for blessings, so she assumed that's why he was there. She asked him, "What do you need?" He said, "I'm a gardener. I came to take care of the spice plants on your balcony." She was surprised. Who invited you? I'm managing the house now. Who called you? he replied. The rabbitson came to me in a dream last night. She said to me, "Why aren't you taking care of the rabbi's spice plants? They're starting to dry out on the balcony. There's no one watering them. The rabbi is careful every Shabbat to bless over fragrant trees and herbs. I used to pick them, prepare them, water them. Now they're drying out." So I came. They went together to the balcony. And indeed, the plants were starting to dry up. Since she had passed away, no one had been watering them. Even from the world above, she was still caring for her husband, making sure he would have the blessings he needed to complete his 100 blessings on Shabbat. Here's another story from which we learn something powerful about fear of heaven. Kalaka teaches that one may not walk directly in front of someone who is praying the Amida. When a person is praying the Amida, the 18 blessings, it is forbidden to walk directly in front of him within a distance of about 6 to 8 ft. People need to know this. In synagogue, if someone is praying and you want to pass, go behind him, not in front of him. Why? Because he is speaking to God. Imagine someone speaking with a king. Would you walk right between them? It's not respectful. God's glory fills the entire world. Our sages established a practical measure. Within about six to eight feet, you should not pass in front of someone praying. Beyond that distance, you may pass. And this applies specifically to the Amida prayer, not when someone is saying psalms or other prayers. Only during the Amida, because that is when a person is considered to be standing directly before the king. The very word amida means standing. A person is meant to feel that he is standing before a king. The prayer begins with the words, "Blessed are you, Hashem." And it ends with, "He who makes peace." And when finishing, we take three steps backward. Like a person respectfully departing from a king. There is a whole structure here. When someone enters before a king to request something, he doesn't immediately say, "Your majesty, I have a problem. Help me." First, he speaks words of praise. That's basic respect. Your majesty, we all appreciate and honor your greatness. He begins with praise, acknowledging that the king provides for everyone. Only afterward does he present his requests. And when he finishes asking, he does not simply turn his back and walk away. He concludes with gratitude. That is proper conduct before royalty. The Amida follows this exact pattern. The first three blessings up until Hakal Hakadosh are blessings of praise. The great mighty and awesome God. You revive the dead. You are holy. These are all expressions of praise. No requests yet. Even he causes the wind to blow and the rain to fall. Who can control the winds and the rain? Only God. After that we move into requests. And the first request is wisdom. You graciously grant knowledge to man. Give me intelligence, understanding, and clarity so I don't make mistakes. Not in learning, not at work, not in marriage, not in raising children. Then we continue with other requests. Forgiveness, healing, livelihood, redemption, everything we need. The final three blessings are thanksgiving. We thank you. We bow. We acknowledge the good. Then we say, elketss, a kind of personal closing summary. And finally, may the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable before you, Hashem, my rock and my redeemer. That verse comes from Psalms. And then we take three steps backward, respectfully concluding. So when a person is in the middle of the Amida, you may not walk in front of him. There was once a major rabbitical gathering in New York attended by Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, author of Igot Moshe, one of the greatest hakic authorities of his time. Anyone who has seen his volumes is amazed. How could one person master Torah at such depth and breadth? He was one of the leading sages of his generation. There was a council of the greatest rabbis in America, similar to what we call a council of Torah sages, and they had all gathered together. A gathering like this happens very rarely. Sometimes only once every few years. So throughout the Torah world, everyone is talking about it. The great sages of Israel are convening. At the venue itself, there is a lot of activity, assistants, aids, students, people coming and going. A great deal of movement and noise surrounds the place. That day in New York, there was heavy traffic. Rabbi Moshe Feinstein was stuck in a traffic jam. All the other leading rabbis had already arrived. There was a large round table and seated around it were the elders of the generation, the Torah giants of the time. Each one a leader of communities, rebes, heads of yeseshivot. Everyone was waiting for Rabbi Feinstein to arrive. But he was delayed in traffic. Back then it wasn't like today. There were no tracking apps or instant updates. No one knew exactly when he would arrive. So a group of organizers who were standing in the lobby outside the hall said, "In the meantime, let's pray Minha." They stood and began praying the Amida. While they were standing in prayer, Rabbi Feinstein arrived. Someone excitedly announced, "Rabbi Feinstein is here." Everyone was happy. He entered the lobby and started to walk forward then suddenly stopped. People were praying. One of his assistants said to him, "Rabbi, all the great rabbis are waiting inside. Everyone is waiting for you. We should go inside." Rabbi Feinstein replied with a simple sentence that says everything. "How can I pass if there is a wall here? A person who is praying feels like a wall. You are not allowed to pass in front of him." So we wait. What can we do? This is what fear of heaven feels like. There is a wall here. If halaka forbids passing in front of someone who is praying because it is not respectful because you are interrupting between him and the creator he is speaking to. Then there is a wall here. It's uncomfortable. It's not convenient. But this is the law. This is halaka. Of course, there are situations where halaka allows leniency, issues of human dignity, peace, special circumstances. One must learn the laws carefully when yes, when no. But he knew the Torah thoroughly. And in this case, there was no permission to pass in front of someone praying just because people would have to wait another five or seven minutes. That was his conduct. And the conduct of the great sages of Israel is something we must learn from. How to behave at home. How to behave with one's wife, to honor her, to cherish her. There is a well-known story about Rabbi Schlommo Zalman Aabbach, one of the leading sages of his generation. The path leading to his home was a sandy path. His students testified that when he arrived at the stairwell, he would go upstairs to the second floor where he lived, turn on the light, take out a shoe brush, brush the dust off his shoes, straighten himself up. A man in his 70s or 80s, arrange himself properly, and only then knock on the door. They asked him, "Rabbi, why?" He said, "Why? My wife should see me looking presentable. Why should she see me with dusty shoes? That is honor. That his fear of heaven lived through love, dignity, and respect. This story says so much about the respect and honor he showed his wife. We've told it many times. These are the kinds of things we need to learn from the great sages of Israel. their conduct, their nobility, even in old age, the respect, the sensitivity, the attentiveness, the genuine care, the interest in her well-being, the kind word he would give her. There is a verse that says, "And I will betro you to me forever." God says this to the people of Israel. I will betro you to me forever. Of course, God is not physical. He has no body, no form. He is neither male nor female. But in the language of the Bible, by way of metaphor, he is compared to a husband. And the people of Israel are compared to a wife. Because at a wedding, the husband obligates himself in the cuba. I will provide. I will sustain. I will support. The wife does not take on those financial obligations. He does. He commits to give. And so God says, "I will give to you." The Mishna explains that Mount Si was like the wedding between God and the people of Israel. Throughout the Bible, Israel is often described as a woman. Oh afflicted and stormtossed one and in the Song of Songs as well. The Exodus from Egypt was like the engagement. Mount Si was the wedding when we entered into a covenant with God. We committed to keep his commandments and he committed to protect us. But there is a big question here. What does it mean when God says, "I will betro you to me forever." Imagine a young man and woman who meet a few times. They both want to marry. He says to her, "Let's set a date for engagement, but then we would remain engaged forever and never actually get married." Would she agree to that? So, what does I will draw you to me forever mean? Especially since there was a wedding at Mount Si. The verse in the song of song says on the day of his wedding on the day of his heart's joy. The Mishna explains that the day of his wedding refers to Mount Si. So what does it mean to be forever engaged? The ethical teachers explain that there is a powerful lesson here for every married couple. Anyone who is married can testify that there is a big difference between how a man relates to his wife when they are engaged and how he relates to her after they are married. When they are engaged, how does he treat her? With such sensitivity, smiles, attention, he is entirely focused on her. If she has even a small headache, he turns the world upside down to make sure she feels better. And after the wedding, it's not pleasant to say, but often the attitude changes completely. Well, we're married now. That's it. God says to Israel, I will not treat you that way. Even after we are married, I will still relate to you as if we are forever engaged. And the ethical teachers say that every person should take this lesson to heart. When there is tension at home, when something is bothering you, when she is struggling with something, ask yourself, if we were engaged right now, how would I behave? You would try to please her. So why not now? Even after marriage, invest in the same way. This is what it means. I will betro you to me forever. From here, we learn a powerful lesson. Now, let's move to the verses of King Solomon in the book of Proverbs, which strengthen everything we've been discussing. Blessed are you, Hashem, our God, King of the universe, by whose word all things came into being. King Solomon says, "Evil pursues sinners, but the righteous are repaid with good." He is teaching us something very practical. There is another factor that can motivate a person to walk on the right path. A person can say to himself, "Even if right now my inclination is pushing me to act improperly, even if my fear of heaven isn't strong at this moment, let me think. Let's check what's worth it. Let's think one step ahead." God built a law into the world. Evil pursues sinners, but the righteous are repaid with good. Notice how precise Solomon is with his wording. When speaking about sinners, he does not say that God will punish them. But when speaking about the righteous, he says he will repay them with good. Who repays them? The creator of the world. But regarding sinners, he doesn't say God will give them evil. He says evil will pursue sinners. The evil they do will chase them because God does not give evil to anyone. When a person sins, makes a mistake, acts foolishly, there is a built-in mechanism within the action itself that harms him, God does not want to hurt anyone. But he warns us, "Don't make this mistake. It will damage you." The Malbim in his commentary on this verse gives a beautiful parable. A king announces to the citizens of his country that there are certain fruits growing in the land that are poisonous. He tells them, "I love you. Don't eat these fruits. Yes, they are juicy. They look beautiful. They are very appealing, but they are poisonous. Don't eat them." And then he says, "There are other fruits, excellent fruits. Eat those. When you eat them, you are fulfilling my instruction, and I want you to have good." Now imagine someone ignores the king's warning and eats the poisonous fruit. The king had established a law. This fruit you may not eat. That fruit you may eat. If a person eats the poisonous fruit and it poisons him and he dies, does the king need to punish him? What is there to punish? He punished himself. By eating the poisonous fruit, he brought the consequence upon himself. But if someone eats the good fruit, the one the king instructed him to eat, then the king says, "Come, here is a reward. Here is a bonus. You fulfilled my will. You followed the law. You did what I asked. So you deserve a reward." That is what Solomon is teaching us. Sin carries its own consequences. Good carries its own reward. He says the same idea applies to mitzvot and sins. Regarding sins, evil pursues sinners. The evil that is embedded within the sin itself, the wrongdoing a person commits already begins to chase him. It turns against him. There is another verse. Your own evil will discipline you. God does not say I will discipline you. He says know this. Don't do evil because that evil itself will discipline you. it will bring you harm. But in contrast, when a person does good, the righteous will be repaid with good. A person who walks in the path of justice, integrity, and truth according to God's will, whether in commandments between man and his fellow or between man and God, such people are repaid with good. God gives them good beyond the inherent good that already comes from the mitzvah itself. Because in reality you see it clearly. A person who walks in God's ways does not hold grudges and does not seek revenge because that is God's will. So he becomes calmer. He performs acts of kindness and that makes him feel good and when he needs help others help him. His entire way of life follows God's will. So even before we talk about reward in the world to come already in this world his life is better. Think about kashut how much health and balance it brings to a person when he is careful with dietary laws. When he doesn't expose himself to all kinds of risks or questionable behaviors that go against God's will. He lives a balanced life because in everything he asks himself what does God want? So first of all he gains good in this world simply from the nature of the actions he does. Beyond that God also rewards him. He repays the righteous with good. There are mitzvot for which a person receives some reward in this world but that is considered like interest. The principal reward for the mitzvah itself is only in the world to come. Because in this world you cannot truly pay for a mitzvah. How can you compensate something eternal and spiritual with something material? That's why the Talmud says the reward of mitzvot is not in this world. But there is interest. You receive fruits. As the Mishna says, there are mitzvot whose fruits a person enjoys in this world while the principle remains for him in the world to come. So whether in this world or the next the person gains but it's a system a mechanism that a person activates himself. I once read a story here in Israel about a father who became observant and returned to religious life. But his son was already grown and the father desperately wanted him to keep mitzvot. In front of his father, the son would put on teilin to make him happy. But when he wasn't around his father, not so much. One day, the son told his father he was going on a trip abroad and wanted his father to buy him a plane ticket. The father checked the route. It seemed reasonable and bought him the ticket. Then the son said, "Dad, I'll also need a substantial amount of money for expenses." "How much?" the father asked. "About $5,000." The father said, "Look, why take all that cash with you? When you're there, call me and I'll transfer it to you. Today, there are ways to send money easily. I'll make sure you have what you need. But I have one condition." "$5,000 isn't a small amount," he said. I'm willing to give it to you. But on one condition, for the entire two weeks you're traveling, every single morning, you wrap yourself in a tallet, put on tilin, and recite Shama. They made a deal. The son thought, "If that's the price for $5,000, fine." He left with a small amount of his own cash, relying on the 5,000 his father would send. After two days, he called his father. Dad, what about the $5,000? The father asked, "Did you put on your tallet? Did you put on to fill in? Did you say shama?" "Yes." "Good. Then you'll receive it." The next day, he checked his account. No money. He waited another day. Called again. "Dad, what about the money? You said you'd send it. The father asked him again, "Did you wrap yourself in a tallet? Did you put on toilin? Did you recite shama?" "Yes," the son replied. "Good," the father said. "Then you'll receive it." More than a week passed. He still wasn't due to return home, and there was no money. One morning, he woke up in a good mood. He said to himself, "All right, fine. Tallet to fill in. Let's do it. I have some time. He opened the tallet and $5,000 fell out. His father had placed it there before he left. Until then, he had been playing games with his father, so he didn't receive the money. Sometimes God operates with us in a similar way. You do what you're supposed to do, and the blessing comes, but you have to actually do it. If you try to outsmart the system, then you may be waiting a long time for that money to arrive. Now, let's move to the next verse. King Solomon says, "A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, and the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous. He is telling us something powerful. It's worth it to walk the straight path, the proper path. invest in your spiritual growth because not only will you benefit but your descendants will benefit as well. In the previous verse he spoke about you benefiting that it will be good for you in this world and that God will reward you. Now he says not only you the good man leaves an inheritance to his grandchildren. The goodness you receive your merits will stand for your children as well. This is one of the ways God runs the world. When a person does good, he brings redemption and blessing to his descendants. His children are helped because of him. When a person stands before a test to pass or to fail, he should say to himself, "Even if I don't care about myself, it's worth the effort. My children will benefit, especially in character development." Rabi ofin teaches something remarkable. If a person works on his trait of anger and refineses himself so he is not hot-tempered. When he later has children, they are born with a calmer disposition than they might otherwise have had because their father worked on himself. Just as physical traits are inherited, body structure, appearance, even intelligence, so too spiritual traits. When you work on yourself, when you improve and refine your character, you are helping your children. They will have greater peace in their marriages because you invested in peace at home. A good man leaves an inheritance to his grandchildren. And then the verse continues, "The wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous." Meaning not only will the sinner's children fail to benefit eventually even what the sinner himself has may be transferred. Sometimes a person is born into wealth. It's his mazal his destiny. But if throughout his life he behaves foolishly and does wrong. There are times when God removes that wealth. Suddenly everything collapses. And the person who lives with integrity and kindness who until now may have been poor suddenly rises. From the outside it looks random but in God's system he took from one and gave to another. That is what the verse means. The wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous. And now the third verse with which we will conclude. Abundant food comes from the plowed field of the poor but some are swept away without justice. Abundant food great abundance can grow from the plowed field. What is a plowed field? It's the land that has been worked prepared for growth. The verse says that sometimes even from the field of the poor, people who don't have the resources of the wealthy, tremendous abundance can grow, a wealthy person can fertilize, irrigate, invest heavily, and produce magnificent results from his field. The poor man cannot. He doesn't have those resources. Yet sometimes you will see that specifically from the poor man's field a great abundance grows. And on the other hand, there are people who for no apparent reason do not succeed. You sometimes see a wealthy person who invests, works hard, makes every effort, and there's no success. He loses what he has. without justice meaning without understanding without logic. You don't understand why it happened to him. Why did God do this? The message hidden here is this. Wealth and poverty do not depend only on your effort. Effort is required. You must try. But you can see someone who makes minimal effort and suddenly everything flourishes and he becomes wealthy. And you see another who works endlessly, struggles constantly and nothing moves. Everything is stuck. Why? Because everything depends on the spiritual route. Where does this person stand spiritually? What is his standing in the eyes of God? If his spiritual standing is high, then even minimal effort like the poor man who merely plows his field can suddenly produce abundant crops, wealth, and blessing. And another person, no matter how much he works and tries, even what he has, can disappear. In summary, King Solomon is telling us, "It is worth investing in your spiritual growth. It is worth investing in doing good for others. Our sages bring an example regarding the verse, some are swept away without justice." That sometimes a person loses wealth in a way that seems unnatural and incomprehensible. The tossafot intractate quote a story from the sages. There was once a man whose field produced 1,000 core each year. Let's say a core is like a ton in today's terms. So this was an enormous field producing 1,000 tons annually. From that he would give ma asser the required tithe according to Torah law. How much is 10% of 1,000 tons? 100 tons. That's a huge amount. But he gave it happily all his life. When he grew old and approached the end of his life, he called his son and said, "When I pass away, you will inherit this field. Be careful to continue what I have done. Yes, 100 tons is a lot, but continue giving it to the poor to charity as the Torah commands." The son said, "No problem." his father passed away. The first year the son gave 100 tons joyfully. The field produced 1,000 tons like always. The second year he also gave 100 tons. But he began thinking, "What kind of amount is this? How can I give so much?" The third year he reduced it. He said, "I can't give psalms like this." The fourth year, the sages tell us the entire field produced only 100 tons. Instead of 1,000, only 100. He was devastated. His relatives heard what had happened and came to him dressed in white clothing, cheerful, like they were attending a celebration. He said to them, "It seems to me you're happy about my financial loss." They replied, "Should we be sad when you caused this to yourself? Why didn't you separate the tithe properly? They said to him, at first when the field was in your possession, you were the owner, and God was like the Cohen, taking his portion to give to the poor. But once you stopped giving his portion, once you refused to give the 100 tons that belonged to him, then the roles switched. Now God became the owner. He took 900 tons for himself and left you the 100. Before the field produced 1,000 and you gave 100. Now it produces 100 and that is your portion. This is something we must always remember. Everything we have belongs to the creator of the world. We must live with proper perspective with healthy reasoning aligned with God's will. And we conclude with a blessing to everyone here with us and to all our viewers. May the Holy One, blessed be He, guard you all with health and joy. May he protect the people of Israel, the soldiers of Israel everywhere they are. May everything be for good and for blessing. Amen.