Rabbi Benjamin Yudin Discusses Parshas Vayakhel-Pekudei on JM in the AM (5786)

Good morning. Good Arab Shabas everybody. Tomorrow we have the privilege of wow finishing safer schmos Kazakh and taking out a second safer Torah from which we read from chapter 12 in the book of Schmos beginning with Haz the mitzvah of consecrating Roshesh the new um month based upon the lunar calendar. Our calendar is both lunar and solar in the sense that we're reminded Pesak must be in the springtime and for that reason seven out of 19 years are a leap year so that Pesak will always fall um in the springtime. We read the first 20 pukim from the second cafer from chapter 12 the laws of the pesak and laws of pesak preparing us for the pesak and pining reminding us of what we're missing regarding the carbon pes in parasak and pud according to the there is but one mitzvah and that is found at the beginning of paras via where the Torah says in the third you're not to light a fire in any of your dwellings on the shabas understood by our rabbis to mean that there's not to be the capital punishment of bezden of the court on shabis and our rabbis understand it on a much uh other level that not only interestingly against the Kites who said Shabas is to be observed in darkness and cold food. We say no, you should have hot food on Shabas as long as the fire has been uh the food has been cooked from before Shabas or as we know the practice of ch the fire and the food is cooking from before Shabas. Our rabbis say in addition that the come on the individual as well should not bring himself to quote fire or anger on shabas especially be careful to make sure that there is shalom bias on shabas. I'd like to point out and share with you a very interesting um point based upon the pronunciation of the second pul in this week's para speaking about the observance of shabis the Torah says six days work is to be And on the seventh day it shall be for you holy shabas. It shall be a a day of complete rest for Hashem. Interestingly, the word is spelled toughen sin, which certainly could have been vocalized in the active form. You shall do work. However, that is not the way the misora is in every Jewish synagogue throughout the world. It is going to be read not but which is the passive action form. It is to be done. What might be the significant lesson to be derived between the active form or the passive form says the dar mus by raakov nim zatal. A very interesting idea means you the individual are the one who is doing it means that it is being done and we understand it's being done with the help of another capital A namely with Hashem's help. Therefore, it is so much easier for the Jew to follow this law and to desist from working on the shabas. Cuz after all, who is providing his sustenance all week long anyway? It's not him. It's not. It's teos. It shall be done. It's being done with capital H, his help. And as I'll point out in a moment, God gives us incredible dignity in the process. The latebi asked a very basic question. The beginning of every single shimona erray in the braha of aos. Every single shimona esray begins goim toim. We acknowledge that God is the one who literally bestows beneficial kindnesses. Now a is a kindness go he causes he causes kindnesses. Why must the wordim good kindnesses? Who needs the adjective good when after all is not by definition every to? And the rebi answers so beautifully as follows. The fact that God gives each and every one of us our parnosa our sustenance that which we need that's but he can give it to us in a way that we wouldn't necessarily have our dignity he would support us but he would give it to us directly what does God do allows each and every one of us to be themselves elves be a craftsman, be a professional. Each person earns their living by their contributing to society. So in the process they have dignity. They feel they're important. They are contributing. But in reality and they feel, wait a second, I am making a living. In reality, it is all coming from him. And therefore once it is all coming from him it is teos and the first thing is it's much easier for us to understand the concept of shabis because after all he's the one that's providing he's the one that can tell us certainly to stop working one. Number two, the Gmorrah says inos 68a. What does the gumar say? Whoever looks away, withholds his eyes from charity, it's as if they are literally believing in another god, worshiping idolatry. How do you connect the two? Because he's not generous. That's something's wrong with his theology. And the answer is yes, based upon the above. Why might a person not give charity? Cuz after all, it's my money. I worked for it. It's mine. Let that person instead of collecting, let that person work or whatever his circumstances are, this is mine. But if a person realizes that that which you have is yours because God gave it to you because it's teaos because it shall be done the work during the six days with his capital H help then it's not only that much easier to give because you're really giving that which belongs to him. If you believe that it's yours cuz you're the one that earned it. That's akin to avodora to idolatry because there's another power aside from him namely you. And that way we can understand very possibly the verse inim paragraph 81 which happens to be the shalom which we said yesterday for Thursday. In verse 10 in chapter 81 what does David teach? David says now literally it means you shall not believe in any other god other than Hashem. But you could understand it to mean there shouldn't be in you namely there shouldn't be a flaw in your character that you're going to be so arrogant to think that you're the one that is the provider. Now number three, one of the hardest mitzvah in the Torah cuz a mench is nor a person is only a person. Mitzvah 241 and 242 as found in parasim locom not to bear a grudge and not to take revenge. My goodness, come on. How is it possible for a person not to? Very simply, I go to somebody. I say please lend me something and they say no to me. So the next week when they come to me and said can I borrow? I say no you didn't lend me. I'm not lending you. And that's human nature. And the Torah says don't or you're not even allowed to say I'm not like you. You didn't and I'm going to lend. How can the Torah ask us to go against basic human nature? And the answer is says the if you recognize that if you get something or not get something if somebody bothers you or not true they did something wrong and they'll have to answer their accountability but ultimately God is the one teos who's directing the show and if he's directing the show then you can't be angry at the next one. It is he who didn't want you to have it. And finally something very interesting the sat in a safeair actually tells of a case. The ste the street in Ben was binia and benra in the days of the kazonish was a small city not like it is today. And a man had a printing shop. And guess what? Down the block, another Jew opened up a printing shop. And the first one who was there first goes into him. Shalom. What could I do for you? And let me help you. Let me give you advice. What to do and what not to do. So the second one on the block couldn't believe it. Not only is he not yelling at me, but he's helping me. And listen to the beautiful words of the look how much sanctity was brought into the world to see someone who's doing a kindness to the one who's becoming his competition and he's only adding praise. means to man ash the ashray doro fortunate is that individual fortunate is his generation what makes a Jew tick how can a Jew act this way unbelievable shama and welcome to the block when he's your competition if you recognize that it all comes from on high and you're going to get the parnasa that's coming to you one way or another as we read and learn on Russia Shana. If that's the case, if it's teos, you can truly be that ideal Jew of welcoming the competition because you recognize it's all teos. What a Shabbat. What strength to us and strength to the beautiful character of the Jew. Shabbat shalom to all.