Parshat Yitro- Shira Smiles: Torah Tapestry

the end of parro ends with certain laws having to do with the m and altar of Earth shall you make for me and you have to be careful not to put any type of metal on the Mis and then the last PK is you shall not Ascend my altar on steps so that your nakedness will not be uncovered upon it and uh these two alas um are very fascinating because they teach us much more than the metal and The Way We Walk on the M let's learn together Rashi on this last P of making sure you shall not have uh steps on the misb source 3B with steps you would have to lengthen your stride though not not actually reveal any nakedness since the kohanim wore linen pants but a long stride is similar to uncover ing nakedness whereby you'll be acting towards the stones with disrespect it's that respectful to walk in this way with the stones even though you're wearing pants it's a lack of respect Rashi then deres an interesting lesson from this Mitzvah this matter can be extended to a these stones have no awareness and are not capable of becoming upset when mistreated how yeah the toor Never less states that since they serve a purpose you must not act towards with them with respect disrespect your friend or acquaintance who's made in the image of your Creator and becomes upset when mistreated all the more so you must not act towards them with disrespect so we have two questions okay we have a lot of questions but there are two questions that we're going to raise one question is found in number four I need to learn from the stones how to treat people I mean that seems like a little bit of a w stretch uh yeah a a stretch and a bit of a backwards way of learning just tell me Tre people nicely what what's this idea that I'm learning it from the stones and obviously we can't leave a stone UNT then we have to try to uncover that okay we know that and we have another question and that's in 3A it seems almost anticlimactic to the para of receiving the Torah here we get the Torah and I would have thought that this par would end and they saw the the they heard the sounds they saw the voices and they had the fear of God on them and the end we're learning about the Altar and the way you walk up the altar that's the way the paraa ends there must be a reason why the par of Theo is ending with this and we need to understand why we're going to take a look at this on three different levels and uh obviously the question which is the question we ask ourselves is what relevancy does this have for our lives because if we don't have that then we have what we've missed the boat okay idea number one why does the Torah end with these things so this is both Raa in Source number five and ra and Source six is that these Halas are coming to explain the assera Dio let's explain one of the assera DI Roo is L don't murder well murder is not just black and white don't murder not having any iron on the m is teaching us the sensitivity we have with anything that comes in contact with metal and that's why it's teaching us that if you embarrass someone public that's also what that's also akin to murder murder isn't just black and white pulling the plug so to speak likewise we would think well what does Lowa mean don't uh commit adultery it's adultery stop there are all these nuances that sne us there all these aspects of the way we relate to other people the way we even walk up the altar that has to be done in a modest way these are all aspects of what the asera DI WR about in simple English we shouldn't be fooled that the Asser di are these black and white Commandments as we learn them understand that Torah has multi- layers to it and that's the beauty of Torah this aspect of refinement this aspect of sensitivity let's take a look at this model of Rashi if you have to treat the stones with respect you'll treat people with respect so let's take a look at an essay from R bski zel where he says these stones in seven gimmel do not simply serve a purpose as Rashi says they're Sanctified with K of's house right why am I not allowed to treat these stones with disrespect these aren't these stones that are outside these are stones that were chosen to be on the altar of course course I'm going to treat them with what with respect down the block we can say this here bar the cotel right those aren't just Stones those are stones and there's a difference between stones and Stones I mean obviously unless you're stoned then you want no different and he notes here and this is a deep psychological insight in eight there many reasons why we are careful with the honor of our fellow Jews even though we may sometimes think that a particular person deserves our rebuke we do not outwardly express our thoughts out of self-respect we consider ourselves too refined we have a sense of Mercy we don't want to cause another one an emotional pain and these otherwise acceptable reasons for acting with respect for another May nevertheless conceal an underlying attitude of disrespect a person's sense of his own dignity and refinement the respect for social norms or even the importance in Torah places of preserving the honor of fellow Jew do not of themselves prevent a person from being prideful and conceited so even though on the outside you're very nice and you're very pleasant inside your what you have feelings uh that are a little bit different and here we come to the the key of level number one it's a musle a king higher s a minister to work for him uh new prime minister another Minister who's jealous says to the king how could you hire them and Slanders them here's the key the king then says to this Minister who's slandering the new prime minister you're not speaking out against the new prime minister you're speaking out against the king I've appointed him if I appointed him it means that I feel he is worthy and that my friends is life in a nutshell similarly AES in 10 has chosen to honor each and every Jew rash says who in the image of your maker Hashem has honored every Jew by placing him in a holy Nama creating him withum Elohim in the image of God thus one should treat his friend with respect not because it's better for him not because it's better for the society not to preserve his feelings but because this person has intrinsic worth Hashem has honored him by placing a the in him in this way even the simplest Jew is greater than the stones of the M you see why am I honoring the stones of the M because these Stones were chosen to be where on the M right I don't treat the stones on the Treet the same way so these Stones were chosen because this is their way this is where they were placed understand that each and every Jew is placed in this world to do a job that no one else can do so the stones form for me a model by the Stones I get it they're holy they're in a holy Place use that model of the stones for every single person we say in the morning we end one interpretation Hashem great is your faith in me that I have something to accomplish today that no other human being can accomplish wow that's not only how I have to look at myself that's how I have to look at everyone else a jeun no matter how simple carries the likeness of the King Double squiggly of Kings the creator of the world this is his intrinsic value for this reason alone above all others he's deserving of true honor and not merely a false outer expression of Honor which hides a Heart full of contempt and you should know he goes on to say that a person naturally senses the honor that is shown for him a person knows whether you're just playing lip service in respecting another or actually what feeling the honor for another person this my friends is level one level one is about recognizing the honor that we have for every single person created in the image of God the har where Vice Bloom takes us one step further and he says in the bracket of 14 Masha the fact that a person is careful about the way you treat them [Music] a it's not because he's you know running after honor because we're talking about treating all people this way even the greatest no double underline this my friends is the way we are wired we are wired with no knowing that every person deserves to be honored you know brings to mind man Search for meeing frankl's the book that we're we're he that we need to feel this aspect that I'm special I'm created in the image of God you know the Bali musers say that if a person would have their honor taken away from them they couldn't survive and this is exactly what they try to do in the Holocaust by making numbers instead of names of people you know I once read there was a um a trial experiment I don't know what word you want to use done at an old age home where they put outside of every person's room a large Oak you know like a oak tag what board yeah with a picture of them as a youngster and everything that they've accomplished in their life so instead of looking at them as craggy old Selma who's driving us crazy who doesn't want to take her pills I look at what wow this was a very special woman and is a very special woman special and it is a special place and then then your whole vision of that person what shifts we are so quick to judge we are so quick to judge we siid up a person right you can never make you never have a second chance to make a first impression right we're so quick to size up a person but we forget that barometer number one is this person is created in the image of God and if God created them they have a purpose in this world and I need to recognize that and for that reason alone even if they do nothing I need to treat them with respect that that's the essence of what yish is about and that's why the in 16 in the arrow to teach you rash is teaching us what is about the biz the language why she uses is you should be careful about the biz and the disgrace of your friend if you don't treat somebody with respect that's treating them with disdain it's not just a lack of respect what am I learning the from from a from an altar from one of the Hest objects in this world to teach you that every human being is what holy you're right from the stones itself you can argue but the stones of pardon me fa this was the place where everyone came close to the rebon sholam this was the place of connection and this is to teach us the importance of every single person to teach us your friend has more of a reason more of a purpose more of a of of what to give in this world than the m and this is our job our job is to be able to treat our friend in this way it's interesting ream Mor Schwab quotes this in 17 speaks about according to this who can calculate the severity of embarrassing another human being if the Torah warns us to treat respectfully an inanimate object having no concept of disgrace how many warnings are there for shaming of a human being we're not discussing a Jew even but a simple Gentile farmer when when Rashi says a person created we're not even talking about a Jew yet you have to treat every human being now you're right I will say this parenthetically there are certain people who have destroyed their what their Salam Elohim and those people do not deserve to be treated I don't need to be any more what specific we're living it but most people are giving to this world Farmers people involved in you know in China for making everything that we own right you know like and imagine even more so if this is true for the China men for a yid for those who are created in the image of God and he says and this is I think so staggering in in the in the end of 17 the calculation is entirely jarring from stones with no intelligence to non-jews who care being created in hashem's image and finally to a Jew and a friend can you not picture your friend standing there and screaming respect me do not embarrass me recognize what I have to say think of how many ail and warnings are there regarding such disrespectful and disgraceful Behavior it's staggering let's put this into English you know they tell many stories about both Yakov kinety tell and other of the gdolim in America that they would be very careful to tell their drivers that when they this is before Easy Pass I'm dating the story by like you know a few decades when they would go to a toll booth they would say go to a person and that remember the buckets you place a quarter in them yeah and not to a bucket ah but we'll get out of here much faster you are putting a bucket over a person over the honor of a person I'm not telling you about check out at J or not that that's your problem I'm I'm not dealing with that tonight but but but you hear what they're saying here like a bucket so we'll wait online but we have an opportunity to say what thank you have a good day give them a broa and likewise they would say the gdolim that if you see a bus and this is particularly to an AR thr if you see a bus and even though you have the right away let the bus go first why there are more people on the bus K Brios and again oh yeah I say thank you to the resters in Israel and do not acknowledge that they look at me as if it doesn't matter that's not that that's their problem your problem is to what to say thank you now I'm going to bring this example another example which is even more pronounced in AR because most of the people that we're talking better juice but it's true whether you're in in does Kmart still exist warmont does whether you're Walmart Costco it doesn't matter where you are or an AR real you're checking out and you're on the phone and you continue on the phone with your conversation as you check out and you have ignored the cashier but completely you have treated the cashier like a what like the bucket exactly get off your phone you're in front of a person created in the image of God treat them like what like a person treat them with respect smile at them compliment them you have no idea of what effect that has on a person small things make make a what make a big difference you know story I've told many times and I'm going to repeat it because it just came to my head but it has nothing to do with anything except that it came to my head so if you ask like what is the connection there is none okay now that we understand that but you'll see the connection many years ago living in La I was in the kosher store and uh I saw somebody I heard that so and so was moving to town who is a RV in LA's sisters moving to town she looked exactly like her brother do you know how people look like you you could tell I went over to her and I said oh are you so and so just moved to town she says yeah I said welcome I didn't invite her for shabas I didn't make her a meal I am not a tadeus all I did was what said Shalom a few weeks later we get a knock on our door a r is standing there and he has a bmitzvah invitation in his hand which was a little bit interesting we look at the bmitzvah invitation I didn't know the people I said to my husband do you know the people we don't know the people so I was curious you know but when you teach you get invited to so I called the person up trying to recognize the voice you know voice recognition and um my my older daughter was just born I said you know ma um so nice Mitzvah I have a new board a month old bringer okay now I was curious I come to the SP Mitzvah very few people there with my baby yeah and she's 27 so I'm telling you I'm going back 27 years this this is how long story is and I don't know anyone there I don't know what I'm doing there and then I see the mother of the b boy it was this woman who I said Shalom to she comes over to me she said I want to introduce you to my mother and she says to her mother this is the woman who said hello to me in the store and I'll tell you the PS to this story I never became friends with this lady you know our C our P crws like you you you know four years later our our next door was born and we made a Kish shabas we made a Kish I'm talking about it rained like really rain now in La when it rains it's like a snowstorm in New York my best friends didn't come to the Kish of course you didn't expect us to come it's raining right I get it she shows up I have such a carto to you what' you say know Ru oh she didn't know the rule about living in LA and the rain here what's the point of the story I think you get the point it's about treating people with it's a sad story too of course it is you'll we don't we don't comment on stories this is like a an iron rule in my in my in my in my teaching it just shows you how people need to be what acknowledged recognized and just what interacted with yes you want to comment the hoca yes also also South America I heard but this Rabbi this Rabbi saved by this guard right who said good morning to every day that's it that's it and he automatically right in when there was the little boy was okay really oh you talking about the Merona it was like a terrorist ATT whatever I get the point the point is okay so this is the idea of of of being a mench a and and a mench to everyone who's created in the image of what in the image of God so idea number one why is it here it's showing you that there are gradations in sensitivity that's what the Torah is ending with it's not black and white just don't murder or don't commit adultery no there are many levels of sne and many levels of protocol and idea number one is that we have this like view of the Mis of course I'll treat this with respect and the stones these are the stones placed here by Hashem like the stones of the Kota I'll treat with respect how much more so we have to treat who people with respect because everyone is created in the image of God and that's has to be our purview walking around this world that's idea one idea number two or level number two we'll begin in Source number 18 where again points out in the arrow 18 Co L Mila the downfall of a person is not to recognize gifts that we have in front of us not to appreciate anything that we have everything is just flipping in their eyes and this is really the idea of what we call late Sonos what is late Sonos late Sonos mockery is just making fun of everything this is the really the difference between cavod from the word cave that which is heavy with respect and CLA treating everything with disdain and with flippancy and this is a real challenge because if you want to live life you have to have that awareness that everything in life has meaning and purpose and and not to have this view of like what's a big deal and we see this in the mishna in peros this is the asteris in 18 the Mish says you shouldn't treat with disdain any person and and you should have this attitude toward any item cuz everything that hm has created has a mome has a place it's interesting just to add for a moment then we'll get back to 18 and 21 Irving buam in his amazing say for ethics from Sinai said mome a place is also another name for Hashem good do not reject anything in scorn in this world everything that exists is within a Divine system and part of a a divine plan there's no place that's devoid of him which really fits into what we're talking about tonight that the reason why we have to show respect to everybody is because of this Muckle this Godly aspect found in every person the second level is saying that not only is there a Godly aspect in every person there's also a Godly aspect in every thing we have to treat everything in our lives with this Godly aspect and we know he continues in 16 and 17 that this was the issue with parro the low shat Lebo he didn't pay attention he didn't focus on things you know this week is Tu bishvat this enables us to look at fruits not just as fruits but when you set up that Tu bishvat table wow the different colors and smells and textures and tastes it's a day of appreciation it's a day of not taking things for granted that that's what Judaism is about like who else has a holiday for fruits you know like and we could comment on that but we do because we appreciate everything because everything in this world has purpose has value in fact the Ser say when you say the BR you should think thaton the the master of the world has put this very item for you and has literally you know you're the apple of his eyeo he has designated from when great great great grandpa Apple sea tree was being planted that this great great great grandchild Apple will come off the tree and here the Apple doesn't fall far from the tree yeah and you are going to pick up this apple and Y and you were going to eat it it's me he's designated it for you that's the way we have to look at this world there's nothing random why you ate this why you were here why you're experiencing this everything has purpose and that's what he notes I'm on the bottom of 19 where there like lines there how do we ensure that we don't treat a person in a way of uh being you know disrespectful it starts with the way you treat the domain the inanimate if you if you're going to be treating the inanimate in this type of way it's no wonder that you're going to then treat people in this type of way you have to first and foremost build your sensitivity to everything around you he says and this is fascinating he says lo You're So Dope we're talking about real honor here not those who just tip their hat and uh that's their way of uh being polite I'll just add here this has nothing to do with anything but it's an FYI there's a difference between lfish black hats and cidic black hats and I I will tell you what the difference is lfish black hats have a canich they have a uh a bend a pinch that's the word I'm looking for a pinch in the top of the Hat because they would use that to what to tip their hat okay you will think about that what the implications are I have no idea I'm just sharing this with you this is what happens when you're over tired you start telling things that have nothing to do with anything yes could use who was this I I don't want to quote I think it was a principal of my high school but I'm not positive that anytime away a garment that was ripped could use it anymore you kiss it put it in a big and say thank you for the purpose that you sered and then throw it out right so here what you're saying is just like put it in a bag thank it and then throw it out treat it with with respect that's exactly what we're talking about here this is what ruk talks about in 20 um you know you think about how many uses there are for a simple piece of wood what is not made of wood chairs to sit on a table like be able to appreciate these things garments you know what you were just mentioning and I will also add in 22 the Leah who writes it's important to return a safer to its proper place because one must be careful with cot far to respect them properly some people are careful not to lean their elbows on a safer you're learning from it you can't have the spum just what lying around there there's covered spum you use the sper you have to what treat it with treat it with respect we're going to get back to 23 so I'm leaving this paper here well there are two 23s we're doing the next 23 the Hebrew Source that's good 23 through 2 through 24 another example is the Morag they spoke against SAS Mor The Land by speaking against the land of Israel ah so what you speak lashar against the land no the land has a word has to be treated with with respect we see this in 26 in Yakov he says to Y sad when he sends him out he says go see how your your brothers are doing and how is the welfare of the sheep wow he's asking how the Sheep are how are you sheep M oh that good yeah well the little sheepish dancer but you know what say pull the wool over their eyes they they're able to respond yeah you have to look out for things that we benefit from there has to be this level of of concern and this going back to the other 23 is why we end the paraa this way because bestowing honor is the fundamental tenant of the entire Torah why do we end the the the para Madar with with uh this Mitzvah or lab of not going up the steps but rather using a ramp because it's not just about the steps and the ramp it's about respect and if you want to know what the Bedrock of Yiddish kite is it's respect it's treating all human beings with a way of respect it's treating the land with respect it's treating items with respect yeah yes it's also the way yes for sure for sure and the have if fre treating him 100% you know you can't and and I'm a little bit reticent to use this example because it is so emotionally charged but I'm going to do it anyway and I'll probably regret it you look at this week how could H how could we not get the picture of those three men coming out these are three innocent people who look like they were Holocaust Survivors that's the only way to describe it now you look at the hund or so terrorists that are terrorists that are being released and they look like they've come out of what a hotel there's something about Jews I am not commenting I'm just noting human dignity human respect and I want you to know we have to walk around with a certain amount of pride that we are part of a group of people who know what human dignity is about you wanted to add Ias he an end people in jail America today he said says it shows to me how much value you're willing to be trade to make a trade the value of every human being do you mind to get me water thank you sash I'm thank you um that's that that is is every H every Jew is is a world it's it's not just a person and you're right that that's how we feel that's exactly it what' you say how does the world not see how does the world not see this people who look like they came out from a hotel forus how does the world did she just ask how the world doesn't see this I wasn't quite sure I heard the question I I I didn't think i' heard that question now thank you very much Robin now um you know well I'm not going to I I finish the comment thank you I will make mention just because I want to be intellectually honest and then I want to bring the second level a little bit down into our lives and that is an idea we've learned before in the P Das R BL in 27 when I look at a table or anything physical a cup of water it's not the way we perceive it this looks like a cup of water to really if I had eyes to see where this cup is uh emanating from in the spiritual higher world I would know that there is a spiritual force over this cup that experiences everything and he 28 he he reiterates this he speaks about this as well in the stones of Yakov aino around his head how could Stones be arguing because stones have a what have a personality to them let me put this in English you must think I've lost it so let me just put in list somewhere in high school I think they try to teach me chemistry and they taught me that everything in this physical world has atoms electrons do you know what I'm talking about NE whatever they were yeah those are energy fields that every object has so scientifically I understand that this table is not just a table there's a lot of what movement going on in this table I don't see it I I you know we could table this discussion right now and say it's just a table right having said that what the scientists call this energy field we call a we do call it a table we call it a spiritual energy we call it a spiritual energy so when I say well these Stones don't feel it to be intellectually honest on some level they what they do feel it but we don't really understand and relate to that aspect not yet what not yet not yet right I I have gone into stores and say I am buying a towel which towel please talk to me they see that different materials have different I once read an article give off like a different frequency different material give off a different frequency listen to what this young lady is saying I don't I don't know I told the scientist once and he like rolled his eyes at me so I don't know and that wool and linen give off the highest frequency really but if you put them together they cancel each other out wow wow wow wow wow wow cancel each other out the highest wow that's very intense okay my friends what did you learn today I don't know about something about energy I want to bring this down to the world of the Practical my friends and that is again being sensitive to the physical particularly things that we benefit from back to our table and an important aspect of this in Source 30 29 and 30 we find that kazal rest stringent regarding mistreating food and this is because of the vital purpose that food serves Our Lives depend on food how much we respect food and honor it the rule is as follows the obligation of not disrespecting something depends on the purpose that it serves the more significant the purpose the more all embracing responsibility to be careful in respect that's why there is a lot of Torah on not mistreating bread because bread is the staple of our distance people are careful with crumbs right manag to eat the crumbs but definitely not to throw away not to throw away bread r p 32 ra p z lives in America he wrote this in parat so he's in a summer mode we live in America where there's an abundance of food and a serious lack of appreciation for this heavenly blessing unfortunately Bose denigration of food stuff is quite common it is sad to see how much food to way said sim said even our Yeshiva and Camp lunchroom and that's why a lot of communities have a system where if you make a Sim you have who to call after the Simka that you can deliver the left over food otherwise you can't imagine how much food is you know where you see this a lot is weddings most people do not stay for the main course did you know that statistically they eat the salmon I didn't ask you if it was nice or not this is not political commentary you're into too nice tonight and way things look you're right you're right you're right because if you're inviting somebody if if you don't want to come so write down come theot tell the person but to not say for when you're paying a 100 plus shekels ahead it it what did you say and there's too much on the pl and there's too much food on the plate okay good so you get the basic idea that there's a lot of food that is what wasted it's not so simple it's not so simple the garus principal of our school in America a holocaust Survivor the principal of your school in America was a holocaust Survivor garbage can and pick out the food and show it to the kids say this is what you're leing over and it really made an after a while wow wow to show the kids and he says this here how ironic it is that this child is quite possibly a descendant of a concentration camp Survivor whose very life in the dark days of the Holocaust depended on what a crust of Bread potato peels the gar says one is not permitted to feed an animal food fit for human conception because as rash explains his denigration of hashem's blessings who granted these foods to human we just said chab masir where we gave the birds food it's a big discussion what you feed the birds it really should be bread that you were going to allow to rot in your freezer not just good bread you have to be careful similarly the Shar criticizes thr those kernels of weat before a and a shabas to throw PE filled with Raisin nuts candy and other types of here too must be taken not to use food that'll become inedible when the flying bags split open and their contents spill out on the floor of the Shool eventually the food gets stepped on leading to the how careful we have to be so this my friends is idea number two for tonight idea number one is if the stones of the Mis have a place every Jew has the plat really every human being has a plat until you've really messed it up and we have to treat people with respect a a and that's the message that's the message for us the Torah has many gradations of sensitivities and and this is this is uh this is why it ends that way second idea we end mamar in this way because sensitivity and respect is the ABCs of of yish Kai it's not just people it starts with how we treat what things things you know you're mad at your computer okay I I get it you don't have to kick it you know and and and start you know yelling at it it that'ss you a lot of favors you know like a little bit of respect here's the third aspect for tonight notes foran Fri in Source 33 why do we end the Torah this way in the bracket person could say I'm offering on the M I'm offering on the altar so it doesn't matter how I get up there what matters is what that I'm serving God what do we call this and justify the means is about the ends justifying the means the means justifying the end and the bottom line is no it's not just about serving on the altar how do you get there as well it's process as well and that's what the Torah is teaching you you know sometimes you might be so connected to your religious fervor that you step over proper behavior let me give you an example people a man is late for m so what does he do he parks on the sidewalk I don't know if you ever seen this it's pretty common here a woman with a stroller has to go where on the street well what difference does it make I need to make Min I'll tell you it makes the different you are what cing people you know or people will triple Park I'm just going in for what a minute and I'm doing a Mitzvah going in at whose expense people have SIM till 2 in the morning and they're singing off their head and it's in a community where people want to sleep but I'm I'm doing the not at the expense of people's sleep this is again what we're talking about what jish Kai is all about and here we get now if I have sensitivity to others and I have sensitivity to objects where do we now have to go sensitivity to say it someone said it ourselves beautiful let's take a look 35 if a person doesn't have honor it's not the problem whether the other person feels or knows you as a human being have to be somebody who's wired with this level of sensitivity you have to be somebody who understands that you are created in the image of God and this has to inform all the decisions that you make let's put this in English you could respect others you could respect objects but you have zero what self-respect the bottom line is where does the respect for others come from where does the respect for objects come from it has to start with yourself it has to start with yourself again we view others through the lens of our own experience if you have an exalted inner part you see greatness in everything around you and if you look at yourself in a small diminish way you see that smallness and diminishment in others around you and this is how Y salant in Source 40 explains our when you find fault in others you're really finding fault in yourself right you point one finger at another you're pointing three at yourself we all know this idea and that's the idea of don't allow your nakedness to be shown on the altar what is this about the Torah is hinting to us as a following when you act in a way of disdain toward the objects and toward people that is revealing your own nakedness that's revealing your own loneliness that's revealing your own true character note that the way you treat others is really a reflection of what type of person you are we what' you say reting you're projecting yourself 100% and where we have to start is to walk around saying I am created in the image of God and therefore that must make me a person of greatness and I have to look at the world from that perspective I want to end with a piece fromel in step by step on bu in 42 re om rebi said which is the right course the man should choose for himself that which is honor to him who does it and which also brings honor for mankind you will know that rebi gives priority to the honor that aows from man's deeds and action as a reflection upon himself though no one may be aware of this deed is far more important than a man be true to himself and sincere in his every action we do not belittle the importance of conducting our lives so may bring honor and steem from others what we must understand however is the ex external honor is secondary to the effects of our Behavior upon ourself and he said something very powerful here as we observe and reflect upon the standards of Jewish life today we come to realization that far often we model and pattern our lives and this is in the spirit of yit rather than of Shame we're not going to go down that alley we are far more concerned with the effect that our actions will have upon others than the effect that will have upon our own character and personality we do so many things for the sake of appearance and show even when we perform Deeds that can be characterized as stucka as mitel like stuck up we far too often formulate and effectuate our activities in the these areas with an eyee to public opinion and the Accolade of the populace and let's listen to this final line because this is the key we concentrate on form rather than on content veneer and facade are seemingly more important than substance the Torah telling you how you have to walk up the Mis is telling us how we have to approach the service of God the service of God has to be approached first and foremost with each and every one of us knowing who we are knowing what we're capable of knowing our greatness and that is very much in a world of sne a world of innerness a world of um of substance that I I I know and I'm connected to who and what I am when a person is able to walk up to the altar in that way way then they're able to look at the stones in the altar in a different way and then when they walk away from the altar obviously metaphorically they're able to look at every single person they come in contact with in a different way and that's what the Torah is all about that's what par of yro and Thea dibro is about yish kite is not you know people think yish K is dos and don'ts it has dos and don'ts but you know what judish Kate is all about it's about sensitivity it's about honor it's about respect and where that refining respect has to start as we have to walk around tall and and prideful and that leads us back into T bishvat where the Pim says rebi of gur that one of the characteristics of a tree is that it stands tall one of the characteristics that we have to have is the sense of pred in ourselves and I'll end with the following vort and we'll call it a night where he says the rebi of Gore says that in this week's paraa we have the medis that all the mountains were arguing who was going to get the Torah right har right different mountains and Hari was chosen we learned this say three year-olds who still remember because it was the most what humble of mountains so ask the Reby of G if you want to teach us humility do me a favor don't give the tah on a mountain give it in a valley why give it on a mountain you want to teach me humility give it in a valley and the answer is it's no C to be humble in a valley but to be a mountain and to be humble that's greatness that's our calling be a mountain be a tree be great but with that sensitivity and awareness of who you are what you are and who everyone around you is and what they're capable of