Wealth & Possesions: A Jewish. Approach - Rabbi Mordechai Becher

we like to welcome everyone to tonight's here all the men here in the main all the women in and everyone joining in through the telephone hook up and the live stream tonight sh sponsored by Mr Mayor ex mayka s Dasha and amand Francine have the great s of sponsoring a she or to put an ad in the dinner journal in honor of the upcoming dinner of IGN next Wednesday August 23rd to honor any any of the M who sh you've enjoyed worldwide throughout the year call 718 851 8651 or email.com tonight we have the noted International speaker on wealth and possessions a Jewish approach as my cover for tonight's Russia good evening thank you for coming uh so I want to talk about three major ideas regarding possessions and wealth and the natural natural human desire to acquire things I mean it's It's Not Unusual it is actually not abnormal that we want to own stuff from the very moment a child is able to grab you know that they'll grab things and they'll say sometimes the kids's first word is mine this is mine sometimes people's last word as well but basically mine right and there something basic within human nature to desire uh possession and the truth is a lot of the uh uh wonderful benefits that we have in the world things like electricity things like the internal combustion engine many many uh Matters from which we benefit continuously were motivated by people who wanted to make money which is in itself that's not that's not a terrible thing right so we have benefited from this the whole world has benefited from people who want to make money and they' that's motivated them to try to invent things now there are some altruistic people Etc that is certainly so but it is a major motivation and it's something which the Torah recognizes so for example and this is a very strange idea but we we we've we've heard it many many times where we are told vas Yakov L Yakov remains on the other side of the yabok river um he's running away from his brother asov he's got his family with him and we are told that vob L he stayed on the other side of the river so that means putting himself in danger possibly putting his family in danger and and and that's where of course the Malak struggles with him fights with him and uh the gorin famously Russy quotes it not the entire thing but uh he says Amor amor oer he waited on the other side of the river because he had left there some small clay jugs Pim Kim small CL clay jugs and the gamorra says from here we see that the righteous love or their money their possessions are dear to them than their body that sounds very very strange to me right there I mean I don't know um I have read about I don't think I know personally any Rim can I think not not no but but I have read about Rim they seem to be much more into their possessions than the sadim that I know I've known some sikim they you the idea that the possessions are dearer to them than their body so he's willing to risk his body risk his life in order to oh I left some stuff on the other side of the river what did you leave over on the other side of the river some small jugs that that seems to be incredible and then the gorah makes it even more problematic the gorah says call K Lama why why are their possession so dear to them beel because they did not stretch out their hands in theft in other words since their possessions were not stolen therefore they are dearer to them than their bodies now again to me imagine I've been introduced at many places so if imagine I don't know someone introduces me I'd like to introduce our speaker tonight Rabbi morai beer who is not a thief now let's leave aside whether that's true or not but I mean certainly right even granted that it is true I would not look at that as a great compliment I mean seriously I prefer no introduction than someone introducing me that way right this RAB Bea as far as we know we did a background check no no and convictions for theft right he has one outstanding parking ticket but otherwise pretty impressive so and the gamorra says this about Yakov we're talking about Yakov ainu who basically why does he love his possessions because they're not stolen so I did hear one explanation of what it means that sikim love their possessions more than their body in the sense of what you can do with your possessions with your money with your property is much greater than what you can do with your body if I would decide to build an orphanage or a base madress and I would say sug and kadushin granted next perak uh which started I think today right is K but but you know so it's a Mitzvah to do things yourself rather than through a so I say yeah I'm not going to hire some contractor that's a it's not the that's not Mitzvah that's not the MIT so I did I get a shovel which judging from what I've seen at levas most you have no idea how to use a shovel right and I start digging and I mean how long do you think it will take me to build an orphanage and the most destitute person would probably not want to go into a building that I built personally right it would be ponus the fous Mish would be like a danger so on the other hand if I have money I can hire professionals I can pay people to do it I get a plaque on the wall and the wall will actually be straight and smooth it'll be a decent wall I do it with my so so therefore yeah possessions are important because they're an extension of myself I can do so much more with my possessions that should I give a plug for the dinner but I can do so much more with my possessions than I can with my body and so therefore some would say that's what it means their possessions are more dear to them than their body but that explanation thatat ignores the second part of the gamorra it ignores the gamorra says why their possessions are more important and it says why leish Po and bezel because they don't steal them it doesn't say because you can do more with your possessions than with your body it doesn't say they can go further with your money than with your arm it does not say that it says because they're not stolen and one more point about that phrase let me ask you something why doesn't it just say golin or a what does it mean a poon your Dam beazel they don't stretch their hands out I mean the only form of theft is stretching your hand out what what is it actually I mean you think about that statement Mah tells us every word of the sages is precise it's exact when the sages say because they don't steal they phrased it in such a way that that that makes us think hopefully you're supposed to think right it's like it's m to think most po right so but you're allowed to think and and you look at this and it says po they don't stretch their hands out so I heard from my rebi shapo Raa he explains it in the following way he says there's two ways of gaining possession of something there is one way is through control through control force that can happen through I I I I grab something and steal it that can happen through sometimes an illicit type of business practice that can happen through a conquest that can happen in many different ways he says however at sadic the only way at sadic takes possession of something is if it's something not through control but through earning it honestly investing themselves in it so there like with the idea of a kinion the idea of when I say my hand this is mine is if I say this is mine there are two ways of saying that right for example I say this is mine this pen is mine because it's under my control and it's in my property that's mine but when I say this hand is mine it's not because it's under my control or it's in my property it's because it is part of me it's part of me is that so far so good so Remos Shapiro explains that a Kenyon an acquisition of something which is obtained by investment of the self in honest work honest labor or honest intellectual effort then the thing that I possess through that is not mine because I control it it's mine because it's part of me because I invested myself in it so therefore it becomes part of me that's a Kinyon which is close to me am I making sense it's a Kenyon which is close to me because it has become part of me because I invested myself my time my life my intellect my labor into that o into that object into that into that real estate into that possession whatever it happens to be on the contrary the more sometimes as an quoted from from tar Riva who said that you can tell which things are are more mine he says the the the more possessions I take acquisition of the further away they are from me right but if I let's say I say that's safer I want to learn that safer and I want to make a Kinyon on that safer I want to acquire that safer once I acquire it is it further away from me or closer closer to me it's part of me right property the more real estate that I have then obviously I can't have it all around me it's got to be further and further and further away Po in youran I got to stretch my hands out things which are not intrinsically mine things which are not mine because they're part of me tend to be further from me tend to be further away the phrase poan beel means that a sadik understands that he doesn't nothing he owns does he own because just because he controlled it just because he was able to get it he was able to stretch his hand down to get it at sadik understands that everything he has is only his because he invested himself in it in honest honest effort that's how Yakov understood every single thing Yakov had as he says to laan later on I was up all night I was I was consumed by the rain by the heat Etc Etc and and and I I was faithful everything that he has he didn't have to stretch his hand out to getet something from far away on the contrary what he owns is part and parcel of him it's part of his very essence because when he looks at that object there's some of himself invested in it this is alluded to in the Torah the Torah tells usion do not oppress a poor person that you hire and says the father following you must pay him on the day that he does the work do not let the sun go down before you pay him obviously po can say if there's an arrangement where a contract pay him on the 30th of the month or the 15th okay but if there's no prior arrangement by that evening you must pay him and the Torah gives me a reason the Torah does not always give a reason for the Mitzvah but sometimes it does and the Torah here says you know why you have to pay him immediately the he is poor what does that mean towards that salary that you are giving him how would you translate that he he he gives he carries his very soul for that he what what does that mean so the gamorra says bobia says L is that o why does this guy go up a tree he might have to go onto the roof in other words he endangers himself there are many many trades and professions where you are in danger you if you're a roofer you do roof tiles you're an electrician infectious disease physician there are many areas in which a person puts themselves in danger in fact there's a very parenthetically very interesting tra of the egis MOA as someone asked him and I have no idea who it was it's Anonymous but someone said he wants to play professional football for his parosa hard to it's a je okay whatever anyway he wants to play professional football is he is it permitted for him to play football for parosa and he asked because there two issues a he could be injured he could be injured and B he could injure others not only could he be injured and injure others but there's a possibility faint but a possibility even of death to himself or others interesting question now this was written before they knew about the um about the severe concussion injuries that for I don't know if mosha would have reviewed it but revise it but be that as it may rosha Feinstein quotes this posk and the gamorra and the g he says we see from the gamorra that it's permitted to put yourself in some level of danger for the sake of parosa are you allowed to be a a a contractor go up on the roof put tiles yes you are is it mutter to go on the ship when you come back from a journey on a ship do you not say ha but you're allowed to go go on a plane may say goal you're allowed to go you drive into Manhattan you don't say a goal but you're allowed to go it's probably more dangerous but either way right so in all these situations you're putting yourself in some degree of danger for the sake of paros and that's what the says says he's giving his very life for this so leaving aside the halakic aspect that it shows you that it's okay to put yourself in some level of danger for the sake of parosa but Raa shapira understood from here also that it's telling us something intrinsic about how PE that that an honest living means he's given a little bit of himself for that if he's doing it honestly he hasn't found shortcuts he hasn't found a c to to to get to get the money without working he hasn't found some way to to scan the system no no no he's given his life right because time is life it's irretrievable and and when a person works for you what's he given to you when he works for you he's given you a a section of his life and you would dare to hold back his pay because of he's given you a little bit of his life how do you hold back his pay Ando said he quoted R solic Who Rim said I don't I don't know if it's in in the in the sov but he quoted Rim is saying the following that that when a person Works person works for you someone's working in your field in your factory he says the way it works is that the worker because he's invested himself in the work has now being COA has acquired a a portion of your field of your produce of your property of your of your factory produce and when you pay him you're are type of buying him out you're buying his share out making sense now you're following in other words that that the worker because he's invested himself in my field in my factory through that he has acquired a a portion in that product so now when I pay him in effect I'm really buying back from him the portion he owns in my product I'm I'm I'm I'm buying out his his shares so to speak it's an amazing idea and what it tells me is that the possession of objects the working for objects is something which is actually holy something which is kodo that's what it's saying here and that's why Yakov sees possessions as something because for his body he did not work we got that free AO three Partners contributed to me right the body he didn't work for but the possessions I invested myself in I work for put honest work into it intellectual effort Etc then it's really his so that is one aspect of possessions we should understand that there's something very very beautiful and deep about the idea of owning something but not owning it by being poet yard by stretching my hand out and controlling something outside of myself but when I own something which is really part of me because I invested myself in it that's something which is very beautiful and that's something which is that is point number one point number two when it comes to possessions is a famous PK which the gamarra says the entire tah or the entire essence of Torah is is is really hinged on this PUK and you probably you all know it in all your paths in all your ways you shall cling or know and the gar what is a a short section that all the essence of the Torah depends on it in every path uh thank you very much oh there's a cup holder on everything wow very high tech thank you so so and in fact there's a there's a Simon in which is all your intentions your direction your aim should be sh interesting the word kavana means intent but it also means Direction what what's the K right uh in in Hebrew means aiming right adjusting sights right so all your aim in everything you do is aiming towards and the says he talks about the idea that sleep could be a Mitzvah not during my there it's a serious AA right up there with AAR but in any but but at other times right sleeping could indeed be a mitzvah depends on your intention in fact the Sal says that there is there are there are things which are AER and there are things which are a Mitzvah now we all know what do you mean there's things which are AER prohibited there are things which are M permitted and there are things which are obligatory skipped the category of permitted things which are okay right there are things which you have to do there are things which you're don't not allowed to do and there are things you're allowed to do but says no because on all those things things you're allowed to do depending on your intention they're either a Mitzvah or an a very hard he says to find anything which is neither MIT eating sleeping if you eat and sleep for the right reasons that's a Mitzvah a Mitzvah if you eat eat and sleep for the wrong reasons to NAA if you go and do exercise for the right reasons to miter if you exercise for the wrong reason it's an AA so the only things which are neither mitz a are involuntary actions like breathing right so that's it you don't have a choice it's not you're not exercising your free will in breathing unless you are a whale right but in general right we don't you know come up for air make a conscious Choice breathe okay no humans don't do that but everything else they are things which can e depending on why you do it indeed the the rambam in a beautiful beautiful passage inim the rambam puts the rambam says this I'm reading from the uh kafak translation rosha say the best translation of the purish mnas so he says this he he says this Torah is complete and completes and perfects us y translation from the Arabic It Was Written in Arabic originally so the Hebrew we have is a translate okay just pointing right is also written in Arabic so what we have is a Hebrew translation so I mean okay all right um so he says the which is perfect which rests the soul he says did not command aism mutas he wanted the Torah wants a person to be natural and to walk in a medium intermediate path should eat what is pered to eat in a moderate way drink what you're allowed to drink in in a moderate way y soret build the world but sedc with Justice the Torah does not want us to live in mountains on mountain tops and in caves s he doesn't want us to wear Co clothing of sackcloth and coarse wool does not want us to hurt our body and to cause extreme exhaustion here's here Al and the Torah commanded us regarding this where the S tell us with their tradition regarding the na where it says where the na must atone for that which he sin ales against the soul and sayses against whose Soul did the he didn't hurt anyone and he says he refrained from drinking wine something which the Torah says is permitted and then the gamor goes on to say hell someone who reins from wine needs atonement how much more so someone who refrains from the normal benefits of this world it's a fascinating idea and he's telling us that is not what the Torah wants the Torah does not want the person to live a life of suffering and aestheticism the normal house not in a cave normal possessions I was recently in caput Kaya last week kaput Kaya kodia in Turkey is called kaput Kaya in Turkish and in Aramaic and in fact is mentioned in the gamorra numerous places right mishas kapaya RAB AA goes to Kap Kai gives a Shear R mayor turns up the sh after he thought he' drowned RS saves a child from from uh by by examining him before bris Miller they called the kid not abely I mean it comes up cup with K comes up a lot right beautiful place right there are these volcanic Stone formations made of La you know ancient lava etc etc people live in them there are people who live in these caves now they may be comfortable caves but but the Torah does not want us to be cave dwellers right does not want us to live it wants us to live normal lives and it's interesting the rum and the rum discusses this at Great length and the kuseri Rudi puts it this way when you know the whole book the kusari uh is basically a discussion between a pagan king and the first few chapters between a a a philosopher a Christian and a Muslim and the king and then the king uh basically speaks to a rabbi and uh 98% of the saer is this discussion with the king and the rabbi and the King slowly becomes closer and closer to Yiddish kite and eventually converts the story is well known so in in M gimmel the King asks the rabbi he asked the he said describe to me Aid describe to me a Pious person a this is well before this is uh this is the 1200s this was written so it's before the bov so by it doesn't mean it means a a pious not saying that a is not Pious but the the termid here is used to mean Pious right he says so describe to me Aid describes me Aid so the rabbi who obviously talking he says Mel ear a ruler of a city a mayor of a city knows every neighborhood of the city very very well and the mayor will know that certain neighborhoods need more frequent garbage collection and certain neighborhoods need more police and certain neighborhoods need better water drainage and certain neighborhoods need more parking and certain neighborhoods need more parks and the King says whoa whoa whoa whoa says I asked you to describe a Pious person Aid you've described to me a mayor of a city a politician I'm not interested in that I'm interested I'm I'm a king I know what a politician is I want to know what a sadik is what is Aid and R says my dear King I am describing to you aid aid is someone who knows like a mayor knows every neighborhood of the city and exactly what it needs he says theid knows every aspect of himself every aspect of his body and his soul his emotional health his personality his spiritual health and he knows every portion of that and he knows and is prepared to give to each section of the self what it needs when it needs it in appropriate proportions he does not ignore one aspect of the self he doesn't feed one aspect at the detriment of another he like a mayor an ideal mayor it's not a political statement he knows like a mayor what each aspect of the city needs and not every part of the city not every neighborhood needs the same thing certain neighborhoods don't need a lot of police certain neighborhoods need a lot of garbage collection he knows that theid knows the reut Ali goes on to say that his senses need to be stimulated you know what he says you might you need music you need music and you need the eyes need to see beautiful things it's good to go and see beautiful landscapes and artwork that's that's part of what the human needs and the human being also needs intellectual stimulation and the human being needs physical exercise and in terms of food needs a variety of foods so so and obviously the N has its needs it needs cem it needs it needs all these things and R says possessions and Acquisitions and comfortable homes and so on and so forth they are part of what theid understands and gives to to his or her self and this is something which we have to understand that again these are not done instinctively but these are done through decision he decides what he needs he decides what he wants it's not just an on the spot intuitive impulsive uh process impulse is not a good thing to be guided by because impulse is usually not exactly Free Will impulse is something which is ah let me that you know little kids are Guided by impulse and part of the job of parents is to try to guide them not to be controlled by their impulse there are adults who unfortunately never grew up up or were never given that guidance and they are still basically people of impulse you could have people who are absolute billionaires literally billionaires richest people in the world and they don't like another person and their impulse is I want to I want to just I want to beat you up and they actually have tried to there are two people right now who have challenged it to the richest people in the world who literally challenged each other to fight each other physically in a cage until I think what what are they 5 years old I mean seriously how how much this is just like I want to do it so I'll do it like that's it no decision but R says that's not what Aid is Aid is I want to do this let me think about this is this right is it wrong should I do do I need it do I not need it what you need and what you want are two different things need and wants remember R Mo Shapiro saying that that um I forgot the context I remember where we were maybe it was in sheer but he said that Socrates the great Greek philosopher uh didn't go out much you he's a philosopher he sits there and thinks whatever right so his his students said look there's a new Marketplace in Athens let's show it to you it's like a mall a new mall in Athens right um so uh so they take him he says okay fine say you know so they slep him to the mall and he's walking around the marketplace and he's looking around heow and they're like huh huh what do you think he says and he said never have I seen so many things that I do not need which of course any of you who've been to right you go to anywhere pretty much any commercial establishment right 99% of the stuff is stuff you do not need right that's just the way it is there used to be on the planes they don't it it it's I think it went bankrupt or something there used to be something called Sky Mall catalog anyone who used to fly right a long time ago right um remember there was a skym which is basically it's a magazine of things to buy from the plane like you can you you take down the phone number or you know and you can buy it right and the entire C Cog with things that there is not a single human on the face of this planet that actually needs a single item on that catalog it was unbelievable one which stands out to me was the beer catapult the beer catapult it's basically a small fridge which you have cans of beer in the fridge and it's got a little door a a t like a a a beer can siiz trapdoor on the fridge and you have a remote control and you're sitting on your couch watching football and you go click and it shoots a can of beer in the air which you grab and you and you drink it the beer catapult of course the problem with this is that after certain amount of beers right you won't be catching it too well right they'll be smacking into your head which right which is part of the plan cuz then you'll be you know you'll be damaged enough that you want to buy another one that's like you know you'll go to the catalog you know what else do they have right it's unbelievable right the beer catapult someone actually an engineer someone with an engineering degree that means spent you know six years studying mathematics and physics and and and and forces and that right and and this guy used the incredible power of the human brain to design the beer catapult I don't think a Nobel Prize was given for this right although Nobel prizes be given for things as bad but but nevertheless so there's this idea that that that the r says theid is a prince is a mayor is a ruler of a city who decides what he needs decides and by the way sometimes there are luxur we do I'm not saying you don't have to have luxuy luxuries certain things are a need the rambam says in that part inim that I quoted from before the rambam says if you feel feeling a little down he says you should actually go and buy something which costs a little more than usual eat better Foods than usual Listen to Good Music see beautiful scenes hang out with f say hang out but he says uh you know walk around with friends right and and and uh that's fine because sometimes luxuries are also needed it's not bad so it's just as long as it's done with a direction kavana right you're you're directing it towards something a higher purpose I want to be a better human being you know if I don't eat properly I'm grouchy if I'm grouchy I snap at people right I don't speak nicely it's out someone comes for Sedaka I'll give him about half of what I normally do right it's out to it's like so that's all good so that means eating is a good thing I need to eat properly right and so on and so forth these are all part of what theid does as theel so that's the second Point regarding possessions wealth Etc Point number three and this is something which is a little deeper we know that David am said into if you eat from the work of your hands it is happy for you and good and the gar famously says in also in the gar says that you'll be happy in this world and it's going to be good for you in the next World so that means working for the earning something with the work of your hands and by work is you actually sweat could be intellectual labor but but again that's good in and in Hara that's very interesting why is that so and the gamorra says something even more astounding says [Applause] this greater is one who benefits from his own efforts than one who is God-fearing shocking what does that even mean so again I heard from Rosa Shapiro the following idea we know that the base ysf ysf Caro who actually was went to Yeshiva in Turkey where I was Erin ad right adrianopolis so he wrote most of the b y there so anyway he when he got to goes toas as you know wrote the he also wrote a saer called Magid MIM Magid MIM was he had a Magid a Malak who would would come to the to to the base ysf and every par he rosf would ask him a question and he would answer the qu he usually often gave him muser but he also he answer his question as well so one of the questions RF Kar asks the Mal is on the purpose of creation he says I understand that is mative d right he is good is perfectly good and I understand the world was created based on kindness hashem's loving kindness he says but why if Hashem wants to give to us why does he not just give why do we have to go through the struggle of Life why do we have to go through the ups and downs and every life is full of ups and downs and every life is has got struggle right so he says and and and terms of the the if you look at history the amount of suffering the amount of I mean it's it's horrific so why if he wants to give just give it to me why does he have to make us go through right jump through the hoops and so the answer that the Malak gives is famous very famous I'm sure you've all heard it n does not want the goodness that he bestows to have any any lack any negativity and since means bread of Shame if I receive something without having earned it if I get something without deserving it I'm embarrassed I'm ashamed and wants us that all the good we get should be something which we earn and we deserve and we and and and is owed to us as opposed to just being a random handout that's the B that's the problem with that is and the discuss it doesn't actually use the discuss the B but the RAM talks about this idea which is this that here's the basic problem with that answer who created shame so I have a better idea rather than creating shame in the human being and now having to do a workaround called oaz in order to avoid the shame I have a better idea don't create shame then you won't need to work around and then you'll be able to give us what we want to get what you want to give us and I won't feel anything bad about it just you know what I mean just one less feature there's a feature in the humanle shame delete shame right take out that for there are plenty of people without shame and could see them all time right so delete that from humanity and then just you'll give me the good and I won't there won't be anyon there won't be anything lacking at all fine interesting question whether that's legitimate to ask that question the ram says it's not but let's pretend it's okay to us so the ramal is addressing the very same problem but I think he goes he gives a little bit of a an understanding of what probably rosf Caro meant on a deeper level and he says the following the goodness he is perfect in every manner of perfection he is good in every aspect of goodness he doesn't he lacks absolutely nothing he's completely self-contained and independent that we all know these are ikra Anda these are basics of our faith and therefore because he wants to give because it is the way of the perfectly good to give and therefore he also because he's perfect and his goodness is perfect the goodness he wants to give has got to be perfect goodness but there's only one perfect goodness that exists which is himself which means logically speaking in order to give us the perfect good hak has to give us what himself which is not possible how is that even possible so therefore what's the closest thing for our to give to us that's possible for a creature to receive is a relationship a closeness with a so if I'm given the opportunity if I'm given closeness similarity to that goodness of Hashem he's given in other words he's makes he he wants me to be as much as possible like a because in the world of Rus when we talk about closeness that we don't talk about how many centimeters away you are what we mean is how similar you are that's what closeness means in how similar you are so for our to give us himself means he gives us the ability to be like him as similar to him as is possible for creatures for us but that requires something very important remember we mentioned is completely self-contained and independent that means the only way for me to be similar to our is to be as independent and self-contained as is possible for a creature to be I cannot be completely like Hashem because at the end of the day I'm a I'm a NRA I'm not a Bo but I can be very similar how how can I be that way the only way is if a creates a world in which I can actually become similar to a through my own efforts I can strive through my own free will for Perfection for closeness for similarity to hasem or go in the opposite direction in other words and it's going to sound like a paradox but if you think about it you'll understand it is this if Hashem would make us already similar to Hashem we will be completely dissimilar to a that's not a paradox why why because if I am made like Hashem that means I'm not like Hashem cuz no one made Hashem there's nothing outside of he's completely sh there's nothing he does there's nothing outside of him which means the way for me to be like is to also for the goodness and the Perfection not to come from outside but to come from within and the only way that can come from within is through the power of of Free Will and so who creates the entire world in order to have give us the ability to become like I.E as much as is possible for a creature and to earn it through our own efforts and therefore deep deep deep down within the human being there is something that says I don't want something if I didn't earn it I'm embarrassed the way the yusi phrases it he says how do you know if someone consumed something that belongs to someone else he says b m he's embarrassed to look into his face he he can't look at his face but the way the Yami phrases it is very significant because what that means theam is talking about it's not just a feeling of embarrassment it's a it's a lack in the relationship if my relationship with you is that I'm a receiver and you're a giver I can't look you in the face like I can't stand there as a as a as a as an equal I can't stand there as a relationship which is close because at the end of the day I've received and you've given there's an Anye equality there but if I have earned what I've got if you maybe gave me a job and I earned all of it then I can actually look at you in the face there's no shame there and so when it comes to our relationship with we want to be able to not we want to be able to stand there as beings and have a relationship with him at the end obviously we can never be actually like Hashem but to the degree possible to the degree possible for a creature we can achieve something of that we can achieve something of that slos something of that Independence and that's why it's so deep down within us that we that we have such incredible joy and such incredible Pride when we actually earn something we did it ourselves that's not a bad thing it can be bad it can be ego but there's something deeply holy about that idea because it's based on this concept that the whole world is based on that what I I only will get what I Des I only will receive what I've worked for the ram says it at length discusses at length in in you don't get an iot more than what you earned there are no handouts there are no bonuses there is no you know uh right no no nothing no 100,000 extra miles if you buy the C card nothing only what you earn do you get not nothing more nothing less and that is that is Godlike that makes us similar to a and that's why that's why working is not just about earning a living getting a salary it's it's much more than that it's the earning a living and getting a salary and building your POS acquiring possessions that's just an external physical symbol of the real purpose of of humanity which is to earn our place in a relationship with a to earn through to earn the possibility of standing as a independent person without shame in the presence of the bo to standing but that's what we could do right him and he made us a little less than hasem the adorned with Glory and Honor kavod what is kavod kavod is the opposite of n it's the opposite of breame cover is I I earned this I earned this I work for it that is that's the idea of the gamorra and that's why it's a very deep spiritual power in the human being to acquire stuff and to work and to and to just keep going right it can be misused and it more often is misused than used well but we who know the Torah we who understand this can understand that deep down this is such an intrinsic and basic part of the human being and there's something even more amazing about it this is from the ish bitzer from the ish bitzer fire of schal you know it's interesting animals don't overeat animals in the wild maybe dogs domesticated dogs right who've been brainwashed they okay right but your average the animals in the wild do not overeat right you don't have animals walking around with acid reflux and you know like I can't believe I had that entire carcass so no this does not happen in the wild animals eat and drink exactly what they need they don't exert any more effort in acquisition of anything when they have territory the territory they control is only as much territory as they need in order to hunt in that territory and to keep their families safe they're not like it's not like lion pride of liing is not looking at that that Hilltop that's good I want that Hilltop if they don't need it they're not going to have it humans on the other hand ish bitzer points out we don't know limits not just the food in everything we just like you know humans it's like it's weird right I mean what we don't know limits humans just want more more more whe whether it's food whether it's possessions whether it's unbelievable why so the isbit says this he says because in the Nish the Nisha has the capacity to go so far beyond itself right it's infinite it has an INF right the the nsh doesn't have limitation right so he says the N can go from being from from being the lowest level and in one moment as the gor says in K in one moment could be it sadik ch right the deep down the reason we don't feel boundaries the reason we we we we don't know limits right unless this unless they're imposed from outside is because because even if I was the lowest person in the world I can reach the highest place because that's the capacity of the sh he says so is says you think sh is infinite says sh is not infinite sh is sh he says this world has the infinite capacity to bring us to a and to stand before him he says that is reflected in the human desire an inability or ability to just continuously not know limits and the reason don't know limits the is says because the doesn't know limits so yes so three ideas we spoke about the idea that every K that a has he knows and she knows that it's something which is mine because I earned it I didn't have to stretch out my hand in control I invested myself my life my time my intellect in it and then it's part of me and it's honestly earned number one number two we learned as the ramb talks about and the the idea that the that theid knows the Torah does not want me to live in a cave destitute starving no the Torah wants us to live but of the r says naturally MIT in a moderate way that which is permitted not excess and as aeri says the Torah wants us to understand like the ruler of a city that every neighborhood of the body every neighborhood of my soul my intellect and my emotion has different needs and all those needs right have to be satiated and they're authentic in a permitted way with understand not through impulse but through thought and decision- making that is number two and number three we learn that the idea of of the the the passion we have for ownership the passion we have for for for earning a key earning a living the passion we have for taking possession is based on something very very deep in the human soul the very purpose of creation was the idea that everything the the only thing we truly have is that which we worked for that which we exercised our Free Will for that when we did we do exercise our free will we do work we do attain things that is we are happy in this world and good good for us but good [Music] evening shame [Music] inspiring is here to help you with your excess wealth or even if it's not excess and help you Channel it towards great use of our but ter call 718 851 8651 email.com sponsor share for put add in the dinner Journal next week's annual dinner worldwide throughout the year a big to Mr Mayor for support for tonight Shar for mayor for coming for [Music]