Part 4

okay good morning everybody everyone have a copy yeah okay our weekly uh dose of amuna again the premise of our getting together on Wednesday mornings is not that we're necessarily Conquering the philosophical dilemas and challenges of Faith but by simply talking about faith amuna is like a muscle if you exercise it it grows and if you don't an atrophies and it dies and hopefully by talking about it on Wednesdays it carries throughout the week so let's get to We were supposed to get to this piece last week we never even started it let's go right to the text because if I start talking then we won't get to it again this comes from Al again RI was the mash of known as the great spiritual guide of the Jewish people um is a fascinating life story himself was a very sophisticated individual with a a advanced secular degrees and from a very open background himself about chuva and emerged a a true leader in the area of Torah but particularly in the area of muser and character growth and there's two volumes there's numerous volumes that have come out of his teachings but two volumes he published in his lifetime that represented his groups what they called the vadin when a group got together to work on something a muser vad and each week they would get together they would work on a certain character trait study it work on it and come back the next week talk about how it went so uh so his two volumes are called Al Shore so this is from the first volume he has a number of chapters on amuna we studied one of them and this is the chapter on how to educate towards if we approach the issue to understand how can we educate how do we habituate ourselves towards living a life of Faith till we see hm in our lives the r can be our guide the r writes in his commentary on the mishna his earliest writings with the ram completed when was a very young man the ra his commentary on the mishna on writes the following right the didn't write that that's the actual in the says that there are three character traits three behaviors which remove a person from the world and what are they if we are consumed by jealousy if we are consumed by Tava TAA which is lust do desire Temptation and the third is covo is honor a person whose life has those three attributes a person who is consumed or distracted or driven by jealousy by Temptation and by Honor removes himself from the world before we even see the Ram's comment I'll just tell you a beautiful Insight of the SL rebi because it really is appropo the parus that we're reading he says if you it's not a coincidence if you look at the history of the world what happens post Garden of Eden once ad and are expelled from the garden what are the first three stories we have of of man generic man talking to a group of women what is the first three stories that we have murder post Garden right the first story we have is that of Cen and heur what happens with Ken and he jealousy and murder they each offer a sacrifice Heil is accepted C's is rejected Ken is swells consumed by a sense of jealous it's not right my My Sacrifice is just as good it's just as sincere he's just as creative why is his accepted and mind's not and what happens what's the result of that jealousy it results in the very first Act of murder the very first Act of murder it's actually interesting the commentaries discussed how did cayen know that you weren't allowed of murder why is he held accountable for murdering his brother nowhere did God say to him you're not allowed to murder and our commentar is understand that there are certain behaviors that you should Intuit it you don't need to be told it's it's something which is rational there's a social contract one should Intuit it the fact that you don't extinguish another life so K is held accountable and this first precedent Act of murder is the result of a sense of Jealousy what happens next what happens next next story in the Torah not a trick question k k the next story in the Torah is the flood and why did God bring a flood that wipes out the world he presses a reboot on the system of the world why a hard restart why what were the people behaving how are they behaving what was guiding them what was driving them a sense of TAA lost they were not respecting boundaries they weren't respecting Financial boundaries they were stealing in fact we know what was the behavior it was called the world was filled withas Kamas which is not a coincidence we have to believe hamas's Anarchy chaos a disregard for boundaries for appropriateness for ethics for morals people were stealing from one another they were raping each other's wives there was no respect for boundaries the Temptation the desire overcame moral boundaries and what's the result God says no that's this is not not why I created the world reboot and then the next story in the Torah the people say why is everybody worshiping this guut we can build a we could just Jus asy we could pierce the heavens shame we'll make a name for ourselves we can be up there and what does God say no you can't come close to me I'm going to disperse you United Nations it's a great punishment for all mankind I'm going to disperse you I'm going to give you separate languages I'm going to create distinct Nations I'm going to disperse and spread you it's a remarkable thing isn't it that our Torah unlike many many religions does not begin with stories of greatness of man and worship of God and Perfection of prophets yeah Torah begins with these terribly disheartening stories Ken kills he they have to wipe out God has to wipe out the world because of desire and then they want to make a name for themselves and God has to disperse them what are the three character traits how did our rabbis know to come in peros and say that there are three things that remove you from the world K and how' they know that they opened the all they did is study the para and they see the very first three stories in the Torah are C and H is a story of jealousy the generation of the flood is a story of lust and Temptation T and the story of the Tower of B is a story of COV of wanting to earn a name all three ended very badly so the rabbis understood that these things undermine life now what does it mean that it removes you from the world what does it mean the world disconnects you from God so one interpretation is it disconnects you from God you're disconnected from your creator there's not enough room in this world if you have jealousy or lust or seek honor there's not enough room for you and God what else could it mean removes you from the world yeah maybe uh disconnects you from other people good so it means it disconnects you from other people you can't have real relationship ship if you're jealous nobody wants to be around somebody who's constantly jealous and envious you don't want to be around because that person is judging you and looking at you and they're jealous of you and they're challenging you you can't have relationships you're filled with temptation if you are overwhelmed by desire you want what I had how could we have a relationship and if you seek honor all you care about is your name you're arrogant you have an inflated ego so you're removed from the world you're operating you think you're in the world but you're in a parallel universe to everybody else you're in World your world and everybody else is in their world trying to get away from you so it removes you from the world if you want to beos if you want to be pleasantly intermingled with people you want to have a a wonderful social life so you have to work on the antithesis of these three qualities you can't have jealousy lust and honor what else a third interpretation what could it mean yeah life in the world to come is that possible it could mean in the world to come you're not going to earn the merits to achieve eternal life but I've always liked to understand this as Min means from your world from the world of Sanity of mental health of emotional health from the world of if you're life is consumed by looking around with jealousy and envy if your life is filled with desire and Temptation that you can't be disciplined to control if your life is filled with your ego and your need for Honor then you are living life life and pain perpetually you're numb you're Hollow you're removed from this world you're a shell of who you could be potential you're shallow you you're not you're you've been removed from your world you don't appreciate what you're going to be on anti-depressant meds and you're going to get blood pressure diabetes whatever problems and you're going to have emotional family dysfunction and you're going to have you are removed from your world you cannot have peace and serenity and tranquility happiness joy fulfillment if you're living a life defined by jealousy lust and honor so our rabbis look at the first three stories of the Torah and they say no those first three stories end badly so clearly the behavior of those first three stories are behavior that remove us from the world in great contrast what comes next what happens after that we are introduced to somebody whose behavior is the very antithesis of this ainu God looks down and he sees a and a is not filled with jealousy lust and honor his tent is open on four sides he is generous and magnanimous he is gracious he is hospitable God says he gets it nobody else gets it he gets it so you know what the Torah that I had intended to give the entire world which is what our rabbis tell us that originally God intended on giving the Tor to everybody I don't know if you one of you the whole world would be Jewish or no one would be Jewish but everybody would have the Torah equally and God says no they're not worthy they are living a self-centered life I'm giving my Torah to people who have the capacity for selflessness abah has it so therefore I'm going to ask him and his children after him to model for the world what I wanted it to be and soob what are their three character traits our rabbis look in the Torah and they see is and yob get it and they transform the world and they build the world and what are their three character traits that the rabbis understand these are the three things that don't remove you from the world but they three things that are the foundation of the world what was the second mission of Torah what's the what's the second see you're ready to teach next the world exists the world exists on three things what are they T yob is Torah is aod was willing to be a sacrifice he was it's the inverse three things remove you from the world those are the first three stories of the Torah three things are the foundation of a healthy Serene tranquil meaningful fulfilling life and yob that's the history of the Jewish people history of the world in a nutshell that's how it began God changes course he says to AB so by the way did God choose aam or did aam choose God we are not the chosen people we are the choosing people aam chose God so God says you made the right choice you're living the life that I intended for everyone I want you to be the role model I say this to every conversation with a potential convert with a convert conversion candidate Judaism Jewish people we are no Superior we are not better implicitly it just happens to be that our great great great grandfather was in the Honor Society he behaved in certain way that he made it into the Honor Society and God said to him your children your progeny after you are charged to continue this Mission and be a model for the world anyone can join the Honor Society how do you join the Honor Society in school if you make the grade and if your behavior is appropriate you could be a member of the Honor Society anyone can join but you have to be willing to make the grade you have to have the right Behavior so anyone can become Jewish you have to become Jewish means though to take upon yourself the responsibility to live the life to teach those values how does Judaism teach those values because Judaism is a platform that teaches us how to relate to time how to relate to space how to relate to intimacy how to relate to food how to relate to everything Judaism the platform to teach the world how to be selfless caring gracious and so on the antithesis of the kinot type uncover okay I couldn't hold back because that's the mishna in what is the Ram's comment on that mishna the r says you know why these three character traits are mov you from the world because you cannot be living those three behaviors and have a moon at the same time if you're jealous you don't have amuna if you have desire and Temptation and lust that you feed rather than control then you can't have auna and if you're interested in honor then you can't have auna why why why how do these three things remove you from amuna how do jealousy the antithesis of amuna Happ what happy what you have exactly because if you're jealous and you want what they have then you don't really believe that what God has provided for you is what you need that doesn't mean you're not entitled to strive for more you could want more you could want more in or in GM you could want more in terms of earning a greater income and having greater opportunity and enjoying more material pleasure there's nothing wrong with wanting more but do you want it because you want it or do you want it because he or she has it and you want to keep up with them and you want to have it in a sense of Envy in Li of them if you're jealous then you you don't believe that you have what you need you want what someone else has and that's knocked God out of the equation if you have lost in desire then you're not fulfilling what God's vision is you've knocked him out of the equation and if you seek honor if you have ego well there's no no room for you and God in this world third paragraph the ra explains that these three character traits remove you from the world what they remove you from this is now a fourth interpretation what they remove you from says RI is from the world of a relationship with God a person's world is their the way you live your life and the way we are in in in the world is our let's attempt to understand why is it specifically that if you're jealous or tempted or seek honor then you can't have amuna then your life can be a nice life but it's not life filled with amuna you know the human being is made up with limited capacity I once I used to spend a lot of time in New Square when I was single new square is a Enclave outside of M square and a a very insular Community there's one Road in one road out very very insular Community um not free of its own controversy but at the time it didn't have and there's still so many redeeming things about it and uh so when I was in yu and afterwards my sister who worked at Camp Sim had a camper who was from new Square we met that family and through that family I was really attracted to you know part of my my world view is uh go experience diverse Jewish experiences and take the best of it all and enjoy it so you know one of the things I had in common when we were dating is both are year in Israel we love to go to different places and experience the and and and a g and obviously within boundaries but diverse experiences and take the best of it so I spent time I went for I think three or four Sim toras in a row to new Square um eventually I brought nine of my friends so we would have a minion that K DAV in the right zman um but we had an amazing experience seeing the bleacher literally they bring in um bers bleachers and they pack them it's unbelievable the dancing the passion the energy absolutely incredible incredible and the and the Reb the sare Reb is a really remarkable individual um so I remember once asking one of the like what's what's the story with the the Reb fasting why do you believe the rebba has this this Insight he has this you know believe that the Reb has they're much more spiritually attuned they understand the spiritual World they can pick up the frequency they can predict the future or they at least I want to call it have a prophetic Vision but they they can see with a greater Vision you come to the Revit for advice what's the deal with that so this explained to me you know every human being is not made up of infinite capacity you have 100% capacity call it to the degree that you fill your capacity with material Pursuit physical pleasure desire Temptation that's what's the room that's left for spirituality to the degree that you limit it you have a lot more room left for spirituality so if you indulge in the physical world then there's less room left to feel spirituality if you live a disciplined physical life so there's a lot more room so a rebba who eats in very limited fashion and takes many fasts upon himself and isn't operate in the world of physical pleasure tries to transcend the physical world so they will the result will be they'll be much more spiritually attuned they'll pick up much greater spiritual frequencies that was what that was what he said so that's what the r that's is explaining the Raam here if you just can't give up the chocolate cake and the delicious food you're thinking about food all the time you're thinking about physical intimacy all the time you're thinking about a bigger house and a nicer car and the latest clothing and the newest pocketbook or the new shoes or the latest gadget all you are consumed by desire to have the latest have more have the greatest have the nicest brand if you are consumed by the desire for the pleasures of the flesh that is in direct cont it's in direct conflict with wanting to live in a spiritual world now we don't believe in asceticism the nazer the person who takes a Nazarite vow is called aot they're a sinner because we don't believe that you become Holy by removing yourself from the physical world we enjoy in fact Holiness is in the physical world enjoy eat the greatest Delicacies make sure they're kosher make a before and after intimacy enjoy the greatest physical Pleasures with the right person in the right context and the right time in the right setting with the right Holiness with the right thoughts we don't believe like other religions that you remove yourself from physical pleasure to become holy we believe you interact with the physical world but you elevate it you distinguish it to become holy so the degree to which a person is driven by desire and Temptation and the desire and the Temptation pushes them to engage these things not in the appropriate context and way but to indulge so then that will dull your sensitivity or ability to be spiritual this is from who says that the purpose of Torah the entire Torah is designed to reinforce and promote our ability for our intelligence to rule our desire you see we live in two simultaneous Worlds at the same time on the one hand we're animals we have an animal Instinct and an animal impulse and an animal desire we're animals and we use that language in our vernacular we talk about somebody who is eating like a pig the room is a pigy you're acting like an animal what does it mean to act like an animal we all have a lot in common with animals and animals have no self-awareness animals have no moral compass animals have no animals are defined by impulse and Instinct they eat what they want where they want regardless of who owns it or whether they've asked permission they relieve themselves where they want when they want regardless of dignity or modesty they um interact with other animals in your backyard in front of people they don't take the other animal for dinner first or buy a drink or you know uh send a love note they just do what they want animals have impulse and have Instinct and on the one hand we're all animals that little voice in your head that says eat the chocolate cake no but okay it's good just eat it indulge you deserve it that's the animal impulse we also have aim we have a Godly spirit and a Godly Soul where God breathed life into us and said you can control that animal you have the ability to control it this is what all Tanya is about this is what all of all of M all the whole Jewish World of thought is that we live life is a Battleground every moment of every day is a Battleground when you're hungry and you're going to reach for that food you shouldn't eat look at the thing you shouldn't look at say the thing you shouldn't say listen to the thing you shouldn't listen at don't say what you shouldn't say don't say what you shouldn't say that all of life is a Battleground in that war between the animal impulse inside us and The Godly spirit that says no you can be disciplined what does it mean to be Godly God is the ultimate in discipline God is the epitome God doesn't deal with temptation God doesn't hesitate or equivocate God is the ultimate of being of being disciplined so the world life is that Battleground and the Torah is designed to keep us mindful you're about to battle with food here's what I'm going to keep you mindful for you to win you have to ask as a kosher you're going to make a br you going to take a deep breath and say before I eat it I'm going to remember where it came from I'm going to be grateful for this gift of the food and in every area of life that's what Torah is designed to do if you believe in Torah you believe in the world of spirituality you believe in the notion that as we've spoken about many times we don't have Soul we are a soul it's not that we are a body that has a soul we are a soul that has a body it's a tremendous different we make the mistake of educating our children that we are a body and we have a soul but that's a mistake we are a soul and we have a body so what part of amuna is not just belief in God but it's belief that God is in you it's not only belief that there is a first cause a creator of the universe who interacts with us but is a belief not just in God but God is in us there's aim in us it's a belief in our soul it's a belief in our capacity for spirituality there comes a day where you don't believe with a leap of faith you know you have a soul you experience something which is so gratifying so meaningful so fulfilling by the way it usually is never anything which is selfish you never get a new car and go wow my soul is on fire you don't buy a new pocketbook and say wow this is my spiritual moment I've had in a long time when do you feel it when you volunteer when you give when you do something extraordinary for someone else when do you feel it when you see something remarkable you witness a sunset or you see something the Grand Canyon when do you feel it when something that was too coincidental happen in your favor and you can't believe it worked out that way in those moments you know that you aren't a body that has a soul you are a soul that happens to have a body amuna is not just in God amuna is in our own soul in our own spiritual existence as long as you've not come to that conclusion you don't really believe you have a soul you don't know how to nourish it you don't know how to feed it you don't know how to protect it so until you know it you have to take the leap of faith and believe it the desire to be overcome with temptation and desire and lust for the physical pleasures of the world is in direct contradiction and conflict with nurturing your soul we do a lot to nurture our body we pamper our body we pamper our body right I'm talking to a group of women just going to clear on the recording here that I'm talking to a group of women but maybe you get manicures and pedicures and facials and your hair done we take baths and long shower we buy clothing and make a massages and we do a lot that doesn't even include the meals that we eat the home we live in in the car we drive we do much to pamper our body but what do we do to nourish our soul what do we do to nurture our soul what do we do to exercise our soul what do we do to work out our soul okay good you come here excellent that was good 100% you do every time you're involved in learning every time you open the sitter and every time here's where it's counterintuitive not only acts that we would think of spirit of course doing and learning Are Spiritual acts but every time you volunteer every time there's a text message that says can someone make a meal for someone so and you say yes you've nurtured your soul every time you hold the door for someone every time you walk by you pick up a piece of garbage every time you think of someone who might be eating alone and you invite them over you're nurturing your soul so the degree to which you are driven by lust for the body it it removes you from nurturing your soul it leaves little energy and room left for nurturing the soul again nothing wrong with a matty Petty go enjoy it but it can't be what defines you it can't be what defines you it shouldn't be what you lust after you should have a nice manicure your pedicure so when you're hosting all that company on chabas you can be the best host as you can be not because you are driven by The Superficial and the physical you know I don't want to get too distracted because we're running out of time and we barely got through this but this is what we spoke about this on shaashua a few weeks ago yeah it is always the case this is a Perpetual problem I have so but you know when we learn this unfortunately we learn this when it's too late when the soul is extracted from the body the soul hovers over the body until burial and the Soul experiences pain and confusion the Tama tells us that the righteous the extraction of the soul is a moment of ecstasy it's Bliss it's pleasurable of bre said I can't wait to take off the Garment that is my body I have to wear a fink and a suit and tie every day it's miserable I'm so jealous of the doctors who walk around their scrubs all day I was the other day with a doctor he's wearing scrubs it was a Sunday I said you're on qu today he said no just he he's a doctor so you could wear that get away with it he wearing his pajamas you're a doctor you get to wear your pajamas in public it's a great thing so right so actually I know one said to me so the worst part about scrubs is when you come home there's nothing more comfortable to change into right so when you wear a suit and tie all day you can't wait to take it off it's choking you it's restricting you it's torturous to you so for of bre the body was was tort tortous to him to his soul the body made the soul feel restricted and made it feel tempted and gave it all kinds of challenges and struggles couldn't wait to undress from the body and just be a soul for the righteous the extraction of the soul is a moment of bliss but for the less than righteous which I would include myself I won't speak for others for the less than righteous the extraction of the soul from the body is a moment of confusion and pain you know why CU now the soul is hovering over looking down at that lifeless body and the Soul says to itself one second I thought that was me I spent 80 years 90 100 years treating that body as if that was me that's where I directed my money that's how I spent my time that's when I looked into the mirror I thought that was me you're telling me that there's a me independent of that you're telling me that the Everlasting Immortal Eternal me doesn't even include that and that I ignored taking care of what will be the me forever because I was so busy pampering the me that's now gone and will become worm food and it takes the soul time to grow comfortable with that and the only time the soul actually we believe hovers over the body until the burial and once the soul sees the body in the ground now the soul can feel comfortable to rise to Heaven some say I know there's a lot of different interpretations but the soul has to grow comfortable with itself knowing it is an entity without the body so unfortunately we'll all learn the hard way at the end of life the degree to which we understand that we are a soul that has a body when the soul is extracted from the body like thead it's a moment of it's Nika it's a kiss of death it's a moment of joy of bliss like we get to finally disrobe from the body but to the degree to which we think the body who we are is what we see in the mirror what we pamper what we indulge then that's going to be painful so we have our lives to develop that relationship and determine who we are are we a body that has a soul are we a soul that has a body that will determine what we experience at at the moment of death so the nothing wrong with enjoying that I want to be absolutely clear enjoy the pleasures of this world manicure pedicure a great meal Delicacies delicious food intimacy enjoy the pleasures of the world but do you enjoy them as a soul that has a body enjoying them or do you enjoy them because you think you are a body and you're still not even sure you have a soul the attitude is what determines whether there's anything room left for spirituality so it's not Amun is not just about believing in Hashem Amun is about believing that we have a soul we are on the 1 2 3 four fifth paragraph if you live life with jealousy you have sealed off your ability to see God's involvement in your life a person who believes wholeheartedly that while I may want more and I'm working towards more by definition I have what I need because if I needed more God would give it if you believe that you have what you need even if you want more and you're striving to get more then you can't have jealousy there's nothing wrong with again there's nothing wrong with working towards more but more because you're working towards it not because you're jealous of another if you're driven by jealousy you can't have auna you cannot you're you're knocking God out of the equation a person who recognizes and understands that this world is the place of work and toil and effort and that the world of pleasure and the world of reward is in the world to come so honor should do nothing for you if you if we really understand that there is a God he's infinite we're finite if we understand that we are Speck Speck in the canvas of human history this past shabash we talked about the statistics the billions of people on the globe at any time the billions of people that have lived on earth throughout all time we are a nothing of a nothing that we just have a task we have a mission we should keep our on the eye on the ball of what we contribute to the world but we should never ever think that we are deserving of Honor or pursue honor the rush says the following be afraid and be careful not to receive your reward in this world expands on this when you're in do not talk about mundane things even between the alas of of Torah reading says the rush if someone sits down next to you and starts talking to you about did you hear the sale of bloomies did you hear what so and so sold their house for do you believe what you know can you believe they never invited me back for lunch start moving your lips as if you're ding fake it so they'll leave you alone and don't say listen A's advice is don't turn to them with righteous indignation and say excuse me do you know who I am I don't talk says you know why because you're just feeding your ego if your goal is for them not to talk to you start moving your lips as if you're faking ding the moment you talk to them with righteous indignation you know it's really not proper to talk and TR you know I'm not one of the people who talk you're feeding your ego and you might think you even think it's a Mitzvah to feed your ego cuz you've you've turned it into something which is Noble it's a teachable moment I'm teaching them but saysa at that moment you're really feeding your ego and you know what happens when you feed your ego you get your re World your reward in this world is that worth it you want that that moment that you feel good about yourself that you don't talk contr TR and you're better than that person that little that little um whatever you gave your ego that was worth it Bo thank you if you pursue honor you don't believe Ina you don't believe that there's reward waiting for you you're willing to cash it out now you're taking the lumsum payout and you're forfeit and you're leaving so much on the table in the world to come is that an example of going after what's an example of going after was that an example when you're in that situation isn't that startling right you would think that that's the right thing to do educate Inspire tell the person next to you we you know we really shouldn't talk tell me later think it was so like in such a simple encounter that that be interpreted and that that's what what rabi is saying is listen to the Raba such a simple encounter that had no malice and yet it too is feeding your ego you needed people to know that you don't talk in true and every time you do something to feed your ego every time you seek honor pursue honor you're cashing out your reward in the world to come which is a lack of amuna it shows a a a lack of faith in the world to come so what do you say says a person who's living a proper world of Faith where they have faith not only in God but they have faith in all the spiritual aspects of Life they recognize God's involvement in their life and therefore they're not jealous of others and they recognize they believe in the world to come so they're not looking to cash out in this world if you're jealous you don't think God's giving you what you need you don't believe in God you seek honor you don't believe in the world to come you're trying to compete with God for your name and you havea if you can't control your desire you're indulging in this world you're not nourishing your soul so therefore what's the way that we educate ourselves for it's a great formula say based on the r you know how you work on amuna you work on amuna by working on not having jealousy lust or seeking honor the way to make space the way to make room for amuna is to get rid of those three behaviors [Applause] um I think we're going to stop here we're out of time either we'll pick up with this next time or we'll do another piece but we got the the general gist of it is that Amun is not just belief in God but it's belief in the world of spirituality with its consequences that God takes care of us we don't have to be jealous that there's a world to come I don't have to get my payment in this world that blessing that I have a soul that needs to be nurtured I shouldn't always be exclusively focused on pampering my body that amuna leads to all these other conclusions in life that we need to pursue as well have an amuna filled day amen