Rav Kook: Will and Ambition (Midot HaRaya’a) | Rabbi Aaron Goldsheider | June 3 2026

Welcome everyone this morning. Great to see everyone Yashiko for being here this morning. We begin with our uh with our sponsor and we have a uh a yearly or a sponsor for the year which is very very nice and uh this year is dedicated exciting learning a very important learning of RV Cook's teaching teachings regarding midote character development character improvement and um a very interesting one today this is we're up to 16 by the way if you're if you're keeping track so it's 18 there are 18 total we're making our way slowly but surely um and the title of today's character trait mida is ratson so that to me is already it's interesting again I I don't know if that's one that uh that we generally think of as a mida as a character trait and we'll see the perspective and a very beautiful teaching and inspirational one from Rafuk and how important raton is so uh when I was thinking about the idea of ratson so I don't know just think for a moment when you think ratson where do you uh you know where does your mind take you where where does one find that idea so the first I guess the first thing that came to mind is not a rabbitic source but um one of the most famous maybe the most famous uh statement that was made by Theodore Herzel and I think we can uh we can quote Theodore Herzel in this context um in this arena of Rif Cook of teaching Rufk. It was actually one of the first controversies that he faced when he came to Israel in 1904. A few months later, Herzel passed away when he arrived in Israel and it was a big issue what he was going to do in terms of eulogizing what he would say and there's a whole a whole Torah a whole discussion around that. In the end, he does give a eulogy and a very important one. So, what did Herzel say? What's his famous statement? Just call it out. >> Aada. That's right. There's the word rzone. If you will it, if you will it, then it's not an aada. It's not a it's not a fairy tale. It's not a story. If you will it, something that you will with strong will, we can accomplish great things. So that is that was Herzel's statement. One that we seem to uh seem to know and and one that we that we quote and I thought about that idea of ratson, the importance of ratson. So uh of will let's also use another another term ambition. a person a person having ambition, a person having will, a person having a desire to accomplish. Okay. So let's now let's go to the uh to the teaching of of Ravk. We are in Midot Raya. He actually has four teachings and we'll see two of them this week and the other two uh next the next time that we meet. So he writes the following Um um page one source alf you have in the Hebrew and translation below a person has to increase will ambitional in general in its fullest strength we have to get up in the morning and we have to have great ambitions personally and as a people and how do we how do we find that will how do we find that ambition in life and RV cook says that's something that we need to attune ourselves to and to think about how we can en enrich how we can increase ambition because it all comes down to ambition, right? How are we going to start that diet on Monday morning or here in Israel on Sunday morning, right? How are we going to start that diet? Where does it where does it stem from? Right? Where do we get that sense of will and willpower to be able to do that and to accomplish the things that we want to accomplish in life? So says we have to think about that idea of how important that is will willpower ambition. Let's go back to the text and then we can open it up in things of holiness. This is an interesting line. In other words, we first have to think about will itself, ambition itself. How do we develop that? How do we find that within ourselves? And then how do we move it? How do we direct it in places of kadusha? And when we think about when we think about education, raising children, we have to think about how both in the context of young people and adults, all of us here in the room, all the adults in the room that all of us, how do we find that ambition in life? How do we find that will? And how important, it's interesting that he mentions this around children. In other words, as we're raising children and being mechanic children in school and in our homes, our children, our grandchildren, how do we bring out that ambition will within uh within a person that we are to strengthen it, that we are to purify it. And to elevate it, shalom, to elevate those two ideals together, the ideal of ambition, will and holiness, and to use that will in a holy way, in a sacred way, in a way in which we're going to accomplish great things in life. So interesting just to think about this idea. The word raton actually we find it many places in the in the writings of Ravk. It's something that he was interested, something that fascinated him. will, ambition to be resolute, resilience, where does one find that and the importance of developing that. Okay. So now I want to to share with you a couple maybe two or three ideas from RVuk. How we enrich how do we how do we um identify that uh that s that will willpower within us. >> And the first Yes, please. Okay, good. >> I I don't know, but yet no it'll be interesting to see that if you happen to know you can check Google or whatever you like where the first time that the word ratson is is used in the Torah. So um so let's go to Rifk Cook. Now here RV cook says something which uh which I think is is really fascinating and something that's very important in the world of RV cook and here he talks specifically about ratson and he talks about the weakening of ratson when we don't necessarily have that will where we don't have that ambition and what can we do about you know turning that around increasing strengthening energizing ourselves and where do we find this this he has two pieces that I want to share with you from Oro Rotachuva. So in his famous work, his classic work about chuva about repentance, he talks about this and again even when you come when you're talking about repentance, well how do we get to that place where we want to repent? Now it's very nice to talk about you should do chuva, but where do you find the will? Where do you find the desire? Where do you find that ambition to make that change in life? As I said before, where do you find that will to okay, I'm starting the diet, right? I'm I'm going to take on this this new project. Where does where do you find the will, the ambition to do that? So here Rifuk says something which is really interesting and something that I think is unique to RF Cook and he talks about the harat when we find that we have a weakening of ratson and here's that that term raton that he is using. So let me just for the for the sake of time let's just read it in the translation. You have the Hebrew here as well and this is from Daled. The weakening of a person's willpower which places a number of impediments in his way is largely due to imperfection in his bodily strength. So this is a surprising line. What does it mean? RV cook says the following. The first thing that you have to think about if you want to find strong will and ambition, you have to be physically healthy. You have to be fit. Now, if you wake up in the morning and you don't find yourself with that ambition and will, maybe you didn't sleep enough last night. Did you Did everybody here get eight hours last night? >> Okay, >> you're supposed to [laughter] get good cheer. >> Did everybody Okay, good. Did everybody eat as they should? Healthy eating as they should that strengthens the body. So here Rifk Cook says something which is really fascinating and I always point out that this is something that you do not find other rabbis talking about and I think for many of us who have studied Rifk Cook over the last year or years together this is something that is unique in the worldview of Rifuk and he talks about healthy body healthy mind healthy spirit in other words if you want that healthy spirit we have to think about body as well we have to think about being fit as well he talks a lot about this in Oro in his famous work ot and here he says it as well I'll just share something interesting I'll take I see hands are going up so I don't remember hearing this from rabbis growing up I don't remember hearing this in yeshiva university if you go to yu tora which is the site with many shirum by the way highly recommend has about 300,000 shurum on the site so you will not be bored for the rest of your life it's it's called why you Torah you can hear some of the greatest teachers Shauni Taragan teaches Rash and many teach on on that site thousands 300,000 Shurum once in a while I post a few shurum as well and the first year if you go to it today the very first year is from the head of Rabbi Ar Liuititz I don't know if you know that name he now is the the rabbitic head called the Torah dean of the program and the shar that it's it's posted as the most popular shar of this last week is the importance of exercise in a Jewish life in a religious life. Now I never heard that before but here we have a Russ of Wu the head of this program who's talking about the importance of exercise. Now Rafuk is also talking about as wellund years ago he's writing it. It was a very much a kesh a novelty and not everybody loved it either. The people in certain community say what are you talking about? What's this? What's this exercise thing talking about chuva and the body like chuva means you know eat a little you know eat a little and try to diminish what you're eating and be an o hashem but cookook speaks about the importance of a healthy body let me just read to the end of this piece so he says we have to think about that's the first let's start there in other words we want to find that strong will and ambition if we want to jump out of bed in the morning and we have you know great aspirations and goals you have to feel good about yourself right If you if you can't concentrate in davening and you're walking around tired like is that what kind of you know what kind of will what kind of ambition are you going to have? very interesting that this is uh what RV cook says even though and I'm reading I'm reading on now in this piece from Ravk Cook even though the weakening is also associated with a number of ethical factors nevertheless in the rectification process of Juva a person must take careful note of all factors that weaken his willpower and attempt to apply an overall rectification whether regard to morality and spiritual purity or in regard to his body and the strengthening of its abilities. So that his spiritual strength will attain exceptional rectification and fundamental improvement. Yes. So I have a friend of mine who uh recently got remarried. I mentioned this a number of weeks ago and he he married a very very wealthy woman which is like a nice way to remarry that now you you now are a very wealthy person. He's my age. I'm 60 years old. You know he grew up as a you know his whole life not having money. Now he's a very wealthy guy. So he told me that one of the greatest things now that he has money in his life is that he's a personal trainer. He says it's just absolutely amazing and he feels so much better. He say he's never been more fit in his life. And he says in everything that he does and in his Torah, in his learning and in his dening. And I was talking to him last week and he he happened to mention that his personal trainer that he shares the same personal trainer with his rabbi that the rabbi also uses this personal trainer and I found that amazing. I I don't know if I should mention his name. He's one of the most prominent rabbis in Tene and he has a personal trainer. Now when did we ever hear of rabbis having personal trainers? >> [laughter] >> I don't know if I should I don't know if I should mention I don't know it's like that's that should be publicized not that he would be embarrassed about it but I don't know I don't know but I just find this amazing in other words of Cook is writing this and it's like what is R Cook talking about and now here we are 2020 2026 modern day and we're all sensitive to this we're all aware of this this isn't aish right we know that this is true we know the importance of good health and what that means for our spiritual for our mental life. So this is this is fascinating. So this is this is the first piece of advice from RVuk. If you want to increase ambition and will in your life and resilience in your life and energize your life. So it's not just the also physical body. Let's begin with that. Yeah. So there were just a couple of comments. Yeah. Please >> that was the first I don't even know why he doesn't quote it. My husband showed me says clearly you can't really unless you first start with physical health and so strong. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Physical exercise. >> Absolutely. Absolutely. No. So RF cook is not No, you're you're right. That's one of the one of the classic and one of the very important sources. But as we all know, it's not something that we have highlighted. It's not something that we have talked about. I never heard about I never heard this. I sat in a lot of a lot of classes. I've had a lot of rabbis, some of the greatest rabbis in the world, and uh I never heard them talk about exercise. >> Yes, please. >> World is so different, not only from grandma, but from Look, nowadays, driving cars, washing machines. Yes. My grandmother used to wash. >> Right. Right. So, it could be they didn't have to talk about exercise because everybody was walking and everybody was moving and everybody was just eating, you know, the little bit that they could eat. There wasn't >> butter. >> Churning butter. Very good. Okay. Okay. Yes, please. >> Yeshiva. >> Yeah. >> Yes. Yes. So, a lot of yeshivas, many yeshivas today have that. Again, that was unheard of. What do you mean yeshiva with a workout? Like what? You know, how did those two go together? But yes, we appreciate this today. Yes, please. >> So, I think that the physical was very important, but I think that also goes along with self-discipline. >> Ah, okay. Good. So, that we're coming we're coming to that. Yeah, we're going to Yes. Absolutely. That's not going to do it alone. Being in good shape is not uh being in good shape and eating healthy is not going to do it alone. But if Cook begins there, he says, "Let's okay. Let's make sure that physically you're you're in good health, that you're energized, and then we can take it to the take it to the next level, which we're going to do." Yes, please. >> Also, and he's in his very very close friend and we talk a lot and she told me that her exercise. [clears throat] >> Very nice. Very nice. Yes, Harry. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No, absolutely. And that's you're right. No, that's that's part of this discussion as well. and Ravosha Feinstein and many others wrote chuvas that it's not not to be done. It's uh and you're right if you want to especially in this in in in light of this idea of increasing willpower and the strength of a person to energize a person if you're going to weaken yourself based on based on the food that you're eating or or doing worse of smoking whatever it may be. So that's a that's a serious issue. Okay. So that is that's lesson number one from RVuk regarding how to increase willpower. Let's go to another piece that's found in a rota hatcha. And here he talks about where we have um great dreams and great aspirations in our lives and not to give up on those dreams. So let's read it again. Let's go to the let's go to the translation. This is on the third source. When we visualize exalted matters that we are far from actually acquiring and possessing, we must know that this distance is solely due to our body and not to our spirit. So he says here and also interesting that he puts a emphasis on the body that we need to as much as we possibly can to overcome first of all health and also to overcome some of the um some of the taiote some of the lust that we give into the physical taiote of the body that we have to overcome that and as we kind of lessen that area diminish that area we can focus more on the spirit. Therefore, we need chuva in order to be close to the ideal light shining in our thoughts. However, the chuva should not bring us to depression and a self-nullification that blur the strength of life, but to an inner refined self-nullification that overcomes the ugly aspect within us and elevates all the good and refined quality within us. The right hand of Hashem that is elevated. The right hand of Hashem acts with might. Okay. So here he talks about diminishing physical pleasure as well. That's also part of what it means to focus on that which is most important and the goals and the aspirations that we have. And now let's go to the third idea and the third I guess recommendation of RVuk. And this is he says that we need to be engaged in Torah study in a life that's a disciplined life. This is the top of page two and Rafuk writes the following and this is the second oh so this by the way is the second piece in his section of ratson of will from mida so we saw the first piece this is now the second piece is part of this idea that I've created a an evil inclination within a person to tavlin now this He's quoting from the Gomorrah. The Gamarra says, "Yes, there is a Yahara in man, but I also have created a Torah that is a tavlin." Now, what is a tavlin mean? Tavlin either means a spice or it means a medication. >> An antidote. Thank you. Very nice. An antidote. In other words, the more that you engage in Torah, Torah is going to be a fuel. It's going to energize your life by the teachings of the Torah and just the engagement in Torah itself is something which energizes. It's something that gives you will. It's something that gives you a sense of ambition that you cannot attain that level of ambition and will and will. Torah. So, one needs to study Torah. One needs to be engaged in Torah, the commitment to Torah. And I would I I would suggest two understandings, two ways of interpreting what Rifkook is saying here. One is what we learn from the Torah itself. That the Torah itself helps discipline our lives. that we get up in the morning, that we daven, that we give saddak, that the things that we do, the Torah laws direct us to um to bring out the best in us, the will, the ambition within us. But I would say something else and I think RV cook is alluding to this that Torah study in and of itself it's something that is energizing that by studying Torah no matter what it is that one studies that when you study one studies Torah one is engaged in Torah it's something that increases will in a person ambition in a person that you're connecting with something that is holy connecting with the divine and with that study of Torah so you have increased ambition and I'll give you the following I'll take your comment in a moment just the following um example or muscle exercise. So exercise does two things and going back to this discussion of exercise that we just touched on. So we know that when we exercise we strengthen the body, right? That it's good for our body. But something Oh, very good. Something else is going on as well. >> Endorphins. >> Endorphins. That's right. This is something that we didn't know about that everybody now knows about, right? There's something else that's going on within our system, right? within within our mind right as we are exercising. So we think that exercises exercise exercise might weaken us. In other words, the more that you are exercising, you think that that would deplete energy. But it does just the opposite that it increases energy. The more you exercise, the more you are energized. Torah study as well. Two things are happening. One on one level you are learning right those ideas and that wisdom those can be energizing but just the act itself of learning just connecting with learning is something that a spiritual endorphins that are being produced as one studies so that that that's an interesting idea and again if we're looking for a way to increase will ambition desire RVuk says Torah study plug into Torah study right the more that you study studying Torah. Torah is something that enliven a person in energizes a person. Is that not true? When we finish class that everybody is just on cloud nine here as we you're just full of energy, right? So that's that's what cook says Torah study again the the lessons of Torah study and what we gain from it. That's one level. The other is just the engagement and study the endorphins the spiritual endorphins are are being produced in the body. That's will that's desire. Yes please. There's two things. One is it depends on how what your intention is. >> Okay. Yeah. >> Right. Okay. Yes. I I think you're right. >> But the second thing is I don't understand one word here. >> Yeah. Why? It says solely. >> It says Torah. >> Yeah. Where does it say it? >> Yeah. Where the will is developed solely through the influence of Torah. >> Right. So the thing is that there are plenty of people who are not Jewish. >> Right. Right. They have tremendous ambition and will without Torah. Right. Right. >> Really, you know, develop a good I think you're right. No, I think there are other ways. >> I don't know why that word is >> I'm not sure I'm not sure how to answer that in the Hebrew it's okay I don't know if it means I don't know if we have to translate it solely would say it's one of the even the it's one of the very powerful ways one of the powerful paths to increasing of energizing a person >> yeah please yes >> please yeah she spoke from a little bit under a little bit from a little bit of because that's why we come from him and that's why that's what gives us an actual physical attraction to him and even that's why even the are the holy land and so therefore it could be that that's also part of it some of them are attracted like when when the nations were offered the Torah and they turned down the Torah they rejected the Torah there were some people in each in each country that actually were not part of the majority rejected there were some that actually wish that they could run so that they from those people. >> Okay. >> Okay. Great. >> Yes. Shak. Thank you. >> I have another question. >> Yes, please. >> Torah or does he mean that mankind? >> I think both. I I think both. I think on a on a personal level, on an individual level, the Torah that we study, the Torah that we're engaged in is something that energizes. And it's true on a uh on a national scale and a universal scale as well. Okay. >> Yes. >> That comes from spiritual nature and that are interested in the Torah that comes from. >> Okay. >> Okay. Okay. So let's now let's look at the um the third source from RV Cook on page two. And here Rafuk speaks about the remarkable rutson of ami Israel of the Jewish people and the fact that the Jewish people have been connected to have been engaged in Torah that that has given us a unique ability to uh to follow our rutzone and to build our ruts our will ambition. So let's look at this beautiful paragraph. This is from a collection of articles in a book called Mama. It's the s third source. Those of us referring to the Jewish people who have been oppressed for so long in the galut and exile for so many hundreds of years that we have been under the hands of other masters were not for the very essence of our souls. are lofty souls that are filled with that are saturated with a sense of of freedom and maybe as well that we know who we are. We recognize who we are. And here he's quoting, I have the source above from Perk. It says they were etched into the don't read the term that they were etched in. But we were freed. We were freed. We are free because we follow our ambitions our because of Torah, because of our engagement in Torah, because of the lessons of the Torah, because of our love of the Torah. were not for that gift that was given to us at that time from that time. That time that we left for a everlasting freedom without this without the Torah we could have remained for all time eternally. Other words, the Torah engagement and Torah gives us that strength that gives us the rats. It gives us that will. Now, here I was thinking about where do we find that term ratson? And I asked that question earlier because it's not not a typical term that we think about when we think about our midot and uh like what's what are essential features of a Jewish person, a Jewish life. So in the ashray, what do we say? the will of those who are the those that fear God Hashem will do Hashem will assist those that have rats and I think this is one of the one other idea one additional idea when we talk about rats it's a ratson that we recognize that we are partnering with Hashem that Hashem the will that we have the desire that we have and to turn to Hashem and to dive into Hashem to know that Hashem is with us in those things that we want to accomplish the raton that we have. So then Hashem will uh will assist us in that. Interesting that that's the term that's used in the astray that David chooses the will. If a person has that will that ambition and the fear that you have with Hashem, you put your faith in Hashem, Hashem will help you accomplish those things. and to and to recognize that that we need Hashem's help in that in the in um in that which we are pursuing our ambitions. Yes. >> Yes. Hashem who gives us the >> Ah in that right the beautiful rat also very very nice in that context. Okay. >> Yes. Very good also. Very good. Also the word ratson is is there as well. So ratson we see a number of sources that ratson plays a uh a very significant it's a very significant idea. Yes. there's something more is that when a person has a person >> they assist >> very nice very nice okay I want to share one last source from Rafuk And I think this is a very important very important idea regarding ratson and how to build rats. So up to this point we were we were talking about how to build the raton within us. Um the idea of good health, of exercise, of eating well. That's RVuk says. Ravuk says Torah learning is something that enliven us. It's something that energizes us. A recognition that we partner with Hashem that our own that as we connect with Hashem, as we turn to Hashem, change the letters around >> senor very nice very nice good excellent so one other idea which I think is a very important idea of ratson and let's let's read the following this is and we'll we'll read read the words of rakuk this is from aaya and um he writes the following this is perk rishon the first chapter of braos d z and you have the following statement that is made this is where it's in bold this is page three in bold It says better or more beautiful is where a person himself has remorse or has guilt in one's heart more so than being um being hit or having having l I mean literally lashes right lashes from somebody else. So what is that a reference? Better remorse in your heart, right? Better that you feel guilt, you feel bad within your heart than being than being punished and being hit by by somebody else. So if Cook says and if you you know look at the context, it's it's referring to how we educate others and how we how we um the relationships that we have with others. So look at the words of Rkook. So we learn here from Kazal the sweetness that is needed the noam in whenever we teach others malumote I looked up that word not with striking others not with striking the other is that's not going to be a way of to educate another person only in a very sweet way in a pleasant way now by the way is addressing here what was true in his day going back a hundred years how would teachers teach they would teach with actually yeah actually striking I don't know if that's part of anybody's upbringing to actually be struck actually be hit as part of the educational process now by the way we're not well with a ruler that's right we we we know it again we're not talking about thousand we're talking about in our own lifetime that that was part of education now here you could also have education Not necessarily with a ruler hitting you, but how about a teacher that is >> negative, overly strict, right? Somebody that makes you >> that embarrasses >> embarrasses students. And this is something that we that we still, you hear it today, students that come to Israel, I'm not religious. My, you know, my ninth grade teacher that day that he embarrassed me in front of everyone, the way what he said to me, it's still, you know, it's still an issue. Sort of Cook says we talk about when we talk about addressing others and building others. So it has to be and we talk about fear and true fear. It must be a fear that comes that we're teaching awe of God with love. It has to come through love. And until this time, he says that the pedagog those that were the educators have not did not recognize the importance of this in education. What do they use to teach the ruler, the stick? And that's how they were teaching. They didn't recognize that that's not a way to to uh to raise, you know, to raise children, to educate students until we recognize these days that we see from the trials. We see from what we have experienced that it's proven that we're finally learning what our rabbis said in their so many years ago thousands of years ago that let the person when a person recognizes that they're wrong that they feel guilt that is so much that's so much more effective than using the ml than using a stick than than than a harshness being strict and And that's something that again many of the yeshivas and and the yeshiva world and the desc world is something that we're much more sensitive today than uh than we were in the past. So I thought that this piece is is is very worthwhile to think about in terms of raton. Now rats raton is how do you build the raton the ambition and will in another person. And if you remember where we started, Ravkuk said when it comes to and when it comes to to raising children and grandchildren and he says forim and gdollim, right? How do we increase that sense of will of ambition in a person? And Rafuk says we need to do that in a loving way. We need to do that in a way that we're building up the other person. If you tear down a person, right, you can you you can you can you can break a person's will, a person's ambition. It was interesting this past Shabas. Um I was in shul where I dav in somebody who doesn't generally dav for the doesn't d doesn't dav doesn't leave the ding d for the ymud. So he dav in musaf and um and you could hear that it was you know that it wasn't that easy for him. It was a person that generally doesn't you know lead the davining and um you know everyone say off to him afterwards there was somebody at the kdish like standing on the other side of the room and said and I heard him say that that you know the davining you know that wasn't really a very you know very good davining you know this morning and I was thinking if that and that the one who davined was on the other side of the room and I'm not sure if that other person did not hear what that person said and hear the the you know what Ruf cook is what Ruf Cook is addressing what Ruf cook is recommending is the sensitivity that we have and you could really break a person this person if I don't know that person may have heard it may never want to davin again that you've taken that will you've taken that ambition right that rut zone where that person had the rutone to do it and instead of building that person up that you that you have uh that you've torn that person down. >> Did you try to correct this No, [laughter] >> no, I didn't want to make any anything more of it. And I'll just quote one other one other uh line. Rabbi Y Jacobson, I'm sure that that's a name that you may be familiar with. So, he gives a lot of shior, a very popular uh very popular lecturer and mag. >> He's on Torah any time. Yeah. Also, he has one of the most listened to rabbis on on the internet. He lives in my uh he's a kabad uh kabadassid. So in one of the talks that he that he gave I remember this line he he he said why is it that we are so stingy when it comes to complimenting others. So it does it it doesn't cost anything to compliment another person and to build up another person, right? Why why are we so stingy in giving compliments to other people? So I think the other idea to think about when it comes to rutzone is how we can build the rut zone in others. Other words, it's our responsibility to build people up to build a sense of ambition [snorts] and and and will and confidence in other people. So that's something that we can do. In other words, we we we can we can assist in doing that. That's what a beautiful mitzvah that is. What a beautiful thing that it is to do to offer somebody else to build up a person's ratum. Okay. Yeah. I just wanted to say that um in terms of um people learning things especially teachers English teachers have to take you know there if they're teaching English subjects they often have to take psychology yes which should really be something lacking in that all the education in terms of the way they treat the children. >> Absolutely. Absolutely >> right. And in addition to that modeling is very important important the parents they watch the parents and they see what >> beautiful let me you want to make a >> one of the lectures that the withholding of compliments is actually part of the sin of that not only you're not allowed to talk speakhur but if you don't speak >> very nice very nice all right I want to just get to two last things and uh and we'll conclude uh conclude clude with this. So, if you look at the uh if you look at page three, you'll see a uh a kev a tombstone with a name that you're definitely not familiar with. He he was not a not a well-known individual. He actually lived here in Shalim and he lived here in the in the 30s and 40s actually during the time of Ravkuk and Zanfell. He actually writes a safeair called Avatem about the mitzvah of loving Hashem, a topic we spoke about a few weeks ago. His name is Ra Elzzar Yoseph Lerberg and he was uh he was a storekeeper here in Shalay. And as he was get getting a bit older, so he was having issues with his eyes and um having issues with with seeing with being able to read and to learn. So he went to the doctor and the doctor said there really is an emergency here and I have to do surgery on your eyes. He did say that there is a possibility that um that you may go blind from the operation from the surgery. So um so he said how long can we possibly push off the surgery? He said I can give you about six months until the surgery is necessary. So this is what this uh Eleazar Yoseph Ludenberg did. He said, "What I'm going to do over the next six months, I'm going to put aside my my uh being a shopkeeper and I'm just going to learn and I'm going to memorize two method two method of shas. I'll memorize them and if after the surgery I'm blind, I'll be able for the rest of my life to be able to review and to learn those method. I'll have them I'll have them in my mind." And that's what he did for six months. Every single day, day after day, he sat with the gumaras and he sat and he studied and memorized two those two maf. So he had the surgery and following the surgery he was able to see. So the kev says the following and you can look at it. what he did for the rest of his life is that he reviewed those two method and it says that he reviewed them 4,000 times for in the remainder of his life and if you look um just in the middle you have the name and then towards the center it says Arbat alphim p that he studied the ma of beta and rashashana it says beta rash shana so those two He's buried by the way in Harman. And they put up a sign right by you have the Kev. The sign is there as well. And he says, "This is the man. This is Eleazar Yoseph Lerberg that he studied these two mafto 4,000 times in his life." And that was his last will to his family. And the family said, "Are you sure this is what you want to put on your kefir?" You know, it's maybe it's a little bit, you know, kind of a little bit um boasting that you did this. He said, "Let this be an inspiration to others." So when we talk about ruts, we talk about will and the will that he had as he was coming what he thought might be a period of of his life they would no be would no longer be able to see but the ruts that he had to learn those maf by heart and then he had a special commitment once he learned those the love that he had the rest of his life he reviewed them he studied them again and again and again as it says on the uh as it says on his kev okay one last uh one last teaching And this comes from Raarin Salvich Zra. So the brother of Ra Salvich. So um so was he was dabbing he was a young man 10 years old. He was dabbing Rashan Kipper next to his grandfather Rav Elan Rev Eliahu Pujanna his grandfather on his father on his mother's side. And when they got up to the part of Davening of the when they open the so um and then the line so when I get older that Hashem should um should give me the strength. He shouldn't uh he shouldn't allow me you know for my for my for my strength to dissipate. So his grandfather noticed dabbing next to him that he said every line out loud with a lot of a lot of kak. But when it came to that line about when I get older that hashem should still you know be with me that he said that without a lot of a lot of kavana he didn't he you know just kind of read it. So he asked him afterwards why is it when it came when it comes to that line that you're not like saying it with the same kavana that you're saying the rest of it. So he said, "Well, I'm a 10-year-old boy. Like I'm a little I'm a little boy, and this is about when you get old, you know, not not having the not having the kohak." So his grandfather said to him that what this line is all about is not just about getting old, it's about will. It's about rats. He says that could be true for a young person as well. It might be more accurate to say when somebody is getting older that we may lose a little bit of that of that rut zone. So, we're asking Hashem, if our will, if our ambition is a little bit less, if it's waning as we're getting older, let it not wain. That's what he said. That's what it means. Not physical strength, but that that ambition, that will, right? That I'm I'm going to take on the next challenge. So, he said to him, that could be true in a young age as well. people don't necessarily have the willpower that they should have but they don't have the ambition. It's true as we get older. Um so that was the lesson that that that he uh that he shared with young Raaran Salviche and I think that's a very a very very beautiful idea and uh this is what Rafuk is highlighting the importance of rats ambition um that we should always all of us at any age again often young children have that it become it's a little bit more natural right some it's more organic to have that ambition to have that energy but we should have it. We should always have it. We should always have that rut song. Yes, Rosanne. We'll take >> Yesterday I got off the bus and I acknowledged the man who got up to give me a seat. Yes. >> He had a big smile on his face. So sometimes a little thing has a big impact. What was his reward? Somebody saw his wallet right next to my feet, gave him back his money. I said, "Wow." [laughter] >> Very nice. >> Very nice. I went, by the way, I went into a store this morning and I bought something. I was I was coming from work and I went up to the fella. I said, "Mashalom." And he said, "You should know that you're the first person today to say to me." Says, "Everyone just buying things and nobody has stopped to say, "How are you?" So, yes, that little word that little word can make a you you build people up. You give them that sense of ruts of ambition. A little ruton to get through the day is selling things all day. Yes. Last comment. We'll Yeah. >> One question. When it says will fulfill the desire of them that fear him. He will hear their cry and give them salvation. >> Yes. >> So how does he or you or whatever answer that it was so many people in the Holocaust that brought you know >> all right those we we don't have the answer to that. That's one of the great one of the great mysteries. >> It's like he must have had a certain perspective on that. >> I don't I don't know. All right, we wish everyone a wonderful day. We should be filled with energy, ambition, ratsum and to God.