The Sin of Nadav & Avihu | Rabbi Neil Winkler

done a pretty good job going through braces and shimod. I mean, not as good as God did, but we did a pretty good job going through the Torah and the different parts of the uh Kumas. Let me get into the exciting caper of Vayikra. I was going to bring a Corbin over here, but I decided not to. There are two qu two stories in the book of uh Vayikra and I have um focused upon the first one and that is a story of Nadav and Ahu. Some of you saw the movie some of you didn't. Not the story of Nadav and Ahu. Two sons of what? the two sons of of Ayana Cohen, Aron Gad, the number one Cohen. And [Music] um we read that in the first day of Nissan in the still actually the first year uh it hadn't been a full year since they left. uh you try but it was that first year officially the you want to say the fish when Nissan comes we start the other year but anyway it's first day one of the greatest days in all the history of of um Israel as Rashar actually talks about that it is the day that so many things so many mitzvot were performed and primarily I'll give the simplest thing that the Mishkan um was completed. We had spent almost half the last half of Schmot going through the details of the construction of the tabernacle of the Mishkan as to whether um you know what it was and even after giving all the details it then goes on and said and they did this and they went through the details again to say exactly what they did. There's a lot of talking about the Mishkan, but the Mishkan had not yet begun to officially function. It begins on Alak Nissan and that's a great it's a day of tremendous celebration. It was a a time when Israel got together and Corbano were made and so on and so forth. in the very very shall we say um not epitome but the the very very top peak of the greatness of the joy of the remarkable thing of of the day when God now uh appears by sending down a fire from heaven which consumes the Quran on the altar on the misbayak at that moment we read what the first thing um our first source tells us. I still have translated for everybody but anyway the sons of Aaron uh each took his sensor. The sensors are the incense which go into it's called the sensor. It's not the common word. Um because people were afraid of mis misplacing it and then they would have lost their sensors. Anyway, um the sensor uh they each took their own and they place a fire there in the only one who can do the Torah of course is um a Cohen given the fact that there were only five kanim at the time Aaron and his four sons. So they had a sensor and they however that as you'll see and being told placed the fire in it the for the laid incense upon it and he offered a foreign fire a strange fire before God. What does it mean by a foreign fire? The fire didn't have an accent but it does say that which he had not commanded them. It's a strange fire because to give the Torah you have to be commanded to do so. Anyone who does that is it's it means it's a strange fire. Zara is z aoda zara. Isn't this simply a strange worship but it's an alien worship? This is an alien worship too. alien worship of uh the sacrificial thing and of course most mostly the Torah which is a very holy thing but they did that without being commanded to and as it goes and says fire came forth from God and devoured them and they died before Hashem and Moshe then said to Aaron this is what Hashem said when he said I will be sanctified through the those closest to me and before all the people I will be glorified and Aharon remains silent. Basically Moshabenu tries to in some way comfort Aaron for the loss of half of his family. two out of the four children and he says to God had said that on this day when it's so special I will be glorified by the holy ones and in effect he says it proves I thought it was I it would be me or you as it turns out the holy ones turned out to be your children so that was a supposedly more comforting thing for him and in response as the sees it that he start he didn't cry screaming and yelling and complaining he was quite he accepted this thing that's what we are told right um so we read what happened and yet although the Torah gives us the details of exactly what happened it doesn't clearly explain explain the violent death that uh and the punishment that they suffered. Yes, I do hear um the words of Moshe which I explained to you as Kazal understand it as being words of comfort. Nonetheless, that isn't clear. And and the fact that it isn't clear is the uh proof of the different opinions of what was happening here, what the sins were, which we find in that you'll find in uh the second source. There we find a number actually altogether there's something like 12 different uh um explanations for the deaths of the two sons I think I could three or four or five whatever um so we'll go through them um the u one who said do I have that here yeah um the first study razar he taught that a student is prohibited from deciding a law in the presence of his teacher. In other words, what's the sin? You have a question. You ask the rebi, you decide for yourself what you're going to do. I tell you rebbitically, it's always a struggle and it's understandable. People are good. They're nice, want help. When a guy when somebody come would come to me and ask a question, a haka question, and he makes a big mistake. He said it out loud. And since there are a lot of Jews in, they all know the answer. They all jump and jump. And Raf knows that an answer has to be given to the person. When you know the person, you know the background. You know what other problems may have had. He knows what what complications have made. Do you know anything that happened to his children that might impact what the decision is going to be? That's a and that's why I beg people, please don't ask come after me afterwards and we'll discuss it. But when a rabbi when somebody asks the rabbi a question, please don't answer it. And I tell them simply, you could be right. But the person who asks the question said, "Well, I guess everybody knows the answer. I was stupid and the next time I'm not going to ask the question, so please." But that general idea when the rebi when the teacher is here and you have to go and say can I do this it's an essential part of the halakic system and it is a halic system I think that nowadays in certain places it gets a little out of whack. uh people who I'm going to the rabbi to find out what color I should paint my wall in the in the in the living room it's a haka question that is a question you ask somebody who is expert in halaka not in paint is there you want to ask them fine but otherwise not so that's the point here that's the first question the punishment they receive because they have no right to decide for themselves they're going to they're going to offer up a got to ask first if it's purpose Okay. Little bit of of I suppose to a certain lack of the second bar said the sons of Aaron died due to four sins. Number one for entering into the kuresh kures. Entering the holy of holies is not done except by the cohenado and only on yam kipper. Uh this was not Yom Kipper but the Coen Gadole would be allowed to go in but only the Coen doll of course at that time Mosho was considered that day also a cos yeah so there was a different day so this day was not this day but then all the rest of the days it was every time the only time the holy of holies was entered was on yum kipper and only by the Gand the one exception in the uh in the world that ever happened was this thing. Okay. Um the second question he he offers is uh for offering a non-commanded sacrifice. You know who you decide ah I feel like giving a a not a or I want to I want a fat one but I decide the obligation of a Torah which I said very holy you know you can't just do yourself they did that three for bringing the fire from the biri b that is that uh they took the um but they should have taken the the fire from uh the from the um and they did not and therefore that was a son and the other one is what the first one say and that is that um they did not consult one another they didn't ask question number Robin Lever said um our own sons died for committing four capital crimes wow a they were intoxicated B, they failed to wear the proper arignment in order for one to to um do the audimn says a coen who does not wear the the garments that he has to during the avoda that the aoda is not is not valid and he himself is is going to be punished. for if it doesn't have purpose. Next, um he said they fail to wash their hands and feet. Before that we learned about they have to in the ina we read that and that you have to wash before going on to any type of the um service in the mikdash had to wash hands and feet and they did not do that. He he cla he claims and interesting they failed to be married. They never got married. that is considered something wrong that it's not um does that stop a cohen from or from from uh doing the aboda does not but it's interesting that to do this avo sing you had to be had to be married and this was a work that could be that it has pointed and finally ravi himself not a student said they were what we sayim In other words, uh many unmarried women waited for them, but they considered themselves too important to marry, you know. Um feeling that woman, no woman was fit for them. Uh or two, they would say, "When would these leaders, these old men die so we could rule over people?" scary statement, but not uncommon. Um, yeah, it seems to be going all over the place from like they were really like shared a whole bunch of stuff really long to holy that they ended up being the um uh the the um sanctified political. Yeah, exactly. What we're having here is clearly different opinions. One said because they were so holy that was wasn't a punishment. All the other said they did something wrong, right? On purpose, not on purpose. The difference of complaining that they wanted the other guys to die and so is a little more import more I would think a little stronger than the fact they didn't put on the proper garments. Right. Um but these were the possibilities. But it seems as you correctly pointed out that the primary primary uh opinions are that they did something wrong which it fits very well because basically they're saying how do you get a punishment like this? You did something wrong and that's exactly why did they deserve it and that's of course obviously what we're going to be looking into at this point. Um, at any rate, I heard this here actually by Kan Waxman years and years ago and I felt I found it very very worthwhile to uh to take his notes and you know tw say um little changes on or whatever you know what I felt but this is primarily from his and he begins answer the question by first reading the events that took place now and as the Torah itself itself depicts it. So that's what we have already read before we learned exactly uh in those first three verses what took place but um the conversation uh that we had that Moshe had with Aharon was no real conversation at all. Aaron remains silent. Right? Conversation means two people back and forth. It was not such a thing. It was merely a statement by Moshe and perhaps to calm down. and Mosha's explanation that the two sons um conformed to what Mo God said, excuse me, that God said, "I will be sanctified seemingly at this moment on this great day and glorified through those who um as he says a bit those who came close to me those who came close to me and that's why kazal say that it was uh holy they wanted to get close to keshbu how did they come closer they were so overwhelmed by the spiritual uh moment that was maybe they made the mistake but they wanted to get closer and closer to god and that that was say and that is why they are punished [Music] Um, of course the question is where in the world did God ever tell Mosh tell Mosha Padesh, you know the ask that the rabbis asked that also and and and after all um you know they in what way did they draw near? I should gave you that reason but they'll see. He says Rashi explains that Moshe was referring to there's a P in um I think I have it here in the third [Music] um thing they have. Do I have it here? Yeah. Okay. So there um yeah, this shall be a continual burnt offering throughout the generations offered at the entrance of the tent of meeting where I will meet with you and speak to you. That's the Moshe. And there I will meet the Israel and the tent will be sanctified through my glory. I will sanctify the tent of meeting and the altar. I will sanctify Aon and his sons to minister me in prince and I will dwell among the bel is. So what is that with anything? It says um that that um I it will be sanctified, right? That uh at the very culmination of what we call these days of these days muim ended on the first of Nissan started the seven days earlier in Adar. And he said at the at the end of that uh through the sacrificial right I will sanctify Hashem's glory his presence will descend upon the Mishkan and dwell there and then Israel will see that and this dramatic event would sanctify God and would glorify him when everybody sees this h this happening and both Mishk the Mishkan and God himself would be elevated at this point and that's precisely what happens and that's what's meant um the details how after bringing the offering on the eighth day God's glory is revealed I have here in the fourth um source um you can read it yourself uh it tells you what happened I don't think it's worthwhile to go through all the details. You see what happened there. Um but what happened but this most important thing about these events is that God's promise was f was found the fruition of God's promise to takes place right before the two sons of our own are killed or die. And therefore when Moshe tells Aron that God had said, he was reminding in his brother that as soon as Hashem himself had revealed himself through the fire that consumed the sacrifices, his glory, his presence dwelled on the Mishkan and that sanctified him in the Mishan. And what else? Who else is now basically sacrificed and burned? Not the and the sacrifice who now is burned also. So this is why they said they must have been very holy. They like the sacrifices to make everything holy. The sacrifices were were burned and consumed and then they were burned and consumed. They were cavia part of sacrifice that made God holier, more glorified. That's what Moshe was telling Aaron. Don't see it as a punishment. They aren't bad people but because of the fact that God said I'm going to really sanctify myself making me kadosh it will be done also not only on the through the sacrifices but also through your children who would be like sacrifices what do we call people who die for Israel koshi in effect it makes them holy. Um, isn't that kind of isn't that kind of undercooded by the whole idea of like God doesn't want him to sacrifice and all that stuff? I mean, I guess that's maybe why there's an argument about it. Yeah, that would be true if God would say, okay, um, sacrifice your son. He did that to Abra and God doesn't say that. God has this great book. It's called Do what I say, not what I do. Now, in effect, there are certain things God is above and beyond. There are things like that that he will do even though he does not want man to do. He has a good reason for it. Don't ask about it. Yeah. But but to make a certain point he would that's how kazal see it. I mean there are a whole bunch who are going to say no no no no they write it up man. That's what happened. Don't kill people that perhaps for that very same reason. Why god do that? I I I recall um my first year in the rabinet. Anyway, I was in uh I was in saying Connecticut, Cincinnati. That's a goalless enough. Anyway, I was in Cincinnati for that first year in um and I recall Cincinnati had the wonderful wonderful base medish of the HU. It was a center of reformed Judaism and um at the time they were coming you know it started the Jews for Jesus was starting to become very powerful and um and it was Nebak Nebach Jewish supposedly who are going and saying we're Jewish but we belong in we believe in Yashka and all right fine I do a good job ignoring them um but sometimes you can't why I was his first year in Raonus. And the rabbi, wonderful, wonderful man was coming to Israel to set up hopefully Alia. And so he was gone for about three and a half months. There I was. I had I had about 350 families. It was a nice big shy. And um they came, they said they challenged me. They challenged they said, "I'm going to go to the Orthodox rabbi and prove that we're right." And I wasn't there who was one of the great at the time had just passed away two three hour three two three years earlier and his grandson was and in the college at the time and was pushing me you've got to meet with him you've got to meet with him so that's what you're doing in the first year uh rabbit you listen to that the second year I learned I don't do that. I learned a number of things in my first my second year I found out don't talk to newspapers and the first year I found this out I had made a very nice art uh not an article got a nice uh discussion with a a newspaper reporter who then wrote down in the in newspaper very well you know read newspaper in Trenton where I was in the second stellar uh nothing that what I said claiming that I said this and there's people in the sha very upset with it. Uh, and so I've learned that and I that is anyway and I get these guys come these Jews for Jesus. Excuse me. Say anyway. So they come and this big was God needs blood sacrifices for atonement. And since we have no atonement today with our sacrifices, we have one who sacrificed himself from from now on. He was the sacrifice and that atone for all of our sins and therefore you have to believe in him so that you're atone. So thank God I do every day. So I I said I said really said you believe the book of Psalms. Of course we do. We believe in the whole Bible. I said good. Let me tell you it says here I said there is I told him where it was I said God will forgive and will not destroy and demand blood well I shut them up I was very proud of myself and um so they walked out and they and they said we'll ask our teacher fine they come back they called me up and says he said it doesn't apply to And I said, "Okay, that's a cop out. You know it." But but you find out these things that but because of the idea of oh God needs to kill people to get sacrifices if no all of all the three who said over and over but I don't demand no sacrifices aren't for me. Yeah. That's it. Huh? Yeah. Now that's the very beginning. It says other place still he says that don't need it. So anyway, um so that's a good point, but that's why you have the other point also. Um and when you think about it, perhaps it was a very fitting punishment because um Davi who had actually entered the very presence of God in the did that they did pro um proceed to offer an a non-commanded offering. Um, and that was exactly what God had warned them not to do. It was clearly said that uh you're not supposed to do such a thing. And um that's why they were consumed. So the seemingly harsh punishment was meat to the two sons was actually very fitting. God appeared to Moshe at Har, right? Uh through the the fire of the burning bush and he warned Moshe the first time he appears to Moshe in the beginning of the book of Schmot. What does he say? He says, "Alom, don't get close to me. Don't come." You know, we're beginning to get a hint that God doesn't want, you know, he has a space and don't come into that space. Uh and when he comes down on the same uh to give the to pronounce the he tells Israel as well as Moshe go be careful not to get go on the on climb up the mountain. Don't even touch any part of it. Don't get you can't touch where the fire of God where God is very clear everybody know that and in fact he said you have to set a guard so put fences around so nobody should get accidentally even there nothing approach and um even Israel when they were standing in front of Hari remember that isn't until much before this is this less than a year before what happens here they were afraid They themselves you see this inim um I actually I think yeah I have it in the fifth source they said why should we die for this great fire will consume us if we if we hear the voice of God anymore we'll die so you go that is what by the it's a whole different thing too the concept that often is asked by people who asked the question and that is well if there are 613 mitz but kesh was tired why did he only give us 10 or two why give them all of it so and the answer is don't blame me man it was you guys that's what I wanted to do was saying that was his plan but after the first two according to kazal but even the first 10 just according to the text bene were frightened and And they said, "We don't want to hear it anymore." They said, "You go up and you you'll find out what God wants from you and then you'll come out and tell us." But we don't want to do that. The first first classroom for a Jew happened there. What happens is that Israel said the best way of educating us is not through this thing from God but you will explain it to us. We'll tell you and you'll come down and tell me the Rebi Talmud uh concept now was established at high. The bottom line is you don't go where God doesn't want you to go and getting close to him is what even you know we should not do. So you know that who didn't know that it seems who they went closer anyway, right? Um and that's why right before the death it says that the fire came down from God and it consumed it was consume a consumed fire and uh it burned the offering. So obviously and clearly those who would ignore these warnings and the experiences that they had before would be punished in such a way that the fire would come and consume them. And to a certain extent I will admit we use this very approach to satisfy our curiosity regarding the sin that was committed by the sons of Aharon. their very act of unwanted trespassing uh of non-commanded entry into the kodesh uh that is the cause of death and that we can accept that you blew it guys you shouldn't have done that you know we warned enough time and one can even claim that perhaps it wasn't a punishment per se but it was an automatic s in, you know, it's a trespass and you're going to die. You were warned to go about it. You know, it's like, I'm going to walk into the fire, but um I'll be okay, right? No, you're dumb if you do that. You know that fire is going to consume you when you ignore that. That's what happens. Um so anyway um that is what I we see if we accept the idea that they made a mistake they sinned were rather uh careless if I can use that term and therefore they were being punished. Um but there are is the approach of many of the commentaries as we pointed or the paranim including those of kazal who place the davu not on a lower but on a higher more elevated um level of holiness spark of kaduca as I mentioned they were sacrificed as if they were corbano as God said to Moshe, God had told them, I'll be sanctified by those closest to me. And if that's the case, then these were the closest to him. And it says there an interesting thing in the text after it says that they died. If you look at that even the first one, it says uh the the end of the of the first of the second it says and they died. But it doesn't stop there. Those words that seem to indicate, you know, that it was by God or in front of God as if a not so much pen punishment, right? And uh the very fact later on we read that God commands that although you can't mourn because doesn't mourn says all of Israel is everybody else has to mourn. You don't mourn a wicked people. You don't make a whole complete mourning because these are bad people. I don't read that um Datan and Aram were everybody mourned but they complained because they were Jewish but they didn't mourn the the deaths of uh Datan and Avi didn't because they weren't good. But here it says to mourn them which would seemingly indicate it wasn't a simple punishment but they were indeed rather exceptional people. um given Yeah. So given that the so far I won't say it was a um I wouldn't call it an introduction but it is a very good covering of what it is but there's more to see because the parak the entire chapter about this uh is much longer than the three verses which talk about the death of and we'll get to that momentarily. And now we have in the sixth source long source. Um and again you have the in the English um also very long. Um after the uh death of Nadav and Ahu um we first read no we first let what I'm going to do to just without walking through the um verses the sukim there I will divide it up to give you an idea and you can check into it because I'll keep be a little more interesting. The first three who came as I mentioned just talk about the sons and their death. Okay, fine. After that, what happens? Well, in verses two and four and God commands that the bodies of be removed from the holy from the holy of holies in the And then verses six and seven um is where he says you guys cannot mourn for the loss of your over there cousins whatever it was. Um and then there's a general law and that is in you'll see it if you look at you believe me. Um that's in the that's in the uh page two on the bottom of page two where it says God says he prohibits uh our own and all the to drink wine or any intoxicating beverage when they are going to do the service to God. uh thereby differentiating between what is holy and what is profane uh what is pure and what is not and to and so that you can teach wrote B is and to teach B is what does that mean it means and you shouldn't be drunk you should be intoxicated so you don't drink and so that you can teach B is all of the laws that Hashem has spoken to to Moshe good that's the uh fourth part and section of the uh this perk. It was a code of behavior, rules and responsibilities that were addressed to the kohanim. And the last um e nine sukim from yudet to kaf um merely goes to resume the details of what happened on that eighth day uh including the dialogue with um aon gospel dialogue with aon and his sons. So at first glance the content of this parak is certainly logical. If we've taken the approach that Nadav and Aviho were um unwittingly we should say um punished or the deaths was because of their unwilling trespass on the sanctity of God. So it makes a u it was perhaps if we take it nicely it was an error uh in their observance of the laws regarding how to treat the holy places and sanctified things and because they were not knowledgeable about this or they forgot or whatever they didn't find there it makes sense that the rest of the next few God is warning the don't make the mistake that they did. So make sure you not don't do this, don't be drunk and so on and so forth, right? Um so it progresses in verses four and five to do just that. And then in tokim six and seven uh likewise it makes sense that um it tells them immediately okay also you shouldn't be mourning. These are these not new laws we didn't know. If we look I would say I would say look backwards to look forward when we read the laws of the kohanim in the beginning of par we'll see these laws are there for the kohanim so and even the sukim 8 to 11 that tell us the not to be drunk and you know this all makes a lot of sense it is however uh the remainder of the perak that is verses through 12 to Okay, that um goes on lengthy doing what? Well, it too is um has the same theme um and and it's the the are being taught how to complete now the 8 day um muim the investment uh ritual. the understandable. They got to be a little nervous, you know, uh, like going on a plane, find out that the the the flight before you had crashed. You got a little nervous getting on the plane. And he said, "Well, we're doing this great thing. God's having a wonderful thing. We're calling in. We're in charge of it." They just killed two of them, the two big ones. So, it's understandable that God now is going to say, "Well, this is how you do it, and you'll be okay." Um and uh and you'll notice in those verses you find that there's an emphasis on the idea that you can retain your higher uh level of sanctity by following these laws and um that as I said is a very logical thing to do. So at this point we reach a rather satisfying approach to the sin um of Aaron's sons and uh to the content itself of the whole perah and I could sit down and say okay we'll do something next you know I'm not going to do that or was it that George George Gersian sang and Ira Gerson said it ain't necessarily though we're not sure about this. Why? Because after the warning that the kanim should take care of the abodat hakodes, the sacrificial service if I put it that way, that they have to refrain from uh entering the mikdash, the holiest part of it uh in a state of intoxication to take care to separate between the holy and the profane. They again then come to the four fourth and I think the last section wrote that B is called and to teach is all of these laws that God had spoken to that God said them through Moshe. What is the connection? After all, these co these these laws were specifically focused on the kanim. Why add and then and to teach bail so on and so forth but don't have to know more about this they're not allowed to go there we know they know that. So what is this all about to suddenly to tell him how to be good teachers that's in effect saying um and if they are so why does God send these laws meaning the laws about the kohanim why is that something here they have to teach Israel as well um so he's the one who comes up with the suggestion that [Music] um by the text going back to the story itself as to what happened and everything um we would get a better understanding of the significance of these laws. The tragedy of Nadavu did not occur in a a vacuum. The Torah clearly links the events that we find here in Peraket um and um the story of the remarkable day of um the Miluim, the eighth day. And when you read through the text, we get the impression that the deaths of the two sons occurred immediately following the crescendo of the day when God's fire comes down and so on so forth. The appearance of a divine fire uh to consume the corbanote is a pretty significant moment. Um and uh just like it says that fire came out uh from God and it consumed the sacrifices. Uh that was also used when it came to consuming the sons as we pointed out. Um and interestingly he quotes the rashbam rashbam the grandson of rashi says the usage of the two exact phrases with the cons consuming of the sacrifice and u right and the sons he says means that's exactly what's happened at the same time same same fire same fire that consumed the sacrifice came and consumed them. So he's the rash says and um it in in going through and trying to understand what was happening. This becomes very powerful to what we said that they were like part of the sacrifice. So much so that it happened together with the sacrifice with the greatest moment that it wasn't a punishment. It was part of the great uh uh divine presence that came down and could be seen. Um and there was something else that we find here too. Um there is repetitive language and it is uh well we call that in in the more modern um biblical discussions mil words that sort of lead you to say they're almost topical words. the words that really uh repeat over and over again in a certain section. By the way, it's fascin that that it really is uh teaching you something even without hitting you hitting you over the head with the bat. If you just read through it and say, "Oh, keep on repeating this thing." And we are creating certain all over the place. Yeah. We haven't heard this phrase before, right? Exactly. So um when you see if I go over for example uh the uh I think I have the yeah in the eighth source uh when I go over here. Oh by the way the chart I told you like the sections I think it's in the seventh. So you can see that by the way. Um so in the eighth source right you look the first part part I un says right and then next one. Um the and again you see this is a clear repetition the idea of they got closer they are they they offered up they brought closer and God commanded and God commanded God commanded when we go through that powerful repetitions of the same thing it's not you know that's not coincidental clearly Um when it comes even to the sins itself, how does it describe the sin of of both the and are found together almost as it's part of the the the whole process of what was happening that day. Um and um the appearance of God, the the bringing closure of God, the you know was found in that one verse of one thing but in the opposite thing the whole point is first God commanded it and then it was over here what comes first then after it's exactly the point everything else that was done was done because God commanded it and they did it here what do we find they did it not what God commanded that's what happens now so that itself also colors it flavors but exactly what's happening the text makes the she see something was wrong over here right that Only when as God commanded then can you get closer to God. You cannot get closer to God on your own on your own. In fact, it was not commanded from God. It's such an important uh um pisser. Anyway, such an important lesson. It's an important per lesson forever. Forever. The concept that um I love God so much. I'm going to do this. If God doesn't want you to do it, that's dumb. You can't make up your own religion. The brilliance and the the importance of of a Torahim is that God says, "I want you to to worship me, but I want you to worship me this way." When we have people who don't worship like a do and what is it called a zar? So when worship is not done as God wants it, it's aboda zara. Don't be fooled to believe whenever you see the concept of ab that it was must be idolatry. Even when you worship God but you worshiped it the wrong way, the the way not how God wanted you to do it. That's worship. Who says you're allowed to come in and tell God I want to talk? One of the concept that takes the mel the greatest of all powers in the world and you can walk into say talk to him. God lets you do that. You can't go into the white house. You can't go into any place when you want to. But God lets you go and talk to him. But it has limitations. This is how I want you to do it. I want you to do it this way. I'll finish with this story which is painful to me to a certain degree. uh when I was a young um area I wasn't it's but um there was uh in the camp where I went there was a um older man who was a recuss reconstructionist rabbi and he was begging me he says you must come to my Friday nights it's so nice we have the khalim and the tim and everybody and they'll singing and everything and I'm sure is very meaningful. Not what God wanted. God said this is the way this is what I do want because otherwise it goes all over the place and the magnificence is that I can walk into a sh in Shanghai, Tokyo, South America and um and Minnesota who want to and I would know I have the same s I'm dab of the same thing. The only way Jews survived any gulus was because it latched on to the Torah and the laws that were given and didn't go on to see I'm going to do what I want to do. They weren't. So, I'll stop here. I'll see if we can continue next time.