Modern Masters: Mitzvot - Pathways to Holiness | Rabbi Sam Shor | April 23 2026

All right, good afternoon Ramosai. It's great to see everybody back here. Everyone had an amazing Yamat. Last week, of course, we spoke about Yamat. We are in the midst of the longer Shabbat, which means on Shabas afternoon, we now have the min to study Pyavos throughout the spring and summer. And also means that we over the next this coming shabas we're going to read two two pario together and kadoshim. So today we're actually going to do a little bit of a a We're going to touch on one of the one of the pieces that are included in the study of piravos and we're going to also get to para kadoshim as well. But really it's going to be a a springboard to a broader discussion a broader discussion about what I call the meaning discovering the meaning of mitzvah. Okay. Understanding what the system of to mitzos are really um really meant to be for am. So before we even begin the shar we do have a a generous sponsor this year for this afternoon. I want to thank our friend Rose Wel Wolffeld who is dedicating the share in memory of her husband Reuvena K Reuv who of course was involved with the U Israel center for many many years. He is remembered with much love by his wife, his children, children and grandchildren. May his nama continue. Okay, with that as an introduction, we are now going to jump right to our sheets. As we said a moment ago, we're going to start on Shabas afternoon. There's this minug throughout the summer months to study for Peravos. But it's very interesting if you look in the sitter okay as a there are bookends to each each par the minus that you study a few of the Mishna from each chap chapter weekly the first week you study from chapter from the paragal the second week you study for paraget but there before we read the Mishnaot from that paric each week there are book ends there's a there's a Mishna from from a second son Edin where we say we begin our study with this statement that every Jew has a place a pathway into the world to come and then we close our study every shabas with the Mishna in Mak which is what you see on your sheets here the Mishna tells us the Mishna that's familiar to us because we included as part of our weekly study taught Hashem wants to bestow merit upon the Jewish people. That's why he gave them so much in the realm of mitzvah. Now, it's very interesting. Most people, unfortunately, most Jews, and I've probably heard this many, many, probably dozens of times in my career as a rabbi and educator, many many Jews say, you know, there there's so many laws, so many details in Torah. There's so many mitzvah that it's impossible for me to do them all. And therefore, it's too much for me. So, I'm not even going to make any effort. It's too hard to even give to even try. But it's very interesting. The mission here says Hashem wants to give merit to the Jewish people and that's why he gives them so many so many mitzvah. As the Pik says, Hashem want Hashem wants for his righteousness that his Torah should be spread and beloved. Okay. So, let's try to understand this. The Rambam in par in the parish, this might be my favorite Rambam in all of the canon of of Rama. We're going to learn a little Rambam together today. This is text number two on our sheets. The Ramishnas explains our Mishna and he answers our question. Okay, that you know so many people seem to say what there's so many laws so much minutia it's impossible for me to do so what does it mean that wants to give me merit it means hashem has given me so many laws that I can what make mistakes there's so many things I can mess up so what does it mean so how do we understand our mish so listen to the words of the beautiful okay among the fundamentals of our faith in the Torah that when a person fulfills one of the 613 mitzvah any one of them okay fully appropriately as he's meant to be and he doesn't include okay any outside motivation in doing that mitzvah he does his mot the mitzvah only solely for what does it solely as an expression of his love for hashem and his desire to do the right thing As I've explained to you elsewhere, with that one mitzvah, he what? Secures his place in the world to come. And this is teaching us. Hashem gives us so many mitzvah. Why? Okay. Why is that important? It's impossible that person could go through life and not have at least one mitzvah that they do fully and completely. And in so doing, okay, when they do that one mitzvah, doing that one mitzvah, they give he gives life to his to his soul through that one act. So many many people look at the fact that there's so many rules and regulations and they say the Torah restricts my life. The Ram turns our definition of what a mitzvah is on its heels. The Ramen says no mitzvah are opportunities. Hashem gives us so many opportunities to do good, to achieve, to succeed, to contribute, to make the world better, to feeling better about ourselves, to bringing holiness into the world. Okay, don't misunderstand me. I'm an Orthodox rabbi. Of course, I believe the mitzvah are indeed obligatory and we should do the mitzvah. But but if we define a mitzvah solely as a commandment or as an obligation, then we're missing the boat completely. Okay, the Rama gives us a totally new understanding and definition of what the word mitzvah means. The mitzvot are obligate our opportunities, not solely obligations. And if that's our orientation towards mitzvah, then that changes our understanding of everything. And as we're going to see together this this afternoon, um we're going to look at a few examples of this of how better to understand mitzvah played out in a number of specific mitzvah. Okay? But we could you could do this deep dive probably into every single mitzvah, but we're just going to do a few examples of it together this afternoon. Okay? So we're going to begin. We're going to continue with Rama. Now we're gonna jump we're gonna jump to the Rambam not in the in his commentary in the Mishna but the Rambam in the the Rama of course the Mishna Torah with the Rama called his right hand his strong hand the Rama um in we're going to learn two two entries from the laws of together in a moment but before we look at the Rama I want to actually learn together a short share with you a short idea from that does not appear on your our sheets. Okay, Rav Cook said the following word. This is quoted in a beautiful cafer called Mishna Rav, the teachings of the Rav Ravk that was coated by one of the Ravim Rabos, one of the great um leaders of the religious Zionist world um of our last generation. And these are the words are of the difference between one who dins and one who doesn't the difference is not solely that one puts time in their schedule every day to the other one doesn't. That's not the difference. Okay. There's a fundamental difference between these two individuals. The world view okay the their their daily experience is completely different. Those moments spent in those moments that we spend in have an lasting impact and impression on our entire day. The fact that we have as part of our structure, our daily schedule impacts the way we see the world, how we appreciate the world, how we understand the world. And with that as our introduction, now I want to learn the Rama. Let's jump to text number three. We're going to look at two different entries in the Rambam's the laws of and we're going to see what appears to be a contradiction in the Rambam's own words. Okay, we're going to look at an entry in paragal of the Ram and then we're going to look at an entry in parag. Take a look on your sheets. So the ra in paragal it says the ra in the beginning of paragal talks about five different things that a person needs to have in place in order to dive in and one of those five things is what we call what he calls kavana intention of the heart kavana all of us know this idea we throw around this idea this expression kavana what does it mean to have kavana so listen the rama says in paragalid kavana what is kavana talif what does it mean to have intention in the heart. Okay. So the Rama begins by saying what any Okay, by the way, when we're talking about in the Rambam, we're talking specifically about the amid the Okay, so anytime we recite the amid that and and this in literature, the word is talking specifically about the Amida. Okay. Anytime we we recite the and we don't have okay it's not considered. If a person ds without kavana the is what you need to go back >> and d again with kavana. That's what the rabbit says. Okay. >> You can do that a whole day. >> One second. But that's what the raal. Now let's jump ahead in the same very same okay this is text number four so far he's consistent right he says if a person he didn't have he has to go back and d again but now what does the ramen say but here he gives a caveat but if you have the There's bra you don't have to go back and d it. Wait a minute. In paral the said any that's not you have to go back and d it again. But in par he says as long as you have the first so obviously we have to say this is what we call in the l of the ra seems to be contradicting himself. There's a of course Salvatrix Aluster's grandfather Brisker wrote an entire magnum opus okay his magnum opus is going through the entire work of the Rambam the Mishna Torah and looking for these these seemingly problematic passages of contradictions of the Rambam and he wrote his entire magnum opus and the second entry in Rabim's work on the Rambam addresses this question. Okay, this very question. So, we're going to talk about in a moment. We we're going to read a couple lines from the claim. I put the whole claim here, but we're not going to go through the whole piece. We're going to read just a couple important lines. But, but there are two things we have to walk away with here. Number one is we have to understand the the apparent contradiction. And number two, what's so we have to ask the question, what's so important about the first braha? Okay, that as long as we have kavan in the first braha, the raman says what? You don't have to go back. Okay, you can have you can lose your mind be distracted for the next 18. Okay, but as long as you have in the first bra, you don't have to go back. If you take if you turn your page, this is a this is the famous teaching from I don't know if you see on your page the section that says a there's a few lines in the middle of the page say a. Okay. So, we're just going to read this section. So, how does how does how does explain the apparent contradiction? And how does he try to rationalize the apparent contradiction says that the is talking about two different categories of okay and that that are present the first is what the meaning of the words okay knowing the meaning of the words okay and this is all all part of the fundamental to know understand what you're saying is part of the fundamental of kavana. What's the second category of kavana? Okay. to understand that he is that that the person is standing where before so and he says okay which is learn from what the Rambam's words imperal so emperic okay okay okay is the and the and by the way goes on to say later in the piece that in addition to to to this being a den in in that a person needs to know what okay every time we dive in okay we need to know that we're standing before okay so that he says that not only in all of which is what he says to peral right that if you don't have that level of kav of knowing that you're saying these words as a way to connect that you're standing before hashem if you don't have that that has to be present in every braha And by the way, Rakan goes on to say that has to be present in every single mitzvah of the Torah. He says this idea is inherent in every mitzvah that we do. That we're doing the mitzvah not just because it makes us feel good or because it makes us look we're doing the mitzvah. Why? as a means to get close to knowing that this mitzvah reminds us that we're standing before and that says is how we understand what what the rabb says in peralid that if you don't have that level of kavana not only in any of but in any mitzvah we do then you haven't really done the mitzvah okay but in par what's the other expression the rama say that says perishim understanding the meaning of the words. So seemingly seemingly is telling us is that the kavana that the rah is talking about in per in the 10th chapter where he says as long as you have kavana in the first brau that you don't have to go back and dive in again. The only what's so important about the the only braha that you seemingly need to fully understand >> what >> the first one >> is the is the first braha. So we have to ask the question what's so important about the how do we understand if we if we go with which we're going to do for the morning to this afternoon if we go with this for now we need to understand why is it that the first braha and the meaning of the words and doesn't necessarily mean the translation it means understanding the significance of the words okay so what's so specific and important about the first braha so if you turn your page Okay, we're going to learn a short entry from the commentary to the sitter called the Brooksha Almar. The Brooksha Amar is a commentary on the sitter that was written by Rabbi Baraki Abstein. Okay, Rabbi Barak Abstein of course is the son of the Torah Rabi Abstein. He's also the nephew of the natival natal Berlin his rashiva the rashiva of the yeshiva and Rabbi Barakstein um wrote a monumentary commentary on the known as theima and he also wrote a parish on the sitter known as the brook amar he of course his name was Barak and Barakar is of course is is a is a is an important part of the sitter that we say every day in in uh in so therefore he named his commentary on the on the sar and look what he has to say about our first this is text number six in our sheets okay we say we use the name but ultimately hashem changes name to But >> we're not called we're not called the right. So it means he's holding on to his brother's heel. Right? When Jacob is born after Asavv is we're holding on to to to Asav's heel. So his name becomes because the word means heal. And why is he called Israel? Because he wrestles with the mysterious being, the angel of God. He wrestles with God and man. He struggles with God and man and he perseveres. Israel and the name God is given to him by whom? by Hashem himself. Okay. And therefore what his name that name Isel is seemingly what more appropriate to call him by and more honorable to call him by. Why? Because the first the first name he was given is because he's holding on to the heel of his brother the his the the heel of his wicked brother Asov. And the second name is given him by Hashem. Okay. Himself. So certainly we should be recalling in okay if we're talking about and that chain of our ancestors and the merit of our ancestors certainly we should be including the name it would seem at first glance. The question is why that's the name why do we not sorry skip the line. Wouldn't it make more sense to call use the name the name that's more honorable and therefore call him by the name that hem gave him that was more beloved to Hashem and that's more honorable in our eyes. Okay. So who he says oh to understand this why the name is used instead of the name is we need to turn to the cabalist who searched high and low and they came up with a reason an answer Why? Listen to this idea. We're going to do some second grade math here. Everybody ready? This math here. How many letters are in the name Abraham? >> Five. Okay. Five. Right. How many letters in the name? >> Four. >> Okay. So, five + 4 is >> nine. Okay. And and how many letters in the name Yakov? >> Four. 10 11 12 13 which equals 13. Now if we were to replace the word Israel for the word Yakov, how many letters would we come to? >> 14. >> 14. Oh. So myina, we could ask what's the difference between 13 and 14? What is so but what is so significant about the number 13 in Jewish life? Take a look at text number seven. the right says after after the okay and and Hashem is asking sorry Moshe is asking Hashem to give Amish another chance and and to give them a recipe to heal and to to come back and do chuva and Hashem gives them the recipe. Hashem re reads to Moshe his 13 attributes of of of compassion of if you take a look at text number eight the garash the famous garashem called out in front of Moshe and said sorry Hashem passed before Moshe and said Okay. What do you mean Hashem passed before Moshe and said? He says if the Pik didn't tell us this, what it'd be prohibited to say such a name. Hashem has no physical form. So what does it mean that Hashem passed in front of Moshe and called out? Listen to how the Gar explains this. Again, it's an ages does not need to be taken literally. But there's a message that want us to glean from this from this. Moshe said oh put on a talis like and he taught Moshe the seder of it doesn't say the seder of of the yugimos he says what the seder as we said earlier anytime the word appears in literature what are we talking about Okay. Okay. Anytime the Jewish people transgress, say before me these words and they will be forgiven. And then it goes on to list the Okay. And Hashem made a a breath, a covenant with the Jewish people that anytime they recite or refer to those 13 attributes of compassion and mercy, they will not be unanswered. Okay? So it's not just when you declare those suking themselves. Okay? Because the clear the key here to understanding is what okay now stay with me encrypted in the very first the says the okay the reason why we say Abraham and not encrypted in this very first in this very first braha that's why it's the most important braha to understand its true meaning and depth encrypted in that very first braha is a reminder to us every single time we dive in, we are reminded that has what? Unending love and compassion and forgiveness for the Jewish people. And therefore, every time we dive in, that brah is the most important brah. Why? Because encrypted in is that message of the number 13. Okay? The reason why the name is not used and the name is is because those names add up to 13. And this braha we call the braha of the because the clue to understanding its importance is encrypted in the names of the aos. Okay. The fact that we use the name Israel gives gets us to the number 13 which corresponds to this message, this eternal message, this eternal covenant that Hashem made that anytime we reference the 13 attributes of of compassion and and mercy that Hashem and unending love that Hashem has for the Jewish people, we are reminded and we are strengthened that indeed we can leave our mistakes behind us because Hashem has unending compassion and love for every single one of us. Okay. is encrypted in that first brah and that's why says the why that first braha is so important is so critical and that's why as long as we understand the significance of that first braha as the raman says doesn't mean we shouldn't learn how to dive properly and we shouldn't learn the depth and meaning of every single one of the brahas but this first braha is so important because it is encrypted within that braha is this incredibly important message this message of kick and hope to every single one of us that indeed Hashem loves us and has unending compassion and forgiveness for every single one of us. Okay. So now we're going to move on from to another example of of trying to reorient and recalc calibrate our relationship to mitzvah. And now we're going to jump to the mitzvah of okay this is text number nine. There's a braos. We just talked about the imagery of Hashem passing before Moshe and putting on a proverbial talis, right? That that so we're going to learn another. Okay. And this is this is the braos. Where do we learn a proof that Hashem puts on? Hashem puts on fill. What what does that mean? As the Pik says, Hashem has made a promise with his right hand and with his strong with a strong arm with know is a reference to Torah as the Pik says from the right there'll be a flame uh for his for a flame of uh for for everyone to see. Okay. and his the his strong arm that's a reference to what owes the hashem gives strength to the Jewish people. So now the Gar is going to ask how do we know that are meant to be a sign or a source of strength for the Jewish people that all the nations of the world will see that the name of God is upon you and they will be in awe of reverence for you from you. And it's thought that what does it mean that the name of God will appear on your head? It's talking about what on you upon you. Talking about what the lays on our head. He says that's all true and that that Hashem puts our filling like us. So what's written in Hashem's filling our fill what's written the parios of Israel right it's all about our fidelity to Hashem. So does Hashem need to have those parios in his fillin? If we say Hashem puts on a proverbial parrot fillin, what's written in Hashem's proverbial parrot fillin? And who is like you my people Israel? A unique nation amongst the nations of the world. Does this mean that praises sings the praises of the Jewish people? Yes, it does. Says, "And you shall speak about Hashem today, each day. And Hashem will speak about you each day." Hashem says to the Jewish people, "You've made me a unique entity here in the world by declaring and I will also make you a unique entity in this world. You've made me. You've declared to the other nations of the world that there's one God and I'm the only God and I'm going to declare and I will declare to the other nations of the world that you are a unique entity as well. Okay? Because what's written in my it says what and who is like you my people Israel a unique nation amongst the nations of the world. Okay. So in this strange okay and beautiful we're similarly introduced the fact that mitzvos are a two-way street okay on one hand the through the imagery of the mitzvah till on one hand a mitzvah is an opportunity for us to demonstrate our love and fidel fidelity and commitment and faith in the rebon but as a parallel to that we're also taught what that Hashem loves and has incredible fidelity for the Jewish people. Similar to what we just learned from the Torahima about okay that has encrypted within it that message that Hashem has unconditional love and compassion for the Jewish people. Tila is not is not only an opportunity for us to stand before God and declare our fidelity and love to Hashem. It's an opportunity for us to what? Experience Hashem's love and compassion towards us. And so too the mitzvah of fillain seems to conote that same idea. And this we're going to bring this all together now with a beautiful a beautiful teaching from the rebi the osbiuel of a and who's going to talk about our gamarra. Okay. So if you take a look at text number 10 on our sheets the this is the after rebi is going to explain the gamar we just learned together. It's a well-known teaching from that puts on and it's written in that what who was like you Israel etc. Certainly we are not meant to understand this idea literally. Okay. The God who's beyond any physical form or limitation that he puts on but rather it's just a mush. It's a it's a um a parable. And it alludes to what? Hashem's desire to cling to the Jewish people and his thoughts and and and his desires to give goodness to the Jewish people in all circumstances and to bestow upon us all kinds of abundant goodness. And this idea is represented by the mitzvah of what? Putting on fillain. Okay. The whole idea why do we put the fill in by our by by on our heads and by our hearts to align both our thoughts and our emotions what to serving God. Okay. And that's how works from our side. And that's the imagery and that's the muscle. Now how do we understand that Hashem also puts on it means Hashem wants align his thoughts and desires to what? To fidelity to okay it's a parallel, right? It's a it goes in both it goes in both directions. Just as we are meant to channel all our capabilities, okay, and all our all our emotions and all our talents in order that what? To do nothing else but what? Fulfill the will of God. That's why are called a sacred entity the kadusha that kadusha refers to what clinging to god by the way this is the rebi on our para kadoshi para kad kadosh you shall be holy kadosh because I the lord your god am also holy okay the p itself sets up this mirroring this parallel Okay, that we are meant to emulate somehow the the kaduca, the holiness of God. We're meant to try to live up to the holiness of that Hashem endows within every single one of us. And therefore, mitzvos, as we're going to see as we finish this piece together, are meant to remind us of that two-way street. Okay? We're demonstrating through mitzvos our love and commitment to Hashem, but we're simultaneously feeling Hashem's love and commitment to us. So now the Reb says now we can understand what the Gar means when it says that Hashem so to speak puts on Hashem wants to give us everything we desire and need. Only wants to give us to us what we need. To you and this is why how we can understand our kadoshim to you. You shall be holy. That a Jew has to what? Strive to cling to God to use every capability he has, every limb of our body and every capability we have to experience coming close to Hashem. That's what mits are given us for to to there opportunities for us to come close to Hashem and demonstrate our commitment and love and desire to be close to Hashem. Okay? And that's what it means that you shall be like me. Do like I do. That is to say, listen to this beautiful line from the Rebi that us to strive what to feel Hashem's closeness and to cling to God in order that what we should come close to emulating how Hashem clings to every member of Israel. That's what it means because I am holy. My holiness is beyond your holiness says hemar. Listen to what? Listen to this beautiful teacher from the rebiar. has to say. Okay. No, as much as we had to strive to feel close to Hashem, the reality is what? That no human being can possibly come to that level of love and closeness with Hashem. that Hashem himself has for every single one of us. Okay? Our love and fidelity and commitment to even if we're totally fervently in love with pales in comparison to the love that Hashem has for every single member of Israel. And therefore based on the paradigm of everything we discussed together this this this afternoon starting with the raam and the and the mishna of that hashem gives us so many mitzvah so many opportunities going through the ra and and the idea of as an opportunity for us to to be reminded daily every single time we dive in of the which remind us that hashem has unending love and compassion for every single one of us. this beautiful teaching from the aerebi explaining our gamarra and brahos that she's bar so to speak puts on fill and what that imagery is meant to teach us all of these ideas bring us to that same conclusion that indeed mitzvah are not only opportunities for us to demonstrate our love and commitment to Hashem but to feel and experience Hashem's unending love and commitment to every single one of us and if this becomes our understanding and our orientation to mitzvah >> then it transforms our entire way of life and our entire understanding of what Yahus is all about. I want to close with just one last idea. Okay. That's attributed to the great Mosha Feinstein. Okay. Okay. And this this this rabbi rabbi barak simon one of the great um rash yes in yeshiva university in his beautiful he brings this idea and he says we're going to close we're going to conclude with the words of the great the great genius the great saddic memory maguma he stated f fervently emphatically He says many many Jews of the last generation went away from the path of their fathers the path of tradition. Why? Because they only saw and experienced what? Yiddish kite and said what? It's so hard. Judaism is so hard. They only experience the sashes. To be honest, the difficult side of Judaism. and they heard so often from their parents the famous the famous Yiddish expression it's difficult to be a Jew it's hard it's so difficult to be a Jew okay and famously taught he used to say you always have to say it's great to be a Jew it's easy to be a Jew. It's beautiful to be a Jew. And if we're able to do this and this becomes our understanding of what Yiddish, what mitzvah are all about, then we'll come to that's our orientation towards mitzvah and towards that nothing is difficult is too hard when it comes to serving the reeb. My friends, as we prepare to to read paras, let's take to heart these beautiful beautiful messages. Let's let's hopefully take to heart and heed that indeed mitzvos are yes, we're we're required to do the mitzvos. But we have to view the mitzvah not as solely as obligations but as opportunities for us to show our love and faith in Hashem and to experience Hashem's unending love and compassion for every single one of us. Good chabas.