The Shalosh Regalim and Jewish Destiny | Rabbi James Kennard | June 24 2026

The hour has struck, so it is time to commence. My name is Rabbi Kennard. I have the honor of filling in for Rabbi Adler today. And I'd like to start by acknowledging and thanking our sponsors. The Wednesday morning bet Midash program in Bkavia is dedicated for this year. Leui Nishmat, Daniel Ben David and Limud Bat Abraham Strauss, Morai Ben Mosha and Razel but Ysef May Marcus Zikron Lraa, parents of Judy and Manakim Marcus and Rabbi Adlashir in particular is sponsored this year by the Frist family in memory of their beloved daughter and sister Elishva Simma Bat Zmana. So we're learning a implication of two words really that we find in this week's parasa. So this week's parasa is action-packed. It's the story of Balak hiring Bum to curse the Jews. We know that didn't end up so well for Bam. And then there's other things that happened at the end of the para. But there's a particular moment on which I want to focus. So as we know the path that Bam took while riding on his donkey is hindered by a mala by an angel once, twice, three times. And on the third time the donkey gets a bit fed up with Bal Bum's reaction to each of these stoppages. Each time Bum hits the donkey and on the third time, Hashem grates this great nace that the donkey was able to speak. And if we look at quote number one, Hashem opened the mouth of the donkey and she said to Bam, "What have I done to you that you have hit me these shalim?" Now, how do we understand shalos ragalim? What makes sense in this context? What does Rashi have to say? So, we'll pause that for a moment. Um in order to understand the relevance of shalos regalim and particularly the comment that rash is going to make we have to go back to the source in paras mishpatim it's also repeated in parasissa and to see how shaloshalim are referred to. So if we look at number two, we see that after mat Torah, Hashem gives the Jews a mitzvah and it is this shalos regalimash. That's a reference to shalosim. Let's call them the three festivals and sukus. But we'll find out later if that's the best translation. But shaloshalim we call the three festivals. What's festivals got to do with feet regalim? because we're really talking about the mitzvah of ali of going up on what we want's feet to on each of the and the Torah goes on to say in number two the festival of mats that we call that you will keep and you will eat mats for seven days as I commanded you at the time of the month of the month of ing because you came out of and you won't greet see my face empty. In other words, when you come on pes to harabay, you bring various which is part of the mitzvah of aligo. I've missed out the next PK which talks about and then this little section is sumated in Zion three times in the year the all males will see or be seen let's not get into that by the face of their master Hashem. So there's a mitzvah to come up to Harabayat three times to bring cobra with them. This is referred to as shaloshragalim, the three festivals or the three pilgrim festivals or the free feat festivals. But what's also particularly interesting is that section opens with the words shalosim and concludes with the words shalosh paim. What's the difference between regalim and pamim? Reersh tells us you're you read ahead. >> Okay. So this will be relevant for when we get to grips with rashi. But in the meantime, we will turn to one of the masters of the subtle nuances behind the Hebrew language. Not the only one. I think the Malbim also is up there. But Rav Hersh is probably at the very top of the way he analyzes what words sound like, what words mean, how they can be slightly adapted but can retain their meaning and what the context tells us. So he tells us here in number three, what is the difference between palm and regal? because they are often used interchangeably. Um, if I can move away from the idea of ali which I'll come back to but it sounds like in a very simple level in Hashem says three times or three occasions you will celebrate for me in the year and that uses the word shalosim and then in three times but there it's the word pim. So if it's two different words it must have two different meanings. What are the meanings? So Rav Hersh says like this in number three pal what's the difference between the word regal and the word palad hamili apart from the literal translation of regel a regal rego meaning a foot. So we'll put that one on one side because that's not really what we're talking about. The word regal when it's used in a context like this refers to the act of walking with feet as moving. Regal as a sense of motion the foot that's lifted up ready to keep going. But the word pala the word palm refers more to the leg as it strikes the ground. So walking consists of two things. It consists of taking steps and stepping on the ground but also moving forward. Says Rab Hersh regel is the sense of moving forward. Palm is the sense of stepping on the ground. And he goes on to say uh end of line two number threeeladim when Asov says to Yakov when they reconcile let's go together. Yakov gets out of it by saying I can't go very fast. I'm determined my speed is determined by the regal the regal of the work the regalim and the let's translate it as the movement of the children and they go slowly so I can't go with you that's Jacob's response to Asov and he goes on to say that means what Jacob means is the speed of their going so regel there embrace it giml is related to speed to movement the kak another example Regel. A few weeks ago, we learned about the maraglim. Who's the moragim? The spies. Why are the spies connected to feet? Because their job is to move about to tour because they that's why regal is a sense of motion. But on the other hand, the essential message of the word palakot, it's to hit. Also to hit. So there we get the word pal saddan hanafak the anvil hitting the um blacksmith's angle or pon which means a bell. He doesn't need to explain that one because a bell has a clapper inside it which hits the surface of the bell to tell you what to give the message. And we can also compare that say that the word palm is in sometimes in the context of ru of spirits um meaning the the spirit was disturbed famously when parro had dreams which he couldn't understand his spirit was affected in a palm sense in other words it was knocked about as if this strength sense of anxiety that parro had and elsewhere we see the same word is like as if he was hit and another word for hit. So regel is moving forward. Palm which also sorry I should say means times occasions means particularly the movement that requires you to hit the ground with your foot. Number four. Therefore, says Raersh, it's almost certain, but the word regalim here in the sense of shalosim talking about the aliatel anim it doesn't mean times. It doesn't mean seasons, but it means going up as a on one's feet moving moving forwards. Bum and now let's get back to bum. So Rav Hersh when he's talking about shush regalim notes that we find that phrase not just about the three festivals but we find it in the post that we started with that the donkey complains that bum has hit the donkey shalos regalim three times or three regalim let's leave it untransated so back to number four so says it's that the word regalim doesn't mean three occasions it means three processes of ascendancy of moving upwards. And similarly, it talks about the three walkings, the three movements that the donkey experienced as the road in the in the uh pathway that gets narrow. So the donkey says shaloshra galim says rav that must mean three references to movement and the donkey has been moving. So the Rahers um would probably translate this or would suggest that it's something to do with the donkey saying to Bam, I've moved you three times. Three lots of movement, three lots of progress towards our direction and neb you keep hitting me. So that's Rahers. So again in Shamat we have shalim and shalim one to open and one to close the little section. We have the same phraseology by the way when this mitzvah is repeated as I said in parasissa. So Raersh says regalim and pim they're similar but they don't mean just occasions or times or seasons they mean regalim means moving forwards a sense of movement and he says that's also the case in bum or rather the words of the donkey shalosim the donkey is referring to three types of movement now okay let's push one raversh on one side and what we're going to see now in rashi is not really the same as ravir so I don't want people to get confused between the two we've seen ravers We're now going to see Rashi. Yes. >> To the three holidays. >> Um, yes. I'm just pausing trying to remember because I actually looked this up. >> I just looked this up. >> That's clear. What about the >> Okay, I'm very frustrated here because I actually looked this up this morning because I anticipated this question. What does the reverse say on PK? You're dull Zion, but it's gone out of my head so I'm not going to make it up. Okay, it's homework for you and me. Sorry. >> Yeah, the question is what how does Raersh read Zion where it says >> pim? >> Well, pim he's explained means treading on the ground. had to come and stay in so they once they came they didn't move they were actually >> so it's like stationary places as opposed to regalim >> right but I understand that when the foot hits the ground and stays steady on the ground that's when person is ready >> that's want you come I want you to stay but I want you to uh you know recite come to stay. >> You come to stay. >> Okay. Very nice. Thank you. >> Okay. All right. >> As I'm as I'm happy to say, homework for me and for everyone to ask the question on Kafkat. Okay. Let's go to her Rashi because Rashi is where I want to focus. And number five, Rashi says in the words of the donkey shalosim, you've hit me three regalim relo. It's an illusion to him to bum. You want to uproot this entire nation? What type of nation? Shalimashana that celebrates three regalim festivals, occasions, seasons, not quite sure at the moment. Bashana three times in the year. So says Rashi when the donkey says to bum shalos galim she's talking about the shalos galem she's talking about pesakus. So at this point I just want to say that we're going to work in two we have two questions to answer now. Um number one what exactly is driving rashy? What exactly is underlying Rashy's comment in terms of the textual meaning of the word regiel and why he thinks that the donkey is referring to the galim. And then the next question will be once we've reached some sort of satisfaction with that the next question will be why does Bum or sorry why does the donkey refer to this mitzvah in particular if I asked you if god forbid bum's plan had succeeded he would have destroyed the people and they wouldn't be able to perform the mitzvah even the mitzvah of what would you say chabas maybe belief in hem brila um pesukus They're pretty important and they play a very important role in our lives. I suggest that we wouldn't necessarily have assumed that's the one mitzvah that the donkey would say is going to be lost if the people are destroyed. So the question is we're going to see a few different answers to this. What's so significant about the mitzvah of galim that the midrash and rashi identify it here as the issue on which the donkey is complaining to Bam. Why that mitzvah in particular? reset the time. Okay, we'll come back to that. Interesting. Okay, so uh number six is a quote from the devtov which is a 17th century commentary on Rashi. uh and it's usually sort of sums up rash's issue very nicely and precisely and I think he does here in number six rashi rash's problem for which number five is the solution rash's problem is lashalim the expression regalim lear he should have saidim three times re and therefore it suggested it's therefore rashi explains it was a rem it's an illusion to the galim in other words says the devto Rashi looks at the puk and says I have two words that mean times but one I use more often if you look through the Torah the word pal usually is the word for time this time ham and the donkey is is basically saying to Bam you've hit me three times and therefore it should say three pim and we know even though we're not quite sure what Raersh says we know but pim is there in the Torah And we know many many occasions the word pal means time occasion. And that's what the donkey was complaining about. But the donkey doesn't use the word pal. The donkey uses the word regal. That why does the donkey use the word regal? Because reanal is an illusion to the shalos galim. It's because we don't have the word pal. But we do have the word regal that rashi makes the comment that he makes. Now in order perhaps to understand a little bit deeper it's worth seeing another key source which is tagamulus. So taramulus um number one is from about the year zero CE. It's the oldest commentary that we have. Uh uncleus writes of great authority. There is even a comment of Gazal that uncleas's commentary preceded uncleus by many centuries and uncleus was just writing down something that had existed before. Um but the next thing to say is Rashi uh often quotes Uncleus and Rashi we can be sure checks with Unkulus and if he disagrees with him it's for a reason. Now Unkulus' translation I find quite significant in number seven. So our Puk number one about Hashem opening the mouth of the donkey is rendered into Aramaic by the enulus asana. Hashem opened the mouth of the donkey and she said to what have I done to you zimn that you have hit me three zimn now what is zimn related to the word zan is cognate to the Hebrew word zaman which means time or occasion but bear in mind it also can mean season like a fixed period. So the word zaman which is the word that enkulus is using um has another element to it which means it could mean times or it could possibly mean seasons. It's not quite clear what Unkulus means when he says Zimn. But the next point which I think is interesting is when Unkus translates our number two that section about the Shalosraim the festivals and we remember our number two. It started with the wordim and concludes with the wordsim. Look what does in number eight the opening. you will celebrate three zimn um before me in the year and then on Zion where it saysimulus translates that as talat zimna three times in the year in other words according to uncleus there is no difference between regel and palm so we've just learned rah hers who says there's a difference they have a a different nuance we saw rashi and according to the devto rashi's whole problem was it doesn't say palm, it says regel and they're two different words. But if you look at Unkulus, they're both the same word. They both mean zimndim. And Rashi clearly is taking a different path and not saying that regal and palm are the same thing as Unkulus does. So with all that in mind, uh let's see if there's another commentator who says there's really no difference between Palm and Rego. And there is and he's called Rashi because if you look in number nine, Rashi's comment on you shall celebrate three festivals. Look at Rashi number nine. Regalim he says means. Now if you're following my logic, you should be surprised at this point. You might even be confused. And that's good because Rashi in his own words on our par in Balak in number five said Galim says Rashi it's very significant that the donkey used the word regel and it refers to the shalos galim according to the devto in number six and and nobody really takes a different line on this interpretation of rashia and what's the problem that rashies is answering according to devto it was the use of the word regalim instead of the word pim because they're different words yet rashi himself in shimat kavgiml says regalim means pim and then to make it more confusing rashi brings a proof text that p that regalim means pim and what is his proof text our p says rashi number nine pim means sorry regalim means pim Shalom. Look, the donkey said shalim. Now in number nine, Rashi's commenting in shamat and he clearly says regalim means pim and the donkey used the word regalim in the sense of pim. And yet rashi himself said in number five on the pasak that the whole point the significance of regalim was it's not the word pim. It's a different word. So, how can we sort this out? I must say I sound this fascinating. I hope I'm sharing some of my fascination with you. I I I was working just I was preparing this year last week and I've been spent the whole week thinking how can we explain Rashi contradicting Rashi in this way and I'll tell you what I think but first I'll hear your contribution. >> Yeah. I'm wondering is it possible I mean obviously every every question every can be explained. Could it be that Rashi in our para is more on the level but that in just I I just want to explain to you literally what is saying literal thing is that means >> um I I would basically agree and I think that there's a key word in rashi in our rashy in number five that I'm going to highlight which I think fits in very well with what you just said. It seems to me that Rashi thinks regal and pal mean the same thing and we can't get away from that because that's what he says very explicitly in number nine. Rashi commenting on Shimat says regal is the same as pal and he brings the proof that the donkey says shalosim says rashi that shows it means the same as shal pim. and he's having another idea to why specifically reg but if I can add I can add there's a key word in Russia number five and the key word is researching to bum the donkey was giving another level of interpretation a rese to my surprise didn't find many people talking about this this rashy rashi contradiction It seems to me that we explained it like this that Regal and Palm are the same thing. They mean occasion. They mean time. Um there's something they don't mean which we'll come to in a minute. Regular and palm are the same thing. Rashi says very explicitly they're the same thing. But by choosing the word regal rather than the word palm, the donkey is alluding to a deeper message, a reseel, the donkey would say it means the same as palm. But the donkey would say I chose the word regel because there's a rese. So Rashi it seems to me says the shut the simple meaning the straightforward meaning the accurate precise meaning of regel is the same as palm and he says it clearly in number nine word for word but the donkey is giving what he calls a re and rashi is very particular with his words and rashi describes this as a reseion not the simple meaning simple meaning of for the donkey is three times but he chooses the word regel uh as opposed to the word palm which were interchangeable because the word regal has a level of illusion which the word palm doesn't and that seems to me how we can sort out rashi from rashi. If we move on to number 10 um the rashi which is a contemporary safer I'll tell more about it just in a moment he says like this the simple meaning so this is again uh commenting on rashi in shamat and he's saying like like I said um that the simple meaning of what rash is saying isim is the same asim and it means timesum As we have seen the translates both the word the phraseim and the phraseim as zimn and it says middle of line two of number 10 shalosim and I think he understands that as three sorry three times in the year sorry thank you I think he the rashi reading the Tarum understands that theatim in Aramaic means three seasons. Not just simple occasions or times, but three seasons. Can we turn off that phone? >> Oh, is that phone up there? We can't turn it off. The example that Rashi brings from the donkey saying it's not appropriate. It doesn't fit to say three seasons. But the simple meaning is what I'll say outside what what the uni rashi is saying. He's saying that rashi is making a stand against translates shaloshalim as three seasons. Rashi says it doesn't mean three seasons. It means three occasions. And the proof in just a moment. The proof is the donkey. The donkey cannot be saying to Bum, you have hit me three seasons. That doesn't make sense. The donkey hasn't been hitting Bum three seasons. He's been hitting Bum three times, three occasions. And that's why Rashi brings the pos in Balak to show that that regalim does not mean three seasons like Unka says it does. It means three occasions. Yes. >> Three. Sorry. >> Ah. Do you want to pause for a moment? >> I think that's what >> I I think you we we might see somebody who says the same thing as you. But let me just finish here. Um so the uni rashi says that says shalos means three seasons translates it as zimn which is aim but rashi disagrees and that's why rashi brings our pasuk because the donkey is saying you hit me three times the donkey is not saying you hit me three seasons now I have a problem here um I always want to when I ever quote the rashi I mak to Rab Abraham Barisalai who is the author of the safer because I once wrote to him and said, "Where can I buy your sarim?" And he replied, not with an answer to the question, but by sending me a huge parcel of all his sarim, which I was very very grateful for. And the uni rashi is a great safer fivear um with these this this duk these analyses of rashi which uh sort of thing I love. Um but I have a problem because I disagree with him on this occasion. I don't think that ulus means zimn means seasons because I didn't check every use of the word palm in the tanakh but I did check a sample in the kish as many times the word palm appears in the kish and every time enulus translates it as zimn so I don't think unulus when he says zimn means season I think he means times as in occasions um so we can and and now it now it's with that basis it all like fits together. Regel says Rashi is the same as Palm. They have a slight different nuance and that's why the donkey uses the word regal for which we learn a reference to the shush galim. But basically regal is the same as pal as rashi says. And I don't think is disagreeing. I think he also thinks regal is the same as pal and he translates them every time as zan and he means times and I don't think he means seasons from the way he uses the word zimn in other contexts. Okay. So that um I hope was a little uh scratching the surface of what Rashi means with his words. Let's now concentrate on what I wanted to I said would be the second question which is why the midrash and rashi identified the shosalim as the one thing that the donkey is talking about. I mean sorry the answer they address it they they assume that he's talking about the galim because he uses the wordim. We've understood that now. But how does this midrash make sense? Why is the donkey saying that are the most important thing to think about uh if the Jewish people were to be lost? As I said before, if we asked ourselves what would be the one mitzvah that we would be most most upset about if it weren't practiced, it probably wouldn't be. It probably will be Shabbat or something else along those lines. So what's the significance of the shrealim? So let's see in number 11 theim commentary on Rashi and he says in number 11 the fact that the it says he should be she alluded to him with this mitzvah the donkey mentioned this mitzvah sorry not one of the other mitzvah you've got 612 other mitzvah uh that the donkey could have quoted so why did it quote this mitzvah the the says in the idea of the three times in the year um all males will be seen and dedained there's a sha between be seen and be seen just as we come to be seen and So, Hashem is also seen on the regalim. Hashem sees us and we see Hashem. It's the ultimate meeting point of Hashem. Raersh says that's why it's called Moadim which means to meet. Uh so hopefully soon we will go not very far away to Harabat which is just sort of over there I think and we'll go there for Aliel and we will be seen before Hashem and Hashem as it were will be seen before us. So end of line two of number 11 for Amaro Hamalik. So the Malik says to um or through the mouth of the donkey says to Bumim, you want to uproot the people from the world, the people whom Hashem wants to see three times in the year. Abdam and this thing that Hashem will see them three times in the year. How can you uproot it? How can it happen if you destroy them? And it's simple to understand. In other words, if the is saying there's something very special about mitzvah, we see Hashem. Hashem sees us. It's the ultimate meeting point. And that is so precious. And that is such a precious mitzvah that that's the mitzvah that the midrash identifies that the donkey is alluding to. The mitzvah of seeing and being seen by Hashem. Let's move on to number 12. the lavush lavush um 16th century I think author of more better known as the author of the lavush on the shar but he also writes on rashi and he says in number 12 more than any other mitzvah. You might be wondering, don't wonder because mid because in this mitzvah of aligo there's a very clever example of midgra the punishment fitting the crime the because it says hashem was angry at bum because he went he moved the princes the nobles of Moab and Mijan came to bum and said will you come with us to curse the Jews. And Bum said, "I've got to wait to see what Hashem says." And Hashem says to him, "Listen, Bum," I paraphrase slightly. Clearly, you really, really want to go with these people and curse the Jews. I'm not going to stand in your way. I'm going to let you go. But it was Bum's choice to actually go. And Hashem was angry that Bum went. So the PC says end of line one beginning of line two who hashem was cross that bum went bum moved. This movement of bum, this progress, this going of bum was evil in the eyes of Hashem and the going the going of the Jewish people when they go up for their festivals was good and and beloved hashem in the eyes of Hashem. So says the lavush we have here a wonderful example of mid and mida. It's all about going. We have bums going and the Jewish people's going. Bum went intending to destroy the Jews and hence to prevent aliereel the Jews going. Bam's going was against the will of hashem. The Jews going is in accordance with the will of hashem. One is ra one is tov. One is the opposite of the other. So that is why, says the Labush, Bum is going and he's going to try and uproot the going of the Jewish people, which has the opposite effect. Bum's going for evil. The Jewish people go for goodness. Let's turn over the page. At number 13, we have a quote from the T. Now the T is best known as the son of the rash and the author of the Tor or the Arburim which precedes uh the Shokarak. So it's based on the Torah and the Torah writes like this number 13. He starts by saying Yehuda. I've learned from my brother Rav Yehuda. So the Torah came from a very esteemed family. As I said, his father was the Rash. His brother Rav Yehuda became the chief rabbi as it might have been called of the Jewish community of Toledo. It just seems to me that the Ravhuda became the chief rabbi and the tour his younger brother I think younger brother. Yes, younger brother was uh just wrote his books but uh he gave us the book that he wrote was the Torah which is uh monumental in its implication for our our knowledge our learning of halaka but here he quotes his older brother and he says I've heard from my brother Rauuda a reason for the thing so this is his answer to our question but the festivals correspond to the aot how Pesak connected Abraham because it pesak corresponds to Abraham because when Abraham entertained the angels who came to see him at the beginning of parasiot he told Sarah to need with a K and to makeot and Rashi says pes actually not on that rashi says it about lot but it was on the same day that it was pes Abraham was making mats because it was pesak so that's the link between Abraham and Pesakra. So is connected to Shàuat. Why? Because at the time of matra which we celebrate on shat the great chauffeur was blown and the chauffeur was from the ay from the ram that was offered up instead of and that leaves sukkot. Sukkot corresponds to Yakov Miku assaot when Yakov was on his way back to Erit Israel. There was a period of 18 months when he stopped and he made sukkot for his animals. So that's the connection between Yakov and Sukkot. So we have three Dasha like connections between Ara and Pesak Yitra and Shvat and Yakov and Sukkot. So by uprooting the three festivals says the donkey to billum you're uprooting the three avot who are the foundations of the Jewish people. Yes. >> And what would he be warning us about? Okay. I look forward. >> Okay. Well, I I hope we'll have time to come back and hear your your thoughts. Okay. The seder, another I think uh 15th century commentary on Rashi says as follows in number 14. Uh this is sorry the word to introduction on so he he he deals with this problem and he has various solutions but the one I want to look at is the one he introduces with onar or we can say mitzvah zot that the donkey alluded to this mitzvah of shalosimitzvah this mitzvah of galim is the source literally the eat or of the amuna in its entirety. In other words, as we're about to see, the fundamental principles of Judaism can be seen in pesakus. And if you therefore uproot the three festivals, you're uprooting the fundamentals of amuna. So how does this work? What are the fundamentals of amuna and how do they relate to the galim? End of line one of number 14 thera shalosh the root of our I don't like the word faith I prefer the word loyalty but that's for another discussion but the root of our let's call it connection and its essence are three so if you had to sum up the three basic sources of Judaism or the philosophy of Judaism says to say to the you'd come up with these alohane here they Hashem, the existence of Hashem, the Torah, Hashm, and the authenticity of Torah that it comes directly from Shmayim. The and reward and punishment. In other words, Hashem exists. Hashem gave us the Torah with lots of things to do and lots of things not to do. And if we do them, we get reward. And if we don't do them, we get punishment. That is Judaism. If we had to reduce it to three principles, those would be the three. By the way, if you compare those three to the 13 principles of faith of the Rambam, you'll see that they basically cover uh if we with a bit of stretching and a bit of sort of sliding into place, those three cover most, not necessarily all, but most of the 13 principles of the Rambam. Anyway, end of line two tells us about the essence of Hashem's existence and his ability or his power al so pesar which contains the historical events of coming out of Egypt and the splitting of the sea testify to this. How did the Jews come out of Egypt? Because Hashem exists and Hashem is powerful and Hashem brought the Jews out of Egypt. How did the Jews cross the sea? Because Hashem exists and Hashem can do miracles and Hashem can split the sea. So Pesak, the starting point is the existence of Hashem. End of line three testifies to the second principle which is pretty obvious. This one you don't have to work hard to connect to the fact that Torah was given to us by Hashem and every word is true. >> Yes to that three principles which he brings over here. >> I was just wondering if that was going to be the case because I'm not an expert in the various principles but they are the three. >> Oh, very good. So it's exactly >> okay. So that's where where he gets it from. That will be where he gets it from. >> Yeah. Okay. So we just Thank you very much. So we just said that testifies to and now middle of line four eludes or teaches about the third principle which I the ver and I alo say is reward and punishment. It relates to the soal tell us that in the future there will be a in which the sadikim will sit in the future and they will benefit from the radiance of Hashem in ways that we can't understand because we are physical and we can't understand the the non-physical world that awaits for the sadikim in the future. But what they are given is a suka to sit in. What does this mean? I do not know. I do not understand. But I do understand what the s of the is saying there's a clear connection between the reward for the sadikim and sukkot. So he has shown well I'll read his words rather than mine. Middle of line five the honu and therefore it's correct that the donkey alluded to um with the words. You are trying to uproot the people who celebrate the three festivals and those three festivals are literally the feet. I don't think that's maybe it is illusion to but not necessarily the feet the root the foundation of the of the belief that we have in its generality. That's what appears to me in this matter. End of quote. So why what's special about the galim? What's special about the shushim according to what we just learned is that they relate to the three fundamental principles of Judaism. If you take away the galim as bum is trying to do, you take away Judaism itself. That's why this mitzvah is highlighted. And now it's my honor and pleasure to bring in the Maharal. Um the Maharal has something to say. And this is classic Maharal because number one he defends the the midrashic interpretation from Khazal and he will always defend Khazal and number two he sees a profound meaning in what kazal say and number three he sets out a sort of system a uh a paradigm to explain what's the significance of the three festivals. So number 15 quoting the words of Rashi quoting the words of the donkey that you are trying to uproot the people shalim who celebrate the three festivals the Imlo and the reason Rashi says this as we've seen already is because if it weren't for the significance of the it should have said pim we've seen that already and if you say my what's the difference. What's special about this mitzvah of the Shalosim Sherelo that the donkey alluded to Mish mitzvah compared to all the other mitzvah? What's so special? That's our question. And you can answer this as follows. And as I say, this to my mind is classic. Time itself. Time has a beginning, a middle, and an end. And the donkey is coming to say or Rashi is coming to say the Jewish people are at the beginning. The Jewish people are in the middle and the Jewish people will be at the end. Sorry. It's a smart donkey. >> The donkey knows this. The man doesn't know this. >> Okay. Very good. Very good. >> Yeah. um middle of line three uh and corresponding to this three part and splitting up of time. Hashem gave us three regalim to correspond to the beginning, the middle and the end. Now by the way I think I should say end does not mean destruction. It means the end of a period. Uh the way that events in time are defined by beginning, middle and end >> where Uh >> could be could be >> in the year 2000 the New York Times had had a special issue a special issue printed up and it was what the New York Times might look like I think in the year 2500 maybe >> and it still had Shabas code times. Yes. Yes. Okay. Let's read on with the maral >> okay >> because let's see what he says um number 16. So, so what we have to do he said that time has beginning, middle and end. And then he said beginning, middle end corresponds to. So what we're going to do is match them up. So the beginning of beginning of summer when things come alive is by definition in the spring and is the beginning of the middle of the summer. That is to say the power of the summer, the heat um comes from which is way referring to shawat and onwards. So where are we? We're three weeks after shabat. It feels pretty hot. So it it it fits it fits that shabat marks the beginning of I would say the intensity of the heat of the summer. Second line number 16 before it's not the power of the summer. And this is known by just looking at the natural progress of the year. But we can also bring a uh a rabbitic source for this idea. End of line two. Razal said um liquids which are used for healing are good until because this liquid sorry I don't know about medieval medicine but this liquid is only good at the beginning of the summer and when you come to the beginning of the summer is over. We're now in the middle of the summer and it from onwards begins the strength of the summer and the strength of the summer when it's really hot. That's the that's the essence and that's the middle of the summer. And is described in the Torah as at the turn or the end of the year and that's the end of the period that we're talking about and winter is not included in this part of time because winter is the non-existence and the loss of vegetation. So again um the Maral is is using a lot of very sort of key Maharellian ideas that we find in lots of other places. Um non-existence is not part of time. The time that he's talking about the time that he says has got three components is basically the summer when things are alive when things are growing. And the summer goes from the beginning of the summer pesak in the spring to the middle of the summer at shawat when the sun is when the the power of the sun is really beginning to be felt. And sukkat is the close of the year and the po theor specifically says it's the close of the year. So when he says time is a beginning, middle and end he then narrows that down to summer has a beginning, middle and end. And the maral explains that pes sorry that winter is not part of the equation at all because winter is when nothing's growing. It's a time of ed absence for heim and the loss of vegetation. So the time when things are alive and growing has a beginning, a middle shawat and end akat. So in number 17 okay yes only apply to the northern hemisphere. >> Yes. I I lived in Australia for a long time and every time you learn something like this you have to say this is for the northern hemisphere but it's ultimately for one particular spot in the northern hemisphere. the spot on which we are living and residing and it works very well for Aerys Israel I think perhaps more so than other I used to before I was in Australia I was in England and in England you couldn't say this because it rains every day it's always winter uh so but it works very well for Israel and as I'm reading this and I you could literally feel you can walk out today it's three weeks or however many weeks it is after after Chevat and you can feel the heat so I can really relate to what the what the Maral is saying so in Number 17, he continues this idea and he says, "And therefore it says in the words of Rashi." Um there's a paraphrase here because he pim didn't use the word interesting enough. Uh so the donkey says, "You want to destroy the people that celebrate three times in a year." uh and this is teaching about the eternal nature of the people because they have times of joy the beginning of the time of joy in the middle of a time of joy the sof and the conclusion of the time of joy because what are well there are many things but they are times of there's a mitzvah of there are times when we act and we eat and we dress and we do all sorts of things to express our and so we have sim at the beginning at the middle and at the end um simka teaches about completion and about existence if we have sim that's a testament to the fact that we are here again there's much more that could be said by scholars greater than me about these ideas we're just scratching the surface uh but please believe me there's there's great profoundity here in these So the opposite of is mourning. It's the opposite. And you mourn for something that is been lost, that is no longer there. And that's why we mourn when somebody passes away because they're no longer there. So sim is the opposite of aut. Simka is an expression of existence. A veut is an expression of non-existence. And our three festivals are times of so they testify to our existence. So number 18 is so the Jewish people their existence is throughout time we're there at the beginning we're there in the middle we're there at the end. And therefore we can rejoice we do rejoice on theim shahimakayat the three festivals which are in the summer beginning middle and end of the summer and summer is the continuation of the time of existence because vegetation comes into existence in the summer. The opposite of what happens in the winter and he did not give them in the winter. Hashem did not give the festivals in the winter. Australians please accept this said because the winter is not a time for it's a time of loss because uh the vegetation goes away and it's not existence but and something that has something eternal will not become to be lost. Now loss is the word that the donkey said to bum. You are trying to negate you're trying to cancel out this people. But you know what these people celebrate and that's a testament to their endurance and their eternal nature because they have beginning middle and end of festivals which are festivals of joy that shows their existence. So middle of line three of number 18 regarding this idea that these three festivals teach about the eternal nature of the Jewish people they are great ideas in other words they're very profound and there's much more to say and then he says I'm not going to say it here but if you want to study further go and look at my book called look at chapter 46 ics and you'll find this idea in greater detail and he goes on there into the the very nature of time itself and time versus uh space and the significance of the three parts of the time. Um, as I say, as he says, you can find more there. But what he's given us here is a brief analysis of how the Schlushra Galim testament testify to the eternity of the Jewish people because they mark the beginning and end beginning and middle and end of the season of of creation and they are linked with joy and joy is an expression of existence as opposed to a veil which is mourning for the non-existence and that's why it's very appropriate that the donkey said to bum you want to destroy this people you won't be able to Because these people are eternal. How do we know they're eternal? Because they have the schlush galim which testify about the beginning, middle, and end. Okay. Finally, I just want to go to another contemporary safer last generation. Um the biorumat bashi uh is a safer by the exp means the explanation of of the hidden bits of rashi uh by Rav Dr. Pinhas Don who I believe died in 19 2019. So it's pretty relevant, pretty contemporary and he quotes the rashi in number 20 which is on the pa number 19. So the p number 19 is from the braas that Moshe gave to theatim at the very end of the Torah. And the braha he gave to Zulen included the following pukim. They will call nations to the mountain. There they will slaughter the sacrifices of righteousness. They will draw from the abundance of the seas and the things hidden in the sand. Now like all the bukim uh that are part of the braas to theatim it's very hard to understand what it's all about. Rashi gives more than one explanation but in number 20 he says there's another explanation of what we just read the which says they will call peoples to the mountain because of the trading of Zulan. So this is in the braha that's given to the tribe of Zulan and Zulan was the one on the ships on the sea that traded backwards and forwards with other nations and because of the trade with Zulan also the the merchants of the nations of the world came to Zulan's land for he al- Safar and Zulan's land was on the edge on the border of Erit Israel and the traders the non-Jewish traders come to Zulan's land for hey mamm and They say since we've slept this far, let's go to and see what that's like and we'll see what is the god of this people um and what are the deeds of this godim and the these non-Jewish merchants will come and they will see they'll go to and they'll see all of the Jewish people serving one God and eating the same food because we're the non-Jewish nations. This one's God is not the same as that one's God. They all have their own gods and they all have their own food. Not quite sure of the relevance of food here, but I think it's an expression of of culture of unity. These non-Jewish traders will say we won't have a fitting nation like this one and they will convert to Judaism there. And that's what it means in the sacrifice the sacrifices of righteousness. What's all this got to do with our topic number 21? So this is Ravon's writing shall this publication this publicization that all the Jewish people serve one God who gimm it is most manifest on the shoshraim because as the initially says in a multitude of people the king is glorified in other words when there's a huge number of people there it's even better to do the mitzvah. So Rashi tells the story of these non-Jewish merchants seeing how the Jews serve one God and inspiring those non-Jewish merchants to convert says Ravon in Burashi. This is dapka particularly in the time of the galim because when you see the whole Jewish people gathered in and the whole Jewish people serving one God that's when it's most impactful and that's the way that the Jews fulfill their destiny in this world. What is our task? What is our destiny? to publicize the name of Hashem in the world. And that happens when non-Jews come and see how we all have the same God and we worship the same God together. And that especially would happen on the three festivals. And that is why the donkey says to Bum, "You are destroying the people. We are fulfilling their destiny by aliatel by going to Jerusalem for the regal and publicizing the name of Hashem. That is what you will not be able to do. And we are still here because the donkey was absolutely right. Thank Thank you very much.