Parshas Vayakhel: The Secret to Success

this Tower class is brought to you by torahanytime.com okay good evening everyone thank you everyone for coming we welcome all the Tara anytime viewers and the idea that we're going to present tonight is extremely fundamental we all know we have your gimmel ikram 13 principles of Faith the 13 principles of Judaism and nevertheless there is one principle that is so fundamental it even perceives these 13 principles it's so fundamental that the case could be made that this is the starting point of Judaism and yet it's a concept that I would venture to say most people are not familiar with and with that introduction let us proceed of course the antifa pesach is coming and one of the highlights of the Haggadah are the arbabanim the four Sons the Russia The Tam and the shenuya de Alisha and we'll uh let's discuss if you look at number one what does the wise man say he says what are all these uh laws statutes judgments what's all what's what are all these mitzvahs I said that God has commanded you what is all of this and the question that we need to ask ourselves question that we need to ask ourselves is what exactly is this question if he's such a if he's so wise then why doesn't he know I mean what kind of Hong Kong doesn't know about the Mitzvah of matzah what kind of doesn't know about the carbon PESA doesn't know about tomorrow then what's he asking you know it doesn't say uh it's a child it calls means he's smart right what is a wise man if he's wise and he doesn't know about the the most simple missiles of Judaism he doesn't know what we're doing tonight I mean how could that be how could we call him then uh how can you not know about all these uh midsouths look every every everyone knows about this okay so we're going to try to uh delve into this concept based on something in this week's passion take a look in number two okay we have a posse in this week's power shop albertallo Moshe calls out to the sale of yellow and to his assistant Alia Bell college and to every man who was a wise-hearted man Hashem that God placed wisdom in his heart you hear this expression listen carefully God called every wise-hearted man to whom he plays in his heart by the way if anyone wants anything to eat there is pizza tonight sponsored as close before yashiv the viewers so the posix says the plastic says he called every wise-hearted man Hashem that God placed wisdom in his heart that would imply that they were already they're already wise and after they were wise God then placed wisdom in their heart that's what the public says who did God give wisdom to to the wise hearted ones well if they're wise already why did God need to give them wisdom and if they were not wise then why are we calling them I mean what's going on we would think who is God going to give wisdom to someone who doesn't have wisdom and yet the plastic says who is God giving wisdom to well if he's late if he has wisdom what does he need God's wisdom for and we have the same expression and last expression like look at number three behold I have given you a halia is and Into the Heart of every wise-hearted person I gavema so who is God giving to those who are wise hearted well if they're wisehearted why does God need to give them wisdom and we have a similar expression and pasok and safer Daniel and safer Daniel we find okay in Paris Bay is plus the club Alice God gives wisdom to the wise okay that's what Daniel tells us look at number four God gives wisdom to the wise well if the Y is ready why does Hashem have to give them wisdom and if they're not wise yes why are we saying that God gives wisdom to the wise we should say God gives wisdom to the to the dumb to the empty-minded why are you saying God gives wisdom to the wise because otherwise they know what to do with the wisdom if he's wise he doesn't need the wisdom he's already wise but you can recognize an additional info which so God only gives wisdom to someone who's already a little bit wise take a look at the command Brothers on number five in High color sparkle nice God only gives wisdom to someone who already has wisdom like the posix says in Daniel he gives wisdom to the wise and understanding to those who have understanding so if you want to know who does God give wisdom to he doesn't give wisdom to the stupid he doesn't give wisdom to people who are dumb he only gives wisdom to those who are wise think about continues I heard this rubber bone he said the statement to be above that God only gives wisdom to the wise like the plastic says in Daniel yahir on my legs you learn it from there we learn it from the following where do they learn it from the Posse in this week's pasta uh and to the heart of every wise hearted man God gives wisdom okay so that's the teaching that we're learning the good morning breakfast tells us based on the took him in this week's passion last week's Parish on the second and Daniel who does God select to give wisdom to the wise people God makes those who are smart smart and the obvious question is well how do you become smart in the first place if God only gives wisdom to the wise how did you become wise before God Made You wise in other words what do we saying we're saying again Daniel tells us God gives wisdom to the wise okay that means if you're not wise you ain't getting any wisdom that okay and then and in order to be wise God has to make you wise so how does God make anybody wise because how do they become wise for God I mean at the beginning no no but it says God only makes wise those who have wisdom so how did that person have wisdom put on my sin no but God only makes wives those people who have wisdom right right God will all hears the cup God will only put wisdom in the cup if the cup has wisdom in it how did the wisdom get in the cup first for God to put any wisdom in it if God only gives a dollar to those who have a dollar so how would anyone ever have a dollar for God to give them a dollar yeah that's the question as the nephe Chicago asks of crime Village if God only grants wisdom to the wise how did anyone ever get the first piece of wisdom okay again that's what we're saying that's what we're learning in Daniel and again Danielle is teaching us and they come on brocos tells us God only gives wisdom to the wise so how did anyone ever become wise where did the first piece of wisdom come from okay now we're going to explore another very interesting expression in the uh in the in this week's passion take a look at number seven when uh impartial it talks about those people who came to bring donations for the mishkas look at number seven every man whose heart carried him came and anyone whose Spirit who had a spirit of generosity came they brought God's truma God's donation in other words telling me that who came to offer and to contribute to the building of the mishkan every man who's hard carried him you hear this expression guys let's make sure that it's it's uh clear okay every man who's hard carry him what the what do these words mean what does that mean what does that mean color session okay ramban tells USA and whenever we see whenever God introduces the donations that are brought and the construction that was made for the mishkan who was the chief architect of the mishkan a so expression the Torah uses to introduce butzalo was Rey karasi the shame in other words wow look what's Happening Here whenever we're about to introduce those members who are involved in building and constructing the mishkan the following expression is used another in English it means hold on to your seats fasten your seat belts don't let your socks fall off listen to what we're about to tell you bitsalo is over here he's architect he's the architect of the mishkan why is it such a shock that The Silo is the architect of the mishkan says around ban because let's think about where the Jewish people have been for the last 210 years they're in mitzrayim what are they doing in the triumph they're building pyramids they're working with gross material and I say gross I mean coarse sick it's a heavy labor this is not skilled labor this is a heavy workload right they're they're cementing they're building roads imagine you go to construction worker after you finish this Paving uh Union Turnpike by the way now I want you to go and take a brush and take some paint and I want you to draw and paint a replica of Rembrandt he'll say say what right come on that's not what he does he builds roads he builds buildings he builds he doesn't deal with the Arts he doesn't deal with um with labor with with craftsmanship that requires Great profundity of skill that's not what he does he deals with big buildings so to tell a construction worker I want you to uh sculpt a bust of a great philosopher he'll look at you like you're off the wall right this is not the type of work that he's involved in so how in the world after the Jews had been in Egypt for 210 years how is it possible that the dinosaur got together and actually constructed an Arun or a shulhan or a menorah you know what the menorah looked like you know how many fine flowers had to be carved out of pure gold on the menorah I mean who would have any idea how to do that who would have any idea how to weave the tapestries of the mishkan to weave Angelic figures on the curtains of the Michigan how would anyone know how to do that I did they they know how to schlep Big Sticks and Big Blocks but they would have no idea how to to do the labor required for for the elegant design of the mishkan who would have any idea how to do that right you take the guy imagine a guy take him out of jail take a criminal out of jail okay sir I want you to paint for me Sunset over the Rocky Mountains is that come on man you know what are you talking about so how is it possible who which Jews were capable of constructing the mishkan that is why whenever we introduce the architects of the mishkan the Torah uses the following expression Hashem see God has called by name you know what that means stand back watch an amazement about what's happening in other words this is not this is not something that is believable yeah there's three people they did not do the construction yeah but uh there is no school in Egypt right School of the Fine Arts you know it's it's one thing that pyro did not uh make them work but it wasn't that they were studying uh sculpting in Egypt right what was Louis VM doing they were learning so either you were schlepping bricks or you were learning but how would anyone know how to carve out anything out of gold had a weave had a soul Who would know how to do that says ramban you know how they know how to do that that's the key the secret of this plastic look at number seven every man whose heart carried him what does that mean his heart carried him that means a minute before this job came up you'd ask this guy do you have any clue how to bang a fine gold art out of a massive gold he would say no have no clue how to do it but a minute later when Mo sharbeno said God commanded us to chip away and to create in our own and to create a menorah certain members of Jewish people stood up they were inspired and as ramban says the ramban says like this the ramban says came although they had no teachers there were no schools looking number nine their man says they were individuals who founded within their nature to be able to do this Hashem by the way that's supposed to consideration they were so to speak for uh I don't have a better translation they were arrogant in the ways of Hashem but that's not what it means it's not arrogance they were ennoballed they aspired they had great aspirations in the ways of Hashem in other words they were so inspired to be able to accomplish for the sake of Hashem it's like you have a kid imagine you're at a baseball game and uh the team's best player goes down and the team doesn't know what to do and there's a little kid in the stands he said hand over the back hand over the bat you never went to the man who's give me the bed I'm gonna hit yeah I'm gonna hit you don't know how to play baseball I know how to play baseball the kid gets up there and he doesn't he never was trained he never did it before in his life but sometimes when when the when the task is at hand and you have the opportunity arises and somebody feels I want to accomplish for the sake of Hashem your heart carries you above and beyond what is possible and if you were to ask this individual a minute before is it possible to construct the menorah if you wouldn't know what you're talking about but somehow he was able to bring out from deep deep within himself the capability to do something that is beyond his capability that is what the word means says his heart carried him did not know how to make and the only gun explains that there is a special reason he didn't know how to make the menorah because if you add up this is just a side point if you add up the flowers the buttons the goblets and the menorah look at Rashi you get 42 plus the seven branches of the menorah is seven plus the Menara itself is one that's 50. most rabinu did not understand the menorah the menorah represents about Moshe had 49 levels of he didn't have the 50th level of Pokemon that's why he couldn't understand the menorah so the menorah is a separate reason why moshabino cannot understand but all of these other objects which you see what the ramban is saying they were beyond the capability of any Jew to construct them and nevertheless their heart carried them and archaima colors explains that is the difference between the expression take a look again at number seven they're two methos me the number one is the Divas you know in the Divas is generosity you make a hundred thousand dollars a year you need eighty thousand dollars to live twenty thousand dollars you don't need it maybe you'll need it you don't know yeah enough so if you're generous you give it to tadaka that's generosity you know who knows maybe I'll need it for myself no I want to be generous and give up on myself what's necessarily by the side Levi is you need eighty thousand dollars twenty thousand hours you don't need but you know how much you give you give thirty thousand what do you think I can't give 30 I need it is to give to do that which you can still right I could only learn three hours a day I can't learn more I have to work I have to have I'm busy the media of not varukai is to do as much as you can Nissan is to do more than you can I can't do more there's a new there's a new Meda the Meda is to Aspire to do more than you can do and we introduced the share with the following uh introduction we said the following we said that this evening we're going to present an idea that is not just important and it's not just fundamental okay the rambam rights are 13 acronym they're 13 principles of Faith but we're going to present an idea today that you can make the case is the most fundamental idea in Judaism and even though it's the most fundamental idea in Judaism most people have never heard it in their entire lives and you'll see how could that be how could there be an idea in Judaism that is so funny that no one ever heard it wait and see okay so that's what they're Unbound the ramban tells us that they were individuals who by their very nature were not physically capable of constructing the mishkan and how do they do it their hearts carry them they were inspired they aspired to do that which is impossible I believe this is the first time we're featuring him at this year he says this ramban is the secret of success in Judaism why let's talk about let's let's talk about a different topic let's talk about you know and outside of uh the Yeshiva outside of the world of Torah they call it the real world right so let's talk about what they named The Real World in the real world how do you become wealthy well some people they're born into it they don't have any skills they're not even smart and somehow they become wealthy how do you become successful at you always have people that are successful and they're doing everything wrong but for the most part let's talk about the people who are extremely successful how do they become successful step one is they have great aspirations they Aspire for greatness when I say Aspire you know what the word Aspire means they dream they have huh they have a goal they have a certain initiative they have a certain feeling of they want to accomplish they have in Hebrew it's called yazama they plan okay if you were to take most successful people most the majority of them had great aspirations okay if you take someone who has no out aspiration whatsoever chances are they will never become successful now you always have you always have exceptions to the rule but in order to get to the highest level you have to want to get to the highest level very rarely will someone get to the highest in any Endeavor if they didn't want to get their friend okay that's that's basically the first step the first ingredient of success the first ingredients of successes you have to want to be successful if you don't want to be successful you're never going to be successful if you don't aspire to great success you won't even be slightly successful maybe if you Aspire for tremendous success maybe you'll be lucky you'll be a little bit successful but that's the first ingredient the first ingredient is aspiration she IFA draw drive you have to be driven you have to be driven this is not only how it works in the physical world in the real world this is how it works in the world of spirituality if a person wants to be great in Torah and Fila and Camila if a person wants to come close to Hashem then if he thinks in his mind yeah what am I going to be with my life I'm gonna be a regular average guy you know I'll be an average guy an average Jew someone who aspires to be an average dude will not even be a load you someone who aspires to be above average maybe he'll get to first place someone who aspires to be like the godoh Hadar the biggest static in the generation that person has a chance the key the key to get to first base is you have to want to hit a home run the key to get the first down is you have to want to get a touchdown if you're not shooting together home run you'll never get a single okay sometimes you know you have to shoot for a single also right but that's the key the key is if you want to have success and spirituality you have to Aspire to the Stars says now this is an amazing idea what is the main difference between us and the rishonim right we have a concept in Judaism you read us hadoros as the generations progress we get weaker and weaker and weaker as we move away from harcina that's a certain concept whether there's a strong source for this concept it's dubious but that's in general the progression of history is that as we move away from our Sinai we get weaker so if we were to pinpoint what is the main difference between us our generation and the generation of the rishonim so if you would have asked me I would have said they were so brilliant their minds were open like uh like the heavens they were so strong-minded and and says there's one difference that we've shown him aspired to reach the Stars we've shown him aspire to reach the heavens they dreamed of reaching the highest possible levels but for us we have very meager and meek dreams no I don't know in spirituality and in rooknis and in Judaism yeah if you ask the average guy where do you want to be what type of Jew do you want to be you know like everybody else somebody who has in their mind I want to be like everybody else has no has no real hope to achieve anything you can't think you want to be like everyone else you know you have to think you have to think I want everyone everyone I want to learn Torah like Revelations I want to do has it like the biggest I want to dab in with kavana will I be real like Rebel yashif maybe yeah maybe no will I be the biggest static maybe yeah maybe no but you have to want to that's step one if you want if a person really has any hope of being successful in Judaism he has to want to reach the highest level so you'll ask come on you know Rabbi I'm ready I already left you Shiva that's what they used to tell me when I was in Yeshiva right let's say everyone should dream to be the girl but come on that's not life I mean I'm never gonna get there it sounds like a nice idea or a very um worthy idea or something admirable but do I really have to think that way says Rabbi rokham this is not a nice idea it's not a suggestion it's not an it's not something we encourage it's an absolute obligation obligation where does it say in the Torah that I have to want to be on the highest level says look at number 13. says the medrus foreign therefore Elio says every Jew is obligated to say the following when will my actions reach the actions of Abraham right does the matter says it's appropriate to say it doesn't matter say Musa does a matter say we suggest that you say the matter says unequivocally it's an obligation we are obligated to say in other words if a person says Ah I'm a great guy I came to the share tonight even though I was very tired I learned for 45 minutes I'm wonderful you are wonderful and you should feel very good and proud and you should feel like you're on top of the world that you came to learn but you should not feel complacent you can't say hmm I'm a great guy you know what you have to say to learn when am I going to reach the level of Jaco vavino that he learned Torah uninterrupted for 14 years straight why should I say that it's impossible I can't learn until our 14 years I can't even learn to talk for 14 minutes straight it doesn't matter even if you can't learn for 14 minutes you still have to say when am I going to be able to learn Torah for 14 years straight when I mean when am I gonna be able to sit on the arcade though like it's okay my job in Myra for two and a half minutes I'm a Greek guy you're a great guy but you still have to say when am I going to be able to stand still like he is when am I going to reach the level of avraham Aveeno I did what do you mean I did pass that I gave my friend a ride you're wonderful you're a sadik and you have to feel good about it right there's a very fine balance in other words while at the same time a person has to rejoice in whatever he's able to accomplish but he can never feel complacent he can never feel smug I've done it no save Adam okay so I think we've been successful in demonstrating that there is an obligation for a person to Aspire to the heavens yeah but how do I have the right to say that this is such an a fundamental concept that it may be the most fundamental Concept in Judaism where I have a right to say that from let's see remember you want to get this hard for saying such a thing yeah oh we can see you can get tremendous stuff yeah why but you know the truth is this they are going to be like you know we're not going to be like this like we'll see I'm going to become and like yeah we'll see 14 years who will wants to make him full you want to make sure no you really want to though I want but I'm not gonna be no that's nice that's not your business your business is I want that that's what I want Do You Want To Be A Millionaire right that's right we'll see we'll see one second we have we have a little bit of time let me let me finish this up okay back to back to the custom right we started this year by asking what does the wise man say right right imagine a guy comes in he sees me watching Lego Master what are you doing right this is who we call he sees us eating matzah he sees us bringing the current pasta he wants to know what it is I mean who doesn't know what it is what kind of is that Rihanna there's a mission imperialgos that says who is a wise man haloi made me call Adam who learns from everybody if you would have asked me who's the wise man I would have said you know it was a wise man who doesn't need to learn from anybody he's so wise he doesn't need to learn from anyone no now says excuse the mishna says who's the wise man he learns from everyone is one of the classic commentaries on perki office tells us what is the definition of is not someone who knows a lot of information who has a lot of wisdom that's not the definition of is someone who loves he pursues he runs after him someone who is very smart and he knows a lot but he doesn't love khakma if he knows somebody knows something that he doesn't know he's not going to lower himself to ask that person so this individual does not love Karma he has it he doesn't love it if he doesn't love it he's not as awesome however Jonah says someone who learns who loves um and desires it doesn't know Zippo he doesn't know anything in other words the definition of is someone who loves wisdom why I mean the guy doesn't know anything because if he loves so much and he's going to pursue it he will get there he will achieve it he'll get there he'll be coming foreign okay someone who loves hakuma will achieve it someone who doesn't love khasma someone who doesn't love khasma nah he may have a lot it will dwindle it will lessen and he'll lose it so the definition of is someone who loves desires okay now let's get a little bit of an example right if we would want to learn if we want to try to emulate someone who acquired a lot of money he says what do you want I'll give it to you you want long life you want money right you want honor what is give me understanding to know what's right give me what did Hashem say because you asked for the correct thing and not just some of them say give me and this give me and something else even though right we value life we value long life more than anything else what's more valuable than life one thing there's only one thing more valuable than life wisdom right as the ramam says if somebody kills the show geek somebody kills accidentally and he has to go into gallus so he goes into golus and who else has to follow him in tagalas he's ready why because it says if someone kills the shogik he has to live what kind of life will it be for this individual if he doesn't have someone to teach him Torah says the ramam for the people who have wisdom a life without wisdom is death to live without filling your mind with not life the definition of life is not just you know respiratory activity and the brain waves working that's not life the definition of life is acquiring and therefore when shlo Mama demonstrated that even more valuable than money and honor and life what's the most valuable thing wisdom so what is he demonstrating he's demonstrating his desire his love you love that's the key to acquiring you have to love it you have to desire it you have to want it more than anything else that was the secret of shall mama okay let us go back to one of the earlier points we made Daniel say for Daniel says God gives wisdom to the wise what is it brachos who learned in fact God only grants wisdom to those who have wisdom so we ask the obvious question if God only gives wisdom to those who have it how did anyone ever have it to begin with for God say then give it to him in other words if God only gives wisdom to those who have wisdom how did anyone ever have wisdom for God to give it to them that's the question of the nephew says is not just wisdom studies not someone who has rat sound very good what's your name Joshua is telling us is the desire for wisdom is God only grants wisdom to those who have wisdom what does it mean to have wisdom they want it they desire it they pursue it they love it that is the definition of and that's why this I once heard from Victor Miller and he doesn't even know what Matt says he doesn't even know what pesos so what but she's asking what it is that means he wants to understand what it is he may not have one iota of but the fact that he's asking respectfully what is this what is that oh he's pursuing wisdom he's already given the title cup he has graduated son who wants to have him that's what the gemara means who is that individual that has that God then gives it to him the one who wants it they say the word curious It's Curious it's more than curious it's it's you Aspire for it you want it you're driven for it it's not just you know like Curious George let me see you know this looks uh interesting let me try it's it's a little bit more than right it is a curiosity but it's a a more a driven curiosity what is serious yeah he aspires he aspires for greatness he spies for that was the middle of those who constructed the mishkan how they have any clue how to do it they had no clue so how'd they do it they wanted to and if you want to it's almost as if you can okay as they say if there's a will there's a way there's a result okay let's move on a little bit by the way we have time to Levitz it's a famous story he was once uh he needed a little vacation he was learning English so he went to visit his uncle in Nevada and he says uh to his uncle show me the best student to meet Shiva takes him around he says see this guy over here he's the biggest massmut in these Shiva and you see that guy he's the smartest boy in Yeshiva and that kid over there he's the biggest Bucky and that one over there he's the biggest Yari shamaim but you want to know who's the best he says you see that learning in the corner he's the best asked his uncle one second this one is the biggest massmut that one is the biggest am gun this one is the biggest Bucky this one is the biggest shimane so how could that one be the best boy in these Shiva he's been the biggest mavakish he is the most driven he's the one who aspires he is the one who loves Fatma by the way who did that buffer turn out to be the stapler the Stifler going okay so that's the meter the Meda of doesn't mean you know anything doesn't mean you're a big girl shamayan it doesn't mean you're a big Bucky you're a big Ancon but you want to be you want to be okay says with uh with Samson felhurst take a look at number 18. the first thing they did when they came into the basement in the morning is they did the malacha de avoda of Jose you know what is no no during the night time the car the carbon the sacrifice burns on the altar unknown and it a lot of Ashes gathered the very first thing they did in the morning was they cleared off all the ashes says if Samson followers what is the meaning of this avoid that why was that the first thing they did the Champions says because when you begin a day of serving Hashem if you're thinking in the back of your mind wow you know about all the great carvanos we brought yesterday I brought yesterday a carbon Thomas we did so much yesterday look at all these ashes you're thinking about what you did yesterday that will spell death for today when you think about past accomplishments when you think about how much you've accomplished in the past and you have a certain smug complacency that is the beginning of the end and therefore you know how you begin the daily avoida you clear every Vestige of Ash as if nothing was ever done in this place because if you want to start a day of serving Hashem it has to be as if you've never done one thing in your entire life because if your whole life you go around and think yeah I really want so much I really accomplished so much so maybe you don't then you've done it all maybe you're ready for uh the next stage of your existence for a person to be successful in this world clear off every Vestige of Ash forget about anything you ever did you wake up in the morning it's as if you've never done anything in your life says if Johnson followers will read a beautiful words take a look at number 18 on page three on the third line the last word fresh as if nothing had yet been accomplished does the beginning of every new day call us to go to our mission with full new devotion and sacrifice and nothing that has already been done May lessen the energy with which we go to do our duty the thought of what has already been accomplished can be the death of that which is still to be accomplished woe unto him who with smug self-complicency thinks he can rest on his Laurels on what he has already achieved and who does not meet the task of every fresh day with full devotion as if it were the first day of his life's work says every trace of yesterday's sacrifice is to be removed from the Hearth on the altar okay but we still have not explained this is such a fundamental idea for a person to yearn and desire and Aspire and dream to reach the highest level and we learned this as an obligation this is not just recommended practice can we make the case that this is a fundamental idea so let's see I'm going to present to you a few Lines from Robin a few lines that literally dozens of people have struggled to understand what Rabino Yona means and those of you who are lucky enough to be here tonight will see the true meaning of Jonas says okay take a look at number 23. this is a mind-boggling for this okay and you see literally dozens of commentaries and Peru shim have been written explaining these words and we're gonna see tonight versus Hashem the correct interpretation look at number 23. is talking about you know many people think it's one thing you know the purpose of life is but you know doing mitzvos it's not really as important because look well you know what the proof is if I desecrate childish if I if I desecrate pasta for Yom Kippur right the Torah mandates severe punishment rights yeah but if I don't put on fill in there's no there's no punishment in the Torah there's no punishment until for not sitting in the sukkah so one may mistakenly think not violating aveiros is worse than not fulfilling that so says no the great achievements in life are fulfilling certain an arabinerary on a list for us what are the main categories of mitzvos that it is our job in this world to accomplish right if I were to ask you list for me the main mitzvos in the Torah that it's Our obligation to fulfill what would you say the main Mr sometimes what I think Tower right we know learning Torah that's number one tamatar can I get cooler learning toe is the most important I'm not just talking about specific mitzvos I'm talking about General categories I'll give you some hints says right love of God right like it says in davara Hashem says what do I ask of you right these are all the main categories of our civilization take a look at number 23. and he says a line which is completely mind-boggling and literally people have been struggling to discover the meaning of these words and we'll see we'll see what it means we'll take a look at number 23. the dance the main achievements have been given to us through positive Mitzvahs chemo for example the level of free choice learning Torah 's Hashem goes on to say Vegas listen carefully there is one line in raveno Yona that it's impossible to understand what he's talking about right we know everybody's familiar and one of the great achievements in this world is Hashem could somebody please tell me what the man is talking about in the very first attribute that he lists mindless have a hero the attribute of free choice what in the world is he talking about what's the attribute of free choice I mean we all believe we have free choice everybody knows that what we do in this world nobody is compelled nobody's forced to do a Mitzvah or not to do an Avera nobody's forced to do anything but what Mitzvah is the Mitzvah of the Kira this is I mean you always have to choose to do the right thing what's the mitzvahira what's the matter talking about if you can look through all the Moneta Mixels look at the rambam look at the ramban look at the smug the bahag the safer katanos nobody lists as one of the midst of the Torah in fact with matzo Solomon asked just to keep it because sir of course either when you have an opportunity to do a myth so you do it right we we understand there's a concept of but what does and why is that listed as the very first attribute that we need to achieve in this world I understand why number two is Torah Torah really should be number one that's uh right everybody says Thor is the most important number two after Toro rights that the gemara says stands for alessina learn Torah gimmo download these are the Tui Karim the two main midsos we have to involve ourselves are Torah is number one test that is number two so what do you mean well the hero is doing the metals whenever you do a Mitzi you're choosing correct I mean what's the there's no Mitzvah the hero what's the Mitzvah what is but here is the concept but what's the Midfield here every Mitzvah of course so what is the Nyla I understand the mileage between you have to work on to achieve what is the what am I achieving with Tahira there's a Mitzvah to do mitsos every Mitzvah is a mitzvah what what is a choice to do no no is not talking about the conception is listing the main achievements in this world and number one on the list is the achievement of free choice what achievement is very simple is incomprehensible and literally I've seen very many commentaries to try to explain this words but what's always the best when the person himself explains what he means wrote a safer that most people are familiar with the first page but I don't know too many people got past that there's a safer called Chari Hawaii right the very end of the safer Shari haveoda Yona writes the following it's uh says like this you know what it's kadai let's see it inside a little bit number 25 abiniana tells us he says a man should think and plays to his heart to serve Hashem at all times with all his Hearts all his soul all his possessions what on the third line of videos that Jonah says that you want to achieve the levels of the greatest in the world who are the greatest foreign because Cesar milliona they also they didn't do more than they could they did as much as they could so we should aspire to reach their levels okay at the end of that paragraph follow you don't slacken off even for a moment let this thought leave your mind what to Aspire to reach the levels of Abraham next paragraph increase your strength strengthens let his housing they allow us to rise from one level to the next um here's the keywords the yak mode you should desire you should yearn to achieve in your service of Hashem that which you can't achieve you hear this I can't I can't learn like I'm going to learn 19 hours a day so why should I want to learn 19 hours a day you have to want to do the impossible okay then he says you should associate with those people who are accomplishing more than you and emulate them and is similarly in every single media okay four lines on the end of that paragraph look what he says you should aspire to reach the highest level you should aspire to reach the highest level you should aspire to dab in like the biggest static Yak Moto so you should desire it these are available you should choose it okay you should choose it next paragraph and if you desire it and you aspire to it and you want it and you dream for it you'll be rewarded as if you got it you hear that if a person in his mind thinks I'm only little old me but I want to be Rebel yashiv roll ID won't ID who knows when you get up to shanayam you'll be standing right next to him if a person says desires to be on the highest level he will be rewarded as if he's on the highest level look what he says not talking that free choice over here like most people thought when the Torah says you can ask 99.9 of people what is the taramino bakarita bakayim you should choose Life free choice that's not what it means you know what it means you should desire the highest levels of Life what are they the highest levels of Torah the highest levels of Europe the highest level of ABBA Hira and for the choice alone for the desire alone for the aspirational and you will be rewarded as if you achieved it you know why because you can't do any more if I am doing my utmost but I want to reach the highest level I will be rewarded as if I'm on the highest level says here are the key words is the key to understand something that I have not yet found um this this interpretation revenue is saying explicitly what he means writes that even before the level of learning Torah even before the level of cassette the very fundamental level of being a Jew is I don't want to be an average do I don't want to be an above average shoe I want to be the highest on the highest possible level will I get there we don't know we don't know nobody could know but if I do my best and I want to get there a I'm rewarded as if I'm there and V I'm fulfilling the midst of um that's what it means to choose life to choose life doesn't mean to make the right choice it means to make to have the right desires the right yearnings the right aspirations if I think of doing a Mitzvah then us and circumstances prevent me liaison I didn't do it the Torah considers it as if I did in other words I'm on a very low level I want to be on the highest level possible I can't get their circumstances limit me Hashem will reward me as if I'm there nothing to worry about on one second let me finish up here right some people think you know it's very harmful for a person to have great aspirations because it's going to be very depressing why is it depressing I do as best as I can and whatever I can do I wish I could have very very enobling why should you walk around the that's what that's what told us the key to any success is the aspiration if you don't Aspire for the highest level you won't get anywhere and if you Aspire for the highest level Hashem will reward you as if you're there and then ravinayana adds one point one added aspect emerges from this new mix okay I just want to point out none of the others shine him listen Yona it is the most fundamental it is listed before anything else look what he says if a person chooses to want to reach the highest level the oven and to understand the yaskil and to comprehendosa and he tries to number one point Robin says if you desire to reach the highest level Hashem will reward you as if you got there number two Hashem will help you get there what do you mean it's impossible God will help you reach levels that it was literally impossible for you to achieve where do we see an example of this this week's Powershell the finale as well they could not construct the mishkan naturally it was impossible they didn't have the skills they didn't have the talents but what does the plastic say Levi their hearts carried them they found it within they were inspired they were ambitious they had the desire and the yearning they were able to do it two things number one right we said not only is the aspiration and the ambition suggested because I'll say it's required [Music] we are obligated to say when will we reach the highest levels you'll ask where did kazal get this from how do hazal know how do our sages know that we're obligated to say this choose life and will suggest that the reason why the rambam and all the other recent don't count us is because this is so fundamental and this is so Elementary and this is so basic that since as rabi rokham said if you don't desire high levels you can't accomplish anything this is not one of the missiles this is the introduction to the midst this is the the number one step in order to get to first base you need to want to hit a home run and hence this he's a big clock he doesn't know he wants to know he wants to know in the eyes of the bus from thank you for coming thank you for listening you've just experienced another Torah class brought to you by torahanytime.com