Parsha Perspectives for Today - Ki Sisa 5785 (Only With Unity)

good morning BTO welcome back to paraa perspectives for today we have the privilege of learning para Kisa together incredible para that is packed with with story with narrative that continues to impact us until today our para serious is generous sponsored by Becky andat and family in memory of Becky's father our learning is in memory of David Gman this morning is co-sponsored by syia pansi in memory of herdorf alah and by Amy and Michael tarlo in loving memory of Michael's father Aron mayor whose third year at site is Thursday we're very grateful to the taros for all their generosity and leadership in our community I want to begin by saying a big thank you an enormous thank you because we barem had a successful campaign thanks to you those who listen and watch and who come and who learn and those who took a moment to contribute and to give we're never done unlike the mishan we'll never say we have enough we need more but but the campaign was a success and it was only a success because of you so I really want to begin by first and foremost saying a big thank you to all those who stepped up who gave who enabled us to continue to share and Inspire and teach and if you haven't yet it's not too late of course we would continue to welcome it but for all those who did thank you so much page 484 in the art SC Stone hasem told Moshe the following when you want to take a census it's time to count it's time to take a census of the Jewish people according to our number how so the simple way people walk around with a clipboard they knock on the door you send out an email a link you ask everybody to fill out the form not the Jewish people not the Torah the way that we take a census is we ask everyone we ask every person to give an atonement for their soul when counting them so that there'll be no plague among you in other words even implicit in the instruction to take a sensus to do account is it's dangerous there's a risk so we've got to get it right we want to make sure that the census that counting the people will Elevate will be in atonement will enrich not God forbid risk we're the opposite so how do we do that continues instead of counting one two three four instead of assigning a number instead of walking around with a clipboard instead instead every person gives a half shekele we add up the half schum and we have our total we know how many there are who qualifies those who are 20 and up and there's a specific reason for that because we're not simply doing a census stom it was to be able to form an army to be able to defend ourselves to know how many we are and so on so it was those eligible to serve which was 20 and up I've been quoting this new coron so many have reached out to say where can I find it and I myself spend some time online looking for the link to share with you it's not out yet this is one of the benefits of being a rabbi and you know it makes you lose your hair and go gray prematurely but you get free books in the mail if that doesn't make it worth it and even it out I don't know what does but you get far even before they're published and kin is coming out with this you can only so far order in bulk for shoes and yeshivas but you'll be able to come out with it soon in our local Coran store will have it but it's not available yet so I'm just wetting your appetite so Rabbi saaks it's a collection of Rabbi Lord Jonathan saaks a of RA on the para organized in a beautiful with rash and his commentary on the bottom and he says the following the para begins with God's command to mosha to take a sensus of the people but it's phrased in a curious manner Moshe is told not to count the people directly but obliquely each is to give a half shekel and only thus was their number to be calculated the PK warns mosha to do it in a way that no plague strikes them when you count them and R saak is noting what we mentioned why would I think that a plague would strike you know you're in Disney you're counting up your kids you're on the empty nest a trip in Panama and somebody's taking the number on the bus make sure everybody's here nobody says wait don't do that there's gonna be a plague wait stop stop counting in class taking attendance wait stop there's going to be a plague why would one think you're gonna have a plague because you're taking a census because you're taking a account Cesar by saxs evidently it's dangerous to count Jews many centuries later ignoring this warning D King David took a sensus of the people and disaster struck the nation sh B chapter 24 to this day we do not needlessly count Jews even to calculate whether there's a minion in the sh our custom is to take a P with 10 words and use that instead so even when we want to see new do we have a minion can we start BRS we keep adding more and more and more we have our daily plug our daily plug late manyak they're still ding there's still going to be a couple more Min in the other room your half your day will be over there'll still be DAV Shak in the other room so they want to know do we have a minion so we don't say one two three four we say weird things like not one not two not three weirdos we're weirdos who counts like that how weird or we count and remembers what you're up to the classic commentators onos give several answers Rashi says counting is fra with danger of I inara evil eye that's why many people if you say how many children can iara do you have how many how many great grandchildren how many great great grandchildren are you up to don't mention don't talk about it we don't say a number we don't count don't offer a number suggest when people are counting they're numbered as individuals separated from the community and there's a danger that an individual's Merit may be insufficient to save him from the adverse judgment don't give a number because if you're number four you're number six you're number two now you're a number separate independent apart from the whole and as an individual separate apart from the whole oh now Hashem says bring me his file bring me her record let me see how they're doing and what their worthiness is so we say me no I blend in I'm just part of the whole Community I'm hiding behind the sadic I'm hiding behind the sadeas I just blend in I combine I compliment I supplement with the great people around me don't look at me measure me count me as an individual that's rabaya so we had Rashi we had RAB but RAB saak offers his own suggestion why do Nations count their numbers to estimate their strength military political or economic I was just uh seeing the news they're going to try to pass a bill today to stop the government shutdown apparently the president had to been making phone calls last night the vice president is on the hill why they want to make sure they have the the numbers they want to make sure they have the numbers because what are the numbers strength who's polling better in the numbers who's going to get the vote who has the numbers behind the ancient practice of counting population is the assumption that there's strength in numbers the larger the people the stronger it is that is why it's dangerous to count if we ever came to believe that the strength and number we would God forbid give way to despair for 4,000 years the strength of the Jewish people has never Lain in numbers what an Insight by by saxs if we would count with numbers and we'd realize how few we are and will always be we would give up we would despair imagine if little Israel would look at the 26 27 Arab countries that surround her who want to annihilate her obliterate her destroy her and they would look at the numbers the billions in the world and say little us several million what chance do we have what are our odds if we would look and count by the Numbers we'd given up long ago for then for then did it lie to this the Torah gives an answer of great Beauty in effect Hashem tells Moshe do not count Jews ask them to give and then count the contributions that's how you measure the strength of the Jewish people in numbers we're small but in terms of of our contribution we are vast in almost every age Jews have given something special to the world in one in one era it was tanak the most influential document in the history of the world in later centuries Jews produced a never-ending stream of Scholars Saints poets and philosophers it is not that Jews are brighter cleverer more energetic or talented than others that's a racist Doctrine and I reject it right R byx nor is it that Jews more than others are driven to succeed that is that the heart of much anti-semitic propaganda and it's false the simple answer given in the Torah and engraved in Jewish sensibility is that to be a Jew is to be asked to give to contribute to make a difference to help in the Monumental task that has engaged Jew since the dawn of our history to make the world a home for the divine presence a place of Justice compassion human dignity and the sanctity of life through our act though our ancestors cherish the relationship with Hashem they never saw it as a privilege instead they saw it as a responsibility Hashem challenged them to give in that familiar astonishing phrase he invited them to be his partner inem invited us be my partner in creation itself and we have answered that call Hashem invites us and he says be my partner in repairing and redeeming and molding and shaping this world be my partner and making a better place be my partner in fighting for justice compassion human dignity the sanctity of life for kadha for Holiness be my partner and we have answered that call and therefore we're counted not by our number because our strength is not in our number will always remain a few where is our strength in what does it lie that we've answered that call our contributions so how do Jews do a census we take a census in a very illogical and in a very inefficient way which is give something and that's how you count imagine they knock on your door for the American census the city of baton is coming Upon Us 100th anniversary in May I believe it's amazing how young this entire city is Imagine they knock on your door for a census and they say we're doing a census we're celebrating the 100th anniversary of Bon please if you would contribute we'll be able to count you you say count me I'm right here I'm waving take a picture you can count me why do I have to give you something in order for you to count me in the census pay my tax I live here I'm already counted so in Judaism in the Torah says no no you're not counted by passively being a number how does one count when you make a contribution that's what counts not our number will always be few our contribution boy do we punch above our weight boy do we contribute and make a difference well beyond our number and I don't have to get into the Nobel Prize winners and the leaders of movements and the fighters of Justice and the difference we've made this country the Declaration of Independence it's very language is founded on judeo values Justice charity equality that's our contribution to the world and that's what the Torah is communicating so why why do we have Isel it's time for a senses oh wait there's gonna be a plague what's the plague Rashi says I in Hara if you give a count a number oh you're welcoming aara because you're going to say I've got 15 children you're going to say I've got 22 Grand children and I'm only 50 years old somebody's going to say oh why them not me and there's going to be an har that's Rashi so we don't say a number we don't say a number says no that's not the issue the issue is we want to be part of a community we want to rely on the Merit of complimenting one another and when we separate ourselves out as an individual as a number now we are vulnerable RAB saak offers a third interpretation it's not that says are by sex you know what the danger the plague will bring upon ourselves if we believe that it's a matter of the numbers will always be few we don't ever put it to a vote truth is never put to a vote because if that were the case the Jewish people would have been canell long ago it's not about the number it's about the contribution it's about answering the call and that's why it's done with a has a interesting interpretation says rash on the rash on the words looked and he said half shek I don't get it what does that look like I don't know what you mean Hashem said give a kick give a look he showed him a coin a half shekele a half dollar on fire a half dollar in the image of being on fire oh now I get it now we're good oh makes sense what didn't he understand and what made sense now and we've offered interpretations in the past we won't review at length but such as that F that money money is a prime example of a resource a commodity that can go either way money can you contribute money you can build you can Elevate you can enrich you can help you can support money can do incredible things but money can corrupt and money can blind and money can destroy where do we see a precedent before currency commodity money that something itself is neutral and it can either build or destroy create or eliminate where do we see that fire fire is energy fire is warmth Fire's light and fire ask the people in California fire can destroy fire can destroy money is like fire it is not inherently good or bad it's all what we do with it how we direct it what boundaries we place around it how careful and Vigilant we are with it and that's why I Comm in people are contributing money we're now talking money soem says you need to know that money is like playing with fire fire it can do incredible things it can also be horrific things money is like fire that's what we shared in the past butach in his has a different interpretation he says mosha is bothered he says hem you got to give me more work to do I don't like math I like algebra now I've got to start doing math everyone's going to give a half sheo that means that when I take the total number of contributions I've got to have it' be much more efficient if everybody give a full shekele everybody give a dollar however many dollars is however many people when everyone gives a half now I've got to do math so Hashem why are you asking people to give a half instead of a whole L we've answered this in the past too and it's under the T it's all yours which is what everyone contributes we are measured not by their number but what we contribute but when we contribute we need to know we're only making a partial contribution none of us is complete on our own we need to combine and we need to complement with others and only when we combine only when we integrate only when we partner only when we work with others are we whole but if we think my contribution I'm the hero I got it done I get the credit it's all me there is no whole when it comes to the contribution it's a half I've given my part someone else gives their part and it's only when we all give our part that we become a whole that's why it's a half but that's also not yet Rach that's also from the past so what does Rach say says listen to this why was it a half shek because a half shek is only half the Mitzvah how is half shek only half the Mitzvah you have to give they gave because half of it is to give the other half is how do you give do you give on fire do you give with a Bren do you give with excitement do you give with enthusiasm do you give with passion do you give with Joy are you on fire do you give because somebody pushed you and the peer pressure and they guilted you and you're miserable and you're fent and you're resentful and you'll carry it against and you'll always remind who you gave to how you give is the other half the Mitzvah half the Mitzvah it's a half the Mitzvah give but the other half the Mitzvah is how you give and that's true for everything that's true for everything when you were asked to take out the garbage you could take out the garbage that's half of it the other half of it do you do with a smile do you do with joy do you do with pleasure should you have thought of it on your own half the Mitzvah is you gave the birthday card the other is that you have to be reminded did you give with joy did you write something nice in it half the Mitzvah is you gave the M you gave the organization you gave the Yesa the school that your children went to you gave to the shol that's building that has transformed your family you gave did you give with a joy with a passion with a fire so it's half the Mitzvah is the giving the other half how you did it and that's true for all mitzvah for all Mitzvah we do half of it is getting it done and the other half of it is how we do it and that's why he answered moshe's question mosha wasn't puzzled how there could be such a thing as a half dollar he wanted to know why would you take a census with a half dollar that's not sensible that makes no sense Hashem said no no because I want you to know that half of the Mitzvah is giving so it's a half a dollar half a shek the other half is how you do it and I want people to do it do it on fire do it with a brand do it with excitement do it with joy do with enthusiasm I want you to know in this campaign almost 2,000 people gave we raised almost s million we're not done there's more to do but we pause to say thank you we're so grateful one person came in to meet with me and said I'd like to make my contribution many people we had many many many many many many many many meetings but one person said I need to come give it to you I'll P kiss AR I had never heard this before he came in and he had a coin and he had the writings of the Aral the great cabalist and he showed me in the writings of the Aral that he took the coin that represents five and he took it from his hand with his arm which is hey his arm is the V and my arm is the and my he put it in my hand and we elevated it and he said I'm not just giving I want to give in way that y v We spelled hashem's name with our hand hands and the way I gave and the way I elevated i' never been through anything like that before nobody ever gave me anything like that before it was unbelievable it was unbel what a different way of giving yeah you could say send me the link Rabbi give me the wire information can we venm can I drop off a brown paper bag of cash how do we pay just tell me I want to be done with it let me be finished with it how do I do it there's no credit card for what I did he had a it was a different experience it was the other half the Sho half she was I want to give the other half the she was you know let's get ready we're about to do a Mitzvah I want to give to you that I'm giving it to you with my heart I'm giving to you I'm on fire I'm giving it to you with all myself that's what says half don't just do the take out the garbage change the diaper buy the birthday card do the dish that's half of it shake the Lula hear the chauffer buy the mat that's half of it the other half of it is how do you do it already if you're going to do it what attitude what what in our Essence do we bring to what we are doing lastly on this opening P then I promise you we will move on says the foll the Torah calls the half shek a half shekel take a half shekele of the Sacred shekel a half shekel of the Sacred what does that mean of says rash what does it mean so rash says half of the the same she that we talk about in other context where we are talking about the Holy she he says let me give you another interpretation half if you give half a what does that imply that you still have the other half the she so when you give a half she you made the whole she a shees how because when you take part of your resources and you demonstrate that you understand the purpose you understand the meaning of having resources you've elevated not only what you gave but you've elevated also what you keep so it's a it's a half among the total she when you give you are elevating also what you hold on to what you keep because what you're showing and demonstrating is all that I have I know is from Hashem I'm giving what's required I'm giving the requisite I'm giving what I'm obligated and now I'm entitled to use what I have but what I use what I have is not secular profane mundane selfish my entire Financial structure my whole net worth is ele elated when I take a piece of what I have and I allocate and I give now I've elevated the entire thing so this half has elevated also what I have on hold on to because I have all she Hashem says give me half I gave him half but the half I now spend on my house and my car my electricity my vacation my shabas table my yff my books my clothing all of that's also to serve you Hashem I need a home to host people I need a car to take me to the to the I need resources I want to get dressed to be a t i want to make a k and all that I do so there's the half shek I give you but the half I hold on to I've demonstrated through the half I gave you that the half I hold on to I'm also living a life that is Kul directed to you and therefore it's a it reflects back on the other half on the total on the whole on the whole and then he has another interpretation but I told you and I promised you we would move on we're skipping the rest of peric lam we have the Kor now this is also out of place we're skipping all this because I I'm told I never get to the end of the para so I'm trying I'm I'm a work in progress right Ma I'm a work in progress I'm a work in progress so I'm trying we're going to get to the end of the parure but we have here the Kor the Kor is the lav it's the it's the sink the portable sink where the kohanim would sanctify their hands and feet before they'd go serve where would you expect this to appear Kisa what's it doing here where did it belong this big copper water vessel utensil the K would wash their hands and feet to prepare for the service it was in the mishan so where did we learn about all the vessels of the Mish back in tra then we stuck one in at the end of and yet now we have one more here why is it here why wasn't it there we discussed that in the past what was it made out of the bottom of it mirrors and why was it made out of mirrors where were these mirrors from moshu said to hasem I don't want no mirrors in our mishkan mirrors are instruments they're tools of vanity this is not a place of vanity you're going to come into the mishan you're going to come into the mishun and everybody is gonna start to vanity how do I look do I look okay that's not with the mishkan this is the holiest place on earth a place of intense Divine dwelling you a vanity Hashem says no that's not vanity the holy women who beautified themselves who preserved the continuity of our people when the men were willing to Despair and give up those are the mirrors had a different interpretation you know why the mirrors before you go to the m and offer a sacrifice before you ask Hashem for forgiveness you know what you need to do you need to look in the mirror if you don't look in the mirror and take responsibility and accountability for who you are you can't ask for forgiveness real forgiveness requires first looking in a mirror but I said we're not talking about this now next we have the always the week of we read is an illusion tells us where do we see in the Torah we have the the ingredients of we spoke about last week Theus had the this terrible odor of the but it was part of the mixture because all the Jewish people has to be a place where everybody everybody belongs where everybody belongs we have the incense Theus takes us to per hasm speaks to Moshe I've called I filled him with the spirit of God what is that acronym is the acronym for no it's the acronym for and we're starting tomorrow we have completed several series I realized I should really share them with you as series because we we learned together the entire P we learned together the entire we learned together the entire we finished it last week and tomorrow we are beginning drum roll please I say with great humility and fear but tomorrow we're beginning T sa for T so the AL T is all based on this that is the basis of T So Hashem says I have filled bet these are the necessary ingredients requirements this is the job interview the resume you have to have and what is the difference three types of wisdom knowledge intellect what's the difference between and let's see how the art SC translates it God says I filled them with wi wisdom insight and knowledge so let me ask you a simple question what's the difference between wisdom insight and knowledge translation I don't know helped us here so that you'll have to start listening or coming to the Tanya sheer together so Bal is endowed with these great qualities therefore he was most qualified to serve in this role says Hashem but fast forward we keep going then we interrupt for the shabas observe my holy shabas why does Hashem stick in chabas here you might think that building the mishun is so important that you might even it might superseded you should violate chabas to build a house for me says Hashem no take a break take a rest chabas is so core more than the Jews have kept chabas shabas has kept the Jews so even even versus the building of the mishan observe shabas the word shabai is that singular or plural plural it should say shabas observe my shabas but it doesn't it says observe my shabas why is it in the plural shab not shabas why is it in the plural we've talked about that in the past as well so here we have shabas but let's keep going to we're on page 492 492 when finished speaking to on gave mhe the two tablets of testimony these were the two tablets stone tablets inscribed by the finger of Hashem so these Paras are written according to out of order are not written in order I don't understand are we up to the Mish are we still at Harel the mistake the sin of the golden calf what order did it all happen so really first mosha went on the mountain he got the Torah he came down he saw on the golden calf he broke the luos and the answer the antidote the response to it was hasem said here's a mish we read the mishkan before theel why that is we could discuss another time but we need to know we're acknowledging that it seems to be out of order so we're back to mosha being on top of the mountain and getting the two tablets and here the Torah tells us when Hashem finished speaking to him he gave Moshe the two tablets that are called the tablets of testimony stone tablets these miraculous tablets inscribed with the hand of Hashem listen to this medish says the med all 40 days that mosha was on top of the mountain he would learn Torah with hasem and forget forget maybe you suffer from this I already learned the da this morning we have a beautiful Cola Boer 6:15 this morning my wonderful we learned the da what what what peric what topic if you learn the da you're flying you're flying down the highway of life you got a you got a review but even with it we learned so much I I I like to say if I would only know what I've taught I'd be somebody but people tell me all the time my dear friend Ben from the 11559 he quotes my own D Tor to me all the time I said that's Fant that's beautiful he said yeah you said it I said I did I don't remember that I don't remember that so you could have topar what's the point why wake up in the middle of the night to learn the dafi and be at the Koker why come to the pasir when by the time shabas comes you don't even remember what was said what's the point so the medes tells us you know who suffered from this none other than Moser for 40 days he went on the mount he'd learned and he'd say what is it what was the topic I got 40 days under my belt and I don't know nothing I don't remember anything do at the end of the 40 days hem gave it to Moshe as a gift he sent them home and he said here's a thumb drive plug it in download it you've got it all that's why this that we just read chapter 31 verse 18 when he finished speaking to him he gave mosha why he gave because even when we Despair and we think I forget what's the point gives us a gift asks ifem was going to give it to him on a thumb drive ifem was gonna plug inem was going to allow Moshe as a gift to know it all why waste 40 days on day one gift him the whole thing send him home why 40 days of learning forgetting learning forgetting learning forgetting learning remembering just stop give it to him on day one you could be the greatest Rabbi of all time who's learning Torah from the greatest rebi of all time who's moshe's rabbi Hashem he's got the greatest rebi of all time the source of all Torah the author of the Torah greatest rebi of all Torah all time and mosha is the greatest mind of all time learning with the greatest vigilance and diligence of all time greatest rebi greatest diligence greatest mind and he wasn't successful he forgot but don't despair don't give up over and over got you got to try you have the next day you have the next you have the next year that you're gonna read the same para that's the way to succeed in Torah what mosha was doing what mosha planted in US is a precedent never despair when it comes to Total Learning 40 days in a row he learned for God learn forgot learn forgot learned again and then he had his breakthrough and we too learn keep plugging away keep sticking with it keep breaking your teeth keep coming back keep reviewing review it and review it do it again do it again and over again and again a you can't compare learning 100 one times of learning a 100 times over and over and over and over again and don't Despair and that's why mosha had to go through this to teach us that message that lesson don't despair 32 verse 6 people saw mosha now we enter the story breaks our heart every year to read it even when we know the story they saw mosha was delaying mosha wasn't coming from the M down from the mountain so they gathered and they said we got to make ourselves a godo because this man Moshe who took us out of Egypt we don't know what happened to him nobody's seen him he's not back on schedule he's running late we've got to do something and so they Panic they Panic we share every year the kari's Insight which is what makes the most sense to me gives me the most meaning in this section is that they were not in fact practicing idolatry worshiping another God but rather what made them Panic Moshe was the tangible physical connection to Hashem after all we're human beings our soul is housed in a body and we operate we live and we navigate a physical world so we connect to physical things we connect to physical things and they crave the physical connection and mosha was that Moshe Moshe the man the physical man we used to see him and hear him and touch him and he used to give us a hug and a handshake and he was there and we knew he represented Hashem he's gone so now you want me to still have a connection with someone something I can't see hear smell touch feel how so we need to build something else physical and that's what drove them and motivated them and that was in fact says the Kari that was understandable but Hashem says you can't do it on your terms you got to do it on mine so what does he give us a mishkan oh you need some place physical you need something physical here's a saer Torah for you to hold here's a Sho for you to go into here's a mishan here's a b mikdash here are carbos to offer I get it it's legitimate I validate it's reasonable you need something tangible and physical but you can't make it up you don't get just to decide it's not a function of your creativity religion I'm God and I tell you what to do and that's what's going on in this that's what's going on in this passage so per what happens so what happens in the story Aon says wait don't serve Idols everybody remove your rings take off the gold in the ears of your wives Sons and Daughters bring them to me they bring him he takes their hands he fashion a calf he saw he built an O what's he doing all this for he's trying to buy time he's trying to buy time he knows Hashem has a plan he knows moshe's coming back he just needs to buy some time he sees the Altar and he calls out to them a Festival forem tomorrow he's buying time tomorrow tomorrow for today we built it go to sleep everybody we'll pick it up tomorrow and by tomorrow come back he's buying some time they Rose early the next day and they offered up the elevation offerings and they brought peace offerings the people sat to eat and drink and they got up to Revel you know it never occurred to me but it just did why do we stay up all night sh night the minut to stay up all night Shu night the minut that only began relatively recently happened to have begun concurrent to the discovery of coffee but that's another topic for another time I'm not joking happens to be uh there's an article in a academic Journal about the discovery of coffee and the mass production distribution of coffee and its impact on us religiously T happen to be gaining popularity around the time that the beginning of when coffee spread but why do we stay up all night sh night because we have a famous medish that tells us the Jewish people overslept the morning of harini they slept in that alarm went off over and over they kept hitting snooze and they overslept when I was a child there was a book my father used to read us called Sherer means later Ander was all about this guy whose name waser every time you take out the garer do your homework later I'll get to it later later later we still have that book should read it to our kids later so they woke him up from at Tor later hit the snooze button and it just occurred to me now it comes to the so when it came to our hasem has a message Hashem wants to talk to you later I'm going back to sleep sper and they came to worshiping the golden calf they woke up early they woke up early before the alarm cloth went off they were up early they woke up early they were dressed they were ready they ran s why what's going on over here what's they wake up early to go serve and then quick go down you've got to see what's going on down there the people they made a calf they built an offer altar they're about to offer on it quick go down and get involved why didn't Hashem say quick go down when they were building the agel why did he only say quick and go down and get involved when they're ready to offer on it why is it only the next morning when they wake up early that's when Hashem says quick get down there get involved why not when they first set out to build this AEL why not then says AR they had actually a noble intent when they first built it it was why a means to connect and what would be the evidence what would prove that they had a proper intent when they built it they were just misguided misdirected what would prove that if they went to sleep that night they woke up the next morning they said who what did we do that was a mistake that was some poor judgment that wasn't very clear thinking o quickly demolish it take it apart we've got to do chuva says rash that word they woke up what they went to a comedy show means to laugh they tickled each other what is they woke up early not sper not later they woke up early why they woke up to violate the three cardinal sins so now what they did the next morning after they had the benefit of the night's sleep reflects back that in fact they did not do it for Noble reasons they didn't wake up literally and wake up figuratively to the fact that they had made a terrible error people make mistakes we're human we fail but what happens when we wake up what happens the next day do we say I can't believe the way I spoke to you last night can't believe the way I reacted I'm embarrassed by my actions by my decision by my choice how can I repair it how can I undo it how can I make it better or do we Double Down do we make it worse do we stick with it with pride do we dig in our heels and that's what Hashem waited waited let's see how they wake up tomorrow yes it could be they built it because they panicked mosha is not back and they need a way to connect to me maybe they were doing it for Noble reasons but they'll realize it was misguided maybe they'll wake up and realize the error of their way and seek to correct it or they'll wake up and double down they'll wake up and make it worse spiral worse and then I'll know that even the way they first did it was a mistake let's see how they wake up tomorrow so he doesn't tell mosha get down there until until the next day and when when he sees the way that they woke up he sees the way they woke up it says everything he pours inam he says came from Europe in Europe on Sundays idolators he's talking about would go to their church and they would pray to their Idol we hold that these other religions are forms of idolatry and how would they leave Holier more noble more righteous what was the Min in Europe when you came out of church particularly midnight mass why is there something called n that a Jew doesn't go out on the night of December 25th the eve before December 25th okay there's mystical reasons Al cabala negative energies in the air the simple historic reason was it was dangerous a Jew wasn't outside on the eve of the mass that happened that night because the Min was to leave church get drunk kill Jews up so says you see how you behave after a so-called religious experience tells you how righteous that religious experience is if the religious experience could lead you to do that that was no religious experience let's see what comes afterwards and we'll know everything about it everything about it we'll know what comes with it then he says rashash said sometimes young people they get together for for a kumzits they get together for an on so if getting together leads you to then have AA leads you to be a better person you come home more kind more charitable more patient it was wonderful if it makes you drunk and fall asleep and Miss shabas lunch with your family that was not such a righteous holy activity so what happens next reveals how authentic and how righteous the first thing was and that's why let's see what happens tomorrow says Hashem he doesn't send mosha down when they build the agle he sends him down the next day when they double down when they spiral down when they go the wrong direction if you go home from a a Tish an Ong and yeah you had a few and you sang and you connected with other people and you're a better spouse and you're a better parent and you want to go better learn Torah then it was a wonderful experience but if you go home in a drunken stuper and you have no time and no patience you fall asleep your family didn't even get you a CH as lunch then it wasn't such a righteous holy activity what comes next says everything about what was later soem tells mosha quickly get down from the mountain they have strayed quickly from the way that I've commanded they've made a CF they're bowing down and they're sacrificing to it and they're saying this is the god of Israel quickly says get down there they built it they're worshiping it and they're giving it credit for taking them out quickly get down there they have deviated quickly from the the pathes that the classic question everybody asked could it be could it be the Jewish people who were present for the greatest Revelation in history they heard froma they heard God himself and they quickly stray and worship an idol how could it be how could it be Al Likens it to the the bride and groom on their wedding night come from the wedding go to the hotel and the groom says let me just go get some ice from the ice machine and he ends up in someone else's room that's not me that's the gar Hashem just stood at her with the Jewish people he held the mountain like a over our head he said I love you you love me we're entering a covenant a bond forever forever and then we said not forever till we build a golden C how could it beel while the Jewish people were still at SII we were building an agel how could it be S of began to cry this is the power of Free Will of a person a Jew needs to know no matter how inspired you get no matter how much you've grown no matter how much you've climbed no matter how transformed you are you're never ever done you're never ever finished the moment you feel I'm good I'm good I went to my Israel year I'm good I went to the par year I'm good I had a fantastic muso and now I'm good I don't need to grow I don't need to learn I don't need to go anymore I'm good the moment you think you're good you're you're finished you're done says don't believe in yourself until your day of your death don't trust yourself don't believe in yourself this is the whole recovery Community once you're an alcoholic you're always an alcoholic you can't say well I went to AA I was in patient therapy I had my sponsor I did my thing and now I could have a drink I'm no longer an alcoholic these are issues they get managed they're never conquered whatever Yara we have because all of us could or should be in some form of a recovery some people are Workaholics some people are shopaholics some people are addicted to exercise in extreme ways that are unhealthy everybody has what they are a little too much and the moment we think I've conquered it is when we're vulnerable to fall prey to it the challenges we have in life are managed they're never solved or conquered they're managed so long as we recognize with humility we're managing them we're going to be good the moment we feel we've conquered them we're finished and that says is the lesson of we could walk away from you could come away from theer the greatest mus the greatest the greatest moment of the greatest she and realize we are vulnerable and fragile that's why the Torah is telling us say that's why Moshe says they've Fallen quickly even while they were still at our they fell quickly we can fall quickly therefore never give up your guard you got to stay on top of it and what did mosha find when he came down what did he find oh per verse 19 when of the camp he saw the calf and he saw the MOs he saw the Tans he saw the dances Moshe got angry and he destroyed the and he broke them under the mountain got angry and he broke the luos what seems to have made him angry Hashem already told him about the about the agel what seems to have set him off not just the agel what else the MOs what is what's a a circle even then we were dancing in a circle that's the way Jews dance we hold dance we dance in a circle even then we were dancing in a circle so radon G's great uncle sh says that he heard from his he didn't just see the calf what they were worshiping he also saw the singing and dancing the golden calf was not a reason enough for MOS to have broken the tablets that would not have been enough of a reason Rock only when he saw the circle why he already heard about from God that he heard from God that they had worshiped the cast but even while they were worshiping a golden calf they were not hopeless you could have turned them around if you could wake them up if you could do an intervention if you can help them realize what are you doing and make them stop they were redeemable but that which they were dancing around it if you sing and dance and celebrate your mistake you're shortcoming your failure it means you don't even realize it's a failure if you give into thear person said something they shouldn't say ate something they shouldn't eat looked at something they shouldn't look at but there's some shame some guilt there a little bit embarrassment there's a little bit I realize it's wrong so now you're redeemable There's Hope for you but the moment that you sing and you dance and you celebrate and you say look how wonderful what I did is now it's going to be a lot harder that's what made mosha give up on them smash the tablets that's what made mosha really worried when he saw not only did they worship the agel it was the MOs he doesn't quote this but what else do you see this as asov sells the the ASV sells the the firstborn privilege of being the firstborn and what does he do afterwards does he sit in Tera can't believe I had to do that I was in a position I was starving what did I do I had to do it what does he do where does he go he goes to the bar he goes to the club he has a drink he celebrates ASV is happy he celebrates even this terrible error even this terrible mistake mistakes we're human we're human we're going to make mistakes but do we own up do we look in that mirror of the Kor do we try to come back and repair or do we sing and dance and celebrate that's when we are really that's when we're really in trouble says what does the say again what does the PK say m he casts out of his hands should say m his hand why does it say hands hands in the plural Moshe was going to fire a warning shot he was going to drop and smash only the first of the tablets because the first set of tablets has the laws between man and man and God so which tablet needs to be smashed the first one that is the five Commandments that are between us and God second tablet has the laws the laws between man and man so mosha was only going to smash the one what did the people violate between man and God not between man and man mosha was going to only smash the one between man and God what made him smash the second because he realized you can't be good with people if you're not good with their father if you don't care for and have a relationship with God you cannot adequately genuinely meaningfully have a relationship with his other children with his other children so the first tablet gets smashed so does the second the two tablets they go together they are intertwined inextricably linked our relationship with God our relationship with others and our relationship with ourselves those three things they always go together says theb says the holy RKA the gamor tells us in why did this whole episode happen the gar says something astounding why would God orchestrate that we would worship a golden calf then mosha would come and plead and God would forgive all this why did it happen because we were going to make mistakes individually and collectively and this was the precedent there is a way back that you can make a comeback that Hashem does love us that he will forgive us and so the whole episode is a learning opportunity the whole episode is a precedent for us to know we can come back and that's why mosha broke the as if to say what's going on here and the people say we made a mistake but Hashem had us do that so we can come back and it'll be a press and people will learn for the future he says oh you broke something I want in on it he smashes the luos I'm also breaking something you know they have these rooms you could rent out apparently to get out all kinds of stress get Smash things I don't know what they're called we live in an unbelievable time someone made a business out of that you pay money to come into a room to break things I don't know I don't know so moshu comes down he says oh you're breaking things IE you built an agel I want in I'm breaking things I want to be part of the learning opportunity for future Generations so I'm breaking something too and when you break something these rooms these aren't Jewish rooms Jews shouldn't go why if you're so angry that you're smashing something against a wall what are you doing you're indulging anger and when you indulge anger what are you indulging idolatry and what are you worshiping yourself because anger is the most unhealthy emotion a person can feel that's what we learned thean that we just completed the whole series 33 34 Parts 10 minutes each the ran the whole beginning is all about anger we don't manage anger we eliminate it how do you eliminate it he has a whole formula and when you SM you get so angry that you break something that is unhealthy that is idolatry you're worshiping yourself your ego so they worshiped an idol and Moshe getting so angry he broke something he worshiped an idol by the way I couldn't would never say this if not for he says not me he's quoting the ne who says this they worshiped an idol they broke something Moshe says I'm going to break something out of anger which makes it as if I worshiped Ang an idol and therefore I'm part of the action of creating a learning opportunity to the Future now with that he he explains a when mosha got close he saw theel and the circle AOS the AEL was where it went wrong and the MOs stands foros AOS that right now the precedent of doing something wrong will help people in the future know and believe that you can come back just like we are so and that's why he broke them so he could have a part in their comeback and in their Improvement in their Improvement okay we don't have time for a beautiful T we don't have time for yes's describ we spoke about this last week or two weeks ago now we have mosha pleads for's nearness show me your way and sorry peric sorry go backwards God spoke to mosha face to face top of page 504 goes back to the camp and his loyal assistant yushua who's described here as being a Yoshua is always by his side how old is yosua here according to the s 42 years old according to the ran izra according to izra 56 years old and he's called a n we said a couple weeks ago why is he called a n because we're supposed to preserve our youthfulness our innocence our curiosity our energy the f that we began the sheer with yosua at 56 years old 56 years old yosua he's 56 and he's still a young man in his energy in his passion in his curiosity inquisitiveness adventurous adventuress adventurousness he still is that a word we'll go with it he's still a and that's what we said shake off old agei shake off the old age shake out the n in you be a n like yahushua okay we'll do one more oh that's so many more but we'll do one more one more another RAB saaks about shabas but we're already ready for next year um one more from the from one more the following beautiful page6 506 Moshe says to hasm why are bad things happening to good people show me your face let me look at the world through your eyes let me understand how you run the world and Hashem says no nobody can see me and live nobody can see my face and and live says the what do you mean back off it says it just said that God spoke to mosha face to face just like I'm talking to you right now you're all my friends I'm your friend just like two friends who talk face to face who have a cup of coffee you have lunch who get together just like two friends talk face to face so mosha was talking to Hashem upon Him upon Him face to face so how could you fast forward if you him and Hashem said no no nobody can see my face and live what do you mean Torah itself just described that Moshe is talking to hasem face to face that is the question of the God can only dwell among us out of a sense of unity when there is Unity among the Jewish people Hashem dwells so when there's Unity then God speaks to us who are most righteous and that's the means upon him when does God speak to mosha face to face when we speak to one another when we display and demonstrate friendship and love where do you see the words is we're g to end with the holiday coming up I don't know if it's on your calendar but there's a holiday on Friday called pum and there's a Mitzvah of you have to deliver M because the essence the purpose of MOS is I don't lock my door and drink wine and celebrate for myself I have to find a friend I have to display Community comerie friendship and when you make your list of who you're giving mishos to don't think about the most popular kids in your class most popular friends in your group think about who is least likely to get shalas I beg of you you when you think of your list make a list not of who will be getting from everyone they don't need yours they don't need yours when you make your list think of who is unlikely to get from anyone whose doorbell will not ring who there'll be nothing sitting outside the door who is the least likely to be thought of or remembered by others that has to be your list that's the list because that's the point of how did we defeat H we displayed an incredible we got together for Unity that's the essence of puram unity Tanis eser Thursday is a reenactment of we're Gathering again to display tremendous unity and we still have the same enemies Iran Persia is still our enemy we're still facing there wanting to eliminate and Destroy not only the Jews of shushan but the Jews of the whole world and how will we stop them when we practice so when does God speak P upon him when we are when we live with with unity then God does come down then he does then he does live with us he elaborates he explains it even more but we're out of time wishing everyone a a wonderful happy P please remain to say for for our brothers and sisters in Israel I'll be in Israel for two days next week I'll be back on Wednesday but no parir next week I am giving a Shear in y on Monday anyone in y join us 10 am on Monday morning I'll post more details about it so we'll see you in two weeks from now thank you