Ki Seitzei: The Arizal Reveals The Startling Connection Between the Yefas Toar and Chodesh Elul

This Torah class is brought to you by Torah anytime.com. [Music] >> I told him to answer. >> Okay. As we prepare our four and of course we're holding in the para begins you go out to war against your enemy. Who else is going to reward and God will give into your hands your enemy and you will capture his captives for you'll see among the captives a beautiful woman you will desire her you will take her as a wife you will bring her into your house. You'll shave off her hair. Let her nails grow long. You remove her clothing of captivity. She sits in your house and she cries for father and mother a month of days. and then you will come to her have relations with her. Well, reveals to us that this and this episode and this para >> this para is not only does not only does it have a literal meaning but it is also a mush. It is also an analogy and a parable to the following. I basically cut out it's a very long piece. I made it more user friendly in a manner of illusion. The is awakening us. When you leave the real world, the real the real world is upstairs. Say when you leave, you should know what are you coming to. You know what you're coming to. You're coming to a war. Who's the enemy? What's the captive? The captive is where you're able to take good. What does it mean? The captivity is and what does it mean to remove the cap the clothing of captivity? The clothing of captivity means the tuma that you've been affected by. And how do you remove that? By cleansing yourself from sin. Chuva preparing yourself in the road of chuva preparing your mind is okay so far so good. So according to the this refers to the war against the and it's telling us that we need to prepare for it. We need to cleanse oursel from sin. And where do we do it? We need to choose a place to sit. The house which is designated for the Jews. What is that house? You should you should confess with crying. because you rebelled against your father and mother. Who's your father? So obviously the refers to the cha for how long that's enough time or it's alluded to or it alludes to or it alludes to the month which is designated foresh. So according to the in fact the episode of the the which you would think what am I learning about we don't go to war it's not it's archaic actually it refers to every one of us we all come down here we're all at war with the and the advice given is we need to remove our beadim refer to the effects of the we need to cleanse oursel from what does it mean? You sit in the house. What's the house? And what does it mean? What are we crying? For the we left the for a month. Which month is this? The month of Allah. >> So by this analogy, we are the off. We're the captive. We're the ones who have to sit and war. >> Yeah. We are the we are the beautiful woman. >> Yeah. We are the off. We're not the soldier going to war. In other words, the is the is pure. However, it's covered. It's their layers of on top of the but according to the our is the the clothing are the the crying is the cha the father is and the month that we're referring to is the month of by the way what is the of the of the quoted in the look at number This is the month of the par always and as we know the says that the paras of the week are not haphazard they're always connected to the time and of course we know kis is always in the month of el there are other interesting important things about kis kis has more mitzvah than any other par in the whole there are 74 mitzv mitzvah writes but here we have it's will never come out in any other month it's only and is a reference to by the way the likewise look number four which is and the limbs Hashem will give them to us in our hands then we'll take back our beadim we will take um we will take back excuse me our avarim We will take back our what does it mean? What do you mean shave the head? Very important. Remove bad beliefs. cut off or here the Ariza learns cut the nails. Remove moist rice. Remove moist meaning here is um cut hair represents uh luxury. Why is that? Because you can live without it. In fact, often people spend a large part of their life without it. So here is the part of the body you can live without your head but you can live without your hair. Hair represents luxury. So therefore we cut off the hair. That means as part of the chuva process you stay away from mo rice luxury. You remove the garments of captivity. That is the which is our which comes from we cry for our father. That is when again the says very interesting. This is a very well-known is not so well known the source in the z and the so we have over here the which we've become uh one of our favorites and he asked a very obvious question the month of chuva is lol is not the month of chuva where do you ever see have to do chuva and elo where does it say you do chuano you don't do chuvan you do chuva in tish you made chuva is the preparation for chuva. It's not the month of chuva. Why would the month of chuva be? It's not the month of chuva. Maybe we try to increase my but it's not it's not this man chuva. The man chuva is tish. Okay. So you say you know doesn't hurt to do it in l. You should also do it in lol. But what exactly? Why would the month of be called in the desire says that says man of chuva is associate chuva is for chuva. Okay. But even worse we could ask the following. What words in the puk signify chuva? Where in the does it say to do chuba? The most blatant rem is you cry for your father and mother. Okay. So at first glance it seems like a nice rames is part of chuva. But is it part of chuva? Crying is part of chuva. Do you have to cry to do chuva? Not really. What's chuva? The Ram says four things. You could really condense it into three according to what's what are the four ingredients in cha. The most important thing is you have to stop. Oh shuazalu. Yeah. If you're still doing it the next day you didn't do chuva. The first ingredient of chuva is number two regret. Number three voy confession. And number four, is crying part of chuva? No. Could you do a chuva sha without crying? >> Yes. What's >> Let's say somebody has a brand new car and he he backs up instead of going forward. Does he feel bad? Yeah. Does he regret it? Yeah. Is he having a bad day? Yeah. He's not crying. Most people don't cry. Now if you if you cry I'm not saying it's not a good thing but is that chuva why would we categorize as crying in fact the in which is in the back of the he writes are fasting crying eulogy and bismanu by the way Imanu people make the mistake they fast and they cry but they don't do chuva what do people do during el and during tish I'll tell you what people do they write out checks they think that if they write out checks they're doing chuva now I guarantee you that all the organizations will accept your checks but you should know that has nothing to do with choua. That is not it has nothing to do with this. What does it got to do with that's but if you want to remove a you have to stop you have to regret it you have to accept not to do it again. Writing a check is wonderful. You get scar for it. But it's not not >> unless you >> isn't the ultimate emotional confession that what you did is wrong. >> Maybe, but you don't need to. It's not. >> It's a it's a sim you really believe that what you did is wrong. >> Bottom line, the components of chuva are not crying. And so why would the beame say crying? So important that you cry >> good. But if you cry and you don't stop sinning, it does garner. >> First of all, what about the gates of tears, right? Good. >> So if you cry, give you more money, you get more money, but you didn't do chuva. What's it got to do with chuva? Okay. So here we we start with um important. If you look in par which is talks about the mitz of all these things happen you will return in your heart among all the gentiles. You will return to God. You'll listen to his voice according to everything that I commanded you. What's the problem? The problem is in these it says to it says chuva two times. First it says and then it says what are these two chuvas? First it says and it says so by this the on the spot he says like this there are two parts of chuva theic ingredients in chuva is you got to stop and you have to accept not to do it again you have to feel bad and you have to confess sayso before you do that though there's another thing you need to his name. Think about the secret component. Contemplate in your heart what is true and what is false. Then you will realize how far you are from the god the deos in your opinions of a minim and your practices which are not like the then you'll be able to do chuva. What this far basically is saying is that there are two steps in chuva. Of course, the ingredients of chuva do not change. You have to regret what you did. You have to stop sinning. You have to accept upon yourself not to do it again. And you have to confess. But before that you do that, you need to come to one recognition. And that is >> it's not the God is here and I'm here. Hashem is here and I'm very far from him. You have to realize how far you are from Hashem. That's the first. Once you understand how far you are from God, then you could make the is saying there are two steps of chuva. It's a very big. In other words, if a person thinks, yeah, I'm a great guy. I'm a great Yid. I'm doing everything good. Oh yeah, I have a couple things I got to tweak. Got I have a couple things that I just got to fine-tune and then I'm going to be, you know, operating on on uh full capacity. No, no, no. You need to come to realization. How far are you from God? And you'll only do that if you think and really understand what is MS and what is she. If you think me and we're like this, we're like that. Forget it. You're in dreamland. You're not going to do chuva. The mab who's a mab member of Mosha matroni one of the contemporaries of the Ariza. He wrote a safer called basim which has different. He has and I believe and his summation and his definition of chuva is eyeopening. He says we've investigated the parameters of I found you know what it is. You know what chuva is coming close to God from being distanced. That's what chuva is. He says cravo means the purpose of doing chuva is to get closer to God, not to save your skin from punishment. Because if your kavana is to save your your skin, you're not coming close to God. But in other words, what we're doing is we're bringing out an idea that aside from the technical requirements of doing chuva, which means stopping to sin, regretting it, there is a certain recognition that you need to reach of the which is realize how far you are from the says Rashiva of Lakewood. Look at number 11. He says based on this idea of theo we could now suggest the difference between the avoid of as opposed to chuva. The truth is chuva in terms of is during chuva during but that's the actual mitz of chuva the chuva the the components of chuva. However, there is an antecedent as uh realm and that is before you do chuva of the shaft, you need to do the chuva of and that is to understand what is ms and what is and to come to the recognition of how far are you from God and you know when you do that that's the month of l the purpose of the month of is to realize how far you are from Hashem. We're not yet ready to do the vid. We're not doing vid yet. Especially those of us who how many vidos do we say a day? Zero in the five towns they say. >> You get freeman >> or you could go here. >> Yeah, >> I was joking. But there's no voy maybe. You may. What do you mean? Well, we're blowing. No, no, no. We're not We're not doing cha yet. We know what we're doing. We're doing we're we're trying to weed out all of the justifications and rationalizations and all of the attempts to make us think us and God, we're buddy. We're we're we're up there in already. No. The month of is the month of to understand. So now says we understand why the chuva of isame is in what words we asked what do you mean crying is not part of chuva you're right crying is not part of chuva but we're not doing chuva now we're coming to the realization of how far we are from the and actually gives the following You have a little kid, he says, who has to leave his father and mother for some time. And when the trip starts, he looks out the window and he sees his father and mother and they're waving at him. What happens? So he's overcome with emotion of yearning and nostalgia and kis for his father and mother. And every time he thinks of how he used to be so close to his father and mother and how far he is now, he's overcome with emotion. He's overcome with tears. However, >> once he comes to the yeshiva and he gets used to the fact that he's not with his father and mother because he forgets how close he used to be with them, he doesn't cry anymore. In other words, when do the when do the tears when are they aroused? When he realizes how close he used to be with them and how far he is now. That's what arouses tears in this child. Well, it's the same thing with we are like the says and really everybody at the source is in tremendous closeness with but throughout the course of the year we distance oursel and we forget and we lose touch with how close we were until the month of el comes and we realize again look how close we are look how close we were and look how far we are now. And that is why when the when the says that the month of isum is here, you know why it's here? Because this par of is not talking about the actual doing of cha. We're not ready to do chuva yet. Right now we're doing the and the recognition of how far we are from is symbolized by the because has nothing to do with the process of chuva has to do with the antecedent of chuva with the level of chuva of the the recognition of how far we are from our father how far we are from the rebon. That is why the chuvl is summed up and encapsulated in the words brings us to the level where we're now so closer to that we can actually do chuva. >> Now we're ready to do chuva. Now we're ready. That's the chuva. So it comes out very interesting. Rabbi say during the month of el we blow sha. What sounds do we blow? through and the tour. Who says why do we blow chu? Why do we blow in order to inspire us to do chuva? What does the tour quote? So if this is the macar for chuva for cha excuse me, which sand should we we be blowing? says in the so then after ding we should save some time after all people always if it takes an extra second people go crazy just so we could spare the trua and the just blow the tea after all the forifer is the tour and the quotes the pita so blow the the tea where does the chua come in why are you blowing the chua >> doesn't it sound more like the tea so to remind you that that's >> the pik says blow the tea >> some illustration >> the true is like crying you know is that >> ah but we know the says in rash that it says in the which means the says what does it say by the mother of that means it's a crying and it's a what does the truest sound Like is it [Music] or is it right? Is it more like a panting? Right. Is what type of crying are we talking about? But why would we blow that sound during if the purpose is is and is so just blow it says? Yeah. But there's another aspect of what is transpiring during el and that is the crying and the crying is not represented by the the crying is represented by the gin or the yal yal which is either thearim or the trua and that is why specifically we don't only blow the look at number 14 but we blow the the or the yula we blow the cha as well. Okay, so this gives us an added insight into why we blow these kit. Let's go back for a moment to some of the details of the chuva process that the tells us on the words says you should sit in your house. Which house is that? Bas what is that >> the message? I have a question. What does the base medish got to do with this? Since when do you have to do ch the base mish? Do you have to put a fill in a base mish? Only cuz you need a minion. I mean there's no mitzvah in the base m or since when do you have to do mitzvah in the base mish? Oh, you're trying to get closer. >> What does the base medish got to do with chuva? >> Doesn't say anywhere in the round. >> Nowhere in the round does it say that the the mitzvah of chuva you got to do in the base medish. You could do it at home. Since when does chuva got to take place in the base mish? Let's do it out of the base medish. Then you don't you don't get the I'm doing you have to do in the mish no you have to do vid in the mish nova you do it wherever you got to do it does not mean you need to do the chuva in the b mish but what he's bringing out is a another important facet of chuva and again we're talking about the antecedent to chuva And that is what do we say in the ding? We say we're in the cha. So why do we say what's it got to do with the Tory? Apparently one is not able to do chuva unless they are committed to tamatara. In other words, tama is the motivation of chuva. In fact, in we were in the middle of learning it. We didn't get up to there yet. What's the next take words with you? What are these? Says the says the part of chuva process is part of chuva is that's just the way it goes. It is an essential ingredient in chuva. In other words, not the that you need to do the chuva in the base part of doing chuva is the li itself. In fact, the writes in the main which is out of love is through the proper learning of In fact, we quoted this last week. There's a safer kadesh about the practice of Israel during the month of Alo >> written by >> and it says over there that at a gathering of the Musra movement that took place in the year tough sadi what does it say over there gimmel what year is that >> 1933 it says over there that kasman of I heard from that in the month of El by Rais Salanter and his they were Macab on themselves that they learned at least 18 hours a day. That's a long time. So just to get a glimpse you know you say of yakar in the towns of resrol salant not so long ago >> that's really that's >> yeah they they learned a long time every day it's part of chuva ra I found an amazing reme I never saw this raz before I know a lot of a brand new to one of the balis the first parishes Come to parro. [Music] I hardened his heart and the heart of his servants. says, "Why is it here here? But one condition on the condition that he's You could read it. Anyway, amazing. The is what's the purpose of provide that you learn more? >> How does that fight a woman? When they kick you out of the house to learn, I replies to them. Then they get credit. Doesn't mean the miracle. The miracle of material. >> Ah, that's what you thought. And now you came here today. And then the toys. That's what I knew. >> No, no, I didn't say that. I said that's what you thought. >> And says about my letters, the Tory. >> Huh? >> It's a Tyus. >> Yeah, of course it's true. So, so that's the that's why says so look if in the times of sal they learned 18 hours a day maybe we should learn an extra 18 minutes how's that maybe during we should learn at least 18 extra minutes a day People write out checks. Very nice. At least an extra 18 minutes. >> Well, Rabbi say >> there's one more thing that the Arisa writes that we're going to um study and that is that is as follows. The writes What does that refer to? Refraining from luxury. Say refraining from luxury. What's that got to do with chuva? So what? I want to I want to live it up a little bit. What's I got to I'm going to do my chuva. I'm going to stop sinning. I'm going to confess. I'm going to regret. I'm going to accept myself not to do it again. I'll cry even, but I want to have some luxury. What's that got to do? How is that interfering with my chuva? What's wrong? The good life. >> Very nice. That's to be. What's that got to do with chuva? >> I want to live it up a little. You know, >> drive a nice car, eat really good foods, live it up. It's a good life. Why does that interfere with my chuva? Interesting. The go says McGillis Esther, but we can never get away from Esther. When it came the time of every young girl, 12 months So literally this refers to the the beauty preparations of the women for that's the comes the going he says what do I need to know exactly what kind of perfumes and beauty beauty products these women did for this man I care he used they use this perfume and this what do I care This is migillas says the vir the reme is also [Applause] and the same way a woman prepares 12 months within says the go on every rash on yamipper we're and we're and we say, but Hashem says, "I I'll let you know. I'll figure it out. You want to do you want to you want so yeah, we just learned today the sugraam says you're doing chuva. I don't care what you're doing in tish. Let me see how you're acting in July and August. If the week after tishab you're also doing chuva then you did a good chuva. If at the end of the year you're also doing chuva you did a good chuva. It depends on 12 months. Well you think I'm going to say you think I'm going to fall for your behavior during no let's see how the whole year goes by. So what do we got to do? says the go. says the if you do cher the whole year says the we wait that the days that you cleanse yourself says the everything you need you need except your hair nothing will happen if you don't have hair. It's good to have hair. It's a nice thing, but you could be without it. Doesn't hurt when you cut it off. Here represents luxury and here represents moice. That's what it means in paras says of the gil. Gila means you stay away from luxury. You know what amar is? Shamar is depilatory. Yeah. Is that how you pronounce it? >> Depatory. >> What is that? >> It's something that removes the hair. >> Depatory cream makes the hair for >> in other words means spend half the year staying away from luxury and six a month a year. And in other words, spend half the year staying away from luxury, half the year fulfilling the mitzvah and staying away from a. So my dear friends, I have a question for you. That seems like a lot of time staying away from I mean if you needed to make an itinerary of how long it takes to do chuva, I would think you need 95% doing chuva and 5% okay stay away from luxury. What do you see from the G? Equal to the amount of time that you spend um improving your behavior and staying away from you need to give equal time to staying away from rice. And why is that? Is luxury such a pitfall? What's wrong? I'll be about chuva and I'll drive a really snazzy car. Is that going to really prevent me from doing chuva? By the way, I'm practicing on you guys. You got to come back for the five times. >> Yeah. How is luxury going to keep you away from chuva? And the answer is like this. What is chuva? To chuva is coming close to Hashem from being far. So you got to choose. Am I focus on life serving Hashem or is my focus on life serving me? And luxury is a deterrent. The more a person is involved in luxuries, the more it is a defocus on the now we say but what's wrong? It just the brain doesn't operate that way. You got to choose. You got to choose what the focus is. And luxury is a major deterrent. And that's why as the says part of the chua process is as much time as we give to improving our behavior, that's how much time we need to give to what's called um restraint. Restraint. Hashem gave us um a wonderful world. He wants us to enjoy. He wants us to eat. He wants us to be happy. But there's something called restraint. At what point everybody needs? But there is a point which is beyond what is needed. Everybody needs some extra. Yes, you can live without it. No use. >> You need sima. >> But there is something called indulgence. And indulgence is as much of an impediment to cha as a himself. And therefore says this week's para is the map of how to do chuva. Even before you're ready to do chuva, the first thing you got to know is how far you are from hashem. You need to spend time in the base medish the you need to be crying. Crying yet as part of the recognition of how far you are from Hashem. And then finally finally shave the head. What does that refer to? That refers to staying away from moist rice, not to being immersed in tasa. And these are the ingredients of the episode of the and this is the itinerary for hopefully a successful plan to do a shab. You've just experienced another Torah class brought to you by tora anytime.com.