My First Paycheck - Parshas Ki Savo Archives

Parasur paras this week's para for a few minutes I want to study bikurim I want to start that bikurum is a different kind of mitzvah first let me say what the mitzvah is the zim the seven species that is praised it's a land that produces these things olives reine pomegrants eris has special things wheat is praised that it has seven species that it produces and a farmer goes to the field. He ties a red string around the first thing that grows and he brings it to the bay mikdash is the mitzvah bikurim. Now bikurim is singled out as a unique mitzvah. Every mitzvah is precious. We have 613. We have a lot of mitzvah. There's a few unique things about bikurim that are very singled out. One unique thing about bikurum is when somebody we do a lot of mitzvah. We put on sites every day. We put on filling every day. We sit in the suka. We shake a lula. We have a lot. We blow a shaer. By the mitzvah of we tell our whole story. We go back. There's something about this mitzvah that's more fundamental than most mitzvah. We tell the story of our people when we bring bikurim. >> We say I want to tell you my history. It's a mitzvah to bring your first craps to Hashem. We tell our story. My father Yakovinu was very much his life was threatened by love on and we tell the mitzim pesak night when we say over the story theim we're quoting are from bikurim so for some reason in bikurum we speak about a whole creation of the Jewish nation and question one is why do we talk about the whole of in parishious bikurim we speak about the creation of our people. There's something more fundamental about parishes than other mitzvah to the point that we speak about the creation of Israel. We talk about what is so fundamental about the mitzvah that we say our whole story is question one. Question two is the first words of the Tyra. There's a medish ra is burim means the first crops and berious the med says that the whole world was created for bikurim. It berious means the racial means. Why would you say about this mitzvah that the whole world was created for this mitzvah? There's something about bikurim that seems to be remarkably fundamental to the point that the medish says the whole world's created for bikurim one to the point the yidu brings bikurim talks about the formation of our people and he says originally we went to and hashem took us out of he says the story of our people and he does the mitzvah which like suggests this mitzvah like There was an obvious one. He describes our creation. That's like the backdrop of doing this mitzvah burim. Why is this mitzvah burim so so highlighted as such? I'll tell you some other other aspects that bikurim seems to be seems to be highlighted. The Mishnikurim describes how the whole city it's a par it's a third perurim and it describes that you don't it's not the farmer goes privately and brings bikurim the whole city goes together there's something about bikurim we make like a massive deal thousands perhaps hundreds of thousands is perhaps millions of yidden were walking the street. People say where are they going? They're doing one farmer bring your first crops to Hashem. It's the Mishna describes that a whole procession. The whole city goes what's this big thing? It's a mitzvah. He's bringing his first fruits to Hashem. What is this? The whole city goes to be. Question three. Question four is the garra kadushin. The Gomorrah says if somebody's in the middle of working, it's gana for him to stop working. If a guy's paid for a job, this yeshiva is about honesty. If a guy's paid for a job, do it well. It bothers me a lot. A guy's a ref in the summer in camp. He's a counselor and part of his job is to ref games. If he doesn't go to half court when he refs the game, he stays back. I think the guy's a thief. Do your job. You paid for something, do it. I don't care if you paid $10. That's it's it's amount. You agreed to that amount. Do your job. I'm very into honesty. You're paid for something. Do it. But do it well. I love that. What you the showman did this week. I discussed the courage. I like he was paid because I like it a lot. He was paid for something. He delivered. He's paid pennies. Maybe maybe he'll be paid pennies. But he he did something. >> He did. He did. He He went and did it. I like when people back up what they say they're going to do. >> Love it. >> What they're paid to do, they do it. And is if you're middle of work and you're not allowed to just be a guy's paid to work at a bagel store. So So do it well. Be present. Don't be on your phone. Don't do the job well. Make good bagels. Do be honest. I told you about this this sat Kramer who the Satarb was said was he was a worker. People described how hard and honest he worked. Very beautiful sign of a person. He worked hard. He wasn't sch smoozing while he was working. He was a friendly person. But when he worked, he was a certain honesty. I'm paid for a job. Sorry, I can't talk right now. >> I have visited guys working. I visited Yank of working. His work ethic and honesty is crazy. He's working. If he could take a few minutes, he does. But I watch. He's working. He's paid for a job and there's a tremendous mid of being honest and and doing what you're paid to do. Workers in the middle of working people came by within they stop working and they stand up in the middle of work. in the middle of work which normally is a gene and you don't even stand up for by the way comes by where's a mitzvah to respect you don't stand up but people came by you stand up why is a big deal now this refers to any mitzvah when a yid's in middle of a mitzvah he has the g get of a god is bigger than a saddic aid in the middle of a mitzvah is like very very holy. A person could says that person's are answered. That's why after we bench we start doing we start giving brahas we're a god lad we're middle of a mitzvah a yid's in middle of a mitzvah connected to hashem he's powerful he's crazy powerful where do we learn the power of a yid in the middle of a mitzvah from if a passes by and somebody's in the middle of working they don't stand up yil a yid's on the way bringing bikurum you stop and you stand up respect says the gumar and it's precious mitzvah but and it's true by all mitzvah but what's the example of the of how powerful mitzvah is why is bikurim the model mitzvah that brings out how precious and valuable doing a mitzvah is bikurim so we just asked four cashes on bikurim what's the medish says that the whole world was created for bikurim >> wow >> question two is by bikurim we speak about the history of our people. The formation of Amnus suggesting that all our formation was for this mitzvah. That's what it sounds like. Why is that? Question three is the whole city joins along. I put on film. The city doesn't join me. I put on situs. I this mitzvah the Mishna the third says the whole city goes along and joins the farmer walking to throw. What's this public? What's this? It's a communal celebration. What is this? >> Question four is that question four is that it says onim how precious everybody stands up. People in the middle of working stand up because a mitzvah when a yid performs is so but the example is yidden coming by. Why is that the example of it could have said any mitzvah but specifically the example of how precious a mitzvah is is yidden bringing bikurim. >> Is there examples with others that would stop what they're doing? >> No. Maybe it's probably true but it's not brought on his way to it would stand up but it doesn't say it. >> The one that it says it by it could be it's true by others. The one that it says it by is by >> those are my four questions. H our people the creation of our people is is is I totally forgot the third one >> the whole everybody everybody join that was the oh everybody joins >> that and you stand up >> so what's what's I I really want to exam any thinking person knows something's point of I want to share from from the melik of legins who said I have to say something if my father would be here and he's here because I'm here and I want to say something to the that I'm sure my dad would say that I have to say but then I want to tell you what the says my father would say of course gratitude's gratitude appreciation thank you thank you and my father more than anything in the world he valued gratitude he told us many times that is reb behav was spoke most about gratitude and my father was a mak appreciated people a lot. We had waiters for for for Yam. We went somewhere pes the way he appreciated the thank you. Not a cheap way. He ended up like serving the waiter in many way. The waiter was like he really appreciated people. I don't think it's it wasn't the forest chill. Gratitude is like you hear a schmoo on gratitude like thank your mother. It's not a forest chill. It's like an honest space. If you're like present like somebody gives you like thank you. There is a space that mom serves a shabas suda if you're in a healthy space where you're like you're like things she made. It's crazy. Mom was here Thursday night for hours Friday. I was like running around. I was at some party or something and my mom was baking. That's crazy. And it's like a space. Thank you. I really feel your love. I appreciate it. Real gratitude is a very cool space. It's not a forest joke. It could be if your guy is so asleep, say thank you. I don't want my kids to say thank you. That's an external thing. Gratitude is like a a presentness that they really feel things like I just appreciate. This is nuts. I think about why it's not like say thank you. It's crazy. It's mug. I want a guy. It's not a guy was describing to me this week like what he felt like at the aqua park. Mishuga. He took like a guy's money and decided to bring a whole bunch of people to an aqua park. It's very expensive the aqua. You can make a call and find out what they charge. It's expensive and they like paid for everybody. It's like a crazy thing. So gratitude is an honest space of appreciation of feeling love from people feeling well you like me. I like you back thank you creates connection. It's a space. So my father would say that that the value of bikurim is gratitude and there's a truth to that. There's a truth. He would say that it's the it's the purpose of creation. Yeah. We're created to be close to Hashem to have gratitude to Hashem. So all four questions could be answered by the word gratitude. I want to share what the says because he comes from a different angle. But I do want to acknowledge that I imagine my father if he was like discussing if I would speak in a shul and say this he would say to me afterwards Dale you're looking why Bikurum is everything it's gratitude don't ignore that so I can't ignore it I've learned enough from my dad to say that bikurum is a huge mitzvah perhaps the mitzvah that it speaks about beracious the whole purpose of creation the mitzvah that describes amus what is a y Thanker. Yehudi means a thanker. That's the Yehud. To be maid means to thank. We're the thankers. It's interesting when Keith Seagull was a captive in in Gaza and he thinks what is Hashem? What does it mean to be a Yid? You know what he concluded? To say misinus to thank Hashem. He figured it out. It's a tour. The tour by Bris says a Yid is he who thanks Hashem. It's what we are. We're the thankers. We're the ones who thank Hashem. So my father would not be shocked that burum is such a central mitzvah. Yes. The mitzvah of appreciation. So I have to speak that out. But I want to share with the whatins said about the mitzvah. And he said as follows and I want the to hear this. The melik said that a farmer busts it. He works his keshkas off. Farmers are hardworking guys. They're in the sun. My picture of a farmer is a guy who has a like his face is like crusted from the sun >> that is beyond the tan. They're like almost blackened from the sun. They have very their hands are calloused. There's a beautiful hand that's calloused. It's a very beautiful hand. The hand of a worker guy who works hard is a worker. We're born to work. The the worker's hands is very callous. My zeda was a guy who worked wasn't afraid to work. A worker has callous hands and and it's it's a sign of a good worker. And I picture a farmer with his dark and blackened face. Guy is sat in the sun and gutted. He's working hard. Has one who plants with tears. It's the picture of a guy's like working his guts off. Guy like crying. He's like let it all out. Left nothing on the table. That's what I picture the farmer. You ever saw a guy after a game, his like shirt is sweated through. It's like dripping with sweat. That's the farmer picture. He mish brought it. He left. No, he left it all out there. That's what I picture the farmer. The farmer sits and kills him and then his first produce grows. You know how attached you feel to that produce? >> Wow. My wife and I I I Has anybody here planted a garden? I planted tomatoes and worked very hard. I watered it every day and I really tended to it. Those first tomatoes are very precious. I'll tell you something interesting. When a man cooks, there's the difference. I cook for Shabas many weeks. My wife does most of the cooking, but I cook many foods for Shabas. I like cooking for Shabas Kesh. When a man cooks, I always notice myself, my wife. When my wife cooks and people are like eating the food, she's just happy. I'm like getting tense and nervous like it was meant for Shabas like don't use it up. My wife's like happy. People are eating. She's like very and a man's like very protective. I made that. You're just eating it. You just like you have a certain protective of it. You work hard for something. It's very precious to you. Those first tomatoes from the field, you work hard. It's crazy crazy like special to you. You want them to be used right. Your mamish worked hard. The farmer's first stuff is nuts. And the farmer takes the first things and he gives it to Hashem. His first fig, his first olive, his first pomegranate. He killed him. He busted it for this. And it grew out. And he puts a red string around. He says, "Here's going to God." And the na melik says that the love of hashem has to be so great you give him the best stuff. You give hashem your best stuff. Give him your best. Did the analogy I have did when you're younger did I don't know if you have this in America did you ever pull out a bunch of change and you put the pennies in a pushka box. The pennies are easy to put in the pushka. Put a couple of quarters in the pushka. the best of Hashem. Give Hashem, I love you, Hashem. I want to give you the best. Put a couple of quarters in the push. You pull out a whole bunch of change. The shekele, the single, give, give a few, five shekels that give the best stuff to Hashem. Do you give as do you give your junk to Hashem? Give your best thing to Hashem. And what the melo said that the secret of bikurim is I busted it and I use it and I give it to Hashem. It's precious to me. I had a ma years ago. It's it sounds like a funny story. My wife and I froze steaks to bring meat troll. Swirl has everything today. But there was a day we wanted to bring like good meat to stone. And we did a whole thing to bring steak to throw. Now it's a whole process. You got to take the steaks, put it in the freezer. You got to put it in a freezer bag. And right when you get there, you run to the freezer. If it frost, it's going to be messed up. My mom is got a steak from an American place into my freezer. Then we had some guests coming and I told my wife, "Let's grill them the steaks." So my wife and I discussed we got we mamish worked hard. Yet I told her, "We worked so hard to get it here. Let's make that steak forever. Let's give it to a guest. Let's do something special with that. We work too hard that it should just disappear. If we use it right, let's give that one to God. Use it for yantive. Yeah, we grilled it for a guest. It was like very special to us that we should take that. That's burim. That's exactly that's exactly give Hashem your best stuff. Burim is what? >> He speaks this out. Very good. Very good. Very good. Very good. He talks about the mel said of is bring bust it and give it to God. Real love. A sugare. Real love. Real love. Don't give Hashem your worst thing. Give Hashem your best thing. I was reading with the ribbon. He was talking about a certain things with hard was hard for him. I can't remember what it was. And he did it for Hashem because it was hard for him. He said to me, "That thing was precious. I want to give it to Hashem. Give Hashem your best thing. Don't give him junk. Don't there it's I know there's a certain part that wants to give the pennies, but there's something so beautiful that I give Hashem a good thing." A friend of mine, a friend of mine ner noticed he was in in the mirror there are nam that come around and he gives saddaka but he said his parents gave him a lot of money he never felt like I'm giving stuck that I'm parting with something precious he never felt that feeling because he he would give a few dollars that didn't it didn't like register then he would he had enough money so he started keeping an account and only giving himself a certain amount of money he did it to himself this When he gave a dollar, it was one less one less falafel he bought from meros. He felt look I want to give my falafel. I want to give to Nani. He I'm push giving Nani my falafel. I don't feel like give what I'm not going to use anyway. I I I it's it's a labor of love. It's something that means something to me. The relationship to Hashem is such and he speaks that Hashem wants he wants in this world part of this world that we're and the picture of the hardworking farmer who's very connected to the world he's mish working the world and then amidst hard labor and producing and working the field he's he takes his best thing and he hands it to Hashem the whole world was created created that this world can connect to Hashem in a meaningful in a deep way of love and the expression of the farmer giving his big stuff to Hashem that's a yid when the farmer does this the melik says we speak about the history we're a people who are really close to God >> and we give good stuff to Hashem it's interesting my wife worked amongst ga for many years and they mamished a little bit what they observed is this you're a people so close they said we've seen religious people but it's not who they are it's like ale give a penny to Hashem they dedicate how connected to you it is we've never seen you're so they watch even what you eat how you speak lash every you're so dak to Hashem giving your best stuff to Hashem is like the not you find a few pennies and you also pay homage. Okay, Hashem, you take the pennies. No, >> find some quarters and give it and give it. >> This means something to me. This is what I'm about. I take my best stuff and I dedicate it. I use it for Hashem, my most talented area and I dedicate it to Hashem. That's the Indian of Bikur. It's the biggest announcement. It's who a Y is. He gives his best stuff to Hashem. It's a really close and beautiful relationship to Hashem. Picture a guy buying his wife a ring. The first money I made in my life. It's very cool to make money. I'll never forget the paycheck. It's very cool. It's money you worked hard for. I needed mishi to buy something cool. I wanted to buy something. I wanted to use it in a beautiful way. Take the good things you get and really I'm not talking about like a martyr. I'm talking about the deepest connection to eternity. Take the best stuff and share it with Hashem. That's purum. You could picture by if I describe the yid if I describe the yid is we give our best and first thing to hashem I I could picture somebody taking like in the jelly beans we'll give away if he doesn't like the black ones like all the black ones give some red ones to somebody else like you mean something to me the red ones my best stuff I want for you this relationship is real it's meaningful he's not like looking with some spare change to buy something for his wife. The relationship is like the purpose of it all. I want to be close to Hashem. I love Hashem. Real. The Ava demands and asks that I give my good stuff to Hashem. I'm my best things. I want love you. I want to be close to you. That's melik beautiful of that's what he sees in the mitzvah of bikurim that the world was created from now it answers another mystery is called raceous the first is called righteous and the bikurim according to melik is the essence of our people giving the best stuff to god the real that a person here could really be close to hashem in a meaningful in a deep way. Not you throw him a few pennies. Okay, listen. I give that also. I give him my best stuff to Hashem. That's how sees the Indian of Bikurim sees what it is. He sees the farmer who is his first thing finally after all his work. He said, "I want that for Hashem." I don't picture like martyrdom. I picture actually somebody who says, "I work so hard for this. I want it to be for all eternity." >> What can I A guy's giving his wife a beautiful ring. It's not martyrdom. It's no shas it's it's like what is he working for >> you you what >> very good very good very good makes the match but why do I work I had this ley when you come home with money I love ask telling my family to spend it I like it so what am I working for what do I make money for I like and then a kid goes out buys a nice coat it literally feels that's why I work >> when a the farmer busts it. So if a a a person who doesn't get it would say you're giving away your first thing like take something for yourself sounds to to maybe somebody who doesn't get it. It sounds like martyrdom. There's a says if man out of love gives away all his money it's like a biz to him. People look at him what's wrong with you? But he knows the love that's in his heart. He's not the guy who gives that money to his wife, to his children. People say, "What's wrong with you? What am I I'm working so hard. I want to feel so good. Buy a nice coat to the one I love. Now my hard work turned into relationship. What do you think I work for? What are you working for? What's all the work for?" It's not that you buy a nice coat. The farmer busts and then he gives it to God. I picture to the external person C is like a martyr. Whoa. You're from not what it is. The guy busts it. So what I busted for but for it to be eternal but for a connection to Hashem. It's so cool the involvement in this world. He's so physical and so involved. And what happens is first fruit he gives to Hashem. It's so cool. It's so deep. It's it's the really the opportunity of this world. It if I had to sum up like a yid. I'll tell you I want to say something interesting. I was talking to one of our guys this morning about this. I want you to go into Islam. If you know about Islam, there's no such thing as a saddic. It's all B to Hashem. There's no like a person elevating and being elevated. My son played me a clip of a very big Muslim cleric and the reporter said to the guy, "You acted like an animal. I saw you screaming somewhere at a rally." The guy said, "I lose my cool all the time." He said, "I I have bad." He said, "I bad midas. I [clears throat] have bad character." He said, "I'm a crazy guy." The guy's one of the leading clerics. I was impressed with his honesty. He said, "What does that have to do with anything?" He didn't say, "Somebody else is a sadic." He says, "What does that do with anything? There's no Indian of the Indian of BL and you could learn from BL. There's such a thing of but God martyrdom there's such a thing as living for Hashemos persons elevated and close to Hashem. There's such a thing called the an elevated person. Person who works his head off and you know what he wants to do? He wants to gift it to Hashem. the biggest thing he makes. You bring a steak somewhere. What do you want to do? You want to give it to another. I want it to I work so hard. I'd like it to be meaningful. Like to give it to you. I like I'd like to gift it. I want to be large and big. I want to be big. We're capable in this world of connecting to Hashem, connecting to the eternal one, of doing beautiful and big things. That's the mitzvah. I love the melik. I love the picture. To me, it relates to every working person. Person who busts it. It looks like, well, you're so physical. I picture the successful Y who's like working hard. He's a dentist. He's a lawyer. He's an accountant. What's the purpose of his life? He makes money. He raises a family. They have beautiful shabas. He raises a family and they and they have Yam and they have Shabas and they have the whole mitzvah of Bikurum is the farmer who busts it. When [snorts] you watch him worked all the time, you can't think of a more physical person. Whoa, he shakoo on this world. And then his first rea comes and he gives it to God. It's like whoa. That was the purpose of this world, my friends. from this world. From this world, a person could like rise and give and give a gift and give stuck and and eat recovered shabases and buy a nice garment for Shabas and put on fill and could be really big in this world. That's that's the mitzvah. You ever heard this melas? Is that a beautiful I like the a lot. It gives a sense of what burum is aba would say the gratitude and for sure is it bad that I'm saying the nurly milk also >> yeah yeah says in a deep way the whole sa of gratitude is from this world you can get to hashem if a guy enjoys a guy goes skiing and feels hashem thank you such a nice time I feel so well taken care of so from this world you come to hashem the Dogya of gratitude. A guy just gets things and has no appreciation. It's so it's so fleeting. Nothing means anything. Gratitude takes gifts and turns it eternal. You get an orange, you get a nice s. Okay. Gratitude to me. Thank you. Relationship. You have it forever. You have a connection. It outlives the orange. It outlives the apple. You have relationship and connection. That's what gratitude does to people who are present to the gifts they're getting. So RA says that all of gratitude takes the gifts of this world takes the physical and turns it into relationship to Hashemish got two guys go skiing and one has gratitude. One the skiing the physical heed but it's a relationship. Immish appreciates and thankful for the fun for the friendship for the good times for the good feelings. He turns the physical into the into a relationship. >> I like that a lot. I like it. I knew there was something to when he describes it's a beautiful mitzvah that that crusted farmer with the with the hands that are callousy and then he takes his first so physical. He's baking in the sun. in his hands he's working and the first fruit he brings to Hashem all that and he connects it's took this world and brought it up to Hashem what hits you mottrack the mitzvah that's why by says over the creation of our people we're the people that all that work all that engagement in this world is for bikurim it's to be gifted did it and elevated all the things in the world get elevated. >> Why don't they do it for money too? >> I'm sorry. >> Why don't they do it for money too? >> Explain. >> If a guy's working so hard, he needs all that money. You don't have to give me right away. >> Why does he want money? >> Let's say a guy works he he's a trader. >> Why do people want money? >> Because they work for >> I'm saying what do they want to do with that money? >> They want to buy things for our family. We want to build yeshivas. We want to build everything we want is to >> Why don't they first whenever you get your patient the first thing you should do is give me >> Oh, you're saying practically a guy should give me mice first. That would be a great idea. >> The first fruit is >> you're saying why here? Why do it here? Yeah. >> Do it else. Fair question. Fair. You're saying like mice do it first thing before. Do you know anybody who does that? That might be a good idea. >> Well, I know people can get tax before they get their paycheck. You do the same thing. It's a good idea. I said maybe fair. Daniel saying fear. >> What time are the buses really? 4:30. Mesated. >> Does anybody know what time the buses are leaving? >> Is that a new thing this year? >> For many years that it used for years it was 5:30. >> I saw in the thing it said earlier. Danielle, is that true? >> Getting a different message. either 4:30 or 4:45. >> That's much earlier than it used to be. >> So, I don't want to we we shouldn't hold any guys should go on time. Both dorm counts and it has to leave on time. Help get guys out. Guys in the past have missed it. If it's supposed to leave for it, I don't cause an excellent excellent shab. >> Where you going? Well, >> I thought I'm getting Who you going to? Oh, he told me. Okay. Thank you. >> First, Mrs. Here.