Modern Masters: Tashlich in Tevet - Unlocking The Power of Zot Chanukah By Rabbi Sam Shor

thank our sponsor for this morning okay this year today is sponsored by shimin granik and memory of his father whose yard side is tomorrow gim so today is the eth day of khaka which is known in the annals of Jewish life as Z khaka and for many many people you know this eth day of khaka is when we kind of check out of Kaneka right we've we've already lit all the candles many people as soon as as soon as this candles burn out on that eth night of khaka they've already put the Kania away but in in the in the thought of theic Masters this day of zot khaka the eth day of Kaneka is actually one of the most significant days in the Jewish calendar and that might come as a shock to some of us and therefore we're going to take a deep dive over the next few minutes together into the significance of this day of Zod khanah this sacred day of Z KHAK so we're going to start we're going to Jump Right In text number one on our sheets again this is part of a course called Modern Masters where we learn from a number uh and many 20th and 21st Century Masters of Jewish thought we're gonna start with Rabbi abah sha RAB abah sha is the is the illustrious son of Rabbi gdal RAB gal Sha of course was the great R ofas in Brooklyn for many many years and his son is RAB AB a prominent Rabbi in Brooklyn today and Rabbi called their masterpieces of of Jewish thought weaving together teachings from many many different kasic Masters and this is text number one just a short teaching from today is the eth day of now listen to this eight time eight times kanaha is if you take the word Kana and multiply it by eight okay we come with the same gatria as the word Chua and this comes to teach us what that this day of Z the eth day of khaka is specifically about what chuva it has an incredible capacity for Chu on this day and not only that but since we all we already mentioned that today is the Eighth Day of and therefore this day of the eth day of since it's the number eight what else occurs on the eth day the Mitzvah and therefore somehow this day in addition to having being unique of the unique capacity for chuva on this day somehow this this this this day of the eth day of khaka is somehow mixed together okay with the power the spiritual power of Brit as we know from many many sources that the number eight represents what being beyond the realm of Tava the realm of nature meaning that the world was created in seven days and therefore the number eight represents what being beyond the world of creation okay represents the supernatural if you will okay and therefore this day has the capacity what to allow us to what to break through nature to overcome the the limits of Nature and to conduct our El with great what perseverance to overcome our natural limitations to accomplish beyond what we could ever imagine that's the nature of this day of Z says is he a relative no relative he's a Ley sorry Diane I know you're always trying to find the sure cousins but no he's not a relative of us he's a Ley we we're not Lev and they spell their name differently than we spelled our name but he's an amazing teacher and uh someone whose Torah resonates very much with Min sh so maybe there is some connection mystically with the shorts but uh anyways we're now gonna learn from another another great Master the rebbi of Aman and the Reb of text number two says the following the idea that we call this day which literally means this is we don't see any other y any y that really lasts for eight days I mean he's assum which which is interesting because what we know that we always had an ex but really from the Torah oh so so that's exactly what he says who we say even though it's the eth day counting from the beginning of it's not considered as being part of suus it's a it's considered an independent holiday now all us another the backstory this right that in the beginning of Aron okay in before we get is is feeling left out there's a dedication the Mish and all the are allowed to bring a Caron except for sh and is a and he represents sh and and AR is feeling what according to ran and Rashi he's feeling down traded he's feeling left out he's what my suffering from what today's kids will call fomo fear of missing out right so he's feeling left out and therefore what happens according to says don't worry what I'm going to designate for you to do is going to be greater than anything they did and what is he talking about and then comes okay immediately on the heels of this Aon is instructed to light the Min in the Mish and bring the light into the Mish okay so oh and he says therefore Aron don't be downtrodden even their carbos before they're going to be able to offer the carbos what what what needs to happen you need to light up the space where they're going to bring their carbos and therefore the task I'm giving you Aon is gonna be greater than the task that they have and the number eight also refers to what the future Beyond this world beyond our current M the because this world was created what during those seven days of the first the first week of of of of existence and that's why this lasts for eight days because says the this is a glimpse of at eternity it's a glimpse it's a taste of what the world might be like during okay and since kanah lasts for eight days again eight represents what being Beyond this world okay since khaka last for eight days it's a hint it's a glimpse telling us what the world might be like in the future the and that's why this day is called Z this is because this is the Eighth Day the number eight representing the super natural representing moving beyond the realm and the world of creation of reality the reality that we're living through okay therefore this day represents it's like the ganka we say it represents everything that kanaka collectively is meant to teach us this is the essence of KHAK okay so we're going to build on all these we're now going to learn from from a very very interesting teacher that many people have probably not heard of we've heard of it does learned in this course before I've heard it because we've learned from his Torah before that's RAB Galia sorry RAB gam rabinovich gam rabinovich is a great Y and he wrote it published a safer last year I I got a copy of the safeer on KH and ra G is gonna teach us and share with us some very very insights about this the nature of this day of Z okay and he said begins with a z this eth day of khah really is the essence of all the days of Kana brings together all the days of this last day of KH is called this is what's alluded to in this with the word zot this is that this is the coming together the co the the the the it's bringing together everything that came before it and it's the highest day of all the days of KH again most of us okay way we grew up once we finish liting those those eight candles kan's over we P put the away we're already moving on think about what's coming next but this last day of says is the most important day of all of the whole now he gonna quote the great great early Master Okay the days ofah are continu continuance of the day of yum listen to this that on this day the eth day of it's the it's the completion of everything that was decreed during the days of therefore the Forgiveness that we are given on yipper continues the capacity for forgiveness that we receive on yipper continues until when this very last day of khah now listen this idea there are those of the custom to say today on okay to and he brings us down from from many many sources because this day of is the completion of the of the days of and therefore on this day every single Jew should be inspired to Do complete Chu on this day is has the unique capacity for that very very idea of doing CH and even if we didn't do cha like we're meant to be like we're supposed to during the days of we have the capacity on this day of Z to complete the TR process every single Jew wants to be blessed in the New Year okay that when a person does complete Chua then they are granted through hashem's they answer all that they need and all that they're seeking now listen to what this last piece from and the the power of the capacity for prayer on this day of listen to this idea the great of when in describing the level of sanctity the greatness of this day of wow okay that which the sadik of the generation okay even the sadik of the generation can't accomplish on the a simple Jew can accomplish on this day of Z KH says the re ofin if this is all true says Okay a person there us to put time and effort into on this day of to ask and to seek spiritual growth to feel and to express our love and feel close to God and to be strengthened in our faith the truth is that every single day that we're alive a person really should should feel this and experience this and be inspired to ask for the things that Hashem gives us and therefore the power of this day if we can utilize this day like it's meant to and hopefully it'll Inspire us what like I'm turning weird like that drle like that spinning wheel will Propel us forward to continue to grow in Rus throughout the entire year so says Raam rovic this day of Zoda is the completion of the entire period which began which began with the days of TI the this is really the last of the Yim and it has the capacity to to to thrust experience and grow spiritually and accomplish things that even the sadim can't couldn't accomplish at the time of the Elon Yumer okay so it seems that this day is very much connected to the day of Yumer tomorrow we're going to learn a very interesting piece which is going to build on this a little bit more and also bring us to contemporary times we're gonna learn from a a beautiful teaching from one of my spiritual Heroes and that's the ohal Yakov RAB of Freeman of hasatan the re of hasatan who came on Alat ER Israel in 1938 together with his father-in-law the previous RAB ofat RAB Freeman and he succeeds his father his father-in-law dies a few years after they make alah he succeeds his father-in-law is the Reb of hasatan in downtown Tel Aviv okay and he basically lives through that hfav of first of all escaping Poland just as the Nazis sh came to power okay and and and and took and invaded Poland and list to the of the shaah of the early years of the the battle both on the both in ter of warfare as well as diplomatically to establish the state of Israel as well as the early years of the state of is dies in 1957 so the first few years of the state of Israel which by the way were very very difficult times like when even even into the early 1970s when my aunt and uncle made aliel in 1973 okay literally on the heels of the young Kipper War it took them two years to get a phone in their house okay now everyone walks around one of these right it took them two years to get a phone in their house okay the living conditions okay in the in the early years of the state of Israel let alone all the way up into the 1970s were not like we have today okay so this rebba lives through the most difficult times in Jewish history and some of the most significant times in Jewish history and he manages to come to ER Israel where where he becomes a very very positive force in terms of not only the religious presence in Tel Aviv but in terms of Building Bridges with those who were not traditionally religious and ritually observe it and what's very fascina is that he becomes known lovingly known as the adori the Zionist kasic master and you'll understand why in a moment we learn this piece together this is a safer you cannot buy in the average Farm Store um actually I heard about this rebi in a lecture that my teacher Rabbi Dr T wanb gave and I asked Rabbi wand where I can get the safer and he says I think it's out of Prince but he says there's a rabbi Yehuda Brandis who teaches in in um the Herzog Institute in G in Alon the the teachers College at associated with with Yeshiva in Al he said yes he says if you reach out to Rabbi Brandis then he gave me his number he wrote a biography about this rebi so maybe you can get the biography and maybe he'll know where he can get the safer so sure enough I reached out to Rabbi Brandis I got the biography about him and he told me where I could get the safer that there's a particular family who prints the safer and they live deep in kir bells in okay in the back end of G kir bells and you have to go to his you to call him to go to his house so I called this this this Rak shriber is his name and it turns out he's the son or grandson of the rees's shamish and therefore um and tribute to his father or grandfather he publishes the Reb's teachings but he sells out of his house because in their world some of these teachings are so controversial because he's so Pro Med Isel and so I had to go to his house I went to his house and when I when I bought the safeer he asked me you know many people want to take this out of my house in a plain brown paper bag so people don't see them walking through the street with a safe I said I'm okay walking through the street with the Savor so this has become one of my favorite favorite Farm Rabbi wer was right he told me that you're gonna love the Savor and so text number four we're gonna learn a short piece from Kaneka 1950 okay that the raban shared it's text number four one wish one another okay when did we say when we they say when we see this idea introduced a numerous text he says we for example the to from was the student of he says he writes after okay until the same as meaning what that that's the complete that's when it's when it's really sealed on Kan and now listen to the cool part okay this is the this is the fun part and we wish one another meaning now meaning kanah 1950 it's with a double cavana a dual cavana why and now there's a parenthetic note that the Reb's son who put together the safer okay plops in here okay he says so a group of people came to visit my father in his other residence of B Liv in also um and they wanted to know his opinion on the establishment of the state of Israel he answered it's the beginning of the the Redemption and now that's the end of the parenthetic note if we've already merited through hashem's help to experience the beginning of the okay that's only terms of having a physical presence here and therefore we ask and request that we should experience the gar we' had the of the G but we want the gar says the RAB we we ask we and we and we beg of we should be also to see the spiritual salvation the complete with the coming ofia and saying with that in in in mind is especially connected and relevant to the days of khaka says the rebi of why and he's going to quote the writings of theik one of the first that every we light those candles we are being introduced okay we're experiencing the hidden light of mashia that is the light of mashia and then he quotes the the re of choby is the in in says I prepared a candle for the myia from the lights of cand of kanah we prepare to welcome mhia and therefore said the re there is a on Kan to wish one another and if and if that's true and based on what we learned earlier from his illustrious ancestor the Reb of rein rebin okay who was also re Isel frean okay same family name he's a he's he's a descendant of the rebbi origin who said what that khah is the gar is thear and therefore it makes perfect sense that the amongst was to wish one another but even more so in arm of celebrating khah in that we say we say we have that we've been Z to experience says the reab of that we've been Z to experience the establishment of the state of Israel which is the and therefore we dve and we say bring us the the bring us mashiach we've taken the first step we're here we've merited to come home but now bring us all the way so we can experience okay one last idea to bring this all together okay this is Rabbi this we're gonna learn again from Rab in a long little bit longer piece here again this is text number five I learned from the of a blessed memory why this day is called this is he says in accordance with the famous question the in terms of why was established for eight days right if the oil was meant to last for one day then what's the miracle really the days the seven miraculous days okay they had enough oil for one day then the miracle was only what the seven days says one of the answers that's given that the okay the prales answers the question of by saying that it must mean that when they the first day when they lit the candles or okay when they came into the B mdash they saw that the the manur had sh in it okay and they lit the lit those candles and they stay lit the first morning and they didn't add the Miracle Oil he says till those candles finally burned out after what after the week and they added the Miracle Oil on the eighth day because that oil should have lasted only one day he says the miracle was what that the oil that had already remains that they had burned for seven days and that the when they the Little P that was enough for one day was when they ran out of oil then they added that that's the answer of the of the of the if that's true then what the miracle wasn't on the eth day the miracle was the seven days of oil that burned first not the what not the little p that they added on the eth day because by the eth day what the Miracle Oil had burnt out and therefore they finally lit what that little jar of oil that they found if that's true if we accept the answer of the pr okay answering answering the question the famous question of if that's true then what then the eth day was a a miracle wow listen to this idea this is the essential message of khaka my friends that recognize and realize that even things that seem like they're what they're in occurrence with the natural way things that that too is miraculous we don't take the nature of our day in day out for granted says re the message of is what to have appreciation for every moment for every gift everything we have is miraculous and from the Yem says the re okay and then he says that's why this day is called okay to remind us to show appreciation and praise even for that which is natural okay because we have to recognize that even that is also miraculous what we see as being natural okay is also miraculous it comes only from a and we have to add one other idea to this everyone thinks that that which he has in his life they take for granted and then he doesn't need a miracle what that that that everything he has should be sustained because he feels I already got it I already accomplished it okay I don't don't need any help it's mine already and therefore the most important message that we have to recognize and ET internalize is what that everything we have comes constantly from and therefore what there's really no difference in that which we already have and that which we don't have even that which we have it's hem that gives it us we have to recognize it's hem that gives us everything and if that's true if we recognize and come to realize and accept and appreciate that everything we have comes from then we can also what accept and recognize what that even that which we don't yet have okay Hashem can bring to us and give to us if he gives us what we already have it means that even that which we still need Hashem can also give it to us because the reality is that everything we have is really not ours okay and this is the level of faith that a Jew has to come to and arrive at during these days of KH even a person realized that all I have is one little one little jar of oil that's all I really have I don't really have much he recognizes what that even that little bit that I do have is not necessarily because of nature because has gifted me with it okay a person has to give thanks and recognize that everything we have constantly Reon and this is the recognition the appreciation the awareness we need to have on this day of Z on this last day of and that's why it's called because it's the essential message of the entire KH this message ofat is the essential message that we need to internal internalize from the experience of khaka these days of khaka are meant to remind us of this essential message ofar to appreciate the Miracles and gifts that brings into our lives every single moment of every single day so to bring this all together I want to wish everyone and may we be Z to appreciate the that is this day of Z the gift that is this day ofah to eternalize this message of being given a day another opportunity to complete ourselves to make ourselves better to transform ourselves to appreciate the capacity to dve in on this day that as the sadik teach us that a simple Jew can accomplish on this day of Z what even the greatest sadik can accomplish on and to recognize and eternalize that every single moment is a gift from if hm has given us what we do have that means that what we still need in our lives we can recognize and appreciate that Hashem has the capacity to give that to us as well and then we'll be blessed to experience those Yeshua today and in the days ahead