My Grandson Josh

Speech is a thing, guys. The mar speaks about he calls mitzrayim gollus hadibur. That is a gollus of dibur. And and and the gullah is a gullah hadibur. Speech is a big thing. Simon's not the way we communicate, the way we say things. Rav Aaron Schechter, the Berlin Russia Shiva was really strong to express things right. I'm just mean, I just said cuz of this point. That's part of gollus, how you express something. And what what Simon's pointing out that deep in the English language there he found something that reflects that's very powerful. He says I I am hungry. I'm feeling hungry right now. Are you hungry right now? Okay. Like and he's he's [clears throat] he's and he's saying it's not a minor thing. Even looking at somebody else and calling him they are is it's a big thing. And he's right that language is it's cool to see somebody studying English, connecting to English, and learning the culture from there and pointing this out. Fantastic. Thank you, Moishe. You handed us Simon. Yeah, amazing. Philly state the We always want my share. He said so stay. You Reb Ezzy, on Sunday night. No, he's going to take cover. You want to go? We should never go. Go to sleep now. No, it was a different cover. He's going to I'm going to tell you then. So, the possuk says Israel with Zaken. At the end of Yakov life, it says that Yakov his eyes were with Zaken. Yakov couldn't see you guys. He was unable to see. By some a love. And Yosef Hatzadik brings Vayigash Yisroel love. Yosef Hatzadik brings his sons, Ephraim and Menashe, to Yakov Avinu. Vayishak lahem vayichabek lahem. Yakov Avinu kisses them and hugs them. Now, one of the final actions of Yakov Avinu's life. This is one of the This is like his the last day of tzadikim is a big, big deal. And they measure what they say, and it's obvious that the last thing they say is the parting message. Tzalo Yosif Mechavero el Meteg v'al lo shemeteg kach zachrehu. Some mefarshim learn you remember that statement. The last statement is what what what stays by people. You can picture any tzadik's parting message is very powerful. This is what they want to depart with. Yakov Avinu, one of his parting messages that he gives, is he says about his grandson, they're his children. A very bizarre happening. That Ephraim and Menashe are his grandchildren. He had Yakov Avinu as a son, Yosef Hatzadik, and Yosef has two sons. In the most bizarre thing, myish, he makes his grandchildren his children. He proclaims He says this strange thing. He says like this. As follows. When he sees I I took him earlier, he says The ata, and now Shne vanacha na'aladumcha, the two sons that you had before I came and we have their my children. Ephraim and Manasseh Ephraim and Manasseh become like Reuben and Shimon. One of the final things of his life is to say his grandchild is his child. It's one of one of I was actually on the plane to Chicago and I was going to see my grandson. It's interesting what hit you. I was learning the parish on the plane and what hit me a lot is one of the final things is to say and his grandson is my son. It's not your son, he's your grandson. He says he's my son. Now, I want to express some to on the plane I started learning this. I was very my interest was peaked obviously going to see my grandson. And one of his final actions is to say his grandson is a son. If you think it was like hyper every word in the Torah is MS. The learns it's Rashi and the my shalom. All the time got a piece of divided into 12 parts Israel. Now, did some get bigger pieces of and some smaller? It's Rashi and the Rashi learned you got according to the people. So, if you were a bigger shape and you got a bigger piece of land, if you were smaller shape you got smaller piece of land. That's how Rashi learns. The disagrees remarkably. The says every shape got exactly the same amount. And if you had less people in your shape it people got more land. More people in your shape people got less land. So, I want to go with the Ramban. According to Ramban, according to what the Ramban teaches us, that every single shave that got an equal piece, so in in Yosel's shave, Yosel did not get one piece. They got two pieces, Ephraim and Menashe, cuz they're not his grandchildren, they're his children. They literally got more. Yosel literally got more of Eretz Yisrael. He got a double portion in Eretz Yisrael. Cuz shave of Ephraim got a piece of Eretz Yisrael and shave Menashe. So, it's literal, they got more of Eretz Yisrael. In Rashi, it's much more complicated because in Rashi, you got per person. So, you have to analyze the Rashi and they say pshat them, what does that mean according to Rashi? That Ephraim and Menashe are my children, not my grandchildren. What the mine of gemina? Who cares? There's no naf gemina. But in the Ramban, they answer in Rashi and I can tell you pshat in Rashi, but in the Ramban, you have to understand they got more of Eretz Yisrael. They literally got more of Eretz Yisrael instead of by Ruvein, he got a piece and divided amongst all his children. Yosel got two pieces. He got one for Ephraim and one for Menashe cuz they're his children, not his grandchildren. And this is one of the final things that Yakov Avinu did in his life. Now, later on, Yakov Avinu at the He he Yosel does not get him. Yosel's piece got one to Ephraim and one. He gets double. Basically, Yosel became the bachar. The bachar gets pishnayim, double. Yosel Avtzadik became like a bachar. His two kids, his grandchildren become children. And he gets two pieces of Eretz Yisrael. Yosel's piece turns into two. Just doubles. I'm saying that's what would have happened if they weren't his children, no? No. If they weren't Yakov Avinu's children, all the shvatim would have been 12 parts. Right? So, it's 12 divided into 13 >> have been given to his children. Yeah, but it would have been split a smaller piece, split the two. They each got Yeah, they got according to the Ramban, they got a full piece. What Reuven got, Shimon got, Yosef got two of those pieces. He literally got double, one for Ephraim and Menashe cuz the children were counted as Yaakov's children. So, everybody getting the facts what happened? What? This is what Yaakov did at the end of his life, his last move of his life. From the last things he ever did on this earth, it has What's it saying? I was I was sitting on a plane as I had and I'm going to see my grandson and the parsha that's I jumped off the page to me. Yaakov's last activity of his life is to say his grandson is his son, these two grandsons. Then Yaakov further my she, what? He said it I'll read the pasuk him. This is how the Ramban explains it to us. The pasukim say, "The now shnei banim I love them in Mitzrayim. The two sons that you gave birth to lehem, they are mine. Ephraim and Menashe Reuven and Shimon Yoli." The same way Reuven's going to get a piece and Shimon, Ephraim's getting a piece and Menashe. Rebbe keeps saying he's saying it on the way to visit his grandson and he says, "I told that Menashe he's getting nervous." >> [laughter] >> It's like It's like Isn't this amazing, my she? But I want to explain it. I want to explain it's funny. I want to tell you what hits me, Binyamin. I want to tell you what hits me. Then what what he does is he does the next thing. Yaakov, this is the same the same story right before Yaakov is nifter, leaves. This is his parting messengers. Yaakov Avinu Ephraim and Menashe and Yaakov Avinu says and he says Klal Yisrael is going to bench on you two. You're not going to bench saying you should be like Ephraim and Menashe. That's what he does and he's Yaakov Avinu says You're not going to bench and say that kids should be like you. Hashem should make you Ephraim and Menashe. What do we do Friday night we bench our kids? In Kinyan of Yaakov Avinu's bracha we say to our children you should be like Ephraim and Menashe. You should be like Ephraim and Menashe. What is going on? Why is Ephraim and Menashe say your kids should be like should be like Reuben, should be like Avraham Avinu, should be like Yitzchak, should be like Yaakov? Should be like Reuben, Shimon, Levi? No. Yidden across the world when they bench their children Yossef, one day you're going to bench your kids on Friday night and you're going to say to your child Binyamin you'll bench your children Hashem and you're going to say you should be like Ephraim and Menashe. You should be like Ephraim and Menashe. Why? This is one of Yaakov Avinu's final final things of his life. So first of all he says these grandchildren are children. And second of all he says to them >> [clears throat] >> You're not going to bench in you. When they give brachos to their children they're going to say they should be like you. That's going to be the bracha for all eternity for Yidden for their children and so we do today. When we belt bless our children we say you should be like Ephraim and Menashe. should be like a friend and Manasseh. What's happening, Raffi? So, I I'm not saying what you know someone said to me that the objective shot. I like saying what hits me in studying when I'm learning this on the plane, I just want to share what hits me. Why she here what's going on is a fascinating final message. His final message is grandson not my grandson, it's my son. And then he says about his grandchildren getting forever when they bless their children going to say should be like a friend and Manasseh. What I want to express to the brother is a friend and Manasseh are you said it's like the one who goes to go the earliest and he's the first they're the first two children born in go. The other families were born in the first two that are born there in go are friend and Manasseh. And you have to say about these children that it's normal to feel a distance to feel far to feel separated. You're you were born in a different place. Simon talks about the culture of America go and places have the shyness. They have languages. A language and it's funny that Simon said a language is not just the way of speaking, it's a culture, it's a mindset. We say in the we say in the when we speak about we say to me call you elevated us from all languages. What do you call all languages? Languages define a country. Simon is 100% right, Simon. Languages define a country. Simon brilliantly said that in English we say to people I am Daniel, I am hungry. He said in Spanish you don't say I am hungry. There's a different word. I am Simon and I am Daniel has a certain word. They have a different word I'm hungry that expresses right now I'm feeling hungry. And he said he thinks it's very defining of America that we don't have that there's an essence a guy is angry. I am angry right now you're feeling tired. You feel He said we don't separate that we have an essence that we have an ashama that we have who I am and there's temporary things. He said we too much think everything temporary is like is what you I am bored. Why are you bored? Right now you're feeling something for a few minutes. So I'm telling you call all shyness we say Hashem is marame us from all languages. Languages are cultures and Kla Yisrael is marame me call all shine from every language like Simon says a language is not just the way of speaking it's a culture. It's a society. Hashem is marame us from all languages. The kitsur is that Ephraim and Menashe born in Mitzrayim and they're born very far and Yakov Avinu's final activity is to say his grandchildren are his children you're close. The Avos that that started a mahalach of service of Hashem the Avos that started our people Am Yisrael his final activity is to say on Ephraim and Menashe who yaisev atsadik raised them in Mitzrayim with sincerity. With demus to Yoken of his father in front of him and he raised them as as yeddin as as benei Yakov he says they're not distant. They haven't moved away. My grandchildren are children. I think one of the biggest thing one of our biggest tasks in galus and a big part of galus is people feel very distant. I feel like I'm so far. I've up, I've done so much. One of the great avoiders scholars and Yakov Avinu who his death this week's parsha starts scholars, his final act of his life is to say his grandchildren are children, pull close your share to everything we have. And then he says forever when Yidden bench their kids they say should be Ephraim and Menashe. Every generation further, we say should be Ephraim and Menashe, you're not moving further, you're close, you're close, you're share, you're part of this. The specific bracha perhaps of Yisimcha Elokim K'Ephraim U'Menashe is we recognize that having children we don't want our children that they're moving further away. We want them loyal, ever close, ever happy that they're share to the tremendous things we have. I have a tremendous canas. It bothers me maybe maybe more than anything in the world when people say we're not share to Tisha B'Av, we're not share to Elul. Oh, we're not share. It bothers me tremendously. It's a sheker, it's a lie and never the last thing Yakov Avinu did in his life was the opposite. You're my children, you're share to everything that our family is share to. When it looks like this is grandchildren fading chas v'shalom, you're close, you're a ben, you're a son. There's a story Johnny Johnny Air and one said over in Yeshiva story. I'm quoting him, I don't know the exact details, but the basic story is a Yid came to the A Yid came but Johnny said A Yid came to to the Chozeh of Lublin, the Seer of Lublin. What was the Chozeh's name, chevra? Yakov Yitzchak. And A Yid came to a Yakov Yitzchak the Chozeh of Lublin. He was called the Seer. He had a na'em, he had eyes to see what most people couldn't see. He was called the Chozeh of Lublin, powerhouse of Chassidus. And a Yid came and was trying to get in with the Chozeh. And he said, "Rebbi, I'm your cousin. I'm your relative." Krive mich, bin ich a karov. I'm a relative. And the Chozeh said to him, a veite karov. You're a distant relative. Like the guy was like a fourth cousin trying to like play proud, like trying to get protektzia, like I'm in. So the Yid said, "I'm a karov." And the Chozeh said, "A veite karov. You're a distant relative. A veite karov." Veite means distant. So the Yid was like feeling like rejected, like he was trying to say I'm a relative and the Chozeh said, "You're distant." So somebody coached the Yid. The Chozeh then went and was davening Shmona Esrei, and he said, he said, "Elokeinu v'Elokei Avoseinu, Elokei Avraham, our fathers, Elokei Avraham." And the Yid was coached by somebody close to the Chozeh. When the Chozeh said, "Elokei Avraham," you you're the God of my fathers, the God of Avraham, my tatte, my God of Yitzchak, my father. The the Yid was coached to say veite karov, distant relative. And he said to the Chozeh, "Distant relative." He screams while he's davening. After Shmona Esrei, the Chozeh was mekarev the Yid tremendously. He like took him in. He gave him all the protektzia in the world. You're close. You're close. I'm Avraham Avinu's son. All Yidden were mamash from Avraham Avinu. He he he he took the mussar. The Yid said, "Veite karov, distant." The job in galus, I'll tell you I don't want to say the maiseh who it's with. I know a Yid, a very special Yid, really special Yid, was struggling in their Yiddishkeit, and they read in a certain book, if you do this, you're not you're not Jewish. You're like this, then you're not you're not a Yid. You're not a Yid if you do this. And they called up the author themselves, is it true what you wrote, I'm not a Yid? And the author said, yeah, I stand by what I wrote. So, the person screamed into THE PHONE, "YIPPEE!" LIKE EXCITED, I'm not a Yid, like skin like the person deserved it. That's my mishigas, that a Yid could say to another Yid, you're distant is my mishigas. Yaakov Avinu's job and Yaakov Avinu said in his his his last his last mission was to say to a grandchild, you're a child. You're not distant, you're not a ba'al teshuvah it's moving the grandchildren closer, you're shiyach, you're a child, you're a son, you're very very shiyach. There's a line There's a line that there's a line I want to be mazbir I want to explain the line. The Mesillas Yesharim quotes a Chazal, "Chayav adam lomar, person is obligated to say, I must say my say my say my say." When am I actions going to touch the actions of my fathers? Now, pashut pshat in that line is you have to strive to be Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov. But I want to express that a person to say "I must say my say my say my say" is not correct that that the Avos are my Avos, that my fathers, I'm shiyach to everything. I'm shiyach to all, chas v'shalom to ever given attitude on Torah and Mitzvos. You're not shiyach, we're not shiyach, chas v'shalom. Chas v'shalom, "Chayav adam lomar" is the opposite. And Yaakov Avinu's last act of his life, his last his last conversation of his life was to say on his grandchildren who seemed the most distant, who were born in galus, you're my children. You're shiyach to everything that my bonim are shiyach to, everything that I have you're shiyach to. To me, that's what strikes me in Yaakov Avinu. It's the dream of every parent. Every parent says, "Yesimcha Elokim k'Efraim u'Menashe." I want I know you're going to have a journey in life. I know you'll have your own galus, your own moments of distance. You should be like Efraim u'Menashe, who from far knew they were shayaq. Who from the vantage point of grandchildren becoming children, close k'ravein. That's what I hear in Yesimcha Elokim k'Efraim u'Menashe. That's what I hit me on the plane. I felt like it was a gift from Hashem. I only like noticed these pesukim because I was going to visit my grandchild. I was going to see my grandchild, and and like it occurred to me this idea. I want to express to the chevra that as much as we could see a Yid as close, that's I like that we're called in the halelukas. It's from my favorite words in Tehillim. David HaMelech calls us am k'reivei. The nation that's the relatives of Hashem, am k'reivei. We're the am that's the karov, we're k'reivein. We're always close, we're much closer than we think. I suspect one of the great chiddushim of our life, we certainly have distance. Galus is richok, is distance. And certainly we have areas and aspects of distance from Hashem. That's not a chiddush. All of us are highly in tune with our distance from Hashem. I think one of the great chiddushim of our life is how close we are. I I said over the other week from the Sfas Emes that I knew Yosef is oh my goodness, what hit the brothers, niv'al mipanav, is we didn't see his light. We didn't realize how close he was. Oh my goodness, you're much closer than we thought. Yosef HaTzaddik's prophecies and who we was, what he was, you're much closer. I suspect the biggest chiddush of our is that we're much closer than we think. Our distance, yeah, we're very in touch with our distance. Anybody who's ever sat by a diamond and felt far, anybody who's ever been a second in feels a distance. I think one of the great gift of and what we can assist each other. Simon spoke about how when you how you look at somebody, Simon said impacts the next person how close we are to see closeness, not distance. You have to believe in his final action of his life, which is instructive to every year in is to tell his grandchildren, you're my children. You're with all. You're close. You're not moving further away. You might have been born in time. You might have been involved in who knows what and very sucked into Egypt. You're my children. You're my children. You're close. You're very, very close. So, I wanted to share this thought with the guys and express to us all that to absorb the message of we're close. We're close. We're very, very close to absorb that truth that we're very close. The prayer we say every morning the every says that prayer God the you gave me is pure. I'm very close. I'm the nation that's close. Not the not this relative. I'm a close relative. From close not from distance. The to recognize ourself how close we are and to give to another year to sense he's close. He's a he's a not a distant relative, a close relative. Not not from a distance, close. We should see it ourself and experience it ourself and be able to give it over to our children. So cool that every it's so cool that every Friday night a person blesses their child. It should be like Ephraim and Menashe, the way I'm seeing it. Should have your close. Like Ephraim and Menashe, even when there's distance, what a blessing to tell our children. Even if there's a story of your life that makes you feel distance, should be Ephraim and Menashe. Should be to have your close. I say to everybody here. I say to all of us here. Should be Thank you. All to feel close, to feel the closeness that we are, that's the truth about our people. Have an excellent Shabbos.