Parshas Shelach with Rabbi Nachum Scheiner

This week's parsha parsha shlach >> [clears throat] >> for us benei chutz la'aretz Eretz Yisrael they're a parsha ahead. The gedolim the guests from Eretz Yisrael they're going to they're a parsha ahead of us parshas Korach. At the end of the parsha the parsha we find the mitzvah of tzitzis. We say it twice a day the mitzvah of tzitzis. The mitzvah of tzitzis is something very powerful. It's brought in the name of the Safri I did not see it inside. That the Safri says that if a person is mekayem the mitzvah of tzitzis is like he's mekayem kol ha'Torah kulah. It's a pretty easy mitzvah to be mekayem. Mekayem kol ha'Torah kulah. Rashi brings over here al ha'Torah the mitzvah of tzitzis u're'isem oisoi when you see that tzitzis u'zachartem [clears throat] you'll remember kol as kol mitzvos all the mitzvos of the Torah. How will you remember? So Rashi says very good 613. How is it 613? The tzitz tzitzis the word tzitzis is begematria 600. Right? Two tzaddiks 90 and 90 two yuds each one is 100 200 and then the sof is 400 that's 600. It happens to be there's a discussion that really tzitzis is not spelled with two yuds so maybe decree but 600 is tzitzis then on top of that each corner of a man has eight strings so eight strings makes it 608 and then these five knots so 613. Meaning to say when you see the tzitzis, it reminds you the mitzvahs. Agav, the Chofetz Chaim says, it's brought in the Chofetz Chaim al ha Torah, that the tzitzis can only be a reminder if you know the mitzvahs. If you don't know the mitzvahs, it can't What's it going to remind you? 613, very nice. 613, it's supposed to remind you all the mitzvahs. If you know the mitzvahs, so that's a separate story. A person should learn the taryag mitzvahs. Of course, there's many levels of learning the taryag mitzvahs. You can learn every mitzvah with the Menachem Chinuch, but then you can learn kitzer the mitzvahs. >> There's different ones, right? >> What'd you say? >> Everyone has a different way which they count. >> That's also true, very good. You're saying very gevaldic. These the the Ramban on the Rambam, what the Rambam left out is the way of cheshbon, but at least one sheet that to know the 613 mitzvahs. Seeing the tzitzis is a reminder for the mitzvah. Also, just an important pointer. There are certain mitzvahs that are pashtus ma'akev, not just mitzvahs tzrichus kavana, they have to have kavana that you're doing the mitzvah cuz Hashem said to do the mitzvah, but for the reason of the mitzvah. Sukkah, sitting in the sukkah, zecher ananei hakavod, some shittas hold that if you don't have that kavana, it's ma'akev. Tzitzis, l'maan tihiye Torah b'ficha, whenever the Torah gives a reason, you have to have a mind, not just mitzvahs tzrichus kavana, that you're doing it for Hashem, but the reason of the mitzvah. Tzitzis also, a person is supposed to be mechaven. As the Shulchan Aruch says in Hilchos Tzitzis, yechaven b'tzis atzmi, this is a tallis shetzivana Kodesh Baruch Hu. Of course, you're doing cuz the Aibershter said, but on top of that, let's get a nation to call us last time to remember all the mitzvahs. >> When you fix it, you have to say the same thing. >> The same. Very good. Very good. When you fix the tzitzit, or when you paint the of the that's a different concept. Good point. That's because it needs to be made shma. The sham, and here you have to it's to when you're wearing the tzitzit to remember the mitzvah of sham. After they come asks on on the no such that said before putting on the tallis the part of it It's all the of the tzitzit, but it doesn't say the words about to remember call mitzvah of sham. You take a look, it's not there. He says, I wrote it into my siddur to remember when I said I wrote it in. So, it's not not a bad idea. Sometimes if you want to write something in to remember. upon him one mile in the midst of tzitzit is that tzitzit reminds a person of all mitzvahs. We'll soon see where we're heading with this about speaking the mile of tzitzit. Of course, you could speak about the mile of tzitzit for itself, but we'll see. Another mile in the midst of tzitzit But just before another mile in remembering the mitzvah of tzitzit in remembering all the mitzvahs There's an unbelievable ton of the Leo that's the gay of the our parsha. Ton of the Leo is not our Torah but it's broken and this piece is relevant to the parsha. What's the of the mitzvah of tzitzit in [clears throat] this week's parsha at the end of the parsha to the parsha right before. What's the parsha right before tzitzit? Very good. The The she went out shabbos. That's one thing and then goes right to the mitzvah of tzitzis. What's the connection the two parshas? Says the Tanna de Vei Eliyahu, Mordecai, the Ribono shel Olam asked Moshe Rabbeinu, "What's going on over here? We just got the Torah of Maymin Har Sinai. Really? Somebody went and he was machalel Shabbos? What's p'shat?" Moshe Rabbeinu didn't have what to answer. The Eibishter said, "I'm going to answer." A person wears tzitzis l'maan tihiyeh Torah b'ficha to remember the Torah. Says the Ribono shel Olam, "Shabbos, you don't wear tzitzis. Why you always you don't wear tzitzis? The Makosh didn't remember Shabbos. He forgot." What? >> Why did he sin? He's only one person. >> Why not everybody? The mailer the Eibishter said, "For that, I'm going to give you a different mitzvah and that's the mitzvah of tzitzis that's going to remind you all the mitzvahs including Shabbos." Reb Tzaddik explains that a person can know in his mind all the mitzvahs. He can learn the entire mitzvahs. But a person in his heart could forget. Either forget in a way that it becomes hard and he's over or he forgets. So, tzitzis is supposed to come to remind us. Remind us of all the mitzvahs. >> What you're saying about forgetting also, when you put your tzitzis on, make a bracha. Not that you should, but you forget you're wearing it. And you but you're still getting the mitzvah. So, it's a mitzvah that you're still getting. >> Very good. I I I love what you're pointing out that really what we're saying now is the mitzvah of tzitzis is actually to see the tzitzis to remind us like we said the 613 not just the wearing it's to see it. I spoke about it either was last year or year before the mixvah of reisa oisa. I don't remember all the prot of it but I I'm almost sure we we look at the tzitzis when we say shma. But you right you hold it then but technically really it's the concept that tzitzis are supposed to be hanging out you're supposed to see it to some extent to look back exactly but the idea is really to remember throughout the day not just in the reisa by kriashma. As you're saying good if a person puts on the tzitzis and it's tucked away forgot about it forgot about it. So good very good. Very good very good the mixvah itself yeah. By by tfillin very good by tfillin happens to be it's a different idea by tfillin the reason why when a mashwish is not to have hesech hadas because in all of them What you say? You made a brocha for putting it on but you're not supposed to be maseach das by tfillin so maila gemara you're supposed to you mashwish to remember that you're wearing the tfillin not you're wanting to wander. By tzitzis there's no such din there's no din when you're wearing tzitzis you're not maseach das. Tfillin you're allowed to. Right. It's it's As a dovah she but too sure like you said you don't get it not to see it so you don't go to the bathroom very good. Another another importance about feeling about sit this the Gamara says it's a Gamara in Menachos [clears throat] staff men Gamal. That the mitzvah of sit this is school of connect it call a mitzvah school of which means the mitzvah of sit this is equivalent. Is shock of ways as much as all the mitzvahs of the Torah. Rashi says and on that Gamara because it says as call mitzvah is Moses happens call mitzvah is. Meaning to say the mitzvah of sit this when a person we said earlier in the name of a Safri that when a person does mitzvah sit this is like he's the call of call of Torah but we're saying something else now that sit this is equivalent is equal ways is as important as call of Torah cool. Another Gamara the Gamara says that a person that we are sit this protects is a whole story in the Gamara protects somebody from hate. From a vera. Is a whole piece of Zoya a mitzvah of sit this mitzvah of mitzvah of Adam and a vera. Sit this is a shmira. Call me it is go for a shmira because you remember but as a school of protecting a person from doing a vera. >> That's why they have the min hug to take the wrap the towels for the kid. >> Aha before yeah. Is a Gamara the Gamara says. >> Also not just also home that's the home as well. Shmira for the >> It's a shmira right right right it's a shmira yeah. Physical shmira the Gamara says that wearing sit this brings a person to to The Gemara says that tzitzit on the tzitzit these tzitzit remind me of shamayim, shamayim rakia. When a person has a blue string on a tzitzit reminds him of the water, the water reminds him of the sky, and the sky reminds him of which means tzitzit brings a person to shamayim. There's another Gemara the Gemara says this is Shimon bar Yochai. That if a person is worried about tzitzit he's a person that wears tzitzit is a person that wears tzitzit. The Zohar says a little bit differently it's also the Gemara of Shimon bar Yochai and Shimon bar Yochai in the Zohar says that you have a person that wears tzitzit. The Gaon right before he was nifter the Gaon said what I'm going to miss in this world is this it's so cheap. They they say two of them I don't know what the currency then was in Vilna but for two of them it's so cheap to buy a pair of tzitzit you can be a person that wears tzitzit. They know how to make it. So what So what do we have over here? What do we have over here? The mitzvah of tzitzit is called a Torah. It's called a mitzvah of tzitzit. It's called a mitzvah of Torah. It reminds a person. It reminds a person the mitzvah. It watches a person from hate. It brings shamayim a person that wears tzitzit. Rabbi Moshe Feinstein He says the words it's a half of a fella. I don't begin to understand if the mitzvah of tzitzis is so important, like we just said a list of six different kashivasan, how could it be that the mitzvah of tzitzis is a reshus? The Gemara says it's a reshus. If you're wearing a beged of dalet kanfos, then you have to put on tzitzis. You don't have to wear a beged of dalet kanfos, you don't have to wear tzitzis. It's also in Shulchan Aruch. The Shulchan Aruch says he's not chiyuv. The Shulchan Aruch begins Of course, after the Shulchan Aruch says he's a gavaldega maila of wearing tzitzis, but he's not chiyuv. So, if he's not How could it be he's not chiyuv if the lesson of tzitzis is so important? Reb Moshe says, a yesod in Yiddishkeit. We definitely are mekayem all the mitzvos ha Torah, because we were by Har Sinai, we got the Taryag mitzvos. But the Aibershter wants that we should be mekayem the mitzvos because we want to be mekayem the mitzvos because we're happy to be mekayem the mitzvos. Not because we need to. Not because I'm doing the mitzvah because I need to do the mitzvah. Reb Moshe says if a person does the mitzvah that way, it's not going to last. It's not going to last. If you do it because you need to do it, if an issayon comes up, okay, I need to do it. I'm It's too hard for me now. The famous story with Reb Moshe, he actually brings it in this vart, and I I may have mentioned it here even in the past. There were two people, they were both moiser nefesh for shmiras Shabbos. Back in the days when it was an unbelievable nisayon, you lost your job every single Friday when you told them you're not coming tomorrow. Both people were moist and a fish. They did not work on Shabbos. One was that his family were or continued to be Shabbos. They continued they also were Shabbos. The second one, unfortunately, his children did not continue in his ways. They were not Shabbos. They asked him what's the difference? We're both moist and a fish for Shabbos. So, he said he knew the families. He said, "I'm going to tell you there's a very big difference between the two of you. The one you that your kids continue and are Shabbos is because when you come home Friday night and make fish, it's true they have an unbelievable sign. It's scary. What's going to be next week with a job? But when you pick up the to make fish, you smile to your family and you say, "It's the beer we're lucky to have Shabbos." The kids see it. You're not keeping Shabbos cuz you need to keep Shabbos. Of course, you keep Shabbos. It's one of the midst of us. But the work for us to do to my is is to keep Shabbos because we want to. It's so true is a sign. The kids see that. They want to be part of it as well. The other one, we can't judge the person. An unbelievable but when he got up to make fish or when he sat when he made fish, he let out a crack. He sighed. Ah, it's hard. It's hard. It's a challenge. The one to the midst of us, we should do it because we want to do the mitzvahs. Says Moshe that's why the mitzvah of tzitzis that we spent now 10 or 15 minutes going through different important the mitzvah of tzitzis is shuckle connected collar mitzvahs and the kind of it's a shmira. We mentioned before it's a physical shmira as all different types of mylas. It's a rashus. Why? The saying such an important mitzvah should be a lesson like says Look at this mitzvah. Little bit like a touch. All the mitzvahs that you do even though you need to do it. A person needs to be a kind of mitzvah. There's no two ways about it. But when you do it, you should do it in a way that you want to do it. It's you want to do it. We wear it. But the speaks about it. The person says it's a person have to do it. It's only on the on the bag. If you have a bag and you're wearing it. >> So I said do you wear it if you're wearing a four corner bag? >> Yes, you wear a four corner bag. You have a 100% but you don't have to put on a four corner bag. You can only wear a four corner bag. You don't wear tzitzis. Right. There's a lot of us and tzitzis but you're not to wear tzitzis in not in the What you say? I'm not saying if a person worked his way and he cut a corner but if he was a bag, person did not wear a four corner bag. I'm a tzitzis. Even the The Gamara you're not to Shulchan Aruch says you're not to wear them. >> You don't have to wear four corner garments. If you're wearing one, then you're obligated to wear tzitzit. >> No, but today we do it anyways and even the rabbonim >> Ah, okay, so >> We don't do this. >> I want to tell you like this, the Shulchan Aruch the Shulchan Aruch Maran Rabbeinu Yosef Kairo says If a person wears a tallis with four corners If you're not wearing a garment of four corners You're not obligated to wear tzitzit. Of course it says it's the custom of all people to wear tzitzit. Nothing about tonight is to come to say not to wear tzitzit. But we're bringing out of you so you have the tzitzit is so important, why is it not here? The These other mitzvot, these are there's no choice, so why here is there no choice? The answer is coming to say that when you do the mitzvah, you should do it not because >> [laughter] >> you were commanded, but because you want to do it. We're holding now in the month of Sivan. Not soon as the month of Sivan starts, but still in the month of Sivan. The month of Kabbalah Torah. We read on Shavuot Megillas Rus. Rus wanted to become a convert. And Naomi discouraged her because that's what you're supposed to do when someone wants to become a convert. You're supposed to say it's very hard. What are you getting involved in? Don't the mitzvot, don't get involved. Naomi told her certain laws. >> Right. >> The verse says that Rus, the words of the verse is Before any mitzvot Rus responded I'm following you. Don't try to discourage me. Wherever you're going to go, I'm going to go. And wherever you're going to sleep, I'm going to sleep. >> Sounds like massive initiative. >> Ki Ki Elasha Telchi Elech, wherever you are going to go, I'm going to go. Ubashir Tolini, wherever you're going to sleep, all of it I'm going to sleep. I'm in. I'm in, says Ruth. The Gemara says that Ruth was responding to the halachas that Naomi was telling her. Naomi was saying, "You should know, if you're going to become a yeed, you're not allowed to go out of the trum. You're not allowed to go out of the trum." >> You want >> "If you become a yeed, you're not allowed to uh there's a issur yichud. You're not These halachas where you're allowed to sleep, where you're allowed to be." So, Ruth responded, "I'm going to go where you're going to go. I'm going to sleep wherever you're going to sleep. I'm not going to be over on going out of the trum. I'm not going to be over on issur yichud." The question is, if that's what Ruth was responding to, why didn't she answer by saying, "Wherever you're not going to go, I'm not going to go. And wherever you're not going to sleep, I'm not going to sleep." She was responding like what the Gemara says, that the halachas that Naomi told her, but those were halachas that she said what you're not allowed to do. And Ruth was responding by saying, "Whatever you're not going to do, I'm also not going to do. I'm not going to go out of the trum." But why did she say, "Wherever you're going to go, I'm going to go." We're not Exactly, in the positive manner. Givaldig, in the positive. We're not talking about She was responding, she was talking in the negative. So, I heard this My father said over, and it's with a mashal. Everybody understands, you're driving in Eretz Yisrael up the the coastal road, and you get up north, and you see a sign by the Lebanese border it says "Assur gvul fun acha, stop. This is a border." Everybody understands that that's not a restriction. I'm not saying there's some people that going to want to figure out how to get through anyways, [laughter] but people that want to stay safe understand that it's not a restriction. I'm not You're telling me we are not allowed to go. The sign is there to keep you safe. >> going to stop you from jumping off the cliff. >> Exactly. It's telling you caution. Caution, this is you can't go This is a cliff, you're going to die. It's not a restriction. It's here to save you, to protect you. >> Right. >> Ruth responded in a positive because she understood that the mitzvahs are here to protect us, to make us a better life. That's why she responded even though we were talking about in a negative what you're not allowed to do, but she understood it was a positive. That's why she responded in a positive. This is the aside what we're saying from our Moshe Feinstein, that a person has to look at mitzvahs >> [snorts] >> in a way that he wants to do it, not he's doing it because she bore it, but he's doing it because we want to do the mitzvahs. It's a smack to do it. All the different reasons, but you want to do it. The bottom line is you want to do it. If you're doing only because the Aibishter said it gets hard sometimes. >> Like you said, it cuz the mitzvahs are here for you. >> Definitely. Definitely it's a shmira. Definitely. There's a lot of reasons why to do it. Definitely. Definitely. You see this aside already in the Maral, in the Gur Aryeh. At the end of Parshas Yisro the Torah says, "If you're going to build a mizbeach a mizbeach of one and possibly you're going to make a mizbeach says the Torah, you're not allowed put metal. When you make a Mizbeach, you're not allowed to put metal while building cutting the rocks. You can't use metal. So, Rashi says this in with two other in's are not like we all over in means if. Here in me you have to. Why? Because it's not if you if you want to build a Mizbeach, it's not if. [clears throat] You have to you have to make a Mizbeach. It's not if you're going to make a Mizbeach. Says Rashi, in doesn't mean if. The same thing is also an example by ribbis. The Torah says in case of talve, if you're going to lend money, don't lend with ribbis. It's not if you're going to lend. You have to lend money. Frek the Gur Aryeh the Maharal mi-Prague So, why takah did the Torah write it an in in a lashon of if you're going to build a Mizbeach? What do you mean if? It's not It's not an optional if you're going to build a Mizbeach. It's true, Rashi says it's not optional. So, why takah did the Torah write in? Says the Gur Aryeh, and I want to quote a few words from inside. He says like this. That the Aibishter does not want you should build a Mizbeach because you have to have a bris. That's not what the Aibishter wants. Look the Maharal. That's not what That's not why you should build a Mizbeach. And if you do it, that's not what the Aibishter wants. Ah. Ah, forgot the chiyuv. Of course it's a chiyuv. 100% There's no tzad that if you're not in the mood, you're not going to do it. But when you're doing it if you do it you have to have a chiyuv. Kiyilu makayim gzeiras ha-melech. I'm building a Mizbeach because what It says in the Torah to build a Mizbeach. I'm building a mizbeach. Not over the rats and like that's not what the wants. The doesn't want it. Doesn't appreciate it. You should do it because you want to do it cuz you're happy to do it. The that's what the wants. It goes on. I'm building a mizbeach because you need a place to be able to put carbonos. But who is a bill vad? Means of course we do the mitzvah cuz the was but if you're only doing the mitzvah because you need to do the mitzvah and it's a void you're doing it cuz you want to do it. This is the same like we said from Feinstein. The reason why the mitzvah of is a even though the mitzvah of is a shomer. Physically it's shomer from a virus. It's a it's connected to still the Torah was never a person to do it. Like it says you take a look at this mitzvah. You should understand what I want over here is is that when you any mitzvah should all be because you want to do it like because it's but cuz you want to do it not because we need to do it because you want to do it. We should be to take this lesson of that we wear that is and we say the help us to all the mitzvahs including shabbos just as an example, Shabbos, a person could work and put in a little bit of effort to see the beauty of Shabbos, the gishmak of Shabbos, not just, you know, listen, now it's Shabbos, it's the shkiya, I can't do melacha anymore cuz that's that's the halacha in Shulchan Aruch. Let us try to be mekayem all mitzvahs, mitzvah of Shabbos coming up soon, cuz it's gishmak, cuz we want to keep Shabbos. It's a time that we could get closer to the Ribono shel Olam, a time that we could disconnect from this world, learn Torah, spend time with the family, elevate ourselves, have a wonderful Shabbos. >> Hiya. Very nice.