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Part 132: Pursue Holiness and You Will Find Happiness
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good morning Boer to it's great to see
everyone I'm glad to see that we're
growing we'll have to figure out uh what
we're gonna have to do with space
microphone now can't hear no I can hear
you but I don't want you to oh no no I'm
good thank you so much my other
mother I appreciate it um if you've not
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she's happy to sign you up members of
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non-members of BRS who enjoy our
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people happens to be the bonuses in the
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but so help Linda help Linda earn her
world to come okay I want to thank our
sponsors for the amuna series for the
year Dr AI and Bella Morgan thank you so
much for your generosity they sponsored
the amuna sheer in memory of somebody
who was the embodiment of amuna Rabbi Dr
Brian
galet should continue to have an Aliyah
this morning's class in particular as
well sponsored by Joshua and Amanda
pransky and contined thanks to Hashem
for saving them several years ago in a
terrible car crash 10 years ago we're
grateful that they are well and healthy
and alive and wish them many many more
years in good health okay we are still
inas the safer of
R and essentially if you haven't caught
on yet whether you're here in person or
you listen online we basically say the
same thing every single week and uh we I
say it for me because every week in
between the weeks that we learn I forget
and it's hard to remember and we
confront in our lives all kinds of
challenges situations conflicts
struggles anxieties and if we don't work
out then we're not strong and prepared
for when we need to tap into that
Reservoir or bank account or engage
those muscles of amuna to be able to
withstand so we just find other D Torah
new stories to essentially say the same
thing every week I'm only sharing that
because I want you to know I know that
too you're not on to me I know it also
okay so R has been talking
abouta the relationship between y living
a life of awe or we would translate as
fear fear has two levels fear of
punishment and we've talked about with
our children we don't want them to be
obedient because they're afraid of the
punishment we want them to walk in our
ways because they admire and they're in
awe and they would never want to
disappoint or let us down and the same
is true in our relationship with Hashem
we should be doing all the right things
the moral things the ethical things the
correct things the righteous things not
because we're afraid I'll lose the job
or it won't work out or it's not going
to happen or I won't get the nas or I'm
going to get a bed Health Report it's
not because of fear of punishment it's
not external it's internal it's because
we have such an awareness and all of
Hashem we would never want to let him
down we'd never want to disappoint him
it doesn't matter what age you are you
don't want to disappoint your parents
you could be 80 and your parents are 105
and at 80 years old you're still uh
you're still wanting to give you're
still a child you're still a kid nothing
is as satisfying as giving your parents
pride and some sometimes it's very
painful to feel that you've disappointed
your parents you've violated their
dreams their hopes their wishes their
aspirations for you and so a Our Father
in heaven doesn't want us to follow his
ways because we're afraid lightning will
strike he wants us to have a
relationship with him out of admiration
awe and respect so R has been developing
this notion of the relationship between
Y and amuna it's not if I believe in God
then I will have awe of him it's if I
have awareness and awe of him then I
will develop an amuna in him and that
was what we read every single day in
our they saw the outstretched
hand so when you live your life and you
look around and you say wow that same
word y means fear or awe and also means
to see you're only going to have awe
when you bother stopping looking up and
to see this week's para mosha is
recruited by the almighty to be the
quintessential paradig atic leader of
the Jewish people in perpetuity that's
his name Moshe rabenu forever he demures
he hesitates he doesn't want it and God
convinces him later he holds him
accountable for the fact that he had to
negotiate but where did God appear out
of a SN a bush which
was it was on fire but it wasn't being
consumed you know they like to say where
do you see the notion of a grandchild in
the Torah
we say in a grandchild's an anle where
do you see the word anle in the Torah
the it was not being
consumed on fire if a person merits
three generations if a person merits to
be able to transmit values and ideals in
a LIF to a third lifestyle to a third
generation AAL it'll never be consumed
it'll never be extinguished it'll never
be burnt out that is the notion of a
grand
child so you have this bush it's on fire
but it's not being consumed it is the
symbol of Jewish leadership that our
mission is to be on fire and never burn
out not easy there all kinds of Rabbi
and rebbit and conferences how to avoid
burnout you people don't make it easy
it's not easy not you people not you
you're wonderful not you the people who
don't show up to the
Amun so that's the mission of this the
symbol of this Bush it's on fire it's
not being consumed you have to be on
fire and passionate inspired and never
allow yourself to burn out never be
burnt out so sees everybody else is
walking by and mosha stops and sees this
very unusual phenomena it is violating
the rules of nature there's something
extraordinary going on and everybody
else walks right by it and one person
stops to take a closer look and Hashem
says he's my man k o Hashem says you
know why I've recruited you why I'm
choosing you Kar Rose you stopped and
you turned to see everyone else kept
walking and the image I have is of
thousands of people there's this
incredible phenomena happening and
everyone is walking by texting looking
down scrolling Snapchatting Facebooking
checking the news and the stocks and the
sports scores and everyone is looking
down so they're walking right by this
incredible Miracle going on before their
eyes and mosh raenu is the one person
who's in the moment he's mindful he's
present he's year he's looking and he's
seeing and when you look and when you
see this world you realize there's
awesomeness there's God everywhere he's
everywhere he appears everywhere and
Hashem tells him you stopped in order to
look and that's why you are my man
that's why you're my leader it's not
your righteousness it's not your
Brilliance it's not your Genius it's not
your character it's the fact that you
live a life of awareness of mindfulness
of presence you're look looking and
you're living and you're seeing me
everywhere you're my man I want a
relationship with you the Kut says that
that's our mission is to live a life
where our eyes are open and our ears are
perked up and our antenna is extended
and in every day we're living our life
saying Hashem where are you bless you
where are you where are you kater says
we say this in our kadha I love this
kort we say in Kad
and the ker says not don't read it a
where is the place of your glory but a
when a person is asking where are you
they have found Mako you have discovered
God asking where are you is how you find
him that's where he's found he's found
in the search in the question he's found
in your eyes being open and you're
looking and the awareness and that's why
the same
word the same word to see to be seen and
to live with awe and fear because if you
live life looking down at your
smartphone if you live life as a
narcissist narcissist self-centered
egotistical person only looking in
yourself then you're missing everything
going on around you I remember several
years ago five six seven years ago is he
a famous musician Josh Bell Joshua Bell
is that his name so so they did an
experiment where he went and he played
in a Subway and they wanted to see how
many people would stop you know what it
cost to pay a ticket to go here Josh
jhua Bell and Carnegie Hall what it cost
what you'd have to pay so they said let
him play for free sitting on the ground
in a subway station in Manhattan and you
know like 90 plus% of the people walked
right by walked right by because they
were running somewhere doing something
engrossed in a conversation had the
headphones on we're looking down at the
phone and it's similar to mosu and the
snav deal there are extraordinary
talents and art and people and things
and they're going on all around us an
amazing animal a little critter walking
a beautiful flower a magnificent moment
of nature a beautiful person that you
can just capture a really an older
person with a young person engaged there
are moments that if you'd look you'd be
filled with a sense of awe but we're so
distracted and we're so busy we don't
even see it and that's why the formula
the order
is first you have to look and see God's
outstretched hand it's all around us God
has an outstretched hand every time an
Iron Dome blows up a missile headed
towards Israel
that's it's a miracle it's a
miracle and then you have to look at
that phenomena and say in that what do
you see you see a lizard you see a
coincidence you see chance you see the
grand cany of Swiss Alps you know what I
see I see the rebon shal I see the
Almighty we just had the da two days ago
started the new cycle of d the the
first says don't read
it but read
it not there's no Rock like God a God is
our Rock he is our foundation he's whom
we rely on WE lean on we can count on
he's our
Rock but don't read it
say they
say the word means there is no greater
artist in the world we had the great
Merit and the great privilege a couple
years ago we were at n Glacier National
Park in Montana and last year we were at
the Swiss Alps and please God this
coming summer please join us rustic
gance a great tour where are we going
Yellowstone National Park and when you
look you could either say ah some rocks
and waterfalls and some interesting
animals or you could look and you could
say you know what I see you the tour
guide you see rocks that date back to
this era and you see coyotes and bears
and you see a waterfall you know what I
see
Theon I see the I see the
almighty and if I share with you
pictures I want you to know there is no
artist who can create or recreate
certainly on that scale and that
magnitude there is no artist so it's a
Mitzvah go see those places and see
not go see the sashem the Mish says
anyone who interrupts their learning to
see nature is liable for their life so
yeah what's the justif one of the sh I
gave that's how I get to go on these
trips one of the sh I gave I spoke about
many commentaries on that mishna what do
you mean if you interrupt your learning
A person who's walking in their learning
in Torah and they interrupt the learning
to stop and notice look at that
beautiful phenomenon such a person it's
a capital crime you're liable for your
life and the commentaries say well how
do we do that then how do I go on the
tour how do I go on that group and the
commentary says something so beautiful
you know when you're liable for your
life
when observing the nature is an
interruption to your learning but if
it's a continuation of your learning if
when you see that natural phenomena and
you see that miracle and the
extraordinary event person place thing
you say there's the Reon sh look at that
artist look what he can create look at
the magnificence the beauty then you
haven't interrupted your learning at all
you've just continued it with a
different vocabulary in a different way
and that's where you find Hashem so says
RBA it's not that well if I had amuna
then I'd see Hashem everywhere if I
start seeing Hashem everywhere you know
what it'll lead to amuna so if I start
seeing Hashem everywhere then even when
I need him because I'm feeling a
challenge this friction and a
relationship in my life there's a Health
crisis there's a financial worry there's
a problem I'm encountering there's
anxiety I have about a future event if
I've worked on seeing Hashem everywhere
then I'm also going to find him when I
need him so if I saw him in Glacier
National Park in the Swiss apps and at
Yellowstone I'm going to find him at the
red light or the delayed flight or in
the doctor's office I'm going to find
him in the boardroom or in the courtroom
or the operating room if I look to see
him everywhere he's going to pop up and
he's going to be present without effort
because that's how I've trained myself
it's the new habit I formed so the
formula is live with a not with e but
with wow see hasem everywhere feel his
presence be impressed take a moment and
realize that is incredible what just
happened I'm going to tell you a great
amuna story I think on chabas from a
member who just told me a great amuna
story I'll tell you another great amuna
story right now but reserving the right
to repeat it in another context like a
like a Shear like a
drasa we had over somebody a couple
months
ago who told us she bought a cell phone
at a heish cell phone store in other
words that resells cell phones and
resells a phone number or whatever the
system is probably buy airline miles
there too some potato C and some pcha on
the side
so she got someone's phone number and it
was very annoying for several months or
even longer she would regularly get
texts of people looking for the previous
owner of that number and she said she
was added to countless family WhatsApp
groups as that person and she would
always have to leave these WhatsApp
groups and it was so aggravating she
saved a few dollars by buying the phone
and paying for the service in this way
and it was worth it but it was
aggravating kept getting gred to groups
and having to remove herself from groups
and it was very frustrating one day she
gets a text from a buddy of the previous
owner of the phone who says
heyim um I'm looking to hire some sales
people for you know my job do you know
anybody good I need someone so she
writes back I'm not Kim I bought his
phone number I get this all the time God
bless you and he writes back stop
pulling my leg I know it's you look I
really need to hire somebody this is the
you you know my business I'm thank God
doing well I need sales people are you
available so she writes back I'm not I
live in Florida I bought the number and
you know thank you but it's just delete
the number it's not him anymore he says
one second you live in Florida I'm also
looking for salese in Florida now she is
out of work and very much in need of a
livelihood and income and has been
looking very hard to find a job a parasa
and she says tell me about the job he
tells her about the job she says I'd be
interested he says actually I'm texting
you from the free Wi-Fi on JetBlue I'm
on my way to Florida right now are you
available this afternoon to meet me for
an interview for the job meets him it's
now several months later I saw her
recently I said because I need the story
to work out I said did the job work out
she says the job not only worked out
it's do he's doing great I'm doing great
it's working beautifully if only he were
single and they got married the whole
story would have really would have
really come together but so again you
could say wow what a coinci and she got
the number of the friend of the guy and
he needed a salesperson and he kept
pressing and she said leave me alone I'm
in Florida she didn't have to say I'm in
Florida wow it's like the Milla sester
wow what a string of coincidences or you
could look at the story with Y open your
eyes you're looking everywhere for a job
you've done your hasas locally you've
networked you've put your resume out
you've done all of your effort in your
initiative locally and Hashem sent you
literally from 30,000 ft up Hashem sound
sent you the
answer literally sent to your phone the
answer you did your ASAS I know she
daved like crazy for it and he sent to
the answer it's an incredible incredible
story but you have to read the story
correctly you have to see Hashem pulling
the strings from above the 30,000 feet
even okay so let's get into the text
Page
Hashem has given us a general outline
about how to attach to him a general
perspective or
approach told us you know what our
mission our mandate
is we are to live lives of righteousness
and virtue and
Holiness because God says I am Holy now
I can speak for the next five hours I
won't about what is the Jewish
definition of holy kadosh kadosh kadosh
what is Holy Holy Holy what is Holiness
holy is not a Jewish word we have done a
disservice by having adopted Christian
terminology into our vernacular into our
vocabulary into our glossery sin if
you've been with me long enough to
know sin is not a Jewish word a is not a
sin it's a missed opportunity and holy
is not a Jewish word holy is goes with a
cross and it's on a hospital I don't
know what the word holy is what does the
word holy mean what is Kos to you Kad so
rash
the and it
means we're not going to get into all
the definitions but what kadha means is
that you're striving and you're reaching
for something bigger and better and more
kadha is when you're not giving into the
animal impulse and Instinct that animal
drive that says eat like an animal live
like a pig give into your urge your
appetite your Temptation that's what an
animal does the animal wants something
and it takes it it doesn't ask who does
it belong to should I have it the animal
doesn't First Take The Girl out for
drinks or for dinner develop a
relationship check the resume of the
other animal Theus how you know where
the animal went to Seminary and who the
uncles and brothers are the animal wants
something and the animal does what the
animal does and the animal does it in
public and the animal does it with No
Boundaries no sense of modesty because
the animal had an Impulse the animal had
an urge the animal had an appetite and
the animal fed it and gave in and we
have a NE we have aam we have that
animal Instinct in every one of us the
yid the Jew is made up of three Souls
the animal Soul The Godly soul and the
the intellectual Soul the three so the
animal Soul the animal impulse us says
just do what you want you have juicy
gossip tell your friend it's a great
commodity to trade in juicy gossip and
it feels good that you were the one with
that inside information so just give the
gossip you're not supposed to look at or
say or go or do that thing but you want
to whether it's eating the cheesecake or
whether it's looking at the
inappropriate image or whether it's
sharing the gossip or whether it's
cutting the corner in business or
whether it's being harsh and cruel of
another whatever the area arena we have
this animal drive inside of us and the
animal Drive says just do it just give
in and The Godly Soul says whoa whoa
whoa whoa whoa you're godly you have a
piece of me in you and you know what it
means to be Godly you're disciplined
you have discipline you have
self-control you can regulate your
behavior you don't have to eat that you
don't have to go there you don't have to
watch that you don't have to say that
you don't have to do that you don't have
to feel that you're in control and says
God how do I know you're in control
because I'm in you you're an extension
of me you are an embodiment you're an
expression of me and God says I'm
defined by discipline and control that
is godliness so kadha is we achieve a
level of kadha of Holiness and sanctity
and righteousness and virtue when we say
my wardrobe won't be defined by what the
secular world or pop culture is telling
me is in the tightness the length the
sleeve you know from men what I'm
looking at what is okay or moral to look
at or watch or behave it's not going to
be defined by some world that is
influenced by the Naish baham who the
animal impulse is calling all the shots
I live in another plane I live in
another level I live in a world of of
Godly Souls where I am striving and
reaching for something so much more
something Holier something higher for
kadha that's our mission that's our
mandate Kos God says be the embodiment
of righteousness in an immoral corrupt
world who by the way what does the world
look like when everyone's just able to
give into their appetite it's like Stone
Val Mish I would think that if we're
living in this world of sexual
Revolution and fre freedom and gender
fluidity and self-identity fluidity and
everyone can have and do whatever they
want and here are the only two criteria
that matter does it make you happy and
does it harm someone else those are the
two criteria in 2020 in the United
States of America and the Western world
as long as it makes you happy and it
doesn't hurt anyone else okay everything
is game do whatever you want dress how
you want behave how you want do whatever
you want public private as long as it
meets those two criteria it makes you
happy and it doesn't harm anybody so I
would think wow if we create a society
like that where everyone gets to do what
they want and as long as it makes them
happy and nobody's hurting anyone else
okay now I'm going to measure happiness
pleasure Health well-being mentally
physically emotionally spiritually and
what would you expect to find off the
charts of Happiness of health of
Wellness of stability of function and
you know what you find the opposite
there's more mental health challenges
there's more physical health challenges
there are fewer relation ships that are
lasting divorce and breakup and
infidelity it's all happening more than
ever so how do you understand that
Judaism understands it very well because
if you have the choice of trying to
figure out on your own how to get
happiness or reading the owner's manual
that the manufacturer gave you that says
here's how to use it to get the most out
of it which one is going to bring you
the greatest function satisfaction out
of that complex entity that you're
trying to realiz the almighty gave us
the manual he says I designed you I
built you I've programmed you and here's
the manual follow it and you're are
going to live to your fittest to your
finest to your best ignore it and try to
figure it out on your own and good luck
you're going to break things left and
right and not only are you not going to
utilize it to its fullest you're
actually going to end up compromising it
and that's what we see in the world
around us whatever you define as that
which will bring happiness there are
countless people who achieved that and
they're still so unhappy is it money
it's a lot of rich people grossly
unhappy is it power is it Fame is it
notoriety is it being an influencer how
many athletes and celebrities and famous
people and wealthy people are numbing
themselves through all kinds of
substances and practices because they've
reached the top of that mountain that
they thought would be filled with
happiness and you know what they got
there and they're just as unhappy maybe
even more unhappy than ever and so what
do you do when that happens you have no
choice but to numb yourself so our
sacred Torah kadosha says and I love
this quote that comes from David Brooks
in his book not his most recent one
about the mountains the one before that
he has a great expression a great
chapter and he the one before that and
he says we live for Holiness not for
happiness Jews live for Holiness not
happiness that's what the Torah kadosha
teaches us while the rest of the world
is trying to find happiness
you notice what America promises us as
loyal citizens is the pursuit of
happiness you know why you're pursuing
it because it's running away from you
you only have to chase something which
is elusive something that runs away
something which is fleeting something
which is hard to catch so you have to
run after it it's the pursuit of it
doesn't say you have the right to be
happy it says you have the right to
pursue it you'll never get it and here's
the thing the more you chase it the less
likely you are to have it and the less
you're concerned with being happy the
happier you'll be it's
paradoxical it's ironic the more you're
focused and obsessed with being happy
the less happy you are and the less you
think about and you concern yourself
with your happiness but you're focused
on Holiness the more happy you're going
to be in the end so it's a perfect kados
to you David Brooks didn't invent it he
just found the right vocabulary for it
kados God says be holy because I am Holy
in other words if you want to tap into
what's going to make you feel the most
alive the most fulfilled the most
gratified and satisfied then it means
you're tapping into the godliness in you
and you know how you reach that
godliness you know how you make contact
with the godliness in you by being like
me says God I'm holy be holy and what
does it mean to be holy to transcend to
rise above to control that animal Voice
or Instinct and to reach for something
more stop being focused on happiness and
start being focused on holiness
okay so if we want to attach ourselves
to God if we want to feel his presence
in our life then we have to be living of
lives of of
Holiness we have to try to transcend
even that which is permissible in this
world we don't believe in living
aesthetic aesthetic lives we are not
living lives removed from the physical
world Judaism tells us the opposite it's
why I love our religion so much for
example in Christianity to to be holy
you have to fast and take a vow of
abstinence and take a vow not to speak
the more you escape this physical world
that's how you get to be holy and the
Jew says no that's how not not how you
find Holiness you know how you find
Holiness by taking the physical world
not diving in head first not immersing
ourselves in it fully but by taking from
it and separating it so Judaism says eat
is there a religion that has more of an
emphasis on enjoying food is there a
people is there a people who loves food
more than the Jewish people God says
esine Kinder eat enjoy make sure it's
kosher make a before and after share
what you have with others
like and and
truma God says I want you to enjoy eat I
created you and you know
why I want you to have the greatest on
the greatest pleasure in the world the
pleasure you will have doesn't come from
happiness the pleasure you will have
comes from Holiness you know what's even
better than having is sharing the joy
the satisfaction the meaning when you
give something when you share what you
have with someone else the s that it
brings and the studies that have all
shown that they give $10 and drop
someone at a mall they say to one group
buy something for yourself and they tell
the other group buy something for
someone else and they've measured before
and afterwards all kinds of criteria and
variables of health and wellness and
they find that the people who buy
something for others end up measuring
more than the people who buy something
for themselves so when you share what
you have with others that's what leads
to more pleasure and greater
happiness that's why so God says enjoy
the food enjoy the triol filter fish and
14 salads and seven side dishes and four
meats and nine desserts enjoy it all
enjoy it all but it has to be kosher and
it should be in theory healthy and eat
the right portions and share it with
others and have others at your table
enjoy food and enjoy my world go see the
Grand Canyon and the Swiss Alps and
enjoy intimacy it's in the Cuba it is a
marital not right it's an obligation
romance and intimacy and physical
pleasure is is not only permissible in
Judaism it is a responsibility it's an
obligation God says enjoy it but with
the right person in the right context at
the right time in the right modesty
filled with the right love you see when
you take the physical world and you
elevate it and you transform it that is
Holiness but when you take the physical
world and you dive into it and you
engage it like an animal that is the
ultimate of the mundane the profane and
the secular so where do you find God by
living a holy life and what does it mean
to live a holy Life by enriching and
elevating and transforming everything
that we
engage God says I am entirely spiritual
I'm transcended
you can't put God in a box you can't
point to him smell him touch him feel
him God is Not physical at all so when
we Engage The non-physical side of
ourselves when we promote the
non-physical side of ourselves the
spirit within us then we are making
contact with the Divine we're making
contact with the Divine it's how we can
have a license to operate in this world
enjoy the physical world but enjoy it as
a spiritual being as we've say countless
countless countless times it's not that
you are a body and you have a soul we
are a soul and we happen to have a body
and the body is the vehicle instrument
through which we engage the world but we
should never confuse who is our core
what we are at our Essence we are a soul
we are a sha we are a sha it's a great
question I start asking people instead
of you know RAV gold was here recently
he encouraged us to ask what's the good
news which is a great question but most
people ask each other some meaningless
greeting how's it going what's happening
what's new I ask how's your
Nish how's your people stop and they
have to think what is it how's your
Nish I don't know do I have a Nish where
is it how do I measure it how do I tell
you how it's doing I don't know have we
ever asked our children our spouse have
we spent a moment of hodus to be alone
and to evaluate how's my soul I know how
my body is because I got my Manny Petty
and I got my and I got my massage and I
recently upgraded my wardrobe and I got
the new lease of my car and I'm eating
like a king and I'm working out four
times a week and I could tell you
everything about my body my blood
pressure my cholesterol I could tell you
what my glucose level is I could tell
you everything about my body everything
about my body I go for my physical and I
take my get on the scale every day and I
know my weight I could tell you
everything about my body good bad and
ugly but how's my soul how do you
measure how's your soul where do you
find the answer to that question
how do you understand the wellness of
your soul have you ever stopped to think
about have we challenged the people
around us do we have that conversation
with children and grandchildren that
says you know physically everything
looks great and I'm so proud of how
you're caring for your body but let's
talk about your soul what are you doing
to nourish your soul because the same
elements that take care of the body you
need for the soul it needs to be
nourished it needs nutrition it needs to
work out the soul it needs enough rest
the soul needs the same elements as the
body so we all know about the body what
we're putting in and the time we spend
and how we measure but how's your soul
how's the N because the real happiness
comes from when your soul is on fire
when your soul is healthy and well when
you're nurturing your soul that's when
you're alive that's when we're alive why
because that's how we get the closest to
making contact with the Divine that's
when we're experiencing godliness in hem
says you want to connect with me you
want to feel my presence here's how you
make contact with me do my Mitzvah
Mitzvah means it means a connection a
bond when you do a Mitzvah you are
connecting with God you're connecting
with
God somebody I was recently at an event
and somebody said to
me I was at a I was at a vort I was at a
couple and someone from uh Miami was
there who I know it was grandfather
recently passed away so he gave me a
cigar from his grandfather and he said
this came from my grandfather and when
you smoke it I want you to say my
grandfather's name this was from his
yador my grandfather loves cigars and
Rabbi I know you would never touch them
but in case you would here's
one and uh how do you think I how do you
think I stay looking so young
so so in other words what was he saying
to me and this is a terrible example but
it just came to what was he saying to me
my grandfather loves cigars and if you
smoke this cigar his cigar you will
connect to to my grandfather it'll be
meaningful to me because you'll be
creating a connection something you have
in common something he enjoyed something
was his hobby something he did and when
you do it you'll be connecting to
him says I enjoy a b and c these are my
values there my ideals when you do the
Mitzvah you're connecting to me we have
something in common we're doing
something that we care about together
the mitvah is the means through which we
connect with
him sh but you could do a Mitzvah in one
of two ways a Mitzvah can be an empty
act a gesture it's G be a checklist let
the candles done made the BR done David
done gave sta done blew the chauffer
done shook the Lula done heard the Milla
done let the Kan candles done done done
done done God it's the end of the year
I'd like to submit my form there's a
check next to everything on it done done
done done done God says it's nice you
did all that I I didn't feel that I was
there at any one of those acts I don't
remember you're connecting with me in
any one of those moments checklist
checklist checklist checklist it's like
you get back your car after the oil
change they said yeah we filled the
window washer fluid and the brake fluid
and we uh also CH change the oil check
check check check but you're not looking
for a relationship with the mechanic so
you don't need him to be thinking about
you or connecting with you when he's
doing those things because all you care
about is the functionality of the car
and if he takes care to make sure that
the car has the maintenance on it you're
good to go but hashem's relationship
with us he doesn't ask us to do all
those things in our life because he just
wants us to be functional he does it
because he wants us to have that
relationship he wants us to have that
relationship there's a story with the GB
who had a who was going to Europe on a
business trip to another part of Europe
and so he came to the rebba was the to
say goodbye before he went on the trip
so the rebba said to him you're going to
Paris you you know there's a brand of
cigar it's not a theme but this happens
to be a true story there's a brand of
cigar which is uh very exclusive which
I've heard is amazing and when you go to
Paris if you could pick me up a case of
the cigar if you could pick me up I
would be very appreciative please get
the cigar so the business the goes the
businessman goes on his business trip
and he goes City to City to City he's
doing business and he's in Paris and he
has his several meetings and he and he
leaves Paris and he forgot to get the
cigars so he comes back and he buys the
duty free I'm making up uh buys the
rebba some great single Mal scotch and
he comes to the rebba when he comes back
to check in get a he's back from the
rebba with the Reba and he says rebba my
business trip and it went well was
successful I forgot to get the cigars
but I got this other gift and the rebba
looks at him and says don't you
understand it wasn't the cigars that I
wanted I don't care about cigars I
wanted you to remember even while you
were on this trip that you have a rebba
yeah throughout the trip I wanted you to
remember that you have a Reb and that he
has expectations of you and that you
strive for holiness it was never about
the cigars it was so that throughout the
trip you would remember you have a rebi
so says you know what the mitzah are
four the Mitzvah enhance your life every
Mitzvah has a reason and a Tom and a
sweetness and a flavor but Hashem says
throughout your day I want you to
remember I'm here make a 100 bras during
the day enjoy that great coffee make the
braa remember who invented the Coffee
Bean remember how it got to you enjoy
the aroma and the flavor and the
caffeine burst and remember we're at all
who designed find it where it all came
from so I'm inviting you throughout the
day to remember I'm here says Hashem the
Mitzvah is not an empty gesture act it's
not like the maintenance on your car
it's in order to have a relationship
remember I'm here we'll pick up with
this next time but I want to tell you
one in Closing one last of our Torah I
said it yesterday at the par but it
Bears repeating because I really really
love this V so I'm going to repeat it
here says the following very
quickly the M says
in never say you know when I have time
that's when I'll grow religiously right
now I'm trying to raise young children
right now I'm still working right now
I'm at a stage I'm going to 400 doctors
a day and six rehabs a day right now I'm
busy busy busy stress stressed stressed
overwhelmed overwhelmed overwhelmed ah
no time for you right now God but I
promise you're on my calendar for
2045 I promise when I retire and when I
have time and when the grandchildren
leave leave their visit and when the
doctor subsides and when I conclude the
rehab and when the kids grow up and
graduate then I'll start then I'll start
then I'll go to classes then I'll really
work on
myself I'll do it all then says the
mishna never say that why because first
of all you never know if you'll get to
that point in life and tragically we
know that all too well never ever wait
because you never know you have to live
each day to its fullest so says
the that's theat when Hashem sees Moshe
at the burning bush and he says take
your shoes off and what does the POS
say the grand the Earth that you're
standing
on this is Holy
Ground says read it
differently the place you are in life
it's kesu wherever you are in life at
whatever stage and whatever is happening
around you and however many
responsibilities and however long your
to-do list and however many reasons and
excuses for you not to be able to no KES
you can find K in
every love are you home are you on a
business trip are you on vacation are
you retired are you working hard are
your children young are they grown up
are you single and waiting for children
whatever stage you are in
life whatever mum you're in in life KES
it has the potential for Holiness stop
chasing happiness and you will find AEM
Holiness everyone have a wonderful
wonderful day