How Does Tefilah Work? Rabbi Yossi Goldin | December 9th 2025

Okay, let's do this. Let's go. Good morning everybody. [snorts] Bokeertove. Um [gasps] just a couple of uh technical announcements. This year is uh again um sponsored by Hedi and Ben Lipchitz. Um and also this week specifically is is dedicated anonymously this week for our for ourim. Um and as always we we dive in that our learning together should be as a protection form should be as and rafu for all those who are who are injured and all families affected uh by this by this war that continues on and should give guidance to all of our leaders to make the right decisions. Um, okay. So, um, last week I asked a question and then I didn't answer the question. Um, or we asked a question, we didn't answer the question. So, I hope you all were able to sleep this past week. And, um, I want to get back to to the question. We're going to we're going to we're going to deal a little bit with philosophy today, which is not our normal style, but at the same time, I think this is an important and fundamental question to Davining, and that is how exactly does Tila work? You mentioned last week and we quoted a few few different of the balshab who ask really one basic question which is from the perspective of again our limited understanding of and how how's ways work. How is it that file works? Because if a baraku was planning on giving something to somebody why wouldn't he give it to us without us asking for it? And if he's not going to give it to us, if he wasn't planning on giving it to us, then why would us coming and asking for it quote unquote change's will? How exactly does tila work from a philosophical perspective? That's the question that we asked last week. We then not I wouldn't say avoided the question but what we pointed out was that the question's assumption was that the only purpose to was to get things and we noted that there are many other things that are accomplished through that aren't necessarily connected to giving us things and that that's kind of what we spoke about last week. Now I want to get back to the question and I want to share or discuss or learn together a number of different approaches to this question. Again, the fundamental question is and and there's other there's different ways to say it, but another way of saying it is if made a decree on rash that he's going to give us certain things cuz we deserve them. Then how does my right now in uh in December impact or change? Why why why do I give me what he's going to give me? He decreed he's going to give me what he's going to give me because that's what I deserve seemingly. So then how does my feel change change in any way? That's kind of the question that I wanted to to deal with today. And there are a number of ways that the balishonim deal with this question. And admittedly, this is a little bit out of my comfort zone because, as I said, I'm not much of a philosopher in these types of questions. But um I I think it's it's a fundamental question connected to Davening that hopefully will will add to our in general. The first suggestion, the first approach that I would like to to learn together is an approach by the Rambam. Okay. Now this approach by the Ram is very much connected to um another question or another big question in the world of Makshv and that is the question of hashkahit the world of divine providence okay divine providence is the concept that is involved in the world and that on some level which is part of the here and we're going to see that the Rambam is unique in his approach to this the question is how involved is in the world now much of the mainstream I'm quoting it as mainstream because it seems to be understanding that many of us or many people seem to assume is that was involved in every deal with every detail that happens to us in the world. Right? What's called is understood to mean that when something happens to me, it's because wanted it to happen that way. This happens to me, something bad happens to me, something good happens to me. What do we say? Ah, okay. And that and there's a big debate and discussion in the bal exactly how involved is in every detail of the world. I don't want to I don't want to get into too much of that debate but what is most relevant for our conversation is the opinion of the Rambam. The Rambam has a very very unique approach somewhat well-known and the Rambam's approach is that akadu is involved in our world in our in each individual's life to the extent that that person connects himself to a bar meaning depending on our spiritual state the closer we are to Hashem and in the Rambam's world closess to Hashem means a certain understanding almost a I call it meditation but it's not meditation in the you know in that you know in meditation meaning a person the more that a person gains an understanding of what he calls which doesn't necessarily mean we know Hashem because you can never fully know but the more that a person is involved in understanding or trying to continue to gain an understanding of the closer he then becomes toku then the more involved in that person's lifeu is now let's see this inside. Yeah, the Rambam's language we're going to the Rambam's language in mukim is a little bit harder to understand but I think the concept is clear and I brought the sources because I do believe it's important to see the language of the Rambam the Rambam inside we're we're kind of we are skipping part pieces here because the Rambam is very very long but I hope I think it you know we'll be able to to kind of tease out the idea here that I think is very important so >> correct well the again the question is what the ra and this This is a very I don't want to get into this as well. The question is when the there's actually even different gear in the ra but the simplest gear in the ra is that when he talks about in in in is he talks about the question is what does he mean bye does mean amashem y even even you could ask how could we know this this is it's a whole it's a whole conversation and again it's really about how much can a person know about but for us what the ram seems to be understanding again without getting to without without getting to what what according to the raom what's the what's the goal But the process is most important for us which is according to the Rambam a process by which a person attempts to understand. Understand doesn't mean understand how Hashem works. It means understand connects and we're going to see that the way you do that according to the Ram is through acts of mitzvot. And the more that a person involves himself in that process the more connected he becomes to and then parallel to that the more active Hashem becomes in your in your lives. So what we're going to see right now is Ram is very clear. He says hashkahit what we know as hashka is not equal to every single person in the world and again this is a this is this is a unique approach but rather a person who's involvement in a person's life is very much parallel and mirrors that person's connection to him. Okay, look at s look look at source number one here in the morning of again I'm going to read pieces of it and then translate it as opposed to to every word just because the language is a little bit harder says the says I've spent this last little while in the talking about how the concept of Hashem's relationship to the beings in world is going to be fundamentally different between humans and between animals. Okay, that was something else that he had already established which is that involvement in the world is greater for humans than it is for for animals. And then he says after that is true. Now by definition what has to happen is what I mentioned earlier. meaning says the Rambam once this is true that there is a fundamental difference between humans and animals the more that a human uses what is his f the faculty that make that distinguishes him between distinguishes between humans and animals the more that a person uses what He's what Ram calls his then the higher level he will achieve because what's different between animals and humans is the is our ability to connect to the more that a person uses that faculty the more that a person maximizes that different then the greater level the greater closeness he will achieve with then he says the more that a person attaches himself to Hashem God's God's oversight of how he will relate to this person is going to be greater. We're in the third line in source number one of the first paragraph, the middle of the line. As I said, says since I mentioned that is connected to a person's a person, the more that a person's connects to the more that a person connects to Hashem, then God's hash on that person's life will be greater. And then he says what we mentioned before where the where the the third line, the last word on the line, which means that by definition God's on a person's life is not going to be equal for every single person because it's very much dependent on the spiritual level of that of that person and als the the level divine providence is going to depend on how how attached a person is to a bar. Okay. So now this is a fundamental idea that the Rambam he's not talking about fela here yet he's not talking about dining but this is the Rambam's what's called Ram's famous concept about that the level that the that the more connected a person is to Hashem the more hashkahit the more divine providence will will come into that person's life mirroring his connection to Hashem. Yes. So is he saying that we'll leave her with us rather than >> excellent exactly what you're Yes. What she said was we're about to get to right now what that means what follows meaning based on this idea. Sorry what's your name? >> Freda. >> Freda. So our friend has pointed out she's being exactly to what the Rambom is about what we're about to get to which is the second part of the Rambam which is if a person's level of divine providence or what what what come what Hashem will give and do for a person is dependent on their level. So then how does help us? Helps us because it changes us when we spend time in. And we're going to see this in the language of the Rambam in when we do actions that make us more spiritually connected to that then brings God's hash more upon us and that therefore allows us to receive what he refers to as she or more bounty from. So the way that file works and you're going to by the way this is a theme this isn't just the this is what this is the way the Rambam explains it. We're going to see other people who also point this out, which is it's not that fel Hashem's mind. What fundamentally does is it changes us and it changes us in a way that enables us to thereby receive from in a different way. That's exactly what the Rambam, if you look now, we're going to skip, we're going to skip the second paragraph. We're now going to source number two. >> Yes, please. Um does that mean that let's say if Russia wins the lottery $10 million it's not because Hashem wanted to hashem wasn't looking >> so again so excellent again [laughter] the qu the question that was asked was that was that based on this idea that means that if a Russia wins the wins the lottery does that mean that Hashem didn't decide that but rather it was so again what without getting into too much of this and I'm not an expert in the Ram's understanding but the way that the way that I understand the the concept of the Rambam is that if the the less that a person is connected to the more a person is just subject to the rules of the rules of the world. Exactly. In which case when something like that happens it wasn't necessarily it wasn't that it wasn't necessarily it was exactly it was >> yes meaning meaning again it's it's tricky because again because then you do get to some very challenging questions but fundamentally that is the idea fundamentally that is the idea that the less that a person is connected he then is subject to what the Ram refers to as the goral of the world basically just the reality of the world and things happen and not necessarily because now again this is not the most popular approach to hashka practice that we're aware of. But but is but but it is it is a very very important approach and it's and it and it and it's and it's well known as the as the Rambam's approach. Okay. Now look at source number two. Look how the Rambam now again develops this idea when it comes to when it comes to again I know the language is a little bit hard to understand but I think it's important for you to see the language inside source number two says the I've already explained to you that our intellect which has given us that is the glue who or the connection the source of connection between us and says to Ram every single person has the choice excuse me if you want to strengthen this glue if you want to strengthen this connection and every single person has the ability to do so and if you choose to lower that connection to weaken that connection until you until you just decide to totally sever it. Every person has that choice. The way to strengthen this connection is through what he calls. And he calls having a certain conscious desire and a conscious action of connecting to. And when how does it get weakened? How does this connection become weakened? It becomes weakened when you start to put your focus on other things. You weaken it by paying attention to everything else that's going on in the world. And then he says, "What happens if you're a great leader? You're a great God. You're somebody who's very very very spiritual and you're constantly connected to but what but you're human." Right? Right. Not even the most spiritual person says is going to say right now needs to eat. Right. Even the most spiritual person needs to do something. So says the Rambam. Even that very very spiritual person sorry if you need to let's say eat oh or you need to deal with the realities of life. He says nevertheless you might have to do that but you should know that is going to cause a lower level connection between you and Hashem. Now he's going to point out that because you spend 99% of your time or 90% of your time here that even when you step back from doesn't mean you go down to here. It means you're you're a little lower but you're not you're not on the same level but because you're most of the time connected to you're going to stay pretty high as opposed to somebody who most of his day is not connected to. He says because if you're not thinking about and you're not active in that connection then the level of is going to be lower. Now look at the second paragraph. Source number two sorry source number two second paragraph. Okay. And then he says now I want to help you get to a level where you can achieve this. Right? And he's been talking about this level of connection, understanding or knowledge, whatever we want to call it. Now he says, "I want to teach you how you can achieve this." The first thing you need to try to do is when you're about to embark on a spiritual activity, what what he's going to calling or leave, you have to try to se separate remove all other thoughts from from from your mind. when you say when you speak he says you shouldn't try to you know shoot low right we talked about we discussed already the last few weeks how the minimum amount of kavan a person needs to have should be for the first two is and the first of of of also ideally and then I remember soon after that come someone came to me and said why are we only talking about those what about the rest of so obviously A person should strive to have kavana for all of and for all of we were just talking about the minimum. So says the raam if you really want to have a connection with hashem shoot high. Don't be don't be happy just to try to have you know the kavana just for the first of shama or the first of rather you should be striving to achieve kavana to which is what we said for all. Again, we're human and we're people and we have to build and we have to work and we have to create, meaning that nothing happens, as we've discussed, overnight, but we have to balance between recognizing that we're human and not and not getting stuck on on on perfection and also pushing ourselves and and making sure that we put in the effort and we don't just stay happy with the with the minimum. So, says the Raom, don't just be happy with the minimum. Don't just focus on the first. You should try to to have for whatever you can. Right? Notice what the Ram says there. He doesn't say and if you get used to this for a few days then you move on. He says how long meaning again we're we got to think long term. This is not about you know expecting things to change overnight. When you says the if you're able to focus on your kavana in ding for many years then you move on to the next stage. Many years means it takes time. He says once you get to a certain level where inding you do this and then you get to a level where every time you read something from the Torah, it [snorts] also impacts you in that spiritual way that you try to deeply understand what you're reading. He says once you've mastered that then you can achieve a level where not just when you're davining and not just when you're learning you can be thinking about Hashem but wherever you are and whatever you're doing you can think about Hashem >> so >> oh no so what he mean what he means is the default again in in the >> in the Rambam in the Rambam's world the again we have to differentiate between again as I understand it between obviously you have to and every person is going to be different this isn't I don't I don't think the Rambom is giving a a blanket understanding for everybody but he's basically saying the ideal should be maximum connection with minimum what you need to do now for every person what you need to do could be different could could be different and it could also be that we can get to a point where even when we're doing the what we call type of actions if you have the proper mindset and again the Ram is talking very very high he's talking about people who achieve a level of nvu achieve a level of prophecy this is how a person achieves prophecy according to the Rambam according to the Rambam prophecy isn't achieved by some just some spirit that comes upon you, but rather through intense work on deepening your connection and your thought and your and and your connection to >> Oh, I I I No, I'm sure I'm sure I'm sure he does. I'm sure I'm sure he does. I'm sure he does. How? And I and I believe what the Rambam is saying is that that could also be incorporated into in into all of this each person in their own way. But it but there's no question that it needs to be done in a way within again of course I mean there are I'm sure the Raam would agree with the question is sometimes we have the tendency at least I'm just talking for myself that is sometimes seen with outside of the context of our I I'll give this because it feels good or because I want to be a good person and I think what the Rambam would suggest and many people would suggest is of course you should be doing those things but there's no reason why that has to be seen as outside the context of revashem You do that also because wants us to do that. No, what he was he was referring specifically to very things like eating and and things that were very very physical and not necessarily and at and my as I understand what the Ram is saying and I don't want to spend too much time on it but as I understand it what the Ram is basically saying is you build it into different types of levels and and it starts with intense limra and fela or it starts with file and then limutra and limra by the way could also be other mitzvah as well if it's done within within the as I understand it within the in within the right within the right framework and within the right mind mindset. Okay. So what the Rabam again I don't want to get too too lost in the words as well. What the Rabam is highlighted for us here is that the way one of the ways to achieve this level at this knowledge of Hashem which also then would bring upon us a greater hashkah the way to do that is through and learning and Torah and mitzvot. So according to the Rambam how does file help us? According to the Rambam, the way that Fila helps us is that the when we dive in, when we're involved in that act of davity, now again, I want to also make sure if we're not able to achieve the level that the Rambam is describing, that doesn't mean that everything is nothing. Whatever level of whatever level of connection we're able to achieve right now, and we should always be striving to take that to the next step. That's always got to be our mentality. But we're able whatever level we're able to achieve right now that brings us closer to and that invites to have a greater hashkah on our lives and in our world. And therefore getting back to our original question according to the Rambam how does work. The way that works is that the more that we daven or the greater that our more powerful they are and the more the more we have in our that then brings us closer to which invites his hash in our lives and therefore enables us to receive more from from and that's how works. Okay. So that's the approach that's the approach of the Rambam. The approach of the Rambam again is recognizing that hashka is something which is not universal and not automatic but rather dependent on our relationship with Hashem. And the greater that we become through our Torah and the more connected we become and then the more that is active in our lives and we receive more. Does that mean Hashm will always give us what we want? Not necessarily. Nothing's guaranteed. It just means that Hashem is more active in our in our lives. If you look at source number three, another approach to this to this question is by the seafer hay karim. Now the seafar karim was written right of ysef Albo a Jewish philosopher in the in the late 1300s and he brings the approach that is probably somewhat some probably the most well-known answer to this question. He's just one person who I brought who mentions this idea but many many other balshava mentioned this answer and we're going to see that it's similar to the Rambam but nuanced in that RALBO has a different approach to Tashka Pratita according to Ravalo Ravalo is more in mainstream hashkahit is much more individual is much is much more general that he Ravalo believes that when it comes to God's divine providence Hashem is more actively involved in our lives less about this um our our connection to Hashem per se so then how does file So says the following source number three that's just he's he's just introducing the question he's introducing the answer by saying that what what he had said previously was incorrect that when wants to give us something whatever she we're supposed to receive from it will be received by the receiver based based on the level that the person is in right is on right now. >> That's not the case. >> No, he does. No, he says that is the case. He's Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Sorry. Sorry. Is just I I should have just taken that off. It was just the beginning of the paragraph. He's rejecting something he had said earlier and now he's basically saying this is how it works. He says the way that it works is that the when wants to give something to somebody that giving or what Hashem wants to give is dependent upon that person's level where he is at a certain at a certain time. If Hashem wants to give it, but the person does not prepare himself to receive it, then who's preventing the good from coming? It's not Hashem. Hem is ready to give it to you. Why is Hashem not giving it to you right now? Not because he doesn't want to give it to you, but because you haven't prepared yourself for it. Okay. And then he gives a very practical example. >> Don't prepare yourself. >> It so Yes, it is. It is, but it but but it's coming from a different place. Yes, we're going to see that it's a similar approach, but it's it's it's it's it's it's just in a different bit of different concept. And he says it, but listen to the very practical example now because this the beginning the Rabbi Albo is really just referring to the kind the idea of at least this right now the concept of that could want to give you something, but if you don't create a way for him to give it to you, then he's not going to give it to you. And he says, for example, we're in the second, we're in the first paragraph, the middle of the second line Ishma decreed that this year the grain your wheat is going to grow to proportions you've never seen before. You're going to have a very successful crop this year. And yet for whatever reason the farmer decides not to plow and not to plant anything. So could have wanted to give that to you but you didn't do what you needed to do. wrote could bring the strongest rains and the best best rain. Okay. Um if you don't actually do, you're not active on some level. You don't create the way for Hashem to give it to you. Right? Then you're holding yourself back. Right? The the more modern day wants to give give you a million dollars, but you don't buy the lottery the lottery ticket. then he can't give it to you. Now again obviously has many ways he can give us things but the basic understanding is that we also need to need to create those ways forem to give it to us continues and this is where he gets to his his main part. When something is decreed to happen to a person, some kind of good, then it is decreed upon that person at the level that he is at right now. If something bad is decreed upon a person, that also is decreed upon that person at the level that he is at right now. If a person then changes the level that he is at, then the decree might change. What does this mean? Again it is it is similar in concept to the Rambam but but but a totally different way of understanding it in in terms of explaining it says the Rambam let's say sorry let's say a person let's say let's use okay decides that at level A is meant to receive some kind of some kind of bad decree if is able to change himself to the level that he's no longer at at level A he is now at A+ then whatever degree had been decreed upon at level A is no longer relevant because he's now at A+ and therefore says says Ralo that is how a person can achieve something different from what had been initially decreed and that says Ravalo is how works because when a person goes through the experience of in a proper way it changes who he is he is now a different person and even if had already decreed to give you something X when you change that decree by definition could change it might not change it could Hashem will still decide to give you that same decree and now that now that you're at a different level, but there's the potential for that to change. It's not that Hashem changed his mind, but rather once again it's that you changed yourself. And then he goes on to explain that this is how chuva works, right? This is how chuva works. When a person does chuva and changes who they are that enables there to be a new decree because he is now a new person. Look at source look at look at um uh paragraph three. Actually, no. We'll we'll skip down to we'll skip down to uh No, sorry. Yeah. Paragraph, sorry. Source number three, the third paragraph. This is like the story. He uses a parable of a king who made a decree that anyone who was not not a brisa all. Let's say a king had made a decree that anyone who is anel who did not have a brisa, he should get killed or alternatively the decree was that he should be given some kind of reward. And then one of them got up and did a brism on himself or did a brism on somebody else. So that whatever the king had decreed upon all those people no longer applies to him. Why? Because he's changed. He's shifted. If a person changes his status like this person who then went and changed his status by by getting a brisma, he now is a different person and therefore the decree positive or negative will no longer apply to him. and and this is what a person does when he goes through the process of or some kind of spiritual act. He's changing himself and thereby opening himself up to receive a new decree to receive something new either to undo something bad or to welcome something good into his life. We'll go to now to the last to the last paragraph. This is he says says this is how helps. This is how enables a person to either accept something good or undo a bad decree. And when you have the story of and someone is is challenging you and saying why don't you dive in and this is what it was. This is what was meant. What was meant was you can change yourself and thereby change the decree through the act through the act of of okay so so this is again this is the second understanding. We've seen two understandings so far to our question. Our question was how exactly does tila work? How does tila work in the context of of an all- knowing god who has made a decree? If hashem decreed something, he's going to give it to us anyway or he won't give it to us anyway. So how does our help? So both suggestions that we've seen so far, the basic approach is Hashem obviously doesn't change his will. We're not changing Hashem. We're changing ourselves. One way is through the Rambam who understands this is part of his overall approach to hashka to divine providence, individual providence in a person's life. that the more that we connect to Hashem, the more active Hashem is in our lives and therefore it opens ourselves up for for the more that we or the the more that we the closer that we come to the more involved he is in our lives which opens up more pathways for Hashem to give us certain things. The other concept is through of Joseph Abu Karim that the way that works is that when we dive in similar to other things other good things we do we change ourselves and if a decree was meant to come to us at level A we now elevate ourselves to level A plus and that enables and enables to give us almost a new decree which had not yet been decreed to A+ because we were when the original decree came we were on a on a different level that's the approach of the Rambam or that's that's those are the first two approaches again similar in style But both based on this concept diff sorry different in style but both based on the concept that when we we dive in we're not changing Hashem we're changing ourselves but there is one fundamental question that comes up from this approach and that is based on this approach that or the way that works is that we don't change will we change ourselves how does the concept of davening for somebody else work if I do in for somebody else why many of us we all have we have many that we're doving for. We have enlists. We have people that are loved ones who we're doving for. If the whole concept of is that it brings us closer to Hashem or brings us on a different level, then how does how do we understand this concept of us dominating for somebody else? How does that help? >> Because you're not thinking about yourself, you're thinking about somebody else. >> Excellent. So what so what what you're what the fundamentally we know that what you're saying is true. Not only that the Gmorrah says it the Gmorrah says and this is a well-known Gomorrah if you look at source number four the Gammorra says very clearly that if a person dins for somebody else for something and that person needs it himself he will get answered first. So if Ruvane dos for Shimon for something and Ruvane also needs that Ruvane will will get will will will get answered first. Why? Because he went out on a limb to daven for Shimon. Look at source number four. How where do we have this idea that the say how do we know this concept that anyone who asks for mercy for his friend and he himself needs it as well that he'll get answered first. He said I'll give you the source. The source is inevalu returned the to for what he ded for his friend. So we see that was answered because he first ded for his friend. He said you you have that source. I'm going to tell you another source. The truth is the second source is more wellknown. What's the second source? The second source is when Abraham. The positive Torah tells us that that again this is the story when Abraham went down to Gar and Sorrow was taken and then and then and then because of that Aimelik and many of and many of his servants had had a Makkah and Aram ded for Avi and then and according to Kazal what that meant was it enabled Avi and his servants to be able to have children and right after that Hashem said the Torah tells us that Hashem that that Sarah gave birth. So Abraham since for me to have kids and himself need wanted children. Hashem answered Ara first. So you're 100% right. We know that that's true. We know that when we dive in for somebody else, it's more powerful. The question that I'm asking is based on our the approach that we just saw for that the way works is that when I dive in, what happens is I become closer. I raise myself up to a level. How does that help somebody else? I you're right. But the question is how if if according to the approach of the Rambam and Ravalo, how do we understand the concept of Ding for somebody else? If we somehow understood it and we're going to see soon it's it's it's again be careful how you say it. But if we understood to be that somehow we're able to change Hashem's will, we're able to do something and Hashem will respond in kind to our then that makes a lot of sense. I do for somebody else and somehow Hashem responds to that in some way. We have to we'll see that soon. But if it's all about changing us, how does how does how does it help when we do for somebody else? certainly better >> of course but then how does but how the question that I'm asking from a >> absolutely but what what what I'm asking is from a from a strict again we're wearing the philosophy hat today from a from a from a from the perspective of philosophy how does me changing myself help help the that's the question I'm asking what meaning I'm asking is is how does that meaning you're right that I when I d for somebody else it makes me greater I'm thinking about other people I'm coming closer to Hashem hopefully my is even greater all of that is true but But I'm just saying how do we understand how that would then help the >> Okay. Excellent. Good. So we're going to see that. >> Yes. What does you want to suggest? >> Excellent. Good. So both both ideas are exactly >> Exactly. So there's two there's two different two different approaches that are given. Again there's many approaches to this but I want to share with you two approaches. One is Revler. Desler in source number five makes the suggestion [snorts] that if a he he uses the phrase sadic and Russia but again it's relevant for all different people that if a sadic davins for a Russia let's say a Russia something happened to Russia's acting badly somebody's acting badly and as a result a family member or sadic davins for that person says of destler it's very ironic [snorts] who's the one who fundamentally caused that spela to be said assuming that file has power and assuming that spela is a way of connecting to Hashem. Who's the one who really caused that to happen? The Tadic or the Russia? The Russia says of Dester that's this of the Russia that then helps it. Look at look at look at source number five. Because of this connection, the now wants to do something good for the Russia. That act that that sadic is now domining both the and the desire of the sadic to help the Russia that act brings about a what he calls a revelation of the honor of there's something good that's happening from this any good choice any kind of is an expression of the revelation of in this when a person chooses to do an act of sad chooses for the Russia then this is an even greater expression because it's not just but it's it's an act of pure what was the impetus for this to happen what was the impetus for this giloyote hashem to occur the act that the Ironically, the act that was done ends up being because it because through the it be it now becomes something which caused a revelation or a revealment of the of of of the of the honor of Hashem that then becomes autil because Until now that act whatever act the Russia did was just a bad thing. But when the sadic then takes that act and uses it as an as an impetus to dive in for him to help him it the act that sin now became the impetus for something good to come and therefore says of desler there's a certain that even the Russia gets so using an art terminology if somebody dins for somebody else because the is coming as a result of that person that is what helps that person um get better not I'm sorry just because of time I don't a few minutes now and I want to make sure that we we cover we cover this a couple of other approaches. So that's Revler. The other approach that is given again we're going to skip now to source number seven. Um and actually I'll say it outside again just because of time that's very much what what Rebbiton learner suggested which is that another approach to this and this is similar to what you were saying before. If I view if I when I do it for somebody else if I am so pained by the pain of what they're going through then this according to this this is in source number seven then what happens is will give them a rafu not just because they deserve it necessarily but because I deserve it if my if I am in so much pain if I am if I get to a level where it really bothers me and again this is something we should be thinking about when we do for other people how much are we just saying the words trying to say are listen how much are we really trying to identify in the pain if we understand again this is a certain approach to the approach to is that when we connect to becomes more involved in our world if we connect our world to that of the when he heals the he's doing that in order to give us the reward that we deserve and therefore when we dive in because of this concept of the way he says he calls it if we see ourselves as interconnected with Israel and with then this will come to the simply because of our connection our connection to them. Okay, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I just I I want to I I only have five minutes and I want to make sure I get to the other two approaches. I'm happy to answer questions individually or if we have time afterwards. Okay, so we've seen two approaches that are similar in nature to how tila works, but I don't want to leave you just with those two approaches. I want to I want to see two other approaches to how we understand that works. Again, how do we understand that the concept of file works? The next approach is source number eight. Rashim Shan Pinkinis. Rashim Shan Pinkinis, [clears throat] excuse me, was a Roshi Shiva Raha in Ofim. Um was was killed tragically in a in a car accident in the early 2000s. Um and he has a number of swarm that written postumously. One of them is his famous one called Shahimila which he has a a very famous book on on. And he makes the following suggestion. Now this approach on the one hand is philosophically more challenging but I think from how we how when we look at Tanakh it seems to be the most logical explanation for how works of pink is the following. Does Hashem know everything? Does he have a plan for everything? Does Hashem decree what he's going to give us? Absolutely. But Hashem also embedded within reality that even if Hashem wants to give us something, he's not going to give it to us unless we ask for it. Could he give it to should meaning it did Hashem decree it already? Are we so are we changing Hashem's decree? Not necessarily. We're not changing the decree. But the way that Hashem has set up the world is such that even though he knows and he's already decreed what he's going to give it, what he's going to give us, there's a certain level of that we have to ask for it or we have to interact with him in order to receive it. Look at source number nine to see it inside. One of the major rules when it comes to God's involvement in the world Even though Hashem knows everything, understands everything. God is unlimited. This is how Hashem set up the world. It's as Hashem pretends. I'm using I'm using that's my language. But it's as if Hashem doesn't know what we want unless we ask for it. Whatever we don't ask for, whatever we don't bring up, whatever we don't request, Hashem, even though he does know, acts as if he does not know. And this answers many different questions that come when it comes to God's involvement in the world. Because again, trying to understand the balance between God's knowledge and our and the and the concept of free will. The same thing is when it comes to a person's challenges. A person has challenges. A person has what we call sorus. Right? A person has sorus. If a person is in a very very serious situation, but a person does not turn to Hashem. One of the rules of how Hashem deals or interacts with the world is Hashem acts as if he doesn't hear it and he doesn't see it even though he does know and therefore it requires us to initiate a conversation and a connection. Excuse me. If a person cries to then will respond in kind like a merciful father and then just like a father will come when he hears his son crying and crying to him he'll come and try to save him. When we approach Hashem with these with these cries and these screams, then Hashem responds in kind. Okay. So this is a fundamentally different approach to than we were seeing until now. The approach to that Rabbi Pink Pinkis is outlining and again it's not just him. This is found in other in other approaches in other places as well is the approach that there's almost it's not that Hashem doesn't know of course knows but the way that the world has been set up and the way that interacts with us is such that it requires us to initiate requires Hashem wants us to approach him. Hashem wants us to ask for it and only once we ask for it will we then receive it. Now there's why that is you could ask a lot there's a lot of different there's a lot of different suggestions of that. I mean I just to make again I'm oversimplifying here but from a from a very very simplistic perspective the reason why I want us to ask for it is so that we appreciate it right very often we have a situ again but if I'm going to give a gift to my child I can either just give it to him or I can wait until he asks for it why would I rather that he ask for it >> this will get more >> because he'll appreciate it much more if he under if he recognizes the need if he recognizes that he's missing it if he recognizes that this is something which he doesn't have and then he receives it. It means a lot more to him. Again, I we're not we don't have time right now, but with this this this concept we already see in the we already see in a number of different places. Most prominently the beginning of safer berious beginning of safer bacius, Rashi points this out, Rashi quotes the medish that on day one, sorry, Rashi quotes the medish that that on day six um that the Torah tells us that the grass even though it had grown, it hadn't yet fully grown. And Kazal asked why? What do you mean? You told us you told me that on day three everything grew. So, how could it be that it didn't grow? And the Gomorrah and the Gomorrah and and the Khazal answer that what happened was it the grass started to grow but it didn't fully grow. Why not? Because man had not yet been created. Why did man need to be created? Because man did not yet be created to appreciate what he was missing waited until Marishon was created to then dive in for the rain recognizing that the rain was missing and dive in for it. And only then who bought the rain. This is the same idea. The idea being that we only really appreciate things when we recognize that we are missing them. Okay. So, just to we're we're going to stop here, but just to to see what we did today again, we we we we endeavored to to deal with a with a challenging question that admittedly is something that I think we're going to need to think about a little bit more. A fundamental question regarding FA, which is how does Filela work? How does Filela work? How is it that if Akureshu wants to give us something, how is it that Artila helps in any way? If he's going to give it to us anyway, then we should get it without us asking for it. And if he's not going to give it to us, how does art help? So we saw a few different approaches. We saw the approach of the Rambam based on his understanding of Ashkahit that the change is not inh of course the change is in us that the more that we that's level of involvement in our lives is dependent upon our connection to him and therefore the more that we connect to through or through other acts of Torah and the closer we become to then the more active Hashem is in our world and the more we open up ourselves to receive from Hashem. We saw a similar approach but but different in style from Yoseph Alba who suggests that the way works is that is decreed upon a person or a certain decree is given to a person at level A. But when we dive in we change and we change who we are and therefore we raise ourselves to level A plus and therefore the decree that was given to us for level A is different is no no longer applicable and now we open ourselves up to a new level and we saw and there's more to talk about but we'll we'll stop here. We saw that the next approach is is is is is Rafinis who points out that the way that works is that not that of course Hashem changes but rather that Hashem has created within reality a situation where even if he even if he has decreed to give us something we only actually receive it if we ask for it and that is the way that the mitzie that the world has been and this is something we see all over Tanak we see we asked up Mosha Davin for things and things happened and that is another fundamental way to how to how works wishing everybody a wonderful wonderful