Matos-Masei - Planning for the Day After

you're listening to the weekly partial podcast with Ari goldwag recorded with hasm was never undering assistance in R Israel 5784 2024 this week's par is par mat and M and I'd like to share with you two MIM that are next to each other I'm actually going to read them out of order but they say two different things about the same story that seem to be the opposite ideas but they teach us an essential lesson that has to do very much with our lives and our our proper approach to the blessings that Hashem gives us and places in our lives Torah tells us that the tribes of Ruan and God and half of the tribe of manasha they had a lot of uh livestock they had a lot of animals and on the Eastern side of the Jordan River they saw that there was a lot of there was a lot of space a lot of grazing land for their animals and they requested of most that they be given instead of going into the land of Israel and being given a portion in Israel proper on the western side of the Jordan River they said give us a portion over here on this side of the river because that side was also supposed to be split amongst the 12 tribes supposed to be split really evenly each one would have a portion there but they said give us that area because we have a lot of animals now where did these animals come from where did they get all of this wealth and there's like kind of a dichotomy here because on one hand they agreed to come into the land of Israel they agreed to fight alongside their brothers they didn't uh step back from their responsibility but at the same time they showed that it was more important to them to have a a uh a place and a an expression for their wealth than to have a pece of Earth Israel the land of Israel so you know you know me you know how I talk it's important to to remember that uh Isel is clearly the place for Amel it's clearly the place where we belong and saying parasa livelihood is more important than living in the land of Israel is problematic that's what we see from this paraa not going to get so much into that but you know it's good to know that going in it's important to remind ourselves Earth Israel is the ideal living in the land of Israel is where every single Jew belongs this is where we fulfill our potential this is where we can plant behind me you can see if you look carefully behind the plum areia there's grap which I showed you bunch of weeks back but um you know planting in hers Israel just planting a tree is a Mitzvah of Yar it's of inhabiting the land of Israel you know there's so many opportunities for for serving God in everything but we're going to speak more about that act actual aspect of serving God in everything in the second half of what we're going to say but let's read the first half the me tells us where did they get all this wealth which caused them to ask to have a portion on the Eastern side of the Jordan River which caused them to ultimately be the first of the tribes to be exiled this is what the says in Hill in Psalms it says this in chapter 75: 7 and 8 that you know you're not going to where does the wealth come from where does success come from it's not if you go and you find it in the west far this way that way it's not if you go out to the hilly areas the places where the Wilderness kill God judges everybody he lowers the one who needs to be lowered and he raises up the one who needs to be raised so now I translated the word and it's not in the wilderness and the mountainous areas the word harim generally means a mountain but we're going to see in this Mish that it doesn't always mean that in this context it actually means something different right let's see person thinks that there's you know predetermined paths normal H that we do normal efforts that we put in in order to make our livelihood you go to a certain place you're involved in a certain conference you speak to the right people that's how you make your money you the the way the M says it is it's not the efforts that a person puts into his merchandise and goes from east to west and he goes to that place to buy the merchandise and then he goes to China and he has his he has his connections there and he works with other people and it seems like that's what makes you successful right P saying that's not it because the tells us something which is you know wakes us up a little bit to the reality we think that if we do certain things if we go on our boats we fly to certain areas we go on our planes Etc flying here flying there in order to succeed in business so we think that that's what's going to make us successful but you could do all that and you cannot end up being very rich right a person can study many years and become a professional and as where used to say you can become a doctor but you could be a poor doctor you could be somebody who doesn't make money say it doesn't have so much to do with your doesn't have to do with your efforts so it's not about you it's who decides God himself decides who will be lowered and who will be raised says in explaining the words Wilderness and mountainous areas generally speaking the word har means a mountain means a mountainous area or mountains the word har can also mean to be raised up right a mountain is very high so this in this context it means don't think that if you go there you're going to be raised up all of the efforts that a person does all of the natural seemingly successful ways of doing business reading all the magazine articles about all the different ways that people succeeded in their business that's not what gives you success per se because what does God do in order to show that this is true sometimes it happens that a person is might be even Rich succeeds but Hashem takes away his possessions and gives it to somebody else somehow it ends up in somebody else's hands that's the P that says God judges and decides and it's based on meritocracy yes depends on the person it depends on his merits this one he lifts this one he lowers that's why they're called that's why they're called what is the word which means possessions sometimes they're covered from one person and they appear to another person it looks like you have or somebody has certain possessions and then they end up in someone else's hands hasem does the things that need to be done for it to move sometimes money is called because it moves the word right the the goat that was bought in two with two zo that's the kind of money it's like a dollar why is it called dollars it's called Zin because it moves from one person to the next M another word for money in a clone you think you're counting the money but it's not you don't know how you don't know how much value it has to you it's just points just points on a screen Mo another word for money is you have it for for the time for the time being and you can always Dar and you can always take the name of money and understand that it it's not meant to remain by that person per se it depends on hashem's determination we're going to bring this back to the to the story with the underscores this with gives life takes away life brings a person down Into the Depths and he brings a person upem causes one person to inherit and become rich God brings down one person and brings and brings up another person be the same person what does it mean even he lifts up a person sometimes hasem brings anger upon one brings that brings some kind of judgment upon one person in order to raise up another person you could think about it in terms of a a court case where Court Awards the certain amount of money to to somebody takes the money away from one gives it to the other person so there was a particular woman who asked the following question how long did it take for God to create the world took six days God work for six days rested on the seventh day that's why we keep shabas to give testimony to the fact that God created the world in six days and rested on the sbth created the world let it run so to speak everything's set up what does he do now what does God do is God bored so said to her hasem what hasem does now is he sits he makes ladders and he's moving the pieces around on the Shoots and Ladders board he lifts up this one lowers this one moving around moving around the wealth that's why the verse says God is a judge he lifts up one he lowers another oh so now we're back to our story to the story of the where did they get their wealth from you should know when when Ru when hasem decided that the children of ruen and God should become wealthy this is I think important for us to just understand generally about our times we're very in very interesting times when you see Wars going on right you look around and you say what's going on but we need to understand that this is from God this is from Hashem right the the Jewish people were instructed by Hashem to war against midan because the midianite people caused the Jewish people to sin caus 24,000 Jews to be killed in a in a plague Hashem said it's time to take revenge against them they were destroyed the medite people were destroyed but what happened God caused the midianite people to be to the Jewish people were victorious over the m people and the money went the the wealth of the Mite people went to the children of God in how do you see this right previous right before this para which speaks about Bard andu and their wealth and they came to mosha and asked for this land on the Eastern side of the Jordan so it says that the Jewish people went and they uh took much money from they took they took all the spoils from the Mite people and immediately after that it says that they had a lot that the ruven and God had a lot of livestock it's coming to teach you from placing these two go Concepts next to each other that God lowered the medite people and raised up the Jewish people we spoke about this actually in the B podcast which I highly recommend Sing called it World War II and the rise and Israel's rise really worth listening to when a KES wants to raise up the Jewish people and and bring about a A New World Order sorry for using that term he wants the the Jewish people should be the leaders of the world in every area especially spiritually soem creates Wars that's what is about right so hasem did that with m that's why hasem did this we had a war with minion so that because Hashem had determined and decided that the benu should get this money that they should become wealthy which is very interesting because it seems like a negative thing that they were wealthy and they wanted to they wanted to have this piece of land on the Eastern side of the Jordan but we're going to see in the next piece of the Mish which is really the previous piece we're going to see that really depends on how a person decides to use their wealth the fact that a person becomes wealthy initially is a gift from Hashem it's decided in heaven that that person should become wealthy hashm will take away the money from one and give it to another hasm decides that Ukraine is going to lose part of its territory to Russia that's a decision that's made in heaven if Russia is going to lose the war that's a decision made in heaven Gaza the Hamas are going to attack people of Israel the result will be that they'll be decimated destroyed their land destroyed Lebanon Iran all these all these parties we need to know that it's Hashem is playing the chess board Hashem is playing you know Hashem has determined that this one is time for there to be a certain level of judgment call it or or the the they've done they've done Wicked Deeds their wicked people you know hasem has we don't understand exactly what's going on truly perhaps understand more after the fact but we need to know that everything that's going on is part of hashem's plan and it's been determined in heaven that this one is supposed to be lowered this one supposed to be raised up okay important but again what do we do with that now what happens after the war after this huge war with midan the money goes to the what happens after currently let's talk about the today what happens when the Jewish people stand up and we defeat our enemies with God's help now here we are we we prove to the world that we're powerful that we can Pro protect ourselves and that we can Vanquish our enemies what happens now what do we do with that power how does it look with with peace treaties with Saudi Arabia like the day after what does the day after look like so that's what this m is teaching us that we have to understand that there's when when there's a a battle and we win the battle and we we get the honor or the wealth Etc what do we do with it next and that's the next piece I'd like to read to youu God says the mag in regards to the story of these these wealthy people are the tribes of Ru in God says that there are three gifts that were created in the world if you get one of them you've received all of the desired things of the world if you have strength if you have power you have it all we'll see what this means if you Merit to have wealth you have it all oh I skipped one first is if humans have wisdom intellect understanding you have it all says thees when is this true interesting when is it true that these are positive forces whether it's wisdom or whether it's wealth or whether it's strength and power if it comes and you recognize that it's a gift from heaven and you understand that it comes it comes from the power of our spiritual guidance our spiritual set of rules which is the Torah and there's another version of this comes fromm's power right and the here bring that who is who is the rich person the person who's happy with his lot well actually it says it says in the that if you use your wealth it's a different concept than the one who's happy with his lot if you use your wealth you don't think that the wealth is for you but you share your wealth what do you use your wisdom for is it about self self aggrandisement is it about me uh becoming more popular more more famous more successful or is it about how can I use this to serve Hashem to serve God to facilitate others serving Hashem better how can I use my wealth my wisdom my power for others or here who is the mighty one the one who overcomes his inclination right that's real power power over self that's the true power if I use it what am I using it for am I using it for selfish means using my wisdom my wealth and my power for for uh personal gain or am I using it for the greater good am I using it for godliness for spirituality am I using it to become connected to Hashem myself and to facilitate others connection to hem so when there when I recognize that it's a gift from Hashem and I understand that it's coming mik Torah is to be used in my service of God as is expressed in the Torah then it's good good then it's good but you should know that if it's used for selfish means for the natural things that human beings use it for to feel a sense of self assuredness I'm rich I have everything I have my needs taken care of I'm powerful I can protect myself I can stand up in the world if that's the language that is being used if that's the thinking if it's about myself and self perpetu ation and it doesn't go back to the to the root doesn't go back to I need to be able to be powerful to protect myself so I can serve Hashem so I can learn his Torah so I can be a successful Nation a Jewish Nation with a strong Jewish identity and practice then we're talking what do we need the wealth for what do we need the strength for King Solomon says I sat and I saw this is in ecclesiast 9:1 I sat and I saw under the under the sun in the world that those who are quick those who are lightf footed they don't win the race those who are strong they don't win the war those who are wise are not per se the ones who have livelihood those who are very intuitive don't necessarily don't necessarily get rich when a person is overly involved in self when a person thinks that they have all the answers and they're only concerned about number one themselves it can easily fall you can easily fall lowers raises up Jeremiah says chapter 9 verse 22-23 this is what says don't the wise person shouldn't praise himself about his wisdom these three aspects wisdom strength don't praise yourself about your strength don't brag don't brag says this is what you should praise yourself about the fact that you have used your wisdom to know me hasem says you've used your wealth in order to promote positive Jewish religious Orthodox practice and that's what you should praise yourself about that's what you use your wealth for that's what you use your wisdom for that's what you use your strength for to to become a greater person in your relationship with God the says when you don't recognize that it comes from Hashem and you don't direct it back to its source they can be lost these gifts can disappear they can be lost um he gives a number of examples I'm not going to read every example I'm going to bring it back that's what you see by the children of the tribes of God and ruen they were wealthy they had lots of money lots of livestock but they made their parnasa their money more important than anything else they said look I need to live over here I'm not going to go into the land of Israel I'm not going to it's there's not it's harder in Israel to make make a livelihood it's harder that's what they said and so that was a misdirection because Israel is the place of the ultimate connection to how could you not live in Israel how could you live in how could you stay there how can you stay in the place of of disconnection from Hashem because of your livelihood because of your money because of every other excuse lived outside of Israel because of their par their livelihood what was the result the result was that they ended up in Exile before everyone else the first group of people to go into Exile was this group Ru God and the half tribe of because they separated themselves from their brothers in Israel because of their livelihood you know so it's very interesting so the result what comes out of this is that the issue the main issue here is what is your spiritual approach what is your approach to having wealth to having wisdom having strength what do you do with it what do you recognize that it's from Hashem and it's meant for you to use in your spiritual Pursuits well one way to tell is what do you say about Israel what do you say about Israel do you not come into Israel because of a worry about parasa do you not realize and recognize that par is from hasem if you're meant to have it you're going to have it no matter where you are and is a place of even more so than Arts right do you recogniz ize that but I know I'm harping on the Israel issue but let's bring it to let's bring it to just the simple a simple straight forward point which is for all of us to understand and relate to and that is recognizing that the wealth the power the wisdom that I have is from God and it's meant to be used in my service of God it's meant to be used and recognized bring it back to the source how can I maximize my spiritual potential with this and it it's indicated by as the M says it's indicated by the fact that they didn't Ben they didn't go into the land of Israel that's indicative of the fact that there was something missing in their understanding of what the wealth was for so even though Hashem had given them the weal taking it away from Mion how is it used when we with hashem's help succeed and we Vanquish our enemies what will we do then next the next step is bik that's got to be the next step we got to build it we're waiting for the the bikash to come down from heaven but I but I got to tell you something the is we're supposed to build we have an obligation mik to build it and the Jewish people obviously have to be spiritually ready for that but that that's the next step that's the next stage after we win post the the post-war plan is to rebuild rebuild theik I want to bless you and I ask you to bless me shall help us that we should be able to understand where it comes from whatever talents whatever gifts that we have we must understand should help us understand that they are from him has should help us to be able to redirect to make sure that our the direction of what we're doing of how we utilize our gifts should be brought back to the source hasem should help us to be able to get to the land of Israel to be able to show ourselves and God that this is the place that our spiritual growth which is best accomplished in Israel is the thing that's most important to us thank you so much for listening have a wonderful sh this podcast was made possible through the gracious donations of listeners like you for more podcasts like this please visit www.wag.com or search on iTunes Ari goldwag [Music]