Rav Kook's Eretz Chefetz 11:1 - Judging Favorably by Rabbi Aaron Goldscheider

all right good morning everyone Booker to wonderful to see you again and uh I was in the states for the last few weeks I was uh together with family for pesak and it's beautiful to be back in yush to be back here at the U center to see everyone this morning great to see everyone here and uh we have the honor to continue our learning of Riv cook together there are Source Sheets if anybody did not receive Source sheets and we have copies here at the front table and uh there are two sheets on one is side one and two and the second one three and four and I'll begin with our regular sponsor this year is sponsored this morning and for the Academic Year nishas okay so here we are and uh we begin again and we are in the 11th chapter for those that have been with us for close to two years now we've been studying the work eret we continue uh in that and if this is your first time that's that's uh that works as well every every Shear stands on its own um but we're looking at right now it's parag Al and um the title of this section or of this parag is sad which means the role or the purpose of the sadik of the generation and we're we're about to see a very beautiful piece a very beautiful teaching from ru cook where one of the issues that he's going to address is um the popularity of the Hebrew language which is really being brought being brought back into use by the uh by theim by the secular Community as we know famously elzar B Yehuda we'll hear a story with him in just a moment where he is uh bringing back the Hebrew language but it's being brought back to the Jewish people not through the religious community and not through the Torah Community but here we have the Hebrew language being spoken again and um that they're advocating for the Jewish people or those that are returning to the land of Israel to speak Hebrew and again it's coming from a a non-religious source it's coming from secular people so on the one hand you have the I guess the spiritual or religious component that it's the Hebrew language on the other hand it's being is being reintroduced and being made Popular by uh non-religious by a non religious sector so this is uh what RI cook is going to address yes please it was always preserved always preserved by ah very good that that's true that's a good point and I think that's and that's where you have the tension because yes every Jew believes and certainly a religious Jew believes in the in the in the Holiness and spirituality and the importance of the Hebrew language as you said we're writing in Hebrew throughout the generations every great Rabbi is writing their sarim in Hebrew and so this becomes a bit of a challenge to the um to that generation that those early 1900s and how the rabbi leadership was going to respond to it and we'll see two responses as you may guess the way that Riv cook is going to respond to it what he sees in it and what the traditionalists or many of the traditionalists find problematic with uh with reintroducing the Hebrew language okay so let's see the let's see what R cook has to say as we always begin with with the writing of R cook and um you know I was just on the road I was teaching in a few communities I was in Albany New York for chabis conected New York for shabis I was in Baltimore for a chabis and I taught a lot of Riff cook and I always asked has anybody here studied riff cook so no no hands go up nobody nobody nobody has studied riff cook and yeah I didn't study riff cook I went to Yu there was nobody talking about riff cook so um so it's uh it's Aus and a blessing to be here in and for all of us and for many of us who have studied together we've been studying a long time the words of Rook but I find it important for all of us to see the words not just to hear about Riv cook but study the actual writing we're seeing right now the the writing of Riv cook why did they avoid it why did they avoid it it's a good it's a good question I think all right all avoided because of his um well controversial because it was controversial yeah I would say we'll read the piece right now we'll see why they that why they avoided it because they because some of the things that R cook introduces and his point of view his perspective is not something that they were on board with many of the things that he that he was suggesting and certainly his his openness to Zionism his openness to the secular community and we're going to see that right now those are the words that we're going to read right now and yes for many people that was problematic and we'll we'll see exact we'll make exactly that point let let's let's jump into uh let's jump into our learning so he writes the following all of the Acquisitions the Kim of the um of the nation that are precious to the nation which are related to the spirit the national Spirit of the Jewish people now again that which the Jewish people are drawn to in terms of their nationalism that's not the Torah per se but those things that are nationalistic those things that the Jewish people are that they find meaningful he says if you look closer if you look a little bit deeper you'll see that the spirit of God of Holiness is found in all of them and what is he referring to and this is what we just opened with a moment ago Arta that the Jewish people have a love and a yearning for the land of Israel again those are theim that have a great love for the land of Israel the language that they love the language that they're returning to the language told the history of the Jewish people that they want to know tanak they want to know the history Min even the the customs of the Jewish people and again here I don't think he's referring to sort of the religious Customs but more of the more of the the ways of uh of a Jew having bagels and locks on a Sunday morning so he says that also you should see you should see in all that the Jewish people that they love a certain culture of the Jewish people the language of the Jewish people that you should see in that he says that there is a godliness that there's a spirit of God that's found in all of them and if if you will find at certain times if there'll be a certain wakening Awakening of the Jewish people for for any of these matters and were you to say that this is just you know just a like an interest of the nation and if you want to refuse to see in them the godliness that's found the sanctity that's found in these items what is the what's the role of the sad and here this this is where um where this piece is highlighting the the particular role of a sadik what the sadik does maybe the leader of the generation what he does what is he supposed to do are you to revolt against or deny rebel against that Spirit of the nation a even with words even to say something negative about these items and to find fault in these Acquisitions of the Jewish people that the Acquisitions of the Jewish people again the language the history these loves of the Jewish people this is not possible this should not be done rather is that the ruem that the spirit of God in the ru Isel and the spirit of the Jewish people they are one and if the Jewish people are are finding a um meaning and that they are expressing love for the land of Israel for the history of Israel for the language of Israel you should see in that something great and you should see not only something great but there is a great spirit of God that is to be found in that as well and here I want to share with you the following uh the following story now this is a story of and it comes from a book called guardian of Jerusalem it's an art scroll book about the life of RAB Yosef Kim zanfeld who was the religious leader of the of what we would call like thei Camp of of erel at the time of R cook and there was another great leader as well his name is rabm salant rabm salant who was the the chief Rabbi of yam in the early late 1800s early 1900s and here's a conversation that RAB salant has with elazar Ben Yehuda now elzar Ben Yehuda he is reintroducing he's the father of modern Hebrew and elzar Ben Yuda turns to this Rabbi this traditional Rabbi here in Yim and he says not explicitly stated in the Yi in the Jerusalem talmud this is elzar B Yuda speaking that anyone who lives in AR Israel and speaks Hebrew is guaranteed a portion in the world to come now there was there's something special about a Jew living in Israel speaking Hebrew that that is a guarantee right that's a we should all know that if we're living here and we're speaking Hebrew we have our portion inhab no matter what no matter what else we do in life if so he says to the great Rabbi What fault have you found with my Hebrew that you continue to converse and study in Yiddish so this is elazar Ben Yehuda speaking to Rabbi salant so this is the answer that he gave so the Jerusalem RV rabul Salan replied is there any food more used for Holy purposes than Wine the Torah is likened to Wine the Kish is made over wine chevos are recited at a wedding they're made over wine benching said with a group of people is said over a full cup of wine and there are many other things that can justly be said in Praise of wine nevertheless the moment a non-jew touches wine it is immediately transformed into Y which is Heathen wine from which it is forbidden for a Jew to derive any benefit RAB then completed the analogy by citing that the mouth the speech is like the best of wine now what did he mean by that what did he just say and he said something which is very sharp and not easy to to uh to hear but he said the fact that you have touched Hebrew yes Hebrew is Holy but you have now taken the Hebrew language a holy language and you're using it in a secular way that now makes Hebrew prohibited just as wine is toly for the most part but once once a once a heathen touches it a gentile touches that wine it's no longer kosher wine you've taken the Hebrew language you're touching the Hebrew language and again he's referring you see how he's referring to that group of people as that they're Heathen like that they're Gentile likee that you've taken something holy and you have profaned that Holiness of the language therefore we're not going to use it right we're not interested in using the Hebrew language and I'll just read on here whenever someone would attempt to invest the Hebrew language with inordinate National importance rul Salan normally the most Pleasant and agreeable of men would deliver a sharp retort stressing that it was not language but rather the strict observance of Torah mitzvot which preserved Jewish identity throughout the ages he was making the point as well that you're making Hebrew to be the the the most important element and feature of Jewish life and with that that's problematic it's the Torah it's the mitzvot it's not Hebrew the secular movement was put in great emphasis and the greatest emphasis on Hebrew and therefore that community and here we see an example of this R salant and the community of Rim zanfeld they felt that's not something that we can adopt but here I want to show you the contrast in terms of Rook what does ruk say and R cook act he's living at the same time this is what's going on this is literally what's the the arguments in in the streets what people are talking about and R cook comes along we just read the the passage he said if they're Reviving the Hebrew language if this is a love that they have there's Holiness in that and there's the Holiness of God in that language that's a holy act and we need to you know we need to be supportive of that yes please okay right yeah yeah very good yeah no you're right that would have been a good uh a good retort what he said that there she she said that there there are things that don't become T touching a safer ter you could say that the language itself that there's no way that it that it becomes impure yes Rosanne not Spanish they spoke yeah would be a fore language langage right right as it turns out to be absolutely did you want to make a comment yes how things have changed or have not changed they have changed yeah yeah yeah right there's still a little bit of of a remnant of this in terms of those that want to hold on to Yiddish yeshivas that are speaking Yiddish and there is a remnant of this as well yes dialog that's going on yeah I absolutely right absolutely right and that was the question I was asked earlier why is it that the communities have not adopted Riv Cook's writings and why is it that in an American scene you can ask have you ever stud R cook and they're not familiar with it because it it represents something bigger and that is what is our approach to to Zionism in general religious Zionism and that Community thei the right-wing Community essentially has not a not adopted a uh a positive stance towards towards that so let's just read on in Riv cook the uh the the the last paragraph of ruk In this passage Ella so what is the role of the sadik what is the role of uh of the great people of the generation there's great work to be done holy work to reveal the Holy Light to shine and to reveal that Holy Light that's found in the nation again this's a very different perspective and what I what I feel is a very beautiful perspective I think for many of us we uh we're drawn to this idea in other words not to reject it right not to say that that's wrong not to say that you're like again I salant was a great sadic but somehow he felt that you know that this is something pish you know we just can't touch a Hebrew language where it's being reintroduced by secular people and RI cook says no we are to see the the beauty in it we are to we are to support it and we are to highlight the Holiness of that of what they're doing to show them that there's great light that the light of God that's found within it this is a very interesting line other words to show them that what they're in other words not to convince them to be religious because that's hard to do to tell somebody well you're secular I like you to you know become more religious that's we think about kiru in that way but actually to reveal to them that what you're doing is Holy there words to say to them no you don't have to you don't have to do anything different per se what you're doing in other words to to to uplift them and to be positive and to say the Hebrew that you're speaking I want you to know that you're doing something that's remarkable you're doing something that's holy right you're bringing back a language that we that yes we write our sarim in Hebrew our the language of prayer is in Hebrew that you're speaking this language and as the gamar says those that speak the language of Hebrew in the land of Israel you have a place Inaba tell that to a secular Jew go to a secular Jew and say look how religious you are look how special your life is look how beautiful your commitment even even though you may not even realize it I want I want to you know I want to thank you for that I want to honor you for that so that's what R cook says R cook says that's the that's the that's the approach that's the D right not to convince them of some of something different than what they're doing to highlight that what they're doing is religious to highlight what they're doing is Holy and is sacred meaning Hebrew right know I saying so remnant of this still yeah yeah yes right again for them to speak Hebrew in America doesn't you know that's uh that doesn't really work uh um but yes part of it is to um is to remain separate and to and to hold on to the uh the traditions of old and yes okay um so just the last line to him that they're that they're lit up they're resplendant in Holiness that they have a strength on high so this is a very beautiful again a very beautiful way that ruk speaks about and his path in terms of those that were bringing back the Hebrew language not only to see that in a positive light but also to highlight to them to share with them that that we that we're astounded right that we're impressed by the fact that this is what you're doing and in that way create a a bond and and a uh and a cohesiveness within am Israel so one of the ideas that I want to highlight from this piece is uh is is a d or is a path of ruk in General in terms of of and this is something that those that have been studying R cook that we've been studying together that we know well from the like life of R cook is um the way that he is and we'll use the language of the Mish that we'll see in a moment is Dan the right that he always that he's always looking for the that he's always looking to judge favorably in in and to to to judge others the benefit in others the best in others and I want to highlight a uh to be to begin that discussion a medish that Ru Cook highlights that he cites a beautiful medish about AR ainu that AR ainu that this was the way of AR in his life as well the Met says the following this is the bottom of page one the Met says about Abraham that the Holy One Blessed Be he said Abraham now this is a p that's found inim that he loves this is a description of a that he loves SED that he loves righteousness the and he hates R he hates wickedness so the Met says the following that's one way of reading the P but you can really read it another way that you love to vindicate my Creations in other words you love to find what is it that's unique about Abraham that he loves to find he loves to find Merit in others that's his way right he walks into a room he sees people he's introduced to people and he's always looking for the best that was the way of Abraham in his life and again to me that's that represents uh that signifies the life that Rook LED as well and may that he refused to assign guilt to others he never wanted to he never wanted to see and never wanted to highlight or to identify guilt in another person that was the way of ab ainu and this is the continuation of the and therefore he was anointed with the oil of Hashem and there was Joy of uh and there was Joy an oil of Joy from among your peers that's the way it's translated so what does that mean from Noah until were 10 Generations I did not reveal prophecy to anyone until from Noah until Abraham and according to this medish why did he receive Prophecy from God we think about prophecy because he attained maybe certain levels of you know meditative uh Insight or whatever it may be that he reached high levels that's what that not what the Met says the reason why Hashem spoke to abam specifically is because the love that he had for others that he always saw the best in others and when Hashem saw that in Abraham Hashem said this is the person that I want to speak to this is the person that I want to reveal prophecy to because that's the way that he that that's his conduct that's his behavior that's his love for for his fellow man okay so if we can turn out to page two I want to share with you three insights and this is um and this is appropriate for these days one of them in hug him of uh of this period of time as we move from pesak to shabot is that the Jewish Community is learning pavos every chabas is a A Min of learning a peric of peros this coming chabas is the fourth paric of peros but um here I want to highlight actually two mishos and two teachings from the first paric which have to do with this idea in terms of how we how we relate to others how we view others how we how we judge others so this is I would say it's one of the more famous that we have from that's found in the mishna in per it's it's the six mishna and the first parak and here we have an Insight from RAR lvin now RAR Lin is considered to be one of the great tamim of ruk he was a close friend of ruk known as thead of and we have the following comment that he makes he says he quotes the following gamar this is the top of page to Al hadan if you judge your friend favorably then hasem will judge you favorably so that is the the statement that's made in the gar Gar shabas and then we have another statement then we have another statement the gamar that says that a person who's M Alid so what does it mean M Alid it means if somebody has a offended you right somebody has said something to hurt you somebody's done something wrong to you Ma Alida means that you that you forgive the person that you that you you know that you kind of look the other way that's not easy that's not easy to do not easy to do at all right somebody offends you and you just okay whatever it is so that's mid and what does it say about such a person who says that the person is Forgiven for all of their sins if you're able to do that as Murray just said not an easy thing to do but if you're able to do that so then Hashem forgives you for your sins I guess You' forgiven somebody else for their mistakes their transgression Hashem does the same for you as well sir Arin asked the question what is considered greater of the two to be Don or to be m al now they're they're similar to one another but the gamar says that there's like a different reward for for each one in other words to be to judge someone favorably or to to got to forgive somebody for their for their offense which one is considered greater so this is what do you say what which one's harder to forgive somebody so to okay so look look look at what he writes what they yeah no they're similar to one another so so the father of the prisoners he was known rarin because he visited the prisoners here he would do that every chabas he would Davin with them he says it seems that being to forgive somebody that's considered greater than is he says that's not the case when you kind of Look Away somebody offends you it's nice that you did that that you forgave somebody that that that hurt you offended you but what but the person that offended you he remains in this in he remains with the sin other words you haven't you forgave him but but you now still view him as a sinner as somebody who's transgressed who somebody that hurts you but hadan not only have you done something good by by being down you have now lifted up your friend as well there's what does that mean to be done at kadas mean you have found some Merit in what that person has done there's that's not just forgiving somebody else that's saying you know somehow seeing in what that person has done as there's something positive there as well You' you you found some Merit in it that's you found some some Merit in that right that's not not if it's not easy to forgive somebody who's offended you how difficult it is to be done so that and what we just read earlier in terms of ruk what did he do with that community that was bringing back the Hebrew language right it wasn't just okay we'll kind of like accept the fact that they've done that but he says no I see something great in what they're doing I see a great Mitzvah I see great Holiness in that that's done okay so that that is a lesson fromin now his son this isud hen cook he would often quote from the gbi this is the way that he would interpret the mishna what does the language say of the mishna means the entire person you look at every Factor every feature of that person then you can find Merit in that person in that way you can find in that person there words you don't just look directly at the at the transgression right and and what they may have offended you or what that person has done wrong but you see a larger picture and I think that's what the next the next idea from RAB carap that he uh that he highlights look at number three this is again one of the great students of R what does it mean to be to be look at the beautiful teaching of number three what is this idea that you have to look deeper into what is sometimes the hidden what is a hidden um will of person and to choose in other words that there's a that there was good intent words maybe the person did something that on the outside it appears to be bad but to try to find a deeper intent in the person that there was something that there was positive or maybe the person never really intended to do that that way you can turn everything you can find some good in every person and every act this is the this is the service this is the work of thead to find good in the world and in this way you bring your fellow Jew closer and under the wing of thead again this is as I highlighted earlier that's what ruk was doing ruk was finding the good let's say in this example of the of the Hebrew language of bringing back the Hebrew language and he was pointing out that they're doing something that is that's holy that's sacred that this is the ruim that it's the spirit of God behind that and in that way we're bringing people closer we're bringing the Jewish people closer together and read one more line here who is all good that's the greatness thead that he's able to see good in everything and that he looks deeper and he finds the good that he's able to find Holiness in everything and then wickedness just naturally kind of dissipates it falls away soap is pointing out that one is to look for the something a little bit deeper right maybe on the outside it appears that the person did the following transgress but that that's what it means down the cops yes please yes yes yes very nice that's what the gamar says the gar says as we quote on the top if that's the way that you view others then then Hashem responds in the same way mid mid if that's the way that you view others you're always finding the best in others Hashem is finding the best in you as well even when when you may be uh when you may transgress or make a mistake one other one other idea and this comes from ruk from the writing of ruk and this is another mishna that's found in the first paric which is also relates to how we how we view others how we interact with others and interestingly it comes from shamai shamai we usually think of shamai as as sort of the tougher personality Hill and shamai but shamai says the following the is the last Source on page two says you should make regular learning in your life as we're doing right now and Shai says don't talk that much but do a lot and here this is the this is what we want to highlight and when you greet another person when you see another person it should be it should be with with a smile with with with warmth that's how we shamai says that's how we need to greet one another how a Jew needs to greet one another is that we're always greeting one another with uh with a with with positivity and with a warmth and with a with a a feeling that we're being welcomed by the other so R cook says the following now by the way that's not the way to interpret is not only how we greet one another when we say shim or we see one another but it's how we how we interact with one another sa that we're that we're that we interact in that way that there's a certain warmth there's a heish that we that we're that we accept one another that we see the best in one another so how do we do that how do we do that so RI cook says the following and this really I think this this really is a challenge but he says this is how we break through in terms of our relationship and and again look at where R cook is talking about these secular Jews where others are saying you know they're they're they're almost like Gentiles and we have to keep a distance from them any anything that they touch becomes trafe and ruk is saying no just the opposite let's find a way to embrace them let's find a way to unify with them let's find a way to highlight that what they're doing is really holy so how do we do that so look at what ruk writes a beautiful idea this is the bottom of page four the writing of Rook the Z and here is a general principle we're in the bottom of page two right under the number four if you don't see any fault with yourself and you believe and if you believe if you're convinced that your D that your position that your path is absolutely right no then you're going to see negativity in others the and you're always going to see that the others don't have it right what does this mean if you are absolutely convinced that you are right and everybody else is wrong you're always going to see negative in others but what does it require requires that we see ourselves in our own position as maybe we don't have it 100% right religious zionis whatever we believe in and and we believe in that strongly but to say you know what maybe maybe not everything's perfect in my in my D every maybe not everything is perfect in my community maybe there are things that I need to learn from others right but very often we're so convinced right that we have it right and the others have it wrong so R cook says the first step is not to believe not to be convinced that you have it absolutely right right you have to see first the first step is to see that maybe there's some fault that you have or in your community and what happens when you don't do that third line second word then you'll have a certain enmity or jealousy with that comes a certain that you see yourself there's a certain GA there's an ego there and with that ego yes you see the fault in others and that brings about a certain again if you're convinced if you're overly confident in yourself and maybe in the ways of your community and you see everybody else as being wrong right the secular Jew has it totally wrong the have it totally wrong if that's the way that you see it so yes you're going to be very judgmental and you're not going to be you're not going to accept others but savior Punam yafos but if you see yourself if you question yourself I know Reb salich would often say that you say I'm not so sure if I have it if I have it correct in other words yes I've chosen this D right this is what I believe but that doesn't mean that it's that there aren't other that there aren't other paths and that I who says that I have it you know 100% correct myself in that way you're not going to accept others greet others and interact with others in a in a welcoming and a uh and uh in a warm way right then you're going to be mck with others you're going to again this judging of others and the last two lines here from R but if you see there's a certain humility in yourself then this will save yourself from all of this this brings about a humility and patience so this is something that uh yeah it's a great challenge because we we as Jews we we're we're a stiff NE people and we we believe that our way and our d and our community has it right that's important to do by the way because we knew we need to choose DK in life and there is a certain confidence and a certain Pride that we that we that we need to have that we should have in terms of our our way of living our Jewish life but if you are absolutely convinced if that comes with a certain ego and a certain overconfidence that I'm right and you're wrong so then yes Savor panim you're not going to have davus you're not going to have so the first step says Rook is don't be so confident don't be so sure that you have it absolutely right maybe the there's something in that community that they have right maybe there's something in the secular world that they have that that they have right that we don't have correct and that's what of cook does I me amazingly that it says here out the secular Community the Hebrew language is being revitalized I see that they're doing something that we're not doing They're bringing back the Hebrew language not only in writing far but they're speaking it yes they're fulfilling this Mitzvah that the gamar says that a Jew that speaks Hebrew in the land of Israel has a place in the world to come and I'm going to appreciate that I'm going to highlight that I'm going to tell them how beautiful it is what they're doing and did that bring the Jewish people together what a beautiful DK right is it sounds like he he has it right he has it right so let's turn to uh let's turn to um to page three and actually we'll skip the uh this top paragraph for now um page three and let's go to the bottom so this is one of the collections of R Cook's teachings it's called which means his inner Chambers and this is a collection of teachings from rev cook things that he was not writing for the public he was writing really diaries for himself just things that he would you know contemplations that he would have and somebody collected there was a rabbi that collected some of these writings of Riv cook these were again personal reflections of Riv cook and it was just translated just in the last couple of months they just came out Kor just came out with a translation of this of this work that Sal na or and here is one line from uh from this collection kadav khadar his inner what it's a new Trans just came out a couple of months ago Corin uh kin published it or is the translator and here's just one again one one line one uh one one example from uh from this safer from this collection but I think it it it speaks very much to to what what our our theme this morning this is what he writes you have it in Hebrew in the translation he says I love I love people I love all people says Rook B in no way will I change my inner character in other words that's just that's who I am I'm a person who loves others that's just my that's my personality I see Merit I see the best in others I see the I see the best I see the best in others I see the sad every every person has there's something positive something good on all things all of life that's just that's the person that I am theem and the light of God will re be revealed on everyone on all and his Mercy is on all of his Creations I just I find that line you know I find it I find it inspirational but it really says a lot about Ru cook and about his personality and I think the way that he um the way that he would like all of us to live and that is with that kind of um that inclination right that kind of that kind of relationship that he that he that he believes a Jews should have for one another and actually the language that he uses is not only for a fellow Jew but he says Brio means that I love everyone every I walk the streets do you feel this way you do beautiful I walk the streets and everyone I see I just see I see a beautiful person right I see greatness I seeus I see to right that that that's Riv cook describing the way that he the way that he interacts with the world the way that he interacts with uh with his fellow man yes please yeah beautiful beautiful that's right to love right yes the with the Arabs it's a good question it's a by the way no as I as I as as I'm well first of all right now as I'm learning this material I I'm I'm asking myself the same question in other words it's easy it's easy to get up or easy to say love love love and R cook is talking about a lot of love not only is he talking about it but he says that's and that's why I share with you that M from his inner his inner chamber inner reflection that this is really how he lives his life he lives his life just with a sense of of loving others just a natural and he says you you can't change that that's my personality that's what he writes right that that's just who I am right my person that loves others that sees the best in others by the way you can think about people in in our own lives like that right there are people that are everything is a problem everything is a complaint everything there's a lot of pessimism and then there are those people that it's always it's always good right there's always positive there's and we we like being around those people and and we we like to think of ourselves as that way as well like just right seeing the best and being positive and optimistic and R cook says that's that's how he sees the world how does he address address those situations I'm not sure I think we have to I'm not an expert in Riv cook but I would say yes there's a time for there's a Malik and there's a time for war and he writes about he has and he writes yes there's a time for that that's not for enem we're not talking about enemies we're not talking about people that are trying to murder us no that's that's I don't think Ru cook is not saying that R cook is not saying that but yeah but when we walk into SCH on shabas morning so maybe we have to do a little work to you know on that everyone that we see and the people that we're interacting with that we really do and maybe even as I said just walking down the street here in sh just is that do we feel oh I love I just love like AMR I love my fellow Jew like I and no matter what he's wearing and whatever Kai is wearing or how they're covering their hair that there's no judgment there that it's just I like this is just a dream you know and and to see my fellow Jew in that light RI cook says that's how he see that's what he feels and I think that's what brings him to again kind of like going back to the our earlier you know the earlier teaching that he just he wants to find again even amongst the secular and the khim and those that are not religious Jews but he he's looking for that's what he says I see the sad to I see this I want to find good in that there's another Derk as well we open with that story of of R salant and zanfeld where they felt that and again I I don't want to judge them either because I that I think they were very concerned about you know the future of am Isel and and and that we have to sort of maintain certain boundaries and and if it's coming from a secular world that's something that we have to that we have to be careful about but that wasn't the Der of Rook rook's DK was was love and how do we how do we bring people closer how do we bring Amel closer okay um let me conclude we'll conclude with the uh with the following so this is on page page four this is on page four so one of the um one of one of the uh one of the things that we we're in the midst of right now in terms of Sasa om is uh as certain the cabalists talk about is it really is a period of of of tshua of of of correcting our ways of trying to come closer to Hashem closer to one another that we're in this count right now that we moving from to shab and that we're moving to and I saw just saw this past week the balat that he writes the first that he says is LP right that's the counting of the OM but the word sap is also like Sapphire right Sapphire which means that we're we're working on our nishas that we we want we we're polishing very good we're polishing our nishas at this time that we want to be illuminate our Our Lives so it's an interesting idea I don't know I didn't really grow up with that idea that SPH is sort of like a you know a chuva time or that we're working on working on our MOS and our our conduct it's a very beautiful idea to take advantage of that so I want to turn to this idea that's found in his writings about chuva and here he also speaks about the iron to and being danus so let's uh we'll conclude with this uh with this teaching from of cook so this is from otua and this is from pericet from the ninth chapter and he writes the following I have it here in the in the Hebrew and in Translation so a person that's thinking about chuva now when we think about chuva by the way or that term chuva doesn't just mean like the AER chuva but it means a person in life that's always looking to improve which I think that's that that in itself is is is really worthwhile just to contemplate or in other words a person that's always always wants to make strides right how do I how do I better myself again not only not only during the 10 days of repentance and you have K rashash but you're always thinking along those lines right that's like a a regular by the way we say that in daving like every single day in other words we're we're trying to improve on a regular basis and I think all of us do I think all of us to some degree live that live a life where we're we're in that with with that with that um with that frame of mind that we're looking to to be better so a person that that is in his thinking the person who always is looking to improve so you're you are establishing your personality in such a way that is Noble that you're that the kind of person who you are is you are a person that is Al that's nobility you're living a noble life in that way now you're not just going through life kind of just riding the wave right but you're a person who's always looking to improve who s and what you're you're always taking in and you're always improving you're you're you're literally so that you're like a SP you're always like taking in you're absorbing thank you is a spirit of uh gentleness a refined spirit thank you and you're living a life that is a more spiritual life a that's based on words you're living spiritually right a person that lives that way is always looking to improve that you're coming to classes that you're thinking about your ding that you're thinking about your relationships with others right a person who's thinking along those lines and talking about those things thinking about those things so that person is living a noble life a spiritual life that is and that that that in itself is is worthwhile to think about and and uh and again I think for many of us we we do that and then he writes number two and this success or living life successfully like this this is the greatest happiness of a person M from all Treasures in other words there's nothing nothing as uplifting as living a life where a person is improving that a person is thinking about self-improvement and making making strides spiritually ver and this actually brings a great joy not only to yourself but if we're living in such a context in a community that is that is that is a a community that is that's joyous this will this will to do good that's found within the soul on a regular basis it changes really everything around us if we're in company if we're in a room if we we're with others that want to grow gr as we are right now sitting together studying together here on a Monday morning that we're studying the words of R cook and studying about connecting to each others and being down to be in such a setting that's something that's uplifting and here's the one really the the one term that I wanted to highlight from this right what is that it's living life with an iron to in other words that we're always we're looking for the best we're looking for the best in ourselves we're looking for the best in others right we're looking for the best in our community and you're looking for the truth in reality and what are you doing you're taking all the complications in life all the difficulties right all that which is there's there is a lot of complication in life and we're actually going through a very complicated difficult time today right literally today in these weeks and these months but if you're always looking for the positive if you're looking for the best the best in yourself the best in others around you he says all flourishes and everything comes to life but with a joy thatat that a will to do good is something the will itself self and that's I don't have the the title of this chapter but the title of chapter T is the the importance of will other words the ratson the desire has a tremendous effect so this desire the iron Tove to be D right the sa P that if this is our inclination if this is our conduct so this is something that changes everything it changes who we are it changes those around us it changes the entire atmosphere and I think this is the lesson that Riv cook is uh a beautiful lesson that that he's teaching us something that we uh that all of us can think about actually let me just let me add one one last teaching and this is this is the bottom of the page on page four this is um also from peros it was from this past week the again the custom of of reading peros perig gimo was this past shabas and the teaching is from ran R cook studed in the Yesa and um so I think this tradition we could say comes through ruk as well and this is what the mishna says the famous he teaches if there are two people that are studying and they're not sharing Torah with one another and R says you could have two people studying in a room that's what the mishna says two people that are studying they're studying right next to one another but what happens but they're not sharing with one another right they're not talking to one another about their learning and they're not hearing the other by the way when we're talking with others in learning very often we're hearing a different position right a different idea right to sit with somebody else means well they have their idea they have their perception right they have their their insight and I have a different Insight but if you're not doing that says the mishna that there that's as if they're scorners as if they're sitting and scorning one another meaning that we need to talk to one another we need to hear from one another and hear opposing views as well but if you have two people that study and they are sharing with one another they're sharing their thoughts their ideas even if they may be different ideas opposing ideas then what then God's presence is there God loves to see and God wants to be in the presence of those that are sharing with one another especially where there's maybe opposing views that they're sharing with one another that Hashem loves to see he loves to see that that Oneness and togetherness and he makes the following di he explains the p in the following way those that fear God speak to one another and God hears what they are saying now what does that mean the APLE and God hears what they are saying so most interpret that to mean that he hears the learning that they're doing with one another that but says it doesn't mean that they hear the that Hashem hears the learning it means that Hashem hears their there is when they DAV Hashem hears them and answers theira why because just as say they hear one another they are open to hear one another Hashem says I want to do the same if they're listening to One Another they're if they're open to the other's ideas so I also am open and I want to hear what this person says soan says that is the that's the reward the reward of being together of hearing one another even opposing views that Hashem blesses those people Hashem wants to be in the presence of of uh of those people and Hashem answers Theos of those people so this is I believe one of the one of the great teachings one of the beautiful teachings of Ru cook rev cook emphasizes again and again and we've seen this together how we have to be open to one another to see the best in one another to be never to be that confident about our own der to see the beauty in each other's d as well and in that way Hashem will hear ourem will be that hashem's presence will be um in uh sitting with us in our own presence as well all right I wish everyone a yes please anyone has any comments yeah please very good very good excellent excellent very timely because sphere is all about the the the the morning period that we're in is based on the idea that the students of Raba says which is hard to imagine that the students in Yeshiva that they didn't have but that's exactly what this morning period is about that somehow that the Jewish people not the Jewish people but the students of RAB AKA that there was a lack of der so ruk is coming along to teach us that this is the most one of the most important lessons for the Jewish people especially as we're moving closer to as we're moving closer to G if we want hashem's hashem's blessing and Hashem to be with us we need to be unified and to be loving of one another Yash everyone have a uh good to see everyone again and uh look forward to seeing you next week we're back on hopefully beem back on regular schedule yes even the traditions of the Jewish people are filled with yeah