Modern Masters: Am Yisrael - Living Up To Our Potential | Rabbi Sam Shor | January 6th 2026

So this morning I did not have a lot of time to think about or to organize necessarily a timely topic, but I maybe instead I figured we'll we'll learn together a timeless topic, a topic that is eternally relevant for every single one of us and also a topic that I actually had some photocopies of a source sheet already prepared in our h in my house. Um so we're going to learn together a very interesting mahammar very interesting teaching again my course that I usually teach is called modern masters where we meet masters of 20th and 21st century Jewish thought primarily sometimes we'll we'll look at hakic masters as well but today we're going to learn from aic master known as the rebi of hiatan rabbi Jakob Freeman of Hiatan he's a fascinating personality some of us have learned some of his Torah together in the past. Rabbi Jacob Frier Hassiatan came in aliyah in 1938 from Poland and lives the last 19 years of his life from 1938 to 1957 in downtown Tel Aviv at 19 Balik Street. You can actually go to 19 Bial Street today and you will no longer see his unfortunately it's a construction site where his used to stand. They did leave the ground floor where the shul used to be intact that you can actually see like the they have this bright blue doorway. So you can see the door frame and the bright blue doorway to the baby mid drash but all the furnishings of the baby mash have been removed. They're doing construction. I don't know what the arrangement is in terms of whether when this new construction new apartment building is constructed whether there's they're going to install a different congregation into that space where the Shaw used to be. But they've left the frame of the shaw intact, but it's nothing really to see. It's empty. It's all the furnishings have been removed. Um, but he's a fascinating personality because you're talking about someone who came in aliad in 1938 from Poland, meaning he escaped just ahead of the Nazi onslaught and he lived through those years of the Shawat, the battle both in terms of on in warfare as well as diplomatically for the establishment of the state of Israel and for building the Yeshu here in Erit Isel as well as the early formative years of of the Medina is okay. It's not like today where where where every single one of us walks around with a with that cell phone in our pocket where where Israel is a lead world leader in all forms of of technology. Okay, in those days there were people still living literally in 10 cities and the Rebi Hassatan comes on aliyah despite all those challenges he has a very small in downtown Tel Aviv and he what's fascinating about his teachings is that every single despite what's going on around him and despite the fact that he's aidic he speaks very positively and in favor of the efforts to build a a [clears throat] Jewish state Medina Israel. In fact, the piece that we learned together, those of us that learned together just before Kaneka, we talked about how uh how he was visited on Khaneka by by many individuals and they asked him in in Kaneka of 1948, literally the first Kaneka after the establishment of the state of Israel and they asked him what is his opinion of the state of Israel and he answered them that it's the gula. It's the beginning of the redemption. So to have aidic master a who who sees the state of Israel as something significant religiously that already makes him a y. The other thing that makes his his his fascinating to learn is that he often gives us a glimpse of what's going on literally at that time in Jewish history. whether it be, you know, his opinion about about England and and England's desire to, as we're going to learn together today, what what England intended to do with with the land here, whether it be about our attitude towards towards Jews who are not necessarily religiously observant, who are engaged in building the land. He's a fascinating fascinating personality. So today we're going to have a chance to learn most of one small mahammar um from or two pieces from two mammarine one from 1937 and one from 1938. That piece of 1937 was literally just as he was about to depart to Israel and the piece of 1938 is after he's here in Israel. Okay. So the I want to just before we look at before we look at the Reb's mammar I'm just going to quickly touch on a few ideas that he's going to speak about in this mammar if you look at the first side of the sheep the mitzvah of of conquering the land of Israel and dwelling in the land of Israel of course we all know comes to the in param and para mas of course we continue and there and we know that Hashem instru instructs Moshe to what? To review with the Jewish people all the places that they sojourned during the 40 years that they're wandering in the desert. Why does the Torah need to go and list every single destination that they stopped at? Okay. And also you'll see there's a mission pava they we're not going to spend a lot of time on where the mission pava tells us that you know there's the workers sometimes are a little bit lazy or not so focused and but the reward is great and the so why is that mission important because the rebi in the context of the introduction to this mamar he says that sometimes we as the laborers so to speak sometimes are maybe a little bit not focused and understanding what is expected of us. But who's the balabay? Hashem. And who determines what is going to happen in Hashem's proverbial bay? Meaning who's the And that's an important point that the Reb is going to come back to. And quickly, there's two versions of the medish. The medish that appears in two two came out exactly the same. But the med appears in two places both in the tum as well as the medish rabba which asks that question about why do the why does the Torah have to list all the destinations all the places that the Jewish people traverse the para massi and the answer is if you take a look in the medish there's a that that the it's a mushel what's the mushel okay what can be what can this be compared to it can be compared to what a king who has a son, a prince who fell ill. They brought him to a pl specific place what for him to be healed when they came back from their journey. His father remind began to recall for the son all the places they traveled along the way to their jour that journey for him to be healed. Here we slept. Here we were cool. We we relaxed and cooled off. Here you had a headache. Okay. So to Hashem says to Moshe, "Recall them all the places where what they provoked me or they they aggravated me." Okay. And therefore it says these are the places we sojourn. So what is the significance of this medish? We're going to see that the ohayakov the rabbi if you turn your page over is going to refer to this medish and explain to us that so too all the troubles of the Jewish people. Okay. And coming back to Israel. Okay. They are a formative part of the journey. They these are things we need to recall. We can't ignore. So, we're just going to jump right in and learn together this fascinating these fascinating two pieces from the Ohalak. We're going to start where it says number seven on our sheets on top. And he says, "Okay, the the the um the um what's the word? The representation, the representatives that England sent to to uh to to to Erit is they've recommended a plan to divide the land and they've outlined for us new about new borders, new boundaries and remains outside the boundary of what they want to a lot for the Jewish state and the entire and much of the eastern part of the country remains outside of the boundary. Our answer should be and it has to be what? You're wicked. There have already been others who have come before you. Okay. The boundaries of the land of Israel, the state of Israel, future state of Israel have already been outlined for us in Param. And he says we learn in the medish on this land is beloved to me. As the says the land that hem is focused on and concerned about always and the Jewish people are beloved to me. As the says that the love of God is with you, Hashem says to them, I will bring the Jewish people who are beloved to me into the land that is beloved to me. Okay. So now the Rebi continues, Romian sheni galonu. If because of our shortcomings, the Babylonians came during the time of the first temple and the Romans came during the time of the second temple and we and they exiled us. These nations no longer exist. Okay? The Babylonians don't exist. The Romans don't exist. The Israel and the Jewish people are eternal will exist for all eternity. And so to those who right now are placing that are trying to place obstacles in our in our path in our destined path and they're plotting to steal our land in the end. Who's the ones that are going to be lost and dispersed? Not the Jewish people, but ultimately those nations that are plotting to steal the land from us. And will survive for all eternity? Because in the end, we will indeed inherit the land. Why? because of Kajbar who promised it to us and he it's he who is eternally on our side. That's the first beautiful piece from the from the Rebi Vasan. And now we're going to learn the next piece which is fascinating. And this piece is really going to give us a glimpse not only what the what the what what England wanted to do for us but what others wanted to see happen here in Aritzia. So take a look where it says 8A and again we'll break this down a piece at a time. He says the Torah can be understood teach us through the the acronym of partardes which means an orchard. But what is that orchard of Torah? Okay. Pardes is an acronym for the wordshat which means the the simple interpretation rem which means an illusion. which means a a um a hamletic interpretation and so which means a mystical interpretation. Okay. And therefore there are many many interpretations, okay, as to why the Torah elucidates specifically and lists specifically the various takote, the various stations that the Jewish people traversed along the way during that 40 years sojourn in the desert. Why does the Torah have to stipulate every single place that they stopped all 20 places along the way? that it's what Rashi quotes a medish that says that it's meant to demonstrate what Hashem's love for the Jewish people that even though for whatever reason he's orchestrated that they have to wander in almost in circles for for for and and and throughout the desert lowness Despite that, even though they wandered for 38 years, they really only wandered to where? 20 locations. As much as they seem to be wandering and and not being able to enter into the land of Israel and as much as that land lasted for 38 years, in reality, they only had to wander to 20 different locations. Okay. Viashi and Rashi brings another medish friend from the Medish Raba and the Tanuma. And this is our med that we spoke about in the introduction. Okay. etc. Okay. So he quotes our med. So we spoke about in the introduction what that this is the wandering of the Jewish people through through those 38 years before they were allowed to enter Israel can be likened to that mushel that parable of the king who has a son who's sick and for the son to be cured they have to go to a distant place and after the son has already been cured they reflect back on the journey here's the place where where where we rested here's the place where we where we relaxed. Here's the place where we slept. Here's the place where you got a headache, etc., etc., etc. So, why is that important? Okay, why does the Torah recall that? What What is this medish meant to teach us? Perhaps it's meant to teach us what? That the idea of coming to Eric is an idea of what? Of spiritual healing for the Jewish people. If we're the proverbial son of the king, right, the child of the king and the mushel is what? That there is a child of a king who is sick. What does that tell us about the Jew in the exile? The Jew in the exile is his hakic status is that they are sick. It is not the healthy place for a Jew to be. Where is a Jew meant to live and thrive and to fully be healthy here in Israel? Okay. And the Reb is going to develop this idea as we go. So, but he's also going to give us a glimpse as we said into some some of the events going on around him and this Jewish history. So, take a look where it says be from within this this parable. We learned three important ideas. one is the first thing is what that when the Jewish people are in they are like a sick child bet and where is the place for them to feel to be healed here in the last thing is that we can't truly comprehend and appreciate the value of erit is without what some headaches along the way. Okay. Okay. Why do we have why do we have the various challenges that we have here in order for us not to take it for granted? In order for us to truly appreciate it. Okay. Those proverbial headaches contribute to what? are understanding and truly valuing the significance of the gift that we have of this the land of Erit Israel. Okay. Now he continues. There are three gifts that Hashem has set aside to give to the Jewish people. Three good gifts that Hashem has set aside to give the Jewish people. And all of them are not given over just you know simply every single one of them comes within challenges and struggles. What are those challenges and struggles and what and what are those three things? Abraham Torah, the Torah, the all three of these things, okay, which are gifts that are given to us, okay? The Torah, and all three of these things don't come easy. They require what? Us to overcome struggles. Okay? The Torah means we have to struggle to fulfill the Torah. We have to overcome what? The Yates. Okay. The the h our human nature, our human inclination is not always to do that which is right. Sometimes we struggle as human beings because we're flawed and imperfect. Eric is not without its challenges as we all know as we're learning together right now. And u what? to first experience whatever we're going to experience in this lifetime. Whatever struggles and each of us in our own human journeys will experience in this lifetime. And these three gifts that are promised to every single one of us as a member of Am is okay says the Rebi of Hassaton based on the famous Gamar Brahos. They all come with their own challenges. Okay. Often those challenges are so big and so painful that we're not ready to what to appreciate just how good the matana the gifts are. Meaning sometimes the challenges that are inherent in being able to embrace and take possession of each of these three beautiful gifts of the Torah Israel and please God after 120 plus here in this world. Sometimes the journey to get to all these places is so challenging that we don't truly appreciate how great the gifts these gifts are. Okay. So now let's go out to see See, closed water bottle, right? That's what we talked about here, right? All right. So, let's go to the section where it says, see, okay. Okay. all the what is it that that that [snorts] that testifies to every single one of us, okay, that we can rely on, okay, that that that this is true that all three of these that that the that is important and the and and that Hashem has given this to us the importance what is it that we can rely on in in in understanding the importance and significance of the relationship between Israel and Israel. Okay. And what what what is the what are the reliable sources? The first thing is what that it's outlined in the Torah. Okay. That Hashem what? Hashem will bring us to the land that is good. Betu that's also in the Torah, right? Yes. And Khal stand up to the other the other mor. They say what? The land is indeed very very good. And now he's gonna quote the medish on. Okay. Okay. He's quoting the same letter she quoted in the previous piece from the year before. Okay. As the PK says, you shall come to Okay. [clears throat] Okay. An individual is not is not um to turn away from the instruction of Hashem. Okay. So now let's look look at where it says E. Israel sorry I can't see sorry the ones who hate the Jewish people the enemies of the Jewish people and the amongst the nations of the world okay there amongst the enemies of the Jewish people and the nations of the world they say what that the land of Israel is already in the possession of whom the Arabs. Okay. And it would be therefore a travesty to give this land back to the Jewish people. And then there are others that want to what? Rip the land apart and give a small port just a small portion of the land to the Jewish people. and the answer to this. Okay, we also see the answer to this what what our response should be to this to to to this plan. We see this also in the medish in this week's para meaning the para of para mimash. Okay. Well, how should we answer? Okay. In terms of the claim to the land of the Arabs, we have a med says who says the land is mine says this land belongs to Hashem and the land is for me and Israel is also mine. The Jewish people also belong to me as a Pik says who are my servants? The Jewish people and therefore it's best that what I give the land to the Jewish people because both the land is Shali is mine and the Jewish people are mine. And therefore I'm going to give the land to the people that are mine. The land is mine to the people that are mine. And now he gives us a glimpse again of what's been going on the past number of years in Europe. So okay, our enemies, the Germans, may their names be obliterated, wrote Madagascar. This is before they came up with a plan of of sending them to you to the concentration camps. They wanted to what? Kick all the Jews out of Europe and send them where? initially to Madagascar. Okay. What's that? >> Well, he says Madagascar. Okay. Uganda was also talked about at one point. And then he says and theal Italian Italians want to send us to where? To Ethiopia. So you Uganda is in that general area. Meaning what? that the Europeans wanted us wanted the Jews to leave Europe and not go back to Erit Israel but what go somewhere to the southern continent of Africa. Okay. And now he says okay and the we learn also from the week Hashem says what Hashem says my the power of my deeds should be revealed to my people. Hashem says to the Jewish people, "I've prepared for you what? A land that's completely different than any other land." And the Rebi puts in parenthesis, Madagascar, a land that's better, that's much more much more beautiful than Madagascar or Ethiopia. In order to demonstrate to you the strength of my determination to give this land to you, I'm going to what? I'm going to kill those who your are your enemies and give this land to you and why we learn in the in the in the in the okay he hashem stands up and he what he calculates he measures the measured the land he considered and measured every single land is and he said there's no other land that I can calculate that's appropriate to give to my beloved nation the Jewish people like the land of Erit Israel. Okay. So now we're just going to learn this last paragraph and bring this all together and then we'll have a a little bit of a longer I know everyone asks for this every single week a little bit of a longer coffee break but between we learn in the he said oh for the nations of the world who don't realize what they've lost with the Jewish people going into Galud and the loss of the Ba Mikdash. Okay, it's not just the Jewish people who suffered by us going to Galud and losing the Ba Mikdash. The entire world suffered. Why? Because there was no longer a misbehap. And why why did we bring on Sukkot 70 70 sacrifices 70 animals to be sacrificed corresponding to what? The shim the 70 nations of the world. And without the who is going to bring atonement to the entire world? Okay. Okay. And you could also say pity on the other nations of the world that want to get rid of the Jewish people and don't understand what is the source of their blessing. The blessing for all of humanity. Okay, which is the Jewish people. It's that nation that is the source of blessing for all humanity that they want to do away with. as rebel says in the vamos okay the promise that makes that through you all the nations of the world will come to be blessed all the nations of the world they don't see success and blessing without what [laughter] the success of the Jewish people Okay. The golden age of Spain existed what? When the Jewish people lived in Spain and what happened to Spain after after u after the Inquisition, Spain went down as a society. They went down dramatically. And so the same was true in Germany. Okay, the same exact thing happened in Germany. So now he quotes the we know that you shall eat and be satisfied and be blessed by Hashem. Okay. How much does Hashem love the Jewish people? Hashem loves the Jewish people so much that he's determined that it's through the Jewish people that all other nations will gain their sustenance and success and thrive. Okay? And through the Jewish people's success they will ultimately provide sustenance and uh sustain the every single nation is and the Jewish people didn't exist and without the Jewish people there would be no sustenance in the entire world without Israel living up to who we're meant to be. The world will never reach its full potential. So is how do we live up to who we're meant to be? How do we become who we're truly meant to be? How do we heal ourselves from the sickness we experience as this proverbial sick child living in the ga by coming to Isel by building a thriving society that lifts up the entire world. If you think about the miracle of Medina Israel over the past 77 years of our existence, okay, as we spoke about in the introduction, when the rebi of Hassatan first came to Israel and and we were a refugee state where people still living in tent cities and you think about where we are today, where the entire world depends on Israeli technology, whether it be in the field of medicine, in biotechnology, in in high-tech okay in military technology in intelligence okay that's a fulfillment of this very agata that the rabbi ofatan is quoting to us almost 80 years ago that the success of the entire world is dependent on what on the Jewish people's success the success of the entire world is dependent on the Jewish people becoming who we're truly meant to be of the Jewish people being healed from the many many years of being the proverbial sick child in and the Galut and the Jewish people coming home and being able to establish the systems that we all see and that we all cherish to be able to see the accomplishments of this great state in the past 77 years that literally in so many so many fields is indeed fulfilling our mission of sustaining the entire world. So we again this morning it was I found this beautiful piece from and I think it's something that is not just might not be timely like a para shuir but it's timeless wisdom from the rebatan for us to appreciate the gift that we've been given to heal ourselves to leave the gal behind to come here and not only build our lives here and thrive but to be live up to our mission our sacred mission of sustaining the entire world as I'm Israel here in our home Israel. Have a great week.