Rabbi Yehoshua Frankenhuis's latest ArtScroll release, "Inspired by Time," featured on JM in the AM

Uh well, when you go to artscroll.com, there's a brand new book that you need to have and you need to read before um before the L to Simus Torah journey ends. Yeah, we're already on a journey coming up. It's a journey. It's quite a journey. 40 days between Roshes Shal and uh and Yum Kipper then the additional days of Sukus etc. Pretty amazing. Anyway, the brand new book is inspired by time the transformative journey from El to Simas Torah. Rabbi Yeshua Frankenhouse is with us live via telephone. He's the author. Go to artscroll.com. Let me know the rule. Always use promo code radio. That's right. When you go to artscroll.com, make sure to always use promo code radio. The book is Inspired by Time. Rabbi Yosha Frankenhouse. A pleasure to welcome you to JM in the AM. >> Hello. Good morning. Thank you so much for having me. >> A pleasure. How has your journey been so far? Today is the 26th day in the month of Lol. How would you evaluate your own personal journey at the end of 5786? >> Wow. So that's a brilliant question because it's been quite a journey uh having the regular avoid l and working towards Rashana and at the same time bringing out a book with art scroll and a book which has been um so broadly embraced uh and all the feedback and all the demand for it. Yeah, it's been it's been a tremendous balance but a real privilege. >> You do understand uh Rabbi that there are so many people. I don't want to say who um are are completely unaffected by this time of year. That wouldn't be fair. We're all aware of the fact that Russashan is coming up. We know that there needs to be, you know, special attention paid to certain parts of our lives during Lol and during and during the days leading up to the brand new year. But as you know for many it's a challenge. For many they'll get to shul on Friday night and you know sort of expect you know like a light switch. They'll expect you know the Russia mood to turn on. What advice could you give those whom are are saddened by the fact that LOL hasn't had the effect on their journey that it should have? Well, so that's really the big question of the time which everyone is asking and really this book inspired by our time is answering. Um, putting it short in the few minutes we have together. Traditionally, we always look at Elo and Rashan and Yimipa as a time where there's Hashem and he's looking at us, scrutinizing us, expecting us to be a lot more than we are. And I might be true to a to a particular degree, but really that's not what Rashan is all about at all. And and if we change our mindset rather than rash being a time of fear and into a time when is waiting for us to come back to him. Uh and that's that's really the bottom line because there's been a real generational shift. Today people don't relate don't connect to the kind of avoid where it's all about fear and it's all about having to conform to particular things and we connect so much more to the love and the beauty of the time >> and that's a good thing you're saying >> it's a brilliant thing it's a fabulous thing but more than anything it's getting to know what uh what talks us in this generation you know I I A while ago I I read up there was once someone who was bringing out a book on Pirka Avis and he went to one of the very big libraries and inquired how many books are there? How many books exist on Pirka Avis? And uh the librarian came back with a huge amount, many thousands of books. And the librarian was kind of looking at him and saying, "And you're going to bring out another book on a" And his response was, "Yes, for sure." Because every generation takes the same Tyra and has a different way of talking to them. >> And that's exactly what we need to know. Yes, it's the same Tyra. It's the same rashana. It's the same kipa, but we need to know it talks to us differently than it did 20 years ago, 10 years ago, and even even 5 years ago. And if we know that and we try to connect to it in the way that we can connect to it, then yeah, we arrive uh we arrive on that day very differently. We arrive on Friday night as you said, really ready to be embraced by Hashem. >> Everybody Yeshua Frankenhouse is with us. The book is called Inspired by Time. artscroll.com. So there's really two balances that we need need to discuss at the beginning of this conversation. The first one which you just alluded to is I I'd call it fear and love, right? Would that be the balance that fear and or emotional connection, right? That would be the the two paths many many times which intersect as we get closer to Russashana. Right. The fear of heaven and at the same time feeling the love or the emotional connection with heaven. >> Exactly. The other one and I think that I mean this is something that you point out in the book uh which I think is such an important basis as we do enter um this coming yontiff the high holidays and that is the um uh the balance that one needs between yom hadin the day of judgment is upon us and at the same time it is a day and the day that we take the opportunity to proclaim God king over the entire world. And Rabbi Frankenhouse, I think you'd agree as you analyze the liturgy of the high holidays, we spend a lot more time on the mel on the kingship aspect of Russashana than we do on the judgment aspect of Russash Shana. >> Yes, definitely. >> So, what should someone be feeling if they if if it's actually Yamhadin? It it should it be a day that we concentrate on begging God to give us a positive judgment? Should it be a day as our liturgy um I don't want to say demands but suggests that we spend the majority of the time proclaiming him as king? What is our goal on Russia Shana? So let me share with you a very short a very short story actually that we bring in in this book inspired by time which actually brings this out in a very beautiful way. very briefly. Uh there was a king who had a beautiful kingdom and he was very beloved by everyone and when he reached his 25th jubilee they wanted to make a very very big celebration and the whole country got together and they set up a beautiful big party and everybody children adults grandparents everybody gathered together and after all the festivities and all the food and all the singing came the highlight of the evening. That's when each of the 10 children of the king each of the 10 princes would go up to the podium and uh speak give a dasha explain a different aspect of the king's uh of the king's great middas and his um his his power. The oldest son got up and started speaking about how kind he was to everyone. The next one spoke about how might he was the next one how strategically smart he was and so on and so forth. Once that once nine sons had finished them, they each gave their speech about how amazing the king was and how amazing his way of running the kingship was. They arrived at the 10th child and they wheeled him up to the stage because the 10th child was unfortunately born handicapped. He was a special child, but he couldn't talk, he couldn't walk, and no one really knew how much he was able to function. But he was the child which the king liked the most because he invested so much in him trying to make him healthy, trying trying to to help him realize his surroundings and make the best out of this child as possible. And everyone was a little concerned he was going to go up on stage there and it would be an embarrassing moment just having him sitting there not responding, not talking, not doing anything. and they placed him next to the king and indeed he was kind of looking into space and everyone was cringing in their places. This was an embarrassing moment. But then all of a sudden this little boy sitting in the wheelchair, this youngest prince turn around to the king and points to his mouth and says, "Ah." And all of a sudden, everyone starts clapping and cheering because that was a moment everyone realized that although he may be handicapped and although he may be very limited in what he can do, but he did realize who his father was, he did realize who the one that was giving him to eat was, which was a tremendous achievement for this child. >> Wow. >> And that's really who we are and where we are because yes, it's true. It's yin and it's true. We're in a different generation and we're so far from everything. But although previous generations they were able to go and dab for Mal Shay in its real way and by them it was just about Hashem's kingship, we cannot do that. We're not quite holding there and we're quite far from that. But if we go and we speak to Hashem on this day, and even if we're asking for tanasa, we're asking for health, we're asking for, we're asking for our our own mundane things, that's still expressing Hashem's kingship. Because in a generation where no one knows how much we actually recognize to Hashem, how how much we recognize who Hashem is, and we're showing we know he's the one giving us food, that's actually the greatest kingship which could possibly be. And that's when all the Malahim and all the previous generations are actually looking down and saying this was actually the best Russia way more powerful than all the generations beforehand. >> What a fantastic story and a great analogy. That's wonderful and it really and especially today where many of us are in the lap of luxury where many of us think that things come to us very easily where many of us think we're going to live forever and many of us think we have the answer to everything every challenge that comes up whether it's Barnasa health etc. Uh it's good to be reminded who's in charge. It's good to be reminded where it all comes from. It's good to be reminded that there's a renewal at the beginning of the year of all of this. In fact, you write I don't know if you have the book in front of you, page 122. Um so you write here about uh the the reason for instance we say the we haven't seen somebody for a month is that it's a you know a new a new experience. Obviously you're seeing somebody you're glad to see them. You haven't seen them in a while. But the brah you haven't seen someone in a year is mim. And you say that gar explains it's because rashash shana has the marsh explains rashashana has passed. And onash there's no kazaka. There's no guarantee that our friend will be granted life. When we see him it's like witnessing the resurrection of the dead. I never even I mean this is a brilliant uh view of that. Obviously, not that demar needs my needs my approbation, but literally when the new year starts, when those first moments of Russia begin three nights from now, that's what it's going to be. It's as if you have no money in the bank. It's as if you have no idea how long you're going to live and if you're going to make it through the next year. It's as if you have no clue what God or anything in in terms of, you know, things that you have no idea what h what life has in store for you. And I think that that's an amazing perspective. It's a perspect you're literally starting at zero and I never really had that perspective before. >> Wow. Yes. That's that's exactly how it is. You know, I sometimes uh kind of imagine this to myself. You know, there's two kinds of doorbells. There's the doorbell you press and it keeps on ringing for a moment and there's the one you need to keep keep on holding on to. So throughout the year, you know, it's kind of ringing. But comes Rashana like you got to press the button again. And uh yeah, that's what it's about. It's a little scary but at the same time very very exciting because it's not just in the negative, it's also in the positive. You know person's been struggling. You know let's say persons had difficulty. You know a lot of people are feeling today the the financial crunch. You know things the there's inflation and all all kinds of other financial difficulties. So now is a brand new year. There's no guarantee you're gonna have what you had, but there's no guarantee that the difficulties you've had are going to continue either. >> You know, elsewhere in the book, I I you know, I I I bring how, you know, this is really the on um you know, how the they didn't even have a they didn't even have a womb. Why is that to show us you're starting with nothing and Hashem chooses this day to give us everything a new >> You know, someone can be struggling in his in his learning. He, you know, he can't understand. He can't understand the daf. He can't understand or he's got a child which simply doesn't have the brain power or what we call in Yiddish the zip flesh to sit through class. Uh, you know, okay, that was last year. This year it starts from scratch. You get a, you know, a new womb. You get a new brain. You get a new uh, you know, new abilities. >> No doubt about it. Rea Frankenhouse is with us. The book is inspired by time. And by the way, one of the things that many people unfortunately, you know, go through and suffer through is uh when they're not able to have children. And obviously, we get to rush Shana uh in the next few days. And as you just said, it's, you know, it's a brand new slate, so to speak. As we don't know what Hashem has in store for us and one should really try to storm the heavens with prayer because this could be the year, as we know, this certainly could be the year where a a couple that's childless is blessed. And nobody knows this better than you because you are the author of the book Miracle Baby about Rabbi and Rebbitson Fi Kashki and they had a baby when he the father was 88 years old. We should also add that the mother was 50 but he was 88 years old. So, so you in fact wrote about a situation where someone could have given up hope but all the way into their high 80s did not give up hope. Yes, well said that, you know, that was an incredible experience writing that book, you know, even more incredible to see how people latched onto that story for you know, since it's been brought out in Hebrew and even French. Um, and uh, yes, it's uh, it's unbelievable how they continued waiting and how eventually they got that. You know, another rashana passed and another rashana passed and another one passed for 65 years. 65 rashas but eventually they got it. >> Yeah. >> Um you know you know it is something the tahara does do to us often. He says well last year you dabed for this and the year before you ded for this and you didn't get it. >> So um so yes, you know this is a tremendous tremendous for us. You know, after that story came out, I heard so many I shouldn't say so many. I heard I heard unusual comments that were along the same line. And the comments basically were, "How could one do this to this child?" Meaning that it's obvious that at some point, you know, if if if nature takes its course, uh at some point this child's going to be growing up or getting into his teens and 20s without a father, right? again the by nature's course and of course obviously a miracle controls all of that. I found that to be in Jewish tradition a very unusual comment. I'm wondering if you heard the same and if you found it out of the ordinary >> so I definitely got that comment or even a question um you know and you know I find that that question is actually you know anyone who's asking that as a question you isn't really grasping what's going on over here because Oh, if >> I'm so glad I'm so glad I'm so glad you're saying this. I'm so glad I think it's two things. I think it's what you just said that they're not grasping the situation, the enormity of it, and the the the miracle of it. But in addition, I think they're also judging the way they think life needs to be by today's standards instead of the standards of the creator and the standards of what thousands of people for thousands of years lived with before we got to this era of modernity. I don't know if I don't know if you accept my second part, but certainly I agree. I'm I would assume you agree on the first part. >> You could you couldn't have said it better. And it's interesting actually you know uh someone was just telling me a few days ago interestingly enough a few days ago that no one less than the got remarried at the age of 70 which back in the day you know that was what we call a zl extremely elderly >> and he had a daughter >> right >> and which she had and you know all the grandchildren which we know today >> all actually ended off coming from her right >> and all the you know the previous ones Some didn't survive, some didn't stay on the day of our mitzvah. You know, it's not the first time in history it's happened. But I want to add another point and that is um you know well first of all let me just tell you that you know just just off the record this morning came back again he's 90 years old just that we understand he's 90 years old. He came back from a trip a trip of a week and a half traveling from Aritis to the UK and then to the US and then back to uh and then back to Ro. He arrived early this morning in Israel >> and at 12:00 today he was again giving Shik Kali to the entire yeshiva. >> Wow. >> Now that's not ordinary. You know, if anyone has a question, how is he going to manage to bring up this child? Well, there you go. >> Yeah. Um >> I think I think it even goes beyond that. But to be fair to you, we're not discussing that book today, but I have so much to say about this. Next, you're you're based in Israel, right? >> I am based in Israel. >> So when I when I am in Israel, please God, I don't know about the next time, but at some point we'll be there a lot more often than the near future. You and I need to uh sit down for a nice 45minute interview about that book specifically because I already hear that there's a lot that you and I need to say to the Jewish world about this topic. And uh >> that sounds that sounds great. Thank you for that. >> I'm glad you accept that. I'm also thrilled that you just mentioned the situation with the I will I will uh surprise you by telling you that Ram Trup was at my bar mitzvah. >> Oh wow. >> Yeah, >> that is a surprise. That's amazing. >> Rabbi my my uh my grandmother was a sapier. >> Uhhuh. >> So hence hence her hence her sister married into the family. My grandparents were from I mean my grandmother specifically her side of the family were from Roden. So um >> Wow. So So was that actually something you knew about? >> Yeah, of course. Meaning meaning in terms of in terms of second marriage, >> the second the second marriage and that's where uh his main you know his main course should we say >> the lineage the majority of the lineage comes from there >> and there and in the and in the family annals it was it was the different stages of his marital life that we always discussed his attempts to live in Israel. My grandmother was in pakikvah among the people preparing for his arrival and then you know through each each scenario I his wife got sick daughter got sick I mean I believe with a second wife once she had passed away it was just he felt it was too late for him to go so so all of his familial situations affected his desire to be in the holy land >> anyway. >> Wow. Wow. >> Yeah. You know, I I will mention there's another, you know, a little off topic, but uh, you know, with it's it's amazing how, you know, he already had the life behind him and, you know, he could have just said, you know, let's, you know, let's just finish off my golden year. But no, he decided to, you know, for me this was, you know, totally separate but a very strong inspiration for this time because many of us after however many Rashanas kind of flow along with it. But here we see that's not how our guil take it. They they're like no you can be 70 years old and still refresh still go for another round. >> 100%. Such an important point. And and when's the yard site? Of course, at the end of L, right? >> Well, well, it just was early on this week. >> I'm saying so the second half of El as we're doing all this and talking about as as you're saying this. Yes. >> Hisight happens to be during these days. All right. So, Russia Shana and then of course the intensity uh builds. We get to the Seris Chuva. We build up to Yum Kipper. Um and I don't think anything needs to be said to this audience about the importance of those days. We all know what that part of the journey is uh is about. Probably the easiest part of the journey for us to comprehend. Uh but then you add on sukus hosaba simus Torah. Many people would leave the 40 days as a separate 40-day period. They'd leave Kipper as its own entity. uh you felt it fitting um in the in the context of this book and this journey that they need to be part of this whole um of this whole journey. Explain that to us. >> Oh wow. So you really hit the nail on the head because you know there's a lot of people that kind of believe wanting Kipper reaches uh you know. >> Oh yeah. >> Basm has begun. >> Benas man has begun. You know, as we say, you know, you make the bro on the bagel and then is behind you. >> Correct. The real manimo. >> Exactly. So, so, so, so, so those are most people. And then you have the people that have uh read inspired by time uh who who get to learn that it's actually it's actually quite the opposite. Those are the very beginning days. It's uh perhaps the days of Chuviera. It's perhaps the days when you begin uh begin the relationship but it's the beginning of a journey. You know, we actually ended off calling this book, you know, quite a lot of thought went into it with a transformative journey from L to Simra. >> You know, you you've began the journey. You're well on the way, but the best is still to come. Sukus and even Shambas, you're simply ascending up a ladder and those days are so exciting. You're you're being so embraced by Hashem. There's so much going on there. There's so much love going on there. you know, we don't have a a time for an all-out speech, but in 30 seconds, you know, Rabb Israel Taba says, you know, imagine you have a husband who comes along to his rabbi and says, "My wife, it's terrible. She doesn't keep the house, you know, the laundry, the the cooking. She doesn't do any of that." And she's a sour face. She's always angry. She she's always upset. And the rabbi says, "You know, I have a solution for you. They just came out with a toe which can cure one of those two problems. choose one of them. Would you choose? Of course, you're going to choose uh that, you know, that she's not anymore what we call a grumpy face, that she's a happy wife, >> right? >> Uh you know, so so there's no laundry or send everything into the dry cleaners. So there's no uh food buy, you know, as we say, you know, you can you can work out everything other than a grumpy head. That's really, you know, this is Rabbi Taba. This isn't me. That's really what Sukus is all about. We're moving on onto the stages of a of love of the real relationship until you know everything else until then it was a tremendous aid tremendous work but it wasn't yet the essence of the relationship. >> Interesting. I was thinking that um you know the 10 days and obviously these days of etc. It's such spiritual heights. I mean outside of chauffeur and I know there are a couple of other things but outside of chauffeur not that that many mitzvah I say that are unique to this period of time. Uh, and that's more of a communal mitzvah anyway. Um, and then you get to sukus the day immediately, you know, just a couple of days like you're told right away. You're told after the suda on on Monday night, you're told go build the suka. You know, you're you're you're told go shop for your little estri. uh we go and we and we take the we and we actively physically go into the and we have and we have and we do this to the nth degree on Oshana and then of course sim I don't have to tell you every every age every member of the family you know has a role in making you know wonderful and a real physical commemoration of this so just interesting because I I was thinking of it from this standpoint the whole you know the the the great levels of emotional spirituality and then all of a sudden what's the connection to sukus etc. You have this ability to physically be out there and show that you're you know running after all these mitzvah and spending hours and hours on them. >> Just a thought. >> Just a thought. It's it's it's incredible and it's a contrast uh which you know which as you said you got to understand it if you're you know if you're just going through the motions and running around doing the mitzvah it's amazing >> but you've not really connected if you learn about it and you understand what's going on. It's just a different different experience. >> Yeah. No doubt about it. It really and it's funny because if if you really get into it, you understand the whole uh the whole issue of uh of of God having difficulty separating from us, you understand the whole issue of Shidia of an additional day where he just doesn't want this to end. You know, it's it's it's funny. But I I I think as the more insight one has into it, the more they appreciate that. >> Yeah. Because you know, because everyone finds it strange and Hashem can't let go of us, so he gives us another day. or really you've made it even harder, right? >> But uh yeah, that these are things these are things you've got to, you know, we can't we can't spend three hours here giving giving away all the secrets uh for that art world have done a great job and brought this out. >> Yeah, no doubt. Wonderful job. Really nice. Can't wait to meet you. Uh where are you from originally, by the way? >> I'm originally from Manchester in the UK. And >> there's some Jews in Manchester, huh? >> Would you believe it? Some in fact were named Seagal if I'm not mistaken. >> Yeah. Is that uh is that any kind of relative to you? >> Not related but I have so many close friends who were talidum of his that I could tell you some amazing stories which I will when I see you in Israel. >> Yeah. Wow. That that sounds amazing because our family had very very close uh connections with uh uh you know with Rashida. >> Oh, I can't wait to hear I cannot wait to hear your stories. Oh, I cannot wait. >> Yeah, there there's some there's some real great ones over there. You know, it's not for now, but I will share with you uh I am a triplet and the Rashiva had a very lot to do with that. But we can't go off topic now, can we? >> No, but I'll tell you I'm the father of triplets. >> You are. >> What are you? You have a you have a sister, brother. What are you? What combination >> exactly? I have I have a brother, a sister, and then me. I'm the youngest of the of the three. So, we have girl, boy, boy. Are yours also girl boy? >> It's boy, girl, boy. >> Almost. Almost exact. The book is inspired by time. Look at this. I already feel like I have a real kinship with her by Franken House. Uh, the inspired by time. It's the transformative journey from El to Simas Toro. We cannot recommend it enough. It's available at artsgirl.com. You know the rule when you go to artsgirl.com, make sure to use promo code radio. It is to your benefit in more ways than one. Rabbi Frankenhouse, I take this opportunity first of all to thank you because I I believe that mine and no doubt other listeners uh and readers are going to have an enhanced yiff because of you. Uh and secondly, I take this opportunity to wish you ava happy, healthy and sweet new year. >> Amen. Good to you and all the listeners and thank you so much for having me. >> A real pleasure. Zazuna good you are. More coming up. You're listening to JM in the A.M.