Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook - Geulah: Ongoing March to Mashiach by Rabbi Aaron Goldscheider

and a great pleasure to see you this morning thank you for being here and uh the beautiful opportunity to learn together this morning let me begin with our uh our sponsor and that is this year has been sponsored by the uh okay we uh we begin this morning and all of us here in errell this has been a uh a difficult day or so obviously the last number of months the last eight months but coming off a difficult Moes shabas where we learned about the uh the loss of many soldiers and three different incidents there were 12 soldiers that were killed there were three from yiva shalim where my son studied in shalim which is has many American students and Israeli students in the hezer program that they lost three three of their students in uh in the events that unfolded over over chabis say that again um I don't know I don't know the details of uh of what happened and there was a uh also an American Family the uh the zimis family from uh from bees and who lost uh lost their son so it's something that uh that that hits home every every loss of course but um you know when we when we hear about families of and uh andot and families that we're familiar with so it's uh it shakes us up so uh we should uh we should be Z to hear better news and uh there should be uh for the families and aula schma and with that in mind the uh the learning that we're going to do this morning we we have these families in mind all of Amel in mind but in particular the the topic this morning is is really very appropriate for for these days especially these days that we're going through and the topic is one where Ru cook speaks about the concept of gula of redemption and what that means we're all familiar with that term so to try to elucidate that uh that idea and to see how that plays an important part in our lives in the life of the Jewish people and we have this this morning also it's per this is the very last chapter of a safer that we uh that we've been studying the name of this chapter that's given by riro which refers to the idea of of Oneness and unity and appropriately that is uh the title of his last chapter which deals with concepts of unity of bringing the Jewish people together the Brotherhood of am Israel but he begins with the peace and this is the very this is alif pericet and this is Pisa the very first piece or alif and here we'll see in a moment the uh the idea that ruk is teaching us regarding Gula regarding Redemption and uh so let's let's jump in let's look at the words of rook and uh I think we're going to see some very very beautiful and uh inspiring ideas for all of us especially at uh at this time at a time of at a time of War at a time that we are learning for better days and G so he writes the following here are the words of the entire world and all that exists in the world call all of the entangled history and all the creative actions everything that is unfolding in the world from the very beginning of time and again even what's happened the last number of days and the last number of months everything that is unfolding within that one is to sense and it exists within it theim the footsteps of mashia the light of mashia it's walking it is making its way within within all that is occurring so here we have an idea from rev cook ruk says that everything that's unfolding everything that has happened from the beginning of time until the end of time you have the light of mashiach that there's a process there isn't coincidence all of this is is being overseen by aadesh and there's a process from the very beginning of time until the end of time until we will will experience the mashia the light of mashia reading on now in the words of R in the upper chambers of Heaven in the garden of Edens the Garden of Eden above and below in the darkness of the world or of the earth which is most dark in a place of death in a place of of loss and where you have the hopelessness in all the depths of evil among the tyranny of vicious leaders and again we could almost be writing this script today when we talk about avadon and talk about death and talk about hardship and talk about the viciousness of of uh of leaders and amongst those that are enlightened and theik and the righteous and in the scheming of those who guide political factions in the upper in the upper areas of or the up the Heavenly hosts above in the upper chambers of light and in that place is the honor of of Hashem in everything hasem in that is the is the greatness is the power of the arm of God is the hand of God a that is uh that is building a uh the Suka of David that is Fallen nigl it it will be revealed okay we see some of the language and uh we know the r cook sometimes the language is very poetic and sometimes a bit complex but what is Ru cook saying here amongst everything that we that we experience all the darkness all the difficulty the tyranny of vicious leaders and um those that guide political factions in everything that's happening even though it may not be obvious to us it's not something that we can see it's not something that we can grasp but that there is Providence that God is watching over and God is is moving the pieces on the chessboard and everything is moving towards the ultimate goal and that is the oros mashia it's it's making making its way to G that is the process that is happening that is unfolding even though it's not something that's obvious to our eyes and I think this this this is what's that okay and and I think this idea is found in a midrash that is somewhat well known I'm not sure if you if you've seen this midrash but where this idea appears in uh in in our rinic writing so look at the midis Raba this is the Second Source where I don't have a oh yeah I'm sorry it says number three by midash Raba so here we have the story of yoseph and the brothers and we know that well if you look at it at FaZe value there were terrible things that were happening you have a brother that's being sold to Egypt you have a father that hears about and believes that his son has been has been murdered or has been killed not murdered but he think been killed by an animal and uh and the brothers and the breakup of the brothers that Yehuda heads off on his own and and it appears that value all the terrible things that are unfolding and yet we know that without yose going down to Egypt and and saving the Jewish people and saving the world that that was necessary for the uh for the best result of of for everyone and for the Jewish people look at what the midra says the midra says the following it begins with a p that speaks about Yehuda opened with a following and there a p fromy what does yahu say Jeremiah the prophet says that God knows the thoughts of man there's everything that's happening all the thoughts of man all the moves that they are making they think that it's you know they're the ones that are the decision makers it's really Hashem that is guiding everything that happens in this world and throughout history and here are the words of the midrash I'm not sure if you if you're familiar with this relatively wellknown all the brothers they were engaged in selling and what was yose doing he was depressed the sadness seeing that he was being sold off to mimu Ru also that he saw what was happening that the brothers sold yose he also was literally and sackcloth and fasting the Yakov Yakov hearing about the death of his son yose his beloved Son he also was in a state of sadness so everything that's going on at face value it appears to be full of sadness and mourning vud what does he do he heads off he breaks away from the brothers he goes to find a wife and to start some other life on his own and what's happening as all of this is unfolding and what appears to be just sort of Random Acts or the or the acts of of man what wasem involved in what was he engaged inia at that moment he was involved in creating the light of M mashiach the king mssiah so everything is unfolding all that appears terrible to the eye to the naked eye but there's but there's a process that there's a guiding hand that everything that's happening is leading towards something positive and that God has has the Jewish people in mind and and all mankind in mind okay let's skip the the next SCE for a moment just there's a couple of source I want to make sure that we're going to get to this morning um if we go to the bottom and here we go to Riv cook again another another teaching of ruk which is essentially the same idea but he puts it in a very very beautiful way and also somewhat of a well-known passage from his classic safer orot he writes the following this is the bottom page the first page number five is an on this is the bottom of page one number five bottom of page one from aot the writing of redemption is it's something that is ongoing the idea of G is something again it's not just one moment of G kind of like saving for that moment at the end of days there's an ongoing process that's leading towards the Redemption G the and we know famously that was the Redemption from Egypt and the Final Redemption it's one it is one act of that does not end it's an act of a strong handuk explains why does it use that language or double language that it's Yak a strong hand and an outstretched arm well the strong hand is what happened right there in MIT in other words the act of the of the makot and The Exodus of that's the what what's going to that's the long that's right that's the long process of G that is unfolding that's the zya that's the outstretched arm it started that is a sign that is a symbol that signifies Gula that's the beginning of Redemption but it's an unfolding process and we're in it and to believe that we're in it and that we're in a process of Gul ultimately ruk says where we've reached a point of that we're moving closer to that that final g the final the that were in those last steps says ruk he believed that we're getting closer and closer it started in Egypt and everything that's happening everything that's happening there is a the process of Moshe andah are part of one process of redemption Moshe started the process andah is going to end the process started they make this one great process of Gul and here this line is important the last line of ruk here and the spirit of Israel Mak is always listening Mak that we hear the steps of G sh the actions what's unfolding in the Redemption that ultimately that it's going to bring the Redemption the G so that's Sayes of cook that's part of what the Jewish people do and what the Jewish people need to do you know one of the things that we say in DAV we say that her eyes should see when God returns to Zion so most understand it or translate it that way other words we're asking God let us be let us be around let us experience that I should see when we finally have the G so the talmid of Rook The Naz he said that we should read a little bit differently and that of means that we should see the G unfolding in other words we should be able to pick up on those signs we should be able to see not waiting until it happens but to see how it is happening and to see that that it actually is happening and again I think that was uh maybe that wasn't so easy that wasn't so simple for Jews over the last thousand years or 2,000 years to see signs I'm sitting in you know Eastern Europe in myle where are the signs of the Gul the pams right we're being expelled where the signs of gula I think it's easier for us barash today to say look for those signs that Ru Isel that the spirit of Israel and the spirit of a Jew is ones that's able to pick up on those signs and the fact that we have half of the Jewish people living in the land of Israel today kibuts gallot to see those signs to see that we have an army today that we have a government today so to see those signs and and to sense that that is part of the Gula it's been a long process it's been a a long dark night of Exile but there's been a process God has there's Providence everything that's happened has happened for a reason there's no coincidence and it's all part of a process of gula are we reaching that the the final stages of gula Ru cook and his students believe that we're that we're getting that we're getting there that we're getting closer and closer cler okay I want to turn out the page to to a very very interesting gamarra a story in the gamarra and and in ag and uh sort of if you read this story at face value and without going in depth it kind of I don't you could kind of miss the point of the story but I think there's there's a very very important Point here and uh I think one of the Russa at Yesa University AR Liz who heads the SM program today Yu so I was listening to a sheer where he uh where he offered the following expl explanation that I want to share with you and uh I think it's it's very very beautiful and very very insightful so here's the gamarra it's a gamar that's found in bakama generally babak we're talking about more complex or issues of of Damages and things related to that and payment and here we have that issue as well which we'll see how that comes into play but here's the story of the gamarra so this is the top of page to the story in the gamarra is the following and I never never came across this story before and uh excited to uh to see it and to share it with you elzar Zira it's a story about a man by the name of elzar Zira elzar the younger or maybe this the small one havan he was wearing black shoes now black shoes it seems in the gamar was were not worn typically he was wearing black shoes uh um as a as a form or as an expression of mourning for the destruction of the B mikdash that's what he did and he was standing in the marketplace of in Babylonia in Babel de R galoa so the officers of the House of the r gusa the R galoa means the person that was sort of the political leader at the time of the Jewish community in galut not the rinic leadership not the god Ador but somebody more in the political realm but there were officers from his office from the house of the rusa they saw him dress this way and what do you think would be their reaction they asked him my why are you wearing these black shoes now they weren't just asking him for information but they they kind of were suggesting that it's not appropriate that you're mourning and showing and expressing mourning in this way so he said to them I'm I am I am mourning over the destruction of Y so they said to him sh do you think you're so important that you can be Miss y you can mourn y it sounds like that's not something that you should just just heard the end of the shear from Rabbi Manning about Min hug him it seems like he was adopting a certain Min hug and they said to him you're not such a Kush person you're not such an important guy for you to start you know taking on a new Min hog who are you to do that so they thought that that was a bit hoty of him to be doing that now this is the really a very surprising Linea so they took him and they imprisoned him that sounds very surprising to me so am he said to thema he says no I'm a I am a great person I am a learned person I'm a and if this is something that I feel is an important Min hog to adopt so I I I have the confidence to do that so so they they said to him so how do we know that you're such a so he said to this these officers of the House of the Raa either can ask me something or I'll ask you a question you can ask me anything you want or I I'll ask you a question and and you can kind of determine my my based on that so they said to him so you ask you you ask a question so am this is the question that he asked and by the way this is how it kind of makes its way into the section of bakama he says man cuts kufra if a person cuts down another's person's budding dates he has a tree a day tree the dates are not yet grown but they this person cuts it off so may what does he have to pay what is the payment so am they answered him M de kufra they should pay the value of the budding dates in other words they're not yet dates on the tree so pay the value of the tree based on that they're still budding the he answered havu tamre but he says that they're eventually going to become ripe dates so you shouldn't be paying just the price for a budding date you should be paying the price for actual dat so so he said okay you're right so he should pay for the full you know if it was a tree that was filled with dates but he didn't cut down any dates so he really should not be paying the price of dates so AMU so finally they turned to him and said so why don't you tell us doesn't seem like we know the answer so you give us the answer so Amo Bim and again here we could kind of talk about the sort of the uh the complexities of this Al which we're not going to go into but he says you should look at the tree as if it was part of a larger Grove of trees and based on that that should be the payment okay so at that moment and without going just skipping to the very last they say let's check with another bezon it seems that he was correct and then we finish the gamar the last line V shavu and they released him from prison okay so what do we have here how do we understand it really is a uh it's a gamarra that requires you know some thought and uh in interpretation so the question is why first of all why did this group of officers why did they find it so um so problematic and to such a degree that they that they even were imprisoning this Rabbi what what do they find so problematic about the fact that he was showing this minog of mourning that he was wearing black shoes and that he was publicly mourning the basa mdash any any possible yeah very good okay why why were they at so what what what was the problem that they had with him expressing mourning I mean I guess you you said it to some degree but they were concerned with the idea that that that he was publicly expressing his loyalty to Y in other words outside of Israel and it's a good question even for Americans today or everywh living outside the land of Israel how much expression do we have and how much love do we show for the land of Israel right do we put an Israeli flag on our car when we're you we're driving the highways of New York I may have mention last my mother was driving she put a and somebody threw something at her car while she was driving on the highway and um yeah so it's a it's a question you know how much loyalty do you show to another country and here they were concerned with this this was the office of the r galoa right these were the sort of the the Jewish police force and they felt that that's not appropriate okay there can be mour for Jerusalem but there shouldn't necessarily be such public mourning for J don't start with a new Min hog don't encourage people that they're going to be walking around with black shoes and everyone's going to see that and they're going to be aware of that they're going to be asking the Jews what are you doing wearing black shoes and they're all going to be be responding because we're we're waiting for our return to Jerusalem and for the building of the beta mdash how is that going to go over you know at the workplace in the office if that's going to be your response if Jews are going to look different and if they're going to speak different yes we can you know we can we can pray for Jerusalem we can pray for the rebuilding our return but not you know let's not do it in such a public manner so that seems to be what the what the uh what the issue is here in the gamarra and what does the what does this this fellow who is a I guess it doesn't say that he's a rabbi but what is the question that he asks and it's interesting the gamar when they when they share aad very often the aad there are hints to other of of all things things that this Rabbi asks what does he ask about in other words they say let's see if you're really a so again he I don't know he could ask about anything in the world but what does he ask about he asked about a tree and he asked about a day tree and a day tree that is has not blossomed yet interesting a day tree that is not blossomed yet so what is that what is that what is that what is the reference possibly when I read it and what what if very well I don't know about B per se maybe B mdash I think about I well I think about Eric Israel I think about the the seven species of Israel the dates of Israel so here he is alluding to the DAT tree the day tree which is that's erel that's that's what's so you know special of erel what the Torah says is the Vash of that's right so and he's talking about one that is not BL Med yet interesting we use that term that it hasn't blossomed yet but it's going to Blossom now he says how about a day tree that hasn't Blossom like he's I think that's an illusion that we we're we're praying for that it is not blossom yet but it's something that that is going to happen that we believe is going to happen and then he's then he talks about a day tree that is you know what would be the cost for the actual day Tre okay that we don't have yet in other words he he agrees to the Rabbi so to speak that we don't have but interesting what is his answer his answer is that we need to estimate the cost of that tree if we look at shim if we look at it amongst a Grove which means we need to look at the bigger picture now there was let's not look only at the day Tre itself and not only at that Branch does it have the date or does it not but let's look it in a in a in a wider right in a fuller sense and I think that is the message with the gamaran again from Ravari libowitz that he the way that he read this gar is that's what he is telling these officers of the Ruta that yes we need to mourn we need to mourn in a way that is that may be even a public mourning that this is something that we believe we believe in Gula We Believe even though we don't see the date that it's flourishing the day tree that's flourishing but we believe that that is a possibility and we need to see the bigger picture and the bigger picture is that yes we're in galut right now but as Rook said there is a redemp ion that is unfolding and to be aware of that to believe in that and to have faith that it's part of a process even when we don't see it and I'll just end with this and I'll take your question and to me one other what what's it called This is my own uh my own little addition here of all things to talk about he says let's talk about a what's called A kufra a kufra is a budding is a tree with budding dates that's called a kufra and to me that also I found that word interesting what is the word kufra or kof does anybody know that word it's a very important word in in Jewish faith what's what a heretic that's right a cofair is when you reject a basic principle of Jewish faith so what he talks about and again I think this may be a hint possibly in the gamarra the one thing that he addresses this question that he has is about a coair is about a kufra and what is he alluding to he's he's alluding to the idea of to these officers of the Ruta that this may be something that falls within the realm of K right not to believe in Gula not to believe that we're in a process of moving closer to mssiah as the rambam says in the 12th principle to believe and that means that you live a life that you're aware of that that you wait for that day and it makes it in other words not only a philosophic idea but something that that that uh that impacts the way that you live and that's what this elzar era that he wanted to do and he made a statement and this is his response and I think sort of hidden in this gamarra is this idea of uh of anticipating The Gua and to see that as as essential yes problem I I don't know I'm reading I'm reading it the other way I'm reading it that the question is was it too pessimistic to wear the black shoes the way that I'm understanding the gamarra is that they felt that that was too public a um a demonstration of of uh of Yearning and connection that's right of Yearning and connection they were they were not comfortable with that and to such a degree that they said if you're going to do that publicly here in bvl here in our community then we have to ask you to you know to step into the you know police station and those they they did not again that's my question as well why the harsh response to it they could say we suggest that you don't do this and please you know please go home and change your shoes but they felt that this was that that he broke the law so to speak within like the Jewish Community right you've gone too far in terms of your of publicly expressing your longing for Israel you can do it but do it you know do it in your home and do it privately don't put Israeli flag on your car right don't you know don't publicly parade your your love for the land of Israel yes please I think EXA exactly right in other words it wasn't just him but exactly right if you're going to do this so others are going to follow and now we're going to have a big problem on our hands because the Jewish Community here living in Bell expressing their love for their mourning for Jerusalem in a place where we're supposed to to be expressing our love for for buo that's going to that's a very problematic stance so um yes please yeah yeah there there is yeah yes right well we have the we we have similar things even today what what but denim like the power of a bezin in burrow Park um they they they have there's certain power within the community within the community I don't know if they had their own prison cells maybe just what yeah yeah okay so again I don't know if it means that they had their own that that's true no they said you're being hauy you're not big enough okay yes they say you're not big enough they you're being hotti it could be right that's how that's how reading it again based on also R AR Liu it's his reading of the gamar right they do say you're being Hott but what does that mean you're being Hott if you want to express your god what does that mean you want to express your your mourning for Jerusalem and so go ahead and do it but they they they found it problematic because I as as I'm suggesting and as RAB AR Li suggested that outwardly to show that allegiance to you shall and to Israel that's something that a Jew should not be doing the gamarra as we see the gamarra is not happy with that in other words they he proves them wrong and he's and he's he's LED out of prison and he gets the message across that there's that that that again sort of in a hidden way that the that there is a that there's a day Tre that's about to flourish and right we you know there there's a balance there is a balance but um and the gamar I guess you could say the gamar is struggling with that balance or in this story yes RAB yes Community withinin range of not provoking the very good very good excellent point thank thank you for adding that and clarifying that again we're not talk this these were not the rabbis this is not theim who came this is the no this is Ruta this is the political office this is the political office this is the local Jewish government right the head and the officer saying this should not be done in our in our community maybe the rabbis disagreed but um but they were again they were the ones that were making the case here so I think that this is uh a fascinating piece of a gadata very fascinating piece of gamara and in terms of of of this issue in terms of the uh our yearning for Gula our expression uh are expressing that publicly now I was thinking about this question in terms of gah and the importance of gah it's certainly something that in the writing of of cook takes uh a center Center Stage and I was thinking just comparing it to the the writings of Rabbi salvic I I don't think that you find that much about this topic in the writings and the thought of Rabbi salvic interesting just to kind of compare the two you don't hear Rabbi salvic Rabbi salvic is in Boston he's in New York he's talking about tatori he's talking about allegiance to Jewish life he's not really talking about Gula Ru cook is talking about Gula he's talking about it all the time talking about the return of the Jewish people talking about building the land of Israel talking about that we're moving closer and closer to Gula so I was just thinking for a moment where does Gula where's the place of this idea of redemption in in Jewish thought and in Jewish life and I just want to highlight the following to you and it's something that I you know took a step back just to realize so it's a good question Gula Redemption do are do we think about that is that something that we sort of on the tip of tip of our tongues that we that that's part of Jewish life we talk a lot about halaka giving shabas kasas where does like G fit in in terms of our you know our day-today Jewish life I don't think I grew up with like that thought of gah or hearing about Redemption and awaiting anticipating Redemption but here I want to point out the following to you and that is every single day without fail that we begin the amida and we pray for now going into the amid we say what's the braa that that we enter the amida every single day every person without fail so we enter the amida saying blessed are you God the Redeemer the one who redeemed or the Redeemer of Israel so that's how we enter and now I want to just look at the first paragraph of the amida that we say every single day R said if you don't have kavana for this first paragraph you haven't really fulfilled your obligation and he he kind of zeros it down to this paragraph ideally you should have concentration understanding a sense of what you're saying for the entire amida but the first paragraph is essential says yes Rabbi very good very good and we also have this idea right the importance of that G and daving for let me just look at this paragraph I'll take your take your comment in one moment I just wanted I want you to see this we say it all the time and for me this is this is a reminder for me as I DAV so we're talking about an that they that they uh that they they are the ones to write formalize the amida and we say the following We Begin blessed are you God who is the god of our forefathers you are the god abov you're the father of Abra is and yob and then we describe the greatness of God you are God who is G you are The God Who is of of greatness of ascent and then we describe a attribute of God what attribute that you are God that does you are you are kind to us the and you are the master you are the owner of all and now we say the following and again this is just just uh translating the words you remember remember the kindness of your fathers of the fathers of the forefathers May and you God you bring and we pray that you bring goel Gua we pray God that you bring the G leave ahem to their progeny to their descendants to their children meaning us we're praying to God every single day without fail 365 days a year every amida three times a day four times a day Yer five times a day six yeah so what do we say to bring to their children leob for the sake of your name with love so the amida begins this prayer which is the central which is the foundation of our prayer we're praying for Gula we're asking Hashem to bring the Gula that's the very beginning of the amida and the very last words of the amida which you could argue maybe the very last word is the uh is the last bra but if we go to the very last words of theid that we recite which is our Min we come back to the theme of G again we say that we should see the rebuilding of the in our day and it is there that we want to serve you in fear like the days like the days of old so here I just want to point out something very simple and that is if we ask the question where does Gula and the place of gula where is it in Jewish life and in our thoughts and in our practice so Gula takes center stage in our amida every single day as we begin the amida the prayer of the amida the beginning of the amida is a prayer for G it's a prayer for Redemption we close the amida we pray for Redemption again so it is again it's not I was it's not just a an idea of rub cook or an idea of religious Zionism talking about G I mean it could be that because we've been in Exile in exile for so long we haven't had the land of Israel the state of Israel that we've been saying it but we've kind of like lost our sensitivity to the idea of of gula so here we turn to and I mentioned a moment ago in terms of uh of Rabbi salvic and his thoughts about Gula and here I just want to share with you one paragraph from Rabbi salvic this is a new book actually just came out a collection of his thoughts called the rant um his it's a beautiful safer which they've collated a lot of his a lot of his ideas about this is Page Three and look at the second the second paragraph covenantal Jewish history so we speak about the bris when we talk about the Covenant of Jewish history by contrast is theological not eological now what does that mean he'll explain what that means right now this mean means that it is propelled by a purpose other words Jewish history is unique that there is a purpose and that there's a guiding hand in everything that happens what happens to Jews emanates from a Divine promise foretold about the future rather than by events impelling from the past there is it's not that the past events is what defines what's happening that's the way that it appears right that's the way that it looks right well we have this war because of what happened prior to the war and prior to that we in other words that's how history unfolds where salvic says no that's not how Jewish history unfolds that there's an endgame and that there's Providence and everything and that's what we began with this morning that statement of R cook that everything that happens through all of those all the perplexities and all the and the Darkness and the difficulties all of that there's Orel mashia like the mid says about Yosef is everything was was happening God was creating the light of Messiah reab salvic says the same thing that history Jewish history now everything else that happens around us that may be more you know more based on based on what is unfolding but that's not how Jewish history Works what happens going back again second line what happens to Jews emanates from a Divine promise foretold about the future rather than by events impelling from the past Jewish history is pulled as a magnet towards glor a glorious Destiny it is not pushed by antecedent causes really quite amazing this is the meaning of the patriarchic Covenant that's what it means the bris the bris to ABR is and yov it is a gold projected a purpose pursued a destination to be reached and that is uh again that is here Riv cook and R salvic are making the same argument that that's the way that we are to View Jewish history that's how we are to experience Jewish history it doesn't mean that we don't have difficult days and difficult days and tragic days that we that we are experiencing right now but within that in a deeper sense to know that there's a guiding hand to know that that there's hash pratit to know that there's hashak and that eventually and that we're moving in that uh in a process towards the Gula I want to read to you one other uh one other paragraph from Riv cook and Riv cook writes the five following and this is from Shon Kim now we have eight notebooks of of R cook which were Diaries and things that Ru cook would uh would write as he would be inspired he was always writing he would wake up in the morning something came to mind late at night he had notebooks and we and we have many of the Swarm that we have today are based on those notebooks this is and I just have it in the in translation for you this is the bottom of page three this is ruk and what is the idea of gula what is the idea of gula only a people who have finished what they started can exit the stage of history but to start and not finish this is something which is impossible that inner urge which is so strong within us to continue Judaism in thought action peoplehood and land comes from a deep intuition that we still have to complete what we started in other words we also what does it mean Gula and this yearning for Gula it means that we have a role to play we have a purpose we have a mission here and until that mission is complete and that mission being complete means that the world knows Hashem that there's peace in this world that there's Brotherhood in this world until that's done we're not done Gula continues we began to say something great to ourselves and to the world yet we have not finished and by the way that's part of what it means G gah is not just that we want to be redeemed it doesn't mean that we want to you know finally escape from all the countries that are that are caus causing us harm we have a great vision For All Mankind we are still standing in the middle of our speech we have no desire to stop nor are we able to we refuse to abandon our way of life our peoplehood and the spiritual desire that transcend any narrow definition in other words we want to bring the ultimate Gula we talk about GMA we mean For All Mankind for all people and we're in the midst of that process that's part of the war that we're fighting today as well not only the battle on the uh on the on the front or in Gaza but the great battle for for goodness and for truth and for peace in this world the Nations world do not allow us to do they don't allow us so that's cook says yes and R cook no no no you're right they're not allowing us but R cook says we're not going to stop right we're not going to stop until until we we accomplish that which we set out to okay you're right so the world is not willing many many in this world not everyone many in this world are not willing to admit the truth or to see the truth but we're going to we're going to fight till the end we're going and that is our mission that's why we're here that's what the Jewish people is about that that's every Jews mission on some level as well they want stop War they want to stop the war okay so we're we're not going to get into the into that issue all right two all right two last sources and we'll we'll come we'll come to a close every Friday night every Friday night many have the minog again we talk a lot about Min hug him many have the mug to uh to sing yid nees it was written by Alazar aiki andat going back to the 1500s when the Great cabalists amongst all those great cabalist of uh of Yosef Cairo and uh and the AR kados so he writes yides many sing it Friday night many sing it also by shalis as well a beautiful love song to uh to Hashem and the Jewish people so the very last paragraph and here I just I I highlight this because this is the way that R cook ends the piece that we started with this morning he says that ultimately this Redemption is going to bring the B that's a term that we're familiar with with we say that on the that we had what is that Suka referring to is referring to the B mikdash and he uses the Ser the same terminology in the last paragraph of uh which is all about Redemption the rebuilding of the B mdash he so we pray in this uh in this poem that Hashem should reveal himself FR and he should cover us he should protect us means the loved one referring to Hashem that you my loved one you should spread upon me Al sh you should spread the Suka that we should have protection and again the Suka is a reference to the bdash that the entire world should see your light you should should see your your C see you're honored that all of us by the ways here doesn't just mean ER Israel doesn't just mean the Jewish people that erit means that the world should know your Oneness and your glory nagil and that will be joyous and uh and celebrate Mah we say quickly please AEM a my beloved the time has come let the time come already that God's Redemption and that the Suka and our protection that we should be protected and you should have mercy upon me as it was and as it should be for all time so beautiful and again these are all references toim and Pim andak but just to highlight as RI cuk does he used that same terminology that Gula through all of the the thick and thin and all the difficulties there's a process a process that's unfolding eventually that will lead to the uh the Suka the rebuilding of that Suka David the Suka that that has been broken that's Fallen to rebuild the the B mdash one more one more uh one more quote from ru cook and maybe we'll just uh we'll read in the English just for the sake of time so this is a new there's a beautiful sa safer called K which came out a number of years ago and again it's it's personal it wasn't meant necessarily for publication a lot of what Ru cook write he was writing again as I said he would wake up in the middle of the night he would have a thought early in the morning throughout the day he'd be writing writing thoughts writing about himself and this is a collection of of thoughts that he had really that pertain to his own his own self his own personal life so it was just translated by the way balur just came out by Corin press very beautiful work I recommend it the name is kadav which is uh my uh I think translated my Chambers his Chambers khav his Chambers that's correct his Chambers well the name of the saer it's orig it's that's the name of the safer in Hebrew and it was just translated Yeah by yeah has the Hebrew and the English which you see on the Page by Corin press byal who's the probably the expert one of the greatest experts in rff cook in the world today he lives in M New York but uh but he loves rff cook okay and I'll just read the uh I'll just read the translation this is this is the translation Rook writes what do I want man to what to what do I Aspire an this is a thing that must become clear to me pcid I want to shine a light of faith of Holiness in the land of Israel in the Hebrew land of Israel in the land of Israel that is being redeemed in the land of Israel that is shaking off the dust of the ugly and depressing Exile if so faith and Holiness in all their branch in all their depths of their Roots must also first be redeemed of any Exile curse we are obligated to redeem the divine presence that rests in our midst from her Exile interesting this is really a cabalistic idea we've been talking about that we're all in the idea of galut and Redemption that the the God so to speak is also in a kind of galut that he that he that he went with us that Hashem went with us in galut that we need to hash is waiting to return in in his fullness to to ER Israel and to be here so that's part of what it means to return to Israel is to is to allow hashem's presence to be here in the full fullest sense as well we're obligated to redeem to redeem the divine presence that rest in our midst from her Exile and shine in and shine in the land of Israel the light of Faith redeemed so here we have this word gah our own Redemption Redemption of Hashem as well I'll just close with uh the following story a beautiful kic story and um which relates to this idea the name of the rebi is Reb isak Dove of rishit not a name that I'm familiar with but I looked him up considered to be one of the great rebies and one night he was staying in an inn he was traveling and he stayed at an inn the the owner of the Inn a Jewish fellow was very sensitive and very excited about the fact that the rebi was there he gave him the suite he gave him the most beautiful room and uh but throughout the night the rebi who was on the top floor um that he heard the owner of the Inn the host he heard him walking back and forth all night long and uh so finally in the morning when he saw him and he and he uh and he offered him some breakfast and sat with him so he said to the rebi I heard that you you know you were up a lot last night I heard a lot of movement last night a lot of commotion in your room so the rebi said to him the riter he said is there anything in the room that that I should know about is there anything that's you know that that's special in this room so he thought about it for a moment the owner of this in and he said you know what there is something in that room there was a rabbi that was here 20 30 years ago he was known as the seir of Lublin who was considered to be one of the greatest of theic Masters the sear of Lublin and he was here and he spent the night and at that point he was uh he didn't have a lot of money money and he said that he would like to pay for the night with a little clock that he had and he gave me this clock and it's that clock that hangs in the room and the Reby said now I understand what happened and what was going on all night he said all night I was hearing The Tick Tock of that clock and he says most clocks when you hear the clock ticking so it's kind of depressing like you're thinking about all the days that have gone by and you hear the Tik Tok and you think about how little time you have left in this world there's there's something depressing about a clock but he said that clock there was something so joyous about the clock that every tick tock of that clock was just calling out that we're getting closer and closer to the Redemption they were moving closer and closer to Gula and when I heard that all night long they were getting closer and closer to Redemption I just I couldn't sleep I was just walking pacing back and forth all night long and so excited that we're moving closer and closer to Gula so that's what RI cook believed and we saw in the in the words of RAB salek as well that a Jew needs to believe in a very deep way as we start every day the amida as we close the amida every day with a prayer for Gula ruk taught us and wanted us to believe firmly that we're moving closer and closer and even with the difficulties and even with dark days that we know that there's that there's y AEM that Hashem hand overseas of this Providence and that that we're moving closer and closer to viia and the and we should see that quickly in our day amen everyone have a a good day and a good week and B we should share only uh only good