Transcript
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rabbi Jacobsen is a prolific writer
speaker teacher survived a accommodation
vegetable in Brooklyn New York
he's the editor of the alpha-beta
Giornale Enosh English newspaper he has
online classes which are attended to
weekly online by 10,000 people with
something phenomenal so we're really
really privileged to have this
opportunity last time I introduced rabbi
Jacobsen I mentioned another point and
I'd like to mention it again we just
heard the small snippets of the rebus
speaking the devil would speak on a
young City purana Shabazz for hours on
end the problem is on a Shabbat lorry
humps if you couldn't record it so they
would have human recorders people who
would memorize word-for-word what their
ever would say if you had two days of
young to finish about an each day there
ever would speak for hours this could
accumulate to 1215 hours of talk and to
memorize all of that and rabbi Jacobsen
was part of the team that would memorize
and later transcribe the rebus box so
it's really a great honor for me to
introduce
and ladies and gentlemen please ready
Jason thank you I'm very lucky not
everybody gets to hear their eulogy
during their own lifetime so I feel
privileged most people have to die in
order to hear somebody say nice things
forever I'm sure my mother-in-law will
be very pleased but thank you very much
for your kind words last time I was in
this building was when it was dedicated
how many years ago two years ago Mazel
Tov
at the dedication of this beautiful
edifice and you know often Jews dedicate
new buildings and then they retire so
it's nice to see two years later the
vibrancy of the community and it's
expansiveness from strength from
strength to strength some privilege that
moved to be back there two years later
was with all of you you mentioned the
rabbi graciously mentioned about my
position to serve as a human tape
recorder or oral scribe one of the world
scribes of the Lubavitcher ever after
his hour-long talks so I want to begin
by sharing with you a little bit about
how I got that job I grew up in Brooklyn
in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn
New York the world headquarters of the
Chabad movement and my late father which
left me every Shabbat afternoon to go
attend the gatherings and addresses of
the late llevaba Trevor which took place
every sad
at 1:30 in the afternoon and continued
for hours now to be blunt and frank I
was six years old and there ever spoken
the addition and he spoke long and
complex and it was deep and profound and
for a six-year-old it was quite
monotonous and boring I was extremely
envious of my friends who were doing
what Jewish boys should be doing on
Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn on Shabbos
afternoon which is basically you know
getting each other space bleeding
fighting a few stitches here and there
some sports not sitting among we're
standing among 5,000 adult men listening
to wormed complex tapestries of ideas so
I needed to occupy my time with
something the structure of 770's
department about ethic or has had a lot
of beams at the time I would count the
beams and I became an expert on the
amount of beams and their exact location
and the structure but when I finished
counting the beams director was still
talking I developed a new skill and that
is thank God the one who made the tiles
of that building make sure that none of
them were symmetrical so I began
counting the tiles on all of the walls
and after months I became an expert on
each tile the exact crevices and shapes
and holes in between wires but I
mastered that too when there ever lo and
behold was still
so in desperation I developed a new
scheme I would take that sits in the
fringes of the man sitting near me and
tie them anticipate waiting for these
two men trying to stand up and part ways
the zenith of my sister career was when
I managed to tie mine went on for months
of the year is because there was a lot
of strategy and mental planning that
went into it it was like a nationally
you watch national Geographics how the
beasts have the animals you know shoes
their targets and I had to first of all
choose my target I couldn't be
recognized it all have to be incognito I
mean there's a lot of extensive planning
that went into it and so life went on on
this level on one sharpest afternoon as
I was doing my thing suddenly I see a
finger pointing at me and I take a look
and it was Alabama cherub who a middle
of one of his addresses was pointing at
me I was like oh my god
after the year is this patients lost and
now who might satisfies me for tying
people's scissors ready here is right in
front of his face and who knows he might
expel me from kebab and you know what
fine expels you're not Jewish
even the radians so what what happens
then
but thank goodness the la biogenesis not
expelled me from cobot but thank you for
inviting me to come on he asked me a
question there was a very strange
question was a very many philosophical
question to ask a child and the question
I'll never forget it was in Yiddish and
then I'll translate it for you but I
understood and I still understand you
dish his question was from violent vase
to acid our belt which means how do you
know that the universe exists I was
stunned I thought you know you know that
the universe exists first of all it was
a brilliant pedagogical and educational
idea I didn't I figure that out only
recently of how to communicate right
it's like if your child is really
getting you obsessed
just asked how those little existence
like what I don't know how about I'm
busy - it's us
the retro was waiting for a net and 5000
eyes were gazing at this little child
young child inclusive of ours should
ever waiting for an answer how I know
the world exists and I was thinking to
myself we live in a democracy but he
would not to take his eyes off me and he
wanted an answer but I was clueless I
did not know what to exile they didn't
know how I knew the world existed so he
waited for like 20 seconds which seemed
like eternity okay so that I wasn't
answering he broke out in a very big
smile almost a laugh and he answered the
question for me and he told everybody
that he's answering the question instead
of me and he said in Yiddish this child
responds how do I know the world exists
because the opening of the Bible the
opening of the Torah Genesis chapter 1
verse 1 Rees Bereshit bara elokim a
Tasha Maya Bay pirates in the beginning
God created the heavens and the earth
that's how he knows the world exists
because the Torah says have got the
heavens is the earth that must be that
the world exists the next week the next
Shabaks
I was afraid my ask me another question
of the same nation so instead of time
Texas I decided I'm going to list so
that it
he asks me the question I might know
what that hence that's why I told you
what he did was very wise Silas and
actually I understood some of what he
said and I found it very interesting
so I began listening every week to his
talks and slowly I became drawn into it
and I developed a touch for rent or a
skill for it and since then I sat at his
feet until the end that tillis illness
and his passing and absorbed many of his
talks repeating them transcribing them
until my last breath I will thank the
Almighty for giving me the privilege of
sitting at the feet of such a great
genius a giant and absorbing his ideas
his death as approaches his perspectives
and today having the privilege of
sharing some of those ideas with
audiences Jews and non-jews around the
world and various lectures of seminars
and retreats and programs including here
this evening but when I who uh I went
back to the transcript of that talk to
see why he has to me this question what
was he talking about
and I observed that he was discussing
the innocence of children that children
unlike adults have that ability to see
the world from a very pristine sacred
and pure perspective but those know
existence from the stresses and
pressures of life children untarnished
by the corruption and stress of life at
least relatively to adults are capable
of seeing the world from a very pure
place they know the world exists because
the Torah says in the beginning God
created heaven and earth in other words
they can experience life from the verse
in the beginning God created heaven and
earth you know it's like the story of
the child who asked his mother for $100
so she sent him
to her husband to daddy he asked daddy
for $100 daddy said $100 come on here is
a dollar go buy us off the canister let
me do my thing on the computer of course
what happens when Daddy and Mommy reject
you
so the child goes to tar child writes a
letter to God dear God I really need
onto mandalas mommy said no daddy said
no I turned to you the child cooked the
letter in an envelope stamped it and
addressed it to the Lord of the USA it
happened in America the post office gets
the letter the Lord of the USA who's
that who's the lord of the USA so they
send it to somebody they think matches
this description at least somewhat
President Obama a letter he opens and
he's very moved by the innocence of a
child you know asking God $400 Obama
tells his secretary says you know said
that kids five dollars in the mail
President Obama is certain a child gets
five dollars in the mail he will be
overjoyed the child gets the money and
sits down to write a thank-you letter to
God this is how the text read dear God
thank you so much for sending me $100
however I notice that for whatever
reason you were compelled to send it the
money through Washington
most easiest is ducted wires
before they say so god I really thank
you but do me a favor next time try to
send money directly the innocence
short of the power of choice and so I
always feel that that question that
they're avast is a child was essentially
a message there was an empowering
message that when I travel and speak to
bring people closer to the perspective
of life to a perspective on the world
that is synchronized with that verse
opening of the Torah in the beginning
God created heaven and earth a heaven
and earth that is a replica that is a
mirror of the world God intended to
create God intended that we live in or a
world in which there's harmony both in
the macrocosm and the microcosm harmony
in the macrocosm and harmony in the
microcosm between the mind the body and
the soul now the most powerful element
in which harmony is often challenged is
of course the area of relationships I
don't have to tell you that
relationships today are increase
challenging and the harmony in
relationships both the harmony was in
purses themselves and the harmony
between spouses between parents and
children between friends between family
members between colleagues business
partners and so forth
this often extremely challenged and you
know the story about the Jewish couple
celebrating their 50th anniversary and
that that niversary she gets up and says
I want to make a toast to myself
mmm get out with him for 50 years
a toast to him was thinking it out with
me for 50 years and I want to tell you
that the 50 years of our marriage that
passed like two days people were moved
the Jewish couple after 50 years not
only are they on speaking terms but
apparently the marriage was so beautiful
in heaven it just flew by like two days
there was however one a new Knick in the
crowds I just you know what it look
because there are three types of Jews
there are slow meals there are small
muscles in there under the name this
meal is a guy who pours this on this
because the guy who wants to know what
type of
I can tell you from experience every
Jewish audience excluding this one horse
has a look look the nudnik is the person
who asks the right questions at the
right time so the movement at the
wedding anniversary beast gets up and
says excuse me ma'am ma'am why do you
say that your relationship for 50 years
went by like two days why don't you say
it went by that one day I told you he
was a world-class because our marriage
for 50 years has been like two days
above and those are the toughest days
you know my friends there's a no
question the Mystics asked what is the
primary difference between children and
adults now one of the answers that's
given is children don't keep grudges
about grudges how many times of your
child say mommy I don't like you Totti I
hate you I don't want to be friends with
you ever again
you're not my friend twelve minutes
later the child becomes your best friend
once again especially if you gave him or
her a little ice but when an adult tells
you I don't want to talk to you I'm not
a friend anymore
twelve years later they're usually still
harboring a grudge so the catalyst asks
why the immature ones why do they let go
of their grudges in minutes while adults
harbor grudges often for years and
decades and the answer my dear friend is
given by one of the great Jewish mystics
is this children choose being happy over
being right
adults often choose being right over
being happy so friction being happy as
much
important than being ranked for adults
it's often exactly opposite
adults will often wanna be miserable but
they're not going to be wrong they will
make sure to be right in life everyone
has to make that choice is it more
important for you to be happy or is it
more important for you to be right here
we approach the fundamental question and
that is how do we create better harmony
there's no question we are facing for
years now and it only increases every
year a crisis it's a crisis in
relationships it's a crisis in harmony I
come from a city called New York and
there the amount of breakdowns and
families this mongst at 50 or 60 percent
of marriages end up in a divorce
that means every other wedding you
attend every other marriage after a
number of years is going to fail more
than a million children a year are added
to the list of fragmented and broken
families in some situations it's age
wise you know if there's abuse and so on
and so forth but in most situations it's
not a life saving it's simply the
breakdown of a family where your
generation technologically-advanced like
no generation earlier in history a
generation experiencing prosperity
malleus standing a recession
unprecedented in previous generations a
generation which in so many ways in
high-tech and science and so forth has
made incredible investments and yet when
you put
boom man and woman in the house they
can't get do you remember the family
Portsmouth of your family of the picture
that was taken in 1931 you know that
family portrait are like 18 people the
portrait is anybody ever smiling nobody
right everybody's like this most family
portrait but somehow the patriarch in
the matriarchy great-grandparents were
married for 66 years they produce 12
kids and they weren't that miserable
today we have websites and seminars go
into Barnes & Noble or any bookstore
this 780 new books and relationships
these retreats and this programs are
seminars this lecture this book is
essays and so on and so forth today a
lovely near old kids know more about
intimacy then your 92 year old
grandmother
and yet often often at wedding pictures
everybody is smiling unlike those
portraits the photographer will shoot
give you little smile but a few months
later a few years later lawyers are
involved over settlements because of
fighting and quarrels and so on and so
forth
what did are my great grandmother your
great-grandmother know about harmony
that we don't when Henry Kissinger
became the secretary of state of the
u.s. the Prime Minister of Israel's
golden may here so she coined him a
famous letter in which she looked
forward to work with him because
Kissinger oozygoo
you know what he wrote back to her my
dear mrs. Meir have to clarify my
priorities number one I am an American
citizen number two I am a secretary of
state of the u.s. number three I happen
to be Jewish so she writes back
that's excellent that's awesome because
in Israel we lead from right
it was a very clever response but I want
to tell you that in relationship to
those of two ways of reading
relationships it is left to right and
right to left and it's important to talk
about the right-to-left perspective
unless perspective I want to share with
you this evening albeit briefly and I
draw on one of the first marriages in
Jewish history at the surface it's
strange it seems as dysfunctional as a
marriage can get and as problematic as a
relationship can get and then always
bothered me and perturbed me whenever I
read the story again and this is a
marriage recorded in the book of Genesis
and the marriage that affected every
person sitting in this whether you like
it or not do you admit it or not and
that's the marriage of the third
patriarch of the Jewish people
his name was Jacob who fell in love with
a woman named Rach
in the book of Genesis Jacob meets a
girl beautiful calmly safely her name is
Rachel and he wants to marry and he asks
her father the good old days used to ask
the father and the father says sure for
seven years of labor and he Labor's for
seven years like today it's a little
different direct seven today you don't
ask the father and all that the father
say for seven years of labor in fact
there was a story where this guy was
naming his girls and they were dating
for years and she really liked him and
he liked her and he proposed and she
said great but now it's time to talk to
my dad and dad saw him and dad said you
know I heard great things about you and
I really want to welcome you into the
fan
and I want you to know you probably know
that I have a business that is extremely
successful I mean it's a multi-billion
dollar business and we treat family as
our own and we treat in-laws as our own
so I just want to tell you at this very
moment as you stretched out your hand in
marriage and my daughter agreed you
become a full-fledged partner 50% of the
shares in my business that I built now
walk to you this man can't believe them
- 23 year-old little picture as they say
I don't know what's the word for that
what do you 3e rocks in the game you
suddenly I mean within five seconds he's
a multi-millionaire and this future
father most census I hope to see you
tomorrow morning it's now yours you'll
come in tomorrow morning 9 o'clock and
I'll take you around I'll show you
what's going on he says you know I would
love to but I'm very sorry because I
have migraine headaches and whenever I'm
between people
I get spasms and I go crazy and I
dissonant up on me so I really would
prefer not to do it he says ok no
problem I'll give you a desk you'll be
on the telephone he says it's a very big
problem I have telephones when I hear
when the telephone rings I hold
telephones I had a very negative
reactions and has to do with the rage my
family
my mother's interdependence with my
father's addictive there was a lot of
psychological whatever it is fetish and
therefore I really can't deal with
telephones pieces no problem I'll take
you to the section of the factories
you'll become a director there he says
no whenever it is what do you want me to
do with you I just gave you 50% of this
years of my company worth what should I
do
and he says buy me out
but Jacob actually worked for seven
years in order to be able to marry
Rachel and at the end of seven years he
tells his future father-in-law's name
was Laban I'm ready this is great he
makes a feast he likes everybody to the
party but you know what he did right he
switched the younger sister with the
older sister Rachel was switched with
Leia and the tourists as Leia did not
possess Rachel's beauty in fact her eyes
were weak and poor and impoverished but
the the bride was veiled so Jacob did
not know that he's entering into
marriage with Lea's that operation the
party ended the dancing and everybody
went home they paid the caterer they pay
the florist and they paint the musician
ninety thousand dollars for flowers
whatever and what happens is it's before
SSA so there's no electricity there's no
lights don't ask me why nobody lit a
candle but they did not they went to
their Kenta to their home it was pitch
dark
Jacob consummated the marriage with
Lenin and then the Bible describes the
scene dawn breaks Sun rises glimmers of
light into their tent Jacob takes a look
at his side
and he goes whoops
it's won by yard by both can be email a
is the more displayed he comes running
to swallow Mon he says why did you
deceive me and the Father law says Isis
is young it's immoral to marry off the
younger daughter before the Overlord
that's by the way how you know you're
dealing was a real crook you come out of
the conversation feeling guilty Jacob
says nightmare eh his father was too
sure for another seven years of work
I'll give you my second daughter and the
Torah says he agrees he marries Rachel
he works another seven years but he
loves Rachel more than Leia he decides
to stay married away but he marries
Rachel too and he loves her more than
Leia this story always preferred me to
no end
I mean I'm going to ask the men sitting
in this room to imagine for a moment
that happened to you you love this girl
you get married you consummate the
marriage at night after the wedding
morning comes you take a look at your
left side it's your mother
but what is the means of the story why
did it happen now this was not an
isolated marriage and alas understand
that every Jew living today is a product
of that mistaken marriage maybe this is
where the success of our functional
families comes maybe this is the
ultimate Freudian explanation for all of
our issues the Jewish people come from
take Jacob marry the wrong woman so what
does that tell us about the Jewish
people and about foolish marriages not
about Jewish mother was and Jewish
father to Jewish law into intro mass
what is the meaning of the story this is
the foundation of the Jewish people and
the Bible makes sure to tell us that he
married the wrong wife great just
wonderful what is more strange my dear
friends is and every Jewish wedding
there's something called about that can
they know what that is the groom veils
the product why is the bride veil that
the wedding's on and the answer is
because Leia was veil
that's why King cup does not recognize
my question to you dear friends is would
it not make sense that at every wedding
the groom should unveil the bride so
that he does not repeat the same mistake
I mean do you realize under that
we call the super when he places that
lovely ring on her finger
and he says hi really you are
consecrated to me we entered into the
Covenant of marriage arguably the most
important moment of that relationship he
does not see her
normos she see him I need for all
practical purposes to be Hillary what is
the meaning of this why I'm excited
perpetually this same tragedy and every
Jewish wedding look at her for heaven's
sake make sure it's the right one what
strange as well as Rachel died at a very
young age you know during childbirth
Hudak Jacob lived most of his life with
Lena furthermore who was Jacob buried
with Rachel is buried in Bethlehem Jacob
and Leia together are we're in hetero in
the city of Ephraim in the Cave of
Machpelah so 3,600 years later Jacob and
Leah are interred together matching up
and race why what's the poetic justice
being conveyed here friends tonight I
share with you one perspective based on
the teachings of Jewish mysticism of
Kabbalah and uh citizen
[Music]
you know the biblical characters are not
just physical characters biblical
characters are also allegorical
characteristics that mirror the
qualities that people struggle with in
their own lives in other words every
personality in the Torah is not just a
historical person who lived at a certain
period of time but every figure in the
Torah represents and embodies and
personifies a certain quality or
characteristic that lives timelessly in
our own psyches so that their stories
are really reflections of our stories
and this is one of the great
contributions of Jewish mysticism are to
depict the metaphor behind the figure to
explain the spiritual and psychological
relevance of every character so Rachel
and Leia are not only two sisters their
Muslim two sisters but they also
represent two parts of every person one
of the two parts that Rachel and Leah
represent rachel is the beautiful girl
you taller the in fact Mara
she was gorgeous her physique her
countenance her face her personal the
word Rachel Raquel anybody knows even
those libretto means the word Raquel in
Hebrew right a you
sheep the Sheep the youth is a very
docile animal relaxed serene bright it
has usually a bright white luminescent
color those who know Kamaria Komachi is
new morality every letter in the Hebrew
alphabet has a number rough l Rachel is
238 the distinct morality like the words
Genesis via heat or and there was lights
because when Rachel payment to a party
everybody said ah there's lights she was
a person of lights lights and light in
both meanings she was like not heavy and
she was light as in luminescence she
loved herself and she loved others like
a gentle kind sheep she was beautiful
and she represents the light in every
person she represents those aspects in
you that are endearing to you and are
endearing card
Rachel represents the gorgeous qualities
and people that simply make them
attractive and beautiful and everybody
has those qualities that make you
attractive it's what you write on your
resume it's what you try to project
it's what people like about you whatever
it may be
do you know what the word lamb means
even the word length right exhausting
layer represents those qualities in us
that make us tyrants the Torah says the
eyes of Leah were weak because she used
to weep a lot
Leah represents the struggling soul for
Rachel life is a serene cruise through
tranquil waters four-layer life is a war
on a battlefield
leah was a very deep soul but also a
very complex all and the two go together
Leah struggles she struggled for her
she struggled for her identity she
struggled to deal with her inner
challenges and she became exhausted from
those challenges Leia means tired
exhausted each of us has a Rachel and
Aleya within we have those aspects of us
that are beautiful
comforting endearing and we have those
aspects within ourselves that make us
tired and exhausted those are the
challenges within you those are the
questions that dilemmas existential ones
psychological ones emotional ones
spiritual ones
it's the demons the skeletons the
shadows and the ghosts are there any of
those Toronto that people have to deal
with there is no racial or lay
exclusively we're a composite of both
what's the name of that film the good
the bad and the ugly now let's go back
to the story you see the story of Jacob
marrying Leigh instead of Rachel it's
not years ago the reason the Torah
causes the story and the reason that
happened to the founding father and
mothers of the Jewish people is because
the Torah is telling us about most
marriages sense you see when you date
and when you're engaged and when
you usually stings and around Rach
[Music]
there's the rates of male in the
business rates male in the man I've
concluded a lecture once in Manhattan
and a woman comes over to me afterwards
and says we're makers and may I have a
word with you I said sure she says I
have a question I've met my husband in
high school we were lovebirds we were
highschool sweethearts we knew each
other for years and years we dated for
18 years
which doesn't happen is not suitable we
never thought we would daughters we
never had a fight after 18 years we
started to contemplate marriage
I asked why so fast
we contemplated marriage for a year two
years after 20 years not managed now
it's been eight months and we're
fighting all the time and she wanted to
understand how for 20 years peace
paradise tranquility now here they're
quarreling I told them my dear woman
it's racist for 20 years you were dating
Rachel you got married
is this comic way
you see and this is what many women
don't understand as long as a guy is
dating you twice a week but at the end
of the days you both have the freedom to
go your own way so for those few hours
he can behave as though he was a member
of the human race he opens the door of
your car you walk in is there like a
princess he closes the door when he gets
into the car he was doing your eyes and
he says sure with me every life during
the last 24 hours and when you're done
talking about that after two hours and
you're delighted by a sensitivity
combined with this depth as long as 9:30
10 o'clock be and drops you off at your
place and he goes back to his place
and when he walks through this apartment
or his house he throws off his shoes and
then there's no woman telling him
and then he goes and he takes this bag
of chips swig of berry
mops down on the couch opens the TV and
watch as a tennis match between two
people of Czechoslovakian never heard of
and no one is telling him when he does
we don't spend any time then he's
watching this tennis match for our was
eating chips the whole couch is now oily
they fall asleep 12:30 snoring on the
couch in his clothes waist 2:00 in the
morning like a hippopotamus he wants to
his bedroom half of his best with more
dream he goes to sleep and nobody
comments but what a disgusting human
being
[Music]
but after you get married
you realize things I mean the first
thing you realize is what the bathroom
looks like after is shower know what is
worse after the shower
most men use the wrong power with which
to dry up their bodies they use the
towels with the tassels on the bottom
those morons called men don't realize
that you have to distinguish between two
categories of towel towels that are made
to use to dry your bodies
[Music]
muscles for me it was beautifully
stackable but the white responders
supposed to say
and then his other things and it's
conversely as well you're marrying a
woman a Rachel picture-perfect
picturesque impeccable flawless
beautiful and it's awesome and then you
get married and suddenly you discover
some discover their insecurities as you
discover the connection you discover the
fears you discover peoples and their
demons of challenges and it's not
because this isn't based on the
knowledge because the nature of what
marriages so used a trick but you marry
well
and here is what the Torah is telling us
open your hearts if you grow up and if
you work on yourself and if you travel
together in the journey of life you will
discover that it was the Leia element of
your spouse that was intended for you
because the racial element of yourselves
is those aspects of your spouse that's
your ego that's your imagination that's
well with your initial identity and
parent they don't challenge you to take
someone else's the let elements of your
spouse rattle your system they the hell
out of your imagination they ship you up
to your core and you can do two things
you can either run or conversely you can
crush or conversely a third option and
that is become the person Nietzsche was
right when he said we don't need to the
German philosopher who said we don't
love other people we love our version of
them when you date somebody when you
marry somebody who do you love do you
love her or do you love your version of
her director why start two husbands
there's your wife and is your version of
the right does your husband and is your
version of your husband which would be
loved
Rachel represents those qualities of my
wife from my husband's that sit well
with my expectations
it's the spouse that I dreamt up it's
the spouse that I can put into my
blackberry an iPhone it's the spouse
that I can compress to suit my needs
it's dispatch that I always imagined I
would be able to hold hands with walk on
the beach listen to box and let the
poetry flow from my mouth like milk and
honey
but then there is marriage and suddenly
I discover lay I discovered my real
spouse and here I'm like whoa
God Almighty are five billion people in
the world why a woman once called love
she saw classified ad in the New York
Times for picking lemons so she falls
the guy says we have experience with
picking lemons I mean not a mo if you
have a harvested lemons is not an easy
to sweeten harvest season a lot of
experience of picking lemons have been
married we thought there was a guy the
other day the cemetery of Bathurst of
Rosslyn and he's standing and he'll
young guy and he watches a lone woman
standing at a tombstone and she's
talking to the to stone and she's
weeping why did you have to die why da
and the approaches are and says who dies
and she says my husband's first wife
[Music]
my friends the rape developments of your
spouse challenged you to take yourself
seriously the lay elements of your
spouse challenged you to take someone
else seriously
the lay elements of your spouse when
Judith Winston your ego and to create
space for a modernist other this is the
key rachel is the spouse that fits into
my bubble rachel is the spouse that
works from my ego Leia is the spouse
that challenges so much of me and
therefore forces me to create a space
for someone's not me
and what is the essence of the
relationship what is at the core of the
drama the massif the chaff and the bless
of a relationship of not creating space
for office and becoming what you're
capable of becoming in that difficult
[Music]
but blessed process back to the story of
Jacob you know where the Torah tells us
the story you know why that happened
because the Torah is telling us this
simple message when you're getting
married you must know something and that
is if you're not ready to marry later
don't get married if you're only ready
to marry yourself
but if you marry only if you ready to
marry raise you're not ready for
marriage because marriage means creating
space the totality of the other purse
you see now why we cover the bride
during away when we placed a finger
when we placed a ring on her finger she
has to be covered in a while what the
groom is telling her
that gesture is I'm committed to love
not only the part of you that I see
tonight I'm committed to love also the
part of you that I will see in a year in
five years and 15 years life changes
people
there's no life that doesn't change me
we grow we suffer losses we endure
challenges hopefully we have something
we grow install many ways our bodies
change our psyches developed in so many
different directions I cover her face to
say I am making a space for you not only
for the ratio but also the layer I know
that there are parts of you that I don't
see tonight I can't see tonight even if
we dated for a long time how can I know
everything you don't even know
everything about yourself so me not what
the future will bring
and tonight I'm creating that space for
you tonight I am committed to love not
only race but also Leia and what happens
in life is Rachel dies and Jacob remains
with Leia psychologically with
means is the image of your spouse as a
picture perfect impeccable and flawless
creature dies away with time as the two
sisters must merge into one beam and as
couples grow together and work on
themselves the two sisters become one in
their life will you begin to cherish
love and accept the totality of the
other person this does not mean that
abuse should be tolerated and welcomed
this does not mean that when my husband
is doing something that's unacceptable I
should say great lay up lay it wasn't
worked out purse Leia was a righteous
woman Leia was a deeper woman that raped
but Leia had her to fight for herself a
relationship with Leia means recognize
that every person is now recognizing
that any person has challenges and
create space for the idiosyncrasies and
for the journeys and for the growth and
for the fears of the child
the other nurse this is difficult for
many couples today you see what happens
is this the story of Rachel II has a
cause of exploring if you would slay at
the first dance you know what you would
do you would say bye bye bye bye
happiness go enjoy your ride with
somebody else so they're in courtship we
see Rachel we only get to see Leia after
the wedding this is God's Way of
allowing us to marry Leia now what do
you do when you see later some people
call a lawyer
some people run away in isolation they
don't want to deal others crush their
spouse so that they obliterate their
personality
I saw t-shirts I'm very easy to get
along with once you learn to worship me
you just learn to surrender don't speak
up and will be peace in the home
they'll be harmony of you but there's a
third way don't run and don't crush
celebrate others open yourself up to a
person who's not you create a hole in
your eagle create an emptiness your ego
that is not filled with you and that
somebody else can enter into it and in
that process you will discover a harmony
that was unexpected are you ready for
that are you ready to create space truly
for another person without being
threatened by it without running the
other direction without feeling they
have to crush it if you're not ready to
crease that space you're not ready for
marriage don't get married and that's
the story of Jacob your married life are
you ready for it it's not just a little
work on yourself because if you don't
work on yourself before marriage you're
going to blame your spouse for things
that she is not
or he is not complain don't think that
your spouse will perfect law your own
fears and concerns in the levels it's
not their job to fill your void you fill
your void and now create space for other
nests but you know my friends this
Rachel and Leia and every person also on
their own Germain when you wake up in
the morning there are two days ahead of
you
there's the day that you wrote down in
your Blackberry or iPhone it's a
beautiful day from appointment to
appointment from Erin pepper and
everything is accounted for but then
there is a day that God plans to you and
his Blackberry because each of us has
those aspects that are stress free we
also have those aspects that drive us
insane we have the struggles we have the
challenges the only people I know that
are perfectly happy other people I don't
know well
but everybody else struggles each of
them away and it's grace of your life
realized that it's in your swellow's
if you have the courage to look them in
their eyes that will allow you to reach
the destination for winners all came
down to this world in which you reach
your ultimate harmony or ultimate death
so my friends this guy really was short
of breath he went up the steps about the
ninth and he could barely breathe so his
wife is very concerned Monday morning
she makes an appointment to go to the
doctor the doctor checks for a full hour
out of the office calls in his wife the
doctor says I had very bad ministry your
husband works too hard he's
deteriorating I don't see a way out
he's going down and down in a year or
two ill just loses energy he's finished
all the wife says is there anything I
can do to help them the baptists is yes
take a pen and paper and write down find
instructions and follow them for the
next 10 months if you do these five
things for 10 months I promise you the
stress level will decrease and we'll
bring him back slowly to health she
takes a pen and paper and tells the
doctor to go ahead
the doctor says number 1 when your
husband comes home from work every
night's dinner must be on the table with
a plastic over it to retain the heat
there's no such a thing when he comes
home ear on the telephone contemplating
what we would like
- your friend must be ready for dinner
[Music]
I'm gonna tell the women you have to
know two things about men they have to
be fed and watered a woman once came to
see me she wants to get divorced I said
why she tells me my husband is an
undomesticated selfish beast I happen to
know her husband
it was a little spirited he actually was
a nice guy he was a nice guy she does
but you don't know him I know him I
didn't say anything
I asked to tell me what time does he
come home from work doesn't he comes on
six I say what time did and you serve
dinner I usually eat I said your husband
is not a
undomesticated wild selfish piece
[Music]
people in the world try it and instead
of spent $80,000 and therapy give the
money to me or the kebab I have saved
marriages with this advice women don't
realize cuz men when they're hungry
don't complain about how hungry they are
men don't walk around the house they
just get angry and upset about
everything the peasants the wrong way
they freak out
the guy couldn't care less when the pen
is where keys are used to starving he
they're just too much so they can't
admit how hungry there
women are they walk around the house you
haven't had a meal since the day I met
you nor have you slept one night in fact
tomorrow I'm going to transmit your name
to the Guinness Book of Records you have
me because if you told me I'm gonna come
back to bite don't blame me your wife
does not have any manners so women don't
understand that when men are hungry they
don't talk about food they're just upset
about anything in the world they want to
move weather wrong with various other
house they change jobs just do
be quiet again natto your husband eats
therapy but a lot of them a lot of that
just animal food so this is the first
with the doctor's office remember so
this is the first destruction the doctor
gave her he gotta eat and eat the second
instruction the doctor said when he
finishes Union even if he offers to
clean up rich savage refused to take out
we got a column darling you had a hard
day at work
I appreciated so much what you do and I
really don't want to burden you with the
house you know me what am I am a
housewife
I really do nothing do the laundry at
maps of them but you really work hard so
don't help me clean up don't help me
clean up I had a perfect day I'm not
tired at all
you go watch Larry King for The
Honeymooners
or I Love Lucy or mash or whatever Adama
the third instruction the doctor says
you have to compliment your husband - 20
times a day you have to tell them I know
you serve in the Prime Minister's we're
certainly of Canada president of the US
the leader of the free world really I
mean with your brilliance with your
brilliance unbelievable 20 times a day
your husband's ego has to be massaged by
you advice number four the doctor tells
her I can't repeat publicly advice
number five the doctor says you could
never disagree with
whatever he says you must truly under me
with him if you do this pet mouse his
stress level will decrease we'll be able
to stay in his life
the woman finishes writing she leaves
the office they get into the car to go
home her husband looks at her and says
you worried by the doctor after the
checkup
tell me what did the doctor tell the
woman looks at her husband and says the
doctor said that you going to die
there's all my dear friends with their
brothers my dear sisters I want to wish
you that the next 50 years of your
relationships and the 50 years
afterwards should pass like two days
like pureness
thank you very much
[Applause]
thank you thank you before you go home -
stop arguing about who I was talking and
who's the race in the relationship lose
the lay of the relationship and so on
and so forth
I will take a few questions or
objections war is good Jews alternate
speeches I will ask you to keep them
short but before I think the questions
I'm going to express my gratitude to the
rabbi and Rebbetzin for giving me the
privilege once again I think this is my
third time here right
my third time once again of addressing
this beautiful warm hospitable and most
important humorous community not all
Jews know how to laugh at jokes some
people think it's a conspiracy
[Applause]
I want to thank them very much for
inviting me and it's really a privilege
to meet you
for those who want I send out a weekly
essay through the email on the Jewish
psychology and spirituality if you want
to get it you can give me your email
address before you leave and I'll send
you the weekly essay and now we're going
to take a few questions
we're gonna need somebody to break the
ice and we can't rely on the men unless
they'll surprise us we'll see anybody
any questions
mama Schmo yes I know it yeah
[Music]
I've heard in the past
you spoke embrace your difficulties
accept your challenges but how the best
advice I give this assassination
I'll pay that you didn't have for me the
words embraces difficulties I don't like
that words because I think that word is
abused I've seen situations where people
are being abused where people are living
with things they shouldn't be living and
people say you got embrace it
difficulties sometimes you don't have to
embrace your difficulties so what do you
got to get rid of the difficult
you don't always have to embrace it
difficulty after no wet their bracelet
difficulties why not embrace your
difficulties as a blank state with the
tell somebody embrace your difficulties
if you're in a job and your boss is
impossible and abuse get out now with a
married you have to be much more
sensitive a much more careful especially
in this ocean involved you know today in
America and Canada Europe we created a
culture of divorce you don't like the
guy you don't like her move on you have
to know what's there was the time when
that song you gotta know what to hold
them and you gotta know when to fold
them ranks
I know it's about gambling Jewish men if
you dish they made up they made a
version of that song
Madhavi - you know you got to know what
the whole thing you got to know what the
fold
sometimes difficulties are intolerable
sometimes there's behaviour that should
not be tolerated people are accountable
they're mature adults and you don't say
it's awesome it's challenging this is
gonna make me a good person sometimes
it's unforgivable it's intolerable and
people have to stand up to their
behavior and be accountable for it you
know it's very difficult to make a blank
statement every situation has to be
judged individually what I was referring
to as an approach to life and that is
even in in the best situation people are
different and even the most beautiful
husband a beautiful wife that have good
intentions and idealistic people are
different people's personalities are
different and harmony is about really
creating space for another person the
really about understanding who the other
person is this doesn't mean every
different
it should be embraced and accepted but
it means generally I have to really
appreciate who the other person is and
not try to turn them into what I want
them to be it's true also with children
you cannot make your children into what
you want them to be you have to know who
your children are and create an
environment that then to be them this
doesn't be more behaviorism is
acceptable it's not some things are
unacceptable but a toastin that I cannot
turn my children to do I want them to be
I have to respect their soul Mike
soldier don't belong to me they belong
to God my spouse doesn't belong to me
she or he belongs to himself or herself
and ultimately to God even my back
doesn't belong to me I don't have the
right to abuse my body according to
Torah it also belongs to God I have to
respect and know who it is this aspect
how do we do it we do it first and
foremost through humility prayer is very
helpful to this study is very helpful
for this being a personal engages and
kind needs every day is helpful for this
these are things that expand
consciousness when you pray when you
study when you help people you expand
your consciousness and when you expand
your consciousness you could see things
beyond your ego and when you see things
beyond your ego you can make a space
drug when your consciousness is very now
or unlimited it's very hard to make
space for other people you become
insecure you become defensive
you become protective I probably didn't
answer your question
yes you mean this more to do separate
from each other yeah people are good
what is that better or worse a
relationship with all the technology
that allows people to be more apart
rather than locked up together in a
confined home I don't think that
accident can be answered black and white
it depends what they're doing with it it
depends what they're doing with it is a
nice good or bad the pendants use it to
cook halwa but you used to cut your
finger you use it the cup how that's a
wonderful thing if you use it they cut
your finger your schlimazel you know is
internet good it's technology good is
the fact we use it for if you're using
it text messages to flirt with other
women which is a very easy way of learn
today it's hard to spoil them on your
parents if you use it to be connected to
somebody faster when you need something
or you help something you know it's also
so I think that answer must be addressed
every person dividual e about how
disciplined they are how moral they are
how committed they are and then they
really own their life or their a toys on
them I mean between Facebook and Twitter
and link is bean and iPhones
people don't on their life anymore it
used to be in the bathroom at least you
won't yourself when you're in the shower
in the back on the toilet you mom you
not anymore
you're texting your aunt's three emails
there's no space in a corner on even in
sleep max bosses and you're awake so
some people don't own themselves they
can look to the whole world besides
themselves that that's not good that's
not good you have to have a space that
you call your own
and then that's very important it's
important for a relationship with
yourself it's important for relationship
with with your spouse supporting for
relationship I was listening to a
conversation which is Berenstain to say
but I'll share with you I was in the
conversation of my children and my wife
fast and if they want me to read a book
that they want me to read a story book
to them at night which I do sometimes
that one of my son said no I don't want
that give me the book so she said why he
said because paddy is always checking
this fall and it's very annoying
I wanted to read the book right now I
thought to myself I put the phone on the
side you know what every few pages for
me that's perfect but my children's
imagination that was a very powerful
statement and I learnt the less the
lesson I learned was during homework and
during reading a book the cell phone
goes wall there's no vibration as well
if Obama really easy
doesn't know what to do in Gaza and is
desperately needed to fix the oil leak
in the Gulf of Mexico or Afghans don't
find me the most Sabah the Shin Bet will
find me so for those two hours you know
is my business those bankrupt in two
hours is deserving on you in two hours
she should quit on you so if you can't
shut the phone off from 6:30 to 8:30
when you do in the home when you're
putting the kids to bed it's a problem
but I learned it the hard way I'm glad I
didn't learn is when they when my C team
in the therapists office when he was
five so I can fix it but that's very
important to remember extremely
important the cell phones gotta go off
that's the value of Shabbat the value of
Shabbat Lamia consider yourself Orthodox
non-orthodox liberally humanist
left-wing right-wing atheist agnostic is
one night a week
a whole night that's all an observant
Jews have an awful whole Shabbos and
I'll tell you whether you believe in the
Torah you don't believe in the Torah
psychologically for a family one of the
best things one of the best things for
our marriage one of the best things for
children they have they have their daddy
and their mommy for 24 hours and they
know nobody is looking to the stuff when
I tell you whatever your feelings about
religion and observance are pinko
madness it's very very wise to just do
that the Shabak experience of no cell
phones having this dinner around the day
the whole television off in the
traditional way of Shabbos observance
that psychologically sociologically
brilliance will probably see many
marriages and many holidays teenage kids
no tinnitus I have my father tonight I
have my mother tonight were forced to
talk to each other because the
television is off there are homes that
TV is never off at dinner so the kid
comes home from school father comes home
you would think that your childhoods
were precious to you then the television
show and your child is but fast
entertainment is very compelling
so we've ignore what's more important
and that's really one of the great great
contributions and institutions of
Shabbat that would be my response to
your question
some people compare marriage to a
business partnership what's my take on
that it depends from which angle you
come from if you're coming from a
dysfunctional place you're coming from a
highly functional place which means
relative to many marriages if a marriage
would be like a business partnership it
would be great at least two spaces trois
at least is basic respect at least
there's no hollering at each other if
all the criterion criteria that is used
for a business partner to the leaders
for a marriage in many cases it's
beautiful but compared to what a true
marriage is capable of being a business
partnership falls
very short from it because a business
partnership by definition is based on
the fact that we are two separate
individuals we just have a common
interest it's called making money it's
called growing this business and for
that common interest we realized that we
have to do things for each other I'm in
the business you're in the business we
both want this common goal and therefore
we behave a certain way it's much better
than an abusive marriage of course in a
disrespectful marriage but really a
marriage is far deeper than that
a marriage in the Jewish perspective is
the fusion of souls it's where two
people not only have
common interest and that is we have kids
that we both like or we have a home that
we both live in you know or we need that
the same table so basically let's just
behave towards each other but rather a
real marriage is two souls become one in
the Jewish tradition the Zohar which is
the basic kabbalistic texts as husband
and a wife become two halves of one soul
that concept of fusion is what a real
marriage is we're not just in a
partnership because we have certain
common interests but rather we are two
people two souls two personalities and
we have to remain two personalities
because that's the beauty of marriage
which actually congeal and become one a
husband and a wife in the true
definition of marriage what to see each
other as one - and yet what our lives
are one our values are one our mission
statement is one our lives merge into a
seamless whole I make me far away from
my wife we may be involved at the moment
of two very different things but we're
still one in that difference in that
sense it transcends a business
partnership very significantly and very
dramatically
yes
[Music]
but if you're only focusing on the
beautiful that's great somebody call me
wants love this blinds and marriage and
marriage you open your eyes somebody
think Woody Allen's the great great
master the great mystic what do y'all
want
before I was married before I was
married I was incomplete now I got
married and I'm finished max from a
lovely young woman who's completely
Rachel and her husband is Rachel so so
you just like me my wife is also Rachel
[Music]
listen listen here's the deal people
think being complete and finishing
something is the same thing but
completion and being finished is not the
same thing if you marry the right woman
you're complete if you marry the wrong
woman you're finished what happens now
what happens if the wrong woman who you
married catches you with the right
[Applause]
Iraq of course play is beautiful but we
sometimes need help to sit you're right
in a case where the marriage is just one
endless romantic symphony that begins
and never ends awesome beautiful but as
we know some people do have difficult
moments some people have challenges some
people go through difficult experiences
to ignore that and just to say it's
always beautiful for everybody it's not
and sometimes life throws curveballs
that make things not so beautiful and
Leia personally have a lot of struggles
in fact layers identify the couple as
the ball Shuba Rahel as if sobbing you
know Leia was supposed to marry you know
that and Rachel was supposed to manage
it that's why they were stronger when
she's supposed to marry his son the
reason it was marrying so because Jacob
and ISA were like Rachel Malaya he
struggled in the womb of his mother he
struggled you know that it says the
release when his mother would pass by
retaking their centers he saw would
gravitate there he struggled with
idolatry from the womb whose choice was
that not his the whom you don't make
choices
it was predetermined it was genetic some
people often have to struggle with
questions they have to struggle with
emotions that destroy a certain mental
challenges our job then
then see the beauty within themselves
see the holsters of themselves your the
stuff I'm saying quit you wanna you want
to travel with me
all the slime Playa you describe preach
your rights and I always hope you remain
right okay anybody else perfect you're
perfect
the only time you made a mistake was a
few years ago I think this thought you
made a mistake or a mistake - any other
questions always feel free to share
there's no taboos and no one judges
anybody else we're all the same boat
well yes you regionally noted that the
Toros you're suggesting the tourists
teaching us about Rachel
technically Jacob Maris for Darfur
at the debate service but when later on
if he there's going to acknowledge Leia
as what he truly loves water etc
technically doesn't because he ends up
going to be less bed most the time and
Ruben gets penalized for that because he
moves the bed to hit what he thinks is
the insult his mother and actually isn't
he's looked at it's almost it says right
disoriented to pick songs so technically
he's still going through Rachel site
because of the woman that he's with is
Rachel's mater that's just a point well
taken
the truth is that blaze greatness is
that there's always a little distance
between her and Jacob that's what that's
what creates Liam dishonest ahead there
is a little distance sometimes distance
is the way of the relationship that's
really what makes layaway oh there's two
journeys of mindless people who are
close to God by being close to God and
His people who are close to God by
struggling with gods that's also a
relationship they're fighting friends
very nice one teammate
okay we'll take a question because
couples have to go home to discuss any
let anybody through a question okay so
yes yes haha
so how do you make a roomful a Oh fine I
do how do you make a little fillet out
one is you buy your own one-way tickets
how do you make a move for later you
make a move for later bite the slating
your own ego that's how you make one
fillet you have to talk to your own ego
and say this ego ego I know you love
yourself so much and I love you too but
you know what might hear ego you're not
God
I know you like to play God I know you
think you're at the center of the
universe and sometimes that's very good
like when you want to get a job done you
gotta feel that you've got God's power
and you're at the center of the universe
but in a relationship you have to
realize that you could grow from another
person's wisdom and depth because God
didn't only create you in this world he
also created someone else in this world
and that means there is value in that
purse last time when I was here two
years ago when we dedicated when this
building was dedicated I told you about
a scene from a bodacious you remember a
Monday is
most entire symphony the Emperor of
Austria and / exhausted to his dear he's
tone deaf so what does he do during the
concert he does what Jews do doing rabbi
Sterling's most finishes the symphony
and he walks by the Emperor and that
door says Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart job
well done but too many notes it's too
warm and Mozart says nay nay or Majesty
who was not a note too many which one do
you suppose that cut a new composer
knows that there is not a note to many
in Kabbalah humanity is compared to
musical notes every person constitutes
an indispensable note of God symphony
there is no missing though but there's
also no extra notes and without that
know the music is incomplete so I have
to tell my ego I know you think you're
at the center of the universe but
there's really another person who's
equally divine and whose presence can
really enrich you and therefore listen
listen
don't fall asleep when your wife is
listen and if you're resisting it and
you're becoming tired which is little
many men do because it's hard work on
yourself don't if he doesn't like it you
can come next work on yourself and let's
not sometimes I have to say in all
fairness to men because I don't have
anything against men by the way some of
them are very nice people
in fact I'm also a man they're not also
Vaseline
they're very nice a lot of them
sometimes men fall asleep when their
women talk not for vicious reasons
simply as a because one of the great
dicover listed differences depending on
where is that men are waffles and women
are spaghetti which needs a waffle every
waffle us all space spaghetti and he
piece of spaghetti is injured
with every one of these ha you see four
men every issue reminder self-contained
for women every issue when life is
connected with every other issue in life
so when women talk about life they don't
talk about one problem they talk about
many many issues when men talk about
issues every problem has its own filing
cabinets or folder and it doesn't touch
the other folder but man's brain is made
up like waffles with some a nursery
every issue of man's brain has one
folder for the car
one father for the house we want to fall
before the garage one folder for
marriage one folder for the kids one
folder for the job one folder for the
mother-in-law one folder for the other
and when there's a problem with one the
man ghost is grainy opens up decks and
when he opens it he makes sure not to
touch
he deals with it or usually doesn't deal
with it puts the fact that the slowest
of all that then goes to the next issue
okay the most the most space in the
man's brain is a big finding cabinet on
it it says nothing that's what most men
love if they wouldn't have to work for a
living they would just hang out in that
place place women their brain is not
like waffles it's like the cyberspace
[Music]
they don't have a well we see nothing we
nothing women don't know what nothing
this is what do you mean life is always
vibrant and alive with something going
on every moment of the day in every
spaghetti with a hundred thousand pieces
of spaghetti so finally when you
convince your husband to sit on your
couch and not take a paper and listen to
you he's really trying to listen but
then the conversation starts so the
beginning you talk about the dress that
was ruined and the cleaner is it's $400
and the guy doesn't want to take it back
okay
so he has a mental note cleaners dress
$400 as a mattress a big one after 11
seconds you go to the next the next
topic of course is your kid doesn't like
his teach okay
the next topic is the leak in the room
the driving you crazy so now we went
from the close to the picture then you
discussed cleaning help that you don't
have so we went from close max from
close then you go to your job then you
discuss your mother and then your sister
that departments then your
brother-in-law and then this issue that
issue then this manners and what he will
come in by the time it's two and a half
minutes you've been dealing with three
nine topics by you it's one that's
called life feeling emotion can this
operate that way inspiring five minutes
is now completely overwhelmed so you has
a choice choice number one is a bullet
through his brain which will have a
husband and that is
you're only by item 39 and your husband
is stormy at that moment you get very
offended he doesn't care about you know
[Music]
women instead two hours later
do not talk you're already suspecting
who knows what he has
the poor guy doesn't know when to hit it
white said but he can't articulate this
cuz he's a man he's a waffle he knows
about why he fell asleep really fell
asleep cause he's madly in love with you
and he wanted you to have a husband so
my friend understand sometimes men fall
asleep right they only know waffles that
sometimes but other times you know you
have to be able to laugh but you gotta
be able to listen you say make space to
lay out the gray is arguing with me
again Wow she has that very enriching
experience I saw the world from one way
one way my wife sees the world another
way let me listen
let me try understand and make me ask
the world in another way what that does
to you is what it does for
was an argument instead of it being a
reason for annoyance and frustration it
becomes something to look forward to an
educational experience think about next
time your spouse argues hold yourself
together and say you know what I'm gonna
utilize this as an opportunity to see
life from another point of view and thus
become a larger person till now I was a
person limited by my own paradigms let
me listen to how you look at the world
and I will become larger than myself and
that way you look forward to an argument
and the argument becomes an exercise in
real growth and when you do this
continuously listen to the other person
that you're trying to see life from
their perspective things change but to
be honest how many husband's really
dedicate time to think about their wives
as an independent person and what her
needs are separate from them how many
people really dedicate time not to think
how to answer their wife how to get rid
of guilts how to come up with a good
excuse no they actually spend time just
thinking about who their wife is as an
independent person who she is what her
emotions are what her needs are what her
experience of life is and conversely
women towards men that's a very
enriching experience the same with your
children by the way not just respond to
you children when there's a crisis but
actually sit down and think who your
child is without a crisis no price
everything is good who your child is
what their meetings are what their
strengths what
weaknesses are what they can become in
life what do you need to do to polish
their diamonds so that it can go long
this experience is how we train
ourselves to be attentive to the other
person and it's not always easy but this
is the stuff of a relationship this is
this challenge and this is the reward of
a relationship let me take one last
question if there is close it's late
yes
next after the husband tolerate his wife
putting him down and from other people
either way it's the wrong thing it's
it's immoral and it's not the right
thing either way not a why not a husband
putting down his wife in front of other
people
not a wife putting on a husband that is
it's an immoral thing in a marriage it's
the wrong thing to do in fact in fact
from a Jewish perspective when every
year with a group of people and this is
about me smash about business
partnership this is the difference you
are one with your spouse do not want
with anybody else even your best friend
is not your spouse and therefore if you
have to make a choice between the
dignity of the people around you and
putting down your spouse in order to get
respect from the people and you
sacrifice your spouse because you want
to find favor and other people from a
Jewish perspective that is a form of
divorce for example you're in a
restaurant and the waiter brings our
house and you're there with another few
couples right and you're very polite and
your etiquette is perfect your husband
we know is clumsy and absent-minded and
a little detached and the way that
brings the soup and your husband takes
the soup he's trying to be a mensch
right and as he takes it he pours it
right and the other woman who dressed up
beautifully and not as hostile water
it's very embarrassing right and the
wife throws too
all the guests and says he always does
what did she do to protect herself she
divorced herself from her husband and
said he's an idiot he's a I know
we all know she divorced herself her
husband because it was very
uncomfortable
or the other way around the husband
turns to the people and says that's my
wife you know she has a bad temper
she's really not gonna with stress he
divorced himself with her to please the
other people that in Judaism is
unacceptable because your spouse always
comes before anybody else in the world
there's no one in the world who comes
before your spouse not your business
partner not your investor not even your
very close girlfriend or boyfriend or
your child your spouse comes first in
the Jewish tradition before everybody
else and therefore you don't sacrifice
your spouse so that other people should
like you that's a mistake and it's
unacceptable
that's in front of other people with
each other
with each other take the pot not it
overs
[Music]
what about on your own on your own we
also put down your stops you should give
constructive criticism but not put them
down if I tell my husband you're an
idiot you're a I want to
accomplish anything
when he feels that I'm putting him down
at our respective will just become
defensive or if I tell my wife you know
you're really horrible you've been
possible what are you gaining you're
just making her become defensive and you
distancing yourself from her just like
if you tell it to your child so even
with each other privately you should
have put down the other person you
should tell the person there's something
bothering me about your behavior there's
something I think we can work on there's
something I would like to help you
there's talk to you privately so putting
somebody now is usually never effective
if I'm very very angry I can say that I
can say you know I'm really really angry
and a part of me wants to put you down
but I know it's not the right thing but
I have to tell you that I'm very angry
that's why you expressing your emotion
so putting people down you have to be
careful with even with a stranger is
there a point in putting something down
what are you gonna gain you'll just make
them become defensive but in front of
other people a husband has to respect
his life and a wife will to respect
their husbands
that's a continent that should never be
breached and other people have to know
that if people see you put down your
wife and you put on your husband
they will also put down your wife to you
or put down your house
to you and that's not acceptable it is
unacceptable for a person to create any
crack in the marriage for me to say
anything that will make even a
separation between a husband and wife is
forbidden it's bad thing to do I'm not
talking about if somebody comes to talk
to me about Alan and we talk about but
I'm talking about for me to make a
comment to a wife Democratic our
husbands even if it's true the kind
maybe a Swami or Kannada often
denigrating the wife is an absolutely
unacceptable it's simply a morally wrong
thing to do from a Jewish perspective
and the for husband gets us when a wife
doesn't he's right he's right about it
it's a hurtful thing a wife must be very
careful men are more sensitive than many
women realize by the way you know one
comment from a wife can drive a husband
mad some women don't realize how
powerful their words are when your
husband comes home a nice words could
turn his night into paradise a harsh
word could drive them crazy women today
often are so feministic they don't
realize how much power they have over
the men when women were more like women
they knew that was a joystick they can
save their husbands moves in
three-and-a-half seconds with feminism
they learned that they're just like men
and they don't realize that they're more
powerful than men and that's one of the
problems of feminism feminism instead of
elevating women's power decreases it
because the old women used to know that
with a simple combat they exchanged
their other that's very fast because men
are very or men are like something like
babies you know you say something nice
to them and they're like angels try it
out your husband comes out for work give
them a compliment before you tell them
what a hard day you had for like 20
minutes nice things been unleashed
[Music]
20 minutes you see them I promise you
will under the table and Mopsy
just tell them nice things tell them how
handsome he is
tell how much you appreciate his word
just tell them they have to be real
women don't realize the power when you
say nice things to your husband that are
genuine will be a very time will crawl
and form like a horse do whatever you
want with compliments
but if when you come home with me like
papa
then just feel like a king how can you
feel like a king by revolting by
revolting you want me to do this no you
you use my credit cards I bore heads you
don't appreciate me I'm not doing
anything
but if cause he has to be a king but if
you make him feel like a king most of
them most of them are as long as a wife
appreciate women have to realize their
power women have to realize their power
complimenting your husband every day
very very good thing to do if it's a
genuine compliment especially the way he
dresses
if he dresses nicely the way he looks
men likely stuff the way he works is
ethnics as values as commitments as
sacrifices every day what are you doing
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
Cubans
[Music]
one o'clock she should call them and say
my dear husband I so appreciate your
hard work for the sake of me and the
kids I miss I want to say hi I can't
wait till you get all the taking I just
want to tell you I really I really liked
how you look this morning I thank you
again for your work I don't want to
waste your time I just want to wish you
a great day by the you know what she
hangs up the phone he's like what a wife
I have and she's like what a husband I
had and she asked her what are you doing
this cuz she wanted to connect better
but men don't know when it's not and the
reason men feel that way is deep down
every man feels like he was created from
what from the first man so when you take
Adam back to the source it feels like us
and we take a woman back
every man feels really liked us so when
your wife says what are you doing what a
man uses I'm doing nothing worthless
dust I don't exist who is the world she
speaks she is when I have 300 employees
tell me what am i doing pina colada
smoking Cuban cigars Boehner Mills bomb
the meal so really she's trying to
connect when she says what are you doing
is just her way of saying let's talk I
miss I'm wondering what you're involved
but he doesn't understand that he fixed
his challenging his right to live so
what do you doing so many challenges
your right to live one o'clock
she's like darling how are you doing and
he's like she wants to poison she wants
to know if you feed a waffle before
conversation doesn't help for the
conversation well usually if he will be
but not feed him enough that he falls to
sleep and you hold it as a reward when
he listens to the conversation is
finished feeding I'm saying that food is
important for survival and for
concentration obviously one could make
people tired but it's not the woman's
responsibility to make sure that our
husband doesn't fall sleep on she talks
the hospital's responsibility and here
we get into the issue of cold dependence
a woman is not responsible for her
husband's behavior husband is not
responsible for his wife stay adults are
responsible for their own behavior so
every husband is accountable for what he
has to do in the marriage and every wife
is account of what she has to do with
imagine and I can't live my life saying
if only I will manipulate this and this
and this and this and this I will get
into new business this he gotta stand up
to himself and I gotta sound to myself
yes clever sometimes we have to use
tactics
sometimes but generally in my
everyone is responsible for themselves a
husband is responsible to listen to his
wife and I'll fall asleep if that means
that he has to eat let him go in the Sun
there was a couple that the wife just
hates cooking she's a little prima donna
she liked cooking
fine she constantly gets a little
interesting questions I thought I know
where you work there's a restaurant
across the street before you leave work
order dinner into your office he's like
wow that's brilliant he was coming home
every night upset that she didn't make
dinner
they gotta fight every night so what so
you're not gonna be married anymore
doesn't make dinner there's a restaurant
across the street that's in there at 5
o'clock order more courses
[Music]
but you know what it works perfect these
dinner every night this office situation
you gotta know the reality you gotta
make responsibility for it
okay now Obama take one last question
yes if Rachel is so beautiful
doesn't it sort of bother her that she's
really the second one and the first one
that she's meeting for somebody who is
already mean
that's a lovely question
you know according to tradition Rachel
gave signs to Leia you know the story
what happened was Jacob gave Rachel
certain signs
- a big signs to be able to identify her
and when she saw what her father was
doing that she couldn't resist it
she didn't want her sister to be
embarrassed so she gave those signs to
her sister so that she shouldn't be
embarrassed which means that really
Rachel was extremely self-confident and
extremely selfless to save her sister
from the shame she gave up her signs so
that was really the power of Rachel her
kindness her grace was absolutely
extraordinary that's on the literal
level in the psychological and spiritual
interpretation of the story it really
works that way when you days you see
Rachel when you get married you see Leia
when you work on your marriage
Yuri Manly Rachel again so that's really
the process you date rachel then you
discover later and then in the growth
process you recreate a marriage with
Rachel because as you said you find the
beauty in life and then you create a
second relationship that's based on
maturity and honesty and suddenly Leigh
and Rachel become one so in the
psychological story it's Rachel Leia and
then Rachel
have a wonderful night a wonderful week
and a beautiful relationship thank you
[Applause]