Eretz Chefetz 8:7 Eliyahu HaNavi's Role in the Redemption By Rabbi Aaron Goldscheider

Okay, good everyone. I think we're ready ready to begin. I I welcome everyone. It's great to great to see everyone everyone this morning. And it's a special to be able to learn the teachings of together. And we have a couple of source sheets up front if anybody needs. Let me begin with the the sponsors for today. We have a regular sponsor. A regular sponsor. Of And a sponsor for today's share as well. From my brother to my brother Abraham Mendel. On the 12th year site. Of Alicia Zikrono Le Bracha. I thank my brother and my family for that sponsorship. I want to begin in the following in the following way. There was a um There was a email that was put out by Mizrahi. And in the email it it asked the following or it said the following. That there were many people that were killed on October 7th. That that do not have anyone to recite Kaddish. You have 12 the 1200 people that were murdered that day. Many of them were not from from religious families. And there's an opportunity to um for people to sign up and to recite Kaddish three times a day. For for those that have passed away and giving out and giving out particular names. So, I signed up, just wanted to share with you and and I'll dedicate this year this morning to that name as well. So, so I signed up and this is the this is the the WhatsApp that I received. So, it says, "Here are the details. The name is Isabella Gendlin. Zichronah Livracha. The name for Kaddish is Isabella bat Natalie and Sergey. She was murdered on October 7th at the party near the Kibbutz Re'im. She was there with her fiance. The day of her burial was October 10th, the 25th of Tishrei. She was 27 years old and was supposed to get married a few weeks later. So, um I'd like to dedicate, that is, so for myself personally, I'm saying Kaddish. I'll be reciting Kaddish for the year in her memory. There are many, many people that are doing this. And um I'll dedicate this year today also in her memory, Isabella Gendlin. Zichronah Livracha. Okay, so we we have this class to to study Rav Kook. And the theme today is a theme that really is very uh very fitting for for these times and and for uh some of the challenges that we are facing. And we know that Rav Kook, the optimism of Rav Kook and what he sees as the great potential in what's unfolding for Am Yisrael as the Jewish people are returning to land of Israel. And um let's turn to his words. And the theme that we're going to look at today is a theme that he speaks about in this uh in this passage that we're going to see. And that is the idea, an idea that's uh that has a very special place in all of our hearts. And that is the coming of Elijah the prophet, Eliyahu Hanavi. And what that and what that means in terms of the redemptive process. So, let's begin here. We're on the top of page one. And you see at the very top of the page it says Eretz Cheifetz. We're studying the the work of Eretz Cheifetz. This is we're in the eighth chapter and this is Zion. On the right side Zion at the top. And this is the seventh piece that is found in the eighth chapter. And he writes the following and we always appreciate and we take the time to see the words and to learn the words of Rav Kook together. It should not be diminished in our eyes the uh the settlement, the return of Jews to land of Israel, this great this important settlement of Jews. Again, referring to uh the early 1900s. If we compare it to the previous generations, it's quite a remarkable thing a beautiful thing, says Rav Kook. And we should appreciate and we should value the numbers of Jews that are returning to land of Israel. Again, in those years of Rav Kook early 1900s, how many Jews are living in Israel? 1910, I think we've mentioned this in the past. What's the number? Much less than 600,000. I think it's 80, 90,000 Jews that are living in Israel. A tiny number like a tiny number as compared to today. But Rav Kook says that we should uh we should appreciate that Al Yiktan Be'eineinu. It should not diminish in our eyes what that means to have that number of Jews returning to land of Israel. Second line in the middle of the line, Ot Umafeti. It's quite a wonder. It's quite a uh remarkable thing. That we are hearing the footsteps. And here we have this term that we're going to look at today that we have the angel of the covenant. Malach ha Brit v'Karev that is coming closer and closer. Who is the Malach ha Brit by the way? That's Eliyahu ha Navi. And we'll talk about that in a moment. We have literally at a bris, at a circumcision, that we have a Kisei shel Eliyahu, that we invite Eliyahu ha Navi to join us at a bris. So that's Malach ha Brit, and we'll see where that term comes from. It's from the Navi itself. Says Rav Kook, we continue, "Okay, but they have Malach Kedushah v'Orah, and therefore with a heart that's full of holiness and light, Gedulah v'Simchah, a heart that's full of joy, tzerichim anu l'gashet la'asok b'Torah lishmah al admat Kodesh, we should return to studying Torah lishmah as we're returning to land of Israel, what we're all doing right now, to study Torah lishmah. We're here. Nobody's getting a degree from this. Is that correct? Nobody's getting a master's or a PhD in this from this class this morning. Maybe um but we're all here lishmah. We've all come this morning to study Torah. So Rav Kook says that's one of the beautiful things about returning to land of Israel, the Torah lishmah that's going to be learned in the land of Israel. Lidrosh anu chayavim et ha'alah hayoter elyonah, we should all be searching for and yearning for the highest the highest plane, the highest level. Sheyagiu sheyagiu ma'aseinu l'ma'asei avoteinu, Avraham, Yitzchak, v'Yaakov, that we should reach, that we should attain here in the land of Israel the level of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, and all of those personalities who lived in land of Israel, who yearned for the land of Israel. And he comes back again l'giluy Eliyahu zachur l'tov, that we should be zocheh to a revelation, l'giluy Eliyahu zachur l'tov, a revelation of Elijah, may his remember him for good, ul'chiyat ha'meitim, for the resurrection, revival of the dead, sheb'chol adam yesh yeshan madregot l'alafim ul'rivei revavot. And in all of these in every level as we return to land of Israel there are ramifications that there is that it affects many. They will reach such a high level Not only is it theoretical, not only is it something that we are that we're thinking about, not only a spiritual idea, but it's going to affect the world of the world of action that in reality that there's going to be a great change and great levels that we're going to reach in land of Israel. This is we we mentioned this idea last week. Awaken shout for joy you who rest in the dirt from a possible from Yeshayahu again which is an illusion to Tiyat Hamaysim. It should all the most real sense of the Jewish people coming back coming back to life, returning to land of Israel that it should really happen. Again he's foreseeing this, he's praying for it and again something that we see today in the hey of Yameinu quickly in our day, amen. Amen yes we could say amen that we should that we should see it and continue to see it. So what I like to what I like to address today from this piece which I think is really a fascinating idea which we'll see how it unfolds that is the idea of Eliyahu Hanavi the coming of of Elijah the prophet. Now where do we where do we have that most prominently the the idea of awaiting for Eliyahu Hanavi that we are that we are envisioning as Rav Kook does in this piece the arrival of Eliyahu Hanavi. Where do we have that most Pesach night that's right what? Ah very good okay we're going to get to that as as So one is the night of Pesach I think I would have said that first as well, the night of Pesach that we literally open the door that we invite Eliyahu Hanavi to enter. And we also have it where else? Very good. So, I'll mention what other will and we'll mention that right now as well. We also have it at a bris, at every bris which we mentioned a moment ago. The idea of inviting Eliyahu Hanavi that there's a kisei shel Eliyahu Hanavi right next to where right next to where the bris takes place is a kisei shel Eliyahu Hanavi that he arrives, that he is invited to every bris. And then we also have the idea as well of Motzei Shabbos of Eliyahu Hanavi. How many people here sing about Eliyahu Hanavi as they make Havdalah? Many of you. Eliyahu Hanavi So, here we are inviting Eliyahu Hanavi to join us at the end of Shabbos as well. So, it's interesting. Yes, please. Yeah. Uh my husband Sorry to Yeah. I'm happy that but as you light the candle, you say "Baruch haba Eliyahu Hanavi." Wow, I never heard that. It's beautiful. So, we see how integral this idea of Eliyahu Hanavi is at the end of Shabbos, at a bris, on the night of Pesach. Not sure if we've ever like thought about it in that way, the significance of Eliyahu and how he is present at these very very very important significant times. So, this is what Rav Kook speaks about as well, that we're praying for Eliyahu Hanavi as we are returning to the land of Israel that we are envisioning the coming of Eliyahu Hanavi. So, what is this idea of Eliyahu Hanavi? So, let's begin here. Let's begin with his place and we'll talk about his place on Motzei Shabbos as well. We'll get there in a moment or in a few moments. But let's begin with his place at a bris. And why he's so important in terms of in Rav Kook's eyes in terms of the return to Eretz Israel as well. So, there are different interpretations. Maybe the most one of the most basic foundational interpretations is going back to the words of the Zohar, to the mystical work of the Zohar. And the Zohar says the following, and here you have the words of the Zohar. I decided just to put in translation for the sake of time and also for the sake of understanding the words. We know that the Zohar is very, very difficult. The language of the Zohar, the Aramaic, and the style, the Aramaic style of the Zohar. So, let's see it. Here's word for word the Zohar. This is a translation taken from chabad.org, and it speaks about Eliyahu Hanavi's place at a bris. By the way, let me just ask you, why is Eliyahu invited to a bris? In a word, anybody? Anybody know his place at a bris? What's that? Uh okay, good. Good. Very, very, very good. Yeah, we'll we'll repeat it actually um what was just just suggested is very much the Zohar. So, let's see it in the words of the Zohar. Rabbi Abba said the following, "When a man brings his son into the covenant when a man brings his son to a covenant of circumcision for a bris, the Holy One calls his heavenly entourage of angels and says to them, 'Come and look at what my sons are doing in this world.'" So, the Zohar says that when a bris takes place, Hashem calls all the angels together, invites them to watch the bris, to be a part of the bris. At that moment, Eliyahu, the angel of the covenant, Malach HaBris, swoops down there in four leaps. Eliyahu did not die, rose up in a whirlwind to heaven, and became the angel of the covenant. For this reason, we have been taught that one must prepare a chair in Elijah's honor, Eliyahu's honor, and should say, "This is the chair shall Eliyahu sit, Kisei shel Eliyahu HaNavi." And that's what's done at a bris as well. The mohel will announce that at the bris. If he does not do this, then Eliyahu does not dwell there, then he, Elijah ascends to the holy one and testifies before him. So, the opening statement, we don't really have that much information in terms of why he's there. All the angels are invited. And we also have Eliyahu Hanavi who's also invited to the bris as well, and therefore we call out Zekhi se shel Eliyahu. This is the kisei of Eliyahu, and he makes his way there. Okay, but now why in particular is Eliyahu Hanavi brought to the bris? The Zohar continues, "See now that first it is written in Malachim that God says the prophet Eliyahu, who had secluded himself in a cave, 'Elijah, what are you doing here instead of remaining among the people see the Malbim where where where you belong?' Then it is written, 'I have been zealous for the Lord God of hosts for the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant by failing to circumcise their sons.' So, what does Eliyahu Hanavi do according to the according to the Zohar, really according to Malachim, according to the Navi? That he's angry with the Jewish people. He's disappointed with the actions with the conduct of the Jewish people. He separates himself from the Jewish people, and he says to God, "I want you to know God that the Jewish people are not following your commandments. And I'm standing up for you Hashem and and I am vilifying the Jewish people that I found something wrong in the Jewish people." So, what does God say? Hashem replied back to the text, "I vow that whenever my children make this sign in their flesh, whenever there is a circumcision, you will be present. And the mouth which testified that the Jewish people have abandoned my covenant will testify that they are keeping it." So, according to this interpretation the Zohar, why is Eliyahu Hanavi at every bris? To make up for what To make up there's like a tikun so to speak, right? To make up for what Eliyahu Hanavi, the way that he had a bad word about the Jewish people that he should see it, that he should arrive at every bris, and he should testify to the fact that the Jewish people are not so bad, that the Jewish people that they're doing circumcision, that they're doing a bris milah, and therefore you need to attend. So, not like the other angels that are just invited to the bris, Eliyahu has a particular role to play at a bris, and that is to see that the way that you criticized the Jewish people is not accurate, and I want you to see the goodness of the Jewish people. I want you to see their dedication, their commitment, and you will be there at every bris. There'll be a kisei shel Eliyahu sitting right next to you. You'll sit right next to the bris itself. You will see it firsthand. And that moment you'll turn to me and say, "Yes, how great is this people?" Ashrecha. Right? How praiseworthy is this people? How praiseworthy is Hashem? Thus, we learn in Shir Hashirim Rabbah that Elijah was punished by the Holy One for vilifying the Jewish people, and he was given the opportunity to rectify his error by testifying in their favor and to their credit, namely that they keep the covenant. For this reason, Eliyahu must be present at every circumcision. So, this is a very interesting interpretation. This is the Zohar's interpretation as to why Eliyahu Hanavi attends every bris. He's there to see and there to testify to the goodness of the Jewish people, to the loyalty of the Jewish people, that they keep mitzvot. And to be critical of the Jewish people, Hashem is less interested in in that and hearing that from Eliyahu Hanavi. Hashem is angered over the fact that he is critical. Did you want to make a point? also why he said every seder? Yeah, okay. Yeah, um maybe. I mean, it's part of part of that story. We'll we'll hopefully we'll answer that as well. But yes, yes, absolutely. I want to share with you another I want to share with you another a a that's found in the Gemara. Quite a remarkable story. And um and we turn out to page number two. This is story it's found in the Gemara Taanit Taanis. It's daf chof amud beis. And here we are at the top of page number two. I'll read the Hebrew of the uh the story and you have the translation as well. Maaseh sheba Rabbi Elazar b'Rabbi Shimon mi Migdal Gedor. So, the story is the following. Maaseh, the following story. The name of the rabbi is Rabbi Elazar and he was coming from Migdal Gedor. MiBeis Rabbo, he was coming from his teacher's house. Vayirachav al chamor, he was riding on a donkey. Metayel al safat haNahar, he was traveling along the riverbank. V'sameach simcha gedolah, and he was full of joy. V'hayta dato gas alav, and he was very he was he was feeling proud of himself. Gas alav, mipnei shelamad Torah harbeh, because he had study studied a lot of Torah. He was just with his rabbi. He spent many hours, maybe many days studying and he feels very good about the fact that he just studied. Nizdamen lo adam echad shehaya mechuar beyoter. He now comes across in his travels, as he's making his way back home, a person who is exceedingly ugly. Amar lo, he said to the man, this is the rabbi Rabbi Elazar said to the person I'm sorry, he said, the ugly person said to the rabbi, "Shalom alecha, rebbi." He greets him and he says, "Peace upon you, rabbi." V'lo hechzir lo, but Rabbi Elazar did not return the greeting to him. And amar lo, and he said to him, "Reika." Rake. Right, you are an empty one. Kama mechuar oto ha'ish, how ugly is that man. Shema kol benei ircha mechuarin kemotcha? Is your entire city perhaps as ugly as you are? Now we got it's this this What? Terrible. It is terrible. It is terrible. So you have a rabbi that has just studied, a rabbi that was just with his rabbi. The Gamara does say that there is a certain level of a height of that of that there was a a little bit of of arrogance that he had in in the study in his study of Torah. Study of Torah can lead to a kind of arrogance as well, that I know I know more than others. I come across somebody who doesn't know anything or somebody who's who's distant. Actually, the language of the Gamara here is reka. Reka means that he was rake sounds like and that's a term that's used in the Gamara someone who's rake of mitzvot that he's somebody he sees this person who's not committed person who is he's a Jew, but he knows very little, very very little commitment and this is his response to him. So he says to him, "Are Are there other people in your city? Do you come from a place where others are as ugly as you?" Again, I'm not sure if that means physically or just ugly in the sense that that you're people that are that you're far from Torah from an observing life life. He says, "I don't know. Laykh ve'emor l'uman Why don't you go to the craftsman who made me and tell him how ugly I am?" Now who is he referring to? To Hashem. Right, go and tell Hashem how ugly he how ugly he he he produced, you know, me and others. Now the rabbi does come to his senses and he realizes once he realizes When he realized that he sinned, yarad min hachamor, he got off the donkey. He bows down, prostrates in front of him. Amar lo, and he says to him, "I need to let her I've spoken out of turn. Please forgive me." I'm a low any more killer car. He says, "No, I'm not going to forgive you." I'm sure to lay the woman sunny. Until you go to the craftsman who made me. Then more low common of a choir. Please shut up, Sita. Until you go and tell the craftsman how how ugly is that vessel that you made. The guy might go down a yacht a yellow crab. So a lesser he continued to travel with this person actually get a road to the game to the city. You have to believe the credit all the people of the city came out. They saw the great Rabbi this God of the door that was coming into the city. Value on real loan. They said Shalom Rabbi Rabbi Mori Mori all the people of the city were excited that this great Rabbi was entering the city on my way home. That ugly person said to the people me at Korean Rabbi Rabbi. Who are you calling great Rabbi? So I'm a little they said to him less as metal to this Rabbi that's walking with you. So I'm a little him. That ugly fellow said in Rabbi. If that is a great Rabbi there shouldn't be other great rabbis like him in the Jewish people. So I'm a little I'm a little they said to me they might. So why are you saying this? So I'm a little him coffee coffee so he then went through the story. So I'm real they said to him I feel pain. They said to the ugly fellow quote unquote the Torah who is a he's a God of the Torah. You should forgive him. So I'm a little him be sure to come already more killer. So on your behalf I will forgive him. But he has to this Rabbi has to make a commitment that he's not going to continue doing Well, he should never do it again. And me and Nicanor of Elazar Rabbi Shimon Vidorash and at that moment the Rabbi then entered this Rabbi Rabbi Elazar who was in the town entered the base measures he entered the shul brought everyone together and he says the old man Barack Obama Aliya Kasha K Harris a person should be soft like a reed and not be hard like a cedar. With a few hot Zaha Connelly told him a new cool most lifted both safer Torah to fill in who misses us and it was for this reason that the Reed merits to be the pen that writes us a Torah scroll and fill in and mazuzahs. That you should be soft that a person a person should be soft again to some degree it refers to in both people here in terms of forgiving the Rabbi but the Rabbi also in terms of the way that he interacts with others. So why do I tell you this story which is really a fascinating story quite a shocking story to some degree because of the following and that is both Rashi and both Tosafot on the story say the same thing on the very bottom of the page just to see the words of Rashi and his diamond low Adam who is this ugly person that he came across? So Rashi says that's the left side the storm Shakopee by hand Eliyahu Zakhour Latour this is a story of Eliyahu Anavi. The who need to come in and what was his purpose why did he miraculously show up at this time and do what he did the whole hero it was to give him reproof it was to teach him shallow yard yield by the way that this is not a way to treat another person to look at another person to judge another person and Tosafot says the same thing which is rare by the way that you usually is an argument Rashi and Tosafot but here you have Tosfos on the on the right side. Tosfos says Maseches Derech Eretz, in Maseches Derech Eretz it also has this story. Mefareish the oto Adam I knew Eliyahu. This was Eliyahu ule tov nitkaven. This is story about Eliyahu Hanavi and he did it with with a benefit, with a purpose, with a positive purpose in mind. Kedei shelo yargil bedavar. So according to the Gemara, what does Eliyahu Hanavi teach us? What is the lesson of Eliyahu Hanavi? Eliyahu Hanavi teaches and similar to the the story of the bris, the kisei shel Eliyahu, and that is how we judge others. That we are not to be judgemental of others. And we see others and in this story as I mentioned earlier, the reikan that he was empty, empty of mitzvot, and this rabbi was quick to judge a person who was reik, a person who was empty of mitzvot, that that is not the way, that that is considered a great sin, that that's a terrible thing to do. To think about people in that way. And I think that's one of the reasons why for Rav Kook and we'll see this in a moment, why this idea of Eliyahu Hanavi of praying for Eliyahu Hanavi and the personality of Eliyahu Hanavi, that that's what it means to return and for the Jewish people to return to the land of Israel. That in terms of judging others, the way that we are to judge others, what does Elijah the prophet teach us? Teaches us that we are not to do that, right? Just as Eliyahu as he lived his life right, that he was judgemental, that he found that he found fault in the Jewish people and Hashem said that's not what I want to hear from you and therefore you have to be at every circumcision. And like this story as well, that he appears miraculously, he appears and he teaches the rabbi and he's meant to teach the rabbi this lesson that rabbis are not to be judgemental and not to find fault and not to look for the shortcomings, right? But to see the best in others. This is what it means for the Jewish people to return and this is what it means to bring the era of the Messiah. That Eliyahu Navi is the harbinger, that he's going to be the one to announce that Messiah is close. What do we need to do in order for the Messiah to arrive? We need to be like Eliyahu Navi. We need to act like Eliyahu Navi. The Jewish people need to be Eliyahu Navi-like and that is to see the best in one another, not to be critical of one another, not to be critical of other communities. Let's take a step back just for a moment turn to page three where this idea of Eliyahu Navi comes from. Yes, Rabbi Safran. This Rabbi Hey, hey, that's not the way to behave. Very good. I learned my lesson. I learned my lesson, right. Now I'm sharing that lesson. Exactly. Exactly. Beautiful. So where do we have this idea of Malach HaBris, this idea of Eliyahu Navi? So it's not just a Some people think about it as like a Hasidic idea or some some you know, maybe you know, again in the Zohar. But it's found in the Navi itself. The idea of Eliyahu Navi is going to arrive at the end of days. And it's actually the Haftorah that we're going to be reading in about seven, eight weeks, right before Pesach. And we read about Eliyahu Navi. It's the very last prophecy that's given by our prophets, by Malachi. Malachi, amazing. It's the last words of Malachi. And he says the following. But let's begin. It's perek gimmel, it's the very end and the very last prophecy that we have in our Nevi'im. So this is the top of page three. So look at what the pasuk says. Hineni sholeach malachi upina derech lefanai. Behold, I'm sending my messenger and he will clear a path before you. Upitom yavo el hekhalo Adon asher atem mevakshim. And suddenly the Lord whom you seek will come to his sanctuary. Umalach HaBris, here's that term. I have it underlined. This is the top top of page three. Umalaha Bris, there is an angel of the covenant that share at 10 15 that you are yearning for. He may a mar Hashem Tzevaot. So that idea, by the way, that term Malakha Bris, which we use at a Bris, which we saw Rav Kook using that term, that's a term that's used in the pasuk itself. It's a reference to the Malakh Eliyahu Hanavi that's going to come. But then the final pasuk, the very last words that we have from Malachi in the very last words of Nevuah are these words. And these are words that I think everybody here is familiar with. Hinei Anochi sholeach lachem Eliyahu Hanavi. That Hashem says the prophecy from Hashem is that Elijah the prophet will come lifnei bo Yom Hashem before that great day hagadol vanora. Before that great day, before the Messianic day, this is source number again, we're on page three. The back page. Okay, back yeah, I'm sorry if it was it was stapled uh it was stapled wrong. So I think it may be the back page for everybody. It's page three. We're now looking at the third paragraph in the there's in Hebrew and English. These are the very last words of uh of Malachi Zichru Toras Moshe avdi asher tzivisi otzo b'Chorev al kol Yisrael chukim umishpatim. Remember the words, know the words of the Torah. And then we have the following two psukim. Hinei Anochi sholeach lachem es Eliyahu Hanavi that I'm going to send Elijah the prophet lifnei bo Yom Hashem hagadol vanora. He's going to come before that great day, the Messianic day. And here we have the following, we'll talk about what this means. Veheishiv lev avos al banim velev banim al avosam. Pen avo vehikeisi es ha'aretz cherem cherem. Let's focus on those words. What does Eliyahu Hanavi do at the end of days? What's his role? Veheishiv lev avos al banim velev banim al avosav. Avosam. So he will bring back the hearts of the children to the parents and the parents to the children. Now, what does that mean? He'll bring the heishiv lev avot, he'll return the hearts of the fathers to the children, the lev banim, and the hearts of the children to the fathers. We're not sure exactly what it means. We're not sure exactly Again, whenever we have nevu'ah in terms of interpreting what that means exactly, but somehow he's going to bring a reconciliation. He's going to bring He's going to bring a peace. He's going to bring a love, a love that is going to be shared between parents and children that will happen at the end of days. So, I want to share with you the following interpretation which comes from the uh the writings of Rabbi Charlap, Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Charlap. And he was the great student of great friend and student of Rav Kook. And he wrote a sefer. Actually, it's a They're about seven I think 18, 19 volumes of what's called the Maymaram. And he has one volume which really speaks about the return of the Jewish people to land of Israel. Maynei HaYeshua. And I want to read to you the following where he interprets what this means, the return of fathers to children and children to the fathers. So, this is source number five. Yavo Eliyahu. Eliyahu will come at the end of days. Vetav kido ye'aleh achaid et halevavot. What does Eliyahu HaNavi do at the end of days as we're getting closer to the Mashiach? He will bring people back together, people from different walks of life, that they'll be in achdus. Le'achaid et halevavot vi yavo lidei hakara. And at that time, there'll be a recognition shavot asher hitnavdu le'hakamat bayit leshem ge'ulah de'aretz Yisrael. And here he's talking really um specifically that he's was to a generation, the avot that were against the idea of the return of the Jewish people to land of Israel, Zionism. That those avot, those from that generation and from that that point of view, those that were against that idea, whom ipne, why were they against it? They felt that the children And the children here referring to who? The halutzim, the pioneers. Right, many of them that were not religious for the most part, that they were anti-Torah, they were anti-Hashem, anti-God. They were coming back to land of Israel, but they were not interested in the holy and the spiritual part of the land of Israel. They were not doresh et ha'aretz shecha. There were those that were willing just to give up on that totally. They had no interest in the Jewish people coming back in a religious way, in a spiritual way to land of Israel. And therefore, the older generation, the avot, were not in favor of that, in favor of that kind of return. Therefore, they were against this kind of awakening. And again, that's what we had. We had in the Jewish world in the early 1900s and to some degree, that's there's some truth that remains of that today. Right, of those that were against the Zionist movement and those that were returning because they were coming back in a way that was not a spiritual, not a religious return to land of Israel. And if it's not a religious return to land of Israel, if it's without Shabbat, without kashrut, without mitzvot, so what does it mean to be to celebrate that return to land of Israel? Therefore, those avot were against what the banim were doing. Right, a Eretz Israel without without holiness without a yearning for the rebuilding of the Temple, what is that from their perspective? but Dorshim Rak Et Ha Nefesh But they also didn't have it right either, says Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Kahlav. But those fathers the fathers at older generation that wanted just the spiritual Dorshim Rak Et Ha Nefesh B'Binyan HaK'dusha U'Mevatim Al HaGuf but they were willing to give up on the physical, on the body. What it means to rebuild the land, to have an army in the land of Israel, to have a government in land of Israel. To drain the swamps of Israel, to have the kibbutzim. Right, they were they they didn't appreciate that aspect of returning to the land of Israel. They were Mevatim Al HaGuf, they didn't appreciate what it means for a Jew to come back and to physically rebuild this land. Binyan Eretz Yisrael Shneihem K'Echad To'im Both of them are mistaken. Both positions are not correct if it's only taking, you know, one one stance. U'Me'Avodato Shel Eliyahu HaNavi So what is the work of Eliyahu HaNavi? What is the the holy the holy service of Eliyahu HaNavi L'Hashiv Lev Avot Al Banim V'Lev Banim Al Avotam And what does that mean? That the religious community appreciates what the other community is doing for the land of Israel. And that this and vice versa and vice versa and that the and that the less religious, those not yet religious, right, that they appreciate the spirituality, those that are committed to Torah those are committed to a spiritual life. Ki Im Chas V'Shalom Yitkaymu HaNigudim Halalu If this if we sustain maintain this this kind of um divisiveness, thank you, that one is against one another, Shebein Avot L'Banim Alula SheTavo Sho'a Al Eretz Tovah Vo They could have absolute destruction in the land of Israel. So, if there's infighting amongst the Jewish people, if we don't respect one another, if we don't appreciate the goodness of one another, what each is contributing to the building of Eretz Israel, and says Rabbi Charlap, this is the way that he's interpreting the leva vote al banim, the lev banim al avotav. You have the older generation, they're the the East European Jews that were coming here, the shuva hayashan, they didn't appreciate, they didn't fully appreciate the chalutzim. And the chalutzim that were here, they also didn't appreciate the spiritual world of the of the avot, of the forefathers. And what is Rav Kook trying to do? And what is Rabbi Charlap speaking about? Speaking about this idea, and that's what Eliyahu Hanavi, the lesson that he learned at the circumcision, the lesson that he learned from that man that he came, as the Gemara says, to see the beauty in one another, to see what each one is contributing to the to Am Israel, and especially especially in to to Eretz Israel. And therefore, let's go to the last paragraph from Rabbi Charlap Rabbi Charlap. V'lachein miyad k'shematcheela ha'itarut l'vinyan Eretz Israel, and therefore, as we are awakening, and again, Rabbi Charlap is writing this in the '50s, '60s, he sees the Jewish people return to the land of Israel, as we have this great awakening, revival of the Jewish people building the land of Israel, mutalat ha'chova l'avod al asadat avodasha l'Eliyahu Hanavi. We need to work in the field of Eliyahu Hanavi. And what's the field of Eliyahu Hanavi? What's his expertise? What is his love? Bringing unity to Am Israel, appreciating everybody, everybody's contribution in Am Israel, l'acheid avanim avot. That's the work that we need to do, to appreciate the young soldiers, right? Whether they're religious or not religious, to appreciate what the religious community, what the Beit Midrash, what learning is doing, what Shabbat is doing, with the great commitment to Torah, to the great yeshivot of our country, of this country, Eretz Yisrael, to see the best in all those worlds, and to create a bridge, right? To create a a love between those communities. Im avot v'avot im banim. And he quotes the pasuk again, that zikru torat moshe avdi, remember, and this is the last pasuk in malachi, it's the last message of the navi, remember what the torah teaches us, asher tzeevitihu b'chorev kol yisrael chukim u'mishpatim. Hinei anochi sholeach lachem et eliyahu hanavi lifnei bo yom hashem hagadol v'hanora v'heishiv lev avot al banim v'lev banim al avotam. Okay. We go to the last the last teaching of and if not That's right, very good, very good. And if not, v'hiketi et ha'aretz cherem, as Rebbe Safran said, the end of the pasuk says, and if there isn't that love, then there then the land of Israel is is not going to survive. There's going to be destruction in in the land. That's what the pasuk that's what the prophecy says. One more one last teaching about Eliyahu Hanavi. And we're at the very bottom at the bottom of page three, and then we'll turn to the the final page. So you have the following obscure somewhat mysterious idea or teaching in the midrash, in the medrish, this is found in midrash rus, and it says the following. Rebbe Cohen, Rebbe Yeshua Diskin b'shem Rebbe Levi, l'sha'avar, in the past haya adam oseh mitzvah when a person would do a mitzvah, v'hanavi kotzva the navi, the prophet would write it down. V'achshav k'she'adam oseh mitzvah, mi kotzva? Who writes down the mitzvot that a person who keeps keeps a ledger, keeps track of the mitzvot, writes down? So who writes it today that we no longer have Nevi'im in our midst. Eliyahu Kotva, Eliyahu writes down all of the mitzvot that Jews are observing. Umelech Hamashiach Hakadosh Vekadosh Baruchu Chotem Al Yedeihem. And the Melech Hamashiach comes along with Hakadosh Baruchu and they put the the stamp on that. You know all those stamps that they have in Israel? Whenever you go to a a government office, so this is the this is the source for that. So you have Eliyahu Navi, he's writing down all of the mitzvot that the Jews observe and you have the Melech Hamashiach and Hakadosh Baruchu that put a stamp on that. What does that mean? Again, that's a very mysterious, a very obscure idea. But let me let me try to explain it in the following way. And here we turn to the final page, page four. And here we come back to the minhag, the very beautiful minhag of of Eliyahu Navi, that we speak about Eliyahu Navi as we as we come to the end of Shabbat. So many people, and I grew up with this as well, that we would sing Eliyahu Navi around Havdalah time. And there are there are a number of different minhagim, there's also a number of pizmonim. They're actual actual hymns or prayers are recited about Eliyahu Navi at the end of Shabbat. So let me just read to you the following. This is from uh from the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, one of the most popular important works of uh of halakha in terms of what we do and how we conduct ourselves in terms of halakha. I'm just reading from the translation of the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch. The name of the prophet Elijah, Eliyahu, should also be mentioned at the end of Shabbat and prayers offered that he come to bring us the tidings of redemption. For Eliyahu would not come on Friday in order not to disturb Israel from preparing for Shabbos. So, why doesn't Eliyahu Hanavi come right before Shabbos? Cuz we're busy getting ready for Shabbos. We're running around. We're cooking for Shabbos. Not a good time for Eliyahu Hanavi to to knock on the door. So, we're not praying for Eliyahu Hanavi right before Shabbos. And on Shabbos, we do not pray for his coming because we are uncertain as to whether the Shabbos boundary limit applies to an altitude above 10 handbreadths and therefore he cannot come on Shabbos. What's the other issue? Hilchos Shabbos in terms of coming down from Shamayim and of T'chum Shabbos and all of that if that's going to work out halachically that he can come on Shabbos. We don't pray for him to come on Shabbos. There are too many halachic issues with his arrival on Shabbos. But when Shabbos has passed, but as soon as Shabbos is over, we pray that he shall come and bring us good tidings. Again, as stated in the Midrash, at every Motzei Shabbos, every Saturday night, Eliyahu enters paradise, Gan Eden, where he sits under the tree of life and records the merits, the mitzvot, of Israel, of Am Israel, who observe the Shabbos. Therefore, we mention him gratefully. So, this says the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch is actually something that we should be doing, something that's part of part of our part of Havdalah as we end Shabbos that we should make mention and that we pray for the coming of Eliyahu Hanavi. So, I want to share with you the following. This is Rav Kook. This is his a commentary that Rav Kook has on the Siddur Olat Re'iyah. We have a very beautiful collection of teachings of Rav Kook. He wrote much of it on the Siddur, then his son added from different areas of his writings to the Siddur, two volumes of commentary of Rav Kook on the Siddur. And this is what he writes at Havdalah, at the at the the custom of Eliyahu Hanavi, of singing about and and praying for Eliyahu Hanavi. So, you have on page four, it's fully translated here below. Let me just read the first four or five lines in the Hebrew from uh from the writings of Rav Kook. Eliyahu Eliyahu Navi. So, this is again his commentary on what we do at the end of Shabbos as we sing or recite the uh Pizmon prayer for Eliyahu Navi. Eliyahu yoshev b'chol motzei Shabbos Kodesh. What does Eliyahu Navi do on motzei Shabbos? We know what he does at a bris. He's sitting at that chair right next to the bris. We know at the seder what he's doing that he comes in, takes a sip of all of our of all of our wine from the kos Eliyahu Navi. But, every motzei Shabbos he also does the following. Eliyahu Navi b'chol motzei Shabbos Kodesh yoshev Sorry, Eliyahu yoshev b'chol motzei Shabbos Kodesh tachas etz hachaim. He sits under the tree of life v'chosev z'chuyoseihem shel Yisrael. And he writes down all of the z'chus, all of the mitzvah, all the merits of Am Yisrael. This is what Eliyahu Navi does every motzei Shabbos. The first thing he does, he doesn't go to his phone, doesn't check his phone. The first thing is that he begins to write. He begins to write all of the z'chusim, all the merits, all the good qualities of the Jewish people. Alken ra'ui l'chol mi sheyeish lo shayachus says Rav Kook, anyone who has a has a connection to a a that he's drawn to, shel chuka d'razei Torah, a person who's drawn to the secrets of the Torah. Right, to the deeper ideas of the Torah. She himida giluy Eliyahu, that this is what Eliyahu is all about. The idea of seeing seeing life and seeing the the Jewish people in a deeper way. B'eizeh darga, any level that you're on, a filu im rak b'derech dimyon. Even if it's something that you that just conjure up in your in your thoughts, o hargasha, in your feelings, o hasagas hasichel v'nochi, just in an intellectual way, v'chava chomer im ala b'chesed elyon d'ma And certainly if you're a person that's on a high spiritual level Cook says and suggests that this is what we should be doing as Shabbos comes to a close. Around of dollar time as Shabbos comes to a close what we should be thinking about and contemplating is the beauty of Am Yisrael. Is how great Am Yisrael is. To think about think about the great self-sacrifice to think think about the the midst of the merits of Am Yisrael. That's what we should all be doing. If Eliyahu Hanavi is doing it we should all be doing it as well. The Yarkir will do one more one more one more line from Rav Kook. The Yarkir that you should see it through an intellectual from an intellectual aspect. That you should see in a clear sense at Kadosh Yisrael. You should see the holiness of Yisrael and to see how precious the Jewish people are. And you should feel that connection to cloudy so you should feel that you're one with Am Yisrael. So what does it mean to be connected to not to Rav Kook actually to Rav Kook as well which we'll say in a moment. But to be connected to Eliyahu Hanavi and to think about Eliyahu Hanavi is to think about the the midst of Eliyahu Hanavi to think about what Eliyahu Hanavi represents. He represents seeing the goodness in Am Yisrael. Of seeing the of seeing the midst of seeing the merits of Am Yisrael. And Rav Kook suggests that this is what we should be doing as well. Not sure why in particular it's Motzei Shabbos, maybe maybe we've been purified on Shabbos that we see that we see the world in a purer way, that we see the Jewish people, that we see one another in in the best of light. And therefore Shabbos comes to a close that we should feel that we should that we we should reach deep inside ourselves and to feel that connection, that connection to to Am Yisrael and to see the best in Am Yisrael. This is very much the life and very much representative of Rav Kook and the way that he lived his life not only on Motzei Shabbos, but every single day in the way that he interacted with other Jews. This is one of his greatest teachings in terms of Ahavat Yisrael and how important it is for us to have that. But even more so, and this is what Rav Kook is referring to earlier, as we're moving towards redemption and how to bring about the redemption. And how to bring about a Messianic time. A Messianic time we will reach if we have that kind of love for one another. If we see the best in one another. Um I listened to uh a shiur I listened to a shiur this past week with Usher Rav Usher Weiss. I think he was just quoted I heard at the end of the previous year. He's one of the Gedolei Torah today, one of the great poskim today, a very very special individual. And he was a talmid of the Klausenberger Rebbe. He was a great Rebbe, lost his 11 children in uh in the Holocaust. And he rebuilt his life first uh in Chutz L'Aretz in America and then here in Netanya. He was a great lover of of the Jewish people in Eretz Yisrael as well. And he quoted from his Rebbe. His Rebbe said that at a time of war, when the Jewish people are at a time of war, and we're in a time of war right now, he said the following, that the most important thing that we need to do during a time of of war is that we cannot be mekatreg on the Jewish people or on one another. What that means is that we are not to say a bad word during a time of war. We are not to say a negative word about another Jew. And that's how we're going to successfully win win a war. So Rav Kook says yeah, I'll take your comment. Rav Kook says that this is the key. This is the key to Am Yisrael. This is the key to the return. This is the key. This is what Eliyahu Hanavi represents. Yet he brings that message to the Seder as well because the Seder night as we move to that part of the Seder is about Geulah. It's about redemption. We're moving from talking about the Mitzrayim redemption to the ultimate redemption. We invite Eliyahu Hanavi into our homes, into our community because we're ready to move to that ultimate redemption. And according to Rav Kook, that redemption is going to come about. Mashiach times are going to come and we're going to quicken that that arrival of Mashiach in the way that we emulate, the way that we live our lives like Eliyahu Hanavi. To be to see only the best in one another, to turn to Hashem, and to turn to one another, and to say I see only merit in Am Yisrael. I see the great contribution of every Jew. We should be Zocheh to that in our own lives and to see that amongst all of Klal Yisrael. Let me yes, amen. Let's take a if anybody has a question or comment, please. Yeah. Okay, yeah. Now we have to be very careful in this area. We know we all know, I don't need to tell everybody everyone here that we know that before the war that there was there was a very very difficult time in terms of this issue in particular, in terms of a lot of divisiveness and a lot of animosity within the Jewish people. So this is a lesson that we that's that's so critical and Rav Kook something that he taught every day of his life and this is such an important message for us today Mirtzeh Hashem. All right, wish everyone a a great day and a great week ahead. Yeah, please.