How Flattery Destroyed a People - Parsha Shoftim - By Rabbi YY Jacobson

[Music] [Applause] good evening tonight's class is dedicated in honor of the birth of a new baby boy - Shane D and schmoly Becker graciously dedicated by their friends David and EDA Schottenstein tonight we are going to explore what at the time I'm sure did not appear to be a very significant event but yet from the perspective of the rabbi's of the sages of the time it was a monumental event which occurs during one of the last if not the last special ceremony of jaquel during the Second Temple error and a brief introduction is necessary in this week's portion viola moisture AB a new Moses instructs the Jewish people that after every seven-year cycle in the beginning of the eighth year all of the Jewish people should gather together in Jerusalem in the place of the temple in the place of the baisama Kadesh ha que les Hama an awesome Venusian vltava every member of the Jewish nation would come together during the festival of Sukkot in the beginning of the eighth year following the seven-year cycle the seventh year being shmita the sabbatical year and a few weeks later in there in the festival of Sukkot the entire nation would come together and the king of Israel would read selected portions from a safe iturra from a Torah scroll to the entire congregation in the courtyard in the Ozora of the base a mikdash of the holy temple this was called hoc ale it was the only time once in seven years that the entire nation of his the Rambam Maimonides in he'll kiss hug in the Lord compares it to my mid Harrison i according to the Rambam this was a reenactment on some level of the Sinai experience where all the Jewish people stood together at Mount Sinai and entered into a covenant with Hashem with God now we come to a story that happened during one of the last jaquel ceremonies in the Second Temple in the second base immediate issue open up your curriculum to source number one right below the video you have a curriculum it's the Mishnah in tractate cited a from Aleph Emet ala 41 1 Sajida Mishnah parishes hemella kata made suryam tovarisch inshallah hogfish min.eave emissaries Ison Lee beam oscillates bars are evolution Mr McKay Trevor Shannon be Mahadev agreement on the evening following the first day of the holiday of circus on the eighth year at the end of the shmita year at the end of the seventh year they would build a platform of wood in the temple courtyard and the king of the Jewish people would sit on the platform the thousand hack nessus natal Seifert or even nationally reconnaissance Rorschach NASA's national is ganas ganas Neela Kohen Gadol Kohen Gadol nice new lamella vermelha amid the macabre the Caribbean the assistant of the synagogue would take a Torah scroll a safe attire and give it to the head of the synagogue who would give it to the deputy high priest who would give it to the high priest who would then give it to the king the king would stand up and accept this a Torah from the high priest from the coin gödel and then would sit down and read certain section certain portions of the cemetery and the Mishnah now tells us this story a professor MELAS Ahmad Vikki bell vicara I made with shifu hakama King Agrippa a Griffiths stood up to receive the safer Torah but then read this safer terror while standing Agrippa did not sit down he remained standing while reading the Torah and the sages praised him okay sahajiya the lasik Allah says Allah is not a soul gu ain of demeyers there were different portions that the king would read the king would read from the beginning of devar him Deuteronomy till verse Canon Sh'ma till Sh'ma then he would reach ma then he would read volumes Amaya he would read two portions about giving tithes charity miser in purchase ray asked her to assay in partial ski sovereignly suka lasse the king would read Broca's and clawless the covenant of blessings and curses in part risky survey and what Elsa read parshas hemella the portion which tells the Jewish people in Paris has shaved him that where they come to the Land of Israel they should appoint the king and the king ought to be humble and god-fearing when a Griffis came to that verse and parts of strafed and where it says lay suka losses Allah each luxury you cannot appoint upon yourself a non-jewish King Saul going of demise he began weeping tears began streaming from his eyes because i Griffis wasn't Jewish unruly they told them alte sorry at Griffis don't fear Agrippa a hinata hinata you are our brother you are our brother and this concludes the story in that mission er in order to appreciate the event we must have historical context who was a Griffis amela who was King Agrippa the truth is there were two Agrippa's who served as kings in Judea briefly one of the most famous personalities leaders kings during the Second Temple era was her dusim ella no one as Herod the Great or King Herod who was heard us who heard this was the son of a man named anta Potter they came from Edom they were at Diamond Head dome was a country on south south eastern side of the Land of Israel during the reign of the hashman om during the Second Temple era many of the were coerced to convert to the Jewish religion which the sages were unhappy about but the cushman our leaders had that strategy and had that policy at certain times that diamond became servants of the Jewish people and how logically legally they had the status of being an avid Canadian ever taken a knee is when a non Jew became a servant to a Jew he did not have the full status of being a Jew he was a semi Jew he was obligated to get circumcised and to do some mitzvos like the Jew but was not considered a full-fledged do he had the status of a Nevitt Kanani and this was the status of their diamond Antipater the father of Herod was an Adam was a brilliant politician and a very shrewd and mischievous man he was already appointed by the king Ali Xander Jana one of the harsh monoi kings Alexander J Gnaeus Alexander Jana was a son of yokshan and the cashman a king yo Shannon was a son of Shimon who was one of the five sons of Matti CEO who staged the revolt together with his five sons with you who da MacCabe and his four brothers against the Syrian Greeks who captured Jerusalem will capture the base emitter and who issued forth horrific decrees with the intention to eliminate and annihilate the Jewish religion the freshmen re family led by their father Mata CO and the brother you who the hamako be led a three-year guerilla war against the Greek Syrians and although they were outnumbered in a disproportionate fashion they were victorious they were triumphant they liberated yerushalayim they liberated the base of English we celebrate Hanukkah one of the brothers one of the five brothers was shimon a son of matazo shimon son was yoson and johan and son was alexander jana his greek name is alexander genius Alexander Jana appointed Antipater the Edomite and gave him an important political position Alexander Jana died and was succeeded by his wife Salaam Sienna Malka slum C and the queen who was actually a very gracious person a gracious human being the rabbi's and the sages respected her tremendously as she respected them when schlimm Sienna Malka died she left two sons iris the Bullis and her honest her akina's was not a very strong character he was a soft character he was the coin god--all but he led iris t let Arista Bullas take over the power take over the show Antipater who had an important political position he sided and advised and guided Organists one of the sons of Alexander Jana Anglin Sienna Malcolm he instigated her honest to declare war against his brother iris the Bullis and AM a sure war broke out between the two brothers the two sons have examined their Jamie's Alexander Yana and I'm Sienna Malkin it was vicious it was bloody it was horrible and ultimately this is when Pompey the leader of Rome intervenes in to the local today in politics and create some structure some order between the two brothers and Antipater is given by Pompey a very powerful political position later Antipas resides with Julius Caesar against Pompey seeing that victory is reserved for Julius Caesar he knows how to endear himself to the right people at the right time and thus secures a very powerful political position for his son orgeous and when Antipater dies heard this ultimately who was also a brilliant man and a shrewd personality and knows how to endear himself to the Romans very well gains tremendous power and for over 30 years becomes a powerful leader in Judea powerful King crushing every attempt for revolt heard this was born approximately in the year 74 before the Common Era he died in the year for before the Common Era he was a king from 37 before the Common Era till the year for before the Common Era which means he was a king for over three decades during his reign he built Eretz Easter all he built the Land of Israel in an extraordinary way he renovated the based on mixed there's the Second Temple to the extent that the Gemara the talmud says whoever did not seek all Mishler opinion heard aschler opinion omnium of it is that see the second base emitter renovated by heard this the historian Josephus Flavius Josephus oh he said from the scribes the extravagance the beauty the dazzling glittering beauty of the new base i'ma condition if you did not see that structure you never saw what a beautiful structure is the Casals say the Talmud says heard this built all over the land of Israel and of today if you go to the land you will bump in to the great structures and mansions built by Herod the Great during his rule he was beloved by the Romans who has given tremendous power and had a lot of prosperity but there was another side of Horus he was brutal he was ruthless he was a tyrant he murdered he crushed he tortured many he murdered many of the Sanhedrin now her dos married a Jewish woman a real full-fledged Jewish woman named Miriam Miriam was a genuine Jewess from the cash monoi family she was the granddaughter of Organists the old clan god--all who heard this his father served Antipater served Hercules he had a son her conness at a son Alexander and Alexander's daughter was Miriam herders married Miriam they had five children three sons and two daughters one of the sons died as a child they had another two sons Miriam and her dis one of the sons was named Arastoo Bullis and the other son's name was Alexander heard us in his tremendous paranoia and heard this was a very unpredictable person there were days when he was charming and kind and graceful and there were days when he was an absolute monster and when he became a monster you did not want to be in his proximity heard this ended up murdering his brother-in-law his wife's brother Miriam his brother who he was fearful can ultimately create a challenge for him a compete a competition for him so he had him drowned as a 17 year old boy when he was once invited to swim in his pool in Eureka he suddenly drowned this is Miriam's brother he had his mother-in-law killed he ultimately killed his wife Miriam and he murdered both of his sons arista Bullis and Alexander this can now allow us to understand why Augustus said once a reporter reportedly said that you're luckier to be heard this is dog than to be heard this is child because his dog Harrow treated well but his own wife and his own children he murdered iris the Bullis heard this his son married a woman named brenneke actually his first cousin she was a daughter of Herod sister Herod had a sister shlomit and Herod's son Arista Bullis married Slom its daughter one of their children was a boy named a Griffis or Agrippa younger Griffiths was three years old when he was orphaned from his father who was murdered by his grandfather who became paranoid that his own children wanted to destroy him and overtake him and defeat him in assassinate him so he had his old room kill so younger Griffiths is now werfen from his father murdered by his grandfather Herod and his mother convinced Herald convinced her father-in-law that it would be better for the family to travel to Rome and to be educated in Rome and with Harold's consent the younger Griffis and the family with the mother moved to Rome and that's where a Griffis was raised and educated Tiberius the emperor of Rome liked young Agrippa and he grew up in the Roman Empire and befriended many people who in later years would hold very powerful positions in the Roman Empire now Agrippa had a very very interesting colorful diversified life he grew up in Rome he got into trouble he escaped he came back he is at the end after many years he ends up in Rome and when he one day is overheard by a bodyguard of Tiberius that he wishes the old man Tiberius doors are ready he is imprisoned he's incarcerated but Tiberius does die soon and the new emperor of Rome becomes Caligula Caligula was an old friend of a grip in the old days they grew up together Caligula not only liberates a Griffis Agrippa from prison but he also gives him a prominent leadership position in Judea so now a Griffis comes back to area to stroll to the Land of Israel we he becomes a king in you hood the king in Judea Caligula became the emperor in the year 37 after the Common Era for the first two years according to historians his reign still had moments of grace but after two years he apparently became completely insane his insanity took him over the man decided that he wants to appoint his horse to the Roman Senate he would dine with his horse as one of the guests at some point Caligula decided that he was a god and he commanded that his divine Stachel be erected in every synagogue in Rome and in every temple throughout the Roman Empire this is--we're Agrippa was instrumental because of his friendship with Caligula Caligula demanded that in the base--emitter in Yerushalayim in Jerusalem a statue of him as a guard should be erected the Jews refused here there was an opportunity for a bloody massacre of the Jews because Caligula had no mass no problem no qualms and murdering upon murdering endless amounts of people I mean the amounts of people Caligula murdered in Rome was extraordinary including his own closest supporters and it was a Griffis who was in Rome at the time who somehow convinced Caligula that should back off and the base--emitter SH was speared from housing a literal idolatrous pagan Idol in the house of God in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem Caligula was murdered in the year 41 after the Common Era he was a king he was an emperor for four years 37 to 41 and he was murdered he was stabbed around 30 times by his closest people and he was succeeded by Claudius Claudius who was a good friend of Agrippa expands now the authority and the rites of Agrippa in Judea a Griffis now becomes a very successful and popular King in the Holy Land he is in charge over the base--emitter Sh he is in charge over very large provinces he is beloved by Claudius and by the Romans and he does a great job but here was the great unique achievement of a Griffis mls of a group of the king although he was a Roman although in many ways he was a Helenus he grew up in Rome he was educated in Rome he was part and parcel of Roman culture nonetheless he had a tremendous respect for tyre and a tremendous respect for halakhah and for Judaism and for the Sanhedrin for the Jewish Supreme Court and whether coming for the rabbis and for the Caesars he helped them he assisted them he was humble in their presence and therefore his era relatively speaking is considered a golden era of serenity of tranquility of prosperity in Judea and the last one of such a nature during the last temple and after so many years of terror and of bloodshed and of inner and outer conflict the reign of Agrius was unique for the Jewish people in the Land of Israel at a time to give a few examples of a Griffiths and his relationship to Judaism open up source number to the mission and be Korean the mission attracted by quorum chapter 3 para gimel mission adalat the mission of describes how these farmers of Israel would bring by Cory Bergeron was the first ripe fruits if you own an orchard or a field or a farm in the Land of Israel when your fruits would become ripe you filled up a basket with fruits and you brought it to Yerushalayim to the base of McNish and you gave it as a gift to the priest hakalo McAuliffe named the Mishna says source number 2 the flute played before them actually Maggie Mahara bias until the farmers come to the mountaintop Higgy lara bias when they came to the mountaintop a fellow a Griffis her malice mytilus us Alex a free Venetian as a true Maggie Lazzara even that grip of the king takes the basket of fruits and places it on his shoulder and enters into the courtyard where he would ultimately delivered to the priest to the client as a gift what's a filigree for sumela a king carries his own basket of fruits a king even feels that he should bring before him he should take a basket of fruits and come to the basin McNish and prostrate himself and give it to the gift of the Chi and send it with an age and Cendant with an emissary even if you're going to go yourself let your servant carry your basket but a Griffis arm Alice did not do that a Griffiths amela understood that it's a source it's a mitzvah it's I respect for him to fulfill a mitzvah of God and he would be self would take the basket of fruits place it on his shoulder and enter into the temple courtyard next example source number 3 open up your curriculum the Talmud tells us a fascinating story mr. Shimkus you'd olive of a Griffis tamela's over millennia calavicci becoming a Griffis are Mellish the king with his entourage was once passing on a road on a highway a particular path but there was a bride who was heading towards her wedding and a Griffis hemella instead of taking the right-of-way as the king and allowing the bride to wait he left he let the caller go first and the sages praised now this story is also brought a mass exodus dahveed's Aryan I'm at Aleph but am a sector simcoe's is in addition um rule a Myra East so they asked him why you're the king um Marla Hemi told them I mean I told history becau um vizag title kisra Shaka's I wear my crown every single day let her wear her crown for one hour this is her day it's her wedding a day they I am a king today I will be a king tomorrow after tomorrow next week this is her day let her wear the crown let her be the queen let her get the ride away let her know that the king that Griffis gave her the right-of-way and then there's that lovely story in source number four in your curriculum and Metis rambova ikura gimel hey parsha gimel Pisgah hey 3-5 the Madras says they are manipulation manipulation and explains the Torah instructs us and perishes vayikra that when a poor man brings his bird or her bird as an offering the entire bird should be offered and burnt on the altar going up as an offering to God and emulation and says every person when you smell the odor of wings it's a horrible smell why not first pluck the wings remove the wings it creates a horrible smell when you burn wings and what does the regulation announcer the turn is making a statement there's a poor man here the poor man can't afford an animal he affords a little bird if you take over the wing that's going to be a little offering the tyro ones that the MS BAE SJM is bazemore hood there but carbonic Salani the altar should be beautified with a large offering of the poor man and then the Med which tells the following story I prefer some malice the second paragraph a griefer sumela be cash lockers be a mascot LF eyeless a group of the King wanted to offer one day a thousand carbon oilless a carbonyl as an offering which is completely consumed on the altar no part of it goes to the Kohanim to the one who brings it the entire sacrifices consumed and the altar flames going up to God he decided one day he wants to bring a thousand endless a thousand offerings to God Sherlock formula Kohen Gadol a yak URI of other my M hoots me many he sent a message to the high priest don't let anybody offer an offering today besides me what happens a poor man bought on the echo to be other state air a poor man comes and he has two turtledoves to offer two turtledoves in contrast with a grippers a thousand eyeless now you have to understand what that means the Jewish people used to offer every morning on a lost sheep in the morning and a sheep in the afternoon 365 days a year one in the morning one in the afternoon so it's twice 365 I grip in one day once - all for what the Jewish people offer in a year and a half approximately a year and a half and a poor man comes that day with two turtledoves and he asks that priest please sacrifice them please offer these birds and the priest says the king told me I can't and what does the poor man tell him the line begins at Dinoco god o my master the high priest I bar I meet south both Colyer I capture four birds a day annum a crucian imma miss - mish nyan I offered to the gods and I feed myself and my family from the other two in E atomic or even at the height Aparna so see if you don't offer the two you are destroying my source of livelihood my source of sustenance because this poor man is convinced why does he capture four birds a day because - he offers to God and - he can keep for himself if you don't offer these two to God your severing my relationship your severing my source of sustenance so the Kohen Gadol the kyon takes the birds of the poor man and he offers them he betrays the instructions of the king nearer la la Griffis bacala Agrippa has a dream and the dream shows him carbon shell on naked ma in the dream he sees a vision a message the offering of the poor man was superior to your offering two turtledoves verses a thousand elissa thousand carbon Eilis so what happens Shalom Aleichem gondol lacox Avicii call ya cravat the moods from many hyeyeon we're still in source number for the last paragraph of the meander she sends a message to the high priest that I not send you an instruction nobody should offer any carbon on this day besides me and he responds on Millea Dania Malik he tells him the story a poor man came with two turtledoves he asked me to sacrifice them I told them about your command he said you're going to destroy my sustenance Loyola or even and last line should have I not offered his offerings on Maile what does I Griffis tell him your fare or sisa commissure sees all that you did was nice it was proper was appropriate this gives us an understanding of a Christmas in the ancient days imagine a king sends you an instruction you do not accept an offering on this day this is my day and the cayenne God will betray is an explicit commandment another king wouldn't even ask questions the cayenne God that would come out ahead shorter the man would be assassinated immediately our Griffis listens the dream which only told him that the other man's offering was superior to his could have outraged him and created such ire and I anger that he would take it out even more on the Cayenne Gothel and yet what does a creeper say yo Furcal meiosis you did well you behaved appropriately you were right for not listening to me this tells us something about a Griffis now a gripper unfortunately died a very young man he was born in the year 10 after the Common Era his father iris the Bullis who's murdered by his grandfather he wrote he was born in the year 10 he was born in the year ten before the cut and ten before the Common Era and he died in the year 44 cloudiest expanded his his rulership in the year 41 after Caligula was assassinated and in 44 Agrippa the first a Griffith sumela died it was sudden it was after Pesach after Passover he went to que sería to Caesarea for games and there he suddenly died whether it was from a sudden illness or according to some historians it was another conspiracy of Rome which became jealous and fearful of his success expansion prosperity endearment that remains a question but Agrippa died he died in 44 around 25 years before the destruction of the second base I'm encouraged by the Romans and after a few years his son a Griffis a group of the second succeeds him a group of the second at Griffith Rashi calls him and Anil at Griffith been a Griffiths a group of the son of Agrippa grew up in Rome under his father Agrippa so was a son of Arista Bullis who was a son of orders who was the son of auntie patty at Griffith the second was a teenager when his father died he was approximately 17 years old and the Romans did not feel that he was worthy to take over his father but after a few years they gave him some territory in Judea which he reigned although not the same position and the same power and the same quantity of territory like his father and in many ways he continued the tradition of his father he was not his father obviously in character as well but in many ways he continued the tradition with his father the tradition of his father including the relationship with the Jews and the relationship cetera and a loss it's just that in his day was the great revolt the great rebellion against the Romans by the Jews in the year 66 after the Common Era so Agrippa one died 44 a group of Jews the zealots revolted against the Romans in 66 22 years later and a few years later the Romans destroyed Jerusalem destroyed the base on McNish massacred untold numbers of Jews and exile Gullah sediment suits the information we have about the two Agrippa's is from the jewish roman historian Josephus Josephus Flavius and his Roman name Yosef bin mattiyahu Yosef own as he schooled in our sources and according to Josephus he Agrippa to try very strongly to persuade the Jews not to revolt against the Romans but as we know he was unsuccessful because the group that believed in revolt succeeded and there was a major war between the Jews and the Romans until the Romans cut down the conflict now the role of Agrippa - in helping the Jews or assisting the Romans and betraying the Jews is a very heated discussion among various historians and including Jewish historians the bottom line is he was very much against the revolts and he sided with the Romans how much he cited as a question ultimately the baser McNish was destroyed in the year 68 or 69 or 70 one of those years and this is during the time of Agrippa Agrippa - the son of a Griffis a group of the first this is the context which is vital to have in our minds if we are to appreciate the story here in the Mishnah in miss Esther sited of mamala from an Aleph now let's understand the story a Griffis amela is the king of Judea he comes to Hawk Hill Hawk Ale is that time once and after every seven year cycle the beginning of the 8th year sucker's the night following the first day of suckers when every Jew comes together man women children to listen to the Torah being read by the king a Griffis standing he doesn't want to sit he stands to listen to the turn to the extend the Gemara ask since later Matt looks amongst well quite the Inca lady marshal a king doesn't have a right to forego on his honor to forego his honor how does he stand in the Gemara answers mitzvah shiny it's for a mitzvah if it's for a mitzvah it's difference on the contrary this only strengthens the honor of the king because the people see that this king is committed to God thus King has real ethical values this King knows that he is not the only source of absolute power there's a power above him this only allows you to respect the king even is what to respect a Griffith stands and then he's reading the Torah while he's standing and he reaches that faithful verse which every King used to read during jaquel and i should mention of course that this year tough since a mock test five thousand seven hundred and sixty nine is a year of hakkon so in the time of the base Samak dish during circus of this year tough since a mock test the past suck is the entire nation would gather to listen to these portions of the king and then the king reaches that verse in paris shaved him and open up your next source source number five purchase faith and prayer key design project as love at Griffis is reading these words scientists in my left arm ellis Ashley if gosh I'm a little boy a point for yourself a king which who got home God will choose micariff affair katha similar hemella you should appoint upon yourselves the king from amongst your brother's like sook Allah says Allah is not really a fee ho you cannot appoint upon yourself a non Jew who is not your brother a Griffis begins weeping zalgo Ain of myiasis tears are streaming from his eyes he is the king he's reading the Torah it's hawk hail the king is supposed to read the Torah but who was the king the king is a Griffin Roman King he respects fair he loves Tyra he's doing the Mitzvah he starts crying think of the moment what happens so as we saw in source number one the Jews respond them what are they say after Syria Griffis don't fear no need to cry a Shinawatra you know what you are our brother which i Griffis was it number one or number two it could be at Griffis number one during his reign there was a hackle year it could be a Griffis number two from Rashi it seems it was a grouper - not a gripper one how do I know open up your next source source number six Rashi sighted off mamala from an Aleph Rashi says a Griffis homologs mellitus R'lyeh misery shall heard us he was a Jewish King from the descendants of Herod you see rashly gives us the history he was from the descendants of Herod we remember this harrowed marries Miriam has a son Aerys the Bullas as the Bullas is killed Arista Bullis has a son at Griffis a Griffis has a son a Griffis who who should not have base hamikdash be our mouth this is the grip of the king in whose days the base Hermitage was destroyed why is it necessary for Ashley to say this we will see in a moment this is a very important thrashing but this gives us the timeline if it's that Griffis in whose days the base of each dish was destroyed a grip of one died in 44 after the Common Era the base a matrix was destroyed 25 years later around 25 years later Agrippa - he was the King in his days the base a mix was destroyed the second Mesa mixes by the Romans by the space see and Titus now it's interesting Rashi clearly says in this story here mr. Josiah that his mother was Jewish he may me slower actually says why did the rabbi say why did you say ah he know after your our brother Rashi claims that I Griffis his mother was Jewish not everybody agrees with Rashi the Rambam Maimonides quoted in a Yaakov toasts listen Bob a bastard off-key Malamud bass toys listen your Varma's da from ma believed that his mother was not Jewish in other words a gorilla was not Jewish hierarchically speaking according to Rashi a Griffis was Jewish what then was the problem why was a Griffis crying that Griffi was crying because he came from a family of Arvada mäkinen M heard this was an avid Canaan E and T pata was an avid Kanani Irish the Bullas a Griffis a Griffiths and therefore was inappropriate that he should serve as a king of Israel but technically legalistically illogically was jewish tyst vez de Rambam in the sea of omean sin in Baba Basra there Amin quoted in any I believe his mother was not Jewish Raschi hauled his mother was Jewish it may be we may suggest I'm not sure but it may be this may be dependent whether you believe this was a grip of the first or a group of the second because I drift with a group of the first who did he marry you remember whom he married he married or DISA's sister's daughter or just had a daughter sister shlomit and his daughter her daughter shlomit married Arista Bullis and the son was a Griffis so his mother presumably wasn't Jewish because his mother a Griffis his mother iris the Bullis his wife was a niece of heard assumably had the same status like her brother Harald if Herod wasn't a Jew he was in heaven and so then presumably his sister OSA was not Jewish if so her daughter was also not Jewish Rashi however says that a Griffis his mother was Jewish so this would seem to be a gripper to perhaps Highsmith's Rambam believe it was a grip of one and the mother was not Jewish in any case it was one of the two Agrippa's one of the two at Griffin with whom this jaquel story occurs according to Rashi Agrippa - according to others Agrippa one according to Rashi his mother was Jewish he was just a Nevitt according to others his mother was not Jewish she was not Jewish she could not be a king and therefore he was crying when you finish reading the Mishnah what is the impression you get my dear friends you're moved by the sensitivity of a Griffis amela you're moved by his finest by his subtlety by his emotions but what do you think of the Jewish response to him he's crying an unruly they tell them don't fear you're our brother we may view it as a positive thing as a negative thing but certainly may not death such a significant moment at first glance in Gomorrah we see another picture open up your next source source number seven Jacques de Gomorrah sighted off my malifaux midbass Tana mich made Arab naasson we have learned in the name of rabbi Austin but I Sasha miss Kay who sign Easter all clear Chesney fool ila Griffis that moment the enemies of Israel became liable for destruction because they flattered at Griffis often the rabbi's when they say the enemies of Israel they actually mean Israel but when they're talking in negative context their subtlety and their refinement did not allow them to say the Jews became liable for destruction so they used a euphemism the enemies of the Jews but what they mean is the Jews at that moment rib Nelson says the Jews or as they say the enemies of the Jews meaning the Jewish people became deserving of extermination of destruction why because they flattered a Griffis they flattered Agrippa they said something untrue to him they said you're our brother you're our brother there's no reason for you to feel bad there's no reason for you to feel despondent you're our brother they spewed forth to him falsehood to flatter him Arab nonsense says this is the day they became liable for destruction the next source source number 8 you shall be Talmud you saw me Satan this mission appears analyst as iron higher base hello l'm no flew boy sorry i'm shannon fillet the u.s. army but big believes that many died that day that they flatter many fellow that they did they flattered Rashi says they said you're our brother what's wrong he was Jewish his mother was Jewish we said right he said his mother was Jewish and Rashi says but it was still inappropriate for him to be the king it was a disgrace Ilham Ilsa was a disgrace for him to be the king Tyson Smith argues on Rashi here in my sector cited optimum Aleph I quoted earlier another tie system of abbas khan yuvan is deert Isis has a different perspective but here insider typhus argues are nasty what does he say he says it can be that for such a slight thing they would be punished so severely if he was really there brother he was really Jewish anti-surface answers here that even though his mother may have been Jewish nonetheless it's forbidden for him to be a king because even if one parent is Jewish even if the mother is Jewish you can have other positions of power among the Jewish people you're a Jew but you can't be a king makarevich also means from amidst your brothers have to be completely Jewish from every side right front and center father and mother and therefore was forbidden for him to be a Jew and thus tasteless continues and open up your next source source number nine tasteful sighted a family from Atma's sucked Isis bazooka NOFA this was the flattery you see source number nine toys for Satan I'm a love base Shamala a busy area shall I couldn't either a Griffis ruled the Jews by force not according to the laws of terror waha Doolin and the Jews at that moment conceded to him that zicoba car and they confirmed this position suck tasteless nahi nahi shallow you fool enjoys hyelin lish take Valera oxic shrew they couldn't had they couldn't protest he was ultimately a puppet of Rome they didn't have the power the legions the authority to over to dethrone him to put up a Jewish King true test was us they could have protests but they could have remained quiet when he was crying feeling guilty feeling horrible they could have remained quiet no tasteful says they went and they told them don't worry you're our brother you're our other Bozell inertia can offer but Vera Vera Zamagni Flocka very much mysteriously me pon of Vania Herschel us a cottage borough ha this is the punishment I sucessful flattering somebody committing the sin you're flattering your friend because you're fearful of him you want to be on his good side you want to appease him so you make believe he's doing the right thing when he's really doing the wrong thing and you're completely insensitive to the authority of God who said it's wrong vici inshallah my lucky Luanne area this person makes believe as though the supernal eye does not see the eye of the human being his friend has tremendous control over him he scared not to flatter this person I need to be on your good side so I'm gonna flatter you I'm gonna make believe it's all good so I'm going to sell my priorities and my values making believe that God's eye he doesn't see anything and this toy services was the great problem and tragedy when the Jews turned to our Griffis and said no worries I've seen a lot - you're our brother you're our brother now let's reflect upon this for a few moments and the following ideas based on explanations in various sources concerning different events in Jewish history and also a bit based on an explanation of the morality to share God this here in my sector SATA one of the points were going to say why the according to arab NOS and do the jews become liable for destruction first of all it gives us a perspective and an understanding of what Rashi is saying why does rashly say i Griffis is the king in his days the baser macness was destroyed he may not only giving he may not only be giving us historical reference it was Agrippa - he may also be telling us because the gomorrah says that day the jews became deserving of destruction sarah she says indeed soon afterwards the base HaMikdash was destroyed what was the ultimate final cause of it this flattery of a grief this may be the headsman this may be the calculation of Rashi the truth is that God runs the world God orchestrates every event in the world Hashem wanted however that we should live and utilize the vehicles and instruments of nature including diplomacy including relationships including the systems of politics economy medicine and so science in order to live our lives but knowing that nature is a vehicle of God nature is an instrument of Hashem nature is a glove but there is the divine hand in the glove especially the Jewish people then bachelors of God to this world whose history was filled and is filled with trials and tribulations great moments and very difficult moments Jews throughout history were like this like the Meldrick says like the sheep surrounded by 70 wolves and only the shepherd the great Shepherd protects the sheep not to be exterminated exterminated and annihilated through the 70 wolves and therefore for Humanity and for the Jewish people they cannot achieve success and fulfillment and longevity by detaching themselves from God who is the source of all of their protection and their existence in their survival throughout history this was a faithful moment than in Jewish history a Griffis is reading the Torah it's a great moment ha Kel he's a great King but it's also a tragic moment because he's not supposed to be the king he's not allowed to be the king God does not this is a violation of the way God wanted it yes it may be that they not in control but it's certainly not the perfect beautiful situation he starts crying he feels that he's a sensitive soul for it he has Jewish genes in him there's Jewish blood flowing in the veins of a Griffis something is there there is still the genes of the rushman are you somewhere you have gene of you who the Maccabee somewhere you have the gene of Matisyahu of the great freshman I family and he expresses it through his tears and yet the Jews felt that here they have such a good king let's tell him something that's not true let's tell them you're her brother you're perfect and they say it twice okey no a turkey no at the white why's suck the benyard Arab a new use of time of Baghdad diminished hi why Aquino otter he no after he says you're worthy for the kingship and your children or another interpretation he gives you're our brother as far as lineage genetics you're a Jew and you're our brother as far as deeds as far as character they felt their success finally is here with this King what do they have to do they have to appease them they have to make sure he's on their good side they have to make sure they're on his good side they have to make sure that he feels completely integrated with them and they look at him as a perfect king and at this moment they sold their soul because the tire is says Lisu colossal as a luxury you can't protest don't protest but at this moment they forgot well they choose to protect shows to forgot that ultimately the only source of their security may be through our Griffis as God how can you sell out that source and when during Hawk Hill what is hockey how kill the terrorist says bring together men women and children to hear the terror why LeMond yeesh mullah man Yama do they should listen and learn to fear God add haka when he's reading the tire and the whole objective of Hackel is to inculcate within the Jewish heart and have them relive the moment of Sinai like the Rambam says until his kahega to re-experience their unique relationship with Hashem the ruler and the only ruler of the world and ad hoc ale they lost that spine they lost that song oh you know after your brother you're our brother and this is the moment when the Sheep naturally becomes vulnerable because if it detaches itself from the divine protection there are always 70 wolves that are ready to devour it this is then the meaning of ribbon Austin this is that moment of flattery when the Jewish people substituted their true source of protection the true source of survival with a delusional source not that at Griffis wasn't a great king Griffis was a great king but he's a vehicle he's an instrument he is not the ruler of the world the been jihadist has another interesting thing he says if you look in the words of the Gemara what does the Gomorrah say the Gomorrah says that has needful Loyola at goofus they flattered at Griffis he could have said a sniffle oi we all know who it was and the answer is if I Griffis would have been a vicious person a real rush a real wicked person many opinions in Gomorrah incited of them all of them and they say that when you have to save your life actually all opinions say it when you have to save your life you're allowed to say false oh yeah a lot of flattered even if it's a lie because pakua never saving a life the Torah itself says it overrides everything but this was a great fascist a Griffis was a good purse the goofus was a fine person you don't have to lie to read off the flattered and there are another two important points here when somebody flatters other people we know from a psychological point of view you can't really survive people who live to flatter and are defined by flattery they have to flatter this one and after flatter this one they can't survive because they don't have an essence they don't have a spine they don't have a nucleus it's true individually when you're a flatterer you say things to certain people which you don't mean which are false which are lies just to gain their favor you are owed more than anybody else you're trying to survive but you destroy yourself because you're not real there's no you this is true individual it's true collectively as a people the foundation of Jewish existence is what we call the Yiddish you distressed all its Jewish pride and the moment they lost that inner pride coming from their own identity their own faith their own tradition their own terror ultimately they failed they felt there's something even more about flattery and that is the person whose favor you're trying to acquire through flattery ultimately you distance this person even more because when you're flattering a person ultimately if he has any conscience and a Bissel cycle if he's clever he gets disgusted by you because he realized he realizes there's nobody to respect him this person is ready to sell his mother his soul for flattery you would think by flattering the King would be better for the Jewish people by flattering somebody else you gain favor but the truth is long term it works the other way around because deep down the person whom you're flattering even if in the beginning he likes it and he appreciates the honor and the flattery and so on and so forth deep down he becomes disgusted with you deep down he loses every iota of respect for you and this was often the story of the Jewish people they thought they'll into rate and they'll become loved and accepted and embraced by false flattery and by disposing themselves of their true identity and their true tradition and their true faith and their true belief system and ultimately their seeing in a much lower fashion than ever before and this is the meaning in the continuation of the Gemara insight where the Gemara explains that the lengths the consequences of flattery with this approach I think we can appreciate a lot of these insights in the Gomorra far clearer and far better but i want to conclude with a story i recently heard a much later period in history but expresses the point quite well franz joseph king of hungary emperor of austria the leader of the austria-hungarian empire he died in 1916 he was married to a woman named Elizabeth the marriage was not the best marriage as is known in history once at an event we're friends Joseph and his wife were present was also the rabbi of Budapest AB Coppola right couple right died in the 1920s he was a student of the soft cypher a son of the Sam cypher very prominent rabbi and leader and activist stood strong to protect you - guide and Judaism our luck in Jewish law in a difficult time and he was at the event and Elizabeth the wife the Queen of Friends Joseph stretched out her hand to welcome rabbi right and he politely refused a handshake and he told her that according to Jewish law and according to Jewish tradition it is inappropriate for a man to touch a woman whom he's not married to people were stunned people were shocked what will be a reaction will be a response such disgrace such humiliation such disrespect we gevalt especially the Jews present as usual Elizabeth turns to France Joseph and she looks at him and she says I envy Jewish women Jewish wives who have husbands which behave in such a fashion have a good night [Music] [Applause] [Music]