Lech Lecha | Likkutei Sichos Vol. 1

Welcome. Good morning. Sunday morning here in Cambria Heights, Queens, at the Soloway's house, just a half block away from the oil. I heard a great story last night. Somebody sent me, you know that Stories of Hope Tziporah Bradco? So, she told a story. She didn't tell me directly. I don't know why she didn't I found it out after she said it on her podcast. Remember we had an event here at the Soloway's house commission of love, which is Yemach Shiduchim. Uh we had a an event about uh shiduchim. So, after the event, I know that a lot I know that a lot of people went to the oil afterwards. And if you remember, we took names of people who want brochos for shiduchim. We brought the names in I I brought the names into the oil. But then many people personally themselves went into the oil. I didn't know that Tziporah herself also went in, actually. I didn't I didn't ask her. So, you know, I don't ask people where they're going after they leave the event. But apparently, she went into the oil. It was midnight. And uh she said that she she would wasn't wasn't feeling like writing a whole bunch of stuff. She just wanted to speak from the heart. She went into the oil, she spoke from the heart. And I don't know what else she said, but she shared that she told the Rebbe that uh she's kind of feeling maybe a little bit burnt out with the Stories of Hope podcast, and she's wondering if this is the right area to be spreading her uh influence. Like if this is if this is the right path, the right conduit. And she asked for clarity. Anyway, she said the very next day she was recording a podcast with a couple. And after the whole uh podcast is over, the video guy comes over and he's stunned. One of the aspects of the story that the couple told was about the wife's Crohn's disease. And the guy shooting the video says, I'm single, I'm in my 20s, I have Crohn's. I'm seeing a girl, and I finally revealed to her last night that I have Crohn's, and I'm like, wait, wait, she's like, I got to get back to you and tell you how I feel about that. And I was like, really nervous about that, and now I hear your story. And the guy from the couple who's on the podcast is like, you tell her and her family they can call me cuz I'm married to a woman with Crohn's, and I'll I'll explain to them how great it is. Not that great to have Crohn's, but how great my wife is and my marriage is. Um, at any rate, so, um, Tziporah was like, wow, there you go. It's like, I asked for clarity if the podcast is worthwhile, and boom, this hush gush of brochos happens the very next day. Anyway, so, you're all welcome to attend Likkutei Sichos' lavish breakfast, bagels and lox, and cream cheese, and orange juice. Um, by the way, you want to hear some random Soul Words trivia? Javier Milei likes orange juice, or as they say, jugo de naranja. He likes his orange juice with no pulp. Sin pulpa. How do I know that? Cuz when he came here to the Soul Words house, I was told, make sure to get orange juice without pulp. You remember that, Yisroel? How did I know that then? Okay, at any rate, sin pulpa. Jugo de de naranja. Do you want to learn a sicha? Should we learn Likkutei Sichos? Uh, Parshas Lech Lecha, the third parsha, our third class. We are on page 15 of Likutei Sichos. I have my beautiful Likutei Sichos. By the way, a little sneak preview. I I did a little podcast with Michael Savage last week in honor of his brother Jerome's Yahrzeit, which is Aleph Cheshvan, and I mentioned him that the library at the Solowertz house was dedicated to his grandfather Sam Wiener. So, see these beautiful uh cards dedication cards, see? Sam Wiener. Simcha Ben Tzion Aryeh Leib Wiener. Oh, we have people. Come on in. By the way, we're live. Everyone can hear you. I'm 100% serious. Yeah, you're right. You're right. They can't hear you. Yes, but come on in. You can make yourself comfortable and get some bagels. And if you need to wash, it's the sink's right over there. You know you're not on camera. You're not on camera. You're not on camera. You're not on camera. Don't worry. The only way to be on camera is well, you're not tall enough to be on camera. Don't worry. You'll be okay. You saw where the papers Printer's not working? No, the printer does work. It's just on the other network. Okay, and anyway, you reminded me of something important, which is that if you're watching on YouTube live right now, look in the description of the YouTube and below in the description, there's a PDF, a clickable link for the PDF of the sicha. And as well, a PDF of the sicha's in English version of the sicha. And there's also a link to buy your own copy of Likutei Sichos from Kehos. So, that's all in the description. Okay, we have a group that just arrived. They arrived a little bit late, but we're thrilled that they're here. And now I'm glad that I was telling stories and stop wasting time until they got here so they didn't miss any of the safer. Okay, they're washing right now by the way which is very good. Now they can't talk. They're all laughing. All right. Page 15. Oh and I brought from home also my liquid to see cuz what? Yeah, so I actually have two let me just show this for a second. Well, let them wash, okay? This is from the this is the official copy from the soul words house. It has the same liner sticker and then which I'm going to call it this is from my house. It's what I'm more comfortable with. This is the brown and the blue. See this? The brown and the blue? Anyways, give these harsh of a guests the brown which is more beloved to me. It's actually my personal copy and I'm going to learn from the blue copy the official Sam liner library copy. Okay. Page 15. I'm looking in the chat on the live YouTube. Although we never met, I feel like I know you so well. Rabbi Shais, you have made a big difference in my life. Thank you so much. That means a lot to me. Really truly does. Okay. All right. All right, we have the text up on the screen. Excellent. And by the way ladies, you can look on the screens and you'll see the text as well. Okay, fine. I'm saying ladies cuz the group that came in is all ladies, but if there are any gentlemen watching there in YouTube land, you can also see the text on the screen. Avraham Avinu was tested with 10 tests. Trials. I'm going to make a brocha Ladies, you want coffee? The Keurig machine's right over there. You can make your own. Yeah. Okay. Avraham Avinu was tested with 10 tests. One of the biggest tests, one of the first tests, and probably possibly one of the biggest, is this the the test of Ur Kasdim, when he was thrown in the fiery furnace by Nimrod. Nevertheless, that specific nisayon is not mentioned explicitly in the Torah. On Daiting, it's only hinted to. The first of the tests, the 10 tests, that Avraham was tested with, that is actually explicitly mentioned in Torah, is Lech Lecha, go out of your land. Okay. So, then why is that the first test that is explicitly mentioned in Torah? for this. The reason why Lech Lecha is the first explicitly mentioned test of Avraham's life is because that is the test that every one of us also has in our own life. And then the Rebbe breaks it down three categories. From above to below, from below to above, and in the below itself. Okay? So, we lay we laid out the course. Lech Lecha is the first thing we know explicitly as far as the test of Avram. Why is it the first of Avram's tests mentioned explicitly in Torah? Because it's the one that is universal. We all have it in our own lives. And we have it in three ways, from above to below, below to above, and in the below itself. All right, very good. Pace. In kurzen meint das In brief, this means In dem in dem von der yerida von der neshama lamata in a guf gefindment zwei gegensatzen. Regarding the soul's descent into a body, we find two opposites. Aleph, first thing. Al korcha tochai. Against your will do you live. And he says it in Yiddish, "Gegen dein willen lebst du." Why is it against your will that you live? Weil das Leben von der neshama in a guf is a zwang sach far der neshama, because for the soul to live in a body, it has to be compelled. It's against its will. Warum die neshama ede die nieder a rop in a guf is gezuvin mit kisey kavod. Is gehat von unter dem kisey kavod. Und das is erste niederge mit regen der neshama. Neshama before it comes into a body, it it was hewn from the throne of glory. And the Rebbe says, "And by the way, that's even a lower level of the neshama. There's even higher levels of the neshama." The neshama is coming from an incredibly high place, and then it's plunged down into this body. Und das is farana hecher mit rega in der neshama wie sie is in der beginer fun tehelei noch hecher. There are higher levels than Kisei Hakavod. There's the level of Tahaliche and the Rebbe says in the In fact, there's even higher levels. Okay, the point is the neshama is this lofty lofty lofty being is for the neshama a greater yerida. So, coming into the world is a great descent for the soul. Like the Rebbe, the Rebbe's Rebbe, says in a sicha that before the neshama comes to the world, they show the soul Gan Eden and Gehenna so it understands what the stakes are. The Rebbe Therefore, the soul being in the body is against its will, it has to be forced to do so. And that is the first thing. Okay, we said there are going to be two opposite concepts. All right, so that's the first concept. The soul is forced to be in a body. It is a great descent for the for the soul to be in a body. That's the first thing. Base. From the But from the from the other side Setting aside the incredible descent that we just described that the neshama goes through by being in a body. Nevertheless, through that specifically through that descent, the soul comes to an even higher level than it was before, like the known saying a descent for the sake of a subsequent greater ascent. Okay, so those are the two options. On one hand, it's an incredible descent for the soul to be in a body. On the other hand, it's the opportunity for a unique ascent of the soul. Okay. So, these two concepts are hinted to in the verse Lech Lecha. And remember it says all these we're going to break down all these details. Um go out, go for yourself from your land, from your birthplace, from your father's house to the land that I will show you. Okay. Let's break them down. Me artzo, from your land. What's going on there, Yisrael? What? It's good? It looks like it's uh the windows are What? Okay. Me artzo, from your land. Made V'iden Shamash State in the beginning of the Rotzone Elyon. Okay, remember we said we're going to go above to below, below to above, and then in the below itself. So, now we're doing the above to below. So, going out of your land, your birthplace, your father's house as a journey of the soul from above to below. Okay, three stages of descent from above to below. Fine. Me artzo, what does that mean? From the level called Rotzone Elyon, supernal will. What I'm rotten is a fun guy. Okay, let's break this down. In chapter two of Tanya it says that the soul is a coming out and the altar of it adds momish literally a piece of God above and describes the soul's origin as a fun guy you love. Which is a fun guy of our silos. The highest sphere in the highest world. However, there are even higher levels than a fun guy of our silos. And that is rotten. Rotten is also equivalent to casa the crown which is on top of the head. Rotten is the head in the head. Anthropomorphically speaking by way of metaphor can be awful so to speak after a fashion. Um those are the disclaimers we have to use. So rotten is in crisis and average too. We find this but now we're talking in spheres and say there's style less. That rotten is higher than a fun guy. So in in Tanya it's interesting when it's talking about the lofty origin of the soul it describes it as being from a fun guy. That is an actually a fun guy. There are other places says the soul's from even higher than a fun guy. Even higher than what's described in base of Tanya. It's from rotten. Okay. Meaning from that level of a sham's will which supersedes wisdom. Doses of their engine of what's a fun guy in Tanya base. Interesting now. I you know I love when we get little insights into Tanya. When we're learning a fun guy a little little Tanya lesson on the side. A fun guy base. It says about the souls. So why we got to love each other. A fun guy they're all Um they're going to say equal. A fun guy like they fit each other. They're interconnected. They all have one father. Here's a little deal in the words of Tanya. A fun guy all of them are gleich. They all are equal. Das is mit der beginning fun ratzon. That is describing the souls on the level of ratzon. Av echad lekolana, they all have one father. Ze haben alle ein fater. Mit der beginning fun chochma, that's all the that's the souls as they are on the level of chochma. Follow that? So, in Perek Gimmel Bais, when it talks about how the souls are connected, this it it's actually hinting to two levels. Kol masimes, they're all equal. That's how all the souls exist in ratzon. Ratzon is a makif, by the way, and makif is the great equalizer. It's a shava mashva katan u'gadol. It makes it because it encompasses it encompasses great and small alike, and that's why they're all gleich, they're all equal. Then av echad lekolana, then they're not necessarily all equal. They could be different, like you have siblings in a family that are different, but they all have one father. So, that's how we are on the level of chochma. It's still a high level, but not as high as ratzon. At any rate, so we're talking about different levels of where the soul comes from. Highest level we just described is the level of ratzon or kesser, Hashem's will. And the soul has to leave that level in order to journey down into embodiment. Okay, so lech lecha, leave, we're talking to the soul, your soul, and and it's being told, leave artza, leave ratzon elyon, leave that level, that lofty level, and make your way down toward embodiment. Okay. U'me'mal'a de'chol, u'me'vasa de'chol, now we have two more levels, okay? Is wie die neshama steht in die sferas chochma u'bina. So, those two, u'me'mal'a de'chol, u'me'vasa de'chol, is chochma u'bina. We're working our way down through seder hishtalshelus. Leida, geburt, birth. No, I'm sorry. Yeah, okay. Leida geburt is doch fun av ein fater u'moter. Was chochma is av u'bina is ein. >> So, birth is to a father and a mother. Hochma, as we know, is father. Bina, as we know, is mother. From your birthplace means the the the soul leaving the level of Hochma. Um Beis Avicha is within the Shamash state in the sphere of Bina. The house of your father is Bina. It's kind of funny. It's counterintuitive. Father Father, I thought it was Hochma. So, why is the house of your father Bina? Ah, cuz it's house of your father. Who's the house of your father? It's your mother. What do you guys think? Is Hochma. Our base of a bias and a of it's is Bina. Bina is the house of the receptacle of the father, meaning of Hochma. And then, you know, in this is always like multiple models for like one concept. So, don't get all confused. It's like one of the common challenges that beginning students and even intermediate students of this stuff they say, "Well, well, well, well, well, but but but BUT YOU JUST BUT YOU JUST SAID SOMETHING else a second ago." There are different models, different perspectives. They're all true. They just describe different contexts. Okay. So, we had one explanation where Milada to Hochma is Hochma and Beis Avicha is Bina. Then we have another model. Um Milada to Hochma is Hochma and Bina cuz they both give birth, father and mother together, team. Or Yeah, you ever heard of concept of Abba Yosip Bracha that the father established a daughter so Malchus is the daughter of Chochma. Malchus could also be called Base Avicha. Bina also could be called Base Avicha. Bina and Malchus by the way are like mother like daughter. They're like you know like a mother daughter pair that like They they momish they look like each other. If you see a family picture of the Sefiros you would say momish the daughter looks just like Have you ever seen a family picture of the Sefiros? It's called Yud Kay Vav Kay. The Yud is the Chochma. The Hey Ilah the higher Hey is the mommy Imma Ilah. The Vav you know the Vav Hamshacha pipeline that's the Middais. Five is six six Middais. And then the Hey Tatta the lower Hey that's Malchus. Momish they look The Hey Ilah and Hey Tatta they're spitting image of each other. Okay. And then a Nidra Kay Eifen then we have an even lower level model but again breaking down the same concept. Malchus from Malchus Base Avicha means that Bina is Nukva. Okay. So going from Malchus means from Bina that's an even lower thing cuz even the highest level there is only Bina. And then Base Avicha means Za the the six emotional faculties. And then uh And then uh no no no I'm sorry. Artcha even Artcha is Bina in this lowest model. Artcha is Bina. Uh Malchus is Za. And Base Avicha is Nukva. Okay. At any rate what do they all have in common? They're all describing a downward journey of the soul through Seder Hishtalshelus from higher levels to lower levels working its way down toward embodiment. That's what they all have in common. The dry oven the Monte Madrigas in the summer is shining like Lorraine V they shining in them cedar elements. All right. Now we're going to break it down in terms of worlds. How many worlds are there? The parent that's always the right answer depends. Generally, what's the most common model for how many worlds there are? Yeah, you give me a little give me the four. Very good. You No one can hear you could speak as loud as you want they can't hear you. Let's Okay. Say that I am a nice. My ass call we didn't show my state no good for the animal killers. Arts call means remember we're talking about the soul going down. So it's leave arts call. Arts call means the way that the soul is higher than at Silas. At Silas is the highest world. So there's a soul higher than the highest world. Off the chart. Melody the call. From your birthplace we didn't show my state no animal killers. At Silas is the highest world. What I'm the shade is one animal is in at Silas. The source of all souls is in at Silas. Of course it uh tells you to go learn. Who did they do the share of a share of a share? You are shining lady lady Rama's call you not see. Okay. What's in at Silas the claw is mayor Rama there you'd phone them shame have a year. Rama is the defining uh sphere of the world of at Silas. Base and and and Rama is of and so at Silas is base of a year. No, I'm sorry is my melody call. Is my melody call. Arts call is the way that the soul is higher than than at Silas. Uh melody call is the way that the soul is in at Silas. Base of a year is the soul is easy come to her up in animal Briar and then base of a year is the soul in Briar. What is dark like spheres of Briar? One mouth goes that Silas with castle of Briah and then the lowest level of Atzilus becomes the highest level of Briah. Und das sagt man zu der Neshama, and this is what the soul is told. Lech lecha, leave me Artza from Artza as we defined it. Different models for defining what that is. As you Arab gain from your in the Allah even the darkest days Allah she should go down all through all those levels until she comes to the land that I'll show you. On ton zeh in an Erdich Gashmius token guf and to invest itself in an earthly physical body. Val dafka in dem das Gashmius token kerper that ze zu kommen zu der Aliya because it is it is exclusively by getting invested into that physical body that the soul will come to its highest ascent. In the Birkas ha Shachar az och men Neshama she be cool ve atem Neshama mikirbi. In the morning blessings we say Elokai, my God. Ha Neshama she be the soul that you've given to me is pure. Um and we talk, you know, different levels of it which we're going to break down momentarily all the way down to and you guarded within me. Toheirah hi, what is that phrase Toheirah hi, the soul is pure? Make the Neshama is in Elem Atzilus, that's describing the soul in the highest world in Atzilus. She to be is not but she to be that you've given me is actually higher than Atzilus. Elem and nevertheless it comes down from that level to Barasa, which is Briah. And then even Yetzarta Elime Yetzirah, then Yetzarta is the world of Yetzirah. This is Nefachta you blown it within me in the Gashmi's taken Guf, which is actual physical embodiment. Und dafka durch dem Nefachta Bi the great to be Adam within me. Then you come down to the lowest level you God you are you are you are you are you are guarding my soul within me. Let's come from a shelter is no heat. But that actually you Hashem are guarding my soul in me. It's the lowest level, but it's the highest level. Because as we're about to explain when a feel of the heart to be Shinasata Bi you who have given the soul we said is higher than Tohi Tohi is at Shinasata Bi the Hashem who put the soul into me is higher than at but now we're saying he who guards Hashem guarding the soul within me keeping my soul within me is actually the highest level but it's also the lowest level. But I'm Shomer there of us heat is not stronger than the Nishmah. That is worth it cuz the one who guards is higher than the one who gets guarded obviously no kidding. Und das meint So basically we're saying is Hashem as he keeps your soul contained in your body, which is the lowest level, is actually reflecting the highest level of Hashem. And the and and the and the source of the soul. Und das meint alles oder reko and that's what it means when you go through that descent until you come to the very bottom level, then you'll come to the land which I will show you was if the land which I will show you. Hashem is speak speaking in the personal pronoun. I will show you not a name. Atzmus when we go beyond divine names are going to Hashem's essence which cannot be described by any name. That is a lane. Well, the device and Hashem is going to show himself is going to show you. But dafka d'olam atzilus, now explaining why the highest level is reflected in the lowest level, because dafka d'olam atzilus, because specifically here in the physical world, af der velt, in the world, ken men nemen atzmus, that's the only place you can have a relationship with atzmus. In all the spiritual worlds, you can behold divine revelation, what we call giluy elokus, but only in the physical world through embodiment can the soul have an experience of the essence of God. Vi es steht in Tanya perek dalet, we're getting so much good Tanya here. We got some perek bais, we got some perek lamed bais. What do you say? Yeah, two for one, a Tanya shiur, for free. Okay. In perek dalet, what does it say in perek dalet of Tanya? As les machshava t'fisa ba'avada, les machshava t'fisa ba'avada is from Tikunei Zohar, but so why is the Rebbe quoting perek dalet of Tanya and not quoting Zohar? Because he's quoting the way the Alter Rebbe explains les machshava t'fisa ba'avada. Perek dalet of Tanya says, les machshava t'fisa ba'avada, no thought can grasp Hashem, ki im except, what's the caveat? Kashe t'fisa u'mlabesh u'mitztamtzem t'fisa. When Hashem invests himself in Torah and mitzvos, then by grasping Torah and mitzvos, which are graspable, you actually can grasp Hashem, his very essence, not a revelation, not an emanation, but the essence. Ken machshava ken enbaruch nit banemen, zaidn ven zi velt ungeton in der Torah un ire mitzvos. Vos ze zeinen leib u'shavim nit afn himmel, nor dafka in olam hazeh gashmi. The only place you can do mitzvos is not in heaven, the only place you can do mitzvos is down here in a body, and that's the only way to grasp Hashem. How can you grasp Hashem? He's ungraspable, but he invests himself into the mitzvos, and when you do mitzvos, you are actually grasping Hashem. So, ironically, the soul, as much as it is privy to divine revelation up there in the lofty worlds. It can't grasp Hashem. Only by coming into a body, which is the ultimate descent, can it have the ultimate ascent of grasping Hashem. Okay. Dalet. We're on race Dalet. Is Nachman V din neshama hot durchgefeert dem lech lech am art am lad am mata. Und sie ist Arab von ihrer Allah had Arrogas. Und ist er rein in dem guf gashmi. Bekommst sie dem Kech durch zu führen dem lech lech am art am gemer Allah art am shara like dem zweiten pish wie das ist am le mata am le maila von unten am ruf zu. Now, after the soul completes the descent that we just described, boom boom boom boom, then it can do the boom boom boom boom, right? Yeah, well, you got to come down to go back up. Yeah, exactly. You bounce the ball really hard. That's right. Very good. What? Der yetzer hora kommt doch rein in der Menschen dem der erste. I give him the honey say. The yetzer hora comes to the person first. Meaning uh What he says "Mishoshanin let's say some may you might from the minute was das kind geht raus von der Mutter stracht." From the moment a person is born, he gets his yetzer hora. You don't get your yetzer tov, your nefesh elokis until bar or bas mitzvah. So, the yetzer hora is pretty well established in the person. And it's got time to build up, you know, to uh strengthen itself. Daf man doch haben Keches zu starken sich über dem. So, you have to have the ability to overcome that. Im beshas in neshama kommt er ab da le mata gibt man ihr dem das in dem Kech sie soll kein >> So when the soul comes down here, it's given the ability to counter the Yetzer Hara. And now we're going to do the milama l'mala. To go out of me artzikha. What is artzikha? Washing rotza, running from the ice from the Bahamas. But now cuz we're going from below to above, artzikha is the low is the lowest level is overcoming the ice artzikha washing rotza. Before we're going milama l'mata, rotza was talking about kesser in this lofty level higher than atzilus. Now we're going milama l'mala from below to above. So rotza means the ice of the Bahamas, the animal soul's desires. So you got to overcome the animal soul's desire. Animal soul says, "But I want to do this." And you say, "No, we're not going to do that." We have cereal at home. I had a flashback. And then you have to go out of which Go out of your birthplace means go out of your innate proclivities that are formed by your natural intellect. Okay, so first thing to overcome is artzikha which is the ice, the desires, the will of the animal soul. Then you got to overcome milada kha means your milada kha means how you were born. So your if you were born with certain um Well, he says specifically hanakhas which are like attitudes or presumptions or the ways of looking at the world that are based on the the natural uh thinking, the way that your your human mind looks at things. So you got to overcome that. That's the next thing. First artzikha, then milada kha. Then the next level you have to overcome flip the page yeah from as one page 18 from the by M from the the head of the the children and the good night The things that come from how he was brought up and from his environment. So Malachi the way you were born that's nature. The base of the house that you were raised in that's nurture. So we have her her heredity and environment. Got to overcome that next. And I guess you know we're going to go to the mile from below to above. The the lower stuff like the stuff you were born with that's the second stage to overcome. That's like lower and then even stuff that you were influenced by in your environment it's a little bit uh a little bit more subtle I guess cuz it's not as baked in. And that's why you overcome that after you overcome your innate inborn proclivities. Is out from the other side and so and you have to go out of all of those things and you have to go out of all of those things and so gain all of that you got to go to the land that I'll show you. What is the land I'll show you in school and base matters got to go to school got to go to the synagogue and go to the base matters place where you learn was dorton in the from the which in those places the desires of the are dominant. And those matters of the natural uh natural worldly desires and that will nullify the natural worldly desires. The natural worldly cycle which are the aforementioned attitudes of the natural worldly intellect and the natural worldly midos and also the natural worldly emotional attributes and the govonahiten and also the habits from the animal soul. Okay, so what we described was with all of its levels from above to below which was basically charting the journey of the soul through say the down into embodiment. Then we did from below to above which is basically describing the struggle to overcome various different internal obstacles and to transcend them so they don't hold you back from serving Hashem. And we said we're going to do it in three in three ways. So what's the third one? Do you remember? The last one was from we had above to below, we had below to above. And then we had No, in the very beginning of the said we're going to do in three ways. Above to below, below to above. And then down here itself. Yes, very good. Very good. Okay. Hey. So after the does what we just mentioned, it overcomes the all those limitations of the animal soul. So basically it overcomes, rises above the limitations of the animal soul on the levels of which is will, which is inborn habits, base of eh, which is environment, environmental factors. So after it does all that, month men by either a hug or a wedding. Now, you know, you don't can't retire, you're not done. The soul is now demanded. It is now demanded from the soul to do an even higher level of service of Hashem. A race came from them arts from a lot of them base of eh, a filo from them never shall I case. Wow. Mind-blown. To pull out of the limitations, which are called arts from a lot of them base of eh, even of the godly soul. So first we're saying, overcome, rise above the limitations of the animal soul. Fine, no problem, got that. That's obvious. And we say, "Oh, by the way, once you finish that, we got another job for you." Now it's time to overcome the limitations of the godly soul. A godly soul? What What Just You should just flow with whatever the godly soul wants to do. No, no, no. Even in the godly soul, that itself can become a limitation. Elsewhere that I would say, when you go out of mitzrayim, it's a constant uh exodus. You're always leaving. So even when you get to level Even when you leave sitra achra, God forbid where you're like doing things against God's will, God forbid, and you go into kedusha where it's all aligned with God's will. But that can become a mitzrayim if it becomes Yes. About to do all the mitzvahs you're comfortable with, that story? Okay, so last week definitely You're saying this class. Okay, yes. So last week in parshas Noach, it was speaking about mesiras nefesh. Toward the end of the the the sichos. Didn't get to the part where it was even earlier? It wasn't end end, but it was like towards the end. It was speaking about the need for mesiras nefesh that a person shouldn't argue, "Well, I'm doing so well. I'm on a such a holy level. I don't need mesiras nefesh." And the Rebbe says, I mean, this is from last week's sicha, and and you're right to identify it as recurring now in this week's sicha because not only did it happen last week, and it's happening this week, but it's an ongoing theme of Likutei Sichos. And if you want to keep a little Likutei Sichos journal of ongoing themes, recurring themes of Likutei Sichos and the Rebbe's worldview, definitely the need for mesiras nefesh even at the highest levels. That's definitely one of the big themes. So, like we said last week, even a person who's on such a high level where everything he's doing is good. It's all holy. The Rebbe says, "But what about mesiras nefesh?" And the guy says, "Well, I would if I were on a low level where I'm struggling with things I'm not supposed to do, then I would have to be mesiras nefesh. Then I would have to go to a level of sacrifice in order to overcome it. But I'm good. I'm doing all the things I'm supposed to do." No, no, but you don't understand. And this is what we said last week. Because Hashem is infinite, he can't be grasped by anything finite. So, if you're still within your limitations, you cannot have a real relationship with Hashem. The only way to have a relationship with Hashem is to overcome your limitations. And what that means is to go just a little bit beyond whatever your comfort zone is. And if your comfort zone happens to be, and it would be great, your comfort zone is all holy. You're completely comfortable just doing only holy things cuz you're totally just aligned with your nefesh Elokis. That's good, but you're not going beyond. And when you're dealing with Hashem who's infinite, you always have to go beyond. Does that sound familiar from last week? You make sense, right? Okay. And it's a recurring theme in Likutei Sichos Chelek Aleph. It's a recurring theme in the Rebbe's state it in general. That we always need mesiras nefesh no matter how lofty of a level you've reached. So, here's a guy, he completed the Lecha Milam overcame his nefesh bahamis, he's all nefesh elokis, and we said him do it do it lech lecha again. Even the way your nefesh elokis is limiting you. Cuz your nefesh elokis is being satisfied too too early. It's selling you short. You could be doing beyond, right? Okay. And by the way, why do we say this third category is in the matah itself? Cuz I actually it took me a while. I was thinking about this last night actually I was learning the sicha with my wife and kids, and I was asking I was asking them about it and we were talking about it for a while. Um trying to figure it out cuz it's Why is this called the matah gufa? The the the low place itself. And then it occurred to me because in the matah is the only place that the nefesh elokis can do this. It's so ironic. It's such a mind bender. The nefesh elokis in its natural habitat, meaning in the lofty worlds and the spiritual worlds, cannot overcome its limitations. In fact, it's it's it's enjoying its limitations because its limitations are really really lofty. So, it doesn't see them as limitations. It's only when it comes to a body, has to struggle against the animal soul, and then overcomes that, then it can even do the next phase, which is overcome its own limitations. But it would never even do that if it remained in heaven. So, that's why it's called a lech lecha of the of the nefesh elokis in the matah itself, in the physical embodiment itself cuz the physical embodiment is the only place where that would even occur. Okay. So, now break it down. Meartzo, from the ratzon of the nefesh elokis, you have to overcome the will of your godly soul. So, your godly soul wants to learn so much Torah. Yeah, but you got to go beyond. Maybe you learn a little bit even more than the nefesh elokis wants to learn. Or you switch up subjects and you learn a different subject than what you and the official like you want to learn. From a lot of from your Well, we said the way you were born from from an official like you. That's talking about the the native of the official like you. Which is obviously a a godly but nevertheless to even overcome that. Remember we said before base of ego is being a meditation on holiness. And then you have to come to the land which I will show you. Coming to a level which is higher than logic. Even the logic of the godly soul. So there I don't know what to do to the highest level which is we call the vision of the godly soul. 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All right. Give me a kisser for that seeker and then we'll do the next one. What's the Give me the one liner? Yeah. I'll give you two lines if you want. Go ahead. Um, we'll use the first part as the outline. Okay. There are three parts to this. The first part is um No, the Above to below. Which is basically the steps of going out of your comfort zone. The the soul going out of its original comfort zone, being comfortable being a a a a heavenly entity and and and inhabiting the heavens. So, that was the first thing. Leaving that, uh, go out of you don't want to live. The soul doesn't want to be in a body, right? Okay. Then was the second part of um leaving your physical comfort Uh, leaving your physical comfort zone. A- and your emotional comfort Emotional comfort zone, right? Right. Okay, so that was below below to above, right? Then the third part? The third part is um bringing your nefesh to a higher place. Okay, excellent. Bringing the nefesh itself to a higher place. Yeah. Excellent, perfect. Okay, so Lech Lecha on three levels. Amazing. All right. Vav. You can you can have an extra bagel for that. Okay. Vav. that a Jew is connected to Torah and therefore from and the Torah is is broken into different parshas. Therefore, from learning the parsha, you can learn lessons for your life right now, and also the events that are happening right now. Okay. So this week's parsha content is at least part of it the birth of Yishmael and Yitzchak separately. People hope that their children are going to continue in their ways. Seder tells us Hashem gave Avram two children, first Yishmael and then Yitzchak. When Hashem told Avram that he's going to have Yitzchak, he already had Yishmael. So when Hashem said to Avram, you're going to have a Yitzchak, he said, "Oh I don't need a Yitzchak. If only halavai, means like halavai. If only Yishmael would just live before you, meaning live an upright life. Meaning you don't have to give me a second son. That's so much, that's beyond. Just make it that Yishmael should be a good boy. He'd be satisfied even without Yitzchak being born. As long as Yishmael will live before Hashem As long as he >> As long as Ishmael would live the way you're supposed to and do go in Hashem's ways. Okay. So, Avram told Hashem, "I don't need a I'm fine with Ishmael as long as Ishmael does what he's supposed to do. Now, obviously, Hashem had other plans. Hashem says, "No, you do need a " And that's what this is about. How come Hashem insisted that Avram needed to talk. Couldn't just be satisfied with Ishmael. And we're going to get into the difference between Ishmael and as paradigms. What does it mean to be a Ishmael and what does it mean to be a talk? Of them hot men that Shem said, "No." My dear doctor Gaborn You're going to have to have a talk. That's going to be your true That's were going to Ishmael. Is Ishmael Schmeichel. This that you request about Ishmael. Yeah, I listened to you. When I'm going to also also. I would need that can't do but you can't be satisfied with that. You call your true progeny. Ishmael will also be okay, but you will be your true um this descendant. He will inherit your ways. He will represent you. He'll carry on your life's mission. Yes. Yeah. Yes. Top of page 19. You like the stander, by the way? Thank you. I got these standers at Z. Berman's Books And I wanted to try them out to see if people would even use them. They were like $12 a piece. Yeah. Well, I'm thinking now that you're using the stander, I'm going to upgrade and get an even nicer one. I got like the cheapy ones just to see if people would use them. Those were $12 standers. Yeah. Oh, if you want to take notes in your book. Yeah. Well, there were supposed to be printed handouts, but the printer didn't work. But I'm I'm I think I'm going to go we we're going to we have to vote on this. The vad has to vote, but I think I want to go to Kahal and buy a bunch of copies of Likutei Sichos Chelek Aleph. But then someone was afraid that after we finish going through Likutei Sichos Chelek Aleph, then a stack of them are going to sit there and not be used and it'll be sad. Huh. Yeah, we can raffle them off. And people will want to have a piece of the shear. I want to own one of the sforim that was used. That's so smart. Yes. Yes. Very smart. Okay, so we're going to Okay, that's it. Your part. We just got to vote it on. I you know that I have a um like a raffle ticket thing. Like Can you go get my raffle ticket thing? Well, can you go grab it? I just want to show my raffle ticket thing. Yeah, like a jackpot thing. I Okay, go get it. I just want to show it off. I just Okay, I'm going to continue learning, but get my raffle ticket thing. Okay. Has Avraham Avinu is done altgevert altgevert 990 years. Avraham Avinu was not It's in the in the podcast studio in the basement. I don't know if you know what's 99 years old. He was serving already from decades and he went through a lot of trials. So I don't know if you understood by that point what from from children means. In other words, he wasn't naive when he said, "Oh, only if you small could turn out good." He wasn't saying it out of like lack of experience, lack of knowledge. You still say hi to the people. Just wave on the camera. Just say wave. Come on, you're not in the shot. Come into the shot. Say hi. You still people want to see who you who you are. They hear me talking to you. You want to remain a mystery? Okay. Raffle tickets. Look at this. These are raffle tickets. And This is very fancy. You know when we used this the first time, you don't have to listen to our first event. It was our grand opening. We had the final class of 30 letters in 30 days from the egress. And we did a we raffled off a full set of egress. Yeah, full set. I mean it's like a $600, $700, whatever. We raffled off a full set. It was a pretty big deal. Yeah, we raffled off a full set of egress. Okay. What are we raffling off today? Okay. You want to take something from the house, maybe one of the lifetime tables or something. Okay. But I think the milk is going bad in a few more days. You could take the milk. You could take the milk. Okay. So, Avraham Avinu was 99 years old. He had plenty of experience serving Hashem. He knew what it means nachas from children. He wasn't naive. gemains as Yishmael will gain in He really believed that Yishmael could live up to what you know, the standards that Avraham had set. Nevertheless, Hashem tells him, "No. Your true nachas, I mean, Yishmael will be will be okay, also, but your true nachas will only be from Yitzchak." Yishmael's mama, Hagar. Yishmael's mother, Hagar. She was very pious. To such a level that her conduct was befitting the Holy Temple. Keturah. That's why Hagar is also called Keturah. Well, she Keturah does the incense of the Beit Hamikdash. So, she was a really frum lady. Hagar. That was Yishmael's mother. By the way, she wasn't just frum. She had mesirus nefesh. How do we know that? Like our say, just tell us. The doctor from a case. In another from the This is a nice word here that you wouldn't find in later look at this matter. Takes the molasses. In January site. She was a princess. The daughter of the king. One of the most dominant kingdoms of that time. From that second hot Z. I I get worked. I have that to gain from them. Can I get a lot? I have a year to share. Nevertheless, she wanted to go away from the royal palace. I don't think so by Saturn. And be a servant. Of Saturn. I beat you to sign by a Roman in who is as long as she could be in a Roman's house. So, we're talking about the greatness of Hagar. She was a very pious lady. Holy like the incense of the temple. She was self-sacrificing. She gave up her life of luxury as an Egyptian princess to be a servant in the house of a Roman. Is that for a standard because I hear zooming in on the the second in the back. And we could assume that she raised Ishmael to also be that way. Meaning he also was a very pious young man. Does that get on matter to understand for what what she get what by no good in with you small in a way? I found that as I had that from home full common knowledge. And now we can understand or not now, but this adds to our understanding of why Avram would think that he could have the fullest degree of nachas from Ishmael. Ishmael had a lot of great factors going for him. From the is like them not to understand and on the other hand at the same time it makes it actually more difficult to understand why Hashem refused that and said no, not Ishmael, but rather Yitzchak will be your true progeny. Okay, so you understand the question. Ishmael Avram wasn't innocent or naive and he understood what it means to serve Hashem and he apparently thought that Ishmael could do that. Ishmael has a lot of great factors going for him. And yet Hashem says no, that's none of that's going to work. It's not going to work. We need we need a new guy. We need Yitzchak. Okay. Again, we're not talking specifically Yitzchak, Avram, I mean Yitzchak or or Ishmael. We're talking about two models. These are models. These are ways of life. These are approaches to chinuch. We're going to talk about these are approaches to how we raise children. And we're going to apply this to our lives. Yitzchak and Ishmael paradigms. Okay. Test. So what was the age difference between Ishmael and Yitzchak? 13, right? Okay. So Avram was 99 when Yitzchak was born. So you do the math, how old he was when Ishmael Yeah, so he's also old. He was up there. Yeah. But Hagar was not old. That the the mi- the miracle, I mean, was also miraculous that he was that that Avram was 99, but it was also uh miraculous. Sarah was uh 89, right? They were 10 years apart. How old was Hagar? It's a good question. Got to find out. We're going to Google it. Not Not as old. Okay. Test. Der Unterschied von Yishmael und mit dem Yitzchak is given. What was the difference between Yishmael and Yitzchak? And again, this is not so much about analyzing them as individuals. It's understanding them as paradigms for us to apply to our own lives. What you say? Oh, you Googled it? And Hagar was between 12 and 50? When? When when Yishmael was born? Uh-huh. Oh, it's AI overview from Google. Yeah. So, that part was right. Yishmael's Geburt is given off a natürlichen Reifen. Nicht durch ein Nissen. Yishmael's birth was natural, not miraculous. Aber Yitzchak's Geburt is given durch Nissen. But Yitzchak's birth was miraculous. Auf ein natürlichen Reifen is un- möglich given as Avram und Sarah sollen in sehr Alter haben ein Kind. Naturally, it was not possible at their age that Avram and Sarah would have children. Keiner hat nicht geglaubt, as es kann passieren as es Sachen. Nobody believes such a thing could happen. Und ein viel Avram, wenn du allein hat euch nicht geglaubt, as er ist wert, as der Rebbe steht so ein ein Nissen Sachen Nissen. Even Avram couldn't believe that he was worthy that Hashem should do such miracles for him. To live them is And that from that emerges another difference between Ishmael and Yitzchak. Bris Milah. Bris Milah was the only mitzvah through which, we'll talk about this later, and then not I mean not today later, but in future sichos. Bris Milah was the only special mitzvah that was actually commanded. We know the office did all the mitzvahs on their own before they were commanded, which is beautiful, but it's not a commandment, so it doesn't have that same connection. But they were they were commanded to do the Bris Milah. So Bris Milah was like the special connection, the unique connection. Let's see how Bris Milah was different for Ishmael and for Yitzchak. Ishmael was 13 when he did his bris. When you turn 13, you know what happens? You become a bar mitzvah. Bar mitzvah is a bar sechel. What does that mean? It means that you understand things. Kids don't understand anything. They say, "I'm a dinosaur." Sure you are. That's why at 13 you become obligated in mitzvahs because now you actually have a brain to understand what that means. Because when a person becomes intellectually mature, cognitively mature, then you could rely on his behavior. And with his mature mind as a 13-year-old Bar Seigel, Yishmael consented to the Bris Milah. Well, that sounds like a good thing. Okay. Yitzchak got his Bris when he was 8 years old 8 days old. You can't ask consent from an 8-day-old child. That's what all the anti-Bris Milah people say. Child can't even consent. Nevertheless, as a child we connected him already to Hashem. And not a temporary connection, a connection that's permanent. That's also what the anti-Bris Milah people say. It's permanent. They can't even undo it later. permanent connection, Bris Olam, or like we say, an eternal covenant, like the Torah calls it. Okay, so we have we're starting to understand the difference between Yitzchak and Yishmael. Yishmael was 13 at his Bris. He fully consented. He knew what it was. Yitzchak was 8 days old. He had no clue what was happening to him, and he got thrown into something that he didn't even know what it was, and it was permanent and un- undoable. How do you say un-undoable? Not undoable. How do you do it without a double negative? You know, there was once a professor who was speaking to his class and he said, you know, in uh What? Yeah, intractable. That's the word. Uh he said, you know, that in uh math when you have two negatives makes a positive. He says, "But when do you ever have You don't He says, "But you never have the two positives make a negative." And one of the students says, "Yeah. Right." "Yeah, right. Two positives that makes a negative. Yeah. Right." Okay. Yud. We're on chapter 10. Yud. Is light the I have been the month of two and the shade between small and you're talking. According to the above-mentioned two differences between you're talking and small. Aleph, Yitzchak's Ibra, so we Okay. Two differences. First one is Yitzchak's Ibra not till the Nissan the birth. Yeah, you like those Yiddish words? Supernatural, miraculous birth. In Kegan Zatz. We had that word earlier, by the way, Kegan Zatz. In opposition to Yishmael's natural birth. Yishmael's natural birth. So, that's one difference. Miraculous birth, natural birth. Base, the second difference. Yitzchak's far born in the western of an Aifen was is half of the cycle. Yitzchak's was connected to Shem in a way that transcends intellect. Bashashish Bashashish Yishmael's far born is given Al P Seichel. And Yishmael's connection was according to Seichel, according to the intellect. Then when I fashion, so according to those two differences we could also understand far was Avraham Avinu's Amisa Nachas is Dafka from Yitzchak. Why Why Avraham could only have true Nachas from Yitzchak? Even though Avraham thought he could have true Nachas from Yishmael, and Hashem told him, "No, you can only have true Nachas from Yitzchak. In other words, again, this is about Avraham and Yitzchak. This is about when we look at ourselves, we look at the way we raise our children. Can you serve Hashem the way that Hashem needs to be served? As a Yishmael? Or do you need to become a Yitzchak? And we're going to explain exactly what that means. And when we raise our when we raise our children, is it sufficient to raise them as Yishmaels? Or do we have to raise them as Yitzchaks? And again, we're going to explain what that means. All right. You raise a kid, kid is born, he's raised under his children's under his parents' supervision, and they guard him from all influences, and they raise him that he should understand things properly, and with that understanding, he should connect himself to Hashem. And that's called raising a Yishmael. That sounded so good though. You raise a kid, you protect him, and you teach him the right way, and then he chooses the right things. Beautiful. No, that's called the data of Yishmael. He was raised in Avraham's house. Pretty good house. He was raised in Avraham's house, and according to that exposure that he had, he understood the right values, and he knew that we have to serve Hashem. But a cane zig and zag in them hot minute, but we don't have any guarantee in that. There's a weakness. There's an inherent weakness in this style. Cuz his whole Judaism is based on intellect. Understanding. A vulture says and drunk and sign them. We don't know what's going to happen if there's a change. In other words, under these present conditions, he'll be fine. But what if conditions change? Conditions are always changing in life in general, especially for the Jewish people. There are easier times to be Jewish, harder times to be Jewish, different types of challenges. So if everything remains the way that it is, he'll be fine. What's going to happen if there's a challenge? Furthermore, even before the change occurs, the change is when you're going to really, that's the real test where you're going to see how solid his Judaism really was. But even before that happens, of the guns of full of mass other blows we don't know how far is Judaism going to go. Will it only, will it go all the way, or will it will it only go as far as his intellect carries him? In other words, the real deficiency of this model will be exposed when there's some type of a upheaval in his life. But even before there's an upheaval, there's always going to be a certain limit to how far he goes cuz he's only going to go as far as his intellect dictates that he should go. Remember this is this concept of mesiras nefesh we spoke about before. The Rebbe repeatedly explains the necessity of mesiras nefesh. Like we're saying in the previous sicha about even the the the limitations of the nefesh Elokis you have to ultimately transcend. Okay. So here what we're saying is even more than that. What do I mean by even more than that? Like even more importantly or even more basic, even more fundamental. A person might have a very beautiful world view that's based on Jewish values, but the reason he has it is because it makes sense to him. That's not a firm foundation. First of all, something can come and shake the foundation if there's a big change in life. But secondly, even if nothing ever upsets it or disturbs it, there's an inherent limitation to it because his intellect will only carry him as far as his intellect carries him. And we're talking about God here who is infinite and we need to we need to be in a mode of infinity. And how do we enter a mode of infinity? By going beyond our limitations, even one little bit, but beyond. When there's far is euch bei Yishmael'en, when it's hot, and and by the way, Tacha, you want to see an example of the limitations of Yishmael, as beautiful as his upbringing was and his as pious as his mother was and as as mature and sensitive as of a young man as he was and all that beautiful stuff, but you know what happened? We saw bei Yishmael, when his hot nor ungeriert sein yerusha, when his inheritance was threatened. Hot men emshon nit gekent halten bei Avraham in hoiz, >> They couldn't keep him at home anymore. He became danger. He was trying to kill Yitzchak. And Hashem told Avram, you got to get him out of the house. Yitzchak's going to be your true descendant. In other words, Ishmael was so beautiful until something threatened him and then he became ready to murder. So Hashem, what is Hashem saying here? That when you're setting up Jewish generations, when you're trying to create Jewish continuity, it cannot be based on the limitations of nature. The whole continuity of the Jewish people, the whole concept of the Jewish people is above nature. Right? It doesn't make sense in a non-miraculous way how the Jewish people even still exist. When Jewish people are born, we immediately start with the miracles, ignoring nature. Our whole approach to life is supernatural. They say that Ben Gurion, who was not a particularly religious person, to say the least, to say the least, said they they they were asking about some policy or something and he said when it comes to politics in the Middle East that you have to believe in miracles. In other words, it's not pragmatism. If you want to be pragmatic, the whole thing doesn't even make sense. So, we want to explain the existence of the Jewish people in any way that that makes sense. Like statistically, it doesn't make sense how a persecuted minority I mean, it would only take God forbid, but I'm saying statistically, how many times can a persecuted minority be singled out for annihilation and and and still be here, still growing, still so influential? The whole thing doesn't make sense. You can You can't make it make sense. And what we mean is that not only is that in the macro, meaning collectively the Jewish people, but in the micro as well, the way that every Jewish individual forms an identity with Hashem can't be based on anything that makes sense. In other words, the Yeshiva approach of let me teach him the virtues of this belief system and he'll understand it and he'll choose it and then he'll continue it. What we're saying is that's not the basis of Jewish identity. And that's not how to educate a Jewish child. And it's not how to educate yourself. Hashem told Avram The child that you're going to have children from is only one whose whole birth and his whole life from the very time that he was born was in a godly manner. Meaning something that cannot be described any way other than as an act of God. opportunity I know in the in the hospitals non-Jews who do circumcision they do it like second or third day, crazy stuff like that. The reason we do the bris and there's many reason we do the bris on the eighth day, but one reason is cuz that's the first opportunity when it's safe, physically safe for the child. And the point is at the earliest safe opportunity um we connect the child to Hashem. Why eight days old? Because that's the earliest you can do it. You can do it earlier, but it's not medically advisable. I'll be totally honest. The point is don't wait for the child to mature cuz that's not even part of it. We're not trying to connect the child intellectually to Hashem. We're trying to connect the child to Hashem in a way that surpasses intellect and therefore the intellect not only is irrelevant may be but maybe even counterproductive. We connect him at the earliest opportunity and we connect him in a permanent manner with an eternal connection. Even though he doesn't understand anything. And you can't even ask him yet. But that's not the point. It's not about his appreciation of what it means. Because if it were then his entire Yiddishkeit would be built on his appreciation of what it means, which means at some point the test, the conflict, the dilemma. We spoke about that in the previous two sichos. But what happens when there's a dilemma between what Torah says and what the world apparently requires. So when he's put to the test, is Yiddishkeit based on on logic? At some point, okay, logically you're going to have to you're going to be realistic. Oh, that's the that's the word. The the Ben-Gurion who says, "In the Middle East to be a realist, you have to believe in miracles." That's how I killed the I killed the line. He probably never said it. It was probably like 90% of great quotes that person never said. My favorite quote of all time is the meme. It's a picture of Abraham Lincoln and it says, "Don't believe everything you read on the internet. Abraham Lincoln." Okay, he probably never said it. But they say Ben-Gurion said, "To be a realist in the Middle East means to believe in miracles." Okay. That was the word. From such a child meaning a Yitzchak type of child, his connection to Hashem will not be based on intellect and rather it'll be based on mesirus nefesh. And from him you can have true Yiddishe nachas. All right. Yud Aleph. Torah is not God forbid a history book. It's also true history, but it's not the point of Torah just to tell you what happened. Torah is eibig. Torah is eternal. What's the proof? We read it over and over again every year from Bereishis. Does he say As the Torah tells us Whatever Torah tells us is a directive for every place and every time, every time and every place. in The way that we should conduct ourselves privately and in a social context. So, to this story is telling us how we should live and how to raise children. That's the main point. So, again, the Rebbe says, "The main point of this is not to know the historical Yitzchak and Yishmael. It's not a biography. The main point here is to understand them as models for ourselves and for our children. You'd base. Now, the Rebbe is going to get more particular. There are people who think that the order in raising your child, by the way, now's a good time to publicize the parenting course that's starting in a few days, Soul Parenting, 6-week online course now with an in-person option here at the Soul Words House. Why, you want to sign up already? It's a segulah. Yeah, maybe we'll raffle off free parenting course. Some people think Go to soulwords.org/parenting. Again, soulwords.org/parenting. The parenting course is starting in just a few days. soulwords.org/parenting. Do not miss out. Okay. Some people think the the you raise a child. You wait until the child is old enough to understand how to behave. And you rely on the fact that because they are descendants of they'll figure it out. They'll understand that this is the right way. And there does the but this week's parsha tells us gives us a lesson about this. If you try to go according to human intellect as much as you're going to exert yourself you can never connect yourself through intellect to Hashem. That is not the way. The only way to connect to Hashem is which I haven't been translating but literally means giving over your soul. It means self-sacrifice and it means like we spoke about last week and the week before going beyond your limitations. And intellect is one of those limitations. And a relationship with Hashem that's based on intellect is based on limitations. And Hashem is infinite. Our relationship with him has to be based on infinity. And that's why the model for us and for our children is whose connection with Hashem is not on his terms but on Hashem's terms. You want to say it in simple meme-able words, is your relationship with a sham on your terms or is your relationship with a sham on his terms? You'd get more. Ouch. Is the head off on that? There's another teaching here. Menzel meet a man and a man that have a king garden of a water to you dish kite. You shouldn't think we'll give a child a watered down diluted Judaism. You know, make it palatable, tone it down a little bit. And by the way, that was a very popular approach, especially at the time when the devil was speaking. And this is a is a of my question to have to do with cast option guy. So, we're talking about 1958. We're still actually the last couple months of 1957. And and America, especially, the approach was you take Yiddish kite and you package it in such a watered down version that should be palatable to regular American sensibilities. The kid won't feel different than his, you know, regular American neighbors. Nothing too intense, nothing too demanding, you know, basic. Keep it Keep it light. Keep it light. And then later and by the way, the the people who had this approach were not just people who were trying to um assimilate their their own families. These were people who with the best of intentions, I'll give them that benefit of the doubt, really believed, no, that's the approach. First, you give the kids. The kids are just kids. You give them more of a watered down version and then later you can expose them to intense things. Okay, so that that's not the way. It's You don't give the kids a watered-down Yiddishkeit. Then when later when he gets older, you give him more. That would have been a correct approach. That is based exclusively in intellect, then that makes sense that that is the approach that first you give a more accessible version, then you expose the more demanding version. Okay. But that's not what Yiddishkeit is. Yiddishkeit is not based on logic. But Jews who our whole existence is beyond natural calculations, we have the teaching from the previous Torah story that we were just learning. As by Yiddish teaching is the seder that how do you educate a Jewish child? How do you raise a Jewish child? As when does kid is blessed after got when he's only 8 days old, you give him the fullest version of Judaism. An Abeken farbon, you give him a permanent connection, eternal connection. Not just something that will last a year. Or something that will last 10 or 20 years, no, but rather something that is eternal, that lasts forever. That is the way. You give him the fullest, most intense, eternal version at the earliest possible opportunity. You don't wait. Why? Wait for what? For him to become intellectually mature? The relationship's not based on intellect. So, what difference does it make? To the to the to the contrary, if anything, it can only diminish. It can only interfere. Okay. Yud Dalet. Yud Dalet. Okay. We're almost done with this section. Vos meint dos, as euch kinder darf men geben die stärkste moss yiddishkeit. What does this actually mean when we say that children should also be given the the the most the strongest version of yiddishkeit. Men darf der zeilen und der klären der yungt. We have to tell the kids, we have to explain to the kids bau fun kind veizon from from youth. As der yiddisher volk bechlal und a mailer euch yeder yid befrat, is nit farbunden mit natur chishbonos. That the Jewish people in general and every individual Jew in specific are not connected to natural calculations. Men darf zogen zu der yungt, as men darf oplegen chishbonos on a zeit. You have to tell them all calculations you lay on the side. Ignore it. Der vos stammt fun a volk welche is fun zame geburt on nit geboyt af a natirliche oifen. Someone who's from a people that from the very moment of their birth, their whole existence is not built on nature. Einder vos stammt fun dem eltsten volk. From the Someone who comes from the most ancient people. Vos hot die eltste toyre hot has the most ancient toyre. Un is durchgegangen as euch fill yoren fun nisyonos un shverigkeiten. And a people that went through so many tests and so many difficulties. And the fact that they're here is only miraculous. That whole thing has nothing to do with natural or logical calculations and he he shouldn't even think about them. Shouldn't even think about it. Oh, how am I going to make a living? How am I going to support myself? I need a degree. I need an education. All those calculations. There are others as well, but you know, just floating it out there. And when you put him on that path when he's still a little kid. He knows the Jews their whole life is not based on normal, natural, logical calculations and that he's connected to Hashem in an eternal way. And then the Rebbe and then Hashem, when you raise your child in that way, Hashem will say, "The You can call this kid a true descendant. You can call him a Yitzchak. You're going to have You're going to have true nachas from him." Both spiritually and materially. Important point, both spiritually and materially. Not just spiritually, but also materially. And we learn that in the sicha from Breishis, that the world was only created for the sake of Torah. And so there's not a conflict between doing what Torah wants and what works in the world. To the contrary, when you do what Torah wants, Torah is the blueprint for the world, then it will also work in this world. So that's the key also to material blessings. You want a child to have a healthy happy life in the most simple definition of the terms as well, give him a spiritually healthy life. Okay. Now, we have one little sicha left. We're on page 22. Pull it up. Okay. Maybe you just show the whole screen so people see how much is left. Cuz they might be intimidated. I'll finish it later. And then you're not going to finish it later. I know what that I know how that works. Bump the whole page. That's one page and then show That's it. That's what we have left. One bump bump bump. Hold on. Hold on. Let me bump. Bump. That's what we have left. Okay, we're almost done. We're almost done. All right. New sicha. And by the way, that's like we mentioned before, that sicha that we just learned is from above Marheshvan 5701, uh, fall of 1957. Net This next little sicha is from Lech Lecha 5701. That means from the first Lech Lecha, um, 5701 is, uh, the year of, uh, Kabbalas Hanisius when the Rebbe uh, good Shvat 5701 when the Rebbe accepted the Nisius. So, we're talking about that year. Mhm? So, this is that meaning before Yud Shvat. Cuz Lech Lecha, so it's the year between the Frierdiker Rebbe's Histalkus and the Kabbalas Hanisius. Okay. Parshas Lech Lecha is a Woche was alle Tag von ihr let man mit Avraham Avinu der erste was hat geefent dem Ziner von Mesiras Nefesh und das ibbergegeben wie Yerusha zu alle Yidden in der Eizeh Am. Lech Lecha is the first week that we are living all week with Avraham. And, um, Avraham is who? How do we describe him? What's his title? His description? The one who opened the pipeline of Mesiras Nefesh. It's a big theme, Mesiras Nefesh. Big theme. The one who opened the pipeline of Mesiras Nefesh and gave it over as an inheritance to his to Jews for all generations. It's a basic concept of the capacity for Mesiras Nefesh to sacrifice everything for God is in the DNA of the descendants of Avraham. And even geirim, converts who are not biological descendants of Avraham, also received that inheritance. Why? Cuz they have a direct connection to Avraham. Bnei Avraham. No, they say is a connection to biological descendants. But Avraham is connected to every Yid, even those who who are geirim. Therefore, the Rambam writes in a known response which is based on the teachings of the Jerusalem Talmud that geirim can also refer to Avraham Avinu, our forefathers. Avraham Avinu is a father to all geirim because Avraham Avinu was the father to all converts. So, therefore, we understand that this that Avraham Avinu gave over, bequeathed an inheritance of mesiras nefesh to all Jews. Zayin aleph gimmel mem nun daled this includes gimmel. In other words, it is not limited to a biological inheritance. There is also a spiritual inheritance. That's why even from gimmel you demand a level that will require the fullest of the strongest level of Yiddishkeit which will demand inherently demand mesiras nefesh. Hotch dos is up hanging in them in you from mesiras nefesh even though it will require them to be mesiras nefesh. Interesting concept. You might say, "Look, for people who have the DNA of Avraham Avinu, okay, so from them we'll demand mesiras nefesh. But if somebody came and joined the Jewish people, oh, you know, just do your best and follow the rules, but you don't have to be mesiras nefesh. You don't have to go that far." No, no, you do. You do. You have to go that far. So the week that comes after Lech Lecha, the Rebbe was speaking, I guess, on Shabbos parshas Lech Lecha. So he's speaking about the week coming out of Lech Lecha. In other words, it's all we're we're on the first day of the week of Lech Lecha, but so the week that comes out of Lech Lecha darf a vadi sein a freiliche has to be a happy week. Cuz next week, meaning Vayeira, speaking about Avraham after he already even did his bris, was dos is given God a higher level which is a very high level. The Rebbe says in the sicha of Simchas Torah taf shin yud, as Avraham Avinu is given a yid from zibetzik yor, a yed a possessor, a balabatis of all his good habits. of Ramavino was 7 years old. He possessed, he was a balabos, he was in charge of all of his conduct. Saying that all of the good driving was done else is not given for them like that. And that was even before that though. He was the exalted intellect. And the mail either or hot they have to melt and certainly after he did the circumcision for straight men talk to us for the mother again. It is to be coming to me to smell so if he was on such a high level even before Mila, imagine how high a level he was after the Mila. Mila is for women with them in your phone later go back. Mila circumcision is connected to birth. All in your well covered. is to be coming to be Mila have a shot at the new way. All of the methods that I have run did before Mila are connected to created beings. What does that mean? It means that we know that the always did all of the methods before mountain Torah. How did they know what the methods were? They were spiritually sensitive. They felt something called them that summoned them to do these methods even though they weren't commanded to do it. Um and it was it was a beautiful thing. But it came from them. And because it came from them, it was limited. Because it if it comes from a created being, it has the limitations of a of a created being. Therefore what are you going to come to come in? to say with sign again and care. He was able to do the methods with his own strength and his own ability. Bris Milah, however, the exception is the mitzvah of circumcision. Other, on the other hand, in contrast, is an inyan of what was meant to have been given from above. That was commanded to him from above. He didn't do Bris Milah on his own. Now, there's different explanations. One is very practical. Well, if he did all the mitzvahs before he was commanded, why didn't he do Bris Milah before he was commanded? Well, simple answer is cuz if he would have done it before he was commanded, he can only do it once. He can't do it again. He he would miss the opportunity to do it as a commandment. But, the point is we're saying here he wasn't able to do it on his own because Bris Milah is such a high thing. You you you you can't get there on your own. We are state as Milah of Ram is the inyan from Milah shalom Milah. Like it says about uh of Ram's Bris that it's called Milah shalom Milah. The the the the the covenant that comes from above. Umalah shalom kacha is lavavcha, which is for us what we refer to as Hashem will circumcise your heart. Meaning not something you can do. Only something that can come from Hashem. And as I have a claw is men do mitzvahs Milah mamshik nylons design in ganz and have her from Briyas from Brio and say the shalshels. And through Bris Milah even now, we draw down very high lights that are beyond completely beyond creation and beyond even the higher orders of creation, meaning the spiritual realms. The afar is Milah far bunin with them inyan from geburt. That's why circumcision is connected with birth. Plus when a vlad vert geburin is doch dos a dover chodesh and the ant pleckung from the from ain sof lamata. When a child is born, it's a new thing. It's kind of like something from nothing. And therefore, it is a revelation of the power of the infinite self, of the infinite one. That can bring something into being out of nothing. The clay explains that birth is a revelation of infinite self. Milo is also connected to this idea of infinite self, of something infinite, something beyond and beyond and beyond. And that's why Milo and birth are connected. So this week certainly has to be a happy week. And so too the weeks that follow should also be happy. Simchat Torah takes all of the energies of the whole month of Tishrei. And um combines them all. Aggregates them all. And then Simchat Torah delivers all of the energies of Tishrei, of the high holiday season, and spreads them out throughout the whole year. So we're still is where I am partial to on the third partial of the title. We're still unpacking the packing, you know, like Tishrei is sometimes called packing the packages. You're going on a trip, so you're packing the goodies, and then for the rest of the year you're unpacking them and feeling the the after effects of of everything that was given, all the goodies that were made available during the the high point, the spiritual high point of Tishrei. Especially now we're heading into Heshvan, we're in Heshvan. This Marheshvan, the bitter month. But it's uh yeah, it's not bitter cuz we we brought sandwiches for the ride, you know. A good Jewish mother don't won't let you go on a trip without sandwiches, so we got our sandwiches. What? What if your kids finish all the cookies too early? That's why we we we got a extra cookies. We both after Bovar and how many cookies? We pack up so much cookies the kids can they can They're going to yeah. Anyways, okay, Baruch Hashem, we we we finished the all of the This is our goal every week. We do the whole thing. Doesn't matter how long it is. Doesn't matter how long it takes us. So, what time did we start? 10:30, right? 10:33. It's 12:19. So, that was an hour and 50 minutes. How long did it take us? Well, once it ends, we'll tell you. An hour and 46 minutes. Okay, no big deal. Okay, not bad. Uh you guys were eating the whole time cuz 72 minutes, you know, but cuz you need to be able to bench, okay? All right, awesome. Thank you for coming. I'm All right. And we're going to we're going to end the live stream. And then we could have whatever you want to say off camera that you're afraid that would be too controver- too hot for TV. What? Yeah, you can end it. We're not afraid of being canceled. I'll get canceled. Uh