Eretz Yisrael & Birkat Hamazon | Rabbi Aaron Goldscheider

And uh we continue our learning of Arab Cook Zatal. Let me just begin by announcing the sponsors. We have two sponsors for for today's shur Rabbi Gold Chatter here is sponsored by Reva shirts in memory of Esther Silvetski Esther Bashimon Yakov Halevi. You should be an Eloisha for your mother. And the the second sponsor, we have a regular sponsor throughout the academic yearto Ben Schlommo. All right. I welcome everyone. Great to see everyone and uh wish everyone a good day. This is a uh a very very special time of year as we are coming off of Yoma Mahoot just uh a few days ago and uh we're making our way to Yumu Shallay. So I wanted to uh I wanted to look at a topic RVuk and an eritus and the land of Israel but from a particular perspective and that is from a mitzvah that we do on a regular basis and it's a mitzvah that we don't necessarily think of as a mitzvah that is very much grounded literally grounded in Arit Israel. So what do I mean by that and what mitzvah am I referring to? I'm referring to the mitzvah one of the 613 of their zone of benching. So we're all familiar with the puk and we're going to begin with the puk. Again I apologize if not everyone has a swore sheet. We'll uh we we won't do that much reading in the text itself. We'll do a little bit less. Um but let's begin with a puk that we're all familiar with. This is in safer and it says and when you eat you'll be satisfied and you are to bless Hashem. But that's not the end of the and that's not the end of the mitzvah. It says for the good land that I have given you that I give to you. So that's very interesting and I would say that's surprising. Why is it that we have the obligation whenever we have the obligation to bench to save your katamazone we also have an obligation to thank God for the land of Israel? You would think that the puss would just say that when you eat and you're satisfied, you are to thank God. End of sentence. But that's not the end of the sentence. The Torah itself tells us that when we eat, we are to give thanks for the food and also for the land of Israel. And how do those two go together? Let's begin with the following comment of the Ramban Nakmanades who says the following just in terms of reading the puss itself. How do we read the verse the understanding of the verse? So he says, What does it mean the verse where it says that you should thank God for the good land? He adds one letter the letter V. And the way to interpret the P is that when and which I just said earlier when you thank God for a meal you are also to thank God for the good land for the land of Israel. that there is an obligation. Every time every time that you are satisfied, that you have a good meal, you should also give thanks to God, the good land that God gave you, that this is the land of the Jewish people for eternity, and that you enjoy the goodness of the land. And look at what he how he ends the Ramban. And this obligation to bench to save is anywhere in the world. Everywhere in the world. Now why would he possibly think why does the Ramban need to say that the mitzvah applies anywhere in the world. Right. That's right. It sounds like you could read the verse and when you eat and enjoy a meal, you are to right here in the land of Israel. Right. You are to thank God for the food of the land of Israel. outside the land of Israel maybe not but the Ramban says no that's not the case the way to read the verse the the way to read this pasok is you are to thank God for the food and to thank God for the land of Israel anywhere in the world if you're in Tene if you're in my if you're in LA you also have to bench as well you also have to say your katamazone by the way that's not so obvious the Ramban needs to point that out because you could read the verse otherwise so here's the big question right the question is why is it that when God commands us to savior that we also have an obligation to thank God for the land of Israel. By the way, that's that's I would say that's a uh that's a novel idea. That's a Did we ever think of benching that way? I think we usually think about benching. It's a time to thank God for a good meal, a Friday night meal, a shabas meal, or any time that we sit and wash that we have to thank God for what we've just eaten. We're satisfied. But that's not what the puss says. It's not what the verse says. The verse says, "Eat, enjoy, thank God, and thank God for the land of Israel." Yes. The word must have been five or six times in front of it. Okay. Good. So, very good. Okay. And I actually I wanted to include that just to see that that it's really within the context of of of the land of Israel and the love of the land is of Israel, the beauty of the land of Israel of it's like not a standalone. It's like included in this idea of the land of Israel. So that that is that's very much a I would say that's a it really is a very different way of thinking about benching thinking about the obligation that we thank God for a meal that we need to include that we need to think about the land of Israel by the way and we'll see this in a moment that a major part of birkat mazone is not about thanking God for the food that's there's a a very little se a small section that speaks about thanking God for the food what's the majority of birkat mazone it's all about the land of Israel Right. That all the all the the main part and by the way the second part when you get to the that's really an add-on. You have to really look at the first part. That's the essential part of the benching. The essential part of the benching now it's not that much not that surprising why that is the theme of the benching that the major theme of the benching is around the land of Israel. Okay. So I want to offer one answer. Why is it why is it that we have an obligation to thank God for the land of Israel when we eat now? We don't have we don't say when you keep Shabbat you should also thank God for the land of Israel right when you put on fillin you should also thank God for the land of Israel but we do have again this is the puk I'm just reading the puk the way the Ramban interprets the puk whenever you eat you are to thank God for the land of Israel as well food comes from the land what's that food comes from the land food comes from the land that's right food comes from the land that's correct and I would add to and I would add to that that the food that comes from the land of Israel is a special kind of food. In other words, that Hashem is telling us in this puk to appreciate specifically the food that grows in the land of Israel, the produce of the land of Israel, the fruits and the vegetables of the land of Israel, the wheat of the land of Israel, that is the the bread that we eat, that is the pasta that we eat, that is the crackers that we eat. So, what is unique about the land of Israel and the food of the land of Israel? By the way, we have so many halo that relate to the food of the land of Israel. Truma and Mser and the fields pa and le and we have bikurim and we have mser sheni that you bring that fruit to the beta mikdash. We have schmita. We have yov. You've so many halo that relate to the food that grows in the land of Israel, the produce of the land of Israel. And it could be what the Torah is telling us is that when you eat and you're satisfied, you've had your bread, you've had from the grains of Israel, you've had your salad, you've had a nice meal to appreciate the uniqueness of the halot of all the laws, the sanctity of the fruit and the vegetables and the grains of Israel. There's a story that's a well-known story of Rabbi Yose Ramon. He tells this story often. He's one of the great uh postkim in the religious Zionist world. Rabos Ramon, you know that name? So um he's the he's the um he's the he's the rava ravharashi of the gush today. That's his that's his title. So he tells a story of going to Manhattan number of years ago for he had meetings in Manhattan. He was in meetings all day. Finally he had to get something to eat. So he went down he's in Manhattan. Went to one of the supermarkets to Dagastino. Anybody know Manhattan? Dagustto. He goes in. He wants something kosher. Of course, he goes to the fruit section just to make sure he doesn't really know all the kashras. So, he picks up an apple and an orange and that's going to be his, you know, his food for the day. And as he's as he as he picks it up, so as a great he starts to go through in his mind all of the all of the is this truma has the trak in miser yov paurim all the and then he remembers no I'm outside the land of Israel all of these all of these do not apply to an apple or to an orange outside of Israel Manhattan. So he says he just put it down and he walked out of the store. He like couldn't eat this. He couldn't eat an apple that doesn't have any kaduca that doesn't have any sanctity of aritel. So that's one way of understanding the puk. One way of understanding this verse is Hashem is telling us to thank God for the produce for the agriculture of the land of Israel. What you're eating in the land of Israel is unique. And that really is the fruit that we should be eating. That's the produce we should be eating. If we're eating the other fruit, if we're in Manhattan eating that fruit, it's okay. We can do it. It's kosher. But it doesn't have the sanctity. It doesn't have kaduca. Yes, Harry. But if it was shipped in, if it was Yes, it was shipped in. Yes, it was shipped in. It still has the gadia. That's correct. If you have the Jaffa oranges, you have to make sure in America also that Yes, that's correct. Yes. I I would focus more on the word. Yeah. That like you said before like And there's a certain satisfaction of of being in Israel. Ah, okay. Good. That's a nice idea. It's a beautiful idea. You're saying that that the sabat is not just that you that you filled your belly, but a sabat that you've uh the spirituality of it as well. Okay. Yeah. Beautiful idea. Beautiful idea. Okay. Good. So, now let's look at the following the following gamarra which talks about the benching birkatamone that we're all familiar with. We're familiar with the benching. I'm not sure if we're familiar with with this garamar. This is Gamar that's found in Braphos Mefes. And by the way, we're going to see Rkook's uh Rook's interpretation and the way that he understands that uh or an answer to the question that I asked. Why is it that the PK says that whenever you eat, you are to thank God for the land of Israel? But let's begin here. Let's begin with the Gumar. This is Gamarra Damfest. This is number three for those that have the source sheet. Again, I apologize if we did not make enough copies. Amma Rebman says the following. Moshe is birkazan. Who wrote the first paragraph of birkat mazone? According to the gammorra Moshe raenu writes it. When does he write it? Bisha haman. When the man when the mana came down from shamayim he saw that he recognized the great miracle and gave gratitude to hashem and he wrote the text. What we say that first paragraph of is Mosherenu goes on Yoshua Yeshua then came along and he added another paragraph that's beginning with no until the end of the of By the way I just have I have it on page three I just have the bat mazone if you wanna if you want to just take a peek at that just so we can reference that. So that's David and then David come along and they add the paragraph of and what is that paragraph? It begins that we're all familiar with and it concludes with and David and in particular they broke down the paragraph into two parts. That was his text. That's what he wrote. Then Schlommo added to that paragraph and he was alabad. Right? Those are those are sentences. Second paragua did. Yeah. So that says right no matter he can't get can't get away from no matter where you are. Yes. Okay. He has that as well. That's correct. But he's thanking God for the good land. And that is the text that is written by Yahushua. Okay. So by the way, what do we see? We see in Birkat Mazone that the other Mosher Rabenu's opening paragraph in which he thanks God has gratitude for food for the mana everything else the essence of Karamazone is all about the land of Israel it's about Yeshua coming to the land of Israel it's about David Hamel coming to Shalim it's about Schlommo Hamel building the beta mikdash so what do we see that's really very much based on the pik that we saw that whenever you eat and you're satisfied you have a meal thank god God for the meal. That's really the first paragraph. Thanking God for the meal. And then thank God for Israel. Thank God for Okay. Now we're going to look at. So the question is again, why we still have this question. Why is it that we have an obligation in this mitzvah whenever we have a meal to thank God for Israel, for you shal for the beta mikdash? Why is that included? Why is that part and parcel of thanking God whenever we have we've enjoyed a meal? Okay, so Ravuk says the following. We'll just read. Let's uh let's just take a line or two from Rafuk. I always like to see the language of Rafuk to appreciate his uh his writings and this is from Anaya. This is from his his commentary on the Gumarra the Gamarra that we have above. So this is page one, the very bottom source which is number four on that page. And he says the following. He says when a person eats the person often lowers themselves. In other words, kind it's a it's a lowly act, you know, eating freshing, right? That's not the not the most spiritual of things per se that you giving in to your physical cravings and to have the benefit or to have the uh the joy of eating. It's kind of a animalistic pleasure, right? The way that an animal is hungry and it goes to eat. So we do that as well. And it's also pratit means it's something that's very much um individualized or could even be selfish. In other words, I'm hungry. I'm opening the fridge and I'm finding something that's going to satisfy my hunger. So that's that's one way of eating and it is a way in which we eat. But now Rafuk says we need to be elevated from that experience of eating. That should not be the way that a Jew eats. Even though if you go to a kdish on chabas you might experience something similar to what he's describing but he says that's not the way that a Jew eats and therefore and therefore we have already set out before us from the very startem and this is the this is the insight of hashem so to speak now what is he he's he's quoting this really a poetic a poetic quote. It's from of course the story of Yakov and the Sulam that we have a way to elevate ourselves that we have a ladder that goes from the ground to the heaven to the heavenly place that we go from a place of selfishness that we're really just thinking about ourselves and thinking about our hunger and satisfying our hunger that we move from that place that we go to a place that we're thinking about the cl that we're thinking about the people, that we're thinking about the community, that we're thinking about the Jewish people, and that we're thinking about the world. Okay. Now, what is RVuk referring to? We'll see it in one moment. This is just one little quote. He elaborates on this, and I'll elaborate um on what Rav Cook says, but one more line from RVuk. Let's go to the very bottom of the page. This is page again, page one, the very bottom. Therefore, it's appropriate for a Jewish person here that he should see the value in eating. He says again in poetic language that you're placing a brick in the building of the world that what you're doing you have the potential through that meal to do something that is holy something that is something that is elevated and how uplifting that is for the nephesh the you know that you're sitting at a table before God. Okay. So this is what RF cook says. Now let's let's try to define let's try to understand what R cook is referring to. R Cook says that when you eat, you should have in mind not only that you are satisfying your hunger, but that the eating that you're doing, the energy that you have is an energy that you're now going to use to better the world. And how does the Jew better the world? So this is the way that he understands benching. And again, he goes through this in uh in this piece. What's the first paragraph of the benching? Mosher Abenu is Maki in the first paragraph. What does that refer to? That refers to a person who is able to satisfy their hunger, that has the nutrients that they need. That's that's essential. That's step number one. And that's what the Jews needed in the midbar. And it's what we all need as well. They'll walk out of here at 12:00. We're going to be hungry. We should enjoy a good meal. We should s we should uh we should feel the satisfaction in that. But that's that's that's the lowest level, right? That's the first that's the first love. But where do we go from there? What's the next love? When we eat, we are to think about the Jewish people as a whole. In other words, how are we making a contribution to the Jewish people? How do we strengthen the Jewish people? And again, this meal that we're having is not just a meal of satisfaction, but it's a meal that can energize us to do good things. So again, first it's about ourselves on an individual basis. That's that's Mosher Rabenu's first paragraph. But then Yeshua comes along and Yeshua says, "Thank God for the land of Israel because the land of Israel represents the Jewish people, the home of the Jewish people, the strength of the Jewish people." But then we move on from there. It's not only that we should have a homeland and not only that we should be strong, that we should be safe, but we should also be a great spiritual people as well. And how do we do that? We do that with that's what represents. That's David comes along and adds a bra for us. And then there's one other piece which is the ultimate and that is Schlomma builds the beta mikdash. And according to Rafuk, what does the beta mdash represent? It represents not only the Jewish people as a spiritual people, but that we can then bring that spirituality and bring that message, that light of Torah, of wisdom to the entire world from the beta mikdash that this is the house of God for everyone to see, from everyone to learn from, for everyone to be inspired. So this is what Rufuk says. Cook says, "Why is it that we need to speak about the land of Israel after we eat? Because this is the goal of the Jew and of the Jewish people." In other words, we're not just eating to satisfy our hunger. There's a greater picture. There's a greater There's a greater goal. You know, I was thinking about the I'll take your comment in a moment. There was a uh remember the breakfast cereal wedies. So, what was their tagline? Wedies. Breakfast cereal wedies. Very good. Well, he did a good job advertising breakfast of champions and I think the first one was Bruce Jenner was on the on the box if you remember that and they use that tagline. Now, what do they want you to Well, why do they want you to buy that product and what do they want you to think about when you're eating wedies in the morning? This is a breakfast of champions, right? Don't don't just eat it, right? But eat it in a way that you feel you're you're energized that you're going to accomplish great things that you're going to be a champion. Surf cook says that's what's happening here as well with bkatam and hashem says when you thank god for the food that you eat I want you to think beyond just the food. I mean it's a very nice thing to thank God for the food but that's only step number one says is another step as well. And what is that land of Israel? What does it represent? It represents the power of the Jew. That champion quality of a Jew, right? To be here living in the land of Israel, the Jewish people being here being a spiritual people. That's David who comes along and not only the land of Israel but what it represents spiritually. That's and then adds one more feature which is really a bit of a kesh as well. A novel idea that we're not just here for ourselves and we're not just here for our own spirituality. But you know what we want to accomplish as a Jewish people? We want to bring that light to the world. We want to change the world. We want the whole world to know God. We want the whole world to be ethical and moral and good. So that is what we need to do. I mean that's a that's a that's a that's a mouthful, right? That's every time that we that we eat. But this is what it means to eat as a Jew, right? to eat and to be satisfied as a Jew is not just again it would be nice enough for the to say end of sentence thank god thank god that you had a good meal but that's not what the says thank god that you had a good meal but what are you now going to do with that energy of the meal the nutrients of that meal that this meal is going to take you to to a place of breakfast of champions yes um I have two questions please the first one is I don't remember the source. But isn't there something about that eating is supposed to be also a tikun of kaba for not eating rice and Okay. So we good. Can you just say that before I ask the second? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'm not sure. No, no, it sounds very good. I don't know exactly what to say about that. It sounds very cababalistic and um it sounds right. It sounds right, but I'm not sure if I can I can add much to that. But you're right. The first sin is a sin that relates to eating and we have to bring in a cab, you know, more of a cabalistic teacher to teach to teach that idea. Yes. Second and and the next one is how do we weigh between uh the you know like like third meal for instance on Shabbat. Yeah. Many people in many situations don't want to eat their meal. And there's some source saying, "But it's the most important meal." Okay. Because you don't want to eat it. Number one, but number two, because it involves all the spirituality that's trying to come down through the other two meals. Wow. Okay. And it comes down in the end with third meal. And that it's very important even if you just you know vent on a kazias and a little bit of something with the bread but but do it and you know that's that's okay one side and how does it also go with um uh when you are eating something let's say that you know medically is not good for you and it's like a slow suicide kind of god forbid to eat these things and the doctor would say you know definitely it's not good for you and and and between that that you know and okay making a braha over something that you're eating that is very negative for you. Ah, okay. Good. All right. Yeah, you raised a lot a lot of a lot of issues which maybe we can we can smoo afterwards a little bit about them, but I just want to just so we can get get through some of the other story. Yeah, just a quick uh question, please. Two two minor points. If benching so important, yeah, why don't we bench basically it's why most important if you eat fruits of Israel, it's still something. Right. Right. I mean we still have no there's still a there's still a brahakrona there's still a we make a brahakrona afterwards so we no we thank God for that and the alam also contains a lot about the land of Israel who wrote that that's rabbitic that comes from the gumar speaks about the alame that's uh shal of the uh last point how did the mumin come in how did the misumin come in I'm not sure it's a good question it's a good question I'm not sure again that's Uh that's another another topic. Um so now we yeah let's turn now to the uh to page two for those that have the sources and um here's a really interesting question and that is is there a braha that is recited and we're going to see how this comes back to the benching in just a moment. Is there a braha that's recited when one makes aliyah when one comes to Israel? And you would think there would be a braha. It is a mitzvah to live in the land of Israel. And is there a braha that is said? So I want to share with you the following. The bening the benching. Okay, good. So look at what this comes to. This is a very interesting and a rabbi that I was not familiar with. His name is and you can look at the top of page two. Awnraa fial Frankfrank. There was another famous Frank. This is a nephew Ripes Pesf Frank who was one of the leading rabbis in Shalim in the early years of uh of Israel of the state of Israel. He was here before as well. And this rabbi was the rabbi Yamin Moshe Bushim. He was the rabbi of Yamin Moshe. I don't know if anyone has David the shul is a very beautiful shul and Yamin Moshe today. Rabbi Khanz is the rabbi of that shul and he was the rabbi of that shul. This is going back before the state and uh and after 1948 as well. And he asked the following question he was a bit surprised mitzvah at Israel. Why is there not a mitzvah for living in the land of Israel? when we arrived in Israel or maybe while we're here that we could make the bra for living in the land of Israel according to that clearly there's a positive commandment and generally when it comes to any positive command we make that every moment that a Jew is living in the land of Israel they're fulfilling a positive commandment it seems logical There should be a for living in the land of Israel like we find in other mitzvot. So this is what he answers. He would say he says I would suggest the following whenever we say and we say that we thank you God that you've given us the land of the forefathers. We conclude with Yeshua shall Israel. He says that is your opportunity to say on living in the land of Israel who and he says he adds and those that live in Israel all of us that are here at Israel he suggests the following you should have kavana that when you bench and you say that paragraph by the way who wrote that paragraph where is that braha come from the braha comes from Yahosua right Mosh Raben who writes the first paragraph He's in the midbar. Yeshua enters the land of Israel. He writes the bra for entering the land of Israel for yeish is and that's included in the benching. So this great rabbi Raf Frank of Yim Moshe he says when a Jew benches they should have in mind this bra not only as a but also as a thanking God for living in the land of Israel that you are fulfilling this mitzvah. What a great how how wonderful it is to be living in the land of Israel. And he says that every moment that we're living in Israel, it's not only when we arrived on the flight making aliyah, but it's every second that we're here, it's a kum, right? We are fulfilling the mitzvah of living in the land of Israel. So that's an interesting idea. There's a whole discussion by the way why there isn't a braha. And but that's his answer. That's his suggestion. Okay, maybe there wasn't a braha for whatever for whatever reason, but there is a braha that we can have in mind and that is the braha of uh of the alum when we say no. So that's that's a beautiful idea that when we bench take a moment and to think about not only within the benching but what it means living in the land of Israel. Uh I want to share another interesting hala that relates to benching relates to having a meal and how it connects with the land of Israel. And here this is in a section of called those things that we have the custom of doing during a meal and it's and it says the following no there is a custom I don't know if this is something that any anyone here has the custom of doing but the writes that there is a custom of either covering or removing knives from the table when you say mazum. Okay. Removing knives. Removing a knife or knives right from the table when you save your do it. Good. That makes sense. It's coming from the so and then he writes but it's not done on shabas and yant. It's only done during the week when you are benching. That's what he writes. Now where does that come from? What's the idea? So the Mishna brewer writes two explanations. He says the following. He quotes the Bose of Yseph Cairo. There are two reasons for it. Right. Why do we remove the knives? Number one that metal brings life to a close or it it shortens the life of man. What does that mean? Is referring to a sword that it's used to to to take somebody's life. It should not be sitting on the table. And what is the table? The table is to remind us of the idea of a it represents lengthening the life of man. That when it comes to building the you can't use metal, any metal instrument utensil to build the that's not permitted. And therefore, and now that you finished your meal, You should cover the knife or remove the knife. So by the way, what do we see that the meal itself that reminds us of the table that we are eating that that is reminding us of the misbay. So we have again the special connection of the meal and the table where we're eating to shal and specifically the mdash. But the second reason is really surprising. So that's reason number one. Why remove the knives? Because the knife would not be used on misb and should not be on your misb either. But by the way, what do you see here? You see that the meal is about remembering is about thinking about Israel, thinking about the beta mikdash. But look at the other the second idea. And the second reason he quotes one time the following thing happened. There was somebody who was benching. He got up to the of and what happened? And he remembered that there was a that the beta mdash is no longer standing, the destruction of the beta mikdash. And what did he do? No, he took the knife and he put it in his belly. Who who did that? We don't know who it was. They don't mention his name, but this is an anonymous. We don't really want to mention his name, but this is what this fellow did. And therefore, everyone should remove their knives. Now, what does what does that intimate? What does that suggest? Everyone needs to get the knives off the table. Why? Because you're going to save your katamazone and you're going to talk about you shalim. You're going to talk about the beta mikdash and you're going to feel it to such a degree that you could almost take a knife. And so why doesn't that argument work for Shabbat? Ah, so why? Right. So interesting. So that's not true of Shabbat. And he says, says the he says you have to look at the and why that's the case. It seems that on Shabbat because there's a greater joy on Shabbat, you're uplifted on Shabbat and Yantiff that you're not going to come to to taking a knife and using it inappropriately. By the way, it's interesting also what do we say before Shiraalos? Now Sheramalos we say an shabis and we say al- naros vavl during the week even though I think for the most part people don't really have the meaning of doing that but sheramalos on shabas the theme is a very uplifting theme of that we're going to come back to when shabas is more joyous it's more optimistic but during the week now is talking about the sadness of of not having eritral not being not having the beta mikdash so we see by the Another example here in the ala how benching is very much related to Israel. By the way, you see like how serious this is. In other words, the ala is assuming that a person who's benching is very much thinking about you is is very much thinking about what it means to be there and the loss of the beta mikdash to such a degree. Make sure you're you don't have any utensils any dangerous utensils nearby when you save it. Yes. Yeah. Relationship. Very good. Very good. Very good. So, one of Yeah. Yeah. The relationship with other Jews. And you asked earlier about a misuma and why you have a misuma and rebalichek talks about the idea that interesting going back to what what uh Rafuk said that eating is often very much a individualistic or a selfish kind of act and what a misuman does is it brings everyone together that we're eating which is very much we're like we're concerned what's on our plate and that we have enough food and we're enjoying the meal. Mumin says that no, we're together, right? We're joining one another. And that's more like a a bit of a a hashkafic, I guess, idea. Meal wasn't that good. Chefs come out crazy. Okay. Because when you were eating, you were together. Yeah. And now you're going to separate. It's against that separating. So you can continue to. Not that when you're eating you were separately satisfying by Well, in other words, you could be sitting with people at a meal. You could be sitting with people at a meal, but you're not necessarily together. You know, when when we order sushi like every couple of months and we put it down like our kids are all like, so we're all eating together, but I don't think anyone is really concerned that concerned with the person next to them. So the zimon at the end, even if we were kind of like eating in a bit of a like concerned about we had enough on our plate, but we're going to bring everyone together. Okay, that's a kind of a hashkafic to give some meaning to what the uh what the zeon what the zeon represents. All right, let me just uh let me close with the following. We'll we'll hold that that last source for uh for another time. Um just a uh a couple weeks ago there was the the the yard site of Raar Likenstein Zer Liva. He was the Rajashiva of Harition of the Gush. He was married to uh married to the daughter of Rabbi Yose Dova Levy Salvich, the son-in-law of Rabbi Salvichek. And it was just his 10th yard site. So there were a number of number of talks and some of the stories that people were sharing that rabbis were sharing. So there's a uh a story that is told about Revan Likenstein Zatal when he was in Israel for the very first time and um it was 1962 when he came to Israel. Ultimately he moves to Israel. He's living in New York. He's a he's one of the rashes at yeshiva university. His father-in-law really does not want him to leave. He wants him to be there maybe one day to take over the mantle of being the rashiva. But he very much wants to be in Israel. moves to Israel becomes a very very significant figure and builds a great yeshiva of the uh of the gush 1962 he's here in Israel for the very first time and one of his rabbim who he's closest with Rav Hutner Ravutkner is also here in Aris is so he makes up a a time to be together with him they sit down with one another and Rafutner turns to his prize Talmud Ravar Likenstein Ravar and he says to me if you could share with me some of your thoughts about being in Israel, you're here for the very first time. Like what is what are what what is your feeling? What is your reaction to being here? Sir Leninstein begins to tell him about uh he sees how the can be observed in a way that you can't observe it otherwise and and Rafner says you know what I think init also you can you can you know essentially keep all of the alos he says well there's a unity of the Jewish people here in Israel that you don't necessarily find outside of the land of Israel and Rafutner says no you can also there are beautiful communities with a lot of unity outside and kutzlar as well. So, Rabar says to Roner, okay, like what is it that you're like you're trying to tell me? Like what is it you're trying to convey to me? So, he said to him that do you know that Moshe and Aon that they prayed to be here that they would give anything to be in the land of Israel but they never stepped foot in the land of Israel and here we are in Israel. Here we are with our feet on the soil in the holy soil of Aratusra. He said with all the all the halos and all the logic right all the different ways to enumerate what is special about Eritusel there's something that's that's just the the nishama of a Jew just the very essence of a Jew to be connected with the land of Israel the love that we have for the land of Israel and he was telling Revan Likenstein that you you need to experience that as well you need to recognize just the the the beauty of a Jew living in Eric Israel what Mosher Rabenu what Aram prayed for and what we have the opportunity to do Today there's another story about uh Raf Hutner who also was a great lover of Erit Israel. He lived here for a number of years. He lived most of his life in Brooklyn uh in Turdas. He was the uh the Mashk where Shashiv of Turdaslin Kimberlin Kleinberlin Oh yeah, you're right. Kimberlin Kimberlin. That's correct. Kimberlin singing of uh Ever Wilson. Um so there was a wedding in Brooklyn and uh which is very common after you know after the kupa that the men kind of get together to davin marav and all the men had come together to davin and they were all trying to figure out you know which way to face you know that's that's always a challenge you know you're in Brooklyn like which way is which way is shal today it's a little bit easier people take out their phones and they have the they have their apps and they can figure out you know the compass and where to face but In those years going back to the 60s they didn't have the iPhone yet. So everybody was kind of like turning to one another trying to figure out which way. So Rafner was part of that minion and nobody really knew. So Rafner said the following. He said let's just keep turning and turning until we all feel our hearts beating a little bit faster. And when we feel that we know that we are facing Eric Tusrell and I think he really believed that. That wasn't just like a a poetic line. It was something that he really felt to feel aligned with Eritrell. And I'll just close with the following. The kidnapped what is that? What year were they kidnapped? What year was he kidnapped? I don't remember. Early 70s, I think. Um on the airplane footn Yeah. Was part of a kidnapping. He was he was free. Coming from I don't I don't remember the details. Anyone knows? All right. One last uh one last uh one last teaching. So the gamarra at the end of kitubot of kitubo there are beautiful beautiful teachings about eratusel and if you want to find in the gumar if you want to look in the gamarra for the most beautiful ideas and teachings about it's there actually the student of rkuk the nazir cohen he said that it's not by chance that it's there because what's kitubot kitubot is about the love of a husband and a wife and and those stories or those teachings about Israel is about the love of the Jewish Jewish people with the land of Israel and therefore it's at the very end that's like the ultimate love of a husband and wife of the Jewish people and and the land of Israel and Hashem that uh that relationship. So at the very end of the gamarra it says that anyone this is good news by the way for everyone here says anyone who lives in the land of Israel is forgiven for their sins. They live without sin. That's what the gamarra says. Good news right for everyone. We live without sin. So one of the mafarshimar the paneoshua one the famous afarim he says how is that possible what is that what does that really mean like to live without sin I mean if we say lashar here it's like how how does that work so the peshua gives the following answer which I think is a very important answer he says that when you're living in the land of Israel it could be that you sin but he says because you live in an environment because you see things of kaduca of sanctity that you are more apt you're more you're more ready to do chu Chuva, you're going to be quicker to do chuva than somebody outside the land of Israel. It's not that you're not going to sin, but when you sin, being in the land of Israel, you're going to do chuva for your sin. That's what that's what he writes. So, I came back, I was in I was in America for Pesaf, and when I came back, just got back uh last week. So, I took the took the train from Benorian. It's a lot cheaper than than a cab and a lot faster also. It's 20 minutes cutting through all the mountains. So after being away a long time, so I sat down on the train, sitting next to me was a soldier with their gun and not seeing a soldier for almost a month, right? the inspiration of seeing a soldier in front of me. All these yeshiva guys were just coming back from America from their Pesak break all coming to Shallay making their way learning in Shaallay and just looking out the windows and seeing the mountains as we're coming to Shalay and seeing that the train is making its way literally through the mountains right to uh to Shallay. So this is what the paneosha means that by living in eritus you see things you see things that are that are inspirational even if you've done something wrong by just being in eritus you're going to you're going to do chuva for that um so this is the uh this is the message of birkatamone birkat mazone which I think for a lot of people benching we don't think about it per se about aritel but that is that's not Rafuk's idea that's the pusk's idea that's hashem's idea hashem said that whenever you bench also to give thanks for it is to recognize what a gift it is and uh what a great responsibility we have that we have a meal that we're energized that we have the nutrients of a meal to accomplish great things and where do we accomplish the greatest of things initially a place of spirituality and a place to bring that light to the entire world all right I wish everyone a wonderful day and