Rav Kook on Pirkei Avot: Raising Up Many Students | Rabbi Aaron Goldsheider | Oct 7 2026

Hey, good morning. Good morning everyone. Booker to great to see everyone. Welcome back to everyone after the welcome back after the after sukus. And um we just finished up Shabas. It's Wednesday morning and we're beginning the new uh the newsman together, new learning together for the coming for the coming months, for the coming year. And uh it's great to have everyone with us uh for being here. We are studying the teachings of Ravkuk the very very special and uh inspiring elevating teachings of Ravk and the way that we're going to do this learning over the year is to use Pier Aot Pierce Kavote as our as our basic text and uh to look at some of the beautiful insights of Revk that relate to the teachings of Pierce Evavos. Pure Evos is one of the great um one of the great texts that we have. It is unique in the Mishna in the sense that it deals with ethical issues of how to live life, how to live our best lives, our aodasm and uh and that's the goal here is well to learn but also that we continue to grow and that we're inspired and uh continue to make strides in our service of Hashem and uh our Jewish lives. So I want to begin with the very first Mishna and um and we're going to see some beautiful teachings, beautiful ideas from Ravkuk in this area. So the first Mishna is well known and it begins actually with the Misora deals with the handing down of the tradition. So this is perf mishos which many of us are familiar with. Moshe Si Mosha receives the Torah from Sai Ali Yeshua and hands it down to Yeshua of Yeshua the Zakanim. Yeshua then hands the Torah the Misor then continues with Zakanim Zakanim the Naveim then to the prophets who Naveim is an Abdullah and then it makes it down to the anessdah the great gathering of rabbis and of Naveim as they return from the Golah the exile. And now we have a teaching from the unshakessarim. They highlighted three very important teachings and it's going to be one of those teachings that will be our topic for this morning. The first thing they said that one should be slow to give judgment. That's true in court and it's true for all of us as well on a regular basis on a daily basis. Do not be so quick to judge others. That is the first lesson that they taught. And one should raise up many students. That is the second teaching. That's going to be our topic for this morning. And one should make fences. One should make boundaries around the Torah. So there's a lot to say. We can talk about all the different topics here but the topic that we're going to highlight is the the second teaching of the anche kessa sagodola and that is amidu talmidim harb that one should literally to raise up to stand up tmidim harb many students now what does that mean and what does it mean for our lives as well so uh I want to begin with the avostan which is in the sec second source on the page that you have in front of you which is perk bay and [snorts] uh in aosan it's the nine teaching in that perk and aos debasan is like it can be it can be seen as a a commentary to some degree on pavos it's different bryos it's different to different teachings around pure kavos and here we have the following and I have it in uh in translation a very interesting mahlo that's found between B Shamai and Basil. We're all familiar with uh the the uh the many makasim that they had with one another. Disagreements. They're going to disagree in this area as well, which relates to raising up many students. The academy B Shama Be Shami said the following. A Torah teacher should teach only one who is wise and humble and who comes from a good family. So that's B Shamai's opinion. Somewhat restrictive, exclusive. The people that you are to teach should be people that are appropriate for the learning of Torah. Others maybe you know Torah and Torah teaching maybe that's not for them per se. They should find other avenues to be uh to be productive in the community. However, Bethl says the following. The academy of hil says b hil says teach all for there have been many sinners among the Jews who were brought near to Torah study and emerged as righteous pious and upstanding persons. Our Mishna follows the opinion of basil. So here we see the very first perspective of how to understand the statement in the Mishna which is really based on means what that the doors should be open wide for all who want to study Torah that it's not to be exclusive that when it comes to the Jewish people and uh and and Torah study this is something that everybody should have access to and as Basillo says even those that appear to be sinners that it's important important and maybe even more important to teach them Torah. So that is one explanation of uh of our Mishna Harb. In a similar vein, I want to share with you the following gamarra, a fascinating gimmar which deals really with the same topic and that is the openness to all students or is there an exclusivity when it comes to those that study Torah? And we're going to see actually this mak goes back to be bama in basil. We're going to see it also here in the gamarra and we're going to see a beautiful explanation from um ravk on this gamarra. So here is the gamarra. It's a gamarra that's found in gamarra braos. It's perk rai. It's daf and the story is a story of a great base medish that was led by um Rabi Gaml. Rabbin Gaml stepped down from his position and a new rabbi took leadership of the great yeshiva and that was Rabbazar Ben Aario. If you remember that name, Rabbazar Ben Aaria, where do you remember it from? >> Yeah, that's right. He's founded the agade. He's part of the rabbis at Rabbi Akiva Sedar and Benazar Benazar. So um he has a change of policy when he becomes the head of the yeshiva like a new rabbi that comes to town changes some policies uh in the shul is here she was a member of my shu mount kiscoco so one of the things that I did when I came into the shul this goes back now um I'm here in Israel 14 years and I was there 90 years so yeah talking about a long about 25 years ago so one of the first things that I I didn't really institute but as a new rabbi I thought that it would be very beautiful to have the Carlbach nigun in the shul especially at that time it was very very popular it's still popular today and uh so yeah for Friday night and shabas morning that I brought in a lot of the the Carlbach nigun which a lot of people enjoyed um it speaks to a lot of people from different walks of life you don't necessarily need to know all the words just the music and the melody but there was one fellow in the shul who did not like the new nigun his name was Paul Schaefer I don't know if you know that But he was uh he was on the David Letterman show which was he was the the musical he was a world you world class musician a famous musician he was on TV every single night if you remember anybody remember David Letterman show it was a big show one of the longest running shows on television and he took issue with it he didn't like it he did not like the new Carlbachum he liked the traditional nigun and uh so it's not always easy instituting you know new uh new men hug him or a new way when you take over the leadership and that's what we have here in the gamarra as well. So the gumar says the following tana and I'll read to you the the gumar you have it it's the source number three tana o so on that day that rabar benzary took over as the head of the yeshiva share they took away the guard who was sitting at the entrance of the yeshiva and any student that wanted to enter the yeshiva the door was now open to anyone who wanted to apply and anyone applying would be accepted to yeshiva. Now that was not the policy of Rabbi Guml. That was not the policy of the yeshiva before Rabazar benager took over. What was the policy of Rabbi Gaml? Everybody knew this was something that he publicized to I don't know if you know that phrase. It's uh often quoted from the Skimar. If your inside is not like your outside, meaning you can't come to the yeshiva, you dress up, you put on a suit and you have your titas out, but you know what? In your own personal life and in your own uh in your own conduct, you're not really living up to the way that you appear on the outside. And that they would check, right? The rashiva would check that to see are you really appropriate for this yeshiva. If if you're not if you're inside is not like you're outside what's the policy the next three four words you have no place in this base mish this base mish is not open to people that do not have the commitment the devotion to Torah that do not act properly you may be maybe find another yeshiva but not this yeshiva but rebel benzary what was his policy when he took over as rashisha he said remove the shamare Take that guard who sits at the entrance, the office people that are checking the new students coming in, remove them. Anyone who wants to enter the yeshiva, the yeshiva is open to anyone to all people to study. And what happened with the new policy? Says the garrau yoma on that very day where he instituted the new policy. They had to bring a lot more saf. What's a safal? They had to bring a lot more benches into the yeshiva. Now that the Shiva is open for people to for all people from all walks of life to study aban there's a difference of opinion. How many benches were brought in? One opinion was they had to bring in 400 benches. Amazing. I don't know many people sit on a bench. Not just 400 chairs. They had to bring in 400 benches. areas of sali 700 benches. So maybe th you're talking about thousands of new students that now enter the yeshiva. Okay, Rabbi Gamiel who was the rash yesa he heard about this he got the news that thousands of new students joined the yeshiva. What does the Gamarra say? That he felt bad. That he felt a bit of regret. In other words, I see if the doors were open that we could have had so many more students and we could have educated so many more students. Israel maybe. By the way, we see that language in the Garas maybe I caused less Torah to be studied less students to to learn Torah. So what happened? He had a dream that night and he saw he saw white jugs that were filled with ashes. That was the dream that he had that night. Now, what did that dream represent? He saw jugs, white jugs that were filled with ashes. And here in the Steinzel's um translation with a commentary alluding to the fact that the additional students were worthless idlers, what did he see? That they were just full of ashes. That they weren't really it wasn't really kadai to bring them into the yeshiva. That's what he saw in the dream. But what does the gamarra say? Why did he see in the dream? Hashem just wanted to assuage him that he shouldn't feel bad for what he did. But in that the correct way, the correct dar is what? What's the correct way to have Yeshiva? >> To that's right, open door policy have everyone everyone should have accessibility to Torah study. That is the gamarra. That's the gamarra. Now Ruf cook has a very beautiful explanation. The question is how do we understand Rabbi Gamliel's opinion and his position? How do we understand Rab Lazar bin Aaria? So let's take a look at the beautiful language of uh of Rkook and when we have the opportunity to uh to see his words inside it's always very very worthwhile. So this is Ana. This is his commentary, his famous commentary on the agadic sections of the gumarra. And let's take a let's take a minute or two to read to see the words of Rkook and the way that he interprets this gamarra. So this is the very bottom of the page and you can you're welcome to follow along with me and he quotes the if you're insides are not like your outsides if you're not 100% through and through a religious a committed person that you're not really accepted in uh in my yeshiva. So what was Rabbi Gumlio's opinion? Here we go. The opinion of Raamlio was that the essence of the uh the natural makeup of man who he says that a person is prone to sin. That's how we are created. That's who we are as human beings. That the Yates is there and we're prone to sin and therefore the majority of people that a person needs a strict guidelines of ml a stick there you have to whip somebody into shape. So that that was his opinion that most people tend to sin that we have an inclination to sin and therefore when somebody came to the yeshiva that wanted to apply to the yeshiva who was not through and through a religious person a committed person so he felt there's a good chance that we're not going to be successful with that student and better for that student not to enter the yeshiva that was the opinion of gumlio and if a Let's say the student can prove that he has uh attained that level of overcoming is so the assumption should be the should be that he's not in a very good place that he's that he's going to be sinful unless you can prove that you've been able to overcome that you've detached yourself from that Yateshara which is the natural inclination and the overwhelming inclination of man so that person should not be accepted to the yeshiva that is the way that RVuk understands Ra Gaml's opinion but what is the other opinion and by the way Rkook is as the Gar by the way the Gumar takes which side of of the of this argument Rabbi Gamliel or Rebel Benazari what >> that's right rebar Zary because the dream came to him to show him just to assuage him that he that don't feel so bad about what you did. But the truth is that's not the way that's not the way to teach Torah. That's not the way to to conduct the yeshiva. And now here's the other side of the coin. And I think this is uh this very much represents one of the great teachings of uh of Rafkuk and really comes out of the kidic world. But we're going to see that he's going to prove it from the Rambam as well. loves. But those that disagree with disagree with that position, what is their what is their thinking? That a person is created. The essence of a person is what that we are straight. That there's goodness. As long as you have not done damage to your nature by sinning, no, we are prone to good. Just the opposite says we're prone to do bad things. That's that's the nature of man. And Raba Benaria has a different position and this is the position of uh of Rkook as well. And that is innocent until proven guilty. That's right. That everyone has an isama. that we start at a place that there's goodness that's found in everyone. When a person is ready to study Torah, you don't need to check anyone at the door. If a person is ready to study Torah, that means a person is connecting with that goodness within and there is that purity that soul that nama that's found within every person. and when it comes to this way of looking at people and this is what is teaching us. This is how we need to view each other. This is how we need to view even those that appear to be sinful. That there is that goodness within them. And therefore the whenever it comes to bringing those people under your wings, it have to it must be no. It has to be with sweetness with great kindness. Therefore when rebar when he took office when he took the position of therefore he said let us remove the guard of the door everybody can enter because what's the assumption the assumption is that there's goodness within everyone there's holiness found in everyone everyone the the the natural state of a person of the nishama and everyone has that nishama is yearning to do good even though that may not be obvious. It may not be readily seen. And we're not to be mockbbit and say, "Well, I don't see that you're inside is like your outside. I don't see that through and through you're religious." That's not the way to view another person. That's not the perspective. Okay. One more teaching from Ravkuk in the next three lines. So, what is that based on this idea? So by the way I think this is when I hear this I think very much of a kidic idea the the whole idea of the emphasis they put on seeing the nishama seeing the goodness in the other person but here Rufk says this is found in a in the Rambam and to me that's very interesting that he wants to prove this not from a zohar right not from a from aidic source but the Rambam in aic work takes this position as well that the default in other words that the way that we are to view a Jew view ourselves and every other Jew is the goodness within and that potential and that and and the desire to do good. So where do we see that in the Rambam and this is a famous Rambam often quoted and here says Rkook the following um I think I underline that for you as well. We're about six seven lines down if you want to just see the last few words that we're going to read together. Alpam and you can see this idea that's found in the words of the Rambam in the laws of divorce. Now where do we find this in the laws of divorce? Um now what is he referring to? He's referring to the following case. is for a man to divorce his wife. He has to willingly want to divorce his wife. He has to give the get to his wife willingly. Let's say a person does not want to do that and he's holding back giving a get. This is something that we read about today as well uh unfortunately. So what is the al the is that they can send people from bezden and they can rough this person up a bit and they can force the person to give the get and you rough him up up to the point and here's the language mitzvah what does that mean that the person finally says I want to do the mitzvah right stop stop hitting me I want to I want to fulfill this mitzvah But the question is, is that really his will? Is that really his desire? Or are you forcing him into that? And if you're forcing it and he's not doing it willingly, is that considered a get? Is that considered a divorce? But the says it works. Now, how does it work? And the Rambam writes the following. Because at the at the very core of the heart of a Jew, no limit, the person really wants to do a mitzvah. He's saying no all along. We have to rough him up a bit. But you know what happened? He finally he's finally able to connect to his true desire and that he wants to do the right thing and he wants to be in. He wants to fulfill the mitzvah. um it's only the that's kind of forcing him that's having this influence that he's doing the wrong thing. He's really doing it says the Rambam. He is doing it willingly. How is he doing it willingly? Because at the heart at the soul of a Jew, a Jew wants to do the right thing. So here very interestingly the uh RFuk says the proof for this is found in the Rambam as well. Okay. So that is the mak that's the way that Rkook interprets this Gibbara. One way of interpreting again the side of Ramagiel is that you look at a person people often sin. They have a uh they have a very strong desire to some degree it's inherent in a person that a person sins. Rebel Benazaria says no just the opposite. The way to view a Jew and that's the way the Gamarra the way the Gamarra Poskins is to see the goodness in a Jew to see that a Jew has a great desire to do that which is correct that which is right. Let's now turn to the top of page two. There was a great rabbi that was living here in Svat. His name was Rabbi Yakov David Wavski and he lived at the same time. This is going back to the days of Ravk also about the same years as Ravk. He was living at about the same time. He was one of the Gdole Torah of Eric Israel at the time. One of the Gdole Torah. Um and he disagreed with Ravuk on a number of issues. Famously he disagreed with Ravkuk on the Schmita on the heter issue and he was very very strong about that that he felt that RVuk was mistaken in the way that he posed and he came out very strongly against RV cook on that issue. Another issue that he disagreed very strongly with Ravkuk was the way that Rufk showed love for the secular Jews of Arat Israel for the pioneers and he felt that he had gone too far in this area. His name is Ra Yakov David Wulavski. Ravakov David Wulavski. And he was known also as the Ridbaz. That was his uh the acronym the Ridbaz living invat again the same the same around the in the same years as uh as Rkook. So here I want to share with you a letter from Ravk that he writes to Raviano Dwavski invat and and um and he speaks about this issue. He's responding to a letter that this great rabbi writes to him in which he is critical of RVuk. So go to the top of page two. This is from the letters. There's a collection thousands of letters we have from RVuk which is a whole study on its own of the letters of RVuker Nun Amu Sadi Giml Amud. Okay. And this is the now the writing of Ravk and that which you wrote to me that you are greatly pained that a person like myself that I have taken this path. You you have said that this is a very dangerous path. Now what path is he referring to? the path of the openness and the love that he's showing the secular Jews of Erit Israeli that you've extended words of kindness to me that you've called me a great man in your letter that's not going to cause me to be mistaken and not see and not recognize my smallalness other words in the letter he says to the great cookook you know how could a great rabbi. He said, "The fact that you're calling me such a great person, that's not going to uh not going to affect me and and and I still have the great humility and know who I am. The and the small value that um that you know of my of my uh personality again he's using terminology as if I I I have no worth. Again, the humility of RVuk. Here's the main point. But this path that I have taken that I've taken this path in my ad you should know my master this is something that I've put a lot of work into other words the the the der of being loving and being open to others is something that I've worked hard at doing bi with my bloodare with my very being with my body with my mind. Sorry. Refers to the um the very essence of my of my bones like the marrow in my bones and with all of my strength that Hashem has given me the light has shown me the light that this is the position the correct the correct position to take. This is not a dangerous path that this is a very precious and this is a very holy path. He's ref referring to the path of being open the doors being open to everyone. And let's just skip a line or two where um fourth word of the lineal this path that I take strength to walk this path who this is the way of without any doubt anyone who follows this way of treating others and will connect with me will join me in this path of Torah and live with the desire of the heart and with belief in the truth of the rabbis. Such a person will see the light will see the truth that this is the correct path to take that's lit up from the kindness of the elevator of the heavens. This is the of that this is the way to walk every day. So he defends this position and he says that um that this is the the the path of loving others of being open to others of seeing the best in others of opening the door for all to enter this is the correct path and uh this is the letter that he writes and defending his possess his position to Roanov David Wilowski I'll share the following anecdote which um talking about students one we we spoke about opening the door to students and how about students evidence that um that may have done certain things that are wrong and removing them from the yeshiva that's always a a uh a challenging situation. There's a beautiful story that's told about Ra Levvin and this is told by his grandson Benji, Rabbi Benji Levvin. Some of you may may have met him. I took a tour to here uh in your shalim with him. He brings you to uh to the house of his grandfather and through the the alleys right behind Mach Yehuda and tells the stories and brings it to life. So Ravari Levvin was the Mashiach of a yeshiva. That's what he did for a living. He was a mashk of like an elementary school. It was called the eight yeshiva right near the uh the machuda area of um so one day there was a a young boy in the yeshiva. They all had lunch together and every once in a while the big treat in the yeshiva was that they would have chocolate pudding for dessert. You've heard the story. They chocolate pudding for dessert. So that was the you know that was the uh that was like the highlight that you know that one day a week where they have chocolate pudding. So you're allowed one chocolate pudding, right? You pick up one chocolate pudding, you go, you know, to your seat and that's your that's your dessert. So, there's a boy who picked up his chocolate pudding. He had his chocolate pudding and then he went a second time to get another chocolate pudding. Now, that's not allowed. So, the person who was giving out the chocolate pudding. So, he saw that this boy was asking for a second one. And in those years, if somebody did something wrong, what would you do? Yeah. You'd slap him. You give him a patch. So, they he uh he gave this young boy a patch for coming up a second time. and the young boy this huge um how do you call it? A uh not a bucket, a a pot, a huge pot, thank you, of chocolate pudding. So he took it and he threw it he took it and he threw it on the floor the entire all the chocolate pudding. Okay. So uh Ravari Levvin was not there that day and there was a whole tumult and the question was what would be with this boy? There was even a question if they would throw him out of the yeshiva, you know, for acting in such a brazen way. So everybody was talking. The boy that night couldn't sleep all night. He came to the yeshiva the next morning and he knew that he would have to meet with Raay Levvin and to come to his little office and to speak with him and to see what would be uh with him in terms of uh of remaining in the in the yeshiva. So he met with Levvin. of our Levin sat him down and he said, "Tell me about what happened yesterday." And he said, "Yes, it's true that I I went up, you know, a second time and I love chocolate pudding and it was difficult for me not to not to try to get a second chocolate pudding." And Revar Leven said, "But do you know that that was wrong? That that was inappropriate that there's only enough for, you know, one for everyone?" And he said, "I know that that was wrong." And Ravari Levvin said, "Do you promise, you know, never to do this again?" So he said, "Yes, I promise never to do this again." So at that point, Ravari Levvin said, "I see that you that you recognize that you did something wrong and that you and that you've changed your, you know, that you are going to commit yourself to this." At that point, Revar Levin turned to a closet right in back of him and he took out two chocolate puddings and he gave one to the boy and one for himself and he said, "I also love chocolate pudding and let's eat chocolate pudding together. Let's have let let's enjoy it together." So that's the that that's the story. That's the end of the story. Now this young man, I don't remember his name. He became a famous rabbi in of course he becomes the famous rabbi in Shallayim and he said that moment was a moment that changed my life when I saw his sensitivity when I saw that he could relate to to what it means to love chocolate pudding and that he was you know there with me of course he didn't throw him out the yeshiva and he found a way to uh to make him feel to feel embraced even though he did something that was uh that was wrong. So this is uh this is the idea. This is the the the path of Rafuk. This is the path of his student Ravari Levvin. The loving nature, the open door, the way to make people feel to feel welcome and uh to teach Torah to everyone and uh and to inspire others with Torah. So here I want to share with you actually I'm going to share with you two dra to from Rufkook that relates to this idea of of the embrace and the openness to others. I think for for just for everyone that's here and those that have studied RV cook this is we this is something that we that's very much uh very much uh well known when we think about Rifk Cook and the way of Rifk Cook. So I want to share two detour that relate to sukus if I'm allowed to do that. I know we're 3 days or 4 days after sukas but I thought because my suka is still up we have not taken it down so I don't know about you um so I think I we can still share one one or two ideas about sukas and this really relates to this idea of the of how to create an embracing environment and a loving environment which is the way that Rkook sees the suka that the suka is a place that we bring people together. So here are two uh two dra Torah one and here I'm going to read it to you share it with you this is page two right in the middle of the page and it's it's based on a gra a line in the garra it says the Torah says that every Jew every citizen of Israel should sit in a suka that's what the puk says what does the gamarra say on that mame what can we learn from this puk is ruim He says, "What would be?" The Gomorrah says this, not Rafuk. The Gamarra says, "How beautiful it would be if we could build one suka large enough that all of the Jewish people could sit together in a single suka." That's what the Gamarra says. Sounds like a sounds like a cook. No, that's just the gamarra. The gamarra says based on the puk that the entire Jewish people sits in a suka. Meaning if we could all just sit in a single suka together, how beautiful that would be. By the way, it's not so easy. Just not not the not the space of the suka, but how to get everybody sitting together in one space. That's the the beauty of the suka. So here Rkook writes the following as a commentary on this line in the gar. As long as we are sinful and we're brought down by our sins shalom when we're in a place of sin on a personal level so it's hard for us to make peace with others when we're feeling bad about ourselves so it's hard for us to see others in a positive light okay that's where says but when chuva is so strong and when is chuva right after because we have cleansed ourselves in and the Jewish people are now healed from the sickness of then the purity of soul then becomes strong within us all the different perspectives that they all come together the and they all they all join together. The problem is says Rkook one of the reasons why we're not together that we're not unified is that we're sinning and that sinning kind of brings a a little bit of a depressing feeling and that depression doesn't allow us to have the joy that's needed to bring all of us together. But once we're purified from sin, we can all now come together. And that's what he writes. So afterwards after the orim. So the beauty the light of Torah and the light of Shamayim and all come to the four and all the different ideas. Yes, we might have different perspectives but it doesn't really mean anything. We want to be together. And that brings us to the wholeness. That's how we all enter one suka. And he quotes one more source from who was the great student of mitzvah. This is the essence of the mitzvah of sukal. What is suk is about? It's about bringing the Jewish people together. So this is the theme that highlights raen the great student of also highlights as well. The suka represents a unity of bringing everyone together. And how does it bring everyone together? Once were purified from the sin of of uh of all our transgressions of rashishana and and yum kipper. We now feel that uplift and uh the joy and the optimism and that energy which brings all of us together as uh as one. And one other idea I think I mentioned I may mention it here in the past. It's worth mentioning again. Um, I was just listening last night. There was Anel Hosana Rabba. So that goes back this past Thursday night in Woodmir. Anybody know where Woodmir is? Woodmir, New York. There was a big gathering of all the shulles and they had the rabbis of all the congregations give like a 20inut devar to Torah and the Dvar Torah was what is the most important lesson that you learned from your your rabbi? That was the topic. Very beautiful night. They had Ravari Liuititz who's the head of Smika. Um other rabbis of Shai Shakar. So all the rabbis in the community came together. They all had 20 minutes and the 20 minutes was what was the lesson that you learned from your rabbi that you want to share with the community. So the rabbis spoke about uh lessons from refers she and then one of the rabbis name is Rabbi Frlift Fin. He's a rabbi Beth Shalom in Lawrence. Not sure if you're familiar with that, Shul Rabbi Fry. And he said, "The rabbi that I want to quote," he said, "I never studied with this rabbi, but his name is Rifkuk." He said, "This is the rabbi that I that I that I'm inspired by." Interesting. In Lawrence, also in Woodmir, they're also talking about Rifkok, not only here in Shalai. And he says, "Here's the Dvar Torah that I want to share, the lesson that I want to share with everyone." And we've mentioned this here. You probably have heard it but this this is what he this is what he shared with hundreds or the thousand people that were there that night. Rafuk says that the suka is different than every other mitzvah that we have. How is it different? That the suka what's that? >> Okay, good one. You could put your whole body. Beautiful. That's a different var. But that's a beautiful dart as well. What's different about suka? You can have four walls. You could have three walls. You could have two and a half walls and it's acceptable. You also have that say as long as you have 10th f that that's considered a full wall. You have even if it doesn't reach the top it's considered as if it reaches the top. You do not find this in other all the variations, all the possibilities. Even if it's not whole, it's still considered to be the mitzvah in the fullest sense, right? We don't say that about fillin. We don't say that about chabas. We don't say that about kash. As long as it's almost kosher, then it's kosher, right? We don't if only they would say that. But no, that's not the everything has to be 100. But when it comes to suka, it can be again three walls, two and a half walls, all these different variations. when it comes to suka. So we say to uh we say in our daviding on Friday night as well shalom alenu that hashem should cover us with a sukat shalom. What does that mean? A suka of shalom. We say every Friday night we say that in the mar every y of salenuata. God please cover us with a suka of peace. sort of cook says you know what when it comes to peace and when it comes to looking at others and the way the we evaluate others even if there isn't perfection even if it's not whole even if a person might be missing something that you should see that person as kosher you should see that person in a beautiful light that's the way that he even though it's a little bit different than the way that I read in Rifook but that's the way that he shared it that's what it means auka that's what it means sukata And we're praying every Friday night. We should have shalom the way a suka has wholeness, has shalom, has shimmut. Even where it's not whole, even when it's not perfect, we should see the kashr in the other person. We should see the goodness in the other person. Like rebel benazar who opened the door and said, "No, I see goodness in everyone. I see potential in everyone." We're not going to follow the shittita rabbl. That's one shittita, but that's not the shittita. Hill and Shami. Shami said also, "We're going to limit. It's going to be somewhat exclusive to those people that are appropriate for studying Torah." Hil said, "No, we open the door for everyone to study." And that's the beauty of our community. The beauty of our community is Torah learning. And this is the lesson. Torah learning needs to be available. Access to that. Everyone should have access. And the community needs to to to make that a a priority. One more beautiful line from RV Cook and then we'll uh yeah we'll come to uh come to a close. I just like this one line from RVuk. I have it in translation the bottom of page too. This is it's found in a letter in Igro Taraya. It's like you can almost like kind of blow this up or put it on a uh put it on your refrigerator. He writes the following. My beloved brothers, this is Rafuk writing the letter. If only I had arms the size of the world so that I could hug you with I could hug you all with love. Which is a beautiful line. If only my arms were long enough that I could hug everybody here. Right? That's that's just s just a beautiful sentiment. If only I could hug everyone. And Ruk says if only I could hug all of Amistrael. I just don't remember any other rabbi like using a phrase like that or that imagery which I I think is very very beautiful. Okay, two more items and we'll uh we'll close. So this is for this week's para. What parha are we reading this shabas? >> Hard to believe, right? We're back to again. Back to braid. By the way, the say the last letter of the Torah is and the last letter is lammed and the first letter of the Torah is >> abs. What does that spell the say? As we start the Torah again, we connect the letters and that's what does Hashem want. That Hashem wants heart. That Hashem wants our open hearts and that we should be open to others. Right? That's Rkook. That's the teaching of Rkook. Okay. One of Rkook's rebum, one of his most influential rabbis was a rabbi by the name of the Nitsie, Rabbali Yehuda Berlin. He was the rashiva of the valian yeshiva where ruk studied and he has a famous and we'll just do it in one line and this is uh this is homework homework over shabas to read this entire paragraph but famously there's he writes an introduction the tiv has an introduction to all the books of the Torah each book of the Torah in his commentary and famously he says this safer is known as safer hayashar This book is known as safer yashar. In a number of sources, if you look at nim other sources, it calls safer bracer hayashar. Why is it called safer hayashar? And this is what the nitiv writes. It's called safer hayashar because the aos the aos that we learn about in safer brachet those are the the uh the prime personalities of the seafir that they were yes. And what does it mean to be a yashar? he says is the highest level that a person can attain and he writes the following and I'll just um you see the underline I think I underlined that for you and there's an arrow there and he's referring to the time where the mikdash was destroyed we sayimra at that time yes there are people that were righteous they were they study Torah with great effort But what was missing that they were not that they were not straight in the way that they behaved that conducted themselves with others and I'll read one more line skipping four or five lines here and this is the great praise of the forefathers and not only were they righteous and they love God but of more than that. The nitiv says being a yasher is considered to be the highest praise that they treated every single person and even gentiles in the most beautiful way with every person they acted with love and they were concerned that everyone deserved the best that this is the very essence of what it means to um to uh create a world a world of okay so that is you can read the rest of that but I I think about the that relationship of Rkook and the Nitiv this is certainly a teaching that uh that he heard from the nitiv and the message of how important it is the kindness and the embrace to every person. Okay, I'm going to end with the with the following story. Uh it's a beautiful RV cook story which I I I I was not familiar with until I just read it and I'm going to read it to you just uh to uh to capture the beauty of this story. Rafuk believed by the way in the the beauty of every Jew, the holiness of every Jew. But I would say he there was he he he saw even a greater beauty in Jews that were returning to the land of Israel. the righteousness of Jews that were living in the land of Israel just to be here and often the sacrifice of Jews to come to land of Israel. He saw that that was a um that was an expression of righteousness just to live in the land of Israel. You're a righteous person that you've come here that you've sacrificed that you've made this a priority in your life you're righteous you're a savic that's the way the Rafuk and again famously that he saw the kalutim having that righteousness as well. So let me share with you the following. We'll end with this. The following story story. So the following remarkable story was told by Yeal Galzer who served as Israel's vice state controller. I don't know what that is exactly. Galzer would often visit Afram Yeetszkakoen Cook's home in order to be inspired by his holy presence. And he writes about one such experience. Okay. So this is a firsthand experience or or knowledge or that he witnessed it by a man by the name of Yigal Galzar. During one of my visits, I found the rabbi in his study absorbed in a complex talmudic topic. Suddenly I heard a hesitant knocking at the door. The door opened partially and a Yemenite Jew slight of stature with streaks of white in his beard and long payot entered the room. By the way, has anybody here been in the office of RVuk? You can visit Rufk's home and you can see the office his chair and we're going to talk about that chair. The chair is still there but he wrote it's very beautiful his glasses. This is in beta on Rufk Street. You can go in anytime they dive in there over Shabas as well and you can go right into the office where Ruf where he wrote where he studied and where the story uh description the story in the office. So the Yemenite man enters the office. The guest closed the door behind him and stood in the doorway his back to the door. He lowered his head to the floor, afraid to look at the rabbi directly. Rifuk raised his eyes from his Talmud and looked at the man kindly. "Come closer, my son." With a gentle voice, the rabbi tried to instill confidence in the visitor. With slow steps, the man drew near to the rabbi's desk. He remained standing head down. "What is disturbing you, my son?" "Honored rabbi," the Yemenite man said. I came to ask the rabbi an important question. Ask, my son, ask. For 25 years, I have performed backbreaking labor. From morning to evening, I weeded plots of land so that orchards could be planted. I planted saplings, dug up stones from fields, excavated foundations for building in Aritzel. I spent all of my strength in exhausting manual labor. and yet I barely earn enough to support my family. Embarrassed, the Yemenite lowered his head. I would like to ask, is it permissible for me to immigrate to America? Perhaps there my fortune will shine and I'll be able to properly support my family. The visitor finished his short speech and remained standing in silence. For several minutes, Rook sat deep in thought. Abruptly he stood up, pointed to his chair, and he commanded the man to sit. The visitor became filled with trepidation. "Honored rabbi," he stammered. "It is improper that a stranger should sit on your chair." "Sit," the rabbi repeated. With short, reluctant steps, the Yemenite man walked around the desk until he came to the rabbi's chair. He slowly lowered himself into the seat. As soon as he sat down, his head dropped to the desk and he fell into a deep sleep. A short while later, he woke startled. "What happened when you slept?" asked the RV Rev cookook. "I dreamt that I had passed on to the next world," he reported. "My soul ascended to heaven. When I reached heaven gates, heaven's gates, there was an angel standing at the entrance who directed me to the heavenly court. There I saw scales, scales of justice. The Yemenite labor continued his account. Suddenly, carriages drawn by horses rushed in front of me. The carriages were loaded with packages. Some of the packages were small, some were mediumsiz, and some were large. The angels began unloading the packages and placed them on one side of the scales. That side of the scales plunged downward due to the weight until it nearly reached the ground. "What is the meaning of these packages?" I asked the angel standing before me. These, oh mortal, are your sins and faults from your days on earth. Everything is accounted for, he replied. And my spirits fell. Then another carriage arrived. These carriages uh other carriages arrived. These carriages were loaded with dirt, with rocks, with stones and sand. As the angels loaded them on the other side of the scales, it began to lift up slightly the side of sins and transgressions. What is the meaning of these bundles of dirt? I asked. These are the stones, rocks, and dirt which your hands labored to remove from the ground of the holy land of Israel. They came to speak in your defense for your part of the mitzvah of Yisharat settling the land of Israel. Trembling, I stared at the side of merits. I saw it dipping lower and lower, lifting the opposite side. Finally the side of merits ceased mo ceased moving. It stopped as it outweighed the sins. You see my son Rkook told the man gently you have received your answer from heaven. So that is the uh that's the story of Rkook and this Yemenite man. He falls asleep and he sees the dream. In the dream he sees that that work that that sacrifice of coming to Arit Israel, all the dirt, all the stones, all the sand, all the sand that that was the that uh that Hashem gave him entry into uh into Ganaden into uh into heaven. So Ravkuk this is one of the beautiful teachings one of the beautiful messages of Ravkuk um to see the good in others to see the holiness in others to see the sanctity in others and he would always call the kalutim the kodes kadeshim that they are the holy of holies right those that are sacrificing for the land so this is the an explanation a beautiful explanation that we uh that we give to the very first Mishna that our doors are open as Hill will open the door as Revelazaria open the door that all of us opening the door for others opening the doors of our homes of our hearts to uh to people from all walks of life and to bring them closer to Torah to bring them closer to to uh to Hashem. All right, we uh we will stop you our seat. Yeah, if there's any questions or comments, happy to